To copy an enemy’s ability, use the method in the specific Kirby game; in Kirby Super Star, Kirby inhales and swallows an ability-bearing enemy. To evolve abilities, the documented system is specific to Kirby and the Forgotten Land: rescue Waddle Dees, find blueprints, and use Waddle Dee’s Weapons Shop. These are different mechanics, and the blueprint system should not be assumed to apply across the series.
How Kirby gets ordinary Copy Abilities
The exact rules depend on the game. In the Kirby Super Star manual, Kirby gains an ability by inhaling and swallowing an enemy that has one; the manual says enemies carrying abilities flash. That is a documented example, not a universal rule for every Kirby game. See the Nintendo manual.
If you need button-by-button instructions or want to know whether a particular enemy grants an ability, check the manual or in-game guidance for that specific title. Do not apply Forgotten Land’s blueprint process to another installment without confirmation.
How to evolve Copy Abilities in Kirby and the Forgotten Land
- Rescue Waddle Dees as you progress. Rescues help rebuild Waddle Dee Town and unlock features; Copy Ability evolution is one of them. The game’s official page explains the town and its Weapons Shop, while Nintendo Play’s tips identifies evolution as an unlockable feature.
- Find the blueprint for the ability you want. Blueprints are the items used to create evolved Copy Abilities. The official game page describes bringing them to the Weapons Shop.
- Visit Waddle Dee’s Weapons Shop in Waddle Dee Town. Use the shop to create the evolved version. A secondary guide from Nintendo Life describes coins and power gems as upgrade resources, but exact costs and blueprint routes should be checked against a guide for your game edition: Nintendo Life’s blueprint and evolution guide.
- Switch back if you prefer the original form. Nintendo Play says evolved abilities can be changed back to their normal forms.
Which abilities can evolve?
Nintendo’s US product page for the original Kirby and the Forgotten Land, released March 25, 2022, says all 12 Copy Abilities listed for that game can evolve. Its examples include these transformations:
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- Get a mouthful of real-world objects for powerful transformations
- Join up with a pointy partner, Bandana Waddle Dee, in co-op play
- Join Kirby in an upgraded 3D platforming adventure and uncover the mystery of the meteor—only on the Nintendo Switch 2 system!
| Base ability | Evolved ability |
|---|---|
| Ranger | Noble Ranger |
| Drill | Pencil Drill |
| Fire | Volcano Fire |
| Ice | Frosty Ice |
| Cutter | Chakram Cutter |
| Sword | Gigant Sword |
| Bomb | Chain Bomb |
The list and count refer to the original game’s product listing, not every Kirby title or every edition. Nintendo Life’s guide, updated August 28, 2025, says the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition with Star-Crossed World adds three more abilities. Treat that as edition-specific guide information rather than folding it into Nintendo’s original 12-ability count.
Blueprint routes can depend on progress and edition
Nintendo Life’s guide gives examples of blueprint sources in the original game: Noble Ranger is awarded for beating the World 2 boss; Toy Hammer is connected to watering flowers in World 3-1; and King Dedede gives Masked Hammer after the main campaign. Some routes therefore require reaching a particular stage or completing the story, rather than simply visiting the shop. Confirm the edition before following exact location instructions, especially if you are playing the Switch 2 Edition.
Copying versus evolving: what changes?
| Question | Ordinary Copy Ability | Forgotten Land evolution |
|---|---|---|
| How do you get it? | Use the method in that game. In Kirby Super Star, inhale and swallow an ability-bearing enemy. | Unlock the town feature, find the relevant blueprint, and use the Weapons Shop. |
| What unlocks it? | The ability-bearing enemy and that game’s rules. | Waddle Dee rescues unlock town features; a specific blueprint is needed for an evolution. |
| Can you reverse it? | Varies by game; the cited manual example does not establish a series-wide rule. | Yes. Nintendo Play says an evolved ability can be changed back to its normal form. |
Why the game title matters
“Copy ability” describes a familiar Kirby mechanic, but there is no single series-wide evolution walkthrough established here. The enemy-swallowing example comes from the Kirby Super Star manual; blueprints, Waddle Dee Town, and the Weapons Shop belong to Kirby and the Forgotten Land. For accurate instructions, identify the game and edition first, then follow its own manual or a route guide written for that version.
Quick Recap
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![Nintendo Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Standard - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51vErOn53iL._SL160_.jpg)
- Join Kirby in an unforgettable journey on a delightful 3D platforming adventure
- Explore a mysterious world with abandoned structures, remnants of a past civilization
- Copy enemies’ abilities like the new Drill and Ranger and use them to attack and explore. They can even be evolved to become stronger.
- Inhale real-world objects and transform using Mouthful Mode—swallowing a vending machine will allow you to shoot out cans
- Bring along a second player to control Bandana Waddle Dee and take on the forgotten world together
Rank #3
- Use friend hearts to charm enemies and they'll fight alongside you! drop-in/drop-out co-op: up to three other players can take control of Kirby's new friends
- Play through the entire game with up to four players or with CPU friends Kirby and his friends have fresh moves thanks to new and expanded Copy abilities
- Combine abilities with elements such as wind and water to create new friend abilities some bosses and enemies are weak to certain elemental attacks, so remember to Strategize
- Battery: no battery used;Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) Content Description: Cartoon violence
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