Summary
Kirby Air Ridersmarks the long-awaited Nintendo Switch 2 sequel to the popular GameCube game Kirby Air Ride. The 2003 air racing game was a cult favorite among fans of the pink puffball, and was the only game in the series released for Nintendo’s sixth-generation console.
Now, series creator Masahiro Sakurai is making his return to the series for the first time since the original Kirby Air Ride, after mostly working only on Super Smash Bros. projects in the two decades since. One thing that Kirby fans are looking forward to is an enhanced character roster. While the original game limited character choices to Kirby, King Dedede, and Meta Knight, the sequel has the opportunity to expand the line-up considerably.
While Kirby is the only confirmed character so far, King Dedede and Meta Knight are widely expected to be playable, as they were in the first game, and will not be appearing on this list.
Most Recent Appearance
Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe (2023)
Outside the main trio of Kirby, Meta Knight, and King Dedede, Bandana Waddle Dee is arguably the most prominent character in the series, and most of that rise to the spotlight has come in the years since the original Air Ride. Not only is heby far the most requested Kirby character for future Super Smash Bros. titles, but he’s the most obvious pick for a newcomer in Kirby Air Riders.
As his name suggests, Bandana Dee is a Waddle Dee who wears a bandana, and his signature weapon is his spear. He can use it either as a melee weapon that he swings or an object to throw at opponents. He also uses a parasol as a secondary weapon, giving him the opportunity to use either or both of his weapons should he make it into Air Riders.
Knuckle Joe is a fan-favorite character in the Kirby world, and was introduced in Kirby Super Star. Since then, he’s been a regularly recurring rival to Kirby, and occasionally an ally to the pink hero. Joe is known for his spiky blond hair and white bandanna, making him visually distinct from other similarly round Kirby characters.
Knuckle Joe specializes in hand-to-hand combat, with his powerful punches being fitting for someone with ‘Knuckle’ in his name. Kirby can gain access to these martial arts abilities whenever he inhales Joe. The spiky-haired fighter has also been an assist trophy in the Super Smash Bros. series ever since Brawl, and could bring these skills to Air Riders.
Recurring rival Chef Kawasaki is an extremely talented cook, but he is also able to use his culinary skills in combat when fighting Kirby in games like Kirby Super Star. While he’s rarely a playable character, his luck may change for the better in Kirby Air Riders if the developers are willing to give him a chance to shine.
If Sakurai’s Super Smash Bros. series is anything to go by, he may have some of the best odds of any recurring Kirby foe. Kirby’s Cook ability, which he gains by inhaling Kawasaki, inspired his Final Smash in Brawl. And in Ultimate, the chef himself appeared as an assist trophy, with him sucking opponents into his pot as Kirby did in prior Smash games.
Super Kirby Clash (2019)
Introduced in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, Adeleine helps fill two underrepresented quotas in the Kirby universe. Not only is she one of relatively few female characters in the series, but she’s the only major human-based character in any game. Often accompanied by the fairy Ribbon, Adeleine’s signature abilities involve her paintbrush and easel, and her paintings can come to life.
After several years away, Adeleine made her return in Kirby Star Allies as a playable character, with Ribbon by her side as usual. Her moveset further enhanced her painting abilities, but also incorporated her fairy friend into the mix. Seeing the duo in Air Riders would be a delight to any Kirby 64 fan.
Kirby Fighters 2 (2020)
Gooey, in a way, is the supporting Kirby character most similar to Kirby himself, as he is the next most prominent user of Copy Abilities. The main difference between the two is that Gooey grabs opponents with his tongue, rather than swallowing them like Kirby does.
After playing a minor role in Kirby’s Dream Land 2, he had his most prominent appearance in Kirby’s Dream Land 3, in which he was one of eight animal friends who accompanied Kirby on his journey. He has made small cameos and appearances in spin-off games, but has yet to be prominently featured in a mainline Kirby game since, but since Air Riders is a spin-off, he has decent odds of appearing there.
Kirby Star Allies (2018)
While the Animal Friends system was most popular in Kirby’s Dream Land 3, it was the second Dream Land game on the Game Boy that introduced it, and the most popular of the original three from that game is arguably Rick the Hamster. Like Kirby, Rick is able to inhale, spit out, and swallow whatever enemies he encounters. However, unlike his pink counterpart, he is not able to use Copy Abilities.
After making several cameos, he made his return in Kirby Star Allies as part of a trio with the other two animal friends from Dream Land 2, Kine the Fish and Coo the Owl. Whether or not they’d accompany him to an Air Riders appearance, Rick would make many fans happy should he show up.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018)
Besides recurring antagonists like King Dedede and Meta Knight, Kirby has had several one-shot villains who became fan favorites, and none of them are more beloved thanMarx from Kirby Superstar. Originally pretending to be Kirby’s friend to help him make a wish, he turns his back on the pink puffball to wish for world domination.
Marx comes in two forms. In his normal jester form, he is usually seen riding on a colorful ball, as often seen at the circus. However, his final form has him growing wings and putting on a more maniacal facial expression. If he were to get into Air Riders, it’d likely be in his jester form, but it’s possible he could transform into his true form in-game.
Susie is the daughter of thepresident of the Haltmann Works Company,a giant corporation who invades Kirby’s home planet of Popstar in Kirby: Planet Robobot. She is adept with technology, and she uses her creations both as weapons to fight Kirby and as transportation to get around. Additionally, she can summon robots to fight on her behalf.
Her only appearance since then has been in Kirby: Star Allies, and in that game, players could choose to play as her either on foot or in her Business Suit mech. While it’s unlikely she’ll return in another main Kirby game in a major role, Air Riders is a spin-off, and that is the perfect opportunity to bring back one-shots like her.
