Editing Kirby (SSB4)

'''Kirby''' ({{ja|カービィ|Kābī}}, ''Kirby'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''. He was confirmed during the [[Electronic Entertainment Expo|E3]] [[Nintendo Direct]] on June 11th, 2013.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13D1I5s236o Nintendo Direct@E3 2013]</ref> Makiko Ōmoto returns as his voice actor with new voice clips, sounding more akin to his appearances from ''{{s|wikirby|Kirby's Return to Dream Land}}'' onward.

Kirby is ranked 49th out of 54 on the current [[tier list]], thus going into the F tier. This is a significant drop from his placement in ''[[Brawl]]'', where he was ranked 20th out of 38 characters. Among his strengths are fast attacks for naturally-flowing [[combo]]s, including up tilt, forward throw, and down aerial – the latter of which is also a great KO set-up attack – and good [[edgeguard]]ing ability thanks to his versatile forward aerial and powerful back aerial. Kirby's multitude of [[jump]]s allow him to [[recovery|recover]] from long distances and mix up his landings. His small size also makes him difficult to hit, especially while [[crouch]]ing, and he can flexibly and efficiently [[KO]] opponents with his powerful [[smash attacks]] and back aerial.

However, this comes at the cost of poor endurance. Kirby is one of the [[weight|lightest]] and [[falling speed|floatiest]] characters in the game, and his recovery, despite its distance, is linear and predictable. Kirby's mobility and [[approach]] are very poor, as he is slow, floaty, and lacks an effective [[projectile]]. He also has poor [[reach]] in most of his attacks due to his small size and short limbs.

Kirby is a small, short light[[weight]], tied for the fifth-lightest character in the game. Aside from his average [[dash]]ing speed, his mobility is poor: he [[walk]]s slowly and has low [[traction]], while having the fourth-slowest [[air speed]] and [[falling speed]], and the third-lowest [[gravity]], but high [[air acceleration]], being the 15th highest. His [[jump]]s are very low on their own, but he boasts six of them – tied with {{SSB4|Jigglypuff}} and {{SSB4|Meta Knight}} for the most jumps in the game.

Kirby is a simple character suitable for beginners, and this can be observed in the versatility of his moveset. Many of his attacks are characterized by speed and combo ability, with some outliers trading those strengths for raw power. His [[jab]] and [[forward tilt]] are both fast and effective close-quarter attacks, while [[up tilt]] is a highly versatile attack which [[combo]]s into itself cleanly. Down tilt is weak, but its speed and [[Sakurai angle]] allow it to [[trip]] opponents consistently. His [[smash attack]]s are notably strong without being particularly slow, making them excellent finishing moves.

Kirby's grab game is similarly effective, as he boasts a fast [[grab]], an effective [[pummel]], and a set of useful [[throw]]s. His [[forward throw]] can cleanly fit into any part of a combo and enables Kirby to set up long and highly [[damage|damaging]] follow-ups, even a [[down aerial]] into a regrab. [[Back throw]] can KO on the ledge at high [[percentage]]s, and [[up throw]] can KO even earlier off the top (especially if he lands on a [[platform]] with it. Lastly, [[down throw]], while not especially useful overall, can rack up damage when no other throw can yield better results.

Complementing his six jumps, Kirby has effective [[aerial attack]]s as well. [[Neutral aerial]]'s long duration and short [[landing lag]] allow him to protect himself when landing, while [[forward aerial]] is an excellent all-around attack for combos, [[edgeguarding]], and KOing at high percentages. His [[back aerial]] takes that principle even further, being his fastest and strongest aerial. [[Up aerial]] is a standard attack for juggling and low-damage combos, allowing for many potential followups. Finally, his [[down aerial]], while slow, is a multi-hitting [[spike]] with low landing lag and generally little risk, making it a great tool for both edgeguarding and setups on grounded opponents.

Kirby's special moveset has some interesting options. {{B|Inhale|Kirby}} allows him to either copy the [[neutral special]] of any character he Inhales, or spit them out as a weight-dependent [[projectile]]. The latter can be used to [[Kirbycide]] or put the opponent below the stage, almost eliminating their chances of recovering. Depending on what character he copies, the gained neutral special has the potential to greatly improve his kit – whether from an effective projectile like {{SSB4|Falco}}'s [[Blaster]] or {{SSB4|Luigi}}'s [[Fireball]], or a massively beneficial and versatile technique like [[Monado Arts]].

