Planet Popstar
Planet Popstar is the main setting of many of the Kirby games. It is a planet shaped like a five-pointed star, an iconic shape throughout the series. Many of the main characters live in Dream Land, a particularly lovely region.
Hilariously, Kirby is one of the most powerful characters in all of fiction. He is descended from an ancient race of galactic conquerors, and is said to possess infinite power. With his Copy Ability, he can inhale enemies and gain their powers for himself. Kirby spends his free time sleeping or eating, and likes to make friends.
Dedede declared himself king of Dream Land one day, and nobody really cared enough to argue. He doesn't do much actual ruling. Kirby and Dedede had a couple misunderstandings in the early days, but they've been friendly rivals ever since.
Meta Knight strives to be the greatest warrior of all time. He constantly seeks to test his strength. Meta Knight is an honorable fighter, and always provides Kirby a sword to duel with. If you're able to see under the mask, you'll find that Meta Knight is actually the same mysterious species as Kirby.
The Waddle Dees are the foot soldiers of King Dedede's army, and the basic enemy of most Kirby games. This particular Dee is identified by their iconic bandana and the spear they wield. Bandana Waddle Dee's identity was solidified to become the fourth playable character in Return to Dream Land, and has been part of the main roster ever since.
Kirby teamed up with these animals to fight against Dark Matter. Dream Land 2 introduced Rick the hamster, Kine the sunfish, and Coo the owl. Dream Land 3 added Nago the cat, Pitch the bird, and ChuChu the octopus. All six of these friends change the effect of Kirby's copied ability, adding variety to the movesets in the early days of the series. Rick, Kine, & Coo return in Star Allies rolled into one Dream Friend; while Nago, Pitch, & ChuChu make cameos in the expanded Clean ability moveset.
Adeline is a painter with the ability to bring her paintings to life. She is inexplicably humanoid in a world of aliens and animals. She appeared as a boss in both Dream Land 3 and The Crystal Shards, both times needing to be freed from Dark Matter's possession, joining his quest across the galaxy in the latter. Adeline returns as a Dream Friend in Star Allies, teaming up with Ribbon to represent Kirby 64.
Marx is a jester and a trickster. In his debut appearance he tricked Kirby into summoning Galactic NOVA, a clockwork star with the power to grant wishes. He wished on NOVA for the ultimate power to rule over Dream Land, granting him a twisted winged form. Kirby stopped his attack, restoring him to his original form. Marx returns as a Dream Friend in Star Allies, retaining many of his galactic abilities, and offering the explanation that he only turned to villainy because he got hungry.
The Squeaks are a gang of thieves who occasionally pester Dream Land. They are led by Darach, with the other high-ranking members being Spinni, Storo, and Doc. The gang once stole Kirby's strawberry shortcake and accidentally unleashed the ancient evil Dark Nebula, requiring Kirby to step in and save the world. Darach returns as a Dream Friend in Star Allies, alongside the rest of the Squeaks to represent their starring role in Squeak Squad.
Whispy Woods is an iconic recurring boss throughout the entire franchise. If he doesn't appear in a given game, it's likely you'll run into a strange variant or relative of his. He primarily attacks by dropping apples and spitting gusts of wind, making him a fairly easy first boss in most cases.
Kracko is an iconic boss in the series, debuting in the first Kirby's Dream Land and returning for many afterwards. He can show up wherever there is a sky. Being a stormcloud, Kracko's main attack is to fire bolts of lightning, but he is also capable of summoning other enemies to attack.
Mirror Dimension
The Dimension Mirror exists in the sky above Dream Land. Through it one can access the Mirror Dimension, a realm that ordinarily reflects the real world. But when the dimension fell under the control of Dark Mind, it caused all the mirrors in Dream Land to warp with darkness.
Dark Meta Knight is the mirror's reflection of the real Meta Knight, with a more sinister appearance. In his debut game Amazing Mirror, he seemed to be working for Dark Mind, but has since started following his own unknown motives. Dark Meta Knight inexplicably returns as a Dream Friend in Star Allies, having many of the same abilities as his light counterpart but with some powerful mirror moves.
