| Kirby | |
|---|---|
 Kirby's 2D design from Kirby Super Star Ultra | |
| First appearance | Kirby's Dream Land |
| Gender | Male |
| Age | Unknown |
| Created by | Masahiro Sakurai |
| Designed by | Masahiro Sakurai |
| Voiced by (Japanese) | Mayumi Tanaka (1994)
Makiko Ohmoto (1999-present) |
Kirby (カービィ or Kābī) is a fictional character in the Kirby video game series by HAL Laboratory and Nintendo, created by Japanese video game designer Masahiro Sakurai. Serving as the eponymous protagonist of the series, Kirby has appeared in more than twenty games since his creation in 1992. Kirby, whose appearance is described as a small pink ball, is a citizen of Dream Land on the planet Pop Star, and possesses the ability to inhale objects and then expel them with great force.
Kirby can absorb the properties of swallowed objects to temporally gain new magical powers known as "copy abilities." In the Kirby series of video games, Kirby often battles antagonistic forces including Dark Matter and his nemesis King Dedede. Kirby has inspired an anime series, manga, and a line of licensed merchandise. Since 1999, he has been voiced by Makiko Ohmoto.