[[Hammer (move)|Hammer Flip]] is very powerful, especially when fully charged. Its slow speed, however, makes it very difficult to use outside of [[edge-guarding]] or after a [[shield break]]. [[Final Cutter]] is Kirby's [[recovery]] move and is decent at that, granting good vertical distance and decent horizontal distance, as well as decent protection during his ascent and descent. It also emits a shockwave upon landing, making it difficult to [[punish]] if not at point-blank range. Lastly, [[Stone]] causes Kirby to plummet straight down and ignore damage by any move that deals less than 30%. It is also very strong and can be canceled at any time, making it useful for playing [[mindgames]].

However, Kirby has noticeable flaws. His most prominent weakness is his endurance. Being light and floaty, Kirby cannot endure strong hits at high percents. He is also very vulnerable to [[juggling]], due to his aforementioned slow falling and air speeds. [[Rage]] further compounds these issues, as Kirby will be launched even earlier, while he will typically not endure long enough in order to take advantage of it.

Kirby's poor mobility not only makes it significantly difficult for him to [[approach]] and pressure opponents, but also makes him susceptible to fast characters like {{SSB4|Sonic}}, or those with [[disjointed hitbox]]es like {{SSB4|Marth}} and {{SSB4|Cloud}}. In addition, his very long-distanced recovery is very slow, making aggressive edge-guarding and [[gimp]]-oriented moves, such as [[F.L.U.D.D.]] or meteor smashes, detrimental to him. Kirby's range is also mediocre at best, and his strongest moves happen to be his slowest, making it difficult for him to KO opponents outside of edge-guarding or without a set-up.

Overall, Kirby tends to run hot and cold, similarly to {{SSB4|Luigi}}. He can inflict an impressive amount of damage if he gets close to his opponent thanks to his potent combo game, but doing so is difficult for him due to his poor mobility. As such, Kirby functions well with a bait and punish playstyle, although being unprepared for an opponent's approach can be hazardous due to his unimpressive survivability. Kirby has achieved average tournament representation and some degree of success: {{Sm|Poyo}}, {{Sm|Triple R}} and {{Sm|Prince Kirby}} have each won numerous local tournaments and continue to place very well at them in singles and [[doubles]] play, while {{Sm|MikeKirby}} and {{Sm|K.I.D.Goggles}} have collectively achieved a handful of notable results at regional and national tournaments.

Kirby has been considerably nerfed in the transition from ''Brawl'' to ''SSB4''. Most of his issues in ''Brawl'' were not only retained but worsened and he also suffers from new weaknesses. Kirby's already mediocre range has been reduced further, with his feet becoming smaller and several general nerfs to hitbox sizes. This makes it even easier for opponents to wall out Kirby especially with the cast having greater range overall. Kirby's air mobility as also taken a hit as his [[air acceleration]] is lower, and unlike most returning veterans, his [[air speed]] has been decreased, which hindering both his recovery and ability to escape aerial pressure. As with his transition from each new Smash game as well as with most of the returning veterans, Kirby's damage output has been decreased. Some of Kirby's moves have also seen changes which greatly hinder their utility, with forward aerial having more ending lag and no longer autocanceling in a short hop due to a combination of its autocancel window being unchanged and Kirby's higher gravity and lower jumps, and dash attack and connecting less reliably due to its much shorter range, but the attacks that were affected the most were down throw and aerial [[Hammer Flip]], losing most of their previous utility: the former has lost all of its followup potential due to its more unfavorable angle and increased knockback, while the latter has much more startup lag and has lost its recovery and edgeguarding potential, as to it's no longer being a semispike and now stalls Kirby's horizontal momentum instead of his vertical momentum.

''Smash 4''{{'}}s adjusted mechanics have both helped and hindered Kirby. The changes to [[hitstun canceling]] overall help Kirby, strengthening his ability to combo opponents. It does, however, make Kirby slightly easier to combo himself, especially due to his increased [[weight]], [[fall speed]] and [[gravity]]. Without the ability to [[momentum cancel]], Kirby's already poor endurance has been further reduced, although he had poor momentum canceling in ''Brawl'', and his higher weight somewhat compensates for it. The inclusion of [[rage]] further exacerbates this issue, and while it improves Kirby's own KO potential, his poor endurance combined with his lack of a ladder combo or early kill confirm prevents him from making great use of the mechanic. The changes to aerial [[grab release]]s, however, now make him much less vulnerable to those kinds of followups.

