Waddle Dee

"A carefree creature that wanders the hills and dales of Dream Land. Basically harmless to creatures great and small..."

Waddle Dees are the most common inhabitants of Dream Land. Some, but not all, of the Waddle Dee are also affiliated with King Dedede, the self-proclaimed ruler of Dream Land. They are a staple of the Kirby series, being the most common regular enemy appearing since the first ever Kirby title, Kirby's Dream Land. Waddle Dee are notable for not having any real form of attacking and for their peaceful nature, mostly staying out of Kirby's way, walking around aimlessly, occasionally leaping into the air, or just relaxing and enjoying themselves. As they are, they do not give any copy abilities if inhaled by Kirby.

Many variations of Waddle Dee exist, but for the most part, they are simply Waddle Dee holding different accessories, and share the same peaceful characteristics throughout the games.

Although Waddle Dees seem to mean no harm to Kirby, a Waddle Dee and Kirby can still hurt each other if they bump into one another. Regardless, Kirby is able to attack Waddle Dees. No explanation is ever given for this.

Physical Appearance
Waddle Dee have tan, pear-shaped faces, chestnut-colored eyes and no mouth. They have a round body and a pear shaped face, light-orange/tan feet, small stubs for arms, and rosy cheeks just like members of Kirby's species. They do have a mouth in the manga illustrations however.

Most Waddle Dees are either burgandy or some shade of red, but they have other colorations including green, orange, blue, golden, and light-purple.

Kirby's Dream Land
Waddle Dee's first appearance is in Kirby's Dream Land. In both Kirby's Dream Land and Kirby's Adventure, they leave Kirby alone and only run and hop around. The parasol variant drift down from the sky using their parasols, but are otherwise identical in terms of behavior.

Waddle Doo, their relatives, debuted in this game as well.

Kirby's Adventure and Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land
Waddle Dee and Parasol Waddle Dee return, acting the same way they did back in Kirby's Dream Land. This time however, if Kirby inhales one holding onto a parasol, he gets the Parasol copy ability. Inhaling a Waddle Dee on its own still gives no ability.

Kirby's Dream Land 2
In Kirby's Dream Land 2, Waddle Dee are still as peaceful as before. The only difference is that the parasol variant holds Drifters instead of regular parasols, and these will chase Kirby when dropped until they explode on their own.

Kirby's Dream Land 3
In Kirby's Dream Land 3, in addition to the regular parasol-carrying ones, Waddle Dees can sometimes be seen riding on the backs of Nruffs (until the Nruff they're riding crashes into a wall, which either sends them flying off their backs or causes them to fall straight down) and paddleboards (until the paddleboards are either inhaled or destroyed). Kirby's Dream Land 3 introduces the Wapod, another variation of Waddle Dee.

Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra
Waddle Dee in Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra have health bars like the other enemies in the game and (surprisingly) have slightly more health than some of the stronger enemies in the game. A Waddle Dee with particularly high stamina is one of the opponents in The Arena, but it can be beaten simply by inhaling it, and is regarded as being one of the easiest bosses of the entire series.

In Kirby Super Star Ultra, a card of Waddle Dee (as well as many of its variants) appears in the mini-game Kirby Card Swipe. If Kirby wins in Revenge of the King, Waddle Dees walk behind King Dedede to cheer him up.

A Parasol Waddle Dee is the Helper for the Parasol ability, and can perform any techniques that Parasol Kirby can. This is one of three red Waddle Dees in the game, besides the one in Revenge of Meta Knight and the Bandanna Waddle Dee. Red is not the only unusual coloration in this game, however, as there are pink Waddle Dees in Milky Way Wishes. It is also the representative for Parasol in the sub-game Helper to Hero.

Sailor Waddle Dee
In Revenge of Meta Knight, there is an unnamed Waddle Dee clad in a sailor hat nicknamed "Sailor Waddle Dee" or "Sailor Dee" that serves Meta Knight. He stays on board the Halberd, and watches Meta Knight fight Kirby as the other crew members leave. Although this Waddle Dee's fate after the fight is unknown, nor is it known if he survives the plunge into Secret Sea, it is often considered that he flew away with Meta Knight as the ship crashed.

