The True Arena

The True Arena
Title screen for The True Arena from Kirby Super Star Ultra.
Details
Type(s)	Boss Endurance
Levels	varies
Players	1 (sometimes more)
Appears in	Kirby Super Star Ultra Kirby's Return to Dream Land Kirby: Triple Deluxe Kirby: Planet Robobot Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe
Comparable to	The Arena, Helper to Hero, The Ultimate Choice (Soul Melter (EX)), Colosseum (The Ultimate Cup Z (EX))
Theme music
"True Arena Showdown" Clip of The True Arena's battle theme from Kirby Super Star Ultra

The True Arena is a Boss Endurance mode and a more challenging version of The Arena, featuring more and/or tougher bosses to be fought in sequence, usually from each game's other Extra Modes, and fewer recovery items and Copy Abilities available along the way. The True Arena is intended to serve as the final and toughest challenge in the games it appears in, and always features at least one boss that does not appear elsewhere in the game. It has appeared in all games featuring The Arena except for Kirby Super Star.

Completing The True Arena is a requirement for 100% completion of the games it appears in. It is hidden from the menu at first, typically requiring the clearing of several other game modes, including The Arena, for it to be unlocked.

Game appearances

Kirby Super Star Ultra

Hammer Kirby in the intro in Kirby Super Star Ultra.

The True Arena is the final game-mode in Kirby Super Star Ultra, unlocked after clearing every other mode in the game. It is given 7 stars in difficulty, the highest of any mode. It is similar to The Arena, requiring Kirby to defeat a total of ten bosses previously encountered in the game, specifically, all the bosses that did not appear in the original Kirby Super Star. However, he only receives five regular tomatoes and no Maxim Tomatoes. In addition, out of the two Copy Essences that can be chosen in the rest area, one is always Sleep, limiting Kirby's choice of new ability to what the other Essence offers. Finally, while the first six bosses are in a random order (like The Arena), the last four are fought in a set order (like Helper to Hero).

Kirby encounters the following bosses in The True Arena:

List of bosses in The True Arena in Kirby Super Star Ultra
Name	Image	HP	HP (2P)	Note
First six (random order)
True Mid-Boss All-Stars		720 (180+150+200+190)	720 (180+150+200+190)	Consists of Mr. Tick-Tock, Grand Wheelie, Phan Phan, and Fire Lion.
Whispy's Revenge		285	370
Lololo & Lalala's Revenge		300 (150+150)	390 (195+195)
Kracko Jr.'s Revenge		180	234
Kracko's Revenge		255	331
Kabula		3120	4056
Final four
Masked Dedede		440	572	Final boss of Revenge of the King.
Wham Bam Jewel		337	438	Final boss of Helper to Hero.
Galacta Knight		486	631	Final boss of Meta Knightmare Ultra.
Marx Soul		630	819	Final boss of the game; not encountered elsewhere.
Notes: The basic Star Bullet does 52 damage. HP (2P) is used if the boss health bar appears while Player 2 is present.

Notably, Kirby Super Star Ultra is the only game where The True Arena has fewer bosses than The Arena. The True Mid-Boss All Stars is the only fully unique encounter in the mode; the first six all originate from Revenge of the King (of which the majority are stronger forms of bosses from Spring Breeze), while the final four consist of stronger versions of previous final bosses (Masked Dedede is a stronger form of King Dedede, Wham Bam Jewel is a stronger form of Wham Bam Rock, Galacta Knight is a stronger counterpart to Meta Knight, and Marx Soul is a stronger version of Marx).

Kirby's Return to Dream Land

“The True Arena is now available! Can you become a true Kirby master?”

— Kirby's Return to Dream Land unlock quote

Screenshot of the mode's title screen from Kirby's Return to Dream Land.

