History EnsembleDarkhorse / Kirby

* The Fairy Queen, while a minor cutscene-only character, is popular for being absolutely adorable and for having a SurpriseCreepy moment in the game’s bad ending.

* While the game is a bit of a contention point for most ''Kirby'' fans, many admit to really liking Spinni, thanks to being a BadassAdorable ninja mouse.

* Demon Kirby has become this to a lesser extent. He's basically what Kirby himself would be like if he was a bad guy, which happens to have instantly made him a fan-favorite. Memes have also been spawned revolving around Demon Kirby, and he even had a cameo on the difficulty select section of ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies''[='=] BossRush mode.

* Adeleine, though her popularity can be at least partially attributed to her becoming a recurring character in the webcomic ''Webcomic/BrawlInTheFamily''. People were surprised to learn that a datamine for the second DLC wave of ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'' included her in the roster, but ''nobody'' expected that the equally as popular Ribbon would be along for the ride as well.

* Gryll is the most obscure TrueFinalBoss in the entire series, only appearing in the SNES version of ''Kirby's Star Stacker'' ([[NoExportForYou it's exclusive to Japan]], unlike the Game Boy original) and only fighting Kirby if the player uses no continues. Despite her lack of appearances, she's become very popular for her CuteWitch design, and she often gets grouped together with the other "mage" characters (Marx, Magolor, and Taranza) in fan works. While Gryll still has yet to appear in another game, she has made a cameo in 25th anniversary art and as a Stone transformation in ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'' (where she's featured alongside Brobo, another forgotten ''Kirby'' boss from ''Kirby's Block Ball'').

* Galacta Knight, who, despite merely being a BonusBoss for the VideoGameRemake, gained huge popularity with the fandom, particularly in the area of [[WildMassGuessing speculation]] regarding his relation to Meta Knight and Kirby. Having a heavy metal battle theme doesn't hurt, either. The higher-ups were savvy enough to pick up on this, [[spoiler:as Galacta Knight returns as a BonusBoss in The True Arena of ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand'' and later as the FinalBoss of Meta Knightmare Returns in ''VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot'']].
* The bandanna-clad Waddle Dee from the Megaton Punch mini-game. Starting with the Kirby Mass Attack and Kirby Super Star Ultra, his role started to expand from a minor side-game character and by Return to Dream Land, he was fully promoted to one of the main characters of the series as a result of his surprising surge in popularity.
** In a similar vein, the Waddle Dee with a sailor hat who works under Meta Knight

[[AC:''Kirby's Super Star Stacker'']]
* Gryll is the most obscure TrueFinalBoss in the entire series, only appearing in ''Kirby's Super Star Stacker'' (a game that's [[NoExportForYou exclusive to Japan]]) and only fighting Kirby if the player uses no continues. Despite her lack of appearances, she's become very popular for her CuteWitch design, and she often gets grouped together with the other "mage" characters (Marx, Magolor, and Taranza) in fan works. While Gryll still has yet to appear in another game, she has made a cameo in 25th anniversary art and as a Stone transformation in ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'' (where she's featured alongside Brobo, another forgotten ''Kirby'' boss from ''Kirby's Block Ball'').

* Devil Kirby has become this to a lesser extent. He's basically what Kirby himself would be like if he was a bad guy, which happens to have instantly made him a fan-favorite. Memes have also been spawned revolving around Devil Kirby, and he even had a cameo on the difficulty select section of ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies''[='=] BossRush mode.

* Chuchu gained some extra leverage for the amount of ShipTease she had with Kirby.

VideoGame/{{Kirby}} has had his self-titled series' own fair share of characters, and several of the minor characters happen to have been unexpectedly popular with fans, as shown on this page.

** The Squeaks in general are fan favorites thanks to their unique designs and fun personalities. They were popular enough to return and play a support role in VideoGame/KirbyMassAttack and for Daroach, their leader, to be PromotedToPlayable in Star Allies, even bringing the rest of the Squeaks with him as part of his moveset.

