the fan kirby copy abilities tier list

[anas abou]

kirby's copy ability (his neutral b) is kirby's signature move although it's a very underused move due to having a long startup.

so i thought it'd be fun to put up a tier list for the most effective copy abilities in competitive play.

S-TIER .
A-TIER .
B-TIER .
C-TIER .
D-TIER .
E-TIER .
F-TIER .

VERY SITUATIONAL.
DO NOT COPY THESE .

what are your thoughts on this list ? post any changes you would've made to the list and the list will be changed respectively.

thanks to Phan7om (love your content))Harmonious Poupoko TimG5786 kirbyfan66 Wintermelon43 Rebel13 MrPereida Kumaru Reserved and Thirtyfour for the feedback.

 

[Underhill]

Rosalina copy is good for a combo out of d-air to netrual b which is luma, uncharge. Also for pressure and zoing so it would be F-Tier to me.

 

[cwjakesteel]

I understand not wanting to Copy DDD's inhale in 1v1, but in doubles DDD's inhale can be much better. If you are hit while you have an enemy inhaled inside you as DDD, the character that is inhaled takes all the damage while DDD can survive hits that would kill at 100% even while he's at 250%. If you inhale someone with DDD's inhale and get rested by a Jigglypuff at 200% you'll still survive.

Otherwise, Kirby's inhale is just faster. DDD can inhale energy projectiles unlike kirby though.

 

[Lord Viper]

I would change the list a nice amount, is the list about individual usefulness or Kirby vs Character? ★

 

[anas abou]

I would change the list a nice amount, is the list about individual usefulness or Kirby vs Character? ★

the list is about usefulness in kirby's matchup against the character he's about to inhale.

in doubles DDD's inhale can be much better. If you are hit while you have an enemy inhaled inside you as DDD, the character that is inhaled takes all the damage while DDD can survive hits that would kill at 100% even while he's at 250%. If you inhale someone with DDD's inhale and get rested by a Jigglypuff at 200% you'll still survive.
Otherwise, Kirby's inhale is just faster. DDD can inhale energy projectiles unlike kirby though.

i can imagine the it'll be useful. definitely should be considered.

 

[Phan7om]

These kids of lists really change with levels of play. Idk what level you are basing it off of but I can say that at the highest level the list is pretty different.

Peach's is underrated because you can counter her attempt to recover low and kill her at like 50% Still not THAT great probably d tier.

How is Bowser Jr.s that high up? Should be moved down af to f tier imo, unless im missing something unheard of. And I already know you can ledge cancel it for edgeguards and stuff.

Why are the Pit's so high, esp Dark Pit? Id move Pits to B and Dark Pits to C or D.

DHD is definitely not that high, prob c tier.

How is Ryu's so low?

How is DK's so low?

Diddys should move up a tier.

Why is it fine to copy Falcon Punch and Warlock Punch lol? (why isnt those in do not copy these). You can do things such as hard reads on get up attacks, but there is always a more optimal option.

TL and Luigi should be a tier higher

Marth's and Lucinas should be moved down af to like E tier. It might be good in like FG/people who have a bad shielding habit. The move screams do not shield. Our punish afterwards is gahlike I know, but you really have to condition people to get hit by this. If you have to work this hard it isnt that good imo.

Move Lucario up to A tier. The AS ticks are really good. At the ledge it can trap Lucario, combos into Bair, and kills him at like 70-80%. Condition them to think you'll always shoot them when they roll onto the stage so they can build their aura, read that and kill them.

Rosa's should probably be e tier strictly because its a weird but safe way to punish her landing. It could work as a zoner possibly. All that combo stuff is either wrong or sub optimal.

I would prob move Villager down a tier. I used to think it was good too but any competent villager will know its not okay to do anything but non projectile attacks and slow ass lloyd rockets once Kirby has it (which he can easily pocket back). Maybe its that good in doubles, but that tier list is way different. They shouldn't merge into one. And from what you said above, this is a singles tier list. Its still good because it makes villager have to play different, but its still overrated.