Kirby has seen some buffs, however. His considerably faster [[dash]]ing speed improves his approach, while some less reliable moves like Inhale and down aerial have been given new utility, with the former being faster and the latter connecting better due to using the autolink angle and its landing hit has less knockback and launches higher, making it better for combos, and forward and back throw are also more useful for combos due to the former's new angle and reduced ending lag, and the latter also has received KO potential thanks to its altered knockback, increasing its versatility overall. Other attacks, namely his up smash, down smash, back aerial, back throw and up throw, were given more KO power – and this can be better taken advantage of in the new environment of ''Smash 4'', in the absence of momentum cancelling and the presence of rage. His Hammer Flip now can be charged, has more range, no longer has sourspots and Kirby can move and jump while charging the attack.

Overall, while Kirby still retains most of the strengths he had in ''Brawl'' including his solid combo ability and KO potential for his character archetype, his weaknesses were amplified and he gained new weaknesses most notably, his reduced range and aerial mobility. While the changes to the game's mechanics benefit him overall, they do not aid him as much as some of the other returning veterans. As a result, Kirby is significantly worse than in ''Brawl''.

*{{change|Due to the aesthetic used in ''SSB4'', Kirby's overall color scheme is more vibrant. His feet are also slightly smaller, and his skin appears to have significantly more diffused shading, with decreased difference in brightness between the lit and shaded sides of his body. Altogether, these changes make Kirby appear significantly more in line with his appearance as of ''{{s|wikirby|Kirby's Return to Dream Land}}''.}}

*{{change|Kirby is significantly more expressive. He now sports a stern look when performing a number of moves, similarly to how he does in ''Return to Dream Land'', ''{{s|wikirby|Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards}}'', and ''{{s|wikirby|Kirby: Triple Deluxe}}''. His facial expressions when being attacked are also more exaggerated, such as his [[screen KO]]s depicting him as {{GameIcon|ssb4-3ds}}having teary eyes; his mouth closed; and the right side of his face pressed against the screen, or {{GameIcon|ssb4-u}}having wincing eyes; his mouth open; and his whole face pressed against the screen. Both of Kirby's screen KO expressions are based on his expression when an attack slams him against the screen in ''Triple Deluxe''.}}

*{{change|Due to removal of the sound effects and [[crowd| cheers]] from the [[Sound Test]], Kirby's Sound Test section has now been re-merged into one section, with the voice clips used for the [[copy ability|copy abilities]] listed after his regular voice clips.}}

*{{buff|Due to the general change in size between small and large characters, Kirby's smaller size significantly improves his [[crouch]]'s defensive potential.}}

*{{nerf|However, Kirby's feet are smaller with many of his hitboxes being much smaller in order to match the new length of his feet. This significantly hinders his range.}}

*{{buff|Kirby's [[weight]] was slightly increased (78 → 79). This slightly improves his endurance.}}

*{{buff|Kirby's [[fast falling]] speed was increased (1.9 → 1.968), although it is much lower relative to the rest of the cast, going from the 22nd fastest out of 39 characters to the 4th slowest out of 58.}}

*{{change|Kirby's [[gravity]] is higher (0.061 → 0.06405). This improves his aerial mobility, and somewhat alleviates the drawbacks of his [[Falling speed#Floaty|floatiness]] however, it slightly hinders his endurance and makes him more susceptible to combos as well as reducing the height of his jumps.}}

*{{buff|[[Roll]]s have decreased ending lag (FAF 32 → 31).}}

*{{nerf|Rolls have decreased [[intangibility]] frames (frames 4-19 → 4-17).}}

*{{nerf|[[Spot dodge]] has decreased intangibility frames (frames 2-20 → 2-17) and has increased ending lag (FAF 26 → 27).}}

*{{nerf|Air dodge's duration is shorter (frames 4-29 → 3-27).}}

*Non angled:

