Reflect is an ability only used by Mirror Kirby, Simirror, and Dark Meta Knight, debuting in Kirby Super Star. With the use of mirrors and reflective attacks, the user can bounce back or return projectiles to the sender to deal damage.
In Games
Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra
The ability to reflect happens when a projectile hits Mirror Kirby or Simirror while they are performing Reflect Force or Reflect Guard. When a projectile hits a mirror from Reflect Force or the user's shield, it bounces back at an angle relative to where it was reflected. Reflected projectiles typically go through enemies (unless the property of the object is to explode on contact such as bombs), dealing damage to every target it hits and disappears when it leaves offscreen; the speed at which it travels when reflected seems to vary with each projectile sometimes carrying the same speed before it was reflected. The damage output for a reflected projectile is 40.[1]
Kirby: Planet Robobot
The Mirror ability makes a return in this game where projectiles are once again reflected when hitting a mirror during Reflect Force or the shield from Reflect Guard. Reflected projectiles now turn into purple stars and after it hits an enemy, it disappears. The first reflected projectile deals 20 damage, and every one following that deals 6 damage. This is refreshed when Kirby throws out a move again.
The first reflected projectile will always travel at the source's last position from where it was when the projectile was reflected, however the direction in which a reflected projectile travels seems to change with each corresponding projectile, aiming more loosely toward the source with each star. Additionally, projectiles reflected by minion-only enemies such as Metal Bits will head straight toward the minion's summoner instead of the minions themselves. Projectiles can also be reflected across the foreground and background.
In some cases, objects that are not in motion and linger on the ground are not considered reflectible anymore. For example, when Clanky Woods' robotic round "leaves" fall from its head and onto the floor, they are still reflectible even when they are on the ground, however Blocky's rocks that fall besides him when he pounds the ground are only reflectible when they are in motion and not resting on the ground.
Kirby Battle Royale
Mirror once again retains the ability to reflect via Reflect Force which turns projectiles into a blue star with a white ring surrounding it; it will always travel the opposite direction in which it came. The damage and size of the reflected object is scaled to the projectile's power and size.[2]
Kirby Star Allies
Dark Meta Knight is the only user in this game to have the ability to reflect objects. Aside from also reflecting objects defensively with his Reflector Shield, he is also able to reflect with the mirrors that are created using Mirror Spin Slash and Wall of Mirrors. In this game, the projectile is turned into a purple star and will loosely target the original sender's relative position of when the projectile was summoned similarly to Kirby: Planet Robobot. Each reflected projectile deals 20 damage and will disappear after colliding with anything.[3]
Other Instances
In Kirby's Dream Land 2 and Kirby: Canvas Curse, it is possible to use the Rainbow Sword and rainbow lines to reflect projectiles back at their respective final bosses. As a nod to being able to reflect Dark Matter's ball projectiles, during the Dark Matter Clone fight in Kirby: Planet Robobot, if Kirby or Meta Knight hits one of the purple balls it summons, the ball will be reflected back at the clone.
In the Super Smash Bros. series
Although no Kirby characters in the Super Smash Bros. series have a traditional reflector that returns projectiles, King Dedede is able to inhale projectiles and keep them in his gut for a short period before spitting it back out at a diagonally downwards angle. The reflected projectile has a 1.5x multiplier in damage and knockback as well as sending it 1.6 times faster than its original speed. Despite having a reflector, he is not included in the Event Tourney, Reflect, an online tourney where players can only play characters who have reflectors of some sort.
Kirby can also reflect projectiles, albeit through the use of Zelda's Copy Ability, Nayru's Love, as well as King Dedede's Inhale.
The bubble that encases Mirror Kirby during a Reflect Guard seems to be the inspiration for the shield bubbles seen in the Super Smash Bros. series starting with the first Super Smash Bros.. Also similarly to Reflect Guard's ability to reflect projectiles, if a projectile grazes a shield upon activation, it will be reflected at an angle. A Power Shield in Super Smash Bros. Melee can also reflect projectiles when a shield is activated during the first two frames before the projectile hits.
Trivia
- In most games, some mid-bosses and bosses are able to shield themselves from attacks which will deflect projectiles from incoming attacks. Deflected projectiles from these enemies become completely intangible where no one is able to be damaged from them.
- Holo-Kracko's rain attack is made of multiple reflectible raindrop projectiles in Kirby: Planet Robobot, however in Kirby Star Allies, any of the Kracko variant's rain attacks are not considered projectiles as they cannot be reflected.