King Dedede

"Ha! You're going to love this. I've got a DELICIOUS treat for you. A truly DELUXE delight. A triple helping of DANGER. Welcome to Dedede's Cake Royale!"

- King Dedede

King Dedede (written as King DeDeDe or King De De De in certain older games) is Kirby's arch-enemy and the main antagonist and/or anti-hero in Nintendo and HAL Laboratory's long-running Kirby video game series. He or his likeness has appeared in every game in the series except Kirby & The Amazing Mirror. As such, he is the most recurring major character of the series besides Kirby and Waddle Dee. Nintendo has described Dedede as Kirby's "arch frenemy," and as he has helped more than harmed him since Kirby's Return to Dream Land, it is debated whether or not Dedede is the main (or even an) antagonist any longer.

He is the greedy self-proclaimed king of Dream Land, which is located on the quaint Planet Popstar. Due to an ambiguous description of the geography of Planet Popstar, it is never made entirely clear how much of the planet King Dedede assumes leadership of, though he seems to have castles and fortresses all across the planet. Even so, he seems to perform no administrative functions, and for the most part, the planet seems to ignore any edicts that are issued by him.

Physical Appearance
King Dedede resembles a large penguin-like creature dressed in royal, red finery, with his personal emblem (either a picture of himself performing the peace sign, or, in the anime and later games, just the peace sign alone) embossed on the back of his robe, as well as most of the items or weaponry he owns and/or endorses. King Dedede himself is rather portly, is blue-skinned and has a yellow mouth (which has been depicted as more of a beak). He is consistently seen with his round red cap, which has a yellow or golden rim and a white ball at the top (a crown in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards and the anime pilot). He has blue flipper-like hands, though they are usually covered by a pair of yellow mittens. He has a tan piece of clothing, that is not shown in some games, revealing a blue belly. In addition, he has a red and yellow, zigzag-patterned, girdle-like band stretched across his waist - concept art has shown that it is separate from his tan one-piece garment, being stretched over it. His trademark weapon is a large star-studded hammer which he can swing around with the greatest of ease. He is able to inhale objects and spit them out in a manner similar to Kirby. According to Super Smash Bros. Melee, he apparently underwent a series of rigorous training programs to learn and master the use of inhaled air to fly like Kirby. This occurred after the events of Kirby's Dream Land.

Personality
Although Dedede is a primary antagonist, he is not necessarily evil. Several of his deeds are performed when under possession by some other entity — three times by Dark Matter, once by Yin-Yarn, once by Taranza, and once by a Jamba Heart piece that was accidentally dispersed by Hyness. Whenever he is the villain of his own volition in the games, it is usually due to selfish mischief, such as stealing food or trying to prove himself better than Kirby. Despite his greed and selfishness, he sometimes has pure intentions behind his actions. His role as the antagonist of Kirby's Adventure was ultimately to protect Dream Land from Nightmare by hiding the Star Rod. He has also willingly helped Kirby in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, Kirby's Return to Dream Land, and the Subspace Emissary story of Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Dedede is sometimes seen to be on friendly terms with Kirby, especially in the more recent games. He shows no apprehension towards helping Kirby in Kirby's Return to Dream Land and is visibly very happy to see him towards the end of the Subspace Emissary, even going as far as to run up to hug him. Despite this, he is still the main antagonist (or the tertiary but more active antagonist compared to N.M.E. Sales Guy and eNeMeE, who both prove to be a much bigger threat) in the anime, although it is revealed near the end that he enjoys their one-sided rivalry to an extent and that he does not actually wish for Kirby to die, which eliminates his role as a villain at the anime's conclusion.

Although King Dedede's authority and influence over Dream Land is seldom questioned in the games, events and descriptions in several spin-offs and references including Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, and Dedede's trophy description and a Codec conversation with Colonel Campbell in Super Smash Bros. Brawl suggests that it is highly subjective depending on context. King Dedede himself takes it for granted, and his army of Waddle Dees serve him and staff Castle Dedede. Meanwhile, other creatures happily go about their business with or without him. In Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, when his people choose to defy him whenever he oversteps his bounds, he has little to no enforcement of his authority to stop them, short of ordering monsters from Nightmare Enterprises and having it backfire on Escargoon and himself.

Kirby's Dream Land
King Dedede first appeared in Kirby's Dream Land as the main antagonist, where he and several thieves acting on his part steal all of the food in Dream Land and, in either an attempt to crush morale or simply to cause needless mischief, he steals the inhabitants' treasured Sparkling Stars and gives them to his underlings. Appearing as the final boss of the game, his actions are reversed by Kirby upon his defeat, with a finishing blow that sends him flying through the ceiling of his castle. What happens afterward depends on the mode the player is playing on. In the Normal Mode ending, he eventually lands, expresses shock, and then throws a fit regarding his loss before storming off. In the Hard Mode ending, he hits the Game Boy before tumbling down, before stumbling backwards due to being left unsteady from the loss. Kirby then walks over to him while King Dedede is crying and patting him on the back, eventually revealing his tear-filled face to Kirby who is taken aback by it, before sulking away with Kirby trying to catch up.

Dedede attacks in this game by trying to tackle Kirby, by walking up to him and swinging his hammer, and by jumping at him. He can also try to inhale Kirby; if this succeeds King Dedede will spit him out. Dedede is defeated after taking ten hits. He moves faster in Extra Mode.

Kirby's Adventure and Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land
In Kirby's Adventure and its remake, Dedede has broken up the fabled Star Rod and removed it from the Fountain of Dreams, giving him full control over the fountain. This leaves the people of Dream Land unable to dream, and Kirby is dispatched with the task of recovering all the pieces and punishing the king for his selfish actions. In a key plot revelation, defeating King Dedede makes it apparent that he was actually trying to protect Dream Land from the Nightmare that took residence in the fountain, and even goes so far as to spit out Kirby into outer space so Kirby can defeat them. This is one of the few instances where he is seen as helping Kirby as opposed to hindering him. Nonetheless, this started a popular trend in the series where King Dedede would serve as the apparent final boss, but collecting all the pieces of the game's key item would reveal the true instigator of Dream Land's problems.

Kirby's Dream Course
Although the plot of Kirby's Dream Course differs between the US and Japanese versions of the game, in both versions of the story, King Dedede has stolen the stars from Dream Land's night sky. The English manual goes into more detail about this event, describing how the inhabitants of Dream Land are saddened by the loss of the stars, and mentions that King Dedede stole them "to keep their beauty all to himself." However, the Japanese version has an exclusive in-game introductory cutscene where Kirby witnesses King Dedede stealing the last star in the sky through a telescope. King Dedede is startled by Kirby noticing him, and drops the star while running away, which Kirby uses like a Warp Star to reach the king's floating castle and reclaim the other stars.

When he was finally confronted in his floating castle by Kirby, King Dedede fought back with a large mechanical contraption known as Robo Dedede. As usual, he was defeated, and Kirby returned the stolen stars back into the night sky.

Kirby's Avalanche
In Kirby's Avalanche, Dedede makes an appearance twice: The first time is at the ending of Easy mode, where he announces the Dream Fountain cup of the Avalanche tournament. The second appearance is as the final boss, where he challenges his rival, Kirby, for the championship. His dialogue with Kirby is as follows:


 * King Dedede: "Kirby!! Your dream has carried you far but here it ends. The Dream Fountain Cup will be mine!"
 * Kirby: "Welcome King Dedede. And good luck to you too."

Kirby's Dream Land 2
Dark Matter takes control over King Dedede's body in Kirby's Dream Land 2, plotting to rule Dream Land after separating the Rainbow Islands by destroying the Rainbow Bridges. After battling Dedede's associates across the seven separated islands, Kirby made his way to King Dedede's chamber in Dark Castle's looming tower. Under Dark Matter's control, Dedede was trapped in an unnatural sleep throughout his confrontation with Kirby, but otherwise fought exactly as he did in Kirby's Dream Land. He could also power himself up in fits of rage, making his attacks more explosive and giving them wider range, even being able to toss his hammer at Kirby, which would explode on contact.

Although Kirby could face his rival at Dark Castle to his heart's content, only after collecting the seven Rainbow Drops could he truly save the day. After defeating Dedede with the seven drops in hand, Kirby was rewarded the Rainbow Sword as Dark Matter emerged from the king's limp body, and the two dueled high in space. As shown in the game's ending, Dedede finally awoke and recovered after the battle, and was even glad for Kirby when Dark Matter was expelled from the land.

Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra
In Spring Breeze, the first sub-game of Kirby Super Star, King Dedede plays the same role he did in Kirby's Dream Land. He is also fought in The Arena and can be raced in Gourmet Race, in which he challenges Kirby to eat more food than him while running a marathon against him. He is also in the sub-game Samurai Kirby where he is the penultimate enemy (the last being Meta Knight).

In Kirby Super Star Ultra, Dedede has all the same roles that he had in Kirby Super Star, but here his role was greatly expanded when he was given a new villain role in another sub-game, Revenge of the King. Here he plots Kirby's doom by once again stealing four of the Sparkling Stars to lure him into some old enemies that have gotten stronger.

After Kirby fights his way through to the end of Dedede's castle, Dedede offers Kirby a hammer for their final battle (though Kirby can opt not to use it by not picking it up and waiting). Dedede then reveals himself, wearing a mask and wielding a new, mechanized hammer, intending on settling the score with Kirby once and for all. The fight style here is similar to the Meta Knight battles where the similar weapon is offered, and their mask breaks after they are defeated. He does not offer the hammer in The True Arena. Under this guise, he goes by Masked Dedede.

Kirby's Dream Land 3
King Dedede fought Kirby again in Kirby's Dream Land 3, this time as the boss of Iceberg.

Soon after meeting up with Dedede at the top of his castle, it quickly became apparent that he was taken over by a Dark Matter-like force once more. When the puppet king confronted Kirby (and Gooey) this time, he displayed not only his typical fighting skills, but some new and disturbing ones as well. At first he used his normal abilities, but once the finishing blow was landed, he became surrounded by an eerie mass of dark energy and began floating in the air, gaining an entirely new health bar. In this form, what appears to be Dark Matter finally shows itself, peeking its eye out of Dedede's body to shoot blobs of dark energy that would home in on Kirby and attempt to ram into him. Perhaps the most disturbing attack was when the king's stomach would split open into a large snarling mouth filled with sharp teeth and then would promptly chase after the player.