Mewtwo should probably move up a tier or two. I think people are too afraid to use that move because of his reflector, which you shouldn't be throwing fully charged Shadow Balls in neutral anyways since the startup is slow and reactable. Reflector can be baited and punished with an attack. It kills him at like 60 something %. Mini shadow balls control space. And you can do weird/cool momentum tricks which I have seen no Mewtwo do at least. It usually hits after dtilt trip not because it combos but because it frame traps, usually people atm either get up attack or roll away after dtilt trip which shooting will cover, and if they roll in its because they have a roll in habit which we can read. I have yet to face a player who will consistently neutral get up after the trip, which shooting might still also cover.

I would switch Mac and Falco

 

[anas abou]

These kids of lists really change with levels of play. Idk what level you are basing it off of but I can say that at the highest level the list is pretty different.

as you can see i've changed the list quite a bit. i'm not the best kirby but i play him quit a bit so this is greatly appreciated.
thanks for the feedback.

(i do have to admit i focused to much on keeping it as clean and comprehensive as possible).

 

[Aunt Jemima]

Why is ZSS' ability so good? The thing is completely useless because she can punish ours with grabs so easily.

 

[anas abou]

Why is ZSS' ability so good? The thing is completely useless because she can punish ours with grabs so easily.

kirby's approach's are not the best but he has a good combo game so a garanteed projectile combo starter is a godsent (and ZSS's laser have more range than her grab to my understanding).

 

[Aunt Jemima]

she can shield it and grab?

 

[Poupoko]

I thought it would be fun, so why not? I wrote in some general, very general trends. I don't do tiers, so feel free to make fun of me for anything ridiculous looking.

S-TIER
(Can completely change the MU.)
A-TIER
(Powers that gives a new, strong option without too much risk.)
B-TIER
(Good for controlling space, forcing shields, etc. Somewhat punishable.)
C-TIER
(Somewhat situational uses, but still useful given the chance.)
D-TIER
(Powers that are nice to have, but don't make a significant difference.)
E-TIER
(May or may not be marginally better than Inhale.)

THE REST:

 

[anas abou]

I thought it would be fun, so why not? I wrote in some general, very general trends. I don't do tiers, so feel free to make fun of me for anything ridiculous looking

not to be rude but

-why is metaknight so low ? his ability is a finisher (something that kirby needs more of) that's mutihit. does good damage. mobile. and kills of the top.
-why is pit down there with dark pit ?
-why is game and watch so high ?

she can shield it and grab?

mixups ? if she misses that grab you can charge a smash attack. i know it can be scary to get grabbed since she can kill us with one combo but as long as the lasers outrange the grab you should be okay. the ability seems bad since the matchup itself is bad but objectively it's useful. although i did noticeably lower ZSS due to your advice. thanks for the feedback.

 

[Fanttum]

Y'all know you can D-Air combo into Inhale.
It isn't always guaranteed, they must end in front of you, % and character based, etc, but I could make a video about this for those top tier copies.
Thoughts?

 

[Phan7om]

@ Fanttum Why is your name a homophone to mine? Kappa

Dair > Inhale seems cool in training mode and for glory, but I wouldnt go around spouting that as some new way to advance the Kirby meta

Utilt > Inhale &
Rev. Uair > Inhale

are both guaranteed and safer. Yes you may be able to connect it sometimes. But at high level sometimes isnt enough for something to be notable without some conditioning involved.

Might as well Dair > Utilt > Inhale

And then of course, the other half of the time you should inhale is after some hard movement, roll, or tech roll reads or shield mixups.

 

[Poupoko]

-why is metaknight so low ? his ability is a finisher (something that kirby needs more of) that's mutihit does good damage and kills of he top.
-why is pit down there with dark pit ?
-why is game and watch so high ?

Well actually, I think Mach Tornado is a great move. Just not so against MK, especially in Kirby's hands.

First, Kirby's Mach Tornado only does 13-ish% max compared to MK's 23%. So the damage aspect is so-so, leaving just recovery and KO potential. But Mach Tornado doesn't exactly KO early, maybe at around 160-ish (?). And if you fail, you're wide open considering you wanted to be near MK to get him and he's got great speed. Mach Tornado could be used to maneuver across the field and possibly recover too, but even that is risky.

I never found Pit's arrows to be that useful to be honest. The chip damage and small hitstun isn't enough to stop them from approaching and they can be dangerous at mid-range. Then the power isn't good enough to camp with either, Pit isn't awfully slow. I actually prefer having Dark Pit's arrows, but even his aren't that good (especially after 1.0.4...).

