One of the coolest new features of Kirby Air Riders is that, in addition to Kirby, you can play as a whole bunch of other characters from throughout the Kirby series on any Machine, each with their own unique abilities and stats. Besides helping to diversify gameplay styles a bit, it’s a fun opportunity to see some of our favorites from past games in a lighter setting, like playing as Bowser in Mario Kart.
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Now, I don’t make a habit of looking a gift horse in the mouth; we got an excellent selection of big names and deep cuts from across Kirby’s history. All the same, there are a few characters I can’t help but wish had made the cut alongside what we received. As far as we know, there isn’t going to be any DLC for Air Riders, so we’re probably just dreaming here, but hey, if we’re going to dream, why not dream big?
9 Adeleine
Everyone’s Favorite Artist
One of Kirby’s oldest friends, Adeleine is an artist who first appeared in Kirby 64, though there was a similar-looking artist in Kirby’s Dream Land 3 who may or may not have been the same person. Regardless, she’s a talented, creative artist with an inexplicable ability to bring her works to life.
Adeleine doesn’t show up in Kirby games as much as she used to, likely because she’s not really a combatant, though she was playable in Kirby Star Allies. Regardless, it’d be fun to see her in Air Riders, especially since we already know she looks good in a hat, and the game gives us lots of different hats to play around with. She’s definitely popular enough to warrant a spot, regularly appearing in both fanart and official artwork from Kirby’s artists.
As for her special, obviously it’d be something art-related. Maybe she could paint up some quick items for herself, or even paint over her current Machine into a temporary facsimile of one of the legendary Machines like Dragoon or Hydra.
8 Ribbon
She Deserves A Vacation
Ribbon also first appeared in Kirby 64, a friendly fairy from the planet Ripple Star who was rocketed to safety after her world was besieged by Dark Matter. When the planet’s precious crystal was fragmented and scattered, it was Ribbon who enlisted Kirby’s aid to repair the thing and save her people from the dark, a task he was all too happy to assist with.
Ribbon appears even less frequently than Adeleine, though they did work as a team in Kirby Star Allies, with Ribbon hauling Adeleine around. Personally, I think Ribbon just deserves a break to have some fun. She went through some pretty traumatic stuff during the Dark Matter attack, so it would be nice to see her do something like Air Ride Machine racing and be happy about it.
Ribbon would probably be a pretty lightweight racer, a good match for glide-centric Machines like Paper Star. As for her special, she could whip out her crystal and have it blast laser beams all over the place like a disco ball.
7 Prince Fluff
An Interesting Animation Challenge
Prince Fluff is the deuteragonist of Kirby’s Epic Yarn, a deposed prince working to save the world of yarn from an evil sorcerer with Kirby’s assistance. The fact that Fluff himself resembles Kirby so much is apparently just a coincidence; maybe he’s like Kirby’s yarn reality counterpart or something. The point is he’s a nice chap and a steady hand with a yarn whip.
There is an obvious problem with trying to bring Prince Fluff into Kirby Air Riders, that being his existence as a wholly 2D string of yarn. Admittedly, I have no idea how they would go about rendering something like that in 3D; maybe he could be like a wire frame, with an outline made of yarn and visible eyes, but a completely transparent body. It’d be a fun challenge for the art team, if nothing else.
For special abilities, there are a couple of options. Fluff could use his yarn whip in a similar way to Taranza’s webs, grappling onto walls and other racers for easier cornering. Alternatively, he could use his transformation abilities, reworking himself into something like a rocket or truck to rush down the track.
6 Chuchu
A Little Extra Animal Friends Action
In Kirby’s Dream Land 3, Kirby has a team of helper sidekicks collectively known as the Animal Friends. We already have one of the Animal Friends in Air Riders, Rick, but I think we could use a little more representation from the team. It’d be nice to have any of them, but if I were to play favorites, I think I’d pick Chuchu the octopus. Yes, she is an octopus, though I wouldn’t blame you if you also thought she was just a nonspecific pink blob.
Chuchu would ride around on Kirby’s head, using his copy abilities as a medium for both personal shapeshifting and, occasionally, creating vehicles like a parasol or a witch’s broom. Suffice to say, Chuchu’s got plenty of experience when it comes to riding around on top of things (and people), so it wouldn’t be any kind of stretch to plop her down on an Air Ride Machine and send her off.
The first thing that springs to mind for a special ability is the aforementioned witch’s broom. It’s one of the items most frequently associated with Chuchu, after all, and it’d be good for gliding. Alternatively, Chuchu does have the ability to stick to flat surfaces, so maybe she could stick to walls and ceilings and roll along them for a little while.
