History YMMV / KirbyStarAllies

** Surprisingly, [[spoiler:Hyness]] is actually rather abysmal at fighting. At least, [[TurnsRed for the first half of the fight]] before [[spoiler:you knock off his cloak]]-- then it gets much harder.

** Unusually for a ''Kirby'' game, the fans are divided on this one. Critics of the game consider it one of the weakest entries due to its straightforward puzzle design, short campaign, and [[SequelDifficultyDrop being easier than usual]] (this is a series known for its below-average difficulty, so that's saying something). Fans of the game enjoy its massive array of abilities, bringing back long-forgotten characters and the return of multiplayer after being absent in ''Triple Deluxe'' and ''Robobot''.

** The Japanese, Chinese and Korean versions do not explicitly say that Susie pulled a HeelFaceTurn. They instead have Susie say "We provide harmony in families and happiness in life through the power of science... based upon this ideal, I'll exterminate you savages!", suggesting that she's still up to her old ways and [[FauxAffablyEvil just putting a friendly face on it.]]

** "Heroes in Another Dimension" completely turns around the SequelDifficultyDrop of the main game. The stages are more dangerous and have less healing items, the puzzles are trickier, your ability and ally selections are limited, and the bosses crank up their attack density to the maximum. It's also worth knowing that [[spoiler:Corrupt Hyness's fight comes first, followed by FIGHTING ALL THREE MAGE-SISTERS AT ONCE.]] If you don't have a GameBreaker with you, you're good as dead.

** The final update has taken the above to its zenith, as [[spoiler:the ''True'' True Final Boss of Soul Melter EX, Void, appears. Void Soul was described as being on the cusp of being reborn someday as something new, Void is on the ''threshold'' of that, and the descriptions head in a very particular direction, both enlarging and bolding that he might become an "'''ally of the stars'''", suggesting he'd dream of "gentle breezes, naptimes and tasty treats", all with the new epithet of "Astral Birth". As if all this wasn't enough atop everything until now, to top it all off, as the final blow is struck-- he smiles. And it's not the warped, wide laughing of before, it's the exact same happy face that is ''Kirby's'' most commonly seen expression, as he bursts in dazzling light, colorful stars erupting off his form. Void Termina is taking a new life, and somehow, someway, it appears that form is '''Kirby himself.''']]
*** It's also mentioned in the Japanese, Chinese and Korean versions' description for Void Termina, True Destroyer of Worlds' 2nd phase that [[spoiler:he is the origin of "Matters of Dream, Dark, Soul, and Heart," which only creates even more possibilities regarding his true nature.]]
*** And then there's how [[spoiler:Void's main palette is ''white with red eyes,'' confirming that this thing is somehow tied to none other than '''Zero.''']]

** One that is becoming increasingly common is the idea that [[spoiler:the reborn Void Termina is another iteration of Kirby, generally the original design from ''Kirby's Dream Land''.]]
** Despite the fact they are {{Token Evil Teammate}}s in game, many fans like to go with the idea that Marx, Dark Meta Knight, and Susie have all made a full HeelFaceTurn.
* FanficFuel: Who are the other [[spoiler: Four Heroes of Yore? It's all but stated one of them was Galacta Knight but the other 3 have zero hints towards their identity. Which has caused fans to come up with all sorts of ideas for new characters or theorizing that they are previously established characters. The Fairy Queen from ''VideoGame/Kirby64TheCrystalShards'' and Landia from ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand'' are popular candidates.]]

** At one point during ''Star Allies'' development, Hyness was planned to be a Dream Friend, but was cut at some point before the waves finished, with the Three Mage Sisters being the only reps to come directly from ''Star Allies''. Many fans lament his removal due to how cool his moveset could have been as well as the possibility of teaming him up with the Mage Sisters. Other cut Dream Friends such as Drawcia, Elline, Shadow Kirby, and Galacta Knight also has many fans lament their removal from the game, wishing they could have created team ups like pairing Drawcia, Elline and Adeleine together or letting Galacta Knight take revenge on [[spoiler:Morpho Knight]].

* HeartwarmingInHindsight: Magolor's moveset includes him pulling out his own variation of the Ultra Sword. While this was initially nothing more than a nod towards the Super Abilities from ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand'', the remake ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe'' reveals that the sword played a crucial role in Magolor's CharacterDevelopment, [[spoiler:specifically when he uses it to destroy the Master Crown at the end of ''Magolor Epilogue'' to cement his redemption.]]

** This game's roster of bosses has been criticized for mostly sticking in reusing old characters instead of creating new designs, compared to ''Planet Robobot''[='s=] variants which modified the reused bosses in a more significant manner. While King Dedede and Pon & Con are viewed more favorably, the fights with Whispy Woods, Meta Knight and Kracko stick out for making their boss battles not change their characters aesthetically, and generally retreading the same ground older games had done.

*** [[spoiler:First you draw a circle, then you dot the eyes, add a great big smile, and presto! It's...]][[note]]After seeing Void GoOutWithASmile, fans started joking about Kirby's Adventure opening with Kirby being replaced with Void. The quote itself is often finished with an image of Void, or phrases like "V O I D", "...It's horrifying", or other stuff.[[/note]]

* MoralEventHorizon: [[spoiler:Hyness crosses this when [[HumanSacrifice he throws the unconscious bodies of the Three Mage-Sisters as a sacrifice]] to revive Void Termina-- which, in turn, would allow him to [[OmnicidalManiac destroy all life in the universe.]] That said, this was him acting on the absolute insanity that he developed over time, which Kirby (possibly) cures him of in Heroes in Another Dimension, giving him a shot at redemption.]]

** In addition, the [[BossRush Soul Melter]] fight against Goldon and Silvox uses a DarkReprise of the [[VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand Castle Lololo theme]], previously used in more dramatic battles against giant foes like Dyna Blade, Wham Bam Rock, or [[spoiler:Giant King Dedede in ''Videogame/KirbysBlowoutBlast'']]. It makes more sense when you realize that Pon and Con's boss battle is similar to Lololo and Lalala's, but it's still quite unfitting.

