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I'll be the one to keep the peace!
— King Dedede • Kirby Star Allies

King Dedede, also written as King DeDeDe or King De De De (in certain older games), is Kirby's arch-rival and a major character in Nintendo and HAL Laboratory's long-running Kirby video game series. He (or something in his likeness) has appeared in every game in the series except Kirby & The Amazing Mirror. As such, he is one of the most recurring characters in the series besides Kirby, Meta Knight, Waddle Dee, Kracko, and Whispy Woods. Due to his many roles as Kirby's main adversary, many consider Dedede to be the series antagonist. Despite this, he has helped more than harmed since Kirby's Return to Dream Land, and Nintendo has even described Dedede as Kirby's "arch-frenemy."[3]

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 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.

King Dedede's trademark weapon is a large star-studded hammer which he can swing around with the greatest of ease. He is also able to inhale objects and spit them out in a manner similar to Kirby. According to his trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee, he underwent a series of rigorous training programs to learn and master the use of inhaled air to fly like Kirby at some point after the events of Kirby's Dream Land.

Physical Appearance[]

King Dedede resembles a 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 has blue eyes, though his eyelids often change between blue eyelids or simple black dashes. 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 "onesie" (occasionally portrayed as a kimono), that is not shown in some games, revealing a blue belly (or a tan belly marking in Kirby Squeak Squad artwork). In addition, he has a red and yellow, zigzag-patterned obi stretched across his waist - concept art has shown that it is separate from his tan garment, being stretched over it.

Personality[]

King Dedede is a lazy, greedy, and selfish king who often has little interest in ruling, and loves food. Due to being Kirby’s arch-rival and his many antagonistic roles, many have perceived King Dedede as the main antagonist of the Kirby series and a villain. While he has done his fair share of questionable deeds, most of his fights with Kirby following Kirby's Dream Land have happened when Dedede is under the influence or control of some other entity — three times by Dark Matter, and once by Yin-Yarn, possibly the Skull Gang, Taranza, a Jamba Heart shard, and Fecto Forgo. Other times, Kirby fights him due to misunderstandings; such as Kirby's Adventure and Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, where Kirby fights Dedede without letting the king explain his action of breaking the Star Rod; and during Kirby: Squeak Squad, where Kirby accuses him of stealing his Strawberry Shortcake. Some of their duels take place in non-canonical spin-offs, such as in Kirby Fighters Deluxe and Kirby's Blowout Blast.

Whenever Dedede acts as an antagonist out of his own free will, it is usually due to his own selfish and greedy desires, such as stealing food for himself, or trying to prove himself better than Kirby. Despite his greed and selfishness, however, King Dedede is also shown to have a heart of gold, truly caring for the well-being of his kingdom and others (including Kirby). His action of breaking the Star Rod in Kirby's Adventure/Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land was ultimately to protect Dream Land's inhabitants from Nightmare by trapping him in the Fountain of Dreams. In the Revenge of the King sub-game of Kirby Super Star Ultra, he even spares Bandana Waddle Dee, his loyal follower, from having to fight Kirby. In addition, when a Waddle Dee tripped while trying to flee the Beast Pack late in Kirby and the Forgotten Land, King Dedede stayed behind to hold off the Pack as well as threw the Waddle Dee into the elevator before it closed. He also helped Kirby and the gang gather Crystal Shards in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (albeit reluctantly), and can even be seen crying as they depart from Ripple Star after saying goodbye to Ribbon in the "Fare...well?" cutscene. He can also be quite brave: he aids in taking down powerful adversaries like Landia, Magolor, and Queen Sectonia, and, in Super Smash Bros. Brawl’s The Subspace Emissary, showed no fear of Bowser's rage as he gave him a sharp flick across the nose to direct his attention to Tabuu's threat.