The True Arena in Kirby's Return to Dream Land is unlocked after completion of Extra Mode. It is again similar to The Arena, requiring Kirby to defeat a total of fourteen bosses previously encountered in the Extra Mode of the game plus one exclusive boss. However, he receives only three Maxim Tomatoes (one of them being a Maxim Tomato box), being replaced with smaller tomatoes after use. While the first ten bosses are in a random order (like The Arena), the last five are fought in a set order. The Maxim Tomato box cannot be carried through the last five battles since the entrance to them forces all characters to drop their items even if multiplayer were to be used to circumvent the dimensional rift's altitude issue.

This True Arena also allows multiple players to join in the fight, and after completing it for the first time and then returning to the mode selection menu, player 1 can choose to play as King Dedede, Meta Knight or Bandana Waddle Dee in future playthroughs in addition to Kirby.

The following bosses are encountered in The True Arena in Kirby's Return to Dream Land:

List of bosses in The True Arena in Kirby's Return to Dream Land
Name	Image	HP	Note
First ten (random order)
True Mid-Boss All Stars 1: Gigant Edge EX King Doo EX & Bonkers EX		146 117 & 117
True Mid-Boss All Stars 2: Kibble Blade EX Moundo EX Water Galboros EX & Dubior EX		156 184 138 & 138
Sphere Doomers EX Spark Neutral & Fire Ice		157 101 & 112 165
Whispy Woods EX		360
Mr. Dooter EX		435
Fatty Puffer EX		525
Goriath EX		405
Grand Doomer EX		480	Skips the segment where the Ultra Sword is used.
Metal General EX		480
Landia EX		540
Final five
Lor EX & Magolor		510	Skips the preceding side-scroller stage and goes directly into the boss.
HR-D3		216 (1st) 324 (2nd)	Fought separately from Metal General EX, unlike in Extra Mode.
Galacta Knight		540	Not encountered elsewhere in the game.
Magolor EX		600	Skips the segment where the Super Abilities are used.
Magolor Soul		749	Final boss of the game.
Notes: The basic Star Bullet does 52 damage. Multiplayer damage multiplier: 0.8 for 2 players, 0.75 for 3 players, 0.7 for 4 players.

Kirby: Triple Deluxe

Title screen from Kirby: Triple Deluxe.

“You've unlocked the True Arena! Can you become a Kirby Master?”

— Kirby: Triple Deluxe unlock quote

The True Arena is unlocked after successfully completing The Arena and Dededetour. It functions much like it has in prior games, this time with additional treasure chests containing keychains appearing after certain battles (battles 2, 5, 7 and 8 offer one keychain, battle 9 offers two and battle 10 offers three) and a Maxim Tomato Assist Star that can be used mid-battle.

List of bosses in The True Arena in Kirby: Triple Deluxe
Name	Image	HP	Defense Modifier	Note
First seven (random order)
True Mid-Boss All Stars 1: Grand Wheelie DX Bonkers DX Hornhead DX		231 189 199	1
True Mid-Boss All Stars 2: Mr. Frosty DX Flame Galboros DX Gigant Edge DX Blocky DX		189 231 199 252	1
Flowery Woods DX		465	0.75
Paintra DX		480	0.75
Kracko DX		525	0.75 (body) 0.7 (2nd phase spikes)
Coily Rattler DX		510	0.75
Pyribbit DX		570	0.9
The "nightmare four"
Queen Sectonia DX		592	0.9
Shadow Dedede		600	0.75
Dark Meta Knight's Revenge		570	1	Final boss of Dededetour.
Soul of Sectonia		999 (1st) 450 (2nd)	0.9 (flowers), 1 (vines) 1	Final boss of the game; not encountered elsewhere.
Notes: The basic Star Bullet has 52 Base Power. Star Bullet's actual damage = Base Power × (0.5 + 0.5 × Boss Defense Modifier) Copy Ability's actual damage = Base Power × Boss Defense Modifier

Kirby: Planet Robobot

Title screen from Kirby: Planet Robobot

“Become the true master! The True Arena is now unlocked.”