**{{buff|Clean down angled forward smash deals more knockback (38 (base), 96 (scaling) → 30/102).}}

**{{buff|Up smash's clean sweetspot deals more knockback (34 (base), 100 (scaling) → 33/104).}}

**{{nerf|It has less intangibility (frames 14-24 → 14-19).}}

**{{nerf|The clean sourspot has lower knockback scaling (100 → 99).}}

**{{buff|It has greatly increased knockback, especially on its far hitboxes (30/20 (base), 100/85 (scaling) → 25/(110/108).}}

**{{nerf|Its angles have been altered (76°/28° → 69°) losing its semi-spike hitbox and having a lower angle. This significantly hinders its edge-guarding potential while also making it susceptible to [[LSI]].}}

**{{buff|Forward aerial's first two hits are weight independent and their angles were altered to connect more consistently with the last hit (45° → 45°/80° (hit 1), 80° → [[Autolink angle|366°]] (hit 2)).}}

**{{buff|The last hit has increased knockback scaling (138 → 148), making it better for spacing edgeguarding and improving its KO potential at very high percents.}}

**{{nerf|It has smaller hitboxes (5u/4.5u (hits 1-2)/6.5u/6.5u (hit 3) → 4.3u/4.3u (hit 1)/4.5u (hit 2)/4.9u (hit 3)).}}

**{{nerf|It can no longer auto-cancel in a short hop due to Kirby's lower short hop and higher gravity, causing its auto-cancel to fall short by one frame.}}

**{{nerf|Back aerial has smaller hitboxes (7u/6u (clean)/6u/6u (late) → 4u (clean)/3.4u (late)), now being more in line with Kirby's feet. This significantly reduces its range as it is less disjointed, it covers less of Kirby's body and doesn't fully cover his feet, especially the late hit.}}

**{{buff|The clean hit deals more damage (12% → 13%) with its knockback scaling only minimally decreased (105 → 104), improving its KO potential.}}

**{{nerf|It auto-cancels later (frame 28 → 32), although it can still autocancel in a short hop.}}

**{{nerf|The loop hits have a smaller hitbox (6u/6u → 5u).}}

**{{buff|The loop hits now utilize the auto-link angle (270° → 366°). When coupled with their lower damage and the weakening of SDI, this significantly improves its reliability.}}

**{{buff|The last hit has slightly higher knockback scaling (107 → 110) and a slightly larger hitbox (6u/6u → 6.2u).}}

**{{buff|Pummel deals more damage (1% → 1.55%) and has less hitlag, making it now the third fastest pummel in the game. This significantly improves its damage racking potential.}}

**{{buff|Kirby has a new [[Final Smash]], Ultra Sword. Kirby uses the {{s|wikirby|Super Ability}} [[wikirby:Ultra Sword|of the same name]] in order to repeatedly slash the opponent before launching them with a final slash. Like [[Cook Kirby]], Ultra Sword is a trapping Final Smash. Compared to [[Cook Kirby]], it is purely offensive, instead of being both offensive and supplemental. Ultra Sword also deals 6% more damage (34% → 40%), has significantly more knockback, and is more reliable at trapping opponents, making it significantly more effective for KOing.}}

Kirby was initially perceived to be a low tier in the initial release of the game, owing to his poor range, mobility, approach option and endurance. Likely as a result, he has been buffed via game updates. Update [[1.0.6]] improved up and down smashes' KO potentials; re-purposed down throw into a viable damage racking option; and decreased [[Inhale]] and [[Hammer Flip]]'s ending lag. These changes were fairly minor however, with Inhale and Hammer only losing a couple of frames of ending lag, while down smash received a lower launch angle, which resulted in the move being worse at KOing with sufficient DI. Update [[1.1.0]] brought a few more buffs: neutral attack became more reliable, Inhale was made faster and forward throw received less ending lag and a more vertical launch angle, making it a much better combo starter. Kirby also slightly benefits from the new shield mechanics brought about by updates 1.1.0 and [[1.1.1]], as they make down aerial's multiple hits and [[Stone]]'s high damage output much more reliable at pressuring shields.