I think G&W's is really great. He literally has three options against it: dash attack, roll through (which has to be really well spaced) or use his double jump/Up-B to get over. But his options are generally pretty easy to read and react to. It doesn't make the MU cake, but it gives us a strong defense/approach.

Of course, this is all just my experience with copy abilities taking into account how well they influence the MU. If you have different experiences though, point them out!

 

[Phan7om]

I might post my tier list here eventually. But MK's, imo, from looking at the lists on this page is too high on one and too low on the other. Id say its about as good as Link's arrows in terms of tier placement. I cant think of a time where I'd be like yes tornado there. Even in recovery its like not that good. Dair and/or Nair is better by the ledge, it cant kill THAT well, and if you miss thats a free Dash Attack > Uair chain > Up-B kill from like 50%.

 

[Dessa]

Can't the donkey punch be used from certain combos? If so, it could be a kill-confirm for kirby, which is something he currently lacks. That's pretty signifigcant.

Well actually, I think Mach Tornado is a great move. Just not so against MK, especially in Kirby's hands.

First, Kirby's Mach Tornado only does 13-ish% max compared to MK's 23%. So the damage aspect is so-so, leaving just recovery and KO potential. But Mach Tornado doesn't exactly KO early, maybe at around 160-ish (?). And if you fail, you're wide open considering you wanted to be near MK to get him and he's got great speed. Mach Tornado could be used to maneuver across the field and possibly recover too, but even that is risky.

I never found Pit's arrows to be that useful to be honest. The chip damage and small hitstun isn't enough to stop them from approaching and they can be dangerous at mid-range. Then the power isn't good enough to camp with either, Pit isn't awfully slow. I actually prefer having Dark Pit's arrows, but even his aren't that good (especially after 1.0.4...).

I think G&W's is really great. He literally has three options against it: dash attack, roll through (which has to be really well spaced) or use his double jump/Up-B to get over. But his options are generally pretty easy to read and react to. It doesn't make the MU cake, but it gives us a strong defense/approach.

Of course, this is all just my experience with copy abilities taking into account how well they influence the MU. If you have different experiences though, point them out!

He can counterspam sausages (with a jump for more range if needed), too. How does bucket fare vs sausages?

 

[Kursed]

Why is inhaling lucario and inhaling Mewtwo in different tiers?

 

[|RK|]

There are few copy abilities I don't take, regardless of utility. That's just personal preference, though - it's a free 10%, and I never Kirbycide.

 

[Altair357]

Why is inhaling lucario and inhaling Mewtwo in different tiers?

Mewtwo has a reflector and Lucario doesn't. Same with Samus.

 

[Poupoko]

He can counterspam sausages (with a jump for more range if needed), too. How does bucket fare vs sausages?

Maybe, but that doesn't get him anywhere. If he's close enough to start using Chef, he might as well as dash attack (way better option). Jumping is probably not a good idea though, trying to deal with Chef from the air is not fun... Also the food isn't energy in this game, so he can't absorb it with bucket. (I wonder if we could eat them?)

 

[monzer]

Honestly I prefer inhale to most copy abilities, having an easy command grab and suicide option is just so useful.
I would rank them
S-tier:
(MU changing)
A-tier:
(Very useful)
B-tier:
(Around the same as inhale)
C-tier:
(Situational, but still good if you feel like you need it. Inhale will generally be more useful)
D-tier:
(Not useful, just stick with inhale)
F-tier:
(Useless, however I do inhale Captian Falcon and Ganondorf because it's so rewarding when you land it, especially on the character who the move belongs to.)

 

[Rebel13]

Donkey Kong's punch is really good because it combos off of forward throw, right?

Anyways just pointing out that if you know how to use it Zelda's ability really screws her over. It reflects phantom and can also mash out of some of her combo's, also covers a lot of Zelda's poor movement options better than Kirby's downsmash. As a Zelda main Kirby's copy ability is a big reason of why I hate the matchup. Definitely at least B-tier.

 

[monzer]

Donkey Kong's punch is really good because it combos off of forward throw, right?

Wait, really? This gives Kirby a much better matchup with DK.

I think this board should probably make an official copy ability tier list, that would be really interesting.

 

[Fanttum]

@ Phan7om cause great minds think alike?