Defeating King Dedede and getting all of Iceberg's Heart Stars expelled the fiendish entity from his body. Further collecting all thirty of them revealed the way to the Hyper Zone, the cloud which housing Dark Matter and Zero, the source of all the strange behavior. King Dedede, alongside Kirby's animal friends, will bear witness to Kirby taking off to fight and defeat Dark Matter once and for all.

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
In Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, King Dedede is fought very early on in the game and is possessed by one of the Dark Matter forces once again. King Dedede, while surveying his kingdom, discovers a Crystal Shard and attempts to inspect it. Kirby attempts to retrieve it for Ribbon, but King Dedede stubbornly refuses and continues to inspect it. However, both of them are knocked back by a Dark Matter orb. Dark Matter possesses King Dedede when the former discovers that he is holding the Crystal Shard. Although significantly weaker, his attacks are similar to the ones from the previous game; using his hammer and spitting out small Dark Matter-like blobs. After Dark Matter is driven out, he gives his Crystal Shard (albeit bitterly). While the gang is departing, Waddle Dee tries to convince him to come along with them, which he clearly detests in doing, though he grudgingly follows and joins their group.

In some levels where Kirby wouldn't normally do much and probably wouldn't travel far, King Dedede comes and offers Kirby a lift. When controlling Dedede, the player will find that he can't do multiple jumps, but he can swing a hammer, which can break objects that Kirby couldn't, such as large walls or boulders. He can also charge his hammer, but it won't do any extra damage.

If the player loses all six units of life while controlling King Dedede, he falls unconscious with Kirby unharmed—he tries to shake Dedede awake and pulls off the white crown on Dedede's cap in the process. Despite the fact that Kirby is unharmed, the player still loses a life and has to start the room over again. Upon the completion of a Dedede portion, Kirby will direct Dedede as to where to go, to which Dedede will then grab Kirby and hurl him to his destination, waving goodbye as he does so.

When infiltrating Ripple Star's castle, Dedede will arrive to clear away a roadblock caused by cave-in.

In the false ending, Dedede is seen crying when departing from Ripple Star. In the true ending, Dedede will accompany the party to Dark Star to destroy the Dark Matter threat once and for all. Dedede will then launch Kirby into the air by slamming a pedestal so he could fight the core of Dark Star, Zero2. Afterward, he along with the rest of the party are awarded medals made from the Crystal for their heroism by the Fairy Queen.

Dedede, along with the other three main characters, is playable in the sub-games.

On an additional note, this was King Dedede's last appearance without mittens on.

Kirby: Canvas Curse
In Kirby: Canvas Curse, a fake version of King Dedede appears in the game Cart Run as the opponent the player plays against. The king also appears as one of the drawings in Paint Panic.

Once the player defeats Drawcia using Waddle Dee, the player can unlock the real King Dedede in the Medal Swap section of the game. He is the biggest and heaviest unlockable character in the game. If the player taps him with the stylus, he will use his hammer, which is useful for breaking certain blocks, wooden pieces and taking down enemies. King Dedede has seven vitality points and costs 20 Medals to unlock.

Kirby: Squeak Squad
King Dedede makes a first in the Kirby series by standing as the first boss in Kirby: Squeak Squad. Kirby suspects that Dedede had stolen his afternoon snack and confronts him. Dedede's attacks are the same as in other games, but he gains a new one: Whenever he screeches, a Parasol Waddle Dee will float down from the top of the screen. After his defeat, the Squeaks (who were really behind the robbery) attack and take his Treasure Chest thinking it contains an ultimate power and begin to run off with it, but the furious King Dedede quickly grabs Kirby and tosses him at them, knocking all of them into a pit that led to a cavern in Nature Notch. King Dedede is never seen in the game again.

Kirby's Epic Yarn
King Dedede serves as the boss of Snow Land in Kirby's Epic Yarn. He also shares his name with the stage he appears in, which follows Frosty Wheel and preceeds Frigid Fjords. However, he first appears back in his castle in Dream Land, bossing his Waddle Dees around. Noticing that one of them looks strange, Dedede is attacked by Yin-Yarn and his impostor Waddle Dees. Yin-Yarn then sucks Dedede into his magical sock, which transports him to Patch Land.

When starting the fight against Dedede, he spots Kirby, but just before he can act, a strange puppeteer-device flies at him and connects him to four strings that control him from above. His attacks range from jumping up and then slamming into the ground with his hammer, jumping up and down making shock waves and Gordos appear, and belly sliding across the slick icy floor. After the four strings have been plucked, the puppeteer-device is destroyed and Dedede is freed from its control. Kirby and Prince Fluff then obtain the sixth strand piece of magic yarn.

King Dedede appears once more in the game, following Kirby, Prince Fluff and Meta Knight back home to the yarn version of Dream Land, where his castle has been converted into a floating stronghold. There are also some King Dedede collectibles to be found such as a mini version of Castle Dedede and one of his robes. A doll of him can be bought from Chaise Woole in Quilty Square.

In the Japanese version of his dialogue, he tends to end his sentences with "-zoi" like he does in the original version of the anime.

Kirby Mass Attack
Dedede is fought as the third boss in Kirby Mass Attack. He starts out in a hot air balloon (which resembles his head) and tosses time bombs onto the Kirbys. These bombs must be bounced back at Dedede, so that they explode in his face when the clock strikes "0". After several hits, Dedede falls to the ground, where the Kirbys must tackle him to perform damage. After a few times of this, the balloon will float away and Dedede will resort to using stomp and hammer attacks. At this point, the Kirbys' only chance to damage him is to get behind him when he uses his hammer attack and tackle him from behind. He is the only boss that can be accessed with only one Kirby (with the exception of the Boss Rush on Necro Nebula), and there is a checklist reward if the player can defeat him using only a single Kirby.

When defeated, a red flame is released from his body, implying that he may have once again been possessed, although it is never explained.

King Dedede also appears in the Kirby Brawlball sub-game, where he will send Kirby to one of the boss levels when Kirby goes into his mouth. He also appears three times in the Kirby Quest RPG sub-game; as the boss of the first chapter, driving HR-D3 as the boss of the second chapter, and as a regular enemy in the final chapter.

Unused sprites of King Dedede exist in the coding of the game. These sprites show him as a playable character in Strato Patrol EOS. Rather than spitting a constant stream of stars like Kirby, he would have thrown a constant stream of hammers.

In the credits, if Kirby keeps fishing, it is possible to fish out Dedede. However, he appears to be knocked out.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land
King Dedede is a playable character in Kirby's Return to Dream Land. Unlike in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, where he is reluctant about joining forces with Kirby, this time he eagerly and willingly does so from the start. Of the four playable characters, Dedede is treated as the group's comic relief.

One sunny day, King Dedede and his sidekick, Bandana Waddle Dee, are chasing Kirby (presumably for the Strawberry Shortcake he's holding). Soon after passing Meta Knight, the group notices a wormhole open in the sky. A ship called the Lor Starcutter emerges from it and breaks apart. Dedede and the other Dream Landers investigate it and meet Magolor inside. Dedede pitches in to help him repair the ship by scouring Popstar's five corners for Energy Spheres and the mandatory parts. After reassembling the Lor, a grateful Magolor takes the four to his home planet as a reward. There, they are ambushed by the ferocious Landia, so King Dedede and the others head out into the hostile environment to defeat the beast. After their victory, Magolor interrupts the celebration and reveals that he had deceived the quartet from their first meeting. He seizes the source of Landia's power and abandons them to start his plans for universal domination. The four then team up with Landia to make things right and head to Another Dimension. After clearing the realm's perils, and defeating the Lor, they attempt to take down Magolor. But he shoots them down and ambushes them after they've sorted themselves out. After two phases of the final battle, Magolor is vanquished. With Landia and the Lor's help, the Dream Landers escape the crumbling dimension back to Popstar, waking up in the fields. They then watch as Landia departs with the Lor.

Dedede has almost the same exact moveset as Hammer Kirby, but with three notable changes. The first and most notable change is that almost all of his attacks are weaker than Hammer Kirby's, most notably the Hammer Flip, which does not have a flame effect. The second change is that he is unable to perform the Giant Swing move (that is, Kirby's midair move in which he spins the hammer around his body); instead, Dedede just swings the hammer in front of him when in midair, not much differently than from his normal hammer attack. The last difference is that Dedede is able to perform the Hammer Throw attack as often as he wishes. Normally Kirby would sacrifice his ability when he uses this last-ditch attack, but Dedede does not, basically giving him infinite projectile attacks.

Another interesting detail is that since Dedede inflates himself to fly like Kirby does, he can also use the Air Gun as an attack.

Also notable is that the Hammer Twirl attack, a downward hammer spinning attack that both Hammer Kirby and Dedede can use, was originally introduced as one of Dedede's attacks in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition
Besides his roles in Kirby's Dream Land, Kirby's Adventure, Kirby's Dream Land 2, Kirby Super Star, Kirby's Dream Land 3, Kirby 64: The Crystal Stars and the three included episodes of the Kirby: Right Back at Ya! anime, Dedede makes an appearance in the game's opening.

In the game's opening, Dedede, Meta Knight, and Kirby, meet each other appearing as their Kirby's Adventure sprites. After Kirby sucks in a Warp Star that he discovers, the three transform into their 3D appearances. They all strike poses and Dedede's stomach jiggles, distracting the king and causing him to irritably poke at his own belly. Two Waddle Dees run past carrying golden Star Blocks, and the group notices that they're building a "20th" monument out of them. Kirby, despite Dedede's warnings, sucks in the blocks (as well as Bandana Waddle Dee) and spits out a circular coin (as well as Bandana Waddle Dee). Dedede then, at Kirby's beckoning, swats Kirby into the coin with his hammer, forming the logo.

Kirby: Triple Deluxe
Dedede's castle is lifted high above the ground into a kingdom known as Floralia one night by a beanstalk called the Dreamstalk. The next morning, a spider-like mage named Taranza enters his castle, overcomes the Waddle Dee guards (except one, who hides), and kidnaps him. Taranza ascends the Dreamstalk with Dedede in tow as Kirby, who watched the whole thing, gives chase to rescue Dedede. For the bulk of the game, King Dedede is semi-conscious while Taranza carries him through Floralia while pursued by a determined Kirby. After cornered, Taranza reveals he abducted the royal, believing he was the chosen by the Dreamstalk to save the kingdom. Dedede becomes the penultimate boss of Royal Road when Taranza takes possession of him by like a marionette and magically materializes a mask, forcing him to fight Kirby as Masked Dedede.

