"Timeblockers" is the second episode of Kirby: The Series. Kirby’s innocent attempt at spring cleaning accidentally activates a forbidden time machine, sending him and Bandana Dee tumbling into the 8‑bit world of Kirby’s Adventure (1993). As the timeline destabilizes, Meta Knight and King Dedede mount a rescue — only to land in the DS-era Kirby Super Star Ultra, where a villainous version of Meta Knight rules the Halberd. The episode mixes retro game aesthetics with heartfelt father‑son stakes and the continuing slow‑burn romance between Dedede and Bandana Dee.
📼 Complete episode transcript available
Every scene, splash of apple juice, and 8‑bit battle cry from the final shooting script.
Read Full Transcript →Retro rescues,
pixelated panics & a family reunion
COLD OPEN: Meta Knight’s bedroom — pristine, military order, swords on the walls. Kirby (5, wearing a “SPRING CLEANING CHAMPION” apron) tackles the forbidden closet. He stumbles over old photo albums, a cursed sword, and a glowing time machine. With a few innocent button presses, he and Bandana Dee are shot through a pixel void and land in Green Greens — fully 8‑bit. Their voices become tinny, their bodies blocky, and a looping Waddle Dee passes by like an NPS nightmare. Kirby realizes they’re trapped inside Kirby’s Adventure (1993).
ACT ONE: Meta Knight and Dedede discover the empty bedroom and the still‑humming device. Dedede panics over Bandee; Meta Knight deduces the timeline. They jump into the unstable portal — but the machine drops them into Kirby Super Star Ultra (2008 DS), aboard the battleship Halberd. Evil Meta Knight rules here. After fighting through corridors, they reach the bridge, where Game Meta Knight challenges our Meta Knight to a duel for access to the timeline gate.
ACT TWO (NES WHISPY WOODS): Kirby and Bandee, still 8‑bit, fight Whispy Woods by throwing apples. They win, but the timeline starts glitching. The game’s own Kirby appears, warning that their presence is corrupting the code — the world could crash. Meanwhile, in the Halberd, Meta Knight defeats his evil counterpart, who yields and opens the timeline gate.
ACT THREE & RESOLUTION: Meta Knight and Dedede land in NES Green Greens as pixels. They find Kirby and Bandee just as the game collapses. The recall beacon activates, pulling the four back to reality. Back in the bedroom, the group shares a relieved hug. Dedede admits he was terrified for Bandee, and the two share a quiet, tender moment. Meta Knight seals the time machine in a vault. They end the day with pizza, meta‑humor, and the promise that next time, Kirby leaves cursed technology alone.
8‑bit scares,
16‑bit feels.
The episode saw a +5% week‑over‑week increase in the 18‑34 demo. “Timeblockers” trended on Tumblr for three days, with fans obsessing over the pixelated Whispy Woods fight and the Dedede/Bandee emotional breakthrough.
“A love letter to classic Kirby games wrapped in an unexpectedly moving story about found family. The duel between Meta Knight and Game Meta Knight is instant classic material.”
— IGN
“The episode balances high‑concept nostalgia with queer tenderness. Dedede watching Bandana Dee hold the puppy is rewarded here with raw vulnerability.”
— The A.V. Club (A‑)
“Eric Stuart’s ‘evil Meta Knight’ voice is a chilling trip. The 8‑bit sound design is genuinely inventive.”
— Animation Magazine