* The bandanna-clad Waddle Dee from the Megaton Punch mini-game. Starting with the Kirby Mass Attack and Kirby Super Star Ultra, his role started to expand from a minor side-game character and by Return to Dream Land, he was fully promoted to one of the main characters of the series.

* Francisca, one of the three Jambastion Mages, quickly became a fan favorite due to her BadassAdorable design, as well as her cool weapon, all in a way that would possibly make Susie jealous. Likewise, the same can also be said of her sisters, Flamberge and Zan Partizanne. The fact that all three would become playable Dream Friends in the Wave 3 update upon meeting certain unlock conditions has even been met with huge amounts of enthusiasm.

* A lot of fans have noticed that certain characters from the anime have made cameos in ''VideoGame/KirbyMassAttack'', and fans of said anime naturally squeal with joy upon seeing them again. These characters include the aforementioned Escargo(o)n, as well as Customer Service, Cook Osaka/Chef Shiitake, and Macho-San/Max Flexer.

* The Flame Demon Beast Wolfwrath was also met with lovely reception for being a badass, fire-breathing wolf monster and for having a part in Sword Knight and Blade Knight's pledging of allegiance to Meta Knight for saving them from it. It's become the first Demon Beast to actually injure Meta Knight (in this case, paralyze him by embedding one of its own fangs into his forehead), and it even helps that it looks delightfully terrifying in appearance. Some of its fanart would depict it as either scarier or cuter, even to the point where some fans draw a baby Wolfwrath puppy.

* Rick, Kine, and Coo are beloved by the fanbase, enough that in spite of only being part of the gameplay in their debut game and [[VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand3 its sequel]], they make multiple cameos throughout the series, before being PromotedToPlayable as a single unit in ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies''. They even got to appear in [[Anime/KirbyOfTheStars the anime]], even though they were not created by series creator Creator/MasahiroSakurai.

* Gooey's role in ''Dream Land 2'' was just giving you power-ups upon opening an Animal Friend bag while already having one. Then he got PromotedToPlayable as the co-op partner in ''Dream Land 3'', and the fandom found him quite endearing. He eventually got to make a comeback in ''Star Allies'' as one of the Dream Friends.

* The Meta-Knights are popular for their banter over the course of "Revenge of Meta Knight" and their UndyingLoyalty to Meta Knight. Sailor Waddle Dee stands out for the humor he provides, which eventually netted him a cameo in ''VideoGame/TeamKirbyClashDeluxe''.

* While the game is a bit of a contention point for most ''Kirby'' fans, many admit to really liking Spinni, thanks to being a BadassAdorable [[GratuitousNinja ninja]] mouse.

* Lord Hyness is also liked by fans due to the lore surrounding him, his unique boss fight where he [[spoiler:[[BeatThemAtTheirOwnGame uses Friend Abilities against you]]]], and [[VileVillainSaccharineShow being one of the darkest character in the]] ''[[VileVillainSaccharineShow entire]]'' [[VileVillainSaccharineShow Kirby franchise]], [[spoiler:draining the life from the (likely unwilling) Jambastion Mages, using their bodies as bludgeons during the boss fight, and outright sacrificing them to the dark god he worships]].

* Lololo and Lalala gathered a following over the years due to many reasons: having a simple yet likable design, a game they came from — "Eggerland" (better known as "Adventures of Lolo"), and (most likely the biggest reason) them being Kirby's lovable allies in the anime.

* Gooey's role in ''Dream Land 2'' was just giving you power-ups upon opening a Animal Friend bag while already having one. Then he got PromotedToPlayable as the co-op partner in ''Dream Land 3'', and the fandom found him quite endearing. He eventually got to make a comeback in ''Star Allies'' as one of the Dream Friends.

