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Ranking All Bosses in Kirby and the Forgotten Land

This list will rank the quality of every boss in Kirby and the Forgotten Land, so there will naturally be heavy spoilers.

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Kirby and the Forgotten Land Gorimondo swipe

Who is the best boss in Kirby and the Forgotten Land?

Kirby and the Forgotten Land has been out for over a month at this point, and to say it has been a success would be an understatement. Not only has the game achieved the biggest sales debut in series history, but it also excelled at translating the classic Kirby formula into the third dimension without any real hiccups. And this thankfully means that the boss encounters, which are often the best parts of any given Kirby title, have more than survived the transition. Despite the relatively low number of copy abilities and their reduced movesets, taking on these foes has arguably never felt more satisfying. It helps that Kirby and the Forgotten Land implements a number of smart changes to classic copy abilities as well as an optional Bayonetta-esque perfect dodge mechanic that makes it feel more like an action game than ever before. Thankfully, the title does not have a single bad boss to speak of, but of course, they are not all created equal. This list will attempt to rank every major boss in the game based on their concept and, most importantly, how enjoyable they are to take down.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land Fecto Forgo
Image courtesy of Nintendo

11) Fecto Forgo

The first form of the final boss encounter, Fecto Forgo is a perfect representative of how bananas the finale of Kirby and the Forgotten Land is. The entity responsible for all of the game’s events, Fecto Forgo starts off as a bizarre embryonic creature who stays dormant in a large capsule. But after Kirby defeats Leongar, the leader of the Beast Pack group that served as the main antagonists up until now, the creature awakens and breaks out of containment, turning into an amorphous blue blob. After absorbing Leongar and a group of Beast Pack members, he turns into a horrific abomination of animal heads that pursues Kirby down a long hallway. It’s a wonderfully messed-up moment for such a child-friendly game, which is undoubtedly why Kirby and the Forgotten Land is the only entry in the series to receive a “fear” warning in its PEGI rating.

All of this being said, Fecto Forgo is the only boss in the main campaign to not have a harder variant encountered in the postgame, and there is a reason for that. This is a set-piece battle through and through, as it simply involves Kirby running away from the creature while whittling it down and dodging the occasional attack. As a brief bit of unsettling spectacle before the true final battle, this sequence is wonderfully effective, and the fact that it wouldn’t look out of place in a horror game only makes it better. But it’s ultimately not much of a “fight,” which means it was practically destined to remain at the bottom of the list.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land Tropic Woods
Image courtesy of Nintendo

10) Tropic Woods

Despite being little more than a punching bag in many of his appearances, the antagonistic tree Whispy Woods remains an iconic part of the Kirby franchise, and the developers know it. Nearly every entry in the series features Whispy Woods or some variation of him, and Kirby and the Forgotten Land is no different. This game’s version of Whispy, known as Tropic Woods, is notable in that he’s fought as the second major boss instead of the usual first, which makes him a touch more challenging than he otherwise would be. Although he is a stationary target, Tropic Woods compensates for his weakness with a whole host of moves, which include the trademark wind gusts, roots that travel along the ground, and even giant metal fences that protect him against attacks. It’s a fairly straightforward fight, but there are more than enough unique elements to consider that make it a bit harder for players to simply wail on him.

This already makes the Tropic Woods encounter more of a proper fight than Fecto Forgo, but it also benefits considerably from having a more difficult “phantom” version in the postgame. This souped-up Tropic Woods forces players to contend with constant barrages of projectiles that further disincentivize players from spamming attacks with wild abandon. But what really changes the fight up is its second phase, which sees players navigating a dangerous maze of metal fences as well as using Tropic Woods’ roots as stepping stones to hover over gigantic gusts of wind. These attacks do a fantastic job at changing players’ approach to the fight, and they contribute greatly to the encounter’s surprisingly substantial increase in challenge compared to the original.