Update [[1.1.3]] brought about even more buffs for Kirby: his [[dash]]ing speed was slightly improved and various moves saw an increase to their KO potential. Up throw in particular saw a substantial increase in knockback, KOing over 30% earlier, although Kirby's other moves only saw minor improvements to their knockback. Update [[1.1.4]] gave Kirby a miniscule improvement with hard tripping now grants Kirby 5 frames of invincibility. Lastly, update [[1.1.5]], buffed Kirby's smash attacks and all variations of Hammer Flip by slightly increasing their knockback. As a result, Kirby is noticeably better than he was during ''Smash 4''{{'}}s initial release, having better KO potential, a stronger combo game and having safer specials. However, he is still considered fairly weak, as most of his changes were not substantial and his weaknesses were not properly addressed, resulting in him continuing to struggle against a majority of the cast, especially considering the more substantial improvements other initial low tiers received, along with the introduction of {{SSB4|Bayonetta}} and {{SSB4|Cloud}}, who both had strong matchups against Kirby.

|ftiltdesc=A spinning roundhouse kick. It is quick, due to coming out on frame 5, and can be angled.

|utiltdesc=Throws a scorpion kick. Although its damage output is low, it is a very useful combo starter at low percents, especially on fast-fallers, due to it coming out on frame 4 and having both minimal ending lag and disjointed range which slightly reaches behind him. It also renders Kirby's foot [[Intangibility|intangible]] throughout its duration.

|dtiltdesc=A crouching shin kick. It is fairly spammable due to coming out on frame 4 and having minimal ending lag. When coupled with its [[trip]]ping potential, it can be a very useful set-up option.

|dashdesc=The Break Spin from the {{s|wikirby|Yo-yo}} ability. It is difficult to SDI out of, while its last hit can easily ward off opponents due to it dealing very high base knockback. However, it is punishable due to it coming out on frame 12 and having noticeable ending lag.

|fsmashdesc=The Spin Kick from the Fighter ability. It slightly moves Kirby forward and can be angled. Its clean hitbox also deals respectable damage and has very high knockback growth, which makes it a potent KOing option. While near the edge of {{SSB4|Final Destination}} in {{for3ds}} and {{forwiiu}}, it KOs middleweights at 86% and 77%, respectively, while angled upward; at 93% and 83%, respectively, while not angled; and at 100% and 91%, respectively, while angled downward. However, its late hitbox lacks KO potential.

|usmashdesc=A bicycle kick. It can hit behind Kirby, while its clean hitbox deals respectable damage and has very high knockback growth like forward smash. It clean hitbox KOs middleweights at 102% from anywhere on Final Destination in the ''3DS'' version, and at 96% in the ''Wii U'' version. Kirby's feet are also rendered intangible throughout its duration, albeit only during its clean hitbox. However, its mid and late hitboxes lack KO potential.

|dsmashdesc=A spinning split kick. It hits in front of and behind Kirby, and its clean hitbox deals respectable damage and has very high knockback growth like his forward and up smashes. Its clean hitbox KOs middleweights at 113% from anywhere on Final Destination in the ''3DS'' version and at 106% in the ''Wii U'' version. It also renders Kirby's feet intangible albeit only during its clean hitbox. However, its late hitbox has significantly lower KO potential.

|nairdesc=The attack of the same name from the {{s|wikirby|Smash}} ability. Its very low landing lag makes it a decent set-up option at low percents when short hopped, while its high knockback growth makes it a decent anti-pressure and out of shield option. However, it has the highest amount of ending lag out of Kirby's aerials. Despite having [[sex kick]] properties, it also has high startup lag.

|fairdesc=A series of multiple forward kicks. The first two hits have low knockback, which allows them to connect reliably with the third hit. Its low landing lag also allows the first or second hit to be used as set-up options into other moves. Can connect into itself for a [[Wall of Pain]] in certain instances.

|bairdesc=A double-footed back kick. It functions as a sex kick, but also has the lowest amount of start-up lag out of Kirby's aerials, due to it coming out on frame 6. Its clean hitbox also deals the most damage out of his aerials, and possesses very high knockback growth, which make it a viable KOing option. While near the edge of Final Destination, its clean hitbox KOs middleweights at 115% in the ''3DS'' version, and at 105% in the ''Wii U'' version. It also boasts good range due to its slightly disjointed hitbox, which makes it a viable edge-guarding option, and allows it to partake in a wall of pain.

|uairdesc=An aerial bicycle kick similar to his up smash. A very useful juggling option, it can also be used for continuing a combo due to its low landing lag.

