Meta Knight

Meta Knight is an anti-hero and a major character in the Kirby franchise. He first appeared in Kirby's Adventure, but went unnamed until the release of Kirby's Avalanche.

Meta Knight is a chivalrous masked swordsman who follows his own code of honor, as he sometimes appears as a mentor to Kirby and other times as a rival. Meta Knight wields the legendary sword Galaxia, and his cape has many unusual abilities, including the ability to change its shape and size and transform into a pair of bat wings. Meta Knight is able to move around and do sword slashes very quickly. While he appears to be of the same species as Kirby, Meta Knight's exact relation to him is not known for certain.

Meta Knight is the leader of the Meta-Knights, a group of soldiers including Axe Knight, Mace Knight, Trident Knight, Javelin Knight, and Sailor Dee.

Kirby's Adventure / Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land
In Kirby's Adventure, both Meta Knight and his minions, the Meta-Knights, were hired by King Dedede to guard one of the pieces of the Star Rod. Meta Knight appears throughout Kirby's journey, sometimes to help Kirby but other times to try and hinder his progress. In certain stages, Meta Knight throws an Invincibility Candy to Kirby, usually before an area with several enemies. Since the second level, Ice Cream Island, Meta Knight summons his minions, the Meta-Knights, to fight Kirby at least once per each level (except the final level, the Fountain of Dreams).

Meta Knight himself is fought at the end of Orange Ocean. Before starting the fight, Meta Knight will toss Kirby a sword that gives him the Sword ability so that the two of them can duel as equals. He will refuse to start the boss fight until Kirby picks up the sword. Once the player defeats him, his mask is sliced in half, briefly revealing his face (which resembles Kirby's, but with dark blue skin and white eyes) before Meta Knight covers his face with his cape and teleports away. Even after being defeated, Meta Knight shows up one last time in the final world to help Kirby through a particularly dangerous area.

In the Game Boy Advance remake Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, if the player achieves a 100% completion rating in both Normal and Extra mode, they unlock Meta Knightmare, a time attack mode starring Meta Knight as a playable character. The goal is to play as Meta Knight throughout the entire main game and clear it as quickly as possible. As a playable character, Meta Knight has half the HP of Kirby and a shorter jump height, but runs much faster, falls faster, has stronger attacks, and is heavier than Kirby, preventing him from being affected by strong wind.

Kirby Super Star
Meta Knight is featured as the main antagonist of Revenge of Meta Knight in Kirby Super Star. He appears in his huge Halberd battleship. The crew of the Halberd includes an eagle like captain, a sailor Waddle Dee, and the Meta-Knights. Kirby eventually destroys the core of the Halberd, destroying it. Kirby fights Meta Knight at the end of the sub game in a battle that resembles the fight in Kirby's Adventure. This time, however, Meta Knight gives Kirby a sword. As Kirby flees the falling Halberd, Meta Knight attacks him one last time, flying with new wings while Kirby is on a Wheelie. The Halberd then crashes into the ocean, though it would return in Kirby: Squeak Squad. Besides possibly Kirby's Adventure, this is Meta Knight's only villainous role.

In the remake Kirby Super Star Ultra, Meta Knight once again has his own sub-game, Meta Knightmare Ultra. After going through Kirby's adventures from the original Kirby Super Star (excluding Gourmet Race), Meta Knight revives the comet NOVA and, to become stronger, he wishes to fight the greatest warrior in the galaxy, Galacta Knight. He defeats Galacta Knight and is thus, the greatest (technically one of the greatest) warrior in the galaxy.

Kirby Air Ride
In Kirby Air Ride's intro Meta Knight appears towards the end, in his winged mode, racing and dueling with Sword Kirby on his Warp Star on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Meta Knight is an unlockable racer, unlocked by gliding for thirty minutes, though not necessarily in the same sitting. Meta Knight has both the Wing and Sword abilities by default but lacks the ability to gain others. Instead of riding a vehicle, he flies around the track using his wings, and while he can't charge-boost, he has nearly instantaneous acceleration and a high top speed.

Kirby & The Amazing Mirror
In Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, Meta Knight attempts to stop an evil force in the parallel Mirror World, but is stopped by the evil Dark Meta Knight. Dark Meta Knight is the parallel Meta Knight from Mirror World. He resembles the original but with a gray body, red shoes, a scar on his mask and a tattered cape. He then traps Meta Knight and disguises himself as the original. During the fight with Dark Meta Knight he does not give Kirby a sword to use. During the fight he can use the Magic ability, however. Magic cause many random things to happen, one of which is the original Meta Knight flying in and attacking enemies. Meta Knight's sword is called "Master". Meta Knight gives it to Kirby to fight the final boss, Dark Mind.