But as well-executed as this fight is, Tropic Woods does not leave as much of an impression as the other bosses, and part of that has to do with him being completely divorced from the main story. He isn’t allied with the Beast Pack, and he doesn’t have much of a role other than simply being yet another boss to defeat on Kirby’s journey. And whereas the other bosses have fantastic buildups to their fights, the path to Tropic Woods simply consists of a cliffside and a ladder, neither of which builds much anticipation. Even with these problems, however, Tropic Woods is absolutely worthy of being the first 3D Whispy battle in the series, and Kirby and the Forgotten Land would be a lesser experience without him.

Gorimondo sword
Image courtesy of Nintendo

9) Gorimondo

The first member of the Beast Pack council encountered as well as the first major boss of the game, Gorimondo stands out from the other bosses due to his size alone. Gorimondo absolutely towers over Kirby, and the massive open arena you fight him in gives a strong impression of that size. And unlike Tropic Woods, the buildup to Gorimondo’s battle is memorable in its own right. Kirby makes his way through an abandoned mall only to see the shadow of a mysterious beast flying overhead. He soon comes across a conspicuous pile of bananas sitting in a corner, and gigantic footsteps can be heard as he goes to choose which copy ability to take into the fight. Once Kirby reaches the food court, the camera pans over to show Gorimondo standing right outside the window. The beast turns around, notices Kirby, and grabs him through the window, requiring the player to break free of his grip and start the boss fight proper. The sheer amount of work that went into this anticipation and payoff is remarkable, and it makes Gorimondo’s introduction one of the absolute best in the game.

As for the fight itself, Gorimondo has all the trappings of a first boss encounter. Whether he is attempting to slap Kirby or chuck rocks at him from a distance, Gorimondo’s attacks are all slow and easy to read, and his second phase does not add much other than a spinning lariat move to run away from. Even compared to some other first bosses in Kirby’s recent history, Gorimondo’s moveset is relatively tame, which is perfectly understandable. If you discount Kirby’s previous experiments with 3D, such as Kirby’s Blowout Blast, then Gorimondo essentially serves as an introduction to 3D Kirby boss battling as a whole, so it was probably best for his moves to not appear too flashy or overwhelming. But this design choice means that Gorimondo, at least in his base form, simply cannot compete with most of the other bosses in terms of complexity.

Thankfully, the phantom version of Gorimondo makes up for the weaknesses of his first fight and then some. What was initially a simple warm-up is now a fast-paced back-and-forth that swiftly punishes players for dodging sloppily. Moves like his grab attack and new shockwave patterns can easily catch players off guard if they are not observant, and he is generally much less open than he was before. The pacing of the fight is also improved; while his spinning lariat now creates tornadoes that lift rocks into the air, it also ends noticeably sooner, allowing players to get right back in on the action. His first fight is still valuable on its own, but the rematch makes him feel that much more complete, which is a testament to how strong Kirby and the Forgotten Land’s boss design is overall.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land Sillydillo
Image courtesy of Nintendo

8) Sillydillo

Kirby and the Forgotten Land characterizes Sillydillo as a rabid hoarder who is hyper-fixated on capturing Kirby, and this is beautifully communicated in the lead-up to his fight. Sillydillo’s cavern is stuffed to the brim with random junk, with much of it being recognizable from previous worlds Kirby has visited. Progressing through the cavern will reveal a copious amount of Kirby wanted posters plastered on the wall, and the arena features three handcrafted Kirby dolls hanging from the ceiling. The environmental characterization doesn’t stop there; the Kirby dolls reveal that Sillydillo has a bit of an artistic side, and this can further be seen later in the fight when he takes out a handmade “dance partner” and starts spinning around with it to attack Kirby. This attention to detail gives Sillydillo arguably the most personality out of all the bosses, which is a huge point in his favor.