Taranza, realizing Kirby was the true hero, summons Queen Sectonia (who disposes of him). She then confronts Kirby. King Dedede is unconscious the whole fight (after the ruby platform is destroyed, Kirby's fall is cushioned by Dedede). He wakes up with his will returned after Kirby defeats Sectonia. However, the wicked royal recovers and as she monologues to Kirby and a terrified Dedede, she fuses with the Dreamstalk. The vines cover Planet Popstar as Dedede and Kirby panic. Several of the People of the Sky (which Kirby previously rescued) arrive with a cannon device. Dedede helps out firing Kirby into the Dreamstalk's overgrowth. Weakening it, Dedede fires Kirby through the opening and he confronts Sectonia for the second time. After defeating her, Kirby is grabbed by a vine, but Taranza and Dedede arrive to his cry for help. Dedede beckons his former kidnapper to throw him and smacks Kirby free with his hammer. He throws the KO'd Kirby towards Taranza, who tosses a Miracle Fruit to him, revitalizing the latter and transforming him into Hypernova. Kirby then defeats Sectonia for the final time, causing her vines to disintegrate as the king and pink puff fall from the sky. Taranza catches Dedede while the People of the Sky catch Kirby, and they all admire the bloomed flowers on the Dreamstalk as petals rain down.

One of the sub-games, Dedede's Drum Dash, allows the player to control Dedede as he bounces on drums while classic Kirby tunes play in the background. Collecting Musical Coins and hitting backbeats awards points.

Dededetour
The player can play as King Dedede in Kirby: Triple Deluxe’s Extra Mode, Dededetour. Dedede's moveset is similar to Kirby's Hammer ability and his moveset in Kirby's Return to Dream Land, though his neutral attack sends a shockwave along the ground at full health, and his charge attack fires a red beam. Dedede can still float and spit Air Bullets. When Dedede defeats Queen Sectonia DX, he must battle a dark version of himself named Shadow Dedede. After defeating Shadow Dedede and Dark Meta Knight's Revenge, the king smashes the Dimension Mirror, saving the kingdom.

Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe
Dedede's play control in Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe is identical to that of Dedede's Drum Dash. He can unlock his mask from Kirby Super Star Ultra (and Kirby: Triple Deluxe) and wear it during the game, along with masks of Kirby, Meta Knight, Waddle Dee, and Taranza.

Kirby Fighters Deluxe
Dedede appears as the final boss of Kirby Fighters Deluxe, alongside 23-63 miniature duplicates of himself (with the final two being orange and slightly larger), and wielding the Star Rod Hammer Dedede Custom. . The amount of duplicates depends on the difficulty and the number of attempts. After defeating all of his Mini Dededes, Dedede will grow large.

Kirby: Planet Robobot
King Dedede is first seen playing chess with one of his Waddle Dees, when he notices the Haltmann Works Company's Access Ark turning his kingdom into a twisted world of metal. The monarch tries to retaliate by his castle's Shotzos, but is hopelessly overpowered by their technologically superior artillery and ends up with his castle partially ravaged. Though Dedede does not appear again until the game's ending, it is revealed that the invaders had managed to collect some of his DNA and make deranged clones of him, which are promptly destroyed by Kirby. In the aforementioned ending, the King is shown to have survived the attack. After being trapped beneath the rubble of his castle for the entirety of the game, he finally emerges and realizes that Kirby had successfully de-mechanized his kingdom, rejoicing at this pleasant turn of events.

Dedede can be seen flying in the background of Level 1 of the Kirby 3D Rumble sub-game. This can only be found using the C-Stick on the New Nintendo 3DS.

Kirby's Blowout Blast
King Dedede reprises his role as the final boss of Kirby's Blowout Blast. Masked Dedede, as well as a brand new variation, King Dedede's Revenge, also appear in this game. All of his forms also have a new, giant form as well.

The first battle with King Dedede works much the same as usual, he attempts to hit Kirby with his mallet, body slam him, and land on him after leaping into the air. His landing attack creates shock waves. He also retains his usual attack in which he attempts to inhale Kirby. After seemingly defeating him, he uses the power of one of the Sparkling Stars to turn him into Giant Dedede. Giant King Dedede mainly attacks with his huge mallet; he guides it to follow Kirby before slamming it down, or he uses it to create massive shock waves. The boss also Inhales violently, and chews on Kirby if he catches him.

King Dedede's Revenge is much the same as King Dedede, aside from his purple color scheme (matching other Revenge bosses). He moves more quickly and attacks more aggressively, and instead of round shockwaves he sends out smaller waves that can home in on Kirby. When inhaling, he can spin around in a complete circle attempting to follow Kirby. Giant King Dedede's Revenge is slightly different as well. He tries to flatten Kirby several times in a row before switching techniques. Rather than creating huge shock waves, he can hit the ground to create bolts of electricity that follow Kirby along the ground.

Kirby Battle Royale
King Dedede is the main antagonist of the game's Story Mode. He builds a machine to create his own Kirbys and hosts a massive tournament, with the champion's prize being a giant cake. A Waddle Dee mentions that Dedede spent his entire fortune on this competition. The offer reaches Kirby and Bandana Waddle Dee. They eagerly join the Cake Royale not realizing that it is a trap--Dedede's plan was to overwhelm Kirby with equally-skilled counterparts, causing him to lose and be humiliated in front of all Dream Land.

The two heroes rise the ranks, making the pompous king grow more enraged with each victory. He eventually challenges them to a battle against himself. When he loses, he tells Kirby to follow him down an elevator into his stadium's basement. Kirby gives chase and is confronted by a colossal robot called Dededestroyer Z, piloted by Dedede. Kirby destroys it, causing the Kirby Printer to explode and Dedede to be launched into the distance. The ending card shows Dedede looking injured and disappointed as he watches Kirby eat the prize dessert, though he does not appear completely distraught, as Kirby gifted him the crown from the top of the cake.

King Dedede is a playable character unlocked after the completion of Story Mode. His moveset is largely the same as the Hammer ability's.

Kirby Star Allies
King Dedede returns as the second boss in Kirby Star Allies, and is fought in World of Peace - Dream Land in the stage Clash at Castle Dedede. Like the other bosses in Kirby Star Allies, he is corrupted by the Jamba Heart. In the first half of the battle, he is fought like normal. In the latter half of the battle, he obtains a muscular body that tears his robes to shreds when transforming. This muscled form also gives him more abilities; it allows King Dedede to be more agile, as he can use his arms to swing around the pillars in the area. He can pummel the ground using his fists with enough force to get his arms stuck, and when he does so, it brings up part of the ground, and when inhaled, gives the Stone Ability. He can throw down rotten food from a pile in the background, which can be turned into food capable of healing if cleansed with Water or weapons imbued with Splash. When defeated, he can be turned into a Dream Friend by throwing a Friend Heart at him; he retains a moveset similar to what he had in Kirby's Return to Dream Land, however, he now can trip, similar to one of his attacks as a boss.

His Kirby's Adventure design appears as one of the attacks of the Artist ability.

King Dedede appears in the game's boss rush mode, The Ultimate Choice, in all levels of difficulty.

Masked Dedede
Masked Dedede is King Dedede's alter ego. He made his first appearance as the final boss of Revenge of the King in Kirby Super Star Ultra and has reappeared as a boss in Kirby: Triple Deluxe and Kirby's Blowout Blast, and as King Dedede's Final Smash in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Masked Dedede also has his own unique theme, which is based on King Dedede's theme in Kirby's Super Star Stacker.

Physical Appearance
Masked Dedede appears identical to King Dedede except he wears a black metal mask with three golden horns and two smaller gray horns, along with a bottom piece that covers his chin, separated from the other part of the mask by a jagged line. He also wields a different hammer than before, dubbed the "brand-new Dedede Hammer." Instead of wielding a wooden mallet, he wields a mechanical hammer. The hammer is mostly blue in color, but features alternating red and yellow triangles near the head, which is silver and feature's King Dedede's icon on it. The handle appears longer and features a spike on the bottom of it along with one of the top of the hammer. On the back of the hammer is a jet.

Kirby Super Star Ultra
Masked Dedede only appears at the end of Revenge of the King, serving as its final boss. He fights similarly to his normal form, but his attacks are more powerful. One notable change is that he doesn't flinch during some of his attacks, such as the Head Slide. His hammer causes Kirby to become electrified if hit, and if he jumps before swinging his hammer, it'll unleash a shockwave that travels across the ground. He performs his Super Dedede Jump three times in a row in quick succession, similarly to how he does in Kirby's Dream Land’s Extra Mode. Masked Dedede can also float or inhale and spit Kirby out, but these are unchanged from King Dedede's; when he does his inhale, however, his mask is lifted off his face. In addition to performing more powerful versions of his older attacks, he also has brand new ones. He can set his hammer down, with its spike in the ground like a stake, and open up its head like a hatch, and either shoot three missiles or spew out flames. He can also perform the Giant Dedede Swing, his equivalent to Kirby's Hammer Swing. Masked Dedede starts spinning his hammer and rushing forward before spinning very quickly and homing in on Kirby; he is invincible when performing this attack. After spinning for a while, Masked Dedede will become dazed for a brief period of time, with his mask hanging to the side of his face.

To make the battle tougher, the Dedede Arena is now in a caged boxing ring, with the cage being electrified. This makes flying to avoid his attacks more risky, and can also cause Kirby to lose his ability star if he drops it.

Upon defeat, Masked Dedede's mask shatters in a similar manner to Meta Knight near the end of Revenge of Meta Knight. King Dedede is sent flying in an identical fashion to when he lost in Spring Breeze. He is seen in the ending credits dejectedly walking through a desert under a setting sun, in the company of his Waddle Dees. This scene also parallels the ending of Revenge of Meta Knight when Kirby and Wheelie rode through the desert under the setting sun.