** For some people Hyness' second form looks like a combination between [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Hypno]], [[WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarePants Squidward]], and [[WesternAnimation/{{Chowder}} Mung Daal]] colored purple. To others, he resembles a [[Franchise/TheSmurfs smurf]].

** With the knowledge that [[spoiler:[[FinalBoss Void Termina]] and his other equivalent forms]] can be [[EasterEgg damaged by Kirby's Friend Hearts]], it's possible to exclusively [[note]]As in, no other attacks Kirby can utilize and no friends to help him.[[/note]] use this otherwise [[CherryTapping weak damage output]] to [[https://youtu.be/3DyA-aeUsss defeat them]].

*** Don't get us started on [[spoiler:Corrupt Hyness]]. The above attacks are now ''faster'', much more damaging and ''far'' harder to dodge.
** Remember when [[spoiler:Morpho Knight's {{BFS}} attack]] was easily exploitable? Well, tough luck because [[spoiler:Morpho Knight EX]]'s version of the attack charges up twice as fast and deals immense damage, in addition to creating flaming vortexes that suck characters into their path. Not much of a problem for the player, but can potentially obliterate your allies, especially the slower ones.

*** [[spoiler:Void]] is even ''worse'' than [[spoiler:Void Soul]]. Pretty much ''all'' of its attacks qualify as this, though the standout has to be its opening attack: [[spoiler:a Touhou-style BulletHell followed by ''three'' waves of BeamSpam.]]

** [[spoiler:Morpho Knight EX was a nasty surprise to those who fought its [[AnticlimaxBoss original version]]. Now it is [[LightningBruiser faster, stronger, and overall more aggressive]] than its regular counterpart. Its pause screen description states that this is it at full power, [[TookALevelInBadass and they weren't kidding]]. Gone are [[BreatherBoss its exploitability and penchant for standing around like an idiot]], and in their place are [[BeamSpam sword and ghostly projectiles]], a quick-charging [[{{BFS}} giant sword attack]] and [[TheBerserker sheer bloodlust]]. The fact that the aforementioned Three Mage-Sisters come before it in Soul Melter EX is even worse.]]

* ThatOneSidequest: Heroes in Another Dimension feature various hearts that are either very hard to get or require precise timing. Additionally, the game is rather unforgiving with these hearts. Bandana Waddle Dee's cannon area with the Waddle Dee balls, Rick & Kine &Coo's key segment, and Daroach's dynamite segment come to mind. Messing these up force you to miss out on hearts, making you either lose a life if you want to try again, or just proceeding forward. In regards to the Waddle Dee segment, messing that up (and you will) means you have to restart the entire stage again, as the cannon that leads to it ACTUALLY CLOSES OFF afterwards (thankfully this is an early segment). [[spoiler:Just make sure you have at least 100 Hearts at the end if you want to unlock the Three Mage-Sisters]].

** How many people wanted to play with Hyness as a Dream Friend like he at one point was going to be?

* FanPreferredCutContent: One of the unused colour schemes for Parallel Meta Knight was white with blue eyes; this colour scheme proved to be decently popular with fans, to the point of having [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihkGpamtld0 fan art]] and a ''Return to Dream Land'' [[https://gamebanana.com/mods/247813 mod]] dedicated to it. The icy colour scheme being more fitting for his BossSubtitles of "Otherworldly [[BlindIdiotTranslation Frost Blade]]" probably has something to do with it.

* NightmareRetardant: For some people Hyness' second form looks like a combination between [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Hypno]], [[WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarePants Squidward]], and [[WesternAnimation/{{Chowder}} Mung Daal]] colored purple. To others, he resembles a [[Franchise/TheSmurfs smurf]].

** While the original Japanese description for Marx makes it clear he's only allied with Kirby [[EvilVersusOblivion out of pragmatism]], some have interpreted the English version's "he'll be your buddy if you keep him well-fed" quote as meant to be sarcastic regardless.

** Among more hardcore ''Kirby'' fans, this game is infamous for its English localization, which mistranslated many of the smaller aspects in the Japanese version of the game and led to confusion and debate about certain elements of the lore. For example, one side of the fanbase widely speculates based on the English localization that [[spoiler:Kirby is somehow related to Void]]; the other side of the fanbase points to the Japanese version indicating that this is ''not'' the case, as [[spoiler:Void is influenced by the emotions of those who summon it, and it merely took the appearance of Kirby because of that]]. The vauge phrasing of the English localization also caused conflict about whether [[spoiler:Morpho Knight is a reincarnation of Galacta Knight]] or not, which wasn't cleared up until ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand''.

** The Japanese version does not explicitly say that Susie pulled a HeelFaceTurn. It instead has Susie say "We provide harmony in families and happiness in life through the power of science... based upon this ideal, I'll exterminate you savages!", suggesting that she's still up to her old ways and [[FauxAffablyEvil just putting a friendly face on it.]]

*** It's also mentioned in the Japanese's version's description for Void Termina, True Destroyer of Worlds' 2nd phase that [[spoiler:he is the origin of "Matters of Dream, Dark, Soul, and Heart," which only creates even more possibilities regarding his true nature.]]

** [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/kirby/images/a/ae/KSA_Kirby_and_Poppy_Bros._Jr._artwork_cropped.png/revision/latest?cb=20180111220353&path-prefix=en This bit of official art]] has Poppy Bros. Jr. looking at Kirby with [[WingdingEyes hearts for eyes]] and rubbing up against Kirby's cheek. The tutorial for the game's Friend Heart power has Poppy Bros. Jr. as the test subject, with the same result.