King Dedede and Kirby appear to be on better terms as friendly rivals since Kirby Super Star Ultra, possibly due to the events in Revenge of the King where Dedede and Kirby fought to end their grudge "once and for all." In Kirby's Return to Dream Land, he works together with Kirby and co. to help Magolor, and joins forces with Kirby, the People of the Sky, and Taranza in defeating Queen Sectonia after she fuses with the Dreamstalk, even saving Kirby from being squeezed to death by her, in Kirby: Triple Deluxe. However, Kirby: Planet Robobot implies Dedede still harbors some of his former misgivings towards Kirby; Susie states that Dedede Clone, a clone made with King Dedede’s DNA, appears to have a grudge against Kirby. This is also exemplified in Kirby Battle Royale, where Dedede is the main antagonist and wants to humiliate Kirby by making him lose in The Cake Royale, despite their rivalry having become more friendly in recent times.

King Dedede appears to be trying to better himself and improve his reputation with his subjects, as his Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go! description in Kirby Star Allies states that he is trying to clean his self-image by going out to save his people. His boss battle description emotes disbelief that Dedede would steal all of Dream Land's food, hinting King Dedede's behavior has become more ethical. The intros of Kirby: Planet Robobot and Kirby Star Allies show that he likes to play chess and gaze at the sky with his Waddle Dee servants. The ending picture of his and Meta Knight and Bandana Waddle Dee's Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go! displays them resting outside in the tree shade together, and the Celebration Picture "Friends' Getaway" depicts them and Kirby relaxing in the Fountain of Dreams, showing how he became more sociable and formed good friendships with his subjects and long-time rival.

King Dedede is shown to have formed a close bond with Meta Knight, Kirby's other rival from their shared inability to defeat Kirby in battle. King Dedede appears to dislike this fact, as in Kirby Fighters 2, he teams up with Meta Knight to claim a victory for once, and they go through desperate measures to do so.

King Dedede has his own sense of humor and is rather expressive. For example, in the ending of Kirby's Dream Land, he expresses shock with a humorous expression after being defeated and throws fits and cries. On the title screen of Kirby's Return to Dream Land, he makes an amusing face at Kirby, who simply tilts his head in confusion, causing the king to laugh at his reaction; in the same game, the King reacts with a look of absolute shock following Magolor's betrayal, with shrunken irises and his mouth gaping wide open. On the title screen of Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition, Dedede blows a kiss toward the player before laughing. He is shown in some mediums to be something of a prankster, as in Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, he tried to feed bombs to Kirby as a joke (before being led to believe his joke may have gotten Kirby killed). In King K. Rool's debut trailer for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, "The Rivals," King Dedede disguised himself as King K. Rool in an attempt at pranking Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong, laughing hysterically before being knocked aside by the real K. Rool.

Amusingly, it is also stated in Kirby: Planet Robobot that the test clones of Dedede were afraid of a certain insect, meaning that Dedede likely also has a fear of a certain bug (possibly bees, as he showed no fear towards Taranza at the end of Kirby: Triple Deluxe, but was terrified of Queen Sectonia, who resembled a bee).

Although King Dedede's authority and influence over Dream Land is seldom questioned in the games, events and descriptions in several spin-offs and Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, as well as his trophy description and Codec conversation with Colonel Campbell in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, suggest that it is highly subjective depending on context.

Games[]

Kirby's Dream Land[]

King Dedede first appears 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. He also plunders the inhabitants' treasured Sparkling Stars so that he can continue his thievery. 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 ending, he plummets through the top of the screen and crash lands, knocked senseless. After regaining clarity, he remembers his defeat and throws a fit about it before storming off in frustration.

In the Extra Game ending, he crashes through the top of the screen yet again and slams into the ground. He attempts to pick himself up, but is too disoriented. He stumbles backwards for a bit before falling face first into the ground, seemingly too battered to even stand. Kirby then walks over to the dazed King Dedede and nudges him a few times until he looks up. Kirby appears to scold him, and much to his surprise King Dedede begins to weep. He picks himself up before sulking away, Kirby chasing after him.

King Dedede attacks in this game by trying to tackle Kirby, by walking up to him and swinging his hammer, and by attempting to flatten Kirby by crashing down on him after a huge jump. 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 much faster in Extra Mode and is harder to hit as well.

