| “ | Long ago, the soulless battle robot Metal General would be dispatched by its master to visit other planets and exterminate their foes. Now it serves as security, guarding this spot for eternity. | „ |
| ~ Metal General's battle description. |
| “ | Forced to work security long after its master's death, this robot uses AI to maintain itself and control the machines of Egg Engines. It has a wide variety of advanced features...but still no heart. | „ |
| ~ Metal General EX's battle description. |
Metal General is a minor antagonist in Kirby's Return to Dream Land. It is a soulless security robot originally created to travel and attack multiple civilizations across multiple planets before it ends up becoming security for Egg Engines on Halcandra.
Physical Appearance[]
Metal General is a short, robotic entity with a dark and light blue paint job all over its body. It has a shoulder pad over its small left arm with multiple joints, and has boot-like legs similar to Kirby. Its right arm is also a multi-purpose weapon launcher used for a laser sword. It has yellow eyes and has multiple thrusters on its back. This makes Metal General somewhat resemble a shark.
As Metal General EX, it remains the exact same, but it instead has a red, pink and black color scheme.
Personality[]
Its pause description in Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe calls it a soulless battle robot whose sole purpose is to guard what remains of Egg Engines after it was heavily destroyed long ago. It is also suggested to be very obedient, obeying its deceased master’s orders to travel to other planets and attack those on them. Its EX description says that in spite of all of the advanced features it has from presumably rebuilding itself using Egg Engines’ technology, he still lacks a soul.
It is also implied to be quite hostile and dangerous when provoked, as Metal General EX immediately flies away to summon HR-D3 in Extra Mode instead of exploding like in the main game.
Biography[]
Past[]
According to its pause description in Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, it was created a long time ago by its master and was programmed to travel to multiple planets across the galaxy to exterminate the enemies that stand in their way. During this time, it found its way to Halcandra and long after the death of its master, it now dedicates the rest of its life to guarding Egg Engines, using the technology there to rebuild itself and control all the machines there.
Kirby's Return to Dream Land/Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe[]
The Metal General appears as the boss of Egg Engines and is the first Halcandra boss fight. When Kirby and friends first approach it, it appears deactivated and stationary. It then sparks with electricity and its eyes turn on, commencing the fight to begin.
Metal General's main forms of attacking involve attacking with a laser blade and slashing forwards with it multiple times, performing a Shuttle Loop-esque move where it surrounds itself in electricity and tries to ram into Kirby, launching missiles out of its right arm, and firing spark bolts that fly outward in zig-zag motions.
When it enters its second phase, it will begin sparking with electricity, likely as a sign that it is now starting to malfunction. It can now summon a giant rocket which it tries to ram into Kirby with before exploding, summon mines that litter the stage, and also deploy three tiny flying drones that follow Kirby. Once Metal General goes down, it explodes, clearing Egg Engines.
In Extra Mode, Kirby and his friends fight Metal General EX, who fights very similarly, but he attacks faster and slightly longer, as well as being able to summon multiple rockets that all try to ram into Kirby. Upon defeat, however, Metal General EX flies off-screen and pilots HR-D3, a giant King Dedede-based mech originally planned to appear in the cancelled Kirby 2005 GameCube game, in order to continue the battle.
Powers and Abilities (Metal General)[]
Metal General[]
Story Mode[]
- Beam Saber Slash: Metal General will take out its saber sword and attempt to slash Kirby multiple times.
- Electro Shock Needle: Metal General will hover in the air and create an energy shield around it and shoot electric needles, zigzagging in various directions.
- In the second phase, it will do it a third time doing at all angles.
- Beam Saber Rotation Attack: Metal General will take out its saber and spin it as a whirling blade and charge at Kirby.
- Rocket Launcher: Metal General will launch missiles from its hand cannon, which will wander about slowly while aiming for Kirby.
Second Phase Only[]
- Destruction Missile: Metal General will spawn a large missile, big enough for it to ride on. It then rides into the background and attempts to ram into Kirby's position three times. After this, it will slowly fall onto the ground and explode, leaving fire on the ground.