Sailor Dee makes a small cameo in stage 5 of Strato Patrol EOS as he stands in the background cheering on Meta Knight.

Bandanna Waddle Dee
In Revenge of the King, there is a Waddle Dee wearing a blue bandanna (nicknamed "Bandanna Waddle Dee" or "Bandanna Dee" by fans) who serves King Dedede. This Waddle Dee previously appeared in the mini-game Megaton Punch in the original, and this subgame expands on his role. After Kirby destroys King Dedede's best minions, he pits this Waddle Dee against Kirby, much to his dismay. He also appears in The Arena, replacing Arena Waddle Dee.

Bandanna Waddle Dee makes a small cameo in stage 5 of Strato Patrol EOS as he stands in the background cheering on Meta Knight.

Bandanna Waddle Dee is a playable character in Kirby's Return to Dream Land, and appears to play a significant role in the storyline.

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
For the first time ever in the series, Waddle Dee appears as a supporting character instead of an enemy. Initially it becomes a Waddle Doo after Dark Matter possesses it, but after Kirby defeats it, it reverts to being friendly again. His affiliation with King Dedede is not known, but he joins Kirby and Ribbon on their search for the Crystal Shards, and is usually seen in a vehicle of sorts, ranging from a boat, a mine cart, and a sled, appearing at least once in every planet to help. Waddle Dee is the slowest of the helpers and most often activates simple machines such as a platform, or breaks through objects like the ceiling. At the end of every level, he can be seen eating a riceball. Unlike most Waddle Dees he is not particularly weak. N-Zs appear to take over Waddle Dee's usual role as the weakest enemy in this game, as the Waddle Dee is the only one in the game. He is a playable character in the minigames.

Kirby & the Amazing Mirror
Waddle Dees appear in the Mirror World with the same abilities like their Dream Land counterparts. A new sub-species of Waddle Dee called Big Waddle Dee appears, starting in Moonlight Mansion and appearing in all levels afterwards. They have the same abilities and health of a normal Waddle Dee but they have to be Super Inhaled because of their size.

A Waddle Dee with more health than usual is one of the opponents in one of the mid-boss rounds of the Boss Endurance minigame.

Kirby: Canvas Curse
Waddle Dees appear as a regular enemy with the same behavior as before. There are unsuspecting ones that stand in place and a few that run away when they see Kirby. Two new variants are introduced: the Spear and Fluff Waddle Dees. Spear Waddle Dees stand in one spot and throw their spears at Kirby if he comes too close. Fluff Waddle Dee behaves just like Parasol Waddle Dee but floats down holding dandelion fluffs which don't give Kirby any ability.

After finishing the game as Kirby, the Waddle Dee Ball is unlocked as a playable character. Waddle Dee has four health bars and is bouncier but slower than Kirby.

Waddle Dee is drawn in the Paint Panic subgame.

Kirby: Squeak Squad
Waddle Dees and Big Waddle Dees return as enemies. Some Waddle Dees hide in wooden barrels and are released if the barrel is broken. King Dedede will summon Parasol Waddle Dees to his side during the boss battle of Prism Plains. Golden Waddle Dees are a rare variant that hold Treasure Chests, and are faster than regular Waddle Dees.

Kirby's Avalanche
Waddle Dee is the first opponent Kirby faces in the Avalanche tournament. His stage is like a tutorial and the game gives the player hints throughout the match. In this game, Waddle Dee is stated to be Waddle Doo's cousin. He is very timid and scared, and plays Avalanche very poorly.

This is the conversation with Waddle Dee.


 * Kirby: Hi, Waddle Dee! Are you ready?
 * Waddle Dee: Umm, can't we just walk together? The forest scares me...
 * Kirby: Sorry, rules are rules!

