Meta Knight

Meta Knight (Japanese: メタナイト, Hepburn: Meta Naito) is a fictional character and major protagonist of Nintendo's Kirby franchise.

He debuted in the 1993 video game Kirby's Adventure, and he has since appeared in many subsequent entries as either a boss or playable character. Meta Knight also appears in several Kirby comic books, in the Kirby: Right Back at Ya! children's anime series, and as a playable character in the Super Smash Bros series since Super Smash Bros Brawl.

In the games, Meta Knight serves as one of Kirby’s most important foes. Following a strict code of honor, his boss fights feature him offering a sword to Kirby before battle, though he will proceed regardless of the player’s choices. Initially portrayed as antagonistic, he becomes an ally to Kirby in later games and, like King Dedede, becomes a victim of brainwashing by much more sinister forces.

The character has become one of the franchise’s most prominent characters and has been a subject of numerous theories, particularly regarding his resemblance to Kirby outside of his mask. His role as a player character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl became controversial due to his high attack speed and versatility overpowering much of the roster, leading to bans from the competitive scene.