Kirby's Adventure and Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land[]

In Kirby's Adventure and its remake, King Dedede removes the fabled Star Rod from the Fountain of Dreams and shatters it into seven pieces, giving them to several of his underlings. This leaves the people of Dream Land unable to dream, and Kirby goes to the Dream Spring to investigate. Upon finding Dedede bathing in the spring's waters, he immediately assumes the King is back to his usual mischief and demands to know what he's done with the Star Rod. Dedede, nonchalant, admits to his deed and tells Kirby that he's given the pieces to his friends. Without letting the King say another word, Kirby storms off and sets out to repair the Star Rod, restore Dream Land's dreams, and punish the King for his cruel actions.

Dedede's battle is fought like in Kirby's Dream Land, but he has a new attack where he can inhale some air in order to puff up and fly around the stage, just as Kirby does. As Kirby recovered the Star Rod and replaced it (with Dedede trying to stop him) Nightmare appeared. In a key plot revelation, defeating King Dedede reveals that he was actually trying to protect Dream Land from the Nightmare that invaded the Fountain of Dreams. Needing the Star Rod to complete his plan to harm the Dream Landers through their dreams (or rather, nightmares), Nightmare flees into the night sky, prompting Dedede to launch Kirby after him in a last ditch attempt to foil his evil plot. Kirby then realized Dedede never meant any harm. This is one of the few instances in the early games 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 Pinball Land[]

KPL Dedede Lightning

King Dedede's lightning bolt attack in Kirby's Pinball Land.

King Dedede once again appears as the main antagonist and final boss of Kirby's Pinball Land, in his first role outside of the main Kirby series. In the game's intro cutscene, he attacks Kirby by stomping on him, taunts him, then jumps away off the top of the screen via a series of pinball bumpers he creates out of thin air. The final battle against King Dedede is accessible via a Warp Star that appears after defeating the game's three other bosses (Whispy Woods, Kracko, and Poppy Bros. Sr.).

During the battle, King Dedede makes his entrance under a spotlight in a darkened room, first appearing as a silhouette. After a short time, the lights go on and the room is revealed to be a wrestling ring similar to the one he used in Kirby's Dream Land. His fight consists of three phases. In the first phase, Dedede stands in the spotlight, dances a bit, then pulls out a bomb that he can throw at the flippers to disable them; he always throws at the left flipper, then the right flipper, and repeats the process until he is hit five times, after which the second phase occurs. In the second phase, Dedede inflates himself and pursues Kirby, presumably in an attempt to push him into the hole, until he is hit eight more times, after which the third phase occurs. In the third phase, Dedede jumps to the side, holds up his hand, and shoots a bolt of lightning at one of the flippers, disabling it; afterward, he will then jump to the middle, hold up both hands, and will alternate between disabling the left and right flippers with his lightning attack; after this, the process repeats with him jumping to the other side; after being hit ten more times, he is defeated.

Kirby's Dream Course[]

Although the plot of Kirby's Dream Course differs between the international 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[]

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KAv Dedede Outro

Dedede tells Kirby to enter the actual Avalanche competition

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 after the latter conquers over Meta Knight. His pre-match animation has him jumping around in place and yelling in a boastful manner. When defeated, he is shown kneeling down in front of his discarded hammer crying from a distance. 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."

As the final boss of the game, he is the hardest opponent Kirby will face. His stage will have blobs drop at their fastest rate as if the player has held down the fast drop in earlier stages. Additionally, Dedede's AI is extremely strong, being fully aggressive and aiming to pull off many combos. However, he often struggles to recover from even small combos, so he can be quickly defeated by multiple smaller combos if a larger one can't be accomplished.

Kirby's Dream Land 2[]

Dedede Dreamland2

King Dedede as he appears in the ending of 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, glad that Kirby expelled the Dark Matter from the land.