** Chuchu gained some extra leverage for the amount of ShipTease she had with Kirby.

* Pitch grew on fans for having some of the best copy ability variants in the game. Chuchu gained some extra leverage for the amount of ShipTease she had with Kirby.

* Adeleine became a recurring character in the webcomic ''Webcomic/BrawlInTheFamily''. People were surprised to learn that a datamine for the second DLC wave of ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'' included her in the roster, but ''nobody'' expected that Ribbon would be along for the ride as well.

* "Revenge of Meta Knight" provides several:
** The Meta-Knights are popular for their banter over the course of the sub-game and (for most of them) their UndyingLoyalty to Meta Knight. Sailor Waddle Dee stands out for the humor he provides, which eventually netted him a cameo in ''VideoGame/TeamKirbyClashDeluxe''.
** Heavy Lobster, the Halberd's signature HumongousMecha. It has a cool design, it gets featured in memorable scenes throughout the sub-game, it has a fun boss fight, and it gets its own awesome music track in ''Ultra''. Many fans were upset when it didn't show up in ''Planet Robobot'' despite the game's technological focus.
** The Halberd counts in itself. Kirby only ever explores it in its entirety in "Revenge of Meta Knight" and it mostly makes cameos in later games, but it's still considered a defining part of Meta Knight's character. It playing a large role in ''VideoGame/TheSubspaceEmissary'' is a major contributor for this, while ''VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot'' escalated it by [[spoiler:turning it into Kirby's EleventhHourSuperpower for the Star Dream fight]].

* The one-shot characters from this game have a ton of fanart for them.
** Ribbon's popularity is probably due to her ImpliedLoveInterest status with Kirby.
** Adeleine became a recurring character in the webcomic ''Webcomic/BrawlInTheFamily''. People were surprised to learn that a datamine for the second DLC wave of ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'' included her in the roster, but ''nobody'' expected that Ribbon would be along for the ride as well.

* Nago, Chuchu, and Pitch, the animal friends from ''Kirby's Dream Land 3'', are also quite popular for similar reasons as Rick, Kine, and Coo.
** Pitch grew on fans for having some of the best copy ability variants in the game.
** Chuchu gained some extra leverage for the amount of ShipTease she had with Kirby.
* Gooey has his own group of fans for his quirky design, characterization, and unique backstory (he's a specimen of [[EldritchAbomination Dark Matter]] who took a HeelFaceTurn and befriended Kirby). It took him until ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'' to make his return. Said return did wonders for Gooey's popularity, as ''Star Allies'' had much more exposure than ''Dream Land 3'' did at launch, and many fans were drawn in by Gooey's cute yet dopey design. The same can be applied to Nago, Chuchu, and Pitch, but to a lesser degree since they're cameos.

* Dark Matter's iconic form may be a shadowy eyeball, but the real star of the show for many is Dark Matter Blade, the wild-haired, one-eyed swordsman form it takes in the first phase of the TrueFinalBoss fight. [[spoiler:It got another chance to shine when ''Planet Robobot'' brought in a clone of Dark Matter Blade as an extra mode boss]].

* [[GiantFlyer Dyna Blade]], from the minigame of the same name, has a pretty robust fanbase, no doubt due to being a giant rainbow-colored armor-clad bird who moves at sonic speeds and puts up a mean fight as well as [[MonsterIsAMommy simply trying to feed her new family]]. She helps Kirby board the Halberd in the "Revenge of Meta Knight" minigame, and she's had her own mission in ''Kirby's Air Ride'', a trophy and sticker and [[Franchise/{{Metroid}} Ridley]] borrowing her [[SignatureMove signature attack]] in ''Super Smash Bros Brawl'', two major appearances in the ''Kirby'' anime, and a cameo in ''Star Allies''.