— Kirby: Planet Robobot unlock quote

Like in previous installments, The True Arena is unlocked after successfully completing The Arena and Meta Knightmare Returns. Unlike in previous installments, all the bosses and mid-bosses are fought in a set order. Rather than having a limited amount of healing items, an Assist Star is given after all rounds except for rounds 3 and 6, with Stickers also provided after certain rounds (one sticker after rounds 3 and 6, two stickers after rounds 9 and 10, and three stickers after round 11). Unlike with The Arena, however, the Assist Star contents are only cherries, with the exception of the Assist Star after Galacta Knight Returns, which provides an Energy Drink.

The name of The True Arena's battle theme in Kirby: Planet Robobot — "Combat Evaluation Program" — possibly hints at the mode's purpose for this game. The Japanese and Korean descriptions of The True Arena explicitly refer to it as a program as well.

The following bosses are fought in The True Arena in this order:

List of bosses in The True Arena in Kirby: Planet Robobot
Order	Name	HP	Defense Modifier	Note
1	Clanky Woods 2.0	465	0.95
2	Holo Defense API 2.0: Holo-Kracko 2.0 Holo-Doomers 2.0 Holo-Ice Dragon 2.0 Holo-Coily Rattler 2.0 Core	157 210 (105×2) 180 180 1	0.95
3	Susie 2.0	480	0.95
4	Mid-Boss All Stars 1: Kibble Blade 2.0 Blocky 2.0 King Doo 2.0 Dubior 2.0	168 220 168 189	0.95	Plays "Interdimensional Traveler" from Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe.
5	Stock Mecha Knight	555	0.95
6	Dedede Clone 2.0 Dedede Clones & D3 2.0	975 (300→112×3→112×3→1×3) 510	1 0.95
7	C.O.G.S. Core Kabula	1408 (255+248+402+248+255) 1200	1 0.95	The C.O.G.S. battle is identical to the one in Gigabyte Grounds. Core Kabula has a different attack order in The True Arena compared to the one used in Story Mode.
8	Mid-Boss All Stars 2: Security Force 2.0 Miasmoros 2.0 Bonkers 2.0 Telepathos 2.0	210 199 189 189	0.95	Plays "Kirby Fighters Deluxe" from the game of the same name.
9	President Haltmann 2.0	570	0.95
10	Dark Matter Blade Sectonia Clone	585 540	0.95 0.9	Fought back-to-back, unlike in Meta Knightmare Returns.
11	Galacta Knight Returns	800	0.95	Final boss of Meta Knightmare Returns.
12	Star Dream Soul OS	2828 (1st: shooting) 2233 (2nd: shooting) 1201 (3rd: shooting) 550 (4th: cores in total) 481 (4th: heart)	1 1 1 1 0.95	Final boss of the game; not encountered elsewhere.
Notes: The basic Star Bullet has 52 Base Power. Star Bullet's actual damage = Base Power × (0.5 + 0.5 × Boss Defense Modifier) Copy Ability's actual damage = Base Power × Boss Defense Modifier

Like The Arena, this mode isn't actually called "The True Arena" in the Japanese and Korean versions of the game - instead, it is named 真しん かちぬきボスバトル (True Boss Battle Tournament) and 진 보스와 정면승부 (True Face-to-face Matchup with the Bosses), respectively. "Boss Battle Tournament" is the Japanese name for Boss Endurance in Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, and Kirby: Squeak Squad. "Face-to-face Matchup with the Bosses", likewise, is used to refer to Boss Endurance in the Korean version of Kirby: Squeak Squad.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe

“The True Arena is now available! Can you become a true Kirby master?”

— Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe unlock quote

Screenshot of the mode's title screen from Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe has a True Arena notably different from the original Kirby's Return to Dream Land, as it now includes the bosses from Magolor Epilogue: The Interdimensional Traveler mixed in with the bosses from the original True Arena. This brings up its total number of bosses from 15 up to 21, making it the longest boss endurance in the series in terms of the number of battles. Despite this, the amount of food items remains the same, consisting of 3 Maxim Tomatoes (one being a Maxim Tomato box, which cannot be carried through the last six battles), which are replaced by smaller tomatoes after use. The regular EX bosses from Extra Mode are fought in random order first (ending with Grand Doomer EX before Landia EX), followed by the Magolor Epilogue bosses (ending with Crowned Doomer), and then the final six. In addition, the fight with Magolor Soul differs drastically compared to both games' Extra Mode and the original Wii version's True Arena. This game's True Arena also necessitates the completion of the Magolor Epilogue to unlock, in addition to Extra Mode.