** While the other descriptions for the Parallel bosses aren't bad, Parallel Kracko's describes him as "made of the fallen tears and the scattered mists of his enemies" and "reborn from pure hate." Rather than sounding threatening, it makes Parallel Kracko seem like a super-edgy, fanmade OC. This is due to a mistranslation of the descriptions. [[https://kirby.fandom.com/wiki/Parallel_Kracko The Parallel Twin Krackos Japanese pause screen state that he was born of the tears and rebellious hearts of Kracko's fallen brothers while Parallel Big Kracko's description makes it clear he's Kracko in a new form]].

** Playing The Ultimate Choice without friends, especially [[HarderThanHard Soul Melter EX]]. While boss HP scales down accordingly so that they are still reasonably easy to take out, flying solo significantly tightens the room for error due to having no backup to revive you in case you bite the dust, bringing the difficulty closer to The True Arena in previous games.

* SignatureLine: "A dark liege was born from the Jamba Heart [[DubInducedPlotHole that King Dedede brought to Hyness!]]" [[labelnote:Explanation]]A direct quote from Parallel Dedede's pause description, infamous for its DubInducedPlotHole in the international versions by saying that Dedede ''brought'' a Jamba Heart to Hyness instead of being possessed by it. Expect it to come up when talking about the terrible translations of update 4.0.0.[[/labelnote]]

** While not a particularly difficult level, Planet Towara has become pretty infamous for its moving wall sections, which will always end up crushing at least one of your allies.
** The same applies for the final level, in which moving blocks are right there when you start the level and your allies can easily get crushed if you don't move quickly enough.
*** Basically, any level where you can be crushed counts, as your AI partners [[ArtificialStupidity typically can't find their way around these threats]] and will often ''run into or stand near'' these areas without a second thought. Naturally, the Another Dimension stages are built around moving blocks that can crush your allies with ease.

* ThatOneSidequest: Heroes in Another Dimension feature various hearts that are either very hard to get or require precise timing. Additionally, the game is rather unforgiving with these hearts. Bandana Waddle Dee's cannon area with the Waddle Dee balls, Rick/Kine/Coo's key segment, and Daroach's dynamite segment come to mind. Messing these up force you to miss out on hearts, making you either kill yourself if you want to try again, or just proceeding forward. In regards to the Waddle Dee segment, messing that up (and you will) means you have to restart the entire level again, as the cannon that leads to it ACTUALLY CLOSES OFF afterwards (thankfully this is an early segment). [[spoiler:Just make sure you have at least 100 Hearts at the end if you want to unlock the Three Mage-Sisters]].

** Grand Mam's exclusion from The Ultimate Choice was disappointing to some, since she was a surprisingly fun PuzzleBoss. This may have been done to prevent The Ultimate Choice from becoming CharacterSelectForcing {{Unwinnable}} if the player isn't playing as Kirby or doesn't have a Friend with the Sword, Cutter, or Fire abilities. A third camp cites frustration that her character design ended up being used only on a PuzzleBoss instead of a main boss, as other bosses that made it to Ultimate Choice got much fewer design tweaks compared to Iron Mam's new design for this game.
** Given his interesting contributions to the lore and entertaining boss fight, it's a bit disappointing that Hyness follows the same trend as [[VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe Queen Sectonia]] and [[VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot President Haltmann]] by not appearing until the final level of the game. It stands out more with him than with other {{Big Bad}}s because he's explicitly shown in the game's intro, while Sectonia and Haltmann (moreso the former) were meant to be surprises. [[spoiler:Heroes in Another Dimension gives his story proper closure, but he's still not seen until the end of it.]]

** The final boss of Guest Star ???? mode being [[spoiler:a BaitAndSwitchBoss from the oft-occurring Galacta Knight to [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/kirby/images/d/d6/CA4AFA9C-ABF1-451D-A5AE-7E86FC4A481E.jpeg/revision/latest?cb=20180316051114&path-prefix=en a scrapped knight]] made for the cancelled Kirby GCN game, of all things — seemingly born from the same butterfly that first appeared in ''[[VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand Return to Dream Land]]''...]]

** The butterfly that [[spoiler:fuses with Galacta Knight to become Morpho Knight]] is starting to get portrayed as a MemeticBadass, given that it [[spoiler:apparently [[TheWorfEffect obliterated one of the series' strongest characters with ease]]]]. This gets amplified by the fact that Hal seemingly has been building up to this encounter for over a decade (or even longer retroactively considering the very first game opens with Kirby being attacked by butterflies in a cutscene), as fans point out that he was there all along.

** [[spoiler:Some fans refer to Morpho Knight as "Beta Knight" due to being mistaken to be a scrapped design for Meta Knight. In actually, it was a new character that was intended to appear in the cancelled Kirby [=GameCube=] game.]]

* AntiClimaxBoss: Due to how the bosses tend to die quickly in this game (usually due to either being bashed by four players at once or from their shrunken health bars when fought solo), the {{Superboss}} specifically ends up turning out like this. [[spoiler:Despite eliminating Galacta Knight with a single touch and ostensibly being more powerful than him, Morpho Knight suffers from the same problem of having low health like all of the other bosses and attacks very slowly even when he TurnsRed, and said attacks lack the intricacy that previous Knight bosses like Galacta Knight, Dark Meta Knight, or even Meta Knight himself in this game have. It's even worse the first time the player sees him, as they likely have heightened speed and power thanks to Guest Star's gimmick, letting them breeze through Partizanne and Hyness with minimal life loss.]]

** Due to [[spoiler:Morpho Knight]] being an AntiClimaxBoss even on Soul Melter difficulty, he manages to be an incredibly easy fight before you have to deal with [[spoiler:Void Soul]]. [[SubvertedTrope Not so much]] with [[spoiler:Morpho Knight EX]] though, [[ThatOneBoss as he will most likely obliterate your party before you even reach the]] TrueFinalBoss.