|dairdesc=A diagonal corkscrew dropkick. An effective combo starter on grounded opponents and, due to the last hit being a weak meteor smash, it is a useful edge-guarding option, especially since its low ending lag makes it relatively safe to use off-stage. It can even lead into a [[footstool jump]] on fast-fallers and heavyweights. While it has the highest amount of start-up lag out of Kirby's aerials due to coming out on frame 18, it can be auto-canceled on landing, giving Kirby a very large window to safely land while tumbling.

|grabdesc=Kirby's throws are based on attacks used by the {{s|wikirby|Backdrop}}, {{s|wikirby|Suplex}} and {{s|wikirby|Ninja}} abilities.

|pummeldesc=A series of multiple punches. While its damage output is unimpressive, this is offset by its excellent speed, as it is tied with {{SSB4|Lucas}}, {{SSB4|Ness}}, and {{SSB4|Fox}}'s pummels for the third fastest in the game.

|bthrowdesc=A backwards dive from the Backdrop ability. Despite having an average damage output and very low base knockback, it has very high knockback growth. As a result, it has KO potential, yet can also combo into back aerial on certain characters at very low percents. While near the edge of Final Destination, it KOs middleweights at 160% in the ''3DS'' version, and at 150% in the ''Wii U'' version.

|uthrowdesc=The attack of the same name from the Ninja ability. As of update 1.1.3, it is Kirby's strongest throw, and thus his most reliable one for KOing. It KOs middleweights at 158% from anywhere on Final Destination in the ''3DS'' version, and at 150% in the ''Wii U'' version. Because Kirby jumps up to perform it, he can land onto platforms above him upon descending, which enables it to KO even earlier.

|dthrowdesc=The Fury Stomp from the Suplex ability. Its high damage and low knockback makes it useful for damage racking. It can also damage nearby opponents.

|floorfdesc=Performs a spin kick before getting up.

|floorbdesc=Kicks on one side and then the other before getting up.

|floortdesc=The Break Spin from the Yo-yo ability.

|edgedesc=Performs a cartwheeling kick while climbing up. It has surprisingly good range compared to many other characters' edge attacks.

|nsc1desc=The attack of the same name from the {{s|wikirby|Ice}} ability. It hits multiple times and can briefly [[Frozen|freeze]] the opponent, which makes it very useful spacing and edge-guarding. However, Kirby cannot Inhale anything.

|nsc2desc=Jumps forward before Inhaling the opponent, which can allow it to function as a horizontal recovery option, similarly to [[Egg Lay#Customization|Lick]]. Its spit also deals more damage. However, its swallow deals less damage, the spit will not deal damage to nearby opponents (but will knock them away), and using it to [[Kirbycide]] will always cause a [[Sudden Death]]. It also lacks the vacuum hitboxes outside of Kirby's mouth.

|ssc1desc=The hammer deals slightly more damage, launching foes at somewhat lower percents and at a more vertical angle, but it cannot be charged, which makes it function almost exactly like it did in ''Brawl'' or when grounded in ''Melee''. The first aerial swing is much weaker, but can combo into the second swing easier. While near the edge of Final Destination in the ''3DS'' version, grounded Hammer Bash's head hitbox KOs middleweights at 87%, whereas its aerial version's head hitbox KOs them at 105%. Using it in midair also causes Kirby to slightly stall his descent, which improves his recovery. This quirk can also allow Kirby [https://youtu.be/n08pWllI6ZU?t=5s to reach the top of [[Palutena's Temple]] from its bottom platform after copying [[Monado Arts]] and activating Jump.] However, the hammer has a sweetspot and a sourspot, which makes its KO potential slightly less consistent.

|usdefdesc=The attack of the same name from the {{s|wikirby|Cutter}} ability. It can meteor smash any opponents he comes into contact with upon descending. The sword also emits a shockwave upon hitting a solid surface, which is Kirby's only projectile aside from [[Inhale (Kirby)#Spitting characters|spitting out an Inhaled opponent]]. It does cover a decent amount of vertical distance. However, it is extremely predictable due to its high startup lag. Kirby also has poor horizontal mobility while using the move, there's a decent period of time where Kirby is rising without a hitbox and Kirby cannot [[sweetspot]] the edge until he starts to descend, all of which make it a rather exploitable recovery move. It can be used for edgeguarding but its slow speed limits its use in this area, as well as limiting its utility in other scenarios. If a platform beneath Kirby disappears or if he is pushed off while he is still in the landing animation, he will be rendered [[helpless]].