* Marx is one for appearing as the FinalBoss in what is generally regarded as one of the best games in the series by the fans, [[MagnificentBastard playing Kirby like a fiddle up until the climax]], and being one of the series' earlier examples of a SurpriseCreepy despite (or ''because'' of) being an AxCrazy WaddlingHead MagicalClown. Like the aforementioned Chef Kawasaki, Marx also had a surge in popularity in 2018, beginning with his [[UnexpectedCharacter surprise return]] [[spoiler:[[BackFromTheDead from the dead]]]] [[PromotedToPlayable as a playable character]] in ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'' [[spoiler:[[BonusBoss with a boss fight at the end of Heroes in Another Dimension's credits]]]]. He even got to appear as a boss in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'', and his hat can be worn by Mii Fighters.

** 0[[superscript:2]] may mainly have been popular due to being surprisingly symbolic for a ''Kirby'' game (he has an angelic appearance and [[BloodyMurder cries blood to attack]]) and due to his [[AwesomeMusic/{{Kirby}} awesome battle music]]. 0[[superscript:2]] even got a remix of his theme music in ''Brawl''.

* Daroach, the leader of the Squeak Squad, is also popular. His popularity would lead to the Squeak Squad returning in ''VideoGame/KirbyMassAttack'' as allies, and being [[PromotedToPlayable playable]] in ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'' (albeit as DLC).

[[AC:''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand'']]
* Magolor[[spoiler: plays Kirby like his pawn for the entire game a la Marx, has several awesome theme songs, and ends up actually learning and [[BeatThemAtTheirOwnGame using Kirby's own Super Abilities against him]]]]. He ended up becoming so popular that Creator/HALLaboratory [[spoiler:[[BackFromTheDead retconned his presumed death]], complete with a HeelFaceTurn, and even]] [[PromotedToPlayable made him a DLC Dream Friend]] in ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies''. If ''that'' wasn't enough, he's also a profile icon on the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, and that was BEFORE he became a Dream Friend.

* Taranza's backstory ([[spoiler:being devoted to Queen Sectonia, and unknowingly giving her a gift that would later corrupt her]]) as well as [[spoiler:his choice to become good at the end]] made him TheWoobie to many in the fandom. His popularity even made it so that he became a fightable boss in ''VideoGame/TeamKirbyClashDeluxe'' and later [[PromotedToPlayable a DLC Dream Friend]] in ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies''.

[[AC:''VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot'']]
* Susie from ''VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot'' earned some love for her backstory, AffablyEvil nature and [[spoiler: being the first villain in the series to help Kirby but not turn good as a result]]. It was thanks to the appeal she garnered from the fandom that she gained a cameo appearance in ''VideoGame/KirbyBattleRoyale'' as one of the crowd members in a certain mini-game, and even became PromotedToPlayable as one of the Wave 3 Dream Friends in ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'' alongside Magolor and Taranza.
* President Haltmann himself may qualify, if his prominent role within Music/{{SiIvagunner}}'s videos is any indication.

[[AC:''VideoGame/KirbysAdventure'']]
* Meta Knight has been in absolute command of the fandom's attention from his debut, not only as both Dedede's DragonWithAnAgenda and TheCaptain of the Meta-Knights, [[spoiler:but also as the only other known member of (maybe) Kirby's species for over a dozen years, until ''Super Star Ultra'' introduced Galacta Knight]]. Following his debut, he immediately became an AscendedExtra and the BigBad of one of ''Super Star''[='=]s mini-games, and then a series of major plot roles and occasionally playable appearances (starting with ''Nightmare in Dream Land''), both in his home series and in ''Super Smash Bros.'' He's absent from ''VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe'' ([[spoiler:though Dark Meta Knight returns as the final boss of Dededetour]]) and ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheRainbowCurse'' (but he appears as a figurine and a [[StylisticSuck terrible drawing]] in cameos), but finally returns in full glory for ''VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot'' and ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies''.

