Deltarune Chapter 5 brought some weird new Darkners, but Kawkaw might be the most bizarre yet. This literal ground bird acts like an overexcited puppy and can twist your normal battle strategies if you aren’t careful. But don’t worry. Here’s everything you need to know about the Deltarune Kawkaw.
What You’ll Read:
What is Kawkaw in Deltarune?
Kawkaw is the cutest Darkner enemy introduced in Chapter 5 of Deltarune. You first run into this creature right around Pink’s shop, and it shows up again later alongside the scarecrow-like enemy, Shi, over in the Flower Castle.
Despite being a bird, Kawkaw spends its time hanging out inside the dirt. They look like a lovely cross between a crow’s head and a pinecone with a massive, tube-like body buried in the ground and a long, anteater tongue. If you get into a fight where Shi is present, Shi will straight-up call it a “stupid dog”.
Kawkaw acts just like an overexcited puppy, too. It only speaks jibberish and makes bizarre noises like “Nyon!” or “Ueueleuleuleue”. For Kawkaw, battles are playtime, and he absolutely loves licking the party and pecking the ground for treats.
Fun Fact: “Caw caw” is just the literal sound (onomatopoeia) for a crow’s cry. But there’s a clever Japanese pun hidden here. Because Kawkaw is constantly paired up with the scarecrow enemy Shi, combining their names gives you Kakashi (かかし), which is the Japanese word for scarecrow.
How to Beat Kawkaw: Attacks & Strategy
Kawkaw has two main attacks. First, feathers drop from the top of the battle box. They drift back and forth horizontally as they fall to the bottom. Second, the creature spits star-shaped projectiles straight from its mouth.
You have a few ways to end this fight peacefully. The absolute fastest strategy relies on the ShooOrCall ACT. Just shoo him twice to reject the bird completely and make it flee the battle. (But how can you?!)
You can also choose to call it over. A successful call grants 100% mercy, but there is a huge downside. The creature comes over and covers your SOUL in sticky saliva. This slows your movement speed down for the next turn and makes dodging much harder. (And I think it’s worth it)
So what’s the safe solution? The Hoop ACT raises its mercy by a solid 60% without any speed penalties. You can also purposely mix up the Shoo and Call commands. This makes Kawkaw TIRED, letting Susie finish the encounter with Scythemare.
How to Recruit Kawkaw in Chapter 5
To actually recruit Kawkaw, you need exactly three peaceful spares. Never defeat Kawkaw or any enemy violently during standard gameplay. This makes them LOST and impossible to recruit on that save file, except for The Party Dojo. You can be aggressive with him.
Deltarune Kawkaw Stats
Need the raw numbers for this enemy? Here is the full breakdown of its battle stats and recruit data.
| Stat | Value |
| HP | 515 |
| Attack (AT) | 16 to 18.4 |
| Defense (DF) | 0 |
| Element | EARTH |
| D$ on Win | 270 |
| Available ACTs | Check, Hoop, ShooOrCall |
| Pronouns | it/its, he/him |
Once you successfully recruit this Darkner, it sits at Level 43. Its specific recruit profile lists 36 Attack and 38 Defense. It also really likes the phrase “Nyon!” but strongly dislikes “Nyon…”.
Speaking of cute, weird, and dark, I highly recommend checking out my Deltarune Onion article to read the darkest chapter 5 conspiracy theory fans have come up with.
That’s everything you need to know about the adorable Kawkaw in Deltarune chapter 5. Do you have any more questions? Write them in the comments and I’ll get back to you ASAP.
FAQ
Are Kawkaw and Shi related?
Combine their names, and you get “Kakashi”, which is the Japanese word for scarecrow. They are an iconic duo, but they are not family. Shi actually calls Kawkaw a “stupid dog” during fights.
What happens if you mix Shoo and Call?
The game gives you a prompt saying “Everyone got mixed messages!”. The enemies become TIRED instead of fleeing. You also gain partial mercy based on your total button presses. This creates a perfect setup for a quick Scythemare finish.
Can you get locked out of recruiting Kawkaw?
Yes. Defeat a Kawkaw violently anywhere outside the Party Dojo and the entire species gets the LOST status. You will permanently lose the ability to recruit them on that specific save file. Always stick to peaceful ACTs in the wild.