The fight with Sillydillo is also notable in that it can be seen as a sort of skill check, which other bosses in the series don’t often do. He has fewer attacks than most of the other fights, and while this does have the unfortunate knock-on effect of making his encounter a bit less varied overall, the sheer potency of his moves makes up for it. All of his attacks hit hard, with many of them being a bit more difficult to avoid than usual. This is especially the case with his rolling attack; it comes out incredibly quickly, and if players are caught in a corner while he uses it, they cannot simply run away from it. It is generally much safer for players to perform either a slide or, better yet, a dodge to stay safe. Up until this point, players could get away with simply running away or jumping over boss attacks, and while this is also technically possible here, this is the first time where more efficient dodging techniques may be required to avoid heavy damage.

Phantom Sillydillo is broadly similar to the original fight, but a few adjustments and extra attacks add a bit more meat to it. In addition to explosive Kirby dolls and a sandstorm that limits players’ field of vision, Sillydillo recovers from his rolling attack much faster than before, requiring players to more efficiently take advantage of his openings. None of this fundamentally changes the encounter, but it really does not need to. Sillydillo’s “skill check”-based design is a rarity in the Kirby franchise, and he executes this design admirably.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land Morpho Knight
Image courtesy of Nintendo

7) Morpho Knight

A secret boss who made his debut in Kirby Star Allies, the Kirby equivalent of the grim reaper returns to conclude the title’s postgame story arc. He continues the recent Kirby tradition of adding powerful Meta Knight lookalikes as postgame encounters, and it is a tradition that works incredibly well. The duel-based format of Meta Knight’s encounters lends itself well to fast-paced, challenging bouts, and Morpho Knight is no different. As the fight that unlocks what Kirby and the Forgotten Land calls the “true ending,” however, Morpho Knight is a bit less effective. The ending to the main campaign is ridiculously climactic and entertaining, so it feels like a missed opportunity to follow that up with a boss that players have already seen around four years prior.

Having said that, though, it is easy to forget about that minor disappointment once the fight starts. Since Kirby and the Forgotten Land ditches the overpowered co-op mechanics of Star Allies specifically, Morpho Knight finally has a chance to demonstrate just how much of a fearsome foe he truly is. Passing most other fights in the game on your first try is not too tricky, but Morpho Knight is a genuine challenge that can easily mess players up if they are not used to his patterns. Quick sword strikes, teleportation fake-outs, and a whole host of fire-based attacks require keen observation skills to properly avoid, and his buzzing move that causes the whole screen to turn sideways can easily lead to a cascade of errors. But naturally, the fight’s punishing nature makes learning it all the more rewarding. It is a worthy postgame challenge for players to take on, and it certainly does not hurt that the fight is such a strong visual spectacle.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land King Dedede
Image courtesy of Nintendo

6) King Dedede

It is genuinely impressive how much mileage HAL Laboratory has gotten out of King Dedede, Kirby’s longtime rival. Despite not having been an actual antagonist for a long time, the developers have consistently incorporated him as a boss over the years, and yet they still somehow manage to make him feel fresh almost every time. This is thankfully still the case in Kirby and the Forgotten Land, which sees him getting mind-controlled into joining the Beast Pack and doing battle with Kirby inside an abandoned church in the snow. It is quite the dramatic backdrop for this new Dedede encounter to take place in, which feels appropriate, as the fight is absolutely explosive in its energy.

The encounter kicks off with the possessed king throwing all of the Dedede staples at you, including the sliding tackle and weighty jumping attacks. But it is in how the game updates his standard hammer attacks where the fight truly shines. In the 2D games, Dedede’s standard hammer attacks were often fairly one-note; you either stood away from them and avoided damage or you did not. But with the shift to 3D, the game tweaks these hammer strikes to be much more engaging to deal with. Dedede comes at you with either vertical strikes or horizontal swings, encouraging players to jump or run to the side respectively if they want to keep on the offensive. But of course, you can also perfect-dodge these hammer strikes instead, and this is where the true beauty in this move lies. Whether you are using the standard platforming controls or the dodging mechanic, avoiding Dedede’s hammer is always inherently satisfying, as players are free to whittle away at Dedede in-between dodges.