Kirby no Kirakira Kizzu
Early on in their adventure, Kirby and his friends run into a Waddle Dee that has stolen one of the star pieces. It tries to fend them off with its parasol, but is eventually defeated. The Waddle Dee later takes away Knuckle Joe in a wheelbarrow after he is beaten later on in the story.

Kirby Air Ride
Waddle Dee appear in groups as obstacles along the track. They start off standing in the middle of the track and rush to the corners of the track when racers approach to avoid being hit. If hit, they slow the player down. They can be inhaled by Kirby and spit out at other racers. All the Waddle Dees in this game are slightly larger than the combined size of Kirby and his Warp Star, possibly to make them harder to avoid.

Some Waddle Dee ride mine carts along the track looking like they are also participating in the race but are otherwise simple obstacles which can be avoided or attacked. This may be a reference to Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, when, at one point, the Waddle Dee escorted Kirby through a crystalline cave in Neo Star while in a mine cart.

Kirby's Epic Yarn
"Yin-Yarn made these imposters! They look just like the real ones!"

- Waddle Dee's Cast Description

In Kirby's Epic Yarn, they are known as fake Waddle Dees. Waddle Dees appear as regular enemies. They can be seen walking around on their own, sleeping, and they also occasionally trip (The sound that they make when they trip is the sound of a squeaky toy.). Kirby can easily defeat these enemies through his yarn whip. Kirby can also stand on Waddle Dees without being harmed, though this will humorously cause them to panic. They sometimes wield parasols, spears, balloons, and bow & arrows. Parasol Waddle Dees are immune to the yarn whip attack from the direction which their parasols are facing. The Waddle Dees' spear, bows and arrows give projectiles which can defeat several enemies in a row when thrown. In Snow Land, some Waddle Dees throw snowballs of varying sizes that Kirby and/or Prince Fluff can get trapped in, and destroy any enemy it comes into contact with. There is also a feature where a Waddle Dee may run away and cower from Saucer Kirby. Cowering Waddle Dees don't affect their ability in any way, they just cover their heads and look scared as Kirby approaches. Yin-Yarn specifically created the yarn versions of Waddle Dee in the image of real ones.

These Waddle Dees serve Yin-Yarn, the primary antagonist of Kirby's Epic Yarn. Their similar appearance to actual Waddle Dees is used to his advantage, capturing the real Waddle-Dees as well as King Dedede, who, by the time realized what was going on it was too late.

Big Waddle Dees return and are seen in two levels. They are just as harmless as before.

Kirby Mass Attack
Waddle Dees return in Kirby Mass Attack (both in the main game and in the SHMUP minigame). This time, they are not seen in the main game until the third world. There are both normal and large-sized Waddle Dees and they attack by throwing bombs. There are also Waddle Dees in trees that throw food and Explosive coconuts at Kirby, depending on the level, as well as Waddle Dees hiding within paintings that throw two bombs simultaneously. Also, a large Waddle Dee hiding in a large star block appears as a mid-boss. In the fight against King Dedede, the bomb variant of the Waddle Dees appear after he takes enough damage. Parasol Waddle Dees appear in the Strato Patrol EOS minigame.

Playable Appearances
Waddle Dee is a playable character in the following games:


 * Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards: In mini-games and some levels (riding various vehicles). He is the only Waddle Dee in the game.
 * Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra: Parasol Waddle Dee is the helper for Parasol Kirby available in Helper to Hero and playable by Player 2, and a bandanna-wearing Waddle Dee can be played as in the two player mode of the Megaton Punch mini-game. There is no multiplayer mode in the Super Star Ultra version of Megaton Punch, but Waddle Dee is an opponent in singleplayer mode of the mini-game in both versions.
 * Kirby: Canvas Curse: Waddle Dee Ball is unlocked after beating the game once as Kirby.
 * Kirby: Squeak Squad: Ghost Kirby can possess and control any Waddle Dee he encounters.
 * Kirby's Avalanche: May be chosen randomly as the second player in two player mode.
 * Kirby's Return to Dream Land: Bandanna Dee is playable by players 2, 3, or 4. He wields a spear.

Variants
These are regular Waddle Dees, but do things besides just walk around.

