Meta Knight (Games)
From Kirbypedia
| |
| English Name: | Meta Knight |
| Japanese Name: | メタナイト Metanaito Meta Knight |
| English Voice: | Eric Stuart |
| Japanese Voice: | Kisaichi Atsushi |
| First Game: | Kirby's Adventure |
| Species: | Kirby's species |
| Gender: | Male |
| Alignment: | Neutral |
| Category: | Boss, Ally |
This page is about Meta Knight in the games. For the version in the anime, see Meta Knight (Anime). For the evil version see Dark Meta Knight.
Meta Knight, also sometimes written Meta-Knight, is perhaps one of the most well known characters after Kirby- and definitely the most mysterious. Because of his often confusing actions, seeming to switch sides and possessing vague intentions, there has always been a good deal of confusion and argument surrounding him.
Generally he's seen as a villain, because Kirby has fought against him several times through the series. However, they have also fought on the same side, with Meta Knight helping Kirby to defeat a common enemy.
Meta Knight typically shows some of the more advanced AI for bosses Kirby must face, reacting to the player's actions by dodging and blocking. However, his attacking style and types of attacks often change significantly between games.
Meta Knight has a loyal group of followers known as The Meta Knights, and owns a great warship called the Halberd.
Contents
|
Appearance
He wears white, fingerless gloves and usually wears a dark blue cape, which can be transformed into a pair of bat-like wings. (They have been shown as either black and purple, or plain blue.) He also wields a golden colored sword, though it has changed in design and color several times.
Meta Knight's 'secret' is that under all his armor, he looks just like a blue version of Kirby, with rosy cheeks and all, but with his eyes usually shown as flat white. This fact is never revealed until Kirby defeats him in battle, whereupon his mask will split in two, and Meta Knight will escape from the scene.
He even only has "flaps" for arms as Kirby does, when seen without his gloves, instead of having true hands.
In his first incarnation in Kirby's Adventure, Meta Knight's skin was black, and his cape is red. In every game after, he has been blue.
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Meta Knight's design is similar to that in Kirby Super Star, but made more elaborate.
Meta Knight's symbol is an M with a sword through it.
Personality and Background
Meta Knight is always described as having a strong sense of honor, and follows a code of chivalry- traits said to be rare in Dream Land. He will nearly always offer Kirby a sword before their battles, preferring to fight on equal ground.
He is very level-headed in difficult situations, and prefers to think about his actions rather than making rash decisions (as Kirby often does). However, he does have his breaking point. But above all he does what he believes is just- even if he comes into conflict with others because of it.
His past is nothing but mystery, unlike the anime version. Absolutely nothing is known- though he does seem to consider Dream Land his home.
Games
As a boss Kirby fights:
- Kirby's Adventure
- Kirby's Avalanche
- Kirby Super Star
- Kirby's KiraKira Kids (never released in the US)
- Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land
- Kirby & the Amazing Mirror (actually a clone)
- Kirby Canvas Curse
- Kirby Squeak Squad
As a playable character:
Kirby's Adventure and Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land
Meta Knight is told by Dedede to guard a piece of the Star Rod. Dedede had broken it in a short-sighted attempt to prevent nightmares from invading the Fountain of Dreams (disabling it in the process), though Kirby doesn't know it at this time.
He shows his most conservative fighting style in this game. He does not have his wings or any special powers, and only attacks with normal sword slashes. Attacking him head-on is useless as he will only block. The best way to hit him is to get behind him before he can turn around.
He offers Kirby a sword before their duel, and will refuse to fight you until you take it. Also, unlike other times when he has an ability, being hit will not cause Kirby to lose it. (As Meta Knight creates no stars or other projectiles for Kirby to use as other bosses do, it would be impossible to defeat him without an ability.) In the remake, Meta Knight's tactics have been slightly retooled to make the battle much easier; he has a different upward slash, reacts slower, and barely guards.
In the original version, Meta Knight appears briefly in certain levels to toss Candy to Kirby, granting him temporary invincibility. In both, Meta Knight will send his Meta Knights to fight Kirby and possibly to test his skill.
In Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, a special Meta Knightmare mode is unlocked if both the Normal and Hard modes are beaten with 100%. In this sub-game, you play as Meta Knight through the normal game. He attacks with his sword, which can also be used to light fuses and hit posts to unlock things. He flies with his wings, which is much more difficult to maneuver than Kirby's floating, and when running he moves about as fast as Wheel Kirby can move. However, you cannot save in this mode, the objective being to complete it as fast as possible.
Kirby's Avalanche
Meta Knight is fought as the thirteenth boss of the game, and the second to last boss of the game.
Kirby Super Star
Meta Knight gathers his army and builds a massive warship called the Halberd, with the intent of taking over Dream Land. Kirby is quick to oppose him, boarding the ship several times and destroying it section by section. Meta Knight himself does not actually fight Kirby until the very end, after Kirby has destroyed much of the Halberd and it has begun to fall from the sky.
