#DarkMetaDad

[desultory-novice]

Dark Meta and Shadow Kirby

It must be the contrast, I think.

I am quite average on "Metadad" content but completely FERAL for DarkMetaDad. I think, with MetaDad, I feel like making Meta Knight Kirby's protector/caretaker sidelines the fact that Kirby has always been shown to be capable of taking care of themselves. MK gives them some mid-adventure training in a couple of circumstances (and stands in their way as a foe in others) but the support has never really been given in a way that gives me any kind of parental figure vibes.

Kirby, as we know him, doesn't need Meta Knight for anything.

However, Shadow Kirby is portrayed as being mentally/emotionally weaker than regular Kirby. They spend most of KatAM hiding. Dark Meta Knight, meanwhile, is Meta Knight with the edge and aggressiveness cranked up. The concept that this violent, brooding, avenging bat knight has made it his mission to secretly defend the hero that SHOULD be defending everyone else? All while playing the villain so that Shadow Kirby's own reputation isn't besmirched? The fact that even Shadow Kirby can't say for sure but has seen just enough to still believe in Dark Meta Knight even after all this...

I love it. I love that Shadow Kirby comes out to confront you one last time, right before you face off with Dark Meta Knight in Radish Ruins. (Almost as if to say "...Wait! It's not him! He's not the one responsible!" threatening to undo DMK's clever sabotage(*) against Mind. But it's too late. There's no stopping what was set in motion.)

And after Dark Meta Knight is defeated a second time and shattered? It is only then, after losing his guardian, that Shadow Kirby is forced to grow up and assist you in fighting Dark Mind.

...By handing you, of all things, a sword.

Dark Meta Knight returns, of course (somehow) and it is after that that Shadow Kirby begins to take up the habit of going aggressive on regular Kirby, interrupting his fights and challenging him to duels. Gee, I wonder who he learned that behavior from? XD

[Last Minute DMK Sympathy Additions!!] Because I spent last night talking about this with Thecrashman

While we were discussing DMK and the mirror world being a bit of a hellhole under Dark Mind's rule, the concept of What happened to the Meta Knights came up. Did DMK just not recruit them or did something happen to them? I assumed the latter, given how... beat up Dark Meta looked. Guy's cleared been in some brutal battles.

We discovered that DMK's mirror abilities (and only he has such abilities. Neither Shadow Dedede (being entirely consumed by Dark Matter) nor Shadow Kirby are able to use these "mirrors") allow him to summon exactly six mirrors to reflect himself in...

...Plus Sailor Dee makes six.

Were they shattered by Dark Mind? Was DMK able to put them "back together" but not able to restore them on his own? Unable to look at the still broken/empty reflections of those once under his command, he used his powers to reflect himself in their mirrors.

The image of a scarred, heartless man. A failure time six.

No wonder he tries to be hands off with Shadow Kirby. He already has evidence he can't cut it as a protector.