Taranza

"Well, since you're here... I'll give you your precious hero back. But he may be a little more... hostile than you remember him!"

- Taranza Taranza is the former secondary antagonist of the 2014 3DS game Kirby: Triple Deluxe. He is a spider-like creature who kidnaps King Dedede, promoting Kirby to pursue after him.

It was first thought that Taranza was the main villain, but was later revealed to be a mere servant for the true main antagonist.

In Kirby: Triple Deluxe
Prior to the events of Kirby Triple Deluxe, Queen Sectonia was once a kind ruler, and Taranza and Queen Sectonia were originally good friends. One day, however, when she looked into an mysterious mirror, she became corrupted and obsessed with beauty. Changing her into a power-hungry tyrant. Taranza stayed loyal to her, hoping she would return to her normal self.

When the People of the Sky send the Dreamstalk to bring "the hero of the lower world" to save them, Sectonia had Taranza interfere with their plans by kidnapping the hero. The morning after the Dreamstalk grew, Taranza enters King Dedede's castle, with Kirby following. He easily defeats a group of Waddle Dees, and captures King Dedede, believing him to be the hero, and flees the castle into the higher of Floralia, promoting Kirby to chase after them.

As Kirby travels higher into the Dreamstalk, Taranza attempts to stop his progress by either creating or aggravating powerful monsters. Despite his attempts, Kirby defeats all the monsters thrown at him and presume his chase on Taranza.

Confrontation.
"To think you've made it this far. Aren't you a persistent little thing? But even you will kneel before us. I, Taranza, cannot allow you to interfere with Queen Sectonia's plans" When Kirby finally confronts Taranza, Taranza comments on his persistently, but declares that he can not have Kirby interfere with Queen Sectonia's plan. He explains how the People of the Sky used the Dreamstalk to bring the "hero of the lower world", but he saw right through their plans.

He guessed that Kirby came to rescue King Dedede, and which point he took control of King Dedede, turning him into Masked Dedede, and forces the king to fight Kirby. Taranza controls King Dedede with strings as if he was a puppet. King Dedede was eventually defeated, breaking his hammer and part of his mask.

Taranza, still not done, zaps King Dedede with his magic, causing the king to grab a huge axe and confront Kirby a second time. King Dedede proved to be a powerful threat with the axe, but was ultimately defeated a second time.

The Queen Appears
A disbelief Taranza approaches an unconscious King Dedede, asking how he could of lose as he supposedly did as his queen demands. Just then, he came into a slow realization that Kirby was the true hero.

Panicking, Taranza summons his queen, hoping she would protect him from Kirby. Upon being summoned, however, Queen Sectonia attacks Taranza, sending him flying out of the castle, criticizing his failure as well. Sectonia confronts Kirby herself, but was eventually defeated.

After her first defeat, she fuse herself with the Dreamstalk, proclaiming that all of Popstar will be under her command for eternity, and covers the place his vine. With a little help with King Dedede and the People of the Sky, Kirby causes the vine to retract, giving him enough time to confront the queen a second time.

When Sectonia was defeated a second time, she captured Kirby with her vines. Just when it all seems hopeless, Taranza suddenly reappears with King Dedede. Taranza throws King Dedede at Kirby to free him from the vines, Dedede then throws Kirby at Taranza, who then throws a Miracle Fruit at Kirby, turning him into Hypernova Kirby. Using the power of the Hypernova, Kirby defeats the queen seemingly for good.

Afterwards, the vines disintegrates, and Kirby & King Dedede were falling from the sky. Taranza catches King Dedede while the People of the Sky catches Kirby. They then admire a fully-bloomed Dreamstalk, serving as a new landmark in Dream Land

Trivia

 * Taranza's role is similar to Kamek. Both influence the bosses fought in the game and they themselves are not fought directly.
 * Interestingly, despite being a major antagonist, Taranza is never fought directly.