Kirby's Block Ball[]

King Dedede appears as the game's final boss, having stolen the five Sparkling Stars again; he appears as the boss of Stage 11, which can only be reached by getting a Border Line Clear on all ten stages beforehand. If Kirby beats Stage 10 without getting all ten Border Line Clears, Kirby leaves Blockworld on his Warp Star, takes out a knapsack, and walks away before the words "THE END" appear; after this occurs, Dedede's image looms over Blockworld, to which Kirby returns, adding a "?" to "THE END," with "LET'S TRY AGAIN!" appearing at the bottom of the screen to let the player know there's still more to the game.

In Stage 11's intro, King Dedede is seen surrounded by indestructible blocks, protecting him from Kirby's bouncing. However, Kirby defeats a Kookler also present in the area and uses the Crash item to destroy the blocks, leaving Dedede defenseless; Dedede tries to run away, but he ultimately gets hit by Kirby.

After traversing six rounds in Stage 11, King Dedede appears in the Boss Area in round 7; any of the 29 Star Blocks collected throughout the stage, found in rounds 3-6, will appear here to block the spike gutters. King Dedede has 24 health, compared to all previous bosses only having 12. King Dedede starts the fight by standing in the center of the arena, pulling out a bomb, then spinning around before throwing it to either the left or right a short distance before it falls straight down; if a bomb makes contact with a Star Block or paddle, the Star Block will be destroyed or the paddle will shrink respectively. Kirby can also destroy bombs by making contact with them. Once King Dedede is at 16 health or less, he inhales himself and hovers, moving to the right and left; if Kirby tries to attack him from the front, King Dedede will inhale and spit him back out directly downward. When King Dedede is at 8 health or less, he returns to the middle of the arena and pulls out a rocket launcher. He then fires four rockets, each aimed at one of the four paddles; he does this while spinning counter-clockwise, firing at the bottom paddle first. King Dedede then jumps to the right side of the arena and fires three rockets, rotating clockwise and not firing at the right paddle. King Dedede then jumps back to the middle of the arena and fires four rockets, spinning clockwise this time. King Dedede then jumps to the left side of the arena and fires three rockets, rotating counter-clockwise and not firing at the left paddle. King Dedede then repeats the pattern upon jumping back to the middle of the arena. Like with the bombs, Kirby can intercept the rockets to prevent them from shrinking his paddles or destroying any Star Blocks. Once King Dedede is defeated, the player is awarded 100,000 points, as well as 1,000 points for each remaining ball.

Upon his defeat, King Dedede is sent flying out the top of the castle, where the five Sparkling Stars escape and destroy the castle, leaving behind a fountain that Kirby splashes in the water of before being sent high into the sky to the ending screen; by waiting on the ending screen, King Dedede can be seen flying through the sky.

In the Up Down sub-game, King Dedede's face is one of three images that can appear on the panels, with the other images being that of a star or Kirby; matching four panels with the King Dedede face grants a 1UP, the lowest reward in the sub-game.

If the player is playing the game using the Super Game Boy, a border will appear around the game screen; King Dedede can be seen at the top of the border.

Kirby's Toy Box[]

King Dedede appears in three of the games in Kirby's Toy Box: Pinball, Star Break, and Ball Rally.

In Pinball, King Dedede is situated to the right of the machine, nearby a number counter. Hitting him rewards 300 points, and the nearby counter increases by one each time he is hit. When King Dedede is hit five times, it displays "HIT" instead, and successfully doing so rewards 1,000 points instead of 300, and also gives the player an opportunity to launch from the shooter lane again. When King Dedede is not being interacted with, he sits in place, occasionally shifting his eyes around to look at the player; he laughs if left alone for even longer.

In Star Break, King Dedede appears in Stage 6 as a boss; there are no stars to break here. King Dedede floats around in a lemniscate pattern and drops hammers periodically, or soon after being hit; he alternates between throwing the hammers to the right and left, and they follow ballistic trajectories, bounce off walls, and can temporarily disable the trampoline Ricks if they are hit by one. Hitting King Dedede rewards 1,000 points; hitting him ten times defeats him, rewards an additional 10,000 points, and takes the player back to Stage 1 to continue playing the game theoretically indefinitely.

