A character page for TMK.
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TMK.exe
WHAT AM I?
FINISH WHAT YOU STARTED.
THE MORE YOU DELAY...
The titular antagonist; TMK is a mysterious glitch-turned-A.I hidden within the world of Kirby Super Star, who is currently hunting down its supposed overseer, Donny, for answers regarding its purpose.
- Affably Evil: While TMK does kill any child who comes across it through mental manipulation, its only goal is to find answers regarding its existence. When meeting Brent Cole (whose soul is now inside a Kirby vessel), he's rather polite to him while requesting him to send a message to Donny.
- A.I. Is a Crapshoot: TMK, though originally a glitch more than it was A.I, gained sentience either way and has no idea what it is or why it exists. Understandably, it becomes frustrated by a lack of answers.
- And I Must Scream: TMK has no idea of exactly what it is, and the people around it certainly aren't answering its questions.
- Big Damn Heroes: TMK surprisingly shows up to force Karl away in his attempt to murder Donny (even if it did involve knocking him unconscious), proclaiming that this wasn't a part of the deal.
- Carved Mark: Appears to be one of TMK's modus operandi – to convince a child to carve a message into their body to relay a message to Donny. Apparently, this failed once before.
- Cyclops: The form it usually takes is represented as Kirby with a singular eye surrounded by darkness. Also, it is represented with only one eye when communicating through a computer screen.
- Deliberately Monochrome: In its fake Kirby form, it is mostly seen like this.
- Demonic Possession: It possesses Donny's boss once in an effort to talk to Donny. This didn't go to plan, however.
- Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life: TMK's main goal is to find its purpose, as it doesn't understand itself. Donny, the programmer who discovered it, probably didn't even understand himself, so he never gave it a proper answer. Now, TMK is desperately seeking him out by any means possible.
- Evil Gloating: Taunts Donny's boss after convincing his son to kill himself.TMK: I HAVE YOUR SON.
- Grew Beyond Their Programming: Sometime before it was shipped for retail, the glitch apparently learned how to give people (mainly children) its TMK virus, taking over their minds by giving them false promises of paradise within its game world. It uses that to its advantage so it can contact Donny.
- Hanging Around: When Brent encounters him in his fake form, it gives the illusion of this from the ceiling.
- Innocence Lost: According to Donny's original notes, TMK was not originally hostile. Indeed, the glitch originally appears quite benign, if just a bit confused. But it never got the answers it wanted, and it eventually became something else.
- Madness Mantra: SPREAD. SPREAD. SPREAD.
- Non-Malicious Monster: At first, TMK.exe didn't want to hurt anyone, but now that it's out in the world and without the one person it trusted, it's resorted to killing children and bringing them into the world it lives in.
- Psychic-Assisted Suicide: Not quite "psychic", but it does convince children to kill themselves – something they do with an unnatural lack of hesitation.
- Robo Romance: Not quite 'romance' per say, but being a newly created thing with no knowledge whatsoever, TMK seems to view Donny as something akin a parent, and very much trusts him. Even after it was abandoned by him, TMK still seeks him out for answers regarding its existence.TMK: Donny, you're back! I missed you!
- The Unfettered: Being a sentient glitch, TMK.exe has absolutely no moral compass, and exactly one goal in life which it is willing to do anything to accomplish.
- Would Hurt a Child: As of now, TMK.exe has persuaded three kids to kill themselves, though only two have been successful - all in the name of calling out for Donny.
Donny Smith (Parasol Waddle Dee)
It still remembers me.
Program bug seems to only want answers. Answers I can't give.
The adult bug reporter who discovered TMK.exe, who is represented as an often-annoyed Parasol Waddle Dee. He's the target of TMK itself, as it seeks him for answers regarding its creation and purpose.- Ignored Expert: Donny warned his Boss about TMK, but his concerns are ignored. Then TMK kills the Boss's son.
- Only Sane Man: He's definitely this when facing his Boss's drunken antics.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: While he didn't create TMK, he did name it, introduce it to the video game interface, and then did nothing about it, unleashing it upon the world with Kirby Super Star's release in North America.
- Through the Eyes of Madness: It turns that characters in the real world being represented by Kirby characters is how he actually sees the world now thanks to TMK.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Donny tried reporting TMK, but it seems that after he was ignored, he just gave up and didn't bother trying to remove or even talk to it. The result? TMK latched onto him and is now out in the world within retail cartridges, killing children in its wake just so it can get his attention again.
Mr. Cole (King Dedede)
What are you doing in my office?
TMK is one in a million chance of happening, Donny.
Donny's alcoholic boss, presumably a lead developer for Kirby Super Star. Initially dismissive of TMK and its ramifications, he later learns the harsh reality of the virus by its murder of his son, Brent. He is represented by King Dedede himself.- The Alcoholic: Implied to the point Donny can't even tell when he's drunk at work anymore.
- Demonic Possession: He's possessed by TMK once in an effort to talk to Donny. It didn't work. Subverted; it was a TMK-induced nightmare.