** [[spoiler:Some fans refer to Morpho Knight as "Beta Knight" due to being mistaken to be a scrapped design for Meta Knight that was intended to appear in the cancelled Kirby [=GameCube=] game.]]

* AntiClimaxBoss: Due to how the bosses tend to die quickly in this game (usually due to either being bashed by four players at once or from their shrunken health bars when fought solo), the {{Superboss}} specifically ends up turning out like this. [[spoiler:Despite either being a more powerful form of Galacta Knight or eliminating him with a single touch, Morpho Knight suffers from the same problem of having low health like all of the other bosses and attacks very slowly even when he TurnsRed, and said attacks lack the intricacy that previous Knight bosses like Galacta Knight, Dark Meta Knight, or even Meta Knight himself in this game have. It's even worse the first time the player sees him, as they likely have heightened speed and power thanks to Guest Star's gimmick, letting them breeze through Partizanne and Hyness with minimal life loss.]]

** [[spoiler:[[{{Superboss}} Morpho Knight]]. Some like its [[RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver design]] and reference to its design originating from the cancelled ''Kirby'' [=GameCube=] game, while others dislike it for [[AntiClimaxBoss being a disappointing finale to Guest Star ??? Mode]], as well as [[ReplacementScrappy replacing Galacta Knight in a rather insulting fashion]].]] These issues were resolved with its [[spoiler:EX form in the 4.0.0 update and its surprise return in ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand'']], both of which make it much more formidable, with the latter also making [[spoiler:its [[{{Psychopomp}} true nature]]]] more apparent.

** Unusual for a Kirby game, the fans are divided on this one. Critics of the game consider it one of the weakest entries due to its straightforward puzzle design, short campaign, and [[SequelDifficultyDrop being easier than usual]] (this is a series known for its below-average difficulty, so that's saying something). Fans of the game enjoy its massive array of abilities, bringing back long-forgotten characters and the return of multiplayer after being absent in ''Triple Deluxe'' and ''Robobot''.

** Due to [[spoiler:[[BonusBoss Morpho Knight]]]] being an AntiClimaxBoss even on Soul Melter difficulty, he manages to be an incredibly easy fight before you have to deal with [[spoiler:Void Soul]]. [[SubvertedTrope Not so much]] with [[spoiler:Morpho Knight EX]] though, [[ThatOneBoss as he will most likely obliterate your party before you even reach the]] TrueFinalBoss.

** Remember when [[spoiler:[[BonusBoss Morpho Knight]]'s {{BFS}} attack]] was easily exploitable? Well, tough luck because [[spoiler:Morpho Knight EX]]'s version of the attack charges up twice as fast and deals immense damage, in addition to creating flaming vortexes that suck characters into their path. Not much of a problem for the player, but can potentially obliterate your allies, especially the slower ones.

** Pon & Con (as well as Goldon and Silvox) use the now-stock ''Kirby'' monster roar. It's one thing hearing this from [[VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe a giant lava frog]], but when it comes from marshmallowy raccoons and foxes...
** In addition, the [[BossRush Soul Melter]] fight against Goldon and Silvox uses a DarkReprise of the [[VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand Castle Lololo theme]], previously used in more dramatic battles against giant foes like Dyna Blade, Wham Bam Rock, or [[spoiler:Giant King Dedede in ''Videogame/KirbysBlowoutBlast'']].

** Hyness [[spoiler:[[VampiricDraining sucking the life out of Francisca, Flamberge, and Zan Partizanne to replenish his own]]]]? Disgustingly callous. [[spoiler:Subsequently [[GrievousHarmWithABody using their inanimate husks as makeshift clubs to clobber you with?]]]] ''Hilariously'' callous.

* FanPreferredCutContent: One of the unused colour schemes for Parallel Meta Knight was white with blue eyes; this colour scheme proved to be decently popular with fans, to the point of having [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihkGpamtld0 fan art]] and a ''Return to Dream Land'' [[https://gamebanana.com/mods/247813 mod]] dedicated to it. The icy colour scheme being more fitting for his BossSubtitles of "Parallel Frost Blade" probably has something to do with it.

** Cleaning has great utility in its moveset by being able to apply both wind and water effects, but it's another fairly slow ability, without the attack strength or variety to make it stand out for bosses or enemy gauntlets. Dealing good damage with it requires a lot of Friend Super-Vac spamming.

%%** [[WesternAnimation/AquaTeenHungerForce "The bible."]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2PPXpm92-8 "That says 'the bibble'."]]

** Playing The Ultimate Choice without friends. While boss HP scales down accordingly so that they are still reasonably easy to take out, flying solo significantly tightens the room for error due to having no backup to revive you in case you bite the dust, bringing the difficulty closer to The True Arena in previous games.

** [[spoiler:Soul Melter-difficulty Void Termina]] has the shockwaves it produces in its ground phase and the [[spoiler:Master Crown lasers]] in its flying phase. Hope you've mastered [[spoiler:double-jumping and spin-dodging in the Star Allies Sparkler]]. [[spoiler:It's even worse when fighting the True Destroyer of Worlds in Soul Melter EX, as some of the shockwaves are IN THE AIR (for both the first and third phases), and Void Termina loves spamming these attacks. As for the Master Crown... Void Termina can summon '''multiple of them''', culminating in a beam attack where you have to double-jump-dodge a stupidly large beam, and hope/pray your Sparkler can move fast enough to not get damaged by it]].

* UnintentionallySympathetic: [[spoiler:Hyness is initially presented as a [[HateSink purely despicable]], Dark Matter-worshipping [[AxCrazy lunatic]] who uses his loyal followers like weapons and even {{human sacrifice}}s in pursuit of a revenge that would [[OmnicidalManiac destroy the entire universe]]. Then the "Heroes in Another Dimension" update came along, revealing (somewhat hastily, even for series standards) that Hyness is actually a tragic ReluctantPsycho, and Kirby redeems him simply by [[HeelFaceBrainwashing throwing a Friend Heart at him]], when previous {{tragic villain}}s like [[VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe Queen Sectonia]] and [[VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot President Haltmann]] ''weren't'' forgiven for their evil actions and got killed off permanently. This has left a somewhat sour taste in some fans' mouths, who would have preferred it if he were never presented as sympathetic.]]