Parasol Waddle Dee


It is the second most common form of Waddle Dee - a relatively harmless variant holding a red and white parasol. It is the only Waddle Dee that bestows an ability (Parasol) to Kirby when inhaled. Inhaling the parasol after it is let go of gives the same effect, but inhaling the Waddle Dee who has already dropped the parasol gives no ability.

In terms of behavior, Parasol Waddle Dees often float down slowly from the sky. Once they reach the ground, they usually let go of their parasols and stay in place or walk around, but sometimes they hold onto the parasol upon reaching the ground. They do not attack Kirby, regardless.

In Kirby Super Star and its remake, this particular type of Waddle Dee is the Helper of the Parasol ability. The Helper can use all the attacks that Parasol Kirby can use, whereas the plain enemy version is devoid of attacks aside from coming in contact with Kirby as it calmly floats down. The exception to this is the rare "Parasol Spear Waddle Dee", which is a relatively new variant exclusive to the Revenge of the King sub-game which can attack Kirby with a spear upon landing.

In Kirby's Epic Yarn, these Waddle Dees can permanently float in air and act as midair platforms for Kirby and Prince Fluff to stand on. Some walk on the ground holding the parasol sideways, and these can deflect yarn whip attacks against them.

Parasol Waddle Dee appears alongside regular Waddle Dee in all games except Kirby 64, Kirby: Canvas Curse and most spinoff games. In some rare cases, a Waddle Doo may hold a parasol as well and float down from the sky. In Canvas Curse there are Fluff Waddle Dee float down from the sky using dandelion fluffs which do not give any ability.

Fluff Waddle Dee
Similar to Parasol Waddle Dee, Fluff Waddle Dee slowly float to the ground, holding a dandelion fluff instead of a parasol. Once they land, their dandelions break up and float away on the wind. They only appear in Kirby: Canvas Curse and give no copy ability.

Cart Waddle Dee
In Kirby Air Ride, some Waddle Dee ride around on the track in little mine carts as basic obstacles to slow the racers down. Unlike regular Waddle Dee in this game, Cart Waddle Dee do not get out of the way if a racer is right behind them, making them more difficult to avoid. Like all other Waddle Dees, they do not give Kirby an ability when eaten.

They are perhaps based on the Waddle Dee from Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, who at one point drove Kirby through a crystalline mine on Neo Star in a runaway mine cart. A card of them also appears in Kirby Super Star Ultra in the mini-game Card Swipe.

Spear Waddle Dee
Appearing so far only in the games Kirby: Canvas Curse, Kirby Super Star Ultra, and Kirby's Epic Yarn, these Waddle Dees wield sharp spears to throw or jab at Kirby. Many of the Waddle Dees on guard duty around Dedede's Castle in anime series are armed with spears.

In Kirby: Canvas Curse, six Spear Waddle Dees appear as a Mid-boss, on Reddy Land, level two.

The Spear Waddle Dees debuted in the games in Kirby: Canvas Curse, where they jump up and throw their spears down in an arch-like position at Kirby, usually with very precise aim (much like Yarikos from Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards). These Waddle Dee are stationary; they stay in one place to throw their spears and never move.

In Kirby Super Star Ultra, Spear Waddle Dee appear in Revenge of the King. The (now mobile) Spear Waddle Dees toss their spears at Kirby from afar in addition to quickly jabbing with them. They are also seen standing beside King Dedede in the Revenge of the King intro movie and also appear in card-form of in the mini-game Card Swipe. The game also introduces the "Parasol Spear Waddle Dee", which is equipped with both a parasol and a spear at the same time. They only appear in a few levels of Revenge of The King and have the same behavior as a Parasol Waddle Dee combined with a Spear Waddle Dee; meaning they float down from the sky and then proceed to attack with their spears once they land. They give the Parasol ability when eaten.

In Kirby's Epic Yarn, Spear Waddle Dees no longer throw their spears, and Kirby can yank the spear off and make a projectile out of it if it is pointed towards Kirby or straight up. They are more impediment than enemy, as they walk about with their spears, but do not actively seek out Kirby. When they sleep, they plant their spear tip-first into the ground and become harmless.