Kirby: Canvas Curse
During the final fight with Drawcia in Kirby: Canvas Curse, Kirby can use Meta Knight's sword. Here it is once again called the "Master". Meta Knight is also an unlockable character, being the fastest one but having the lowest health.

Kirby: Squeak Squad
In Kirby: Squeak Squad, after Kirby defeats Daroach, boss of the Squeaks, Meta Knight appears and takes the treasure chest Daroach believes has an amazing power hidden within, while Kirby believes it houses his missing cake in it. He escapes through a door sealed with five Star Seals. If Kirby collects them, he can follow through to the Secret Sea, where Meta Knight is on the Halberd hidden beneath the sea.

As the Halberd arises and flies to the Gamble Galaxy, Kirby battles Meta Knight once again. Daroach claims the treasure, but finds out that it contains a villain called Dark Nebula. It is then revealed that Meta Knight had only stolen the chest to stop Daroach, Kirby, or anyone else from awakening Dark Nebula.

Kirby's Epic Yarn / Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn
Meta Knight appears in Kirby's Epic Yarn and its Nintendo 3DS version, Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn, as a boss, but not intentionally. A cutscene shows that he is noticing some strange happenings on the Halberd, but is kidnapped by Yin-Yarn the sorcerer and turned into yarn before he can do anything about it. He is then brainwashed and becomes the boss of Space Land. After being defeated, he appears in the next cut scene apologizing to Kirby and explaining that he was being controlled. He later appears again when Kirby is battling Yin-Yarn, where he drops the patch needed for Kirby to turn into Tankbot.

Kirby Mass Attack
In Kirby Mass Attack, while Meta Knight does not appear in the main adventure, he is featured as a boss in two of the Sub-Games, Kirby Quest and Strato Patrol EOS.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land
Meta Knight is one of the four playable characters in Kirby's Return to Dream Land, the other three being Kirby, Bandanna Waddle Dee and King Dedede. Meta Knight uses a similar moveset to Sword Kirby but with the addition of Wing Kirby's shuttle loop and hover flap.

Kirby: Planet Robobot
In Kirby: Planet Robobot, Meta Knight is one of the first to notice the invaders but is shot down along with the Halberd, later, he is captured after he is overpowered by the Access Ark's superior technology. Susie impressed by his fighting skills transforms him into Mecha Knight, a cyborg general to serve her as the boss of Gigabyte Grounds. After this defeat, he is upgraded and acts as the first boss of Access Ark as Mecha Knight+ but is defeated a second time and freed from Susie's control. In the final fight with Star Dream, Meta Knight teams up with Kirby, fusing the newly repaired Halberd with Kirby's Robobot armor which the two pilot. In Meta Knightmare Returns, Meta Knight progresses through the same stages as the main game, testing his skills. Star Dream tests him against various sword using including clones of Queen Sectonia and Dark Matter as well as Galacta Knight.

Kirby Star Allies
In Kirby Star Allies, Meta Knight is seen to become possessed by one of the Jamba Hearts and is then fought as the boss of World 2, Planet Popstar. During the fight, he is seen to have gained the ability to split his body in 4 version of himself. After he's defeated, whenever you reach a Dream Palace and use the Dream Rod, he can be selected as a Dream Partner to assist you.

Super Smash Bros. series
Meta Knight made his first Super Smash Bros. series appearance in Super Smash Bros. Melee as a trophy, but has since become a playable fighter in all subsequent installments.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Meta Knight is a playable character. He is a lightweight fighter who primarily uses his sword Galaxia in high speed, but low damage, attacks. His moves include using his Dimensional Cape to disappear and teleport a short distance, creating Mach Tornadoes, and using Shuttle Loop wings to glide. His Final Smash is called Galaxia Darkness, seemingly renaming the Master after the sword he used in the anime. Galaxia Darkness has him use his cape on an opponent. If it connects, the screen will go dark and Meta Knight will then slash them heavily. If it misses, the attack fails entirely. In the competitive scene, Meta Knight was banned due to his speedy attacks and fantastic recovery.

Meta Knight returns in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U, with an altered up special due to the change in flight mechanics and attacks relatively slower. His appearance is similar to his in Brawl with slightly more vivid colors in the overall clothing.

Meta Knight returns as a playable character for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He is slightly faster and stronger than he was in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. He has a new Final Smash called "Darkness Illusion" where he summons a lightning bolt to strike foes in the air, then slashes at them repetitively before launching them sideways. His Classic Mode campaign is "Two Sides of the Same Coin", where Meta Knight battles two opponents based on characters fighting their evil counterparts, such as battling Samus and Dark Samus. The penultimate match is against two other Meta Knights using the Galacta Knight and Dark Meta Knight costumes.