In Ball Rally, King Dededes appear as some of the 50 balls that go through the course, although King Dedede himself is not ball-like. Only a few King Dededes appear, in a random amount and order, as well as only after at least 25 balls have been dispensed; their only functional difference from Kirby balls is that they're bigger.

Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra[]

In Spring Breeze, a simplified remake of Kirby's Dream Land and the first sub-game of Kirby Super Star, King Dedede plays the same role he did in his debut game. He is also fought in The Arena and is raced in Gourmet Race, in which he challenges Kirby to eat more food than him while running a marathon against him. If Kirby loses, Dedede will laugh at his failure. He also appears in the sub-game Samurai Kirby where he is the penultimate challenger (the last being Meta Knight).

In Kirby Super Star Ultra, King Dedede is also fought in Helper to Hero and Meta Knightmare Ultra. Additionally, his role was greatly expanded in the remake, when he was given a new villain role in another sub-game: Revenge of the King. As a sequel to Spring Breeze, this mode is a reimagining of Kirby's Dream Land’s Extra Game. Here, he plots to fight Kirby in a duel-to-end-all-duels. He lures his rival by once again stealing four of the Sparkling Stars, gauging his strength against old enemies that have gotten stronger.

KPR Maxim Tomato Main article: Masked Dedede

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 his grudge with Kirby once and for all. After losing, Dedede walks into the sunset sulking with his Waddle Dees comforting him.

Kirby's Star Stacker and Kirby's Star Stacker (Super Famicom)[]

King Dedede appears in the Round Clear mode of Kirby's Star Stacker; he challenges Kirby to stack a certain number of stars in each round. During a round, King Dedede's face is present on the right side of the screen. Before King Dedede causes the blocks to rise, his fist appears; if three or less stars are left to end the round, he appears excited, with a teardrop coming out of his eye; if there are only two rows left in either the third or fourth columns, he begins laughing hysterically.

After completing a difficulty in Round Clear, the player will receive a picture of Kirby with his Animal Friends; upon completing SUPER HARD, Kirby and his Animal Friends are inside Kirby's house, looking out the window at King Dedede, who has been turned into a snowman.

King Dedede reprises his Round Clear role and also appears as the main antagonist of the story mode in Kirby's Star Stacker for the Super Famicom. He sees Mr. Star flying across Planet Popstar, and maliciously pranks Mr. Star by firing his cannon against him, knocking him out and scattering his pieces across Dream Land. Dedede is eventually defeated, being launched out of his castle. He is the final opponent of the game if Kirby fails to get all Perfect Stars, fought after Meta Knight.

King Dedede's initial board layout consists primarily of Hard Blocks in a staircase format previously seen with Chef Kawasaki. Similar to his battle in Kirby's Avalanche, King Dedede's AI is extremely aggressive, and he will fully aim for combos and clearing as many blocks he possibly can. This is also complete with his stage having the fastest rate of blocks dropping up to this point, giving Kirby much less time to recover from mistakes. Unlike in Kirby's Avalanche, he will easily recover from non-lethal combos, so Kirby should aim to eliminate as much blocks from his side and create large combos against King Dedede that will end the game.

If all Perfect Stars are obtained after defeating King Dedede, Gryll will arrive to challenge Kirby.

Kirby's Dream Land 3[]

King Dedede fights 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 Dark Matter 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.

In Phase 1 of the boss battle, he uses his normal abilities, including a new twist to his super jump, where he twirls in the air for its duration. In Phase 2, he suddenly becomes surrounded by an eerie mass of dark energy and begins floating in the air, gaining an entirely new health bar. In this form, Dark Matter finally shows itself, peeking its eye out of Dedede's body to shoot blobs of dark energy that home in on Kirby. Perhaps the most disturbing attack is when the king's stomach splits open at the obi and forms a large snarling mouth with sharp teeth. This abomination then chases Kirby, attempting to gobble him up.