Kirby: Triple Deluxe
As Kirby confronts Taranza at Royal Road, Taranza uses mind control on King Dedede, during which the mask flies onto King Dedede's face. The battle then starts with Masked Dedede swinging his hammer twice before slamming it into the ground. Masked Dedede has the same set of moves as he did in Kirby Super Star Ultra except for the Giant Dedede Swing. Masked Dedede will no longer flinch from being attacked, and upon inhaling Kirby, will spit him at the screen and cause him to drop his ability; Masked Dedede's inhale is also more powerful than before, reaching across the arena, but Kirby will only be in danger if he gets too close. After being defeated, his hammer explodes and part of his mask has been destroyed. Taranza appears briefly shocked, but then uses his magic again to further strengthen Masked Dedede, changing his red colors to purple. Masked Dedede, now under the name Masked Dedede's Revenge, grabs one of the decorative axes and destroys the remaining ones using a magical attack. Masked Dedede's Revenge uses the same attacks as Masked Dedede except for the missiles and flamethrower, as he no longer has his mechanical hammer. However, he also has new powerful moves. Masked Dedede's Revenge can now perform the Giant Dedede Swing, which speeds up faster than its previous version; like before, he becomes dazed after finishing this move, leaving him vulnerable. He can go to the side of the arena and shoot two magical projectiles, with the first arcing upward and the second traveling straight. He can still perform his head slide, although he sometimes performs it twice consecutively (turning around after the first if needed). He can use his axe like a helicopter and try to ram Kirby from the background and foreground before landing; this attack also leaves him dizzy. His Super Dedede Jump now causes shockwaves on both sides of him. He can imbue his axe with fire, leap upwards, and slam it into the ground from the background, causing an explosion. He can jump and hover in one of the corners of the arena before shooting nine magical projectiles across the ground. He can also swing his axe like he did his hammer before; the grounded and aerial versions both produce a shockwave.

After reaching half health, Masked Dedede's Revenge will start rapidly swinging his axe in Kirby's direction, performing a spin halfway through the move and his first opportunity to turn around if Kirby gets behind him. After this, he trusts his axe forward across the arena; he can turn around beforehand if needed. Taranza can assist Masked Dedede's Revenge from the background by tossing him dark balls of energy that he can deflect to hit Kirby. Taranza can also produce a giant dark energy ball that, upon being hit by Masked Dedede's Revenge, bounces on the floor and ceiling of the arena before being hit again and exploding upon impact. After this, he will start reusing moves from his first phase.

Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe
The Masked Dedede Mask appears as an unlockable Mask in Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe. It is unlocked after beating every normal level.

Kirby's Blowout Blast
Giant Masked Dedede is the final boss of Kirby's Blowout Blast, appearing at the end of the Secret Path. He does not appear during the first phase against King Dedede's Revenge, instead appearing once King Dedede's Revenge is revived by a Sparkling Star. Like Masked Dedede in Kirby Super Star Ultra, he uses powered-up attacks from Giant King Dedede/Giant King Dedede's Revenge, in additionn to some new moves. He can use his hammer to create a giant heat laser that he shoots from above, or he can shoot a bunch of missiles; unlike before, his hammer opens up by having the head split in half instead of opening like a hatch. When inhaling, his mask opens up instead of being lifted above his head; while inhaling, he also inhales many Gordos that Kirby has to jump over. In addition to these new attacks, Giant Masked Dedede's mask protects him from Kirby's Star Spit, forcing him to use Blaster Bullets in order to damage him.

Kirby Battle Royale
The Masked Dedede Mask appears as an unlockable Headgear for King Dedede. It is unlocked by scanning a King Dedede amiibo. King Dedede wears the mask and wields Masked Dedede's signature hammer upon using this headgear.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Masked Dedede appears as King Dedede's Final Smash. Upon hitting an opponent with his mallet, said opponent will be forced into a caged boxing ring and hit by a barrage of missiles. Masked Dedede will then perform his Giant Dedede Swing and slam into his opponent, destroying the cage and sending them flying.

Kirby: Right Back at Ya!
King Dedede's appearance in the anime, Kirby: Right Back at Ya! is just like his appearance in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (excluding the gloves), with a blue stomach and a tan robe covering it. King Dedede's role is very much the same in the games except he has less of a soft side and is portrayed as more evil than he is in the games, with a meaner disposition (he is also much less intelligent and more bumbling). In the Japanese version of the anime, King Dedede has a verbal tic, ending most of his sentences with ぞい (-zoi), which carries no meaning. This is later carried over to the voiceover for his Japanese dialogue in Kirby's Epic Yarn. In the English dub, he speaks with a thick Southern/Texas accent (the accent is similar to Foghorn Leghorn) and often says ridiculous things. He is voiced in the Japanese version by Kenichi Ogata, who is well-known for Hiroshi Agasa in Detective Conan, Myoga in Inuyasha, and Genma Saotome in Ranma 1/2. In the English dub, he is voiced by Ted Lewis (who was credited as Ed Paul). Dedede is one of the main antagonists of the show. In the Kirby of the Stars Pilot, Dedede tries to get rid of Kirby using Wile E. Coyote-esque tricks and traps, only for them to quickly backfire in his face. He tries to help out when the sky darkens, but he gets zapped by what seems to be Nightmare. Strangely, his hat actually has a crown on it instead of the white bobble, reminiscent of Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. In Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, Dedede is the main villain of the show (next to Nightmare in the movie). His role is similar to his game roles—except that he has less of a good side and is much more malicious, petty, and very selfish. He constantly ignores or shrugs off any negative comments from the townsfolk, believing them to be below him. In addition, he has very little respect for anyone in town, treating their safety and desires as secondhand in his goals for whatever greedy thing he wishes. Despite this, the citizens of Cappy Town still call him their king, and few Cappies can stay mad at him, as all he has to do is say something appealing to win back their favor. He now has a sidekick in the show named Escargoon, making a somewhat comical duo. He is angry at Kirby for having all the townspeople like him, and takes his anger out on Cappy Town. For instance, Tiff tries to stop Dedede, however, she usually fails and is done by the choice of the King, which is the way she is captured, after all, Tiff is Kirby's best helper so Dedede has to aim for the right one, the girl herself. Dedede can't defeat Kirby himself, so he orders monsters from Nightmare Enterprises and sends them after Kirby. He is very jealous of Kirby as he thinks Kirby gets more respect than him and is angry because he is seen as mean in the Cappy's eyes, the irony being that his bad attitude and poor moral judgment is what constantly gets people angry at him. However, despite his jealousy of Kirby, he actually does deep down enjoy Kirby's company, believing ruling Dream Land is far more interesting when he has an enemy. His castle is guarded by an innumerable amount of Waddle Dees and one Waddle Doo general, who seems to be able to translate what they say. On three instances, he has used the Waddle Dees for his own personal gain, once fired them all when he purchased a robot from NME, but he rehired them when he found out that said robot was stealing his riches and giving them to Nightmare Enterprises in order to pay off Dedede's huge debt to them. , again during a situation trying to repay Nightmare Enterprises by putting the Waddle Dees up for sale, and once more when he slashed their meal rations from their original dinner amounts to very poor and malnourishing sandwiches, which resulted in a revolt by the Waddle Dees. He was slightly redesigned for the show, looking somewhat "less cute". Dedede's attire never deviates from his royal finery similar to those he wears in the games. The only other things he is seen wearing every so often are a shower cap which he sometimes dons when taking a bath, a pair of green pajamas and nightcap when he's sleeping, and a pair of outrageous purple sunglasses in the shape of his peace sign when he is sunbathing. He claims that he's the 17,052nd ruler of Dream Land and that the Dedede clan has been ruling over the Cappies for a long time. None of the Cappies believed him so he tried to "prove it" by placing fake artifacts and fossils in the ground and having them excavated (with Curio's help). He was found out, however, and his plans were dashed by Stone Kirby when he unleashed the Dedede Stone, Thus it has not been proven nor disproven if King Dedede is telling the truth, however, the intent to cover it up with fake artifacts may imply it is a lie. His favorite food is apparently Turban Shells (or possibly what's inside them), which he often cooks and eats over a barbecue. Because of this, at one point, he nearly cooks Escargoon alive after the snail takes refuge in a particularly large one after the King himself broke his old shell. Dedede is often criticized about his weight, particularly by Knuckle Joe who would call him "Tubby", amongst other things (the Knuckle Joe incident, however, is dub-only; in Japan, Knuckle Joe called him the equivalent of "gramps"). He is also insulted often by Escargoon, because of his body weight and intelligence, but that usually ends up with him being the victim of Dedede's trusty hammer (sometimes Dedede doesn't understand what Escargoon means when he insults him, but pummels him anyway), although there are situations where King Dedede is clearly insulted about his intelligence by Escargoon or others, but agrees with the criticism. In D'Preciation Day, King Dedede admits he is aware he is far stupider than Escargoon (while crying under the assumption he accidentally killed Kirby).

Dedede's personality can be compared to that of a spoiled and bratty child. When he is convinced that he has been wronged or insulted by someone, or doesn't immediately get what he wants, he usually reacts with fury and spite against his real or perceived enemies. He often vents his rage upon Escargoon, regardless of whether his sidekick was the cause of it. Sometimes, he may also act evil just to boost his own ego and assert his control over Cappy Town and Kirby, even when nothing has been done to provoke him. Normally a boisterous and aggressive person, Dedede has weaknesses to gourmet food and pampering, which tend to bring out his softer (or at least quieter) side. When in the middle of indulging in these things, he can actually be fairly calm and reserved, but he tends to remain as self-centered and unappreciative as ever. In Fitness Fiend, he expressed contentment with a sedentary life as he transformed into a snack-munching couch potato - though it could have been partly from the effect of the special ingredient in NME's snacks. While he keeps it deeply buried, Prediction Predicament - Part II showed that Dedede feels some amount of guilt from his many evil and tyrannical deeds, and he cried joyful tears from being able to make someone happy for the first time in his life by building a park for Kirby and the Cappy children. However, the only reason he did it was that he believed the world was going to end moments later. In The Meal Moocher, Dedede showed that he was capable of being relatively benevolent and generous to the Cappys as long as they kept him fed with rich gourmet meals. True to his spoiled nature, he could not be satisfied for long. Much of his downtime is spent obsessing over food and searching for new chefs and novel new dishes, and he relishes food to the point that he would prefer to drain his finances by giving out extravagant cash prizes for delicious dinners on a frequent basis, rather than use the money to pay his debt to NME. Dedede is also known to like hot baths, and appeared to enjoy acting in commercials for bubble bath and bathroom products on his own TV channel. Furthermore, he is quite particular about getting a proper amount of sleep every night (which proves difficult, as Escargoon often awakes him), and he found it very bothersome that he had to stay up late to be able to cast a curse over the townsfolk in Don't Bank on It. In a few episodes, it is emphasized that Dedede can't read unless he is read aloud to. However, in some episodes, he can read (at one point, Dedede even says he prefers books with pictures in them). One episode even reveals that part of his head is hollow, as if he has no brain. In the Japanese version, it is suggested that this condition was the result of a head trauma when he was younger. Despite the King's brainlessness, he has attempted three times to create an education system to the people of Cappy Town, with the ulterior motive of harassing them and making himself look better. Each time has resulted in failure and the destruction of the school. Although Dedede has wished to become smarter to be able to better outsmart Kirby, his laziness and lack of self-motivation prevent him from being able to.

