Bird

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Bird

Instrument Violin
Friends  • Madeline
 • Granny
 • Mr. Oshiro (possibly)

List of characters

The Bird is a character in Celeste. It is blue-feathered, having slightly paler wings, orange feet, and a yellow beak. It appears in multiple chapters, often around Granny. It also has meta-knowledge about the game itself, being able to inform Madeline about the game's controls and teaching her techniques including hyperdashes. Its most significant appearance is in Farewell, but it also shows up in Pr., 1A, 2B, 4A, 6A, 7B, Ep., 8A, and 8C.

The Celeste community also has a name for Celeste's bird: the birb.

Appearance in Farewell[edit | edit source]

In Farewell, the bird becomes an important character whom Madeline tries to get to. It later helps Madeline by flinging her to the right, refilling her dash, which functions like a horizontal version of the Badeline orb mechanic.

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After it is revealed that Granny has died, the bird lands on the gravestone, signaling its presence. It then starts flying away, and Madeline chases it via two Badeline orbs and three clouds.

The second Badeline orb launches Madeline into space. Badeline becomes confrontational during their ascent; Madeline explains that she's chasing the bird because she thinks it's a part of Granny. Badeline explains that Madeline is in denial and that it's just an ordinary bird.

At the main Power Source room, Madeline sees the bird that starts flying upwards, sealing five key blocks behind.

A while later, upon collecting the crystal heart, the music starts mildly glitching out, and the bird flies by, making it across the screen from left to right. Madeline then realizes that even though the "level" (per se) is over, she could still try going on to chase down the bird. As Madeline arrives at the Event Horizon checkpoint, she sees it nearby. However, as she continues to give chase, the level becomes increasingly glitchier, with "glitch tiles" (forest green, checkerboard-like tiles with a paler green outline) spawning and moon rock tiles falling off. After a slightly glitchy section with a presentation teaching Madeline about wavedashing, the Bird can be found again; reaching it requires a wavedash, exactly how the presentation foreshadowed it.

The Bird manages to force Madeline off itself and flies away, leaving Madeline alone on another platform. The mountain climber wonders whether her other part is right, but her determination ultimately soars through. Another strike of thunder turns the level's theme into the "glitch" theme permanently, complete with a black hole in the background.

A short section at the end of Event Horizon features Madeline in feather form chasing the bird, however, it escapes again. After finishing the next checkpoint, Determination, Madeline enters Stubbornness. At its beginning cutscene, Badeline tries to reason with Madeline and explain that it's all a dream, but Madeline turns against her and keeps chasing the bird.

“We're in space chasing a mysterious bird. None of this is real. You're dreaming.”

Madeline finally manages to trap and catch the Bird in the first room of Reconciliation. A tune, 09  •   Futility, plays as both Madeline and the Bird end up collapsing into a moon rock. Madeline then interrogates the bird to know where Granny is, but it ends up solely making a cry of pain. She freaks out, but the bird manages to get back up; Maddy apologizes, attempts to chase it again, and fails to do so. Her decisiveness leads even further, leading her to contemplate leaving the mortal plane to rejoin Granny.

“If you have to go, then... take me with you.”

~ Madeline, to the Bird

Badeline then reappears, telling her to stop. Maddy reiterates how much Granny means to her and starts wondering how her other self can cope with Granny passing away so easily. Badeline then states that it wasn't easy, but she wants to, alongside Maddy, survive this, and not be stuck in Farewell forever.

Madeline finally breaks down, acknowledging that she can't bring Granny back and that chasing the bird is futile at best. Badeline then tells her to "wake up" and face this, but Maddy can't, as the bird is still stuck inside a maze of obstacles because of her. She suggests setting things right first by setting it free. Badeline agrees but reiterates that she wishes to leave this place afterwards.

“This place is so weird...”

Madeline then starts venturing off to free the Bird. The Bird can now launch Madeline rightwards, helping her alongside Badeline. Several rooms with electrical boxes must be cleared of electricity for the Bird to proceed.

Upon completion of the final room of Farewell, Madeline and the Bird fly up together, leading to the end of the level.