|usc1desc=When Kirby lands, he produces a shockwave with rocks flying outward. Kirby ascends faster and he stays in the air for longer before dropping, making it a better recovery move. The move does not have any hitboxes until Kirby lands however, although the landing hit and the rock shockwave are fairly strong. The rock shovewave is very large and its power overall makes it more effective than Final Cutter's wave, although the move does have more landing lag.

|usc2desc=Kirby only performs an ascending upwards slash and then enters free-fall. Kirby ascends very quickly, Kirby can grab ledges during the ascent if he is facing the ledge and he keeps his horizontal momentum once he enters free-fall. This makes the move a much better recovery move than Final Cutter. The move also has a very effective hitbox. The move comes out on frame 6 and it has great range. The move is also fairly strong, being capable of KOing Mario under 160% in the middle of Final Destination (without DI). The move does start off with a 60° angle, making it quite susceptible to DI however, the move gains a more vertical angle as Kirby ascends, with the move having a very favorable 80° angle at the top of the ascent, making it stronger and less susceptible to DI. The very fast startup, the great range and the solid power give Upper Cutter a lot of utility which Kirby lacks without it, giving him a better Out of Shield game as well as giving him an additional combo ender that can even lead into KO confirms he lacks without Upper Cutter.

While it does lack the falling hit Final Cutter has, Upper Cutter is overall a far superior move, being a much better recovery move and having a lot more utility in other areas, filling up holes Kirby had in his game plan with his default moveset. It is overall a clear replacement for Final Cutter and it is most likely Kirby's most valuable custom move.

|dsdefdesc=The Stone Change (while Kirby is on the ground) and the Stone Smash (while Kirby is in the air) from the {{s|wikirby|Stone}} ability. Thanks to its high damage output, Stone Smash KOs middleweights at 108% and deals considerable [[shield damage]]. It can also be canceled in midair by pressing the special button, which can be used for [[mindgame]]s. Although Stone Change only emits the shockwave and is thus slightly weaker, it is a [[semi-spike]]. Kirby cannot be damaged while he is transformed, although should he absorb ~25% total damage (slightly more in mid-air), the deciding hit will launch him out of his Stone form, inflicting half its normal damage. He can also be grabbed while transformed.

|dsc1desc=Takes less time to revert to normal and [[Bury|buries]] grounded opponents on contact. However, it deals less damage, takes longer to transform, Stone Smash cannot KO grounded opponents, and Stone Change's semi-spike is much weaker. Can absorb ~14% damage.

|dsc2desc=Takes less time to transform and meteor smashes opponents. However, it deals less damage and takes longer to revert to normal, which makes it much riskier to use off-stage. If used on the ground, Kirby will be popped upward a small distance. Can absorb ~18%.

|fsdesc=The {{s|wikirby|Super Ability}} of the same name. Kirby wields a gigantic sword to repeatedly slash the opponent before enlarging the sword and then concluding with a powerful downward slash. While near the edge of Final Destination, it KOs middleweights at 31% in the ''3DS'' version.

|desc-side=Spins repeatedly, then stops to balance on one leg and extend one arm and say "Eeu!" It is almost identical to his "character selection" animation in ''SSB''.

|desc-down=Leans inward to face the screen and wave his arms while saying "Hi!"}}

|desc-1=Hops to look off-screen, then hops back into his default position.

|victory-desc=A flourished remix of the short, recurring theme that debuted in ''{{s|wikirby|Kirby's Dream Land}}'' and which plays when [[Kirby]] completes a stage or defeats a boss.

|desc-1=Spins to turn his back to the screen and then briefly wiggles, does a front flip to face the screen, and then holds his arm up.

|desc-2=Skids to the right, spins and then holds his arm up.

|desc-3=Brings his arms down twice, does a cartwheel, and then holds his arm up.

Due to the considerable nerfs Kirby received in his transition from ''Brawl'', he has always been considered a non-viable character within the ''SSB4'' metagame, even in spite of game updates noticeably buffing him. This has been due to his only success occurring at local tournaments, whereas his results at regional and national tournaments have been very sparse. Many smashers also took note of Kirby's overall poor matchup spread as characters like with large disjoints, and strong good kill power ({{SSB4|Cloud}} being a primary example) as well as zoning characters with effective projectiles ({{SSB4|Pac-Man}}, {{SSB4|Mega Man}}, {{SSB4|Toon Link}} and {{SSB4|Villager}} being good examples) do very well against him. These aspects culminated with Kirby being placed at 33rd on the first [[tier list]] as the 2nd highest low tier character.