The fight only gets better in the second phase, where he drops his hammer and replaces it with an enormous stone pillar. This grants him a flashy new ice wave attack, but it also gives his melee attacks insanely long reach at the cost of speed. The sheer spectacle of narrowly avoiding this massive makeshift weapon is always a thrill, and this sensation is further improved in the phantom variation of his fight, which makes these moves come out much more rapidly. Other than his new Gordo-based moves that subtly reference Smash Bros. as well as his ice attacks now adding a slippery effect to the floor, the rematch does not change up the original fight too much. But considering how much fun the encounter is at its core, this really is not much of a problem.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land Leongar
Image courtesy of Nintendo

5) Leongar

For the whole game, the Beast Pack’s motives are shrouded in mystery. All players know at this point is that the group is kidnapping both Waddle Dees and Kirby’s companion Elfilin for some unknown purpose, and the only way to find why is by infiltrating the pack’s headquarters. Once players make their way to Lab Discovera, however, it turns out that the Beast Pack was only a small part of the bigger picture. The Waddle Dees are being used as slave labor to provide power for the entity known as Fecto Forgo, who also plans to reunite with Elfilin, his other half. When Kirby first confronts Leongar, the leader of the Beast Pack, he claims that he wants to take advantage of Fecto Forgo’s teleportation powers to abandon his old world and find a new one. But it soon becomes apparent that Leongar is not in full control of his mental faculties, and he is little more than an unwilling pawn in Fecto Forgo’s scheme.

Leongar’s true role is communicated beautifully in his boss fight. At first, he appears to be in control of himself, at least as much as he can be while under the influence of an interdimensional being. He slowly comes at Kirby and attacks him almost exclusively with melee strikes, and while these moves are ferocious in their power, there is a clear deliberacy to the way he doles him out. Once Kirby does enough damage to Leongar, however, his eyes start to glow, indicating that Fecto Forgo is taking more direct control of his mind. At this point, Leongar goes almost completely feral, wildly gnashing at Kirby while charging at him on all fours. He also gains some supernatural abilities where he emits x-shaped projectiles out of his claws and fires lasers out of his mouth while letting out a blood-curdling scream. Dodging these attacks is about as satisfying as it gets, but it is in how these moves convey his state of mind where the fight truly excels.

For those who were hoping for a more challenging encounter with Leongar, however, the postgame more than delivers. The entire postgame story arc builds up to the rematch with Leongar, as it is largely spent gathering fragments of his soul to save him from Fecto Forgo’s control. But of course, before Kirby can do so, the soul of Fecto Forgo goes all out and fully possesses Leongar for another showdown. This fight starts off with the second phase of the original encounter, but once his health bar goes down once, Leongar goes absolutely ballistic, taking what were once his more calculated moves and dishing them out much more aggressively. His souped-up moveset pushes players’ dodging skills to their limit, and unlike past encounters, perfect-dodging is not always the right answer, as the fire trails left behind by his claws can disrupt players’ attempts to create an opening. The insanity only escalates in his new third phase, which sees Fecto Forgo’s soul joining in on the offensive while Leongar unleashes brutal strings of claw projectiles and laser attacks. Avoiding both Fecto Forgo and Leongar at the same time demands a level of multitasking not often seen in the series, which makes the sensation of finally taking them down feel all the sweeter.