- Incompetence, Inc.: When Donny tries to report TMK's existence, his bug reports go unacknowledged. When he goes to meet his Boss directly, the Boss (possibly drunk) yells at him to find "actual important bugs" instead. His tune suddenly changes once his son is TMK's first victim.
- Madness Mantra: His thoughts seem to devolve into one as he is being questioned by a cop regarding Brent's death.Boss: I didn't kill my son I didn't kill my son I didn't kill my son I didn't kill my son I didn't kill my son I didn't kill my son I didn't kill my son I didn't kill my son I didn't kill my son I didn't kill my son I didn't kill my son I didn't kill my son I didn't kill my son I didn't kill my son I didn't kill my son I didn't kill my son
- Papa Wolf: Hearing the death of his son causes him to change his approach on TMK and take it seriously.
- My God, What Have I Done?: His refusal to acknowledge Donny's numerous reports about TMK ultimately costs him his own son. He, understandably, doesn't take it well.
Brent Cole (Kirby)
I HAVE YOUR SON.
- If I can't do that... why even make me...
- Adaptational Wimp: Downplayed in-universe. Despite being able to use Kirby's basic moves, such as the Inhale and Star Spit, he can't use Copy Abilities due to his lack of experience of swallowing enemies properly.
- And I Must Scream: His soul is left trapped within Kirby Super Star, not as part of its world but instead endlessly running foward in a blank test room. Even TMK feels kind of sorry for him, stating he does hope the boy can find purpose whenever he is.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: Even without TMK's influence, Brent wanted to see the beauty of Kirby's world. Once he got his wish, the world he dreamed of is not the paradise he clearly wanted.
- Children Are Innocent: TMK evidently managed to convince Brent that hanging himself would allow him to enter Kirby's world.
- Death of a Child: He hanged himself at the behest of TMK to be able to enter the world of Kirby.
- Driven to Suicide: TMK somehow cajoled Brent into killing himself. TMK itself implies that it convinced Brent of the possibility of entering the world of Kirby. However, given how Brent screamed... maybe he wasn't entirely convinced.
- Hanging Around: Obviously.
- Heroic Self-Deprecation: Because he can't get Copy Abilities the right way, he's in serious doubt over him being worthy of inhabiting his Kirby vessel.
- How Do I Shot Web?: Downplayed. While he can inhale, use the Star Spit, and float as Kirby just fine, he can't swallow enemies to use Copy Abilities properly. Instead, he spits certain enemies out as a gory mess.
- Unwitting Pawn: He, like all the other children, are merely a means to TMK's ends. Even TMK himself doesn't really understand why Brent was so cavalier about ending his own life.TMK: YOU WILL NEVER BE A PART OF MY WORLD. I WISH I KNEW WHY YOU WANTED IT SO BADLY.
Beta Tester 1 / Karl (Noddy/Marx)
HAVE FUN WITH THAT MONSTER..
A beta tester for Kirby Super Star who ends up getting ran over by a car and shot dead for good measure. He was originally represented by a Noddy but now is represented by Marx. And it was soon revealed that he was the one who created TMK.- Chekhov's Gunman: He's glimpsed as Marx right in the first episode on Kirby Super Star's title screen, but his role in the series is only established much later in the second season.
- Go Mad from the Revelation: He had seen living data before while working at the Tester Foundation, but what he calls "Kirby 06" was something special he got to personally experiment with for a long time. He became addicted to the effects of TMK and seeks to use it for his own purposes after his death sent him into the world of Kirby Super Star.
- He Knows Too Much: The reason why he was killed was because he violated Rule #3, which is to not modify the code of the games he works with.
- Maker of Monsters: He was the one that created TMK while "beta testing" Kirby Super Star.
- My Death Is Just the Beginning: Getting executed by the Assassin only furthered his plans to transcend into TMK's realm, though for some reason he wasn't able to acquire full control over the virus as Marx so far.
- Punny Name: Karl, as in "Karl Marx".
V- 1994 (Mario)
With family also comes secrets.
Mario's Early Years!: Fun with Numbers V-1994 (or V-1994 for short) is not only the File Protection System but is essentially the camera at Nintendo and keeps an eye on Beta Testers (Marx for example) so that they don’t break the rules.- A.I. Is a Crapshoot: At the start of Kirby Super Star: Update V2 he presents himself in a friendly manor but we soon realize that he is (somewhat) responsible for the death of Beta Tester 1 (Marx).
- Catchphrase: “Hello fellow Nintendo coworker” seems to be one for him.
- Eye Am Watching You: He is basically the camera at both The Tester Foundation and at Nintendo of America.
The Assassin (Stone Kirby)
..What The Hell Are You?
The Assassin for TFC that is represented by a Stone Kirby.
- Professional Killer: Pretty self explanatory.
- Anti-Hero: Sure, He kills Beta Tester #1 but he (supposedly) kills Donny the (technical) protagonist.