Meta Knight uses normal attacks far less, preferring to power up for super attacks. (Such as creating a tornado that moves across the battlefield and is difficult to dodge.) If attacked head-on, he will move away to charge up his attacks. He shows a wider variety of attacks, such as dashing across the screen in a flying strike, a rapid slash similar to the one Kirby himself uses, and an earthquake move.
He offers Kirby a sword at the start of the battle, but he will fight Kirby even if he doesn't take it. (Likely because there is a time limit in this battle as the ship is crashing.)
Meta Knight gains his wings after the battle, when he chases Kirby off the falling Halberd, saying he 'will never escape'. There he displays even more strange new abilities, firing orbs of energy, or conjuring floating swords in mid-air. While he has a health meter visible, he cannot be harmed.
Kirby & the Amazing Mirror
In this game, Meta Knight learns that the Mirror Country is in danger and goes to help. However, when he reaches the dimensional mirror, it copies the dark part of himself, creating Dark Meta Knight. They duel, with the dark one winning and imprisoning Meta Knight inside the mirror before breaking it into several pieces. (In a sense, part of Kirby's quest is to save Meta Knight!)
It is actually Dark Meta Knight Kirby fights twice in this game. The first time he is disguised as the real Meta Knight and keeping a shard of the mirror, and the second time is his true form before the final boss. The first time, when his mask comes off, he appears as the usual "blue version of Kirby" but turns gray before he runs off.
He does not offer a sword for Kirby either time- however he will create stars with some of his attacks that supply the Sword ability, or to be used as projectiles.
He has a more erratic fighting style than the real Meta Knight, and can be difficult to predict. Attacking him head-on may cause him to block, move away or simply strike back. He uses many of the same powerful attacks as Meta Knight in Kirby Super Star and will often jump away from Kirby to charge up. The best way to hit him is to get behind him while he charges up an attack.
He also has the ability to fly, and will pursue Kirby to the top of the screen if one tries to attack him from above.
Kirby Squeak Squad
Kirby journeys in this game to retrieve a stolen treasure chest that he believes to contain a piece of strawberry shortcake. However, at one point before he can get it, Meta Knight appears from no where and takes it, retreating to the rebuilt Halberd beneath the Secret Sea. However, what Kirby does not know at the time is that Meta Knight is trying to keep him from opening the chest because it contains an evil creature called Dark Nebula.
Meta Knight attacks almost non-stop in this version, seemingly trying to keep Kirby from getting any hits in himself. If attacked head-on he will simply strike back instead of blocking. He retains his tornado move, but also gains a variety of elemental moves, such as striking his sword down to create an electrical charge around him, or shooting crescents of fire across the screen. He turns around much faster, making it hard to attack him from behind. Fighting him with the Sword ability can prove difficult, and it's advised to use faster or longer range abilities against him.
He doesn't offer a sword himself, but in the room before him Kirby can choose between a Sword and Beam bubble. (In addition, swallowing the stars he creates with certain attacks will allow you to gain the Sword ability as well.)
During the battle, the Halberd takes off from the ocean, through the atmosphere and into space, as seen through the large windows behind the scene of the battle.
Kirby's KiraKira Kids
After the battle, Meta Knight is silent, and is seen up on a rock with his mask and armor removed, revealing he looks even more like Kirby than previous games had shown.
Kirby Air Ride
Meta Knight can be unlocked in Free Run by having a total flight time of 30 minutes, or in City Trial by destroying a total of 1,000 boxes.
Meta Knight is the only character without a vehicle, instead using his wings to fly along the ground. He isn't the fastest character but can achieve top speed quickly. He automatically attacks anything that comes close, but his attack strength is the lowest in the game. He has no boost, and will simply come to a halt.
Kirby Canvas Curse
Meta Knight can be unlocked with 25 medals once Waddle Dee and Dedede have been obtained. He is the fastest of all the characters- but also has only three health points, making him fragile. When he strikes an enemy, a sound like a slashing sword can be heard, and a diagonal cut is seen, but the sword itself is not shown.
He can be used to reach the farthest wall in the Goal Game somewhat easily.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
His main offensive strategies involve swordplay, virtually all of his standard attacks involve using his sword in a fashion to cause massive amounts of damage to his opponents. His special attacks generally involve using his sword and cape to execute surprising feats of attacking prowess. Since his cape also doubles as wings, Meta Knight can glide, both in midair and over stretches of land, and can use them to fly short distances.
His special moves, according to the Smash Bros. Dojo site, are as follows:
- Up Special Move - Shuttle Loop: Identical in name and function to the attack from Kirby Super Star's Wing ability, Meta Knight flies in a loop to attack or recover after being thrown off a stage.
- Standard Special Move - Mach Tornado: Not unlike Kirby's Tornado ability, Meta Knight rapidly spins with his sword held out to form a cyclone which attacks anything it touches. It also appears to move similarly to Kirby's Tornado ability, as it is seen flying around in various trailers similarly to how Tornado could become airborne.