Clawroline boss
Image courtesy of Nintendo

4) Clawroline

Encountered as early as the third world, Clawroline marks a refreshing change of pace from the bosses that came before her. Both Gorimondo and Tropic Woods are slow, massive targets with attacks that can be seen from a mile away. Clawroline, on the other hand, is only slightly taller than Kirby and boasts ninja-like agility, and while her attacks are still clearly telegraphed, they come out incredibly quickly. While the previous two bosses were classic “David versus Goliath” scenarios, the fight with Clawroline feels much more like a duel, which is only enhanced by Kirby and the Forgotten Land’s perfect-dodge mechanic. Narrowly flipping away from Gorimondo and Tropic Woods’ attacks is already cool on its own, but here it feels downright cinematic. Paying attention to Clawroline’s tells, dodging her claw swipes and combo strings at the last second, and exchanging blows is immensely satisfying to both watch and play, with the fight almost feeling like a better fit for an action game rather than a 3D platformer. But considering that the Kirby series is essentially the closest thing that Nintendo and HAL Laboratory have to a beat ’em up franchise, this feels right at home.

The fight in general is a visual treat, with much of it having to do with the circus aesthetic. Clawroline is clearly putting on a show as much as she is trying to take down Kirby; she is fully cloaked in dramatic fashion before the fight starts, and spotlights shine on both her and Kirby during her more extravagant attacks. Disappearing acts as well as her knife-throwing move complete the circus theme, which gives the encounter much more character than it would have had otherwise. All of these positives are only enhanced in the fight against her phantom variant; thanks to her increased speed, successful perfect-dodges and exchanges are even more thrilling than before, and additions like her new cloning ability contribute further to the spectacle.

She already stands out from the other Beast Pack members due to these strengths, but she is also given a surprising amount of attention in the story. During the entire main campaign, Kirby and the Forgotten Land treats Clawroline the same as any other boss, but as soon as the postgame starts, her role expands significantly. She is revealed to have been the one who saved Elfilin’s life after his heroic sacrifice at the end of the main story, and she recovers some of Leongar’s lost soul fragments to help Kirby in his quest to save him from Fecto Forgo. Collectible postgame figurines even reveal a closer connection to Leongar than the game initially let on, explaining that she used to rule the animal kingdom right alongside him before Fecto Forgo influenced him. Savvy players may have already figured this out earlier; the phantom version of Clawroline uses the same claw projectile attacks as Leongar, providing a small hint toward their connection. These details make Clawroline feel less like just another boss to defeat and more like an actual character, which gives her a significant advantage over most other bosses in the series.

Forgo Dedede boss
Image courtesy of Nintendo

3) Forgo Dedede

After descending deep into the Beast Pack’s base of operations, Kirby confronts the mind-controlled King Dedede once more. He stands as the last line of defense before Kirby can reach Lab Discovera, and now he appears even farther gone than last time. The corrupting power of his boar-shaped mask further clouds Dedede’s mind, and he now goes all out on Kirby with his two new hammers. The mask serves as a clear homage to the Masked Dedede encounters of past games, but this is not a simple repeat of what came before. In fact, the rematch against Dedede plays out almost nothing like those encounters or the first fight with him in this game. Not only do his dual-wielded hammers completely overhaul his moveset, but he gains a whole slew of fire-based attacks that contrast with his ice wave move in the previous encounter. Miniature fire twisters and giant pillars of lava are just a few of the threats Kirby has to deal with in this initial phase.

But of course, the real highlight of this encounter comes in the second phase, which sees the mask completely taking over Dedede and turning him into a wild animal. Throughout all 30 years that this character has existed, we have never seen him roar quite as intensely as he does here, and we have especially never seen him dart around on all fours. To top it all off, it turns out he does not need his hammers for his fire-based moves, as this phase sees him somehow managing to conjure up fire twisters and lava puddles all on his own. It is a completely fresh take on the classic Dedede encounter, and it all pays off with one of Kirby and the Forgotten Land’s best scenes. Seeing Dedede, now back to his old self, putting the lives of his Waddle Dee minions before himself would have been unimaginable 30 years ago, and it goes to show how much this character has grown over time.

