10. Bomb
First appearance: Kirby Super Star
It’s a little unfair, really. Kirby had bombs flung at him as early as Kirby’s Dream Land, but didn’t get to return the favour until Kirby Super Star on SNES. Thankfully the moveset is delightfully silly, allowing you to bowl bombs at enemies like they’re fragile, fleshy skittles.
9. Fighter
First appearance: Kirby Super Star
A versatile anime action ability, this makes Kirby into that fella from The Raid, basically. All kinds of inputs and all kinds of ways to kick ass. Much like in fighting games, too, this ability lets you exploit all kinds of invincibility frames – Kirby can’t be hurt while utilising most of its attacks.
8. Wheel
First appearance: Kirby’s Adventure
Vroom vroom! This transforms Kirby into not just a wheel, but a rubber-burning torque-tastic tyre, racing through levels at Mach 1. Best of all, when player two is rolling (pun intended) with this power in Kirby Super Star, you can hop on them and live out all your Easy Rider fantasies.
The bit on the bikes. Not the bit where they get attacked in their sleep.
7. Plasma
First appearance: Kirby Super Star
This could probably be called “Static”, because – brilliantly – you use it by shuffling Kirby around with short taps of the D-pad before unleashing a powerful ball of electricity, one of the most powerful projectiles in the game when fully unleashed. Later interchangeable with the “Spark” ability.
6. Mike
First appearance: Kirby’s Adventure
A rare example of a genuinely funny joke in a video game, the Super Star incarnation of Mike (shouldn’t that be “mic”?) gives you three goes on the stick, with the third transforming Kirby into a punk rock behemoth, roaring “CHESUTOOOOO” like something from Strapping Young Lad. Funny every single time.
5. Crash
First appearance: Kirby’s Adventure
Put simply, this turns Kirby into an explosion. An explosion that kills everything on the screen. You only get to use it once, but let’s face it, why would you ever need to use it twice?
This one is possibly the purest demonstration of the sheer cosmic power of Kirby. Fear him.
4. ESP
First appearance: Kirby: Planet Robobot
Probably the coolest ability in one of the coolest series games (seriously, play it if you haven’t), ESP sees Kirby manifest a ball of pure energy using only the power of his mind, which can then be directly controlled with the Circle Pad to hone in on unsuspecting enemies.
3. Cook
First appearance: Kirby Super Star
Possibly best-remembered for that clip in the original Smash Bros. Brawl trailer that showed Mario screaming in agony as he’s boiled alive (this is real, Google it), Cook is an ability with deeply upsetting connotations that sees the Kirbster turn his enemies into food and consume them.
2. U.F.O.
First appearance: Kirby’s Adventure
The most exciting power in Kirby’s original NES classic, U.F.O. and its multi-stage attacks are all the cooler for how scarce it is. Brilliantly, though, there’s an enemy hidden in the very first level that grants the ability if you’re observant. Unidentified Flying Object? More like Unbelievably Fluffy Object.
1. Hammer
First appearance: Kirby’s Adventure
To this day there’s nothing in the Kirby series (or, indeed, most games) quite like holding 'Up' + 'Y' to charge up the flaming hammer attack then unleashing it to knock a huge chunk off an enemy’s health bar if it doesn’t kill them outright.
Plus it’s King Dedede’s weapon of choice!
Those are our 20 favourites, but we're certain you've got your own! Let us know which of the above you like best in the poll below, and feel free to elucidate on the ones we missed in the comments.