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Version 1 - Kirby's Adventure (1993) / Kirby's Dream Course (1994) / Kirby: Canvas Curse (2005)

And coming in right after Burning, it's our other "elemental ability that got wrapped up into its equivalent elemental ability as a move and has only been seen on its own sparingly since", Freeze! Freeze allows Kirby to surround himself with frosty energy, freezing any enemies that come near. The exact form of said frosty energy was originally depicted as a cluster of cold clouds, but starting with Nightmare in Dream Land the freeze-cloud became a distinctive hexagon shape, stylized in the official art for Canvas Curse to further resemble a snowflake, which is what I have depicted here. Later usages of the Freeze ability as part of Ice Kirby's moveset also tend towards this hexagon/snowflake appearance, most recently appearing that way in Star Allies and Return to Dream Land Deluxe.

Notably, this is one of the abilities that actually does change Kirby's appearance when he has it in the original Kirby's Adventure. All abilities in Kirby's Adventure change Kirby's palette slightly, but while most subtly change him from pink to a sort of light orange, the two cold abilities get their own special color: Freeze and Ice change Kirby's color to a white-and-blue palette in the sprites or a light blue palette in official art. In Dream Course and Canvas Curse, the other hatless appearances of Freeze, Kirby stays pink while just holding the ability but changes to light blue when using it. In Canvas Curse in particular, Kirby's cheeks stay their usual dark pink while just his body changes to blue. I could have made another palette for that, but I don't have any way of knowing what Kirby's shoes should be colored in that situation, so... one approximately-correct blue palette it is.

Version 2 - Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land (2002) / Kirby Air Ride (2003)

As alluded to earlier, Freeze was absorbed into Ice in the first hatted-ability game, Super Star. As a result Freeze wouldn't get an ability cap until Nightmare in Dream Land, where it got a really cute one! Freeze Kirby dons a blue parka hood to keep him warm in the cold. Notable, Kirby does not turn blue anymore, though that trait was kept with Ice Kirby's appearance in Nightmare in Dream Land. Maybe the parka keeps him too warm to turn blue?

The parka hat is generally assumed to be derived from Kirby's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Melee when he copies the Ice Climbers, giving him an identical blue parka based on the one worn by Popo of said Ice Climbers. I don't believe this has ever been officially confirmed, but it would be a hell of a coincidence if it wasn't intended, so... this makes Freeze the only copy ability hat to date to move from Smash Bros. to the main series games! Good for Freeze.

Freeze with a parka would make only one additional appearance, in my beloved Kirby Air Ride. Here it would remain largely the same, but it pushes the blue of the parka a bit closer to purple, which is roughly what I've depicted here.

After showing up in Canvas Curse, Freeze made one more non-cameo appearance in the series... sort of. In Kirby Battle Royale (2017), the Freeze Kirby parka, aptly named the "Freeze Hood", appeared as an alternate hat for Ice Kirby. This is the only alternate ability hat in the entire series to have the design of the hat of a different standard ability, which is a very interesting honor. Granted, Fire Kirby has never actually appeared in one of the games with alternate hats, so maybe if it had Burning would have had a similar cameo? I suppose we'll all have to wait until the definitely-real and absolutely-happening Kirby Battle Royale 2 to find out.

Description

<- prev | next ->

Version 1 - Kirby's Adventure (1993) / Kirby's Dream Course (1994) / Kirby: Canvas Curse (2005)

And coming in right after Burning, it's our other "elemental ability that got wrapped up into its equivalent elemental ability as a move and has only been seen on its own sparingly since", Freeze! Freeze allows Kirby to surround himself with frosty energy, freezing any enemies that come near. The exact form of said frosty energy was originally depicted as a cluster of cold clouds, but starting with Nightmare in Dream Land the freeze-cloud became a distinctive hexagon shape, stylized in the official art for Canvas Curse to further resemble a snowflake, which is what I have depicted here. Later usages of the Freeze ability as part of Ice Kirby's moveset also tend towards this hexagon/snowflake appearance, most recently appearing that way in Star Allies and Return to Dream Land Deluxe.

Notably, this is one of the abilities that actually does change Kirby's appearance when he has it in the original Kirby's Adventure. All abilities in Kirby's Adventure change Kirby's palette slightly, but while most subtly change him from pink to a sort of light orange, the two cold abilities get their own special color: Freeze and Ice change Kirby's color to a white-and-blue palette in the sprites or a light blue palette in official art. In Dream Course and Canvas Curse, the other hatless appearances of Freeze, Kirby stays pink while just holding the ability but changes to light blue when using it. In Canvas Curse in particular, Kirby's cheeks stay their usual dark pink while just his body changes to blue. I could have made another palette for that, but I don't have any way of knowing what Kirby's shoes should be colored in that situation, so... one approximately-correct blue palette it is.

Version 2 - Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land (2002) / Kirby Air Ride (2003)

As alluded to earlier, Freeze was absorbed into Ice in the first hatted-ability game, Super Star. As a result Freeze wouldn't get an ability cap until Nightmare in Dream Land, where it got a really cute one! Freeze Kirby dons a blue parka hood to keep him warm in the cold. Notable, Kirby does not turn blue anymore, though that trait was kept with Ice Kirby's appearance in Nightmare in Dream Land. Maybe the parka keeps him too warm to turn blue?

The parka hat is generally assumed to be derived from Kirby's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Melee when he copies the Ice Climbers, giving him an identical blue parka based on the one worn by Popo of said Ice Climbers. I don't believe this has ever been officially confirmed, but it would be a hell of a coincidence if it wasn't intended, so... this makes Freeze the only copy ability hat to date to move from Smash Bros. to the main series games! Good for Freeze.

Freeze with a parka would make only one additional appearance, in my beloved Kirby Air Ride. Here it would remain largely the same, but it pushes the blue of the parka a bit closer to purple, which is roughly what I've depicted here.

After showing up in Canvas Curse, Freeze made one more non-cameo appearance in the series... sort of. In Kirby Battle Royale (2017), the Freeze Kirby parka, aptly named the "Freeze Hood", appeared as an alternate hat for Ice Kirby. This is the only alternate ability hat in the entire series to have the design of the hat of a different standard ability, which is a very interesting honor. Granted, Fire Kirby has never actually appeared in one of the games with alternate hats, so maybe if it had Burning would have had a similar cameo? I suppose we'll all have to wait until the definitely-real and absolutely-happening Kirby Battle Royale 2 to find out.