Dark Mind is a Mirror Dimension entity resembling Dark Matter, formed by the reflections of all the dark thoughts in Dream Land. When he tried to take over the Mirror Dimension, he was found out by Meta Knight and eventually defeated by the Kirbies, ending his reign of darkness and liberating the Mirror Dimension.
Floralia
Floralia is a kingdom of flowers that floats in the sky above Dream Land. When Queen Sectonia's oppression grew, the People of the Sky threw the seed of the Dreamstalk down to the surface to bring Kirby and King Dedede to their aid.
Joronia used to be a vain but fair ruler. But when she was gifted the beautiful Dimension Mirror, she spent too long gazing at her reflection and fell under its dark influence, warping the spider queen into a parasitic wasp. Queen Sectonia now ruled over Floralia with an iron fist and threw her previous friends aside. Ultimately, she couldn't be saved from her vanity and had to be destroyed by Kirby, Dedede, and Taranza working together.
Taranza was a royal advisor and close friend to Queen Joronia. He discovered the Dimension Mirror and gave it to his friend as a gift, not knowing it would transform her into the monstrous Sectonia. He stayed by her side and followed orders to abduct King Dedede, believing him to be the hero the People of the Sky had summoned, but couldn't escape Kirby's attack. When Sectonia threw him aside after he begged for her help, Taranza realized his old friend was truly lost and helped depose her. Taranza returns in Star Allies as a Dream Friend, utilizing magic spiderwebs to fight.
Haltmann Works Company
The Haltmann Works Company is an organization that flies around the galaxy in their Access Ark and mechanizes entire planets for resources. They make profits mostly by copying Ancient designs and selling their tools of war. Their foot soldiers are outfitted with hulking Robobot Armor suits, while the executives are granted more distinct and powerful mech suits.
Max Profitt Haltmann is the president of the HWC, and has an entire anthem dedicated to his glory. Long before the events of Planet Robobot, Haltmann lost his daughter to the depths of Another Dimension after the company supercomputer Star Dream malfunctioned. During the invasion of Planet Popstar, Kirby confronted the president and defeated his gold-plated Executive Suit in battle. Haltmann turned to Star Dream for assistance, but the computer malfunctioned and merged with his mind. The president's soul was ultimately erased when Star Dream was destroyed.
Susanna Patrya Haltmann is the executive assistant to the HWC and the president's secretary, and oversaw the invasion of Planet Popstar. She tried to slow Kirby down with several HWC creations like clones of Dedede and a cyborg Mecha Knight, and even fought him herself a couple times, but couldn't stop his attack on the company. Susie tried to overthrow President Haltmann by usurping control of Star Dream, but the plan backfired and Haltmann was killed. Susie returns as a Dream Friend in Star Allies, using a blaster gun and her mechanical Business Suit to fight.
Star Dream is an immensely powerful supercomputer built to the same specifications as Galactic NOVA. The computer is used to design and power all of the HWC's machines. It is capable of opening interdimensional rifts and altering people's minds, demonstrating both at once when it accidentally banished a young Susie to Another Dimension and subsequently erased the president's memory of his daughter's identity. When Susie returned and tried to overthrow the company, Star Dream went rogue and merged with President Haltmann's consciousness, announcing its intent to eradicate all life in the universe. Kirby managed to destroy the computer and the entire Access Ark, with help from Susie and Meta Knight.
Jambandra
Jambandra is a massive space station that houses the dreaded Jamba Heart and the cult that worships it. The space station is outfitted with several Jambastion battleships, which were sent out to retrieve fragments of the shattered Jamba Heart.
Hyness is the leader of the Jambandra cult that worships the lord of darkness, Void Termina. He attempted to release Void Termina from his imprisonment in the Jamba Heart and failed, shattering the heart across the galaxy. Kirby was able to track down Hyness and the three Mage-Sisters because of this, and defeated all of them. Hyness sacrificed himself and generals so Void Termina could be released, but was soon rescued as Kirby's team destroyed the dark god. Hyness then turned his efforts towards summoning the Ancient hero Galacta Knight, but fell through to Another Dimension in the process. Kirby and friends eventually made their way through Another Dimension, rescuing Hyness from the darkness with the help of his generals.