List of bosses in The True Arena in Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe
Name	Image	HP	Note
First ten (random order except for Grand Doomer EX and Landia EX)
True Mid-Boss All Stars 1: Gigant Edge EX King Doo EX & Bonkers EX		146 117 & 117
True Mid-Boss All Stars 2: Kibble Blade EX Moundo EX Water Galboros EX & Dubior EX		156 184 138 & 138
Sphere Doomers EX: Spark Neutral & Fire Ice		157 101 & 112 165
Whispy Woods EX		390
Mr. Dooter EX		465
Fatty Puffer EX		562
Goriath EX		435
Metal General EX		525
Grand Doomer EX		517	Skips the segment where the Ultra Sword is used. Always fought second-to-last of this group.
Landia EX		585	Always fought last of this group.
Penultimate five (random order except for Crowned Doomer)
Electricky Dooter		375
Fiery Puffer		375
Hydriath		435
Rampaging Doomers		562
Crowned Doomer		465	Always fought last of this group.
Final six
HR-D3		240 (1st) 360 (2nd)	Fought separately from Metal General EX, unlike in Extra Mode.
Lor EX & Magolor		547	Skips the preceding side-scroller stage and goes directly into the boss.
Magolor EX		645	Skips the segment where the Super Abilities are used.
Galacta Knight		600	Not encountered elsewhere in the game. Battle music changes if player 1 is King Dedede or Meta Knight.
Master Crown		487	Skips the segment where the Ultra Sword is used. Final boss of Magolor Epilogue: The Interdimensional Traveler.
Magolor Soul		600 (1st) 900 (2nd)	Final boss of the game; fights differently and has different battle music compared to Extra Mode.
Notes: The basic Star Bullet does 52 damage. Multiplayer damage multiplier: 0.8 for 2 players, 0.75 for 3 players, 0.7 for 4 players.

Flavor text

Image	Game	Flavor text
	Kirby Super Star Ultra	The last battle, without a doubt! Beat 10 tough foes, including the final four! All the new bosses are here! Beat 'em to be the true master!
	Kirby's Return to Dream Land	This is the ultimate test of skill! This is the gauntlet of courage! This is the final proving ground! Emerge victorious and you'll become...a Kirby Master!
	Kirby: Triple Deluxe	Deluxe bosses wait in the wings as the curtain rises on the final battle! It's a knock-down, drag-out fight all the way to the nightmare four. The True Arena awaits!
	Kirby: Planet Robobot	The most intense battle has begun. The clash of powers here is utterly immeasurable. This true final battle will decide the strongest fighter on this planet.
	Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe	Are you sure you want to step onto this battlefield? This is the final showdown! An awful, punishing, unrelenting battle! If your soul can somehow survive this deluxe duel, you're a true Kirby Master!