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: [[spoiler:Hyness is initially presented as a [[HateSink purely despicable]], Dark Matter-worshipping [[AxCrazy lunatic]] who uses his loyal followers like weapons and even {{human sacrifice}}s in pursuit of a revenge that would [[OmnicidalManiac destroy the entire universe]]. Then the "Heroes in Another Dimension" update came along, revealing (somewhat hastily, even for series standards) that Hyness is actually a tragic ReluctantPsycho, and Kirby redeems him simply by [[HeelFaceBrainwashing throwing a Friend Heart at him]], when previous {{tragic villain}}s like [[VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe Queen Sectonia]] and [[VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot President Haltmann]] ''weren't'' forgiven for their evil actions and got killed off permanently. This has left a somewhat sour taste in some fans' mouths, who would have preferred it if he were never presented as sympathetic.]]

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: [[spoiler:Hyness is initially presented as a [[HateSink purely despicable]], Dark Matter-worshipping [[AxCrazy lunatic]] who uses his loyal followers like weapons and even {{human sacrifice}}s in pursuit of a revenge that would [[OmnicidalManiac destroy the entire universe]]. Then the "Heroes in Another Dimension" update came along, revealing (somewhat hastily, even by the nature of the series' minimalist plots) that his villainy was the product of [[InsaneEqualsViolent mere insanity]] and allowing Kirby to redeem him, when previous {{tragic villain}}s like [[VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe Queen Sectonia]] and [[VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot President Haltmann]] were killed off permanently. This has left a somewhat sour taste in some fans' mouths, who would have preferred it if he were never presented as sympathetic.]]

* UnfortunateCharacterDesign: Lord Hyness, the BigBad, dresses in white robes with a pointed hood and is a [[SinisterMinister violently deranged priest]]. For American viewers in particular, the choice in costume makes him look like a [[TheKlan Klansman]]... which becomes quite awkward when [[spoiler:he [[HeelFaceTurn gets redeemed]] at the end of "Heroes in Another Dimension" and doesn't ditch the hood.]]

* UnintentionallySympathetic: [[spoiler:Hyness is initially presented as a [[HateSink purely despicable]], Dark Matter-worshipping [[AxCrazy lunatic]] who uses his loyal followers like weapons and even {{human sacrifice}}s in pursuit of a revenge that would [[OmnicidalManiac destroy the entire universe]]. Then the "Heroes in Another Dimension" update came along, retconning his villainy as the product of [[InsaneEqualsViolent mere insanity]] and allowing Kirby to redeem him, when previous {{tragic villain}}s like [[VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe Queen Sectonia]] and [[VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot President Haltmann]] were killed off permanently. This has left a somewhat sour taste in some fan's mouths, who would have preferred it if he were never presented as sympathetic.]]

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: [[spoiler:Hyness is initially presented as a [[HateSink purely despicable]], Dark Matter-worshipping [[AxCrazy lunatic]] who uses his loyal followers like weapons and even {{human sacrifice}}s in pursuit of a revenge that would [[OmnicidalManiac destroy the entire universe]]. Then the "Heroes in Another Dimension" update came along, retconning his villainy as the product of [[InsaneEqualsViolent mere insanity]] and allowing Kirby to redeem him, when previous {{tragic villain}}s like [[VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe Queen Sectonia]] and [[VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot President Haltmann]] were killed off permanently. This has left a somewhat sour taste in some fan's mouths, who would have preferred it if he were never presented as sympathetic.]]

* LesYay: When Flamberge is first fought, she's angry at Kirby over the fight with Francisca. During her angry rant, she refers to her as "sweet Francisca" and says that "if you've harmed a single blue hair on her perfect head..." This seems less like a Mage-Sister concerned about her fellow Mage-Sister and more like like Flamberge is in love with Francisca.

** [[spoiler:Void Termina, True Destroyer of Worlds. From the ever-increasing shockwave spam (some in midair!), elemental sword swings, BeamSpam using ''multiple'' Master Crowns, and the entire final phase with [[TrueFinalBoss Void]]. Worse, it comes right at the end of [[HarderThanHard Soul Melter EX]], after you've had to deal with the Mage-Sisters and Morpho Knight EX mentioned above.]]

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: [[spoiler:Hyness is initially presented as a [[HateSink purely despicable]], Dark Matter-worshipping [[AxCrazy lunatic]] who uses his loyal followers like weapons and even {{human sacrifice}}s in pursuit of a revenge that would [[OmnicidalManiac destroy the entire universe]]. Then the "Heroes in Another Dimension" update came along, retconning his villainy as the product of [[InsaneEqualsViolent mere insanity]] and allowing Kirby to redeem him, when previous {{tragic villain}}s like [[VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe Queen Sectonia]] and [[VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot President Haltmann]] were killed off permanently. As detailed under BaseBreakingCharacter above, this has left a somewhat sour taste in some fans' mouths, who would have preferred it if he were never presented as sympathetic.]]

* AntiClimaxBoss: Due to how the bosses tend to die quickly in this game (usually due to either being bashed by four players at once or from their shrunken health bars when fought solo), the BonusBoss specifically ends up turning out like this. [[spoiler:Despite either being a more powerful form of Galacta Knight or eliminating him with a single touch, Morpho Knight suffers from the same problem of having low health like all of the other bosses and attacks very slowly even when he TurnsRed, and said attacks lack the intricacy that previous Knight bosses like Galacta Knight, Dark Meta Knight, or even Meta Knight himself in this game have. It's even worse the first time the player sees him, as they likely have heightened speed and power thanks to Guest Star's gimmick, letting them breeze through Partizanne and Hyness with minimal life loss.]]