Defeating King Dedede and getting all of Iceberg's Heart Stars expells the fiendish entity from his body. Collecting all thirty of them reveals the way to Dark Matter and Zero, the leader of the invasion, in the Hyper Zone. King Dedede, alongside Kirby's animal friends, then see Kirby off with the Love Love Stick to destroy Dark Matter once and for all.

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards[]

Dedede64 render

King Dedede's in-game render

In Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, King Dedede appears as one of the protagonists helping out Kirby. King Dedede is fought very early on in the game and is possessed by one of the Dark Matter grunts for a third time. King Dedede, while surveying his kingdom from his castle, discovers a Crystal Shard. Kirby attempts to retrieve it for Ribbon, but King Dedede snaps it up before he can reach it. Kirby tries to get it back, but Dedede plays keep away and attempts 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, spitting out small Dark Matter-like blobs, and his stomach-mouth chasing after Kirby. After Dark Matter is driven out, the King is dazed and in pain, but Kirby, Ribbon, and Adeleine simply collect the Shard and leave him to recover. While the gang is departing, Waddle Dee tries to convince him to come along with them. He appears to refuse at first, but is clearly conflicted. He makes up his mind at the last moment, worried about Kirby's group going alone.[4]

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 a cave-in.

In the false ending, Dedede is seen crying when departing from Ripple Star.

KingdededeminigamesK64

All four of King Dedede's color palettes available in the sub-games.

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, . 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 game marks the first time that King Dedede is voiced with his voice provided by Masahiro Sakurai, the creator of the Kirby franchise.

Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble[]

King Dedede appears as the game's final boss, having stolen all of Dream Land's stars again; he appears as the boss of Stage 4 of Level 8. After playing the stage's Goal Game, Kirby rolls upward and is greeted by King Dedede grabbing the last Yellow Star Piece; King Dedede then becomes invincible and the fight begins. King Dedede has ten health and can only be damaged by Kirby launching at him from the cannon. Hitting him for the first time causes him to drop the Yellow Star Piece and start panicking, running back and forth; without the Yellow Star Piece in his possession, he can be damaged. After enough time has passed, King Dedede will inhale the dropped Yellow Star Piece and be immune to damage again. King Dedede attacks by dashing downward at Kirby, throwing his hammer as a boomerang before doing so if he is at half health or lower. Upon being defeated, King Dedede cries, to which Kirby goes to comfort him. The two then walk upward, with King Dedede tripping once before rushing to catch up, and the stars are returned to Dream Land's night sky.

Kirby: Canvas Curse[]

King Dedede Painting

Drawcia paints King Dedede into existence.

In Kirby: Canvas Curse, a fake copy 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[]

For the first and only time in the Kirby series, King Dedede makes a 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. Though he can be refought, King Dedede is never seen in the story again. In this game, his attacks are largely the same as they have always been, but he has been weakened, and suffers more recoil from damage taken, likely because he is the first boss.

Kirby's Epic Yarn and Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn[]

King Dedede serves as the boss of Snow Land in Kirby's Epic Yarn and its port, Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn. He also shares his name with the stage he appears in, which follows Frosty Wheel and precedes Frigid Fjords. However, he first appears back in Castle Dedede 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 marionette crashes into him and attaches him to four strings that control him from above, just like a puppet. His attacks range from jumping up and then slamming into the ground with his hammer, a super jump that makes shock waves and Gordos appear, and belly sliding across the slick icy floor. After the four strings have been detached, the marionette is destroyed and Dedede is freed from Yin-Yarn's control as Kirby and Prince Fluff then obtain the sixth strand piece of magic yarn allowing them to go to Space Land. Also, If enough beads were collected during his fight, they can also get the Penguin Patch to unlock Frigid Fjords.

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 Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn, King Dedede now stars as a playable character in a brand new sub-game called Dedede Gogogo. He is shown to always be quickly running forward, making the sub-game an automatic side-scroller. He can also dive under obstacles and use his hammer to attack foes.