- Side Special Move - Triple Dash: Meta Knight spirals forward with his sword directly in front attacking anything in his way. Gameplay videos show that Meta Knight has a large amount of control when attacking, being able to move in virtually every direction, making it a very versatile move in both attacking and recovery.
- Down Special Move - Dimensional Cape: Meta Knight cloaks himself in his cape, making him temporarily immune to attack and hides him from sight. Not much has been said about the extent of either ability.
His Final Smash attack has not yet been revealed, nor if he will have any of the element based attacks as in other games. The Halberd appears as a stage in the game.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl: The Subspace Emissary
Meta Knight's role in Super Smash Bros. Brawl: The Subspace Emissary is yet to be revealed, but it was shown in early updates on the Smash Bros. Dojo that his ship, the Halberd would appear as a major plot element, making it highly probable that Meta Knight will hold an important role as well.
Etymology
While it is doubtful that "Meta Knight" is his real name, the prefix of "Meta" might have meaning. ... Or it might have no meaning at all and is just there because it sounds cool. Even then, one can consider the following:
In Greek, the word "meta" can mean "after", "with", or "beyond". However, in English, "Meta-" is prefix used to mean "about itself". For example, metadata is data about data, metatheory is theory about theory, and metamemory is about remembering if you remember something.
Therefore, it can go two ways.
1) If in favor of the Greek Language, "Meta Knight" can have relation to with the idea of "after something" or the idea of "beyond something" (but due to his behaviors, I'll rule out the idea of him being "with something" since he clearly has no alignment with anything at all). This brings up the questions of exactly what he is beyond, or what exactly came before. None of these questions can be answered based off what we know.
2) If in favor of the English Language, Meta Knight is a knight about knights. This could relate to his ethics and chivalry, explaining or hinting at why they are so exaggerated.
If any one of those two theories are true, it would have to be the one relating to Greek. This is because the Kirby series is not inheritably English, and during the production of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, it was revealed that the Latin lyrics of the title song were actually written by Masahiro Sakurai himself, showing that he knows some Latin. The Latin equivalent of "meta" is "post". They both have the same meaning of "after" so the connection to Greek could have easily been made.
Controversy and Misconceptions
Meta Knight's "Revenge"?
One of the many things that may have contributed to the confusion about Meta Knight's character in Revenge of Meta Knight could be a somewhat inaccurate translation. The sub-game is one of the few Kirby games with any dialog, and a few key lines were changed significantly in the English version.
In the intro of Chapter 1, Meta Knight says, ""Dream Land's lazy lifestyle will end! I will rule!" However, the translation of the original line is more like, "Dream Land, filed with corruption, shall be changed by my hand." It's not clear just what he's referring to- however, it is well known that Dream Land's current ruler King Dedede is a corrupt tyrant who does little but torment the population.
In the final chapter, before battling Kirby, Meta Knight says, ""Kirby, this is it! Prepare to die!" But originally he says, "This is the end! Kirby! Now we duel!"
There is also the issue of the title. Though it says 'revenge', it isn't clear who Meta Knight is getting revenge on! To the casual player, it would seem to be Kirby- but Kirby is not the original target. Indeed, when Kirby first boards the Halberd, Meta Knight's only thought is to knock him off the ship and continue with their plans.
It may have been better translated as 'Counterattack', referring to how the Halberd crew is basically responding to Kirby's attack on them.
There is also a long-standing rumor that Meta Knight was possessed by Nightmare during the events of the game. However, this has since been debunked.
No Relation
It's commonly said, usually jokingly, that because of their similar appearance, Meta Knight must be Kirby's father, or brother, or father's brother's nephew's cousin's former room-mate.
While it certainly isn't impossible, there is no direct support for it other than it fitting the Star Wars cliche. The fact he and Kirby look similar can safely be used as support for them being the same species, but saying they're related by blood is probably stretching things a bit. (But it's not outside the realm of possibility.)
Not to be confused with...
A very strange rumor is that under his armor, Meta Knight is a completely different character- Lololo! But we've seen what Meta Knight looks like under his mask, and he has Kirby's facial features.
Lololo has large eyes that cover most of his face and a tail. Meta Knight... Well he's a blue Kirby.
People come up with the funniest things.
| Kirby Game Characters: | |
| Main: Kirby - King Dedede - Meta Knight - Waddle Dee | |
| Allies: Animal Friends - Gooey - Ribbon - Adeleine - Helpers - Other Friends | |
| Enemies: Regular enemies - Mini-bosses - Bosses The Meta Knights - The Squeaks | |
| Final Bosses: Nightmare - Dark Matter - Miracle Matter - 0 (Zero) - 0² (Zero Two) Marx - Dark Mind - Drawcia - Grill - Dark Nebula | |