The "Frozen General" Francisca, the "Blazing General" Flamberge, and the "Lightning General" Zan Partizanne are the chief enforcers of Hyness's cult. At one point in the past all three were in mortal danger before Hyness saved their lives and granted them their elemental powers. All three were dispatched to Planet Popstar on a Jambastion to track down pieces of the Jamba Heart, unsuccessfully fighting off Kirby and retreating back into space. Their devotion leads them to follow Hyness into the depths of Another Dimension, even after he sacrificed their bodies to Void Termina. After Kirby battles them for the final time, the Three Mage-Sisters become the final Dream Friend in Star Allies.
Dark Matter
Dark Matter is an entity of almost pure evil, intent on covering the universe in darkness. It is represented by distinct entities of Dark Matter, clouds of darkness known to possess people. It is the driving antagonist of the "Dark Matter Trilogy," starting in Dream Land 2, but its influence is felt throughout the rest of the series.
Zero is the leader of all Dark Matter and the final boss of Dream Land 3. It led the invasion of Planet Popstar from within its cloud of darkness. It can only be defeated with the Love-Love Stick, a wand formed from the love of everyone on Popstar.
0² ("Zero Two") is the reincarnation of Zero and final boss of Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. It orders the attack on Ripple Star's crystal that incites the game, covering the planet in darkness that spreads throughout the rest of the galaxy. Kirby is able to recover all the shards of the shattered crystal, its power revealing Dark Matter's influence and locating 0². Kirby and Ribbon fly into Dark Star to destroy the angelic monster, defeating the greater threat of Dark Matter for good.
Dark Nebula is an ancient being of darkness, with presumed relation to the rest of Dark Matter. It was sealed in a treasure chest long ago, which was later stolen by the Squeaks. After a series of misunderstandings it is accidentally released by Kirby, proceeding to possess Daroach. Kirby thankfully makes up for his mistake by defeating Dark Nebula and saving Daroach.
Gooey is a friendly blob of Dark Matter. He debuted in Dream Land 2 as an Easter egg, appearing to give a health bonus if Kirby already is partnered with an Animal Friend that was supposed to appear. He returns in Dream Land 3 as a full playable character for player 2. He can use his long tongue to swallow enemies, giving him the same Copy Ability as Kirby. Gooey returns in Star Allies as a Dream Friend.
Void Termina is the progenitor of all Dark Matter. He was sealed in the Jamba Heart long ago by four Ancient heroes, but a cult worshiping him survives to the present. Hyness unleashed him onto the universe, forcing Kirby to fight him. Inside Void Termina's heart lies a core bearing a distinct resemblance to both Dark Matter and Kirby himself, revealing the two to be of the same origin.
Misc.
Ribbon is a fairy from the planet Ripple Star. She was tasked by her queen to keep the planet's magic crystal safe from Dark Matter. The crystal was destroyed in Ribbon's escape from the planet, but with Kirby's help she was able to retrieve all of the Crystal Shards and defeat Dark Matter's forces. Ribbon reappears as a Dream Friend in Star Allies, teaming up with Adeline to represent her debut game.
Nightmare is a dark wizard who once attacked Dream Land, seeking the power of its Fountain of Dreams. King Dedede shattered the fountain's Star Rod to prevent him from gaining control but didn't tell anyone about this plan, resulting in Kirby restoring the Star Rod and prompting Nightmare to reveal himself. Kirby was fortunately able to use the Star Rod to defeat Nightmare, ending his attack on Dream Land.
NOVA is a clockwork star built by the Ancients, with the power to grant wishes. Marx tricked Kirby into summoning NOVA by activating several Fountains of Dreams on planets across the galaxy. NOVA then granted Marx's wish of power to rule Dream Land, but when Kirby defeated Marx he also ended up destroying NOVA.
Once upon a time, Galacta Knight was one of four Aeon Heroes who sealed away the dark god Void Termina. But afterward his ambition to become "the greatest warrior in the galaxy" consumed him, meaning he had to be sealed away in turn to protect the universe from his power. Galacta Knight is summoned for a duel in many non-canon scenarios throughout the series, and is finally summoned for real by Hyness only to be immediately consumed by the butterfly of death and rebirth.