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[]

Story[]

King Dedede came to the third of the Popopo Islands and built Dedede Resort. (Daroach detests its construction, as he describes the sweets castle as "beyond tacky" and claims that the king "spoiled [the island's] shores.") Dedede seems to be somehow controlled or influenced by the Skull Gang, as his body contains a flame that prevents the Kirbys from reaching Volcano Valley.

Battle[]

!2King Dedede 2

King Dedede takes damage from an explosion.

King Dedede appears as the boss of Dedede Resort, the third of the Popopo Islands. The Kirbys exit a door into a room of Dedede's sweets castle that lacks a roof. A hot air balloon bearing Dedede's face rises from the bottom of the Touch Screen onto the Top Screen with Dedede in tow, initiating the fight. Dedede is the only end-of-level boss in this game who can be challenged with a single Kirby. Doing this is required to clear the Checklist.

In his first phase, Dedede drops a bomb in a bubble down to the Kirbys. This bomb has a yellow timer indicating that it detonates after eight seconds; any Kirbys caught in its large explosion is KO'd. Like in Stage 6 of Dedede Resort, the player must flick one or more Kirbys into the bubble to bounce it skyward. The goal is to launch the bomb up to the king so he is caught in its explosion, which is made slightly more challenging by his balloon drifting left and right. Dedede then drops two bubbled bombs, one yellow and one green—the latter explodes after 16 seconds. He keeps alternating between throwing one yellow bomb and a pair of yellow and green bombs. After enduring five explosions, the king dives toward the ground face-first, giving the Kirbys an opportunity to mass attack him.

In his second phase, Dedede leaps back into his balloon and tosses more bombs. After dropping seven bombs, he jumps and strikes the ground three times. He can damage up to three Kirbys whenever he hits the group. He pauses between each slam to give the heroes an opportunity to pile on him, though he shakes them off without officially taking damage. After returning to his balloon, Waddle Dees crash through the walls on both sides of the stage. They stand on the tiny platforms high off the ground and toss bombs down at the Kirbys. These can be dangerous distractions as the boss continues to attack, so it is recommended the player defeat the Waddle Dees as quickly as possible. More Waddle Dees takes their place if the player drags the fight on for too long. After six bubble bomb blasts, Dedede's balloon bursts off-screen, sending the king plummeting toward the ground. The player can then damage him with a mass attack.

!2King Dedede 3

Dedede prepares to squash the Kirbys with his mallet.

In his third phase, Dedede uses his trademark mallet to attack. He leaps into the air with it, turns to face the Kirbys, and pounds it against the ground; this can potentially squash several Kirbys at once, KOing them. The boss sits where he lands with his mallet deflecting any Kirbys that attack his front. The player must have them pile on the boss from behind, which can be achieved a few ways: The Kirbys can race under Dedede before he lands so they start behind him, or they can ride the heroic heart and drop onto him. If the player dawdles too long, the boss jumps and strikes the ground three times before using his mallet move again. A small group of Kirbys must mass attack him a few times to win, while a full team of ten can defeat him in one attack. Now conquered, Dedede releases a red flame that explodes, removing the red clouds around Volcano Valley.

A zombified Dedede appears in Stage 3 of Necro Nebula. Here, he has purple robes and feet, and his gloves, beak, and crown are a dull tan color. His balloon matches his color change, with the basket being black and purple. The battle is unchanged with one exception: Waddle Dees will not make an appearance during the fight, but because the player needs to increase their Kirby count to challenge Necrodeus, fruit grows in tree canopies on the Top Screen. Explosions from bubbled bombs knock these down, helping the player amass a larger group. When the zombie is defeated, the third flame on Necrodeus' altar ignites, bringing the player closer to the final boss.

Sub-games[]

King Dedede appears in the Kirby Brawlball sub-game. If Kirby enters his mouth, he warps him to a boss stage. To open his mouth, Kirby must enter the bottom-most pocket and collect five stars. Lining up three Dedede faces in the roulette earns the player 5,000 points, and portraits of Dedede can be lined up in the secret area's roulette. He also appears three times in Kirby Quest: He is the boss of Chapter 1, drives HR-D3 in Chapter 2, and serves as a regular enemy in Chapter 4. In the Fishing Pond, if Kirby keeps fishing, it is possible to pull out Dedede, who appears to be unconscious.