* Bandana Waddle Dee, [[AscendedExtra who went from]] one-shot opponent in a minigame, to the confirmed identity of the Waddle Dee boss in the remake (with speaking parts!), to a playable character in ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand'', is gaining in popularity lately. Some {{Fanon}} even holds that he's the same Waddle Dee who partnered with Kirby in ''Kirby 64,'' just without his IconicItem.
** His FlavorText in ''Return to Dream Land'' seems to [[FandomNod notice this]] by starting off with "Hey, it's everyone's idol!"
** In the time between ''Return to Dream Land'' and ''Star Allies'', he made more appearances than both Meta Knight and King Dedede, both of which were series staples who debuted in the first two games of the franchise.
** He's become a very popular request for ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'', and given how important he is nowadays, it's easy to see why some people thought he might have been a candidate to be put in.

* Marx is one for appearing as the FinalBoss in what is generally regarded as one of the best games in the series by the fans, [[MagnificentBastard playing Kirby like a fiddle up until the climax]], and being one of the series' earlier examples of a SurpriseCreepy despite (or ''because'' of) being an AxCrazy WaddlingHead MagicalClown. He eventually returned [[spoiler:from the dead]] [[PromotedToPlayable as a playable character]] in ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'' [[spoiler:[[BonusBoss with a boss fight at the end of Heroes in Another Dimension's credits]]]]. He even got to appear in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'' as a boss, and his hat can be worn by Mii Fighters.

* Magolor[[spoiler: plays Kirby like his pawn for the entire game a la Marx, has several awesome theme songs, and ends up actually learning and [[BeatThemAtTheirOwnGame using Kirby's own Super Abilities against him]]]]. He ended up becoming so popular that Creator/HALLaboratory [[BackFromTheDead retconned his presumed death]], complete with a HeelFaceTurn, and even made him PromotedToPlayable in ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'' as a DLC Dream Friend. If ''that'' wasn't enough, he's also a profile icon on the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch.

* Magolor[[spoiler: plays Kirby like his pawn for the entire game [[Expy a la Marx]], has several awesome theme songs, and ends up actually learning and [[BeatThemAtTheirOwnGame using Kirby's own Super Abilities against him]]]]. He ended up becoming so popular that Creator/HALLaboratory [[BackFromTheDead retconned his presumed death]], complete with a HeelFaceTurn, and even made him PromotedToPlayable in ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'' as a DLC Dream Friend. If ''that'' wasn't enough, he's also a profile icon on the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch.

* Chef Kawasaki is just a mid-boss who provides a unique ability, but fans love him for his goofy design. His popularity notably spiked in 2018 thanks to his appearances in ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'' as a playable Friend, ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'' as an Assist Trophy, and the reopened Kirby Café as one of its mascots.

* Marx is one for appearing as the FinalBoss in what is generally regarded as one of the best games in the series by the fans, [[MagnificentBastard playing Kirby like a fiddle up until the climax]], and being one of the series' earlier examples of a SurpriseCreepy despite (or ''because'' of) being an AxCrazy WaddlingHead MagicalClown. He eventually returned [[spoiler:from the dead]] [[PromotedToPlayable as a playable character]] in ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'' and even made it into ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'' as a boss.
* Galacta Knight, who, despite merely being a BonusBoss for the VideoGameRemake, gained huge popularity with the fandom, particularly in the area of [[WildMassGuessing speculation]] regarding his relation to Meta Knight and Kirby. Having a heavy metal battle theme doesn't hurt, either. The higher-ups were savvy enough to pick up on this, as [[spoiler:Galacta Knight returns as a BonusBoss in The True Arena of ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand'' and later as the FinalBoss of Meta Knightmare Returns in ''VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot'']].

* [[spoiler:Much like Marx, Magolor plays Kirby like his pawn for the entire game]], has several awesome theme songs, and ends up actually learning and using Kirby's own Super Abilities against him. He ended up becoming so popular that Creator/HALLaboratory [[BackFromTheDead retconned his presumed death]], complete with a HeelFaceTurn, and even made him PromotedToPlayable in ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'' as a DLC Dream Friend.