Trivia

• Nearly every True Arena has a Knight as the penultimate foe:
  • Galacta Knight in Kirby Super Star Ultra before Marx Soul.
  • Galacta Knight in Kirby's Return to Dream Land before Magolor EX and Magolor Soul (counting them as one character). Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe breaks this pattern: Galacta Knight is fought before the Master Crown and Magolor Soul.
  • Dark Meta Knight's Revenge in Kirby: Triple Deluxe before Soul of Sectonia.
  • Galacta Knight Returns in Kirby: Planet Robobot before Star Dream Soul OS.
  • The same applies to The Ultimate Choice (on the Infernal Crisis, Soul Melter, and Soul Melter EX difficulties) from Kirby Star Allies and The Ultimate Cup Z from Kirby and the Forgotten Land, where the penultimate foe is Morpho Knight (EX).
• The Japanese and Korean descriptions for The True Arena tend to include the phrase「ごく悪あく さい悪あく あくなきバトル！」/ 「극악이면서 최악인 출구 없는 배틀이!」 ("An awful, punishing, unrelenting battle!"), though this is translated differently in other languages. They also tend to include the phrase「真しんのカービィマスター」/ 「진정한 커비 마스터!」 ("True Kirby Master"), which is likewise not always included in the other foreign translations.
• Besides the previously mentioned phrases, the Japanese Special Page for The True Arena in Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe includes several references to other Japanese Kirby material:
  • "Are you sure you want to step onto this battlefield?" is written as「決けぅして こうかいしませんね？」("You're ABSOLUTELY sure you won't regret this?"), which references the recurring phrase that appears when attempting to delete a save file in many Kirby and Super Smash Bros. games,「こうかいしませんね？」("You're sure you won't regret this?", translated differently in most of its appearances).
  • "This is the final showdown!" is written as「ホントに ホントの 最さい・終しゅう・決けぅ・戦せん！」("The TRUE fi-nal-bat-tle, without a doubt!"). This references the corresponding lines in Kirby Super Star Ultra and the original Kirby's Return to Dream Land —「ほんとにほんとのさいしゅうけっせん」("The TRUE last battle, without a doubt!") and「これぞほんとにほんとのちょう・さいしゅうけっせんっ！」("This is the TRUE super-last battle, without a doubt!") respectively — as well as the description for Soul Melter EX in Kirby Star Allies,「ホントの超ちょう・最さい・終しゅう・決けぅ・戦せん！！」("The TRUE super-fi-nal-bat-tle!!").
  • "If your soul can somehow survive this deluxe duel..." is written as「魂たましいをかけた デラックスな 戦たたかいに 打うち勝かてば…」("If you can overcome this soul-gambling deluxe battle..."), which references the Japanese name for "The World to Win",「この星をかけた魂の戦い」(The Soulful Battle this Planet is Gambled Upon). In the original game's True Arena description, this was simply written as「このたたかいにうちかてば…」("If you can overcome this battle...").
• Starting in Kirby's Return to Dream Land, the timer disappears during the final boss fight in The True Arena. In the cases of Kirby: Triple Deluxe and Kirby: Planet Robobot, this only applies to the unique final phase of the fight.

Gallery

• 
  Failing The True Arena with 0 wins in Kirby Super Star Ultra
• 
  Clearing The True Arena in Kirby Super Star Ultra
• 
  1st place trophy from Kirby: Triple Deluxe
• 
  2nd place trophy from Kirby: Triple Deluxe
• 
  3rd place trophy from Kirby: Triple Deluxe
• 
  English logo from Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe
• 
  Japanese logo from Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe
• 
  French logo from Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe
• 
  German logo from Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe
• 
  Italian logo from Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe
• 
  Spanish logo from Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe
• 
  Dutch logo from Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe
• 
  Portuguese logo from Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe
• 
  Traditional Chinese logo from Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe
• 
  Simplified Chinese logo from Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe
• 
  Korean logo from Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	真しん 格闘かくとう王おうへの道みち shin kakutō-ō e no michi 真しん かちぬきボスバトル shin kachinuki bosu batoru	The True Road to Become a Fighting King True Boss Battle Tournament (Kirby: Planet Robobot)
English	The True Arena	-
Traditional Chinese	真 通往格鬥王的道路 zhēn tōng wǎng gé dòu wáng de dào lù	The True Road to Become a Fighting King
Simplified Chinese	真 通往格斗王的道路 zhēn tōng wǎng gé dòu wáng de dào lù
Dutch	De ware arena	The true arena
French	L'arène ultime	The ultimate arena
German	Die NEUE Arena	The NEW Arena
Italian	Arena finale	Final Arena
Korean	격투왕의 길 마스터 gyeogtuwang-ui gil maseuteo 진 보스와 정면승부 jin boseuwa jeongmyeonseungbu	The Road of the Fighting King Master True Face-to-face Matchup with the Bosses (Kirby: Planet Robobot)
Portuguese	A verdadeira arena	The true arena
Spanish	El verdadero coliseo	The true coliseum

References

Kirby Super Star Ultra Menu
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