** The Japanese version does not explicitly say that Susie pulled a HeelFaceTurn. It provides two quotes from Susie: "Through the power of science, I offer family harmony and a happy life..." and "I will exterminate the uncivilized!", suggesting that she's still up to her old ways and [[FauxAffablyEvil just putting a friendly face on it.]]

* GameBreaker:
** Any Friend that can heal others are this (particularly in the Ultimate Choice), but especially Chef Kawasaki. Heck, the friend system in general — with friends, [[SocializationBonus doubly so if they're controlled by the real ones playing with you]], you can steamroll levels upon levels, solve most of the puzzle rooms quickly, shred the bosses into paper within seconds, and most of all, you'll never die, because for most of the time they'll revive you.
** The Team Attack from ''Return to Dream Land'' returns. Now, instead of the attack being determined by the character at the bottom (i.e. Kirby, Dedede, Meta Knight, and Bandana Waddle Dee have different attacks), any combination of friends make one attack when it's triggered: [[WaveMotionGun a giant laser]] that grows larger if more of the Friends participate. This does require at least two human players, however.
** Almost every weapon-based friend combo could qualify. Not only do they increase your attack power, but they drastically increase the practicality and range of the item.
*** While all the elemental effects have their own gimmick [[note]]Sizzle leaves carpets of fire and throws fireballs, Blizzard creates freezing ice in the wake of attacks and creates icicles, Zap adds lightning for ground-to-air and air-to-ground coverage, and Splash literally deals in SplashDamage[[/note]], Bluster drastically increases a character's mobility, speed, and reach, while creating massive whirlwinds around more powerful attacks. It's no exaggeration to say the ability to provide Bluster singlehandedly turns Cleaning from pure nostalgia-bait into an ability you'll want around constantly, and Wing from a good solo ability to a team player (and makes Coo that much more useful). As you'll see below, Bluster takes anything good and makes it that much better.
** The Dream Friends, in general, are PurposefullyOverpowered by having more versatile movesets than the standard abilities, making it easier for them to kill bosses and provide puzzle assistance. They're always easily available in Story Mode, since you can summon them at Dream Palaces on the world maps (you have to clear a level to use a Dream Palace again, but you can unlock up to four separate ones as you progress). However, you only get to use one in Guest Star mode (outside of King Dedede, Meta Knight, and whoever you play as).
*** Meta Knight, like his previous playable appearances in the Meta Knightmare modes and ''Return to Dream Land'', is one of the best characters in the game. He's fast on land and in the air, and he has an extensive moveset that can rack up damage very quickly. However, give him a Friend Ability and he becomes even more of a threat. His default Shuttle Loop is normally a great move for both attacking and moving horizontally, but when combined with Fire, it essentially becomes Burning + Burning from ''VideoGame/Kirby64TheCrystalShards''; a fast, long-lasting horizontal move where Meta Knight is invincible the whole time. And unlike Burning + Burning (which had noticeable ending lag), Shuttle Loop can be aimed and used continuously. Basically, this one attack can blast through entire rooms and tear enemies to shreds.
*** Rick & Kine & Coo are a very practical Dream Friend, as they have fire, wind, water, stone, and cutting abilities. As for their attacks, Stone Rick can slowly move around, unlike regular Stone (although he also takes ScratchDamage as opposed to none at all), Parasol Coo is a reworked Tornado in practice (itself a broken ability in previous games), Cutter Coo is the broken variant from ''[[VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand2 Dream Land 2]]'', and Fish Flop can do surprisingly good damage when positioned right. Rick can also GoombaStomp enemies and climb up walls, which helps with moving fast in Guest Star mode.
*** Gooey has throw, fire, water, and stone abilities in his arsenal, so if he's paired with the animal friends, all they need is an electric-providing ally to handle most puzzle rooms. His moveset isn't as strong or varied as the other Dream Friends, but his rapid-hitting tongue whip/Parasol spin, Burning dash, Stone slam/invincibility, and special flight form with laser attacks makes him into a great [[JackOfAllStats all-purpose character]].
*** While Marx's puzzle skills aren't particularly impressive, his fighting skills more than make up for it. Even though he needs friend combo abilities to unlock a lot of his more powerful moves, there's a good pool of moves that he doesn't need a single friend for, one of them being his Black Hole[[note]]Not only can it instantly kill enemies, it can even deal massive damage to bosses and mini-bosses, and best of all, he doesn't even need a cooldown for it (just a bit of charge time)[[/note]]. Then there's his Marx Flip Ultima[[note]]which lets him hide underground to avoid any kind of attack, and its followup Shadow Uppercut does good damage and is invincible[[/note]] and also his heavily damaging [[DifficultButAwesome (albeit hard to consistently pull off)]] Marx Megaspin, which is able to do quick damage to foes as an invincible multi-hitting move. Speaking of how much of a powerhouse Marx becomes with Combo abilities, specifically his Ball-Spit attack, Splash Marx is able to spawn a column of thorns whenever a Spit-Drop ball hits the ground or an enemy, Blizzard Marx is able to spam the ice-mine attack from his boss fight, Sizzle Marx allows for utterly ridiculous ground DPS thanks to not only the flames covering the ground after it explodes when it hits the ground, but also through the ''four fireballs that shoot out of it as well'', and Bluster Marx allows him to spam his wide-range cutter attack for as long as he can spam the attack. Add the fact that his Flip Ultima/Shadow uppercut combo '''can be BUFFED''' as well, and that gives you a Dream Friend who can reduce a huge portion of bosses to nothing within seconds (Kracko/Twin Kracko especially goes down pretty easily, moreso in Guest Star), and pretty much hide underground to avoid almost every attack in the game at the same time.
*** Adeleine and Ribbon may not be notably versatile, but they still have their uses. While Adeleine is slower than others when it comes to Friend Combos (having to draw a boss first), that still gives her cutting, electric, ice, and an upgraded Artist moveset, complete with Al Fresco, an upgrade of Still Life that spits out even more items. Add her to an Animal Friends and Gooey team and the only puzzles they can't solve could probably be counted on one hand. Her aerial shard gun is a potent projectile attack that can be spammed, and her Kracko mount can zap bosses while flying above harm. What's more, her Ice Dragon mount has its [[BreathWeapon icy breath]] that can do ''ludicrous'' amounts of damage.