In Kirby's Egg-Cellent Adventure, it is implied that he is an avid birdwatcher (though that was the only episode that this was witnessed). He also has an ambition to clear out the Whispy Woods's forest so he can build a country club and play his second favorite sport — Golf. His first favorite sport is apparently beating Escargoon to a pulp. In some episodes, his trademark Hammer would be inhaled by Kirby to get the Hammer ability.

He eventually turns against Nightmare Enterprises nearing the finale, with Dedede and Escargoon also exacting revenge against N.M.E. Sales Guy by force-feeding him one of Chef Kawasaki's poorly prepared meals.

Modes of Transportation
In early episodes, Dedede would ride in a tank-like Jeep, often in the gunner seat, where he would often fire the cannon (in particular, it was Dedede firing the cannon that wrecked Kirby's spaceship, leaving him stuck in Dream Land. As usual, he blamed it on Escargoon). The tank was simple, but it was effective for scaring people off and doing damage to whatever was in its way. In later episodes, starting from The Kirby Derby - Part I, he would be seen in the passenger seat of a car resembling an old-fashioned Rolls Royce Limousine he purchased from Nightmare Enterprises. The Limousine is apparently fast and full of sneaky tricks and traps. Both the tank and the limousine were driven by Escargoon. No origins has been given to how the King got his Jeep, or why he got rid of it, though it's likely that he also purchased his Jeep from Nightmare Enterprises as well, possibly as one of his first purchases. Dedede also owned a practically indestructible tour bus for one episode. It was never seen since that episode.

It is notable that Dedede is one of only two characters that own and frequently drives an automobile. The other character is Mayor Len Blustergas.

Kirby
In the games, King Dedede initially started out as an enemy and a true arch-rival. He stole the Sparking Stars in the very first Kirby game and the food, nearly starving all the residents of Dream Land. However, Dedede sees Kirby as the true hero of Dream Land and Popstar. Because of this and as the games progressed, Dedede becomes more friendly with Kirby and joins forces with him at certain points. In Kirby Super Star Ultra, he returned in Revenge of The King as the main villain, where he was beaten by Kirby. Since Kirby's Return to Dream Land, where he gave full support to Kirby, Dedede and Kirby could have developed a good friendship. In Kirby: Triple Deluxe, terrified of Queen Sectonia at first, he cowers behind Kirby (showing some trust in him) before helping in saving Floralia. Even though in Kirby Battle Royale and various context state there's still a grudge, the two are on better terms in recent games.

In the anime, for most episodes, Dedede sees Kirby as his enemy. For the first few, he is jealous of Kirby's social status. In the later episodes, Dedede's plots start to less involve defeating Kirby and more of humiliating him. In some episodes, such as the episode where the Pengi clan invades Cappy Town, Dedede actually teams up with Kirby. In the episode "Prediction Predicament Part II", Dedede even swings peacefully with Kirby and doesn't even mind his presence. It is shown that Kirby might have a few harsh feelings for Dedede, too, as he sometimes shows he doesn't like his plans (mainly if it's against food), and seems to find pleasure in pulling pranks on him and scaring him. However, it is also to note Kirby was the only individual who was happy to come give King Dedede a present on his Appreciation Day (even though he ate it). Point being of all this, King Dedede respects Kirby and admits he's a true hero, but doesn't show it. Dedede's respect for Kirby was fully shown in D'Preciation Day. After feeding Kirby bombs as a prank, Tiff got the town to agree to a pretend funeral. A letter was sent to King Dedede for Kirby's "memorial", driving Dedede into thinking that Kirby was dead, which resulted in King Dedede crying over the fake gravestone of Kirby, believing he unintentionally crossed the line. However, once he realized that Kirby wasn't dead, and Kirby's funeral was a counter-prank by the Cappies, Dedede was overjoyed, and instead of being angry at the Cappies for fooling him, claimed that he always needed Kirby as someone to compete with.

Waddle Dees
"You can't be mean to my Waddle Dees. Only I can be mean to my Waddle Dees!"

- King Dedede

The Waddle Dees are the king's most loyal servants. They serve King Dedede's every whim as well as keep the castle clean and perform guard duty. In Kirby Super Star Ultra, he keeps a bandana-wearing Waddle Dee as a personal assistant who keeps him calm during his panic attacks. This Waddle Dee is also seen following the king after his defeat in Revenge of the King. In Kirby: Squeak Squad, King Dedede summons platoons of them to help him fight. They also help him in Kirby Mass Attack, where they attack the Kirbys with bombs. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, they distract Wario so Dedede can steal the Luigi trophy. They're also part of his attacks called the Waddle Dee Throw and the Waddle Dee Army. Interestingly enough, the Waddle Dee trophy description states that they don't consider themselves to be affiliated with Dedede, despite their actions. Waddle Dees attack King Dedede in Kirby's Return to Dream Land, so not all of them are controlled by the king (though this might just be for gameplay purposes). While Dedede often bosses them around, he does return their loyalty as in Kirby's Epic Yarn, he states to their yarn dopplegangers that only he can mistreat his Waddle Dees. He might even consider them, to some degree, as companions, seen playing chess with one and admiring the scenery with one.

In the anime, King Dedede owns many Waddle Dees. In Pink-Collar Blues, it is mentioned that Waddle Dees are wanderers from across the sea and will settle down in an area where they are shown hospitality to return the favor. It can be inferred that Dedede is rather ungrateful for their work, as he has gotten rid of all of them twice. They seem to enjoy their work and do not have problems with King Dedede's personality, but one instance they admit they don't appreciate him. There are a few times where he shows appreciation for their loyal services. Most notably, in Waddle While You Work, after he sells them all he realizes how much he needs them and is truly touched by their loyalty. On one instance, King Dedede was shown by Escargoon that food costs for the Waddle Dees was astronomically high, resulting in him (rather selfishly) reducing the food they got to thin mini sandwiches (to which Tuff remarks that they are transparent because they are so thin), which resulted in a revolt by the Waddle Dee's against the King. Luckily for the King, Kirby fixed the situation and he learns his lesson.

Meta Knight
In the games, King Dedede and Meta Knight are rarely seen interacting with each other; however, they have allied at certain points. King Dedede entrusts Meta Knight with a piece of the Star Rod in Kirby's Adventure and its remake, showing he has high faith in the swordsman's capabilities. Meta Knight has expressed exasperation towards King Dedede's antics in later games; for example, in the title screen of Kirby's Return to Dream Land, he shakes his head in embarrassment when Dedede makes a goofy face at an oblivious Kirby. Another notable example is in the opening of Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition, as when Dedede is poking his stomach with his hammer, Meta Knight's eyes thin out, looking disturbed at this.

Although there are many episodes of Kirby: Right Back at Ya! where Dedede and Meta Knight are seen together, they rarely interact. This may be a sly allusion to the games. However, it is known that Dedede respects Meta Knight, although he falsely believes that Meta Knight is "on his side."

Escargoon
Dedede sees Escargoon as his primary punching bag, even when it isn't Escargoon that makes him angry. Escargoon repeatedly insults Dedede, although there are times when Dedede does not respond, either because he's busy or is too dimwitted to notice. While he mostly abusive to Escargoon, such as stealing his prized jewel collection for selfish purposes, Dedede does feel sympathy for him. He even started scaring Escargoon until Escargoon got back at him. The two do work together—for example, setting up traps for the Cappies—but most of the time, the traps would backfire on the two. Dedede often treats Escargoon like a child, making him wear silly bibs and bonnets while eating. Conversely, he also sometimes seems to treat Escargoon like a surrogate mother, relying on him for emotional support and (backhanded) ego boosting, or having Escargoon pamper him with food and bubble baths.

Tiff
Tiff is Dedede's opponent and criticizes him publicly more than anyone else. She is constantly suspicious of him, but often cannot find enough evidence or do anything to stop him until it is too late, so Dedede doesn't worry about her too much. Dedede never goes as far as killing her, although he still despises her nonetheless. He uses her as bait for Kirby, so he can be able to clobber him. He has used Tiff, Tuff, and Kirby as his targets, which has harmed them in many ways, such as trying to trick them into doing something for him and then trying to defeat them and destroy Kirby. But he was usually foiled by his pink rival. He often makes fun of her just because he has the opportunity to do so. Dedede sees her brother and other children as pests. King Dedede doesn't really get along with Tiff, but they do work together with Kirby and the others towards the end of the anime to save Dream Land.

N.M.E. Sales Guy
Throughout the anime, King Dedede regularly deals with an individual he only sees from the waist up via video conversation. The N.M.E. Sales Guy seems to be fully aware of King Dedede's stupidity and uses every opportunity to use it to his advantage. Whether it's distracting the King with a new item, tricking the King into buying something needless or expensive, or simply taking advantage of the King's intellect in general, the N.M.E. Sales Guy uses the King at any chance. King Dedede holds no respect for the N.M.E. Sales Guy either, often stating he has no intention of ever paying his bills, openly yelling at and criticizing the N.M.E. Sales Guy often. Dialogue between King Dedede and the N.M.E. Sales Guy (with Escargoon typically around) often results in King Dedede being openly aggressive, while the N.M.E. Sales Guy laughs off anything King Dedede says while being passive aggressive. The N.M.E. Sales Guy is the one who sells King Dedede his monsters. Despite constantly being taken advantage of, King Dedede always returns for more monsters. In the movie, King Dedede finally gets his revenge by tormenting the N.M.E. Sales Guy with Kawasaki's bad cooking while openly laughing.

Playable Appearances
Despite being a recurring antagonist of the series, Dedede has had a handful of playable appearances in certain Kirby games, as well as a prominent playable role in the Super Smash Bros. series.

Kirby Air Ride
"King Dedede on a bike. Is he really a king?"

- King Dedede's Flavor Text

King Dedede makes his second playable appearance in Kirby Air Ride as an unlockable racer. He can be used in Air Ride mode after beating a total of 1000 enemies, and in City Trial mode after defeating his boss version in the VS. King Dedede Stadium event in 1 minute or less. He can also be unlocked by using a Free Check on the appropriate square of either Checklist.

