Chibi Dedede

Chibi Dededes are special enemies in the game Kirby's Dream Course. Appearing as miniature clones of King Dedede, they are spawned continuously from the back of Robo Dedede, the game's final and only boss. It is not known if they are also mechanical creations like Robo Dedede, or if they are organic in nature.

Chibi Dededes charge forward in a straight line, until they touch the barrier behind Kirby, when they will slide over on their bellies to bump him. They move significantly faster than Robo Dedede, but will only deduct a single life from Kirby's stock if they can breach his defenses, instead of causing an instant Game Over. Furthermore, Chibi Dededes have just one hit point, and will be KOed by any contact with a moving Kirby. Though weak individually, they have strength in numbers and will not stop coming until Robo Dedede or Kirby is defeated.

Their primary purpose is to distract Kirby and force him to aim away from Robo Dedede periodically during the battle. However, they can be ignored if the player enters the fight with enough extra lives in stock and focuses on damaging Robo Dedede, since Kirby will immediately respawn after losing a life. Though this strategy is far more risky in the Extra Course rematch, where Robo Dedede has twice as many hit points.

Because Chibi Dededes only appear in the boss stage, they never need to be defeated for a hole to appear. They are also not present in the game's two-player mode.

Trivia

 * Similar miniature clones of King Dedede would later appear in Kirby Fighters Deluxe, known as Mini Dededes. There are also Combo Dededes that are nearly full size. They are both part of Team DDD in the game's final boss fight, mirroring the role of the Chibi Dededes.