*** In terms of game-breaking invincible charges forward, Dark Meta Knight trades in Meta Knight's Shuttle Loop for the combo string of Dark Drill, Dark Spiral, and Meteor Edge[[note]]Meta Condor Dive is gone, Knight Spin is replaced by Dark Crosscut -> Triple Thrust, Mach Tornado is replaced with Dark Calibur, and the command for [[SwordPlant Down Thrust]] instead gives Dark Mirror - Ring[[/note]]. Dark Spiral in particular shreds through bosses like they're made of damp tissue, but since the moves chain into each other, you need to use Dark Drill and there's no reason not to use Meteor Edge. And don't worry about CollisionDamage — ''the entire string has invincibility frames''. Bosses can be brought past their TurnsRed threshold before the game even puts their health bar on screen! For swarms of regular enemies, he still has a blazing fast sword-based moveset while summoning {{BFS}}s gives him comparatively massive reach, Blade Burst hits a huge area and the startup time is mitigated by being completely invincible, and pressing down-B for a Dark Mirror move (ground or air) is always a good panic button (as you guessed, also loaded with I-frames). As an alternative, Triple Thrust (dash, jump, and hit B again after Dark Crosscut) does great damage as well, and is useful against airborne foes. Adding Bluster, of course, makes DMK more mobile and his summoned blades go even farther.
*** Daroach joins the animal friends in sheer utility, boasting Doc's electric UFO, fire bombs, ice beams, slashing claws (his own and Spinni's), and Storo's stake-pounding bulk. [[note]]In fact, pairing him with a Broom Hatter or Cleaning Kirby grants a team all of the elemental properties in the game that can be used on weapons ''within two characters''[[/note]]. And in battles, between Smack-in-the-Box, the fire bombs, and being able to summon the rest of the Squeak Squad, Daroach is always going to have a massive amount of damage on the screen when he needs it, while being completely free to teleport or throw his Ultra Ice Laser in for extra hurt.
*** Magolor can tear entire rooms in half. He has insane area control, with his spikes and Ultra Swords, the latter of which can pass through walls and he can't be hit while using it. His magic blasts aren't very hard to charge up will and yield both electricity and fire depending on how long they were charged for, and his invincible dash attack provides wind, making him about as versatile as Daroach or the Animal Friends based on only two moves. The Gem Apples can be charged if you leave them out for long enough and the explosions they leave can make for great traps. And to top it all of, his friend ability will summon the Lor Starcutter and the more friends that get on means the ship, which already dashes across the screen, will make the ship bigger. He even has a Black Hole attack similar to Marx's and his can be summoned almost instantly unlike Marx who has to charge his.
*** Taranza isn't as game-breaking as the other Dream Friends, but his Super Taranza Burst, however, is what makes him a monster. It's a chargable attack that can be used on the ground or in midair, and at full charge, it creates an area of devastating pain around him that can blow holes in pretty much everything. Better yet, ''it has no cooldown'', so you can spam it as much as you want.
*** Susie has some of the best range out of all the Dream Friends. Her blaster has a long range and can be fired rapidly. Her Transporter's propellers can damage anything above her and she can shoot from it. The Transporter Burst can help defeat a large group of enemies in a row and she gets invincibility frames during the attack. But her real power comes in the form of her Business Suit. While it doesn't have much range, the sheer power that the mech can produce can tear apart a mini boss in seconds. Oh, and she can have elements applied to her, giving her even more power to mess with.
*** The Three Mage-sisters, unlocked by [[spoiler:getting the Happy Ending in Heroes in Another Dimension,]] [[TheDividual are all consolidated into one single Dream Friend]], and boy do they make [[spoiler:beating Another Dimension]] well worth it. Each one is able to use most of the attacks they use as bosses, trading in how long some of the attacks last for utter buttloads of I-frames and attack chaining potential, and has a pretty easy button combo to cycle between the three (Down + B), as well as their Sister Circle attack, which is their equivalent to Crash Kirby that does stupidly large damage to bosses, and clears an entire room of enemies by pressing Down + holding B. They're also able to grant Kirby/any compatible Friends/Dream Friends four of all five elemental abilities so that all you really need is a Friend that can grant Bluster to be able to access all five elemental abilities in the game. In fact, you could plow through Soul Melter EX pretty easily with them, especially if you spam their Down-Up-B moves. Naturally, bringing in two/three '''more''' sets of Mages allows for yet even more power, and can plow through Bosses even easier, '''and you can fight the three mages with the three mages.'''
** Ever felt sorry for Beam, an OvershadowedByAwesome ability? Well, ''Star Allies'' buffs Beam up to horrifying levels, mainly Beam Blast, its SpreadShot aerial move. Originally, its air stall wasn't that great, so you could only use it three times before hitting the ground. ''Star Allies'' increases the air stall of Beam Blast to a point where you can use it up to ''seven times'' before landing, and this game follows the ''Planet Robobot'' boss mechanics where multi-hit attacks are much more effective. Additionally, Beam applies an electricity effect to bosses that stops them in place, which makes it great at stunlocking. Other Beam moves got buffed as well (all of its attacks hit more times, Cycle Beam maintains Kirby's momentum instead of stopping him, and Wave Beam charges faster), but Beam Blast really pushes it into boss-killer territory.
** Bomb. Dear god, ''Bomb''. On its own, it's an unremarkable ability, but when applied with two particular elements, it becomes one of the scariest boss killers. With Bluster Bomb, you can float while holding an enlarged bomb, which happens to explode when it touches the enemy. Re-stocking the bomb in midair while in contact with the enemy has given it one of the highest air DPS. Sizzle Bomb can make the floor burst into flames if it explodes on it, and the combined damage of the burning floor and the Sizzle Bomb itself gives it the highest ground DPS. Both of these properties can let you clear the Ultimate Choice in ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LDUhaJWFHM under 7 and a half minutes]]''. And as mentioned above, two Dream Friends (Rick & Kine & Coo and Magolor) can apply both of those elements...
** Bluster Sword. Aside from increasing the range of other sword moves, it modifies the Sword Spin move (dash jump + attack) so that the user floats up slightly when using it before slowly descending, and can be repeated as long as the user stays in the air and doesn't get hit. This basically turns Sword Kirby, Blade Knight, and especially Meta Knight into a whirlwind buzzsaw of doom with high DPS, particularly on bosses.
** The PowerUp Hearts in ''Guest Star''. By themselves, the concepts are simple: collecting one increases your overall health, speed, or power, and they max out at five. The thing is, the enemies' durability doesn't adjust to this mechanic, and this extends to the bosses as well. Boss fights that lasted one to two minutes in the regular story mode now last ''half'' that long if you have max power, and at max speed, everything else struggles to even catch up. It's because of this very mechanic that [[spoiler:Morpho Knight]] was considered to be such a joke. [[spoiler:Even Morpho Knight EX - only in the [[PurposefullyOverpowered Three Mage Sisters']] Guest Star run - goes down pretty easily with the mechanic, especially considering you're spamming boss-level attacks that have been buffed to max power, even considering that Morpho Knight can no longer be easily exploited.]]