A strange orange butterfly can be seen flying around in the cutscenes of several Kirby games. It returns at the end of Star Allies' "Guest Star" mode, where it lands on Galacta Knight's lance and disintegrates him, appearing as Morpho Knight. Morpho Knight is defeated by the heroes but reappears in Forgo Dreams, where it absorbs Forgo Soul and battles Kirby. Morpho Knight is defeated again and disappears, dying to be reborn again.
Another Dimension
In the space between realities lies a realm known as Another Dimension. Long ago the Ancients unlocked the secret of dimensional travel, allowing access to the wormhole-like space via distinctive star-shaped portals. Traversing Another Dimension is a dangerous process, as it is filled with hostile bird-like Sphere Doomers and various other alien threats.
Halcandra
Halcandra is a dangerous planet that exists on the other end of a wormhole from Popstar. The Ancients presumably used to live on this planet, and they left behind many dangerous and powerful artifacts. Chief among them is the Master Crown, an item filled with the concentrated power of Dark Matter.
Magolor claims to be from Halcandra, but is actually a traveler from elsewhere. He pilots the dimension-crossing ship the Lor Starcutter. Magolor came to Halcandra because he wanted to get his hands on the Master Crown, but Landia shot him down, leading to his run-in with Kirby. Kirby helped him repair his ship and confront Landia, and defeated Magolor after discovering he'd been tricked. Freed from the Master Crown's control, Magolor wandered Another Dimension and eventually found his way out. He returns as a Dream Friend in Star Allies.
The dragon Landia is the guardian of the Master Crown. Magolor stole the Lor Starcutter from him, and attempted to take the Master Crown too before Landia fended him off. Kirby and friends unwittingly helped Magolor fight Landia and take the crown, but after they found out the truth of the situation Landia helped them chase down Magolor and defeat him.
New World
The "new world" is the homeworld of the Ancients, a mysterious race with influence over the entire series. It is a world similar to present-day Earth, now abandoned and overgrown. The Ancients harnessed the power of interdimensional travel, voyaging to the main universe where Kirby now lives, and spread out throughout creation.
The Beast Pack is a clan of animals that rose to sentience sometime after the Ancients left their homeworld. The pack was formed by the lion Leon, who took the name Leongar after discovering Fecto Forgo and becoming possessed. His partner, the leopard Carol, followed suit and renamed herself Clawroline. Fecto Forgo used the Beast Pack to provide power, then opened a rift to Planet Popstar to abduct more labor. Kirby and King Dedede were also sucked through this rift, the latter becoming influenced by Fecto Forgo to join the pack. Kirby fought his way through the Beast Pack to rescue the Waddle Dees, but Leon was lost in the realm of Forgo Dreams. Carol implored Kirby to help rescue his soul, and Kirby successfully reunited the pair.
Elfilin was created in a lab accident, when he was severed from the being of Fecto Elfilis. Elfilin represents the innocent conscience of the conquering warlord alien, and his original host is desperate to he whole again. The Beast Pack is sent to retrieve Elfilin and a feral King Dedede eventually succeeds, taking him to reunite with Fecto Elfilis. Kirby is able to pull him back out, and Elfilin uses all of his strength to close the barriers between his and Kirby's world. Thankfully Carol is able to bring him back to health, and afterwards Kirby defeats the last remnants of Fecto Elfilis so Elfilin can be whole while remaining in control.
Fecto Elfilis is a dimension-traveling conqueror. They attacked the new world, attempting to annihilate all its natural life, but the Ancients quickly managed to stop their rampage and capture them. Fecto Elfilis was given the tag ID-F86 and subjected to countless experiments, as well as becoming something of a tourist attraction. The Ancients successfully extracted the secret of dimensional travel from Fecto Elfilis, but not before accidentally severing Elfilin from them and forcing them into the larval form Fecto Forgo. Fecto Forgo spent the next many years in isolation, eventually manipulating the Beast Pack into recovering their missing part. Fecto Elfilis managed to re-absorb Elfilin, but Kirby defeated them for good and allowed Elfilin to take control of their being.