The base fight is already quite good, but the phantom variation pushes it to a whole new level entirely. His speed is cranked up to an absurd degree, throwing relentless attacks at the player and hopping around the environment like a flea. Speaking of the environment, the formerly static arena of the original encounter now turns into a weapon that Dedede can use against you. Certain attacks, such as the meteors he inexplicably summons in the second phase, cause the arena to tilt and dip into the lava, giving players more to keep track of on top of the myriad lava puddles he leaves around. The way in which this challenging encounter plays out almost feels like something straight out of an anime, which feels downright absurd to say for a character as goofy as King Dedede. It is absolutely worth getting to this fight in the postgame, though, as it takes what was a fairly simple fight before and turns it into an absolute spectacle.

Meta Knight boss
Image courtesy of Nintendo

2) Meta Knight

A boss that can only be accessed in the Waddle Dee Town’s Coliseum, Meta Knight serves an interesting role within Kirby and the Forgotten Land. He plays a part in the story in that he protects Waddle Dee Town while Kirby is out adventuring, but he is otherwise mostly divorced from the events of the main game. He is not allied with the Beast Pack in any way, and he has no personal reason to fight Kirby other than for the sheer sport of it. This optional encounter, contextualized as a friendly competition between two rivals, clearly exists primarily so that fans can experience the first true 3D Meta Knight battle. And boy does it deliver.

It may seem strange that this is ranked so much higher than Morpho Knight since that fight borrows the same template, but the encounter with Meta Knight just has so much more energy and character backing it up. It starts off with Meta Knight honorably offering Kirby a sword to fight with as per tradition, with the intro cutscene changing depending on whether he picks it up. An audience of Waddle Dees cheers the combatants on as they duel, and much like most other Meta Knight encounters, the fight is fast, frantic, and exciting. The inherent thrill of perfect-dodging melee strikes and countering them is accentuated here, especially since the camera almost always has a dynamic view of the action. Meta Knight’s skill is demonstrated clearly whenever he effortlessly dodges one of Kirby’s attacks, a quirk that savvy players can exploit to bait him into a punishable counterattack. Sword beams, levitated rocks, and other dangerous moves keep the fight consistently varied, and although he is incredibly quick and evasive, he always has clear windows when he is vulnerable.

special easter egg that players can discover elevates the fight that much further. It has to do with one of Meta Knight’s most dangerous moves: the flashy Upper Calibur attack. He charges up, dashes toward Kirby, and locks him into a devastating flurry of cinematic slashes if the move connects. But if Kirby is using the sword ability, he can counter this move with a slash of his own, causing both combatants to lock swords and enter a struggle that players need to win by mashing the attack button. Winning the struggle disarms Meta Knight, giving players the opportunity to steal his sword for themselves. Discovering this interaction is an amazing feeling on its own, but it also, remarkably enough, has a tangible benefit to the player in that picking up his sword will always grant Kirby the Meta Knight Sword ability, even if players have not unlocked it yet. Meta Knight flying off and replacing his sword with the one he used back in Kirby’s Adventure is the icing on the cake.

At first, it seems reasonable to assume that Morpho Knight serves as the more difficult variation of Meta Knight in the Ultimate Cup Z, Kirby and the Forgotten Land’s equivalent to the True Arena. But as it turns out, the Ultimate Cup Z introduces a phantom version of Meta Knight for players to contend with in the midst of this brutal gauntlet, making an already fantastic fight even better. Phantom Meta Knight’s sword attacks come out even faster than Morpho Knight’s, and he regularly mixes them in with sword beams to catch players off guard. In the second phase, he briefly clones himself whenever he goes for an Upper Calibur attack, and his downward stab now emits a ludicrous amount of projectiles to dodge. It can be a lot to deal with, especially since players have no opportunity to practice the fight outside of the Ultimate Cup Z. But it would not be a proper postgame Meta Knight battle if it did not offer a challenge.