Swinging Waddle Dee
Only appearing in The Great Cave Offensive, Revenge of the King, and Kirby's Return to Dream Land, a swinging Waddle Dee only swings from side to side on a strand of blue beads, completely ignoring Kirby. The wild swinging can make them a hazard, however. They are based on Swinging Waddle Doos, which are seen in other subgames. To date, these are among the rarest variants of Waddle Dee.

Balloon Waddle Dee
Balloon Waddle Dees debut in Kirby's Epic Yarn. They hold handfuls of colorful balloons and do not attack. They come out of red patches and walk to a predetermined spot before inflating their balloons and float up into the sky. Kirby can jump onto them or their balloons and use them as platforms to ascend, but the balloons only last so long sustaining Kirby's weight before they burst, and burst anyway after the Waddle Dee goes up high enough.

Bow Waddle Dee
Bow Waddle Dees debut in Kirby's Epic Yarn. They hold a bow and shoot arrows when Kirby gets close enough. They do not aim at Kirby, however, and only shoot one spot on the ground. Kirby can steal their bow or the arrow they shot and throw it back at them.

Snowball Waddle Dee
Snowball Waddle Dees debut in Kirby's Epic Yarn. They are first seen in Snow Land. They gather up snow and toss snow balls of varying sizes, which can destroy other enemies by rolling over them, or trap Kirby and Prince Fluff in. Kirby and Prince fluff can break free by pressing buttons repeatedly or when the snowball hits a wall. The snowballs can be approached from above when rolling walked on to reach certain areas.

Missile Waddle Dee
This variant of Waddle Dee debuts in Kirby's Epic Yarn. These Waddle Dees make missiles out of yarn and throws them at Kirby and Prince Fluff, but these can be captured using the yarn whip and thrown back. Bronto Burt, Cannon Mariner, and Blast Mariner, use similar missiles.

Painted Waddle Dee
In Kirby's Adventure and Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, Paint Roller, the boss of Ice Cream Island, paints these creatures to life during the battle. After this painted foe steps off the canvas it immediately flees. If Kirby inhales it, however, it can be used as ammo against Paint Roller if Kirby has no ability. The Painted Waddle Dee and the Kirby painting are the only paintings that don't give an ability if inhaled. These Painted Waddle Dees also appear in Kirby's Dream Land 3, in level 6 of Cloudy Park.

Parasol Spear Waddle Dee
It is a very rare variant of Waddle Dee found in Revenge of the King of Kirby Super Star Ultra. Wielding a spear like Spear Waddle Dee and floating down with a parasol like Parasol Waddle Dee, it can attack Kirby with a spear upon landing.

Other variants
These Waddle Dees have notably unique physical appearance and have properties that make them stand apart from the other variants.

Wapod
It looks like a ghost-like Waddle Dee, which has a tail, and lives in a jar. When Kirby approaches the jar, it comes out of it in the manner of a genie from a lamp and wag its tail in place, but doesn't do anything else.

Arena Waddle Dee
This variant of Waddle Dee only appears in The Arena in Kirby Super Star. It is an opponent in one of the rounds and its behavior is no different from an ordinary Waddle Dee, but it has much more hitpoints. The easiest way to defeat it is to simply inhale it. Being a regular, unarmed Waddle Dee, it gives no copy ability.

In Kirby Super Star Ultra, the original Arena Waddle Dee is replaced by the bandanna-wearing one nicknamed Bandanna Dee, which Kirby previously faced in Megaton Punch and Revenge of the King.

Big Waddle Dee
A super-sized Waddle Dee that needs to be super-inhaled. In all other respects, these colossal creatures are just as weak as their regular counterparts.

Golden Waddle Dee
These shiny enemies carry treasure. They sometimes need to be trapped to get the treasure they have. In some cases, there is no way to trap them so Kirby would have to outrun and destroy it before it gets away. They are faster than a normal Waddle Dee, and there is always some chance of it falling off a cliff. It does not regenerate if lost. These Waddle Dees are said to be capable of swimming (as seen in the sprite sheet), but they do not do so in the game.