- Electro Shock Shuttle Loop: Metal General will activate its shield and dives toward Kirby's position.
- Metal Bit: Metal General will summon small drones to pursue Kirby.
- Search Bomb: Metal General will shoot three bombs and explode after waiting for a few seconds.
Extra Mode[]
- Beam Saber Rotation Attack: Metal General EX will take out its saber and spin it as a whirling blade and charge at Kirby.
- Metal General EX will do the attack again by turning around.
- Beam Saber Slash: Metal General EX will take out its saber sword and attempt to slash Kirby multiple times.
- Electro Shock Shuttle Loop: Metal General EX will activate its shield and dives toward Kirby's position.
- In the second phase, it will do it a third time doing at all angles.
- Search Bomb: Metal General EX will shoot three bombs and explode after waiting for a few seconds.
- Installation Type Lightning Strike Device: Occasionally, this attack will be used with lightning in it.
- Destruction Missile: Metal General EX will spawn a large missile, big enough for it to ride on. It then rides into the background and attempts to ram into Kirby's position once. After this, it will slowly fall onto the ground and explode, leaving fire on the ground.
- Rocket Launcher: Metal General EX will launch missiles from its hand cannon, which will wander about slowly while aiming for Kirby.
- Electro Shock Needle: Metal General EX will hover in the air and create an energy shield around it and shoot electric needles, zigzagging in various directions. In the second phase, it only does the all of the needles at once.
Second Phase Only[]
- Destruction Missile Triple: Metal General EX will spawn three large missiles. It then rides them into the background and attempts to ram into Kirby's position three times. After this, they will slowly fall onto the ground and explode, leaving fire on the ground.
- Metal Bit: Metal General will summon small drones to pursue Kirby.
HR-D3[]
Phase 1[]
- Destroyer Punch: HR-D3 will use its fist and drill in either order centered on Kirby's current position.
- Head Missile Rain: Metal General EX will use Rocket Launcher to fire from the cockpit.
- Heavy Robot Eye Beam: HR-D3 will shoot laser beams to sweep the ground.
- In the remaster, the attack leaves behind a conflagration.
- Heavy Lariat: HR-D3 will come closer to the foreground and swing its hands around to swat Kirby.
Phase 2[]
- Heavy Robot Dancing: HR-D3 will perform this attack while up in the air and bounce across the stage.
- HAL Ray: HR-D3 will shoot a giant ray and take up a majority of the stage. This can be dodged by either dodging or right up next to it.
- Heavy Lariat: While doing this attack, HR-D3 will spin across the stage while doing so.
- Destroyer Punch: HR-D3 will punch down onto the ground 1-3 times.
- Sometimes, the punches will be electric.
- Head Missile Rain: Metal General EX will use Rocket Launcher to fire from the cockpit.
- Heavy Robot Eye Beam: HR-D3 will shoot laser beams to sweep the ground.
Trivia[]
- Similar to Computer Virus, Metal General shows how much damage it took by green numbers flashing near it.
- In Kirby: Planet Robobot, a very similar, mass-produced entity known as Security Force appears as a recurring mid-boss, fighting using an abridged version of Metal General's moveset. According to Shinya Kumazaki in a Miiverse post, President Haltmann traveled to other planets and discovered their blueprints, which he used to create Security Force; it is heavily implied that one of these planets was Halcandra.
- In fact, Metal General's pause description in Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe says that it was also a security robot who still functions long after its master's passing.
- Security Force 2.0's color palette is similar to Metal General's color palette.
- Metal General EX's pause description heavily implies that all of the machinery attacking Kirby and his friends at Egg Engines could have been the cause of Metal General.
- Metal General can be seen as a stand-in for a Meta Knight battle in this game, given how he himself is playable.
- Most of Metal General's attacks could have served as inspiration for the new Mecha ability in Return to Dream Land Deluxe.
