Escargoon and Air Riders
- 15 November, 2025
- Kirby
- Anime
I've had Escargoon on my mind lately with the upcoming release of the Nintendo Switch 2 game, Kirby Air Riders. I'd really love for him to be included, though, I know it's unlikely...
For those unfamiliar, Escargoon is a character from the anime adaptation of the Kirby series produced at the same time as Kirby Air Ride for the Nintendo GameCube. Titled 星のカービィ, localized in English as Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, it ran from October 6, 2001 to September 27, 2003. It was produced by many notable figures involved with the Kirby series, such as Sōji Yoshikawa (who's most known for his work on Lupin the 3rd: The Mystery of Mamo), the late Satoru Iwata, and of course, the creator of Kirby himself: Masahiro Sakurai. A subsidiary of Nintendo and HAL Laboratory titled Warpstar Inc. was made just especially for the anime production. It was later renamed to just Nintendo Stars Inc. after HAL Laboratory sold its remaining share in April this year, with the company now handling any multimedia interpretations of Nintendo characters. The anime had a total of 100 episodes, with a bonus short being initially released in Japan on September 20, 2008. Many fans know this as "Kirby 3D" as localized in English upon release on the Nintendo 3DS in 2012.
I was one of the many fans who grew up with the anime. The Kirby series is a bit of a sleeper hyperfixation for me these days, only awakening every so often... I hold a fond nostalgia for the series. But, like many older fans who look back on the series, I find myself oddly critical. Most of this criticism lies within two points: Kirby and King Dedede's portrayals. It's not known how involved Sakurai was with the anime, outside of him laying ground rules for the portrayal of the series: no humans, and Kirby cannot speak full sentences. Apparently that last one is quite controvercial among a few Kirby fans, but... I personally think it feels wrong for Kirby to speak full sentences. However, I really cannot stand how Kirby's been dumbed down into an incompetent baby, literally. It ends up putting more spotlight on the secondary characters, Tiff and Tuff (or, if you go by the Japanese release, Fumu and Bun respectively). I used to LOVE Tiff, but, as I got older, I realized... man, she's kind of annoying. Granted, I mainly watched the dub, which did not do her service. I also really don't like how King Dedede is portrayed as a sadistic ruler... He's cunty and a jerk, but he doesn't take pride in people's misery, even before Dedede went through his character arc in the games. He's impulsive and selfish, but not in a way where he enjoys the suffering of others, you know!?
There is a LOT of differences between the dubbed and subbed version of the anime. Because 4Kids was the dub handler, it meant that any and most text depicted, including English text, was wiped. It also meant changing the script entirely, for god knows why. It often made things worse in terms of characters and story for me, so I often prefer watching the anime subbed. It doesn't help that the dub made some... interesting choices for the voices of the characters.
The most iconic voice people will point to is King Dedede's. He's given a deep southern accent, which isn't HORRIBLE, but it ends up playing into his more idiotic portrayal. I mean, hell, they literally make him illiterate in the anime. There's an episode focused on the fact that guy can't read. As much as I have a guilty pleasure for the voice, it isn't really Dedede to me. That goes to the game's deeper voice. I like that one a lot, especially when voiced by the Sakurai guy himself. Another voice people point to is Metaknight's. For some reason, the dub gives him this... Spanish accent??? Which is both hilarious and out of left field for me. Metaknight's voice in the games is a menacing, deep growl, which really serves his character well. This voice though just... makes him goofy. Though, considering the anime is more of a comedy, I guess that fits??
However, I'd like to take the focus and shift it to Escargoon. He's a character created specifically for the anime. This was before Bandana Waddle Dee (affectionately nicknamed Bandana Dee, or Bandee by some fans) became more prominent in the games. Here, much like Bandana Dee, Escargoon serves as Dedede's right-hand man with his title even being Lord. Unlike Bandana Dee, Escargoon is his own malicious mess. He's snobby, petty, and a bit of a jerk. However, when Dedede and Escargoon are on screen in the anime, both of them instantly become a highlight. Most folks describe their relationship like a divorced couple constantly bickering, and it's genuinely such a blast to witness. Dedede though tends to be a bit more violent, which is usually played for laughs and is passed as slapstick. However, when paired with Dedede's tendency to be written as a sadist, there are moments where it feels less funny and more messed up. People even go as far as to call it an abusive relationship, which... while I get, it feels so extreme to label it as genuine abuse when the violence is usually just goofy slapstick??? I think there's nuance to be had there, since sometimes the anime DOES play the fighting straight for an episode or two...
... So um, back to more lighthearted talk.
I think Escargoon is the highlight of the anime for me. Despite my issues with it, there's a lot of good things about it. The anime's soundtrack, for one, is fantastic! Even if you haven't heard it, if you've played Kirby Air Ride, you HAVE heard it. Because of both the anime and game being developed at the same time, the game just re-uses anime tracks!! Isn't that insane!? The tracks used for Kirby Melee is literally a remix of the first version of the anime intro! That's awesome!!! It's a shame that the dub removes all instances of the game music! Every single one! I'm still mad about that.
To elaborate on Escargoon being my favorite from the anime: I really like character interactions. I really, really like it. I love it when characters bicker with one another over stupid shit. It's a huge factor of why I like Peppino and The Noise as a duo. Their back and forths, their petty squabbles... A lot of that CAN be found with Escargoon and Dedede, when done well! I think my favorite portrayals in the anime, albeit a little rare, is when they do care for one another but hide it under just bullying each other. That's peak friendship to me. I'm not alone in the enjoyment of Escargoon either, as he tends to be the fan favorite! Rightfully so, in my humble opinion.
This has led to fans wanting him to appear in a game at some point. He does, as a cameo in Kirby: Mass Attack, but nothing else. It's not like HAL Laboratory HATES the anime either, as they occasionally reference it on their social media artwork! And considering Sakurai's involvement...
I think it would be really awesome if Escargoon appeared as a rider in Kirby Air Riders. Considering the deep connection between the anime and Kirby Air Ride, it would be a match made in heaven especially for me. Considering that various machines from Kirby Air Ride also showed up in the finale of the anime, it would just be so cool!! They're so inherently linked it's CRAZY to me. Also it would be really funny.
There's this video that was made as a presentation among friends someone made, and I think it brings up a lot of cool points. Granted, they know it's a shot in the dark, but like... come on!!! This would be so cool!!! Even if the anime and the games exist on a completely separate continuity, that doesn't have to be acknowledged! Or if you really want to make it work in game lore...
(I slide a stack of papers across the table)
I have ideas.
... I'll save that for a detailed write-up some other time. Check out the video! It's super cool and awesome! It was made before the second Riders Direct!!