One has also been seen in Kirby Mass Attack in stage 6 of Dedede Resort. There is an achivement for defeating it.

Buggy Dee
Appearing in Kirby's Epic Yarn, it comes on the screen when Kirby is in his Off-Roader form. It rides in a green dinosaur-like dune buggy, and is properly known as a Truck Monster.

In the Anime
In Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, King Dedede's castle is filled with Waddle Dees who are commanded by a single Waddle Doo. The Waddle Dees serve King Dedede's whim as well as keep the castle clean and perform guard duty. In Pink-Collar Blues, it is speculated 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 the work and do not have problems with King Dedede's personality.

The actual number of Waddle Dee in the castle is unknown. This issue was brought up in the episode Pink-Collar Blues, and not even Waddle Doo knows the exact number. Escargoon had counted at least 1,580 of them before he confused Kirby as a Waddle Dee and lost count, so there could be at least that many. Escargoon quickly concludes that it's impossible to count them all. In another episode, Waddle Doo ordered "2,000 steak sandwiches for the Waddle Dees!"

Episode 042 is also the Waddle Dee's most prominent episode. They were kicked out of the castle when King Dedede ordered the Domestic Servant Robot from Nightmare Enterprises as their replacement. It was then revealed that the Robot was stealing valuables from the castle to pay of Dedede's debt to Nightmare Enterprises. When the robot attacked Dedede's Castle, he brought the Waddle Dees to arms, and managed to dismantle the robot with Stone Kirby's help. Despite Dedede's treatment, they protected his treasure anyway by taking it with them when they left the castle. Afterwards, they all did the Kirby Dance with Kirby.

The Waddle Dees in the anime are shown to talk, although their language is only understandable by Waddle Doo, who has to translate it for others.

They have no mouths, but they are able to eat, taking and eating a senbei (a flavored cracker) right from Escargoon's hands with it just disappearing into their faces, and leaving the scene munching on the senbei. They seem to have a comparable appetite to Kirby's, although they do get full eventually, unlike Kirby.

In the Super Smash Bros. Series
In all three Super Smash Bros. games, when Kirby inhales Donkey Kong, he resembles a Waddle Dee.

In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Waddle Dee appears as a common Trophy that players can collect. Its trophy description states that Waddle Dee "don't consider themselves to be followers of King Dedede". Waddle Dee appears as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl too.



In Super Smash Bros. Brawl Waddle Dee is a projectile weapon thrown by King Dedede during his Side + B Move "Waddle Dee Toss". Dedede will also throw Waddle Doo and Gordo sometimes. After being thrown Waddle Dee will behave the same as they do in any Kirby game. Only two Waddle Dees can be on the stage at once, but Dedede can pick up and throw the same Waddle Dee more than once. They can also be attacked.

Dedede calls an army of Waddle Dees as his Final Smash. These Waddle Dees are faster than the ones Dedede throws and can easily sweep an opponent off-stage.

Dedede's intro consists of four Waddle Dees carrying him on his throne and in one of his winning poses King Dedede is accompanied by a lone Waddle Dee.

Two stickers of Waddle Dee appear in this game. One uses his design from Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, the other from his ball form in Kirby: Canvas Curse.

Subspace Emissary
In Brawl's story mode, an army of Waddle Dees help King Dedede capture Luigi by distracting him while King Dedede attacks. After using Luigi as bait to lure Wario out of his vehicle they all crowd around Wario allowing King Dedede to steal Wario's vehicle (and the Trophies he collected) from him. After distracting Wario, they all run after King Dedede who is now driving Wario's Cargo.

Related Quotes
"Touch to charge. Bounce!"

- In-game description

Trivia

 * Waddle Dees attack King Dedede in Kirby's Return to Dream Land, so not all of them may be controlled by the king.

Other Helper Icons
Waddle Dee ワドルディ