Fun fact: if you buy the Kirby anime blu-ray, you will also receive a special booklet that tells you information about the anime showing summaries and concept art from each episode
If you want to check it out hereās the link:
https://archive.org/details/kirby-of-the-stars-anime-bluray-box-special-booklet/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater
As much as I love this booklet, I have one major issue with itā¦
Look at this image for a second and tell me if there is something wrong with it:
If you answered Knuckle Joe being in this category, then you are correct šš
I seriously love this book so much, but Knuckle Joe being in this category feels so wrong. I often wonder if the person who made this book watched ALL of the episodes he was featured in. In the episode āHere Comes The Sonā he wants to get revenge on the Star Warrior who is responsible for killing his dad. After hearing the truth, Joe doesnāt know how to react so he relies on anger as a way to respond to Meta Knightās story. Unfortunately Joe doesnāt know that his unhealthy coping mechanism would later turn him into a monster. Knuckle Joeās way of coping from the loss of his father a mix of anger, hatred, and vengeance and if not checked on, can lead him to lose control of himself. During the battle with Kirby, Joe is very focused on his anger that transforms him into a needle monster, scaring him for life. If Knuckle Joe only appeared in that episode, I can see him being in this category, but since he appears in multiple episodes where his character grows, it doesnāt feel necessary to add him here. After transforming back into his regular self, Joe would later reform and focus on justice rather than vengeance. As a way to redeem himself, he becomes a Monster Hunter in order to destroy as many monsters as possible, most notably Masher (also known as Masher 2.0 in a later episode). āMonster Managementā is an Episode that has SOME flaws, but itās also the episode that grows Knuckle Joe into a better person and willing to become a hero (if your curious about the flaws I pointed out about the episode, check out my 4KIDS rant I made a while back). Itās honestly impressive that a child/teen was able to think of all of these plans in order to outsmart an entire corporation. Even though his plan wasnāt really that well executed in the show (makes sense for his age), he succeeds his mission by manipulating the sales guy by sending one of the strongest monsters, just for Joe to later defeat the monster with the help from Kirby. Meta Knight notes how impressed he is to Joeās growth that he even says this to him:
(Episode: Monster Management (JAPANESE VER))
āHave you chosen the same path as your father, to defeat demon beasts?ā-Meta Knight
Also in the same scene, Knuckle Joe wants to help his friends in case they are in danger, so he tells Kirby, if thereās something bothering him, Joe is always eager to help:
(Episode: Monster Management (JAPANESE VER))
āYou can always call on me if anything happens. Iāll come as soon as I can.ā-Knuckle Joe
These lines also prove that Knuckle Joe isnāt hunting down these monsters for himself, but is actually hunting down monsters to save the people around him. You know another person who hunted down monsters for the sake of the universe? It was Knuckle Joeās Father, Jecra. He was literally a Star Warrior who risked his life in an attempt to stop the war eNeMeE made, even if it ended up with him getting kidnapped by a monster. Knuckle Joe is not a selfish brat, but is a heroic fighter who would be willing to follow his fatherās footsteps and become a better person.
Knuckle Joe is strong, smart and determined and would do anything to protect the people he loves. LITERALLY IN THE BEGINNING OF āMASHER 2.0ā YOU LITERALLY SEE HIM HUNTING DOWN MONSTERS DESPITE THE FACT THAT HE IS PUTTING HIS LIFE AT RISK TO PROTECT WHATEVER THAT BLOODY ORANGE PLANET IS (probably his planet filled with people that he is fond of (I also heavily checking out my lore dump about that scene))! WHAT IS EVEN THE POINT OF ADDING SOMEONE WHO IS LITERALLY HUNTING DOWN MONSTERS IN A MONSTER CATEGORY!?!?! IT LITERALLY MAKES NO SENSE!!!!! EVEN AFTER HE WAKES UP AND TELLS TIFF ABOUT MASHER, HE DOESNT CARE ABOUT HIS INJURIES AND WANTS TO DEFEAT MASHER SO HIS FRIENDS WOULDāNT BE IN DANGER!!!! NO MATTER IF MASHER WAS UPGRADED OR NOT, KNUCKLE JOE WANTED TO DESTROY THE MONSTER FOR GOOD INTENTIONS, NOT JUST FOR HIMSELF!!!!!
Also did the publisher forget that in the movie, Knuckle Joe is one of the three rouge destroya pilots? He literally became a pilot, so that he could help Kirby and his friends defeat eNeMeE (which Kirby SUCCEEDED). If Knuckle Joe didnāt reform himself, the war with the GSA members and the monsters wouldāve continued. THATS HOW IMPORTANT JOE, SIRICA, AND ARTHUR ARE!!!! If it wasnāt for them, the Halberd wouldāve never made it to eNeMeE territory. The pilots couldnāt destroy all of the bad Destroya ships, so Joe warns Meta Knight that three Destroya ships are after the Halberd and they should look out.
(Episode: Fright to the finish)
"I hate to tell ya this, Meta Knight, but I got some bad news for ya! Three Destroyas got through. They're headed your way!"- Knuckle Joe
Near the end of the same episode when Kirby and his friends escape from the fortress, Knuckle Joe is concerned for them and says this:
(Episode: Fright to the finish)
āI hope they all had time toā¦get away!ā-Knuckle Joe
If Knuckle Joe wasnāt a good guy, he wouldāve had no worry for Kirby and his friends to return. Not only should we celebrate Kirby, Tiff and the Halberd crew for stopping the war, but we should also appreciate each of the rouge destroya pilots for helping them enter the fortress.
Another thing I donāt get at all is that the description describes Joe as someone who is plotting to destroy the universe. HE LITERALLY DID THE OPPOSITE OF THAT BY SAVING THE UNIVERSE!!!! The only monstrous thing he has done is avenging his father, NOT PLOTTING TO CONTROL THE UNIVERSE!!!!
WAS IT THAT HARD TO PUT HIM IN THIS CATEGORY INSTEAD!?!
(IGNORE HOW MY TRANSLATOR MISTRANSLATED FUMU AND BUNāS NAMES)
Okay, he isnāt always with Kirby, but he is still a good friend to him. They shouldāve also made a side character category and he would be included alongside some guest stars. Or a Star Warrior category where not only the book gives us information about the Star Warriors themselves but also the people who are related to them.
Also another error that I noticed in this book is that they used his normal colors instead of his monstrous colors.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO LIST KNUCKLE JOE AS A MONSTER USE THESE RENDERS:
If you want to make an official source for your characters, you should fully understand them before you decide what category they belong to. Knuckle Joe did start as a vengeful person, but he ends up becoming a very important hero to not only Kirby and his friends, but also the universe. His character is clearly written to show how a person can change after a traumatic experience. Imagine how traumatizing it would be to transform into a needle monster, his transformation makes him realize he is doing something wrong and that he should change. Since he is a kid, he might not realize that doing some of these things are wrong, but still has the time to learn and improve himself. Nobody is perfect, people have flaws and itās best for them to learn from them. He has learned from his mistakes which ended up changing who he is for the better. Seeing the writers throw away his character development like that is just disgusting, especially since itās the main point of his character. If it wasnāt for Joe and the other rouge pilots, the Halberd wouldāve been destroyed and Kirby would never gain peace to the universe.
Basically my rant in a nutshell