Magolor really is kind of interesting to think about ngl... When you stop and look at him overall, you realize that no matter what his core motivation is, everything about him is this unending Litany of "Like me. Like me. Like me. Like me."
Whether it's to manipulate the others, to apologize/make amends, to just stroke his ego by being "The Best Friend of Kirby's former foes"... He is constantly, constantly trying to go the extra mile. Building minigames and theme parks, running shops with very targeted merchandise, offering his assistance at every turn... Hell, even his hopes of ruling Popstar are laced with it. Everything he does is about trying to make people like him.
And you know he has to know about Kirby's other friends, too. Even beforehand, I'm sure he heard stories. He even knew of Kirby, never mind any stories he could've been told behind the scenes during RTDL - or even after, for that matter. He Knows you don't have to do a damn thing to earn Kirby's friendship, so long as you leave Popstar be.
Like, looking at the former boss lineup - Marx and Susie are STILL rogue elements in the right conditions and are still considered friends (Marx's friend status being further supported by presentation in the franchise). Daroach is arguably the toughest to outperform since he's one of the only others in the former boss lineup to have actually helped Kirby (see: all of Mass Attack) - and even then I don't think it's that tough of a performance to follow. He just offers advice while also running Kirby ragged for treasure.
And yet Magolor is constantly, constantly, trying. Constantly trying to one-up... the others? Himself? It's a fascinating consistency of his that leads to a lot of potential insight in his inner workings. No matter how you interpret it, Magolor seems to live a life that's constantly focused on trying to get ahead - or possibly, away. Away from what is where it gets interpretive. But in a world where no one has to do anything to be considered a friend of Kirby's, it's a very blatant behavior that hints at something deeper going on.