Fecto Elfilis boss
Image courtesy of Nintendo

1) Fecto Elfilis

Immediately coming after the fight against Fecto Forgo, Kirby and the Forgotten Land’s final boss battle also happens to be its best. Kirby may have been able to stop the horrific blob form of Fecto Forgo temporarily, but he was not able to prevent the creature from reuniting with Elfilin and becoming whole once again. Kirby then makes his way up to the helipad, where Fecto Forgo transforms from an incomplete disaster into a strange angelic creature who is clearly reminiscent of Elfilin, but appears no less sinister.

What ensues is the quintessential final boss fight, one that constantly throws new situations at the player and pushes them to utilize the game’s combat mechanics to their fullest. The melee strikes that Fecto Elfilis uses with his spear come out thick and fast, and he can use them in conjunction with other attacks to keep players on their toes. He takes advantage of his teleportation abilities to dish out all kinds of extravagant moves, including large spears that emit shockwaves and a massive ball of debris that takes up the entire helipad. He can fly far out of Kirby’s reach to bombard him with energy projectiles and other tricks, which is done just enough to give the battle a sense of scale without becoming too annoying to deal with. He even comes equipped with a healing move, a rare sight among Kirby bosses that can be countered through keen observation and constant aggression. The atmosphere of this fight is also immaculately crafted, with a warm sunset creating a large shadow of Fecto Elfilis that stretches over the helipad at a distance. And when the sky turns into a swirling mass of the colors and the second part of the final boss theme kicks in, the excitement and tension are palpable, to say the least.

The best part of the fight comes at the very end when Kirby frees Elfilin from Fecto Elfilis’s body. With his shape now barely holding together, Fecto Elfilis begins a last-ditch effort to kill Kirby by attempting to collide his homeworld, Planet Popstar, with the new world. So what does Kirby do? He inhales an 18-wheeler, drives across floating debris, and rams into Fecto Elfilis to destroy him. This scenario is ridiculous in the absolute best way, and the over-the-top quick-time event struggles that Kirby initiates against Fecto Elfilis’s attacks only add to the insanity. This is the single best ending to a Kirby game we have had, and that is saying a lot, as the series is chock full of fantastic ending sequences.

But if you know anything about the modern Kirby installments, you know it is not over. At the very end of the Ultimate Cup Z, the harder variant of Fecto Elfilis, known as Chaos Elfilis, is waiting for you. And if you thought that the standard Fecto Elfilis fight had a lot of attacks, you have not seen anything yet. In addition to all of his previous moves, Chaos Elfilis can now transport laser beams through portals, create energy tornadoes with his spear, and even summon an enormous astral projection of himself to swipe at Kirby from a distance, among other tricks. Variations to his previous moves, including teleportation fake-outs for his melee strikes and additional configurations for his energy projectiles, push the difficulty higher than ever, and the sheer extravagance of these moves makes the fight an absolute joy to watch even when you are getting your ass handed to you.

And even after all that, it is still not over. Starting with Triple Deluxe, these postgame final boss encounters include an additional phase that players have not seen before, and Chaos Elfilis, who turns into a large floating orb upon defeat, is no exception. This new form takes many of the attacks that previous postgame final bosses utilized and adapts them perfectly to a 3D setting, all while raising the difficulty to its absolute limit. Nearly every move that Chaos Elfilis has in this form hurts like a truck, and some of them, like the rotating laser move, are quite difficult to avoid at first. And since this fight comes after 11 other bosses, the pressure placed on the player is almost overwhelming. But like any good challenge, the sense of reward that comes after passing it is immense. In general, Fecto Elfilis shows just how seriously HAL Laboratory took the series’ transition into 3D. Some elements could have easily been lost in translation, but the Fecto Elfilis fight makes it abundantly clear that HAL nailed it.

Daniel Pinheiro has an M.A. in Community Journalism. He is deeply passionate about gaming experiences and the lessons they can teach us. Although he tends to gravitate toward platformers, he is willing to try out any game made with love and care. He also enjoys seeing the world and what it has to offer.

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