** [[spoiler:Morpho Knight EX was a nasty surprise to those who fought its [[AnticlimaxBoss original version]]. Now it is [[LightningBruiser faster, stronger, and overall more aggressive]] than his regular counterpart. Its pause screen description states that this is it at full power, [[TookALevelInBadass and they weren't kidding]]. Gone are [[BreatherBoss its exploitability and penchant for standing around like an idiot]], and in their place are [[BeamSpam sword and ghostly projectiles]], a quick-charging [[{{BFS}} giant sword attack]] and [[TheBerserker sheer bloodlust]]. The fact that the aforementioned Three Mage-Sisters come before it in Soul Melter EX is even worse.]]

* TierInducedScrappy:
** Artist, while popular in concept, isn't a very strong ability. Its main drawback, aside from not having enough moves in comparison to other abilities (barring what Painter can summon), is that its strongest attacks have long animations before they deal damage, which is a problem when setting them up for bosses (one of those attacks, Sculpture, can also produce a useless pot instead of a real sculpture). Its only options outside of the charged moves are short-ranged brushstrokes. The only major boon it has is being able to heal with Still Life, but even then it's outclassed by most other abilities in Guest Star ???? and Ultimate Choice. Adeleine and Ribbon are distinctly an upgraded version of Artist (Adeleine's painting attacks come out much faster and have more versatility than Artist's, and she has other moves to fall back on), so there's little reason to choose Artist over her.
** Cleaning has great utility in its moveset by being able to apply both wind and water effects, but it's another fairly slow ability, without the attack strength or variety to make it stand out for bosses or enemy gauntlets. Dealing good damage with it requires a lot of Friend Super-Vac spamming.

* ThatOneBoss: The Three Mage-Sisters [[spoiler:at the end of Heroes in Another Dimension come together for one last battle, and they are ''strong''. Unlike the battles against each of them on their own (which were total cakewalks for experienced players), they’ll tag in and out to attack you in pairs, and while dodging their attacks separately isn’t an issue, dealing with both of them at once is a whole different story. What’s worse is that if you have multiple Dream Friends with you, finding Kirby in the midst of all that chaos is a trial in of itself, and once the Mage-Sisters use their beam attacks one after the other, it’s entirely possible for your Switch’s framerate to tank, making the battle even harder!]]
** [[spoiler:Morpho Knight EX was a nasty surprise to those who fought his [[AnticlimaxBoss original version]]. Now he is [[LightningBruiser faster, stronger and overall more aggressive]] than his regular counterpart. His pause screen description states that this is him at full power, [[TookALevelInBadass and they weren't kidding]]. Gone are [[BreatherBoss his exploitability and penchant for standing around like an idiot]], and in their place are [[BeamSpam sword and ghostly projectiles]], a quick-charging [[{{BFS}} giant sword attack]] and [[TheBerserker sheer bloodlust]]. The fact that the aforementioned Three Mage-Sisters come before him in Soul Melter EX is even worse.]]

** [[spoiler:[[BonusBoss Morpho Knight]]. Some like its [[RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver design]] and reference to its design originating from the cancelled ''Kirby'' [=GameCube=] game, while others dislike it for [[AntiClimaxBoss being a disappointing finale to Guest Star ??? Mode]], as well as [[ReplacementScrappy replacing Galacta Knight in a rather insulting fashion]].]] These issues were resolved with its [[spoiler:EX form in the 4.0.0 update and its surprise return in ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheForgottenLand'']], both of which make it much more formidable, with the latter also making [[spoiler:its [[{{Psychopomp}} true nature]]]] more apparent.

** Grand Mam's exclusion from The Ultimate Choice was disappointing to some, since she was a surprisingly fun PuzzleBoss. This may have been done to prevent The Ultimate Choice from becoming CharacterSelectForcing {{Unwinnable}} if the player isn't playing as Kirby or doesn't have a Friend with the Sword, Cutter, or Fire abilities. A third camp cites frustration that her character design ended up being used only on a PuzzleBoss instead of a main boss, as other bosses that made it to Ultimate Choice got much fewer design tweaks compared to Ion Mam's new design for this game.