In Kirby Air Ride, King Dedede is always seen riding a burgundy Wheelie Bike while wielding his signature hammer. It is used similarly to this game's Sword copy ability, automatically attacking enemies, obstacles and other players in front, though it is more powerful. King Dedede's only Air Ride Machine, the Wheelie Bike Dedede Custom, is similar in size and appearance to the available Wheelie Bike in the game, by which it is slightly outclassed in handling and acceleration. He has excellent offense, defense, weight, and above average top speed, but below average jump, handling, and acceleration. King Dedede also has his own unique charge meter. As with regular Wheelie Bikes that Kirbys can use, Dedede's Air Ride Machine will automatically activate Boost Pads when driving over them.

King Dedede appears in this game as a boss in the VS. King Dedede Stadium event, in which his theme music will play. Here, he is much larger, has far higher stamina, and moves slower. This boss version of Dedede also has extremely devastating attack power, and is able to destroy an unmodified, full-health Bulk Star in only three hammer swings.

Other Playable Appearances

 * In Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, in addition to being a mandatory playable ally in certain levels of the game, King Dedede is a playable character in the sub-games.
 * In Kirby Super Star, Dedede is playable in the two-player version of Quick Draw.
 * In Kirby: Canvas Curse, a ball version of Dedede is a Medal Swap unlockable after obtaining Waddle Dee. He is the heaviest of all available balls and sinks in water easily. He also has seven HP, the most of any other ball. When tapped, he swings his Hammer around him, which can still press down switches and stakes.
 * In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, he is a playable character.
 * In Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Dedede is playable by Players 2, 3, or 4. He is also playable in The Arena and The True Arena after both are beaten with Kirby.
 * In Kirby: Triple Deluxe, Dedede is a playable character in the Dededetour sub-game, which is unlocked after beating the main game. He is also the main character in the Dedede's Drum Dash sub-game, as well as the downloadable Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe.
 * In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, he is a playable character.
 * In Kirby Star Allies, he is a Dream Friend who is unlocked after beating him in Clash at Castle Dedede. In Story Mode, he can be controlled by players 2, 3, and 4, with color palettes corresponding to the player controlling him. Like other Friends, he can also be played in Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go! and The Ultimate Choice, though the player must beat those modes with a normal friend first.
 * In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, he is a playable character.

Dedede's Theme Music
King Dedede's theme song often plays during battles against him. The song was used for the Dedede battle in Kirby's Dream Land and Kirby's Dream Land 2 (as well as the Mt. Dedede section of the Dream Land stage in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS). In Kirby Super Star, the theme was extended and the new version was used for subsequent games. His theme music was not in Kirby's Adventure, however; the generic boss theme plays instead. It was added in the Game Boy Advance remake, Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, for the mid-boss tower stage in Rainbow Resort. A remixed version of the song plays during the races against the fake Dedede in Kirby: Canvas Curse. The version of the song from Kirby Super Star also appears in Kirby Air Ride, as an unlockable music track for the Fire course. In Kirby Super Star Ultra’s Revenge of the King, Masked Dedede's theme is a remix of the extended theme. Besides his own theme, King Dedede is also associated with Gourmet Race's theme from Kirby Super Star. An orchestral version of this theme originally debuted in the Fountain of Dreams stage in Super Smash Bros. Melee, and a remix of this was employed during the battle against him in Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land. Both King Dedede's theme and Gourmet Race's theme feature as alternate music for the Battleship Halberd stage in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the former being a remix of the SNES version, and the latter being a heavy metal remix. The orchestral version from Melee returns as alternate music used for the Green Greens stage in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and the Dream Land (64) stage in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. Gourmet Race's theme was used again for the Castle Dedede stage of Kirby's Epic Yarn. In Kirby Mass Attack, the theme is used as the music for the bosses (with the exception of Skullord and Necrodeus, who use their own battle themes), including King Dedede. Its track name is "Tough Enemy". It also plays in Stage 5 of Nutty Noon in Kirby's Return to Dream Land, which itself is a reference to the Mid-Boss Tower in Kirby's Adventure, but even more so its remake. In addition, the theme plays during the battle against Robo Dedede, a robot resembling King Dedede that appears in the Scope Shot sub-game.

In the Super Smash Bros. series
"Dedede is the self-proclaimed king of Dream Land. While he says he's king, Dedede prefers no administrative functions and the citizens of Dream Land continue to live as they always have. He's able to suck in air and fly like Kirby does, but only as a result of vigorous training he undertook after being bested by Kirby."

- Trophy Description

King Dedede was meant to be in the original Super Smash Bros. game, but was taken out due to memory limitations and time constraints. In Super Smash Bros. Melee, he was taken out supposedly due to Sakurai not wanting to over-represent the Kirby franchise at the time. However, he appears in the background of Dream Land in both of the games and as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee. He finally appears in the Super Smash Bros. series, along with Meta Knight, in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Dedede is voiced by Masahiro Sakurai, as he was in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. There are three stickers which feature him — one focusing on him giving Kirby a piggyback ride from the aforementioned game, another utilizing his design from Kirby: Squeak Squad, and the last being his design from Kirby Super Star.

He also returns in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U as a playable character once more. King Dedede receives a number of changes such as a new side special and a new Final Smash, but one of the major aesthetic changes he received are his more exaggerated facial expressions (while getting hit, during specific actions, grabbing onto the ledge or during some of his victory poses), similar to his incarnation in Kirby: Right Back at Ya!.

King Dedede returns as a fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Role in the Subspace Emissary
King Dedede was crucial in the capture and occupation of the Halberd by the Subspace Army. He attacks Meta Knight, unintentionally keeping the knight from repelling the Subspace Army's assault. King Dedede finds out about Tabuu's nefarious plot and the immense power of his Off Waves during the Halberd's capture. He starts worrying about the world's fate if all the heroes become trophies. No one will exist to revive the trophies, and the entire world will belong to Tabuu. These scenes were to be incorporated into the Subspace Emissary, but were cut, presumably for time. ]So he prepares a special type of brooch that fans have dubbed the Dedede Cap or Dedede Badge, though it is referred to as a Timed Badge for the cutscene. They are set to work on a timer; when the timer runs down, the brooch will restore a fighter from his or her trophy state back to their original form. All that needs to be done is to set the brooch on a fighter that had been turned into a trophy and leave it there. He puts the badges on Luigi's nose and Ness's shoulder. When he could not find anymore with him, he realizes he has one on himself. He rather selflessly takes it off and puts it on the princess's brooch. He may be posted as a hero, because he stole trophies from Wario, probably because Wario would just keep them for himself. When King Dedede learns that Bowser and Wario have joined the Subspace Army and are using Dark Cannons to turn fighters into a collection of trophies, he decides to start his own collection. He hides the fighter trophies he collects in his castle, confident the brooches will bring them back eventually just in case something goes wrong, however, he ends up using the brooch he had made for himself on Peach (or Zelda), intending to make himself another one later. The first time Dedede is shown, he uses his Waddle Dees to ambush an unsuspecting Luigi and turn him into a Trophy. It's implied that he did this so Luigi will act as bait for Wario before Dedede ambushes the latter. Then as Wario approaches on his bobsled carrying two Trophies (a princess and Ness), he tries to take the new Luigi trophy and is suddenly ambushed by a herd of Waddle Dees who throw Luigi into the sled. Dedede then steals the sled with the Trophies in tow. Dedede is turned into a trophy by Bowser. Bowser then steals Peach (or Zelda) (during this, the brooch falls off, which Kirby eats). After Tabuu turns everyone into a Trophy using Off Waves, the Timed Badges go off, reviving Ness and Luigi, who in turn decide to revive Dedede. Kirby is also revived because he ate the brooch that Dedede put on one of the princesses (this cutscene was humorously called "Kirby Revived By Hunger").

Eventually, Dedede goes to the Subspace where the players fight the final boss. He revives Bowser, but the Koopa king attacks Dedede. Dedede wins the fight and revives Bowser again, telling him that they should fight the main villain instead of each other. Dedede also finds his rival, Kirby, but is actually happy to see him alive. While Dedede is walking up a staircase, Wario attacks him. However, Wario backs off when he realizes that Luigi and Ness will aid Dedede, outnumbering Wario. Dedede, Luigi, and Ness then point the staircase, and Wario decides to help them fight the final boss.

Special Moves
Other notes about Special Moves:
 * Inhale, much like Kirby's Inhale and Wario's Chomp, can be used on items to swallow them. Some items may or may not have their effects activated upon swallowing as it depends on the item(s) swallowed. However, Dedede, like the two other aforementioned characters, will harm himself from the inside if he inhales any explosives (and thus receives a small amount of damage), and not all items can be swallowed. To compensate for Dedede's Inhale not being able to copy abilities, it deals more overall damage via both the ejection and the projectile (dealing more damage in the latter's case the heavier his target is).
 * Waddle Dee Toss only appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, while Gordo Throw replaces the former move in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate; for the former, Dedede only tosses out the Waddle Dee, while with the latter he lobs it out at a height where he bats the Gordo with his hammer. Gordo Throw can also be angled in terms of both throwing direction and bounce pattern, but the Gordo itself can easily be struck back at Dedede with attacks, or reflected with any form of attack/projectile reflector.
 * In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Dedede is able to inhale a reflected Gordo and spit it out.
 * While rising upward during Super Dedede Jump, King Dedede gains super armor/launch resistance until he comes back down. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the attack previously could be cancelled by tapping down instead of up (a change done in Super Smash Bros for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U).
 * If Super Dedede Jump is cancelled too close to the ground, Dedede will be left even more vulnerable due to fumbling around for a bit upon landing.
 * When Dedede uses Jet Hammer and charges for long periods of time, it will stop damaging him when he reaches a certain damage percentage (150% in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and 100% in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U).