Kirby did not fare well after the next updates as characters like {{SSB4|Marth}}, {{SSB4|Lucina}}, {{SSB4|Duck Hunt}}, {{SSB4|Shulk}}, {{SSB4|Link}} and {{SSB4|Mewtwo}} who were initially considered to be worse than Kirby proved to not only become better than him, but proved to be very troublesome matchups as well due to them having excellent tools to prevent Kirby from approaching. The release of {{SSB4|Bayonetta}} and {{SSB4|Corrin}} also hurt him since they too proved to be tough matchups for Kirby. This resulted in Kirby's already scarce results to become even worse than before.

Kirby would then drop to 41st on the second tier list, and eventually to 47th on the third tier list, with the latter drop being tied with {{SSB4|Pit}} and {{SSB4|Yoshi}}'s for the second largest between the second and third tier lists. However, {{Sm|Komota}} later scored an upset by defeating {{Sm|Ally}} at [[Frostbite 2017]] and placing 33rd at said tournament. Due to this, his tier placement has been widely debated, with some players believing he should be placed slightly higher due to niche matchups against much higher tiered characters, such as {{SSB4|Zero Suit Samus}} and {{SSB4|Fox}}. However, due to his continually sparse results after Frostbite 2017, Kirby has since dropped to 49th on the fourth and final tier list.

Since then, Kirby has failed to make a significant impact at tournaments as he hardly has any tournament representation outside of {{Sm|Komota}} who never places high at supermajors. Meanwhile, characters lower than Kirby have all performed much higher with {{Sm|ZAKI}} getting 17th at [[Smash 'N' Splash 4]] and [[2GG: Hyrule Saga]] while defeating {{Sm|MKLeo}} and {{Sm|Rags}}; {{Sm|Onpu}} and {{Sm|Rizeasu}} performing very well in Japan with the former taking {{Sm|WaDi}} to game 3 as {{SSB4|Zelda}}; {{Sm|Pon}}, {{Sm|Gungnir}} and {{Sm|Rickles}} doing work with {{SSB4|Ganondorf}} in their regions with {{Sm|Pon}} beating {{Sm|Ally}}, {{Sm|Gungnir}} getting 17th at [[Umebura Japan Major 2017]] while defeating {{Sm|Taiheita}} and {{Sm|Earth}}; and {{Sm|Captain L}} using {{SSB4|Jigglypuff}} as an effective secondary taking sets off of {{Sm|Larry Lurr}}, {{Sm|BestNess}}, {{Sm|John Numbers}} {{Sm|Blank}}, {{Sm|Strike}}, {{Sm|Pandarian}} and even took {{Sm|ESAM}} to game 5 with the character.

Due to Kirby's meager tournament results and his glaring weaknesses some smashers claim that he should be even lower due to his overwhelming weaknesses with {{Sm|ESAM}} ranking him as the 3rd worst character in the game, putting him below {{SSB4|King Dedede}}, {{SSB4|Wii Fit Trainer}}, {{SSB4|Zelda}} and even below {{SSB4|Jigglypuff}}, who is widely considered to be the worst character in the game, as well as {{Sm|Raito}} and {{Sm|Dabuz}} claiming that he's the absolute worst character in the game. Others, however, think that he is underrated and that he should be ranked relatively higher due to his excellent combo game, good kill power and great edgeguarding.

*Kirby cannot copy [[Character customization|custom moves]]. However, his side custom move affects his {{SSB4|Olimar}} [[List of Copy Abilities|Copy Ability]], as the attack changes to match the variant of [[Pikmin Throw]].

*''SSB4'' is the only game in the series where Kirby's dash attack hasn't been changed, as his break spin attack from ''Brawl'' was retained. (In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]],'' it would revert back to his prior burning attack from ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''.)

*At a total of 80, Kirby has the most sound clips of any character, with his amount of clips being rivaled only by the [[Announcer]].

*During the development of ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS'', Kirby did not emote in any way.

*When Kirby uses any of his side special moves off-screen and is shown in the [[Hoop damage|magnifying glass]], Kirby's normal motion will be seen, but his hammer will not.