Key Dee

Key Dee is a supposed variant of Waddle Dee that appears Kirby's Return to Dream Land and Kirby: Triple Deluxe. They nearly always hold keys when encountered.

Physical Appearance
Compared to Waddle Dees, Key Dees have distinctive red swirls on their cheeks and a stubby tail, both of which are unique only to Key Dees. They have black blotches for eyes too, rather than the big, round ones that Waddle Dees have.

Their color scheme is also unusual for Waddle Dees, as they have yellow bodies, pink faces, and their hands and feet are brown. All this makes them resemble a generic monkey more than Waddle Dees.

Behavior
Key Dees are usually a part of puzzles which Kirby has to solve in order to get the key to unlock a door to retrieve Energy Spheres, Sun Stones, or power-ups. Key Dees will run with the key when he appears, and the player must commonly reach the Key Dee first and take the key before it either KOs itself by running into an obstacle or wastes the key by using it to open a door containing Scarfys or other enemies.

Key Dee also appears in the Item Challenge of Kirby's Return to Dream Land.

In Kirby: Triple Deluxe, Key Dees are usually seen running in the background. Some Key Dees stand in the foreground but retreat to the background when Kirby approaches. They can also sometimes be seen riding skis. A white variant of Key Dee that runs especially quickly is only found in Dededetour.

Trivia

 * Key Dee's behavior mimics that of Gold Waddle Dee; both enemies flee from Kirby and carry useful or valuable items.