5 Elfilin
Kirby’s Newest Friend
Elfilin is one of Kirby’s newest buddies, having debuted in Kirby and the Forgotten Land. He befriended Kirby while on the run from the Beast Pack, who were attempting to reunite him with his origin, the powerful psychic being Fecto Elfilis. Despite his intimidating origins, Elfilin is a kind and compassionate little guy, a perfect match for Kirby’s vibe.
I’m honestly a little surprised Elfilin wasn’t included in Air Riders given how relatively recent Forgotten Land was, not to mention its Switch 2 update content. Feels like a missed marketing opportunity. Regardless, Elfilin’s latent psychic talents would certainly allow him to hold his own against other Riders, and he would just make the cutest little poses if he won.
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While Elfilin himself may not be super into the idea, his ideal special would probably have him transform into his full might as Fecto Elfilis, flying on his own without his Machine and casting bolts of energy at his foes. Given his gigantic wingspan, he would probably have flight abilities on par with Dragoon, at least for as long as his special holds out.
4 Leongar
Let’s Get Wild With It
Leongar is the primary antagonist of Kirby and the Forgotten Land, or at least he was until the machinations of Fecto Elfilis were revealed. He’s the leader of the Beast Pack, a gigantic, proud lion warrior. He was ready to tear Kirby’s nonexistent head off when they first met, but the two reconciled after Kirby rescued him from his prison of dreams.
Leongar’s debatably a little too big for an Air Ride Machine, but Dedede has a variable size compared to his appearances in the main games, so it’d probably be fine to just size him down a little bit for everyone’s convenience. Even if he’s smaller, Leongar’s claws and fangs would definitely still pack a punch, making him an intimidating racer.
For specials, we could keep things simple and lean into Leongar’s beastly nature with a powerful roar and a flurry of claw slashes, Wolverine-style. Or, if we want to get really weird with it, have him turn into his giant, gross Fecto Forgo form and start scattering protoplasm everywhere. Imagine how much that’d freak everyone out in the middle of a race.
3 Elline
Fun With Modeling Clay
Elline is a friendly fairy Kirby and Bandana Waddle Dee encounter in Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, who awakens the two of them from their stupor after the witch Claycia steals Planet Popstar’s color. By transforming into a paintbrush, she could draw a line of rainbow color for Kirby to roll along, guiding him through hazards and foes.
Elline would make a good representative for the stylus-centric Kirby games like Canvas Curse and Rainbow Curse, which don’t have much in the way of distinctive characters otherwise. She already appears in Air Riders as one of the little helpers you can encounter in Road Trip mode, though she’s just a floating JPEG rather than a 3D clay model, which feels like a waste. She’d look much cooler with a proper model and a clay-like texture.
In a similar vein to her game of origin, Elline’s special could have her draw a rainbow line in front of her Machine, guiding it up into the air or across dangerous terrain and gaps. This would be particularly helpful if she’s riding a Machine that doesn’t perform as well in the air like a Wheelie Bike.
2 The Mage Sisters
All Three Of ‘Em
The Mage Sisters, Francisca, Flamberge, and Zan Partizanne are secondary antagonists in Kirby Star Allies. They’re a trio of powerful spellcasters serving Jambastion and Hyness, though by the end of the game, they seem to be on better terms with Kirby. That little dude always seems to be making friends with people who try to kill him.
The Sisters each have an elemental affinity and weapon; Francisca uses ice and an axe, Flamberge uses a giant sword and fire, and Zan fights with lightning and a spear. Any of them would be a perfect fit for Air Riders’ power and combat systems, though I’d prefer to have all three simultaneously. They could share a Machine, or swap between each other with a Quick Spin like Lololo and Lalala do.
Whether they ride tandem or separately, the Sisters’ special could have all three of them channeling their magic simultaneously, creating a massive maelstrom of fire, ice, and lightning in their vicinity. Everyone loves a good elemental tornado, and all three elements are already present in the game.
1 Morpho Knight
Let Him Do Something Silly
Originally appearing in a bonus mode in Kirby Star Allies, Morpho Knight is one of the most mysterious entities in the Kirby series. He’s an evolution of another powerful warrior, Galacta Knight, and while we assumed he was non-canon in his first appearance, his reappearance in the post-game of Kirby and the Forgotten Land implies he may have more going on than we thought.
While Morpho Knight is supposed to be a foreboding, ultrapowerful entity, there’s something inherently amusing about plopping a foreboding ultrapowerful entity down on a Warp Star or Wheelie Bike and watching them zoom around. It’s the same kind of gap appeal that Noir Dedede has going on. If he’s going to keep showing up in Kirby games anyway, might as well cement his image.
Morpho Knight would probably have a sword attack by default, same as Meta Knight, and his butterfly wings could make him better at gliding. His special could be the move he uses in Forgotten Land, where his wingbeats cause your perspective to become skewed and your controls to get messed up. Goodness knows, that would be a huge pain to deal with in a City Trial, which is kind of the point.
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Author: 360 Technology Group
