Dark Meta Knight — known as "? ? ?" in-game — is the boss found in Radish Ruins. Due to the boss's high variance in RNG, DMK is usually fought early into the speedrun.
Sword
| Dark Meta Knight fight |
|---|
|
For most of the fight, you will want to use separated neutral swings, which are efficient since they are the fastest and most damaging attack available. You can also occasionally slide into the boss, which usually causes the boss to jump and thrust downwards. This is useful for preventing the boss from performing less favorable attack patterns. If you slide from a distance, and then perform a jumping spin attack instantly after hitting the boss, you can safely hit the boss during the down-thrust.
Some attack patterns, such as the down-thrust, will drop stars. Upon inhaling, they give you Sword in case you lose the ability during the fight. You can try to shoot the star if the boss has low health, however this can greatly backfire if the boss parries the star bullet.
If you're in a tight spot, then sliding away or performing a final sword with up-B is a good option.