The Original Name Was "Popopo"... Who Is Star Fairy Kirby? [Japan Inside]

Developed by HAL Laboratory: The Original Was "Twinkle★Popopo"
Gaining Attention with a Pink Design Familiar to Children

"A glutton who sucks in anything." This is the description of "Star Fairy Kirby," which is evident just by looking at Kirby's plump pink body. This week in Japan, Nintendo announced that it will release a new Star Fairy Kirby game in November, drawing much attention. This is because Kirby is a character that has received nationwide love, along with the "Super Mario" series. Did you know that Kirby was almost named "Popopo" instead? This week, we bring you the story of Star Fairy Kirby.

Star Fairy Kirby is a game developed by Japan's HAL Laboratory. HAL Laboratory was founded in 1980 by young people passionate about computers, aiming to develop games and hardware. Although the company was once thriving, the emergence of home consoles like the Game Boy and the release of various game software in 1991 led HAL Laboratory into bankruptcy proceedings. During this period of worsening business conditions, HAL Laboratory was preparing to release a game called "Twinkle★Popopo" as a last-ditch effort.

Image of Kirby: Star Guardian Discovery. Nintendo.

"Popopo" was a pink, easily drawable, round character with the unique ability to suck in and spit out enemies. It was very similar to today's Kirby, except for slightly different, more swollen-looking eyes. Masahiro Sakurai, the development director who designed Kirby, explained that Kirby's body shape was intended to make the character familiar and approachable to children.

HAL Laboratory then showed the soon-to-be-released Popopo to Nintendo game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Miyamoto, now a Senior Executive Officer at Nintendo, is regarded as a legend in the gaming industry and is often called the father of Mario and Zelda.

Miyamoto advised, "The concept is interesting, but isn't it a bit of a waste? With a few tweaks, it could be a lot more fun." Taking this advice, HAL Laboratory canceled all scheduled release orders and went back to the drawing board. There weren't many major changes, but the name was changed. Popopo became the Kirby we know today, and the game title was changed to "Star Fairy Kirby." Nintendo, seeing the potential for a hit, decided to handle the release. With ample funding, they launched a massive advertising campaign. On April 27, 1992, "Star Fairy Kirby" was released. Upon release, more than 1.72 million cartridges were sold in Japan alone, and cumulative global sales reached 5 million units. It was a huge success.

Kirby sucking in. It is written in Japanese as "the glutton who sucks in anything." Nintendo.

There are many stories about how Popopo became Kirby. The most widely accepted theory is that the name was chosen to express gratitude to a lawyer. This theory even appeared in a Netflix documentary. Nintendo faced a legendary lawsuit related to its flagship game "Donkey Kong." In Donkey Kong, the giant gorilla Donkey Kong kidnaps Mario's girlfriend and throws barrels at Mario, who comes to rescue her. As Donkey Kong gained popularity both in Japan and abroad, Universal Studios, the copyright holder of "King Kong," took notice. Since the name ended with "Kong" and the character was also a gorilla, Universal Studios sued Nintendo, claiming that Donkey Kong was a copy of King Kong.

With concerns mounting over how Nintendo would fight and win against the global giant Universal Studios, lawyer John Kirby took on Nintendo's defense. John Kirby argued that "King Kong" had become synonymous with gorillas across many brands. He also pointed out that Universal Studios had previously won a lawsuit by claiming the original 1933 King Kong's copyright had expired. He argued that Nintendo's Donkey Kong was inspired not by Universal Studios' King Kong, but by the earlier original King Kong. To determine the origins of King Kong, one would have to go back to the debates of the 1930s and sort everything out. In the end, the court ruled in Nintendo's favor.

After this incident, when it came time to rename Popopo, "Kirby" was one of the candidates. It is said that Nintendo immediately thought of John Kirby, the lawyer who had led them to victory. That is how the name Kirby was chosen. Some say the character's smooth, pink, round appearance was inspired by the fact that the lawyer was bald, but in reality, Nintendo only associated the name Kirby with the lawyer, and the rest is not true.

Various Kirby merchandise. Nintendo.

And so, Star Fairy Kirby made its debut in the world. In the story, King Dedede invades the small star land "Pupupu Land" and steals its food and treasures. Just from this, you can guess why Kirby's original name was "Popopo." Upon hearing the news, "former Popopo, now Kirby" embarks on an adventure to reclaim them.

Having been around for over 30 years since its release, Kirby remains extremely popular in Japan. Kirby merchandise always sells out at fancy shops, and there is even a "Kirby Wiki" created by fans in Japan. When a new Kirby game is released, Nintendo interviews the developers, who have even said, "The developers love Kirby so much that no one wanted to make the game too difficult," and "We didn't want to see Kirby struggle."

In any case, Kirby has overcome many twists and turns to become a beloved name. Behind Kirby's exciting adventures, it seems that the hard work of many people was hidden.