Also doesn't up-tilt > inhale only work at the lower percents?
Haven't worked much with reverse Uair yet. Which percents does that work at?

Dair > inhale "works" at most percents, so you might have to balance between getting an early combo or getting the early copy with the "guaranteeds"
I agree that Dair > inhale has a bit more guess work ("conditioning") involved in it, but I would have to do some research into when it is best. In my experience you can buffer ("mash") while landing after Dair to get the inhale. Not sure which ways the opponent can get out of it yet, but it they DI'd behind you and you buffered the inhale, you get punished.

But still, so many ways to use kirby and that's why I love it.

 

[Grizzlpaw]

Why is in the do not copy list. Flamethrower is one of the best moves in the game for poking in the neutral. Unlike Bowser's Flame breath, it flinches at the tip. It can be useful for landing, stuffing approaches, and most importantly edgueguarding.

Charizard sure does struggle an awful at at recovering though his own move ~.~. Sticking flamethrower the ledge at a recovering charizard is bound to net you good bit of free %. You can force him not to sweetspot the ledge, which is a free smash attack.

The main thing you want to watch out for is getting Flare Blitz'd while attempting to spam FT, but this can be baited and punished hard.


Should at least be C-Tier with the edge guarding potential the move gives you.

 

[Phan7om]

Why is inhaling lucario and inhaling Mewtwo in different tiers?

Its not strictly "because he has a reflector" because that really doesnt do anything when you know what you're doing. Even if Mewtwo didnt have a reflector Lucarios would be better than Mewtwos because you can abuse the aura sphere ticks for combos and pressure.

 

[anas abou]

Well actually, I think Mach Tornado is a great move. Just not so against MK, especially in Kirby's hands.
First, Kirby's Mach Tornado only does 13-ish% max compared to MK's 23%. So the damage aspect is so-so, leaving just recovery and KO potential. But Mach Tornado doesn't exactly KO early, maybe at around 160-ish (?). And if you fail, you're wide open considering you wanted to be near MK to get him and he's got great speed. Mach Tornado could be used to maneuver across the field and possibly recover too, but even that is risky.
I never found Pit's arrows to be that useful to be honest. The chip damage and small hitstun isn't enough to stop them from approaching and they can be dangerous at mid-range. Then the power isn't good enough to camp with either, Pit isn't awfully slow. I actually prefer having Dark Pit's arrows, but even his aren't that good (especially after 1.0.4...).
I think G&W's is really great. He literally has three options against it: dash attack, roll through (which has to be really well spaced) or use his double jump/Up-B to get over. But his options are generally pretty easy to read and react to. It doesn't make the MU cake, but it gives us a strong defense/approach.

ok mach tornado is considered.
pit's arrows aren't exactly to stop approaching but rather to force it. this is great since kirby's approach options are mediocre.
while some of game n watch's options easy to read and punish you can't do that fast enough because of the high endlag on chef. also can't he wait it out out and punish you when you drop it or do the same.

Can't the donkey punch be used from certain combos? If so, it could be a kill-confirm for kirby, which is something he currently lacks. That's pretty significant.

considered.

Why is in the do not copy list. Flamethrower is one of the best moves in the game for poking in the neutral. Unlike Bowser's Flame breath, it flinches at the tip. It can be useful for landing, stuffing approaches, and most importantly edgueguarding.
Charizard sure does struggle an awful at at recovering though his own move ~.~. Sticking flamethrower the ledge at a recovering charizard is bound to net you good bit of free %. You can force him not to sweetspot the ledge, which is a free smash attack.
The main thing you want to watch out for is getting Flare Blitz'd while attempting to spam FT, but this can be baited and punished hard.
Should at least be C-Tier with the edge guarding potential the move gives you.

i thought the armor on the up-b protects you. considered.

Anyways just pointing out that if you know how to use it Zelda's ability really screws her over. It reflects phantom and can also mash out of some of her combo's, also covers a lot of Zelda's poor movement options better than Kirby's downsmash. As a Zelda main Kirby's copy ability is a big reason of why I hate the matchup. Definitely at least B-tier.

ok considered.

(also i just realized who Phan7om is. big fan of your video's)

 

[Thirtyfour]

Why is Ryu's copy ability so low?
How come Sheik and Robin's ability are below Samus?
Kirby against Charizard with Flamethrower though? Bruh..

