Kirby Air Riders' fan-favorite racer is a hilariously fast, oversized hamster named Rick who's been dominating beta lobbies: "Why is THIS the face of carnage and destruction?"

Kirby Air Riders' beta last weekend proved one major fact about the upcoming racer: Rick is eternal.

One of Mario Kart World's biggest impacts was the sheer amount of little Mario freaks included on the roster, with the likes of Para-Biddybud, Cataquack, and Sidestepper making up the ranks alongside the iconic Mario roster.

But for a game like Kirby, where the main cast is significantly smaller with the leads of Kirby, King Dedede, Meta Knight, and Bandana Waddle Dee, and some major supporting characters like Magolor, you reach the fun little guy matrix far quicker. Air Riders features some of the iconic supporting rosters of previous games with Marx, Susie, and Daroach, but more importantly there are regular enemies like Waddle Doo, Gooey, and a sentient Rock.

However, one supporting star has been taking the limelight, as Rick the giant hamster overtook the Kirby Air Riders beta last weekend. First debuting in Kirby's Dream Land 2, Rick has been hanging out for years, and Air Riders is simply another notch in his belt. He's quite literally a giant orange and white hamster, but in Kirby Air Riders he has one of the top speed stats in the game, and his Special, Rip-Roaring Rick, has him abandon his super-powered vehicle and simply haul ass, knocking out everyone in his way.

LOOK AT HIM GO

— @ultimashadow.bsky.social (@ultimashadow.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-11-11T17:36:39.104Z

This has led to Rick flooding the online servers, with Automaton pointing out that players are enamored with the big goofy hamster and his hilariously fast speed. One user shows a clip of Rick breaking the speed of sound and launching himself off the sky island City Trail takes place on. This has also led to fanart of Rick and his sheer power to appear online.

Others, however, fear the mighty Rick. One Twitter user posts a picture of him, saying: "Rick is a beast and it's lowkey frying me. Why is THIS the face of carnage and destruction?" Another asks, "kirby air riders is STUPID why can Rick do this," showing the king flying through portals at light speed.

Another user points out that outside of his fast speed and hilarious Special, Rick has some really fun details, noting that "every time Rick accelerates, he claps his little paws, and during captures, he gobbles up enemies with both hands. He’s got such short limbs that he ends up riding on his belly when on his scooter. His enormous hamster bum also always faces the screen. No matter what angle you take a photo from, he's just hopelessly adorable."

"The years of direct competition are done": Former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé says the console wars are over, but "there's always going to be a battle for attention."