Nintendo has quietly confirmed what Kirby fans have been waiting for: the Chef Kawasaki and Hop Star amiibo is now up for pre-order, with a firm September 3, 2026 release date. The figure is listed at $44.99 on Amazon, making it one of the more affordable entries in the Kirby Air Riders amiibo lineup.
What the Chef Kawasaki amiibo actually does
Tapping the figure onto the right Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con lets you train Chef Kawasaki as an FP (Figure Player), consistent with how the rest of the Kirby Air Riders amiibo series works. Here's the thing: you can also seat Chef Kawasaki inside the Hop Star vehicle, or swap him into any other vehicle from the amiibo series if you want to mix things up. The cross-compatibility between figures and vehicles is a genuinely nice touch for collectors who are building out the full set.
The September 3 date was first confirmed on the official Nintendo Japan website, and the Amazon listing mirrors that date for the US market. No separate regional announcements have been made, but the simultaneous appearance of the listing suggests a global rollout is the plan.
Where the Chef fits in the growing amiibo roster
Chef Kawasaki joins a lineup that has been stacking up fast. Here's a quick look at what the Kirby Air Riders amiibo series currently looks like:
Pricing varies across the lineup, with King Dedede and Tank Star sitting at the top at $54.99 and Chef Kawasaki tying Meta Knight as the most accessible at $44.99. The vehicle-swapping mechanic means collectors who own multiple figures can mix and match, but getting the full roster is a serious investment.
How to use the amiibo once it arrives
For anyone picking up Chef Kawasaki on September 3 and jumping straight in, the process is straightforward:
- Load up Kirby Air Riders on Nintendo Switch 2
- Select Extras from the main menu
- Navigate to Amiibo and select it
- Tap the amiibo over the right Joy-Con stick when prompted
From there, your FP is ready to train. The key here is that the figure's data saves directly to the amiibo chip, so you can bring your trained Chef Kawasaki to a friend's setup without any extra steps.
A collector's series that keeps growing
What most players miss about the Kirby Air Riders amiibo wave is just how quickly Nintendo has been expanding it. The series launched alongside the game and has added figures at a steady pace, with Chef Kawasaki representing the latest addition to a set that already covers the game's most recognizable roster spots.
If you're new to Kirby Air Riders and want to get the most out of your amiibo collection, our beginner's tips and tricks guide is a solid starting point for understanding how FP training fits into the broader game. And if you're working on unlocking everything the game has to offer, the full Kirby Air Riders guides collection covers characters, machines, and more to keep you moving forward before and after September 3.
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