Kirby Air Riders features a total of 21 playable characters, known as riders in the game. Each one of them brings distinct abilities and stats to the table, so no two riders feel the same. They also have special moves that can be activated upon filling up the Special Gauge.
So, here are all the riders, their taglines, and special moves you need to know about:
Riders (Playable Characters)
| Character | Tagline | Special Move |
| Kirby | A light and floaty friend to all! This well-balanced hero has no clear weaknesses. | Different for each color: Red & Purple: BurnYellow & Green: CrashPink: Ultra Sword |
| King Dedede | Heavyweight rider who rules the raceway! Hits hard with his powerful hammer. | Jet Hammer |
| Meta Knight | A shadowy defender who slashes rivals with his sword and slices through the air on dark wings. | Night Wing |
| Waddle Dee | A friendly lightweight with a tiny frame. Enjoys easy acceleration and smooth maneuvering. | Golden Waddle Dee |
| Bandana Waddle Dee | A sturdy rider who builds Boost Charge quickly. His trusty spear strings rivals like a hornet! | Spear Cyclone |
| Waddle Doo | Keeps an eye on nearby rivals, then hits ‘em with a peeper-powered arc of optic blasts! | Waddle Doo Barrage |
| Chef Kawasaki | A culinary genius who always has a ladle handy! Recovers an extra amount of food items. | Superspicy Cooking |
| Knuckle Joe | A fierce fighter who jabs at riders that come too close. Charge up fully for a flurry of punches | Knuckle Rush |
| Rick | A heavy hamster-y animal friend who handles corners nimbly and can sprint on foot like a pro | Rip-Roaring Rick |
| Cappy | The mushroom cap doubles as a protective cushion. Race ahead of rivals before it falls apart! | Booster Cap |
| Gooey | An odd creature of mysterious origin. Makes skillful use of his long, wiggly tongue. | Mock Dark Matter |
| Rocky | Small in size but super sturdy. This heavyweight won’t slip or shake easily. | Meteor Rocky |
| Starman | Excels at airborne maneuvers. Jump for a burst of speed and soar right over your rivals! | Super Starman |
| Scarfy | A perfectly polite rider… Up until it loses its cool. When it gets mad, it gets fast! | Scarfy’s Losin’ It |
| Lololo & Lalala | A duo of troublemakers riding together as one! Swap positions with a simple Quick Spin. | Emerald Framer |
| Daroach | A sneaky, squeaky thief. Scratch to snatch up rival Copy Abilities, then vanish in a flash. | Sneaky Dash |
| Marx | A friendly face hiding dark and twisted schemes. Has impressive stats but can’t take a hit. | True-Form Marx |
| Magalor | A sly spell caster who accelerates a lot after Star Slides. Attack rivals ahead of you with perfect landings! | Magalor Cannon |
| Taranza | A clever arachnid with tight controls. Web and sling around corners for extra bursts of speed! | Spider Shots |
| Susie | A smug, shiny entrepreneur. Deploys a propeller to take off and float gently through the air. | Roboboosters |
| Noir Dedede | Zorah’s granted wish finally set free. A lone warrior focused on a lonely mission. | Shadow Ride |
