As a family focused company, there are plenty of cute things to pull out of Nintendo games: Mario is always happy to jump through fields with eye-spotted mountains, an army of Pikmin sing their theme song if players gather the appropriate color ratio, and so on. Kirby games have an air befitting their status as beginner-friendly platformers, but longtime fans know this comfy aesthetic masks a deep lore with terrifying things to unearth - something many expect to see in Kirby and the Forgotten Land.
A majority of titles begin with the pink puffball pursuing some innocuous goal, like retrieving a stolen piece of strawberry shortcake in Squeak Squad. Yet by the end he's invariably facing an incomprehensible cosmic horror, such as Nightmare in Kirby's Adventure, Dark Matter in Kirby's Dream Land 2, Zero Two in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, or Void Termina in Kirby Star Allies. Some enemies are perceived allies who secretly use Kirby's kindhearted nature to further their means, which seems to be the expectation for Forgotten Land's Elfilin.
Kirby's History of Double-Crossing Allies
Kirby's threats are usually obvious. Sometimes he faces recurring antagonists like Meta Knight and King Dedede who become allies in the face of larger threats. Other times great evil is freed from imprisonment, such as Nightmare escaping the Fountain of Dreams after Kirby restores the Star Rod broken by Dedede, or Dark Nebula possessing Daroach after his gang steals a treasure chest from Meta Knight. Kirby's Planet Popstar is also frequently invaded by malicious beings in titles like The Amazing Mirror, Triple Deluxe, Planet Robobot, and Star Allies.
Some of the most memorable villains in the Kirby franchise are those who present themselves as allies. Marx from Kirby: Super Star is the poster child for this, despite appearing in just one of its six main adventures. In "Milky Way Wishes," the ball-riding jester suggests Kirby obtain a wish from the comet Nova to stop the Sun and Moon from fighting. It's later revealed Marx tricked the celestial beings so that Kirby could summon Nova, and the jester steals his wish to become a nightmarish god-like being.
Marx's popularity is evident by him becoming a main boss in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's World of Light. Magolor from Kirby's Return to Dreamland is another token example of the turncoat ally trope. He asks Kirby and friends to help rebuild his ship, the Lor Starcutter, and then tricks them into fighting the planet Halcandra's guardian Landia. This is all a ploy for Magolor to steal Landia's Master Crown, which again lets him transform into an all-powerful demonic form. That crown later returns as an element utilized by Void Termina, the so-called Destroyer of Worlds.
Why Kirby and the Forgotten Land's Elfilin May Fit This Pattern
Though not all of Kirby's allies have gone rogue; including the animal buddies in Dream Land 2, Ribbon in Kirby 64, and Prince Fluff in Kirby's Epic Yarn; the ones who become villains make a powerful statement. Elfilin is a flying teal critter introduced in Kirby and the Forgotten Land's release date trailer on January 12, and a tweet by Nintendo of America says he is Kirby's "newest friend" who will "tag along for your adventures." Not much is said in the trailer itself, where Elfilin is seen following Kirby around the hub area and celebrating the rescue of Waddle Dees.
The chip in Elfilin's ear and a scene in which one boss holds an effigy captive suggests he has previously fallen victim to the Beast Pack that captures Waddle Dees. He doesn't appear to fight directly alongside Kirby similar to his co-op partner Bandana Waddle Dee, so Elfilin could just be a helpful friend looking to restore the Forgotten Land akin to partners like Ribbon or Kirby and the Rainbow Curse's Elline.
However, fans have been trained to expect the worst. It's unlikely the Beast Pack will be Forgotten Land's true threat given the Kirby series' flair for bombastic final bosses, and both Marx and Magolor set a precedent for characters who seek godly strength from a power vacuum they let Kirby create. Yet there is also been precedent for characters born of evil forces remaining good, like Dark Matter-spawn Gooey. Until Forgotten Land proves Elfilin's innocence, fans will undoubtedly continue to raise suspicions.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land launches March 25, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