Misc. abilities

 * His Dash Attack, Inhale and Super Dedede Jump (and possibly his Side Smash to some extent) are inspired by his attacks in Kirby's Dream Land.
 * He is able to jump in mid-air up to four times using his puff-up and fly ability (like Kirby).
 * He is classed as a heavyweight along with other Nintendo villains such as Bowser. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, he even possesses the fastest falling speed and the lowest horizontal air speed, which gives him hampered mobility compared to the rest of the cast as well as making him more susceptible to combos done on fast-fallers but giving him strong vertical survivability.
 * This is exacerbated even further in the next title(s), where he has less horizontal air speed and increased gravity that allows him to reach his base falling speed faster. His fast-falling speed however is increased as well instead of the aforementioned base falling speed. The later patches of the game(s) nerfed his horizontal air speed even more, to the point where he is overall even slower than Shulk with the Shield Monado Art activated.
 * King Dedede carries his hammer around with him at all times, like the Ice Climbers. He also possesses hammer-twirling moves akin to theirs, though all the airborne ones are removed in the fourth and fifth installments.
 * When Dedede gets a Hammer or Golden Hammer, he swings both his own hammer, and the Hammer/Golden Hammer together, alternating swings for each hammer, though his own hammer will do no damage whatsoever, especially evident if the Hammer breaks or is actually the Squeaky Golden Hammer.
 * He enters a stage on a throne being held by four Waddle Dees. Though this may be a reference to his apparent laziness, in certain cultures (particularly in ancient times), it is said that a king/ruler should not go into battle on foot, and are thus carried to the battlefield by servants or commoners.
 * Dedede's crouching animation is different because he actually lies down on his side. Combined with the pose he makes, some players may use it as a taunt.
 * King Dedede can chain grab most characters with his down throw. To do this, King Dedede must do the down throw, dash up and grab the character again, do another down throw, and repeat. This only works on heavy characters such as Bowser or Samus, as well as himself. However, this also only works in Super Smash Bros. Brawl due to the ability to combo throws into each other being removed in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.
 * In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, his side smash attack is the strongest in the game in terms of knockback if sweet-spotted, but has notable startup.
 * Dedede was to be made into a character for the original Super Smash Bros., but scrapped from the game due to time constraints and space limitations. He has originally made a cameo on the Dream Land stage in Super Smash Bros. and the Green Greens stage in Super Smash Bros. Melee before his playable appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, along with being a trophy in the latter game.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl
His Final Smash is the Waddle Dee Army. A fitting Final Smash for someone who likes to leave all the hard work for everyone else, Dedede blows a whistle and calls forth a swarm of Waddle Dees to raise a ruckus across the stage. The Waddle Dees are much faster than the ones he normally summons, so players need to watch out to make sure they do not suddenly get swept off the screen. What makes this Final Smash even more dangerous is that Waddle Doos and Gordos appear in the riot.

In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U
In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, his new Final Smash is Dedede Burst. Dedede inhales his foes in a similar manner to a Super Inhale. Anyone caught in this will be locked in a vortex created by the said inhale, as Dedede then rapidly strikes them with a series of flaming hammer swings before kicking out a bomb similar in design to Bomber and the Balloon Bomb, blasting them away with an explosion resembling the latter's.

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, his new Final Smash involves him becoming Masked Dedede and the fighters are taken to Dedede's caged arena from Kirby Super Star Ultra. Dedede first fires multiple missiles at the opponent and then he spins around with his Dedede Hammer and smashes the opponent against the cage.

Snake's Codecs
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, if a player plays as Snake in the stage Shadow Moses Island and quickly inputs down taunt (referred to as a Smash Taunt), Snake can enter a conversation, talking about one of the present fighters, with his support team, along with Slippy as a cameo when talking about Falco. Here is the following conversation if King Dedede is present:


 * Snake: Look at the size of that hammer...


 * Colonel: That's King Dedede you're fighting, Snake.


 * Snake: Dedede? You mean it's not a penguin, Colonel?


 * Colonel: He's the King of Dream Land. Well, so he says, anyway.


 * Snake: Are you sure he's not a penguin?


 * Colonel: One full swing from that hammer can level an entire building. It may look like just a big wooden mallet, but it's actually outfitted with special mechanical systems like turbo jets and precision bearings to boost its effectiveness.


 * Snake: I don't think I could even lift that thing. And here he's swinging it around like it was nothing...


 * Colonel: But he also leaves himself wide open. Just make sure you avoid the swing, Snake.

Palutena's Guidance
In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, if a player plays as Pit in the stage Palutena's Temple and inputs a Smash Taunt, Pit can enter a conversation, talking about one of the present fighters, with Palutena and Viridi (and Chrom as a cameo when talking about Robin). Here is the following conversation if King Dedede is present:


 * Pit: Who's this, Lady Palutena?


 * Palutena: That's King Dedede.


 * Pit: So what do I need to know about him?


 * Palutena: He's a heavyweight but has the ability to fly. And his hammer attack is no joke. But every fighter has a weakness. For example, when King Dedede throws his spiky Gordo, you can hit it right back at him. If you could eliminate him by reflecting the Gordo, that will count as your KO.


 * Pit: Uh... What's a KO?


 * Palutena: Good luck, Pit.

Quotes
"I'll be the one to keep the peace!"

- King Dedede

Related Quotes
"Kirby's goofy arch-rival is the #1 Avalanche player in Dream Land. You will need to focus all of your Avalanche skills to beat this character."

- The Cast of Characters

"He'll open his big mouth and try to inhale Kirby or hit him with his hammer."

- Enemy Characters

"If you want to help me, hand me another bag of them chips!"

- King Dedede

"Big, heavy, and mallet-toting!"

- In-game description (playable)

"The self-styled king of the amazingly peaceful Dream Land. He continually does things unbecoming a king, like stealing the kingdom's food supplies or all the stars from the sky. He's not all bad, though, and sometimes performs good deeds. While he and Kirby often battle, they've been known to compete good-naturedly at speed-eating contests and minigames."

- Trophy description

"The self-proclaimed king of Dream Land formally joins the brawl! Mechanizing his wooden mallet, he delivers a mighty, earth-shaking blow! He joins as a member of the heavyweight class alongside Bowser and Donkey Kong. Can he defeat Kirby?!"

- Official Super Smash Bros. Brawl website

"A fated bout with King Dedede! What can Kirby do against his new Dedede Hammer?!"

- Pause Screen description (boss) as Masked Dedede

"This selfish Dream Land king wields a big hammer that's almost as big as his mouth!"

- King Dedede’s Cast Description

"Looks like it's time for the big showdown with King Dedede! I'd say that the first thing to do is to get him out of his balloon and down to the ground. Watch the bombs he lobs down. Send them back his way at JUST the right time. They'll blow up in his face and take down his ship soon enough. I'd suspect that he'll lose his cool and start stomping you with his hammer. Stay on your toes and avoid those attacks. If you can get behind him, you might just have a chance!"

- Daroach

"The king of Dream Land! This big dude is one tough cookie. With his trusty hammer, it’s aim once, WHAM once!"

- In-game description

"Under the influence of Taranza's hypnosis magic, and now donning a mysterious mask, the powered-up king wants to do battle with Kirby. Come to your senses, King Dedede!"

- VS Masked Dedede

"The revitalized king overflows with power after suffering defeat at the hands of Kirby! Kirby's rival has had his limiter removed, and now he swings a giant axe around with ease. Be careful--this battle machine is on the fritz!"

- VS Masked Dedede's Revenge

"At long last—Dededetour! This land will not be ruled by Queen Sectonia. No! It will be ruled by the king! The self-proclaimed Great King of Dream Land embarks on his own adventure!"

- In-game description (playable)

"Energized by the Fountain of Dreams, the original king is here with his team in tow, ready to cause some ruckus! He's hoping his royal pride and some solid teamwork will help him feel like a final boss once again!"

- VS Team DDD24

"The king is back, looking for a last shot at revenge. His team members may be miniature, but they sure mean business! "Hey! You pesky pink puffball! Are you ready for a team battle? Then let's go!"

- VS Team DDD64

"He calls himself the King of Dream Land, but he doesn't have a lot of interest in ruling. He really loves to eat, so it's no surprise he's a heavyweight fighter. Despite his size and low speed, he can easily recover with his four jumps. His Jet Hammer will leave a mark on everyone he meets."

- Trophy description

"Being a self-proclaimed king, Dedede clearly doesn't care too much about the whole "politics" thing. He's just a bit greedy. In this game, his weight and hefty hammer make him slow, but he can still jump four times in mid-air anyway, making it easy for him to get back to the stage. Fully charge his Jet Hammer for ultimate destruction."

- Trophy description (PAL version)

"For the Gordo Throw side special, King Dedede smacks a Gordo bouncing with a hammer strike. It bounces off walls—or sometimes gets stuck in them. After a while, it'll disappear. If an enemy hits one, it'll bounce back toward you. Use the special again to whack it back at them!"

- Trophy description

"For the Gordo Throw side special, King Dedede hits a Gordo with his hammer, sending it bouncing along the stage. It'll bounce off walls, or sometimes get stuck in them. Then, after a while, it'll disappear. If an enemy hits the Gordo with an attack, it'll fly back towards you. Use the special again to whack it back at them!"

- Trophy description (PAL version)

"Choose up, middle, or down right after starting this move to hit the Gordo in three different ways, changing how it bounces."

- Tips

"Gordos will stick to any walls they hit. Try doing this on walls close to edges to cause serious trouble to enemies trying to climb up."

- Tips

"With the right timing, an opponent can hit a Gordo back at you. You can then hit it back again, quickly turning a fierce battle into a game of Gordo tennis."

- Tips

"After inhaling opponents, press the button again to spit them out as a projectile. This way, you can hit your opponents with each other!"

- Tips

"Dedede is already perfect, so his Inhale won't copy abilities. Instead, it has a longer range than Kirby's."

- Tips

"If King Dedede's damage goes over 100%, he can keep charging this move past maximum without taking damage."

- Tips

"It's possible to charge this move to deal more damage, but charging for too long will start to hurt Dedede too!"

- Tips

"He can attack while prone by cartwheeling forward. This lets him attack while moving, like a dash attack."

- Tips

"After leaping up high, Dedede crashes down to attack. This move can be canceled partway through by pressing up."

- Tips

"If you look behind the stage, you might see a Bronto Burt or King Dedede. Of course, if Dedede is fighting, he won’t be back there."

- Tips

"King Dedede debuted alongside Kirby in the 1992 title Kirby's Dream Land. He's a big eater who wants all the food in Dream Land for himself!"

- King Dedede's Origins Tip

"#1 is a tie between Jigglypuff, Meta Knight, and Kirby, who can all manage six. #4 is King Dedede with five, and Pit and Dark Pit are tied at #5 with four."

- The Jump Masters Tip

"#1 is Bowser, #2 is Donkey Kong, and #3 is King Dedede. The heavier a fighter is, the stronger their attacks are and the harder they are to launch."

- The Three Heavist Fighters Tip

"Who moves fastest while carrying heavy items? #1 is Bowser, #2 is King Dedede, and #3 is Donkey Kong. DK can even jump while carrying heavy items!"

- The Top 3 Lifting Legends Tip

"The self-proclaimed King of Dream Land loves to swing his giant hammer and breathe in lots of air. He spent countless hours in training learning how to fly just like Kirby. He appears here in figurine form only."