 

[anas abou]

Why is Ryu's copy ability so low?
How come Sheik and Robin's ability are below Samus?
Kirby against Charizard with Flamethrower though? Bruh..

ryu does seem too low. considered
.
samus's charge shot is very useful https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXeVnt-0G34

is flamethrower truly that useful of an edgeguarding tool if so it'll be lifted up a notch

 

[Grizzlpaw]

i thought the armor on the up-b protects you. considered.

It does, but only during the first few frames. Flamethrower should flinch charizard out of his up B before he sweetspots the ledge if you space it correctly.

After that, charizard just sort of panic spams fly until he (hopefully) sweetspots the ledge, which is his only option really.

Worst case scenario if you space properly, char takes a few free %, but eventually grabs the ledge.

Moderate case scenario, he's forced to land onstage, which is super punishable

Best case scenario, char gets pushed too far back to sweetspot... and dies ~.~


Flamethrower edgeguards are 2 stronk

 

[Fanttum]

Can confirm flame throwing is a solid edge guarder, but will only get you a few extra %'s so technically it should be around middle tier. It's benefits only slightly out weigh the risks, if not about the same. Very much personal preference.

Keep in mind that for you also copy all the variants of his neutral B's. So better learn how to half circle for this to be useful. While the inputs might be "tricky" they open up a number of options, helps approach, and they stall you in the air which all should help Kirby.

 

[anas abou]

It does, but only during the first few frames. Flamethrower should flinch charizard out of his up B before he sweetspots the ledge if you space it correctly.
After that, charizard just sort of panic spams fly until he (hopefully) sweetspots the ledge, which is his only option really.
Worst case scenario if you space properly, char takes a few free %, but eventually grabs the ledge.
Moderate case scenario, he's forced to land onstage, which is super punishable
Best case scenario, char gets pushed too far back to sweetspot... and dies ~.~
Flamethrower edgeguards are 2 stronk

Can confirm flame throwing is a solid edge guarder, but will only get you a few extra %'s so technically it should be around middle tier. It's benefits only slightly out weigh the risks, if not about the same. Very much personal preference.
Keep in mind that for you also copy all the variants of his neutral B's. So better learn how to half circle for this to be useful. While the inputs might be "tricky" they open up a number of options, helps approach, and they stall you in the air which all should help Kirby.

all considered.

 

[Dessa]

You're underrating Shaq's monster jam. That shiz is top tier, yo.

 

[Fanttum]

You're underrating Shaq's monster jam. That shiz is top tier, yo.

Nobody can copy Shaq, not even Kirby.

 

[Finnhat]

Out of interest/experience I decided to make a slapshod list of abilities for doubles, consider things that the two characters would be able to together with the same neutral b plus most of these abilities will come in for free from the teammate:

S-Tier:

A-Tier:

B-Tier:

Most other abilities I don't often copy unless I'm trying to go for something gimmicky or situationally useful, perhaps on either side of a 2v1 situation

 

[NotAsian]

Wario bite is great to copy especially when they spam it alot other than that I pocketed a villager tree and ohkod him near the ledge haha obviously won't work on good people

 

[Xandercosm]

I feel like Falcon Punch can be applicable in some scenarios with Kirby. Maybe it should be in F-tier?

 

[TimG57867]

Honestly, I feel that neutral B should B tier at minimum. Pikachu's so fast and the T-Jolt can't be ducked so he can camp Kirby hard. Copying Pikachu's T-Jolt allows Kirby to camp right back and can be used even more effectively than Pikachu's thanks to the multiple jumps.

I also feel that should get bumped up to C tier. Kirby can drop fireballs at many more heights than Mario's and it can aid in edge guarding.

 

[Dee-SmashinBoss]

How is Bowser Jrs cannonball even higher then someone like Peach's Toad?
Peach's counter is decent and I think should be at least 1 or 2 tiers higher, in no way does it suck that much compared to the others. Maybe high E low D is fine, for sure better then Bowser Jrs cannon
Zelda's Nyrules Love should be slightly higher too, its not the best, but not all too bad, it has invincibility frames, can reflect projectiles and is a decent option for getting people off of you.
I think her lower D would be fine.

I'm curious, are you rating these on 1v1 matches against the same character you are copying? Or the copy moves in general.