- Figurine description

"King Dedede is now in the Collection Lists! You can use this in Battle Mode and Online Battles after it's unlocked."

- New ability!

"The king of Dream Land who wields his trademark gigantic hammer."

- Collectible description

"This hammer is great for swinging around like a king."

- Headgear description

"Surely King Dedede would never steal all the food in the kingdom and hoard it for himself... Why would he do such a vile deed?! Such questions will have to wait, as the king is coming for his eternal rival with all the fury of a wild beast!"

- VS King Dedede

"Kirby's first rival, from Kirby's Dream Land, wants to clean up his image, so he's set off to save his people. There's no stopping this self-made king, so watch out, world!"

- Guest Star description

"The rival to rival all rivals, ever since Kirby's Dream Land! This tough guy calls himself a king and can take a friends's power and add it to that of his hammer... Wait, rather than reading about it, you should just try it out! Go on! You know you can't resist!"

- Flavor Text

Trivia

 * For some reason, his theme plays while fighting Meta Knight in Kirby: Squeak Squad.
 * In illustrations or cutscenes, King Dedede has one of two symbols on the back of his robe.
 * An illustration of himself giving a peace sign, used in earlier games, including Kirby's Dream Land, Kirby's Adventure and Kirby Super Star.
 * An emblem of a hand giving the same sign. This is more commonly used, but its design is slightly changed in Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land.
 * On his sprites in Kirby's Dream Land, the back of Dedede's robes originally had a white "0" outline.
 * In Kirby Super Star, it was changed to a yellow square outline, but the closeup during the Gourmet Race intro had an illustration of him giving the v-sign.
 * In Kirby's Dream Land 3, that was simplified to a yellow circle with a red image of a hand giving the same symbol (though his robes had a yellow circle with a black swirl in the intro).
 * In Kirby's Super Star Stacker, the circle became white and the symbol itself became yellow.
 * In subsequent games, he has consistently been given a yellow circle with the silhouetted v-sign in blue for 3D portrayals, and a bare version of the same symbol for 2D depictions (though his robes were once bare red in Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble).
 * In Kirby's Dream Land, King Dedede's name was spelled as King DeDeDe. This spelling was also reused for the English localizations of Kirby's Adventure and Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, although it has since been phased out. His mountain was also spelled Mt. DeDeDe in Kirby's Dream Land and Kirby Super Star.
 * In Kirby Air Ride, King Dedede's vehicle looks like the Wheelie Helper.
 * Although spin-offs imply he has a hatred of stars, his hammer is shown with an image of a star on it.
 * Kirby's Adventure, Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, and Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards are the only Kirby games that do not play King Dedede's theme when fighting him.
 * Even though he is a boss in almost every Kirby game, he is never the main antagonist in any game, with the exception in Kirby's Dream Land.
 * Dedede's portrayal and artwork in Kirby: Squeak Squad most resembles his appearance in the anime. His castle, as seen in the background and cutscenes, also resembled how it appeared in the anime. When fighting Dedede, the machine in the background bears a resemblance to the monster delivery machine in the anime.
 * This also applies to his recent appearance in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, where many of his new facial expressions are also reminiscent of his incarnation in the anime.
 * When fighting Dedede in Spring Breeze, Mario, Luigi, Birdo, and Toad appear in the crowd (Peach is also faintly visible, and Bowser is off-screen but part of the game data). In the remake, Peach, Mario, Luigi, Wario, and Toad appear, while the former set still appears in Megaton Punch.
 * When fighting Dedede in Revenge of the King, the only one in the crowd is Bandana Waddle Dee, because Dedede has already sent everyone else after Kirby. King Dedede solemnly declares the ensuing fight to settle their grudge. Obviously, this is not the case in later games. This fact is again refuted in Kirby Fighters Deluxe, as King Dedede appears as the final boss. The flavor text for the fight during Very Hard mode even suggests that this attempt is his last at revenge.
 * In Quick Draw, Dedede is the fifth and final challenger, wielding a large gun that shoots a retractable boxing glove. If Kirby is faster, the king will be dispatched by a cannon. In Samurai Kirby, he is the fourth challenger, with Meta Knight taking his previous place. King Dedede uses a hammer here, though Kirby can defend against this with a party cone if he is fast enough.
 * Masked Dedede's theme is based on the theme of King Dedede in Kirby's Super Star Stacker, which explains why they sound similar.
 * Despite his girth, King Dedede runs fast in Gourmet Race, as he is able to catch up with Kirby.
 * King Dedede shares Kirby's immense appetite for food. In the episode Fitness Fiend, Dedede ate enough bags of potato chips to have the bags scattered all over his throne room.
 * In Kirby's Epic Yarn, Dedede cannot use his Inhale attack. This may be because he was turned to yarn like Kirby.
 * There is a glitch in Spring Breeze. When the player defeats King Dedede in co-op wireless play, King Dedede might yell Mike Kirby's final move sound rather than the usual "NOOOOOO!" There is also a similar occurrence in Revenge of the King, in which Kirby's final Mike sound will play as opposed to the sound of its first use. It is unknown whether or not this was intended or a glitch. However, said sound was put in the soundtrack, so it was possibly intended.
 * King Dedede's name is translated "Roi Dadidou" in the French versions of the Kirby series. "Dadidou" is a common onomatopoeia to describe the sounds babies make, and "roi" means king.
 * The German name for this character is "König Dedede" (formerly "König Nickerchen" which means "King Nap" in German).
 * In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Solid Snake discusses with the colonel about the hammer King Dedede carries, and how it is far too heavy for Snake to even remotely lift, despite King Dedede waddling around with it with no issue, implying King Dedede has massive strength. Whether his hammer is heavy or if this is because his hammer is mechanical in Super Smash Bros. Brawl is not said.
 * Because of his role in the Subspace Emissary, King Dedede, along with Wolf, is the only one of the Nintendo Rogues gallery to not be evil in the game. He did serve the Subspace Army at one time, but left as soon as he became privy about Tabuu's true plans. This reflects Dedede's role in most Kirby games, where he is initially a foe and turns into an ally near the end of the game.
 * In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, unlike in the main Kirby series, Kirby is able to Inhale King Dedede and gain his Copy Ability. This results in Kirby basically keeping his own inhale ability, but not being able to copy other foes as long as he is wearing Dedede's hat, only being able to spit them out as stars (as was the case in Kirby's Dream Land).
 * His Dedede Hammer in Kirby Super Star Ultra could be based on the fact that his hammer in Super Smash Bros. Brawl is mechanical.
 * Although his real species is unknown, it is believed that he may be a penguin due to his appearance. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Snake calls him a "giant penguin" when speaking to the colonel.
 * This is further implied in a stop-motion video by PARCO-ART using the Shakurel Kirby figures, in which King Dedede is followed by a bunch of penguins.
 * King Dedede's voice actor in the English dub of the anime (as well as Escargoon's), Ted Lewis, is also known for doing a majority of the voice of another huge antagonist in a Nintendo TV show: Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket in the Pokémon anime.
 * Dedede's iconic theme is used as the standard boss theme in Kirby Mass Attack.
 * Dedede's hat in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards is different than all other games as he has spikes on his hat rather than a sphere.
 * When making a custom emblem in Mario Kart DS, an available "template" for use is the v-sign sometimes found on the back of Dedede's robes.
 * In the Japanese version of the anime, King Dedede usually ends his sentences with "zoi", which means nothing and is just a verbal tic common with some anime characters (such as Naruto's "dattebayo").
 * King Dedede's most notable feature in Super Smash Bros. Brawl is his infinite chain grab. This has been the primary reason why many stages (such as Bridge of Eldin) have been banned in tournaments.
 * King Dedede is one of two Super Smash Bros. characters (the other being Meta Knight) to have been planned to be a playable character twice (in the first one and Super Smash Bros. Melee).
 * King Dedede ranked first in Super Smash Bros. Brawl’s Japanese character inclusion poll.
 * King Dedede has the fastest falling speed in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, yet paired with Zelda for having the third slowest dash speed and slowest air speed in the game.
 * In the Spanish versions of the Kirby games, he is known as "Rey Dedede", "Rey" meaning 'king' in Spanish.
 * In Kirby's Epic Yarn, it says that King Dedede's theme is new, but it was in many games before that.
 * Several pre-release screenshots of Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards show that King Dedede was playable without Kirby riding him at one point in development.
 * When fighting Masked Dedede on his second phase in Kirby: Triple Deluxe, a remix of his Masked Dedede Theme from Kirby Super Star Ultra plays.
 * King Dedede makes a cameo appearance as a purchasable hat in the Nintendo 3DS built-in game StreetPass Mii Plaza.
 * In Kirby's Avalanche, his AI is used by Satan in Puyo Puyo. However, he does shake the board similar to Zoh's AI, which Heavy Mole uses, but their AI is not the same.
 * Dedede has been voiced by Shinya Kumazaki in every game that he has directed. These are Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition, Kirby: Triple Deluxe, Kirby Fighters Deluxe, and Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe. Dedede Clone in Kirby: Planet Robobot is also voiced by him.
 * A slightly distorted version of Dedede's roar from Kirby: Triple Deluxe is produced by Dark Crafter at the beginning of his battle in Kirby and the Rainbow Curse.
 * In the non-canon Kirby Super Star manga, there presumably is a Queen Dedede. This is not mentioned elsewhere.
 * Masked Dedede's mask is apparently power-amplifying and its origins are unknown.
 * His mask's design is also a heavily-altered version of Dark Mind's mask.
 * However, the Pause Screen description for Masked Dedede's Revenge in Kirby: Triple Deluxe seems to imply that the mask keeps his power suppressed as opposed to amplifying it.
 * In Kirby's Blowout Blast, when Giant King Dedede's Revenge is defeated and the king lands on the platform, he sits with his mouth hanging open. When Giant Masked Dedede is defeated and the king shrinks down, he lies on the ground crying. These are both references to reactions he has at the end of Kirby's Dream Land.
 * Oddly enough, the Pause Screen description for King Dedede's fight in Kirby Star Allies expresses disbelief that he has stolen all the food in Dream Land and hoarded it to himself, despite that being the plot of both Spring Breeze and Kirby's Dream Land.
 * In Kirby Star Allies, one of King Dedede's gloves appears as one of the symbols on Void Termina's body.
 * According to Escargoon in the episode A Princess in Dis-Dress, King Dedede usually eats seven cheeseburgers to fill the emptiness left by a heartbreak.