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.[5]

Kirby's Return to Dream Land and Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe[]

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 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 Bandana Waddle Dee are chasing after Kirby (presumably for the Strawberry Shortcake he's holding). Soon after passing Meta Knight, they all notice a dimensional rift open in the sky. A ship called the Lor Starcutter emerges from it and breaks apart. King Dedede and the others investigate it and meet Magolor inside. King 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 seizes Master Crown, the source of Landia's power, to gain great power. Magolor then reveals how he had actually deceived the four as a means to an end before abandoning them to start his plans for universal domination with Planet Popstar, with King Dedede in particular being shocked at Magolor's new, dark form. 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. However, 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, they escape the crumbling dimension back to Planet Popstar, waking up in the fields (with King Dedede getting his head stuck in the ground). They then watch as Landia departs with the Lor.

King Dedede has almost the same exact move set 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's, most notably the Hammer Flip, which does not have a flame effect. The second change is that he is unable to perform Giant Swing; instead, King 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. Since King Dedede inflates himself to fly like Kirby does, he can also use the Air Gun as an attack.

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

In Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, King Dedede's design was updated to match his appearance from Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Additionally, Head Slide and Super Dedede Jump from Kirby Star Allies were added to his techniques.

Techniques[]

Move Controls Description
Hammer 1 King Dedede swings his hammer downwards in front of himself. Can pound in stakes.
Triple Dedede Hammer Hold 1, then release King Dedede pulls back his hammer, then slams his hammer to the ground three times in succession, the final hit more powerful than the other two. This move will fail if the hammer does not hit the ground.
Giant Dedede Swing Dash + 1 King Dedede spins rapidly with his hammer outstretched, hitting opponents several times.
Giant Swing 1 in midair King Dedede swings his hammer vertically 360° around him in midair.
Ultra-Giant Swing Dash + 1 in midair King Dedede swings his hammer vertically 720° around him in midair.
Hammer Twirl Directional Pad Down + 1 King Dedede holds his hammer underneath himself and twirls it, rapidly hitting enemies. He is completely invulnerable during the move's duration.
Dedede Hammer Flip Directional Pad Up + 1 In King Dedede pulls back his hammer as its head, then pulverizes enemies with a powerful uppercut. This is the strongest move he can perform, and one of the most powerful moves in the series that's not from a limited-use ability.
Dedede Hammer Throw Dash + - or - during Giant Dedede Swing King Dedede performs a Giant Dedede Swing before releasing his hammer, sending it flying in the direction held. It floats slightly upwards as it flies, exploding on impact for huge damage.
Underwater Hammer Swing 1 while swimming King Dedede somersaults once in the water with his hammer, similarly to Giant Swing.
Hover 2 in midair King Dedede flies by inflating himself with air and flapping his arms, similarly to Kirby.
Air Bullet 1 during Hover Dedede spits his inhaled air as a bullet that can damage weak enemies, and stops flying.

Move Controls Description
Pro Controller Joy-Con
Hammer B Down Button King Dedede swings his hammer downwards in front of himself. Can pound in stakes.
Triple Dedede Hammer Hold B, then release Hold Down Button, then release King Dedede pulls back his hammer, then slams his hammer to the ground three times in succession, the final hit more powerful than the other two. This move will fail if the hammer does not hit the ground.
Giant Dedede Swing Dash + B Dash + Down Button King Dedede spins rapidly with his hammer outstretched, hitting opponents several times.
Giant Swing B in midair Down Button in midair King Dedede swings his hammer vertically 360° around him in midair.
Ultra-Giant Swing Dash + B in midair Dash + Down Button in midair King Dedede swings his hammer vertically 720° around him in midair.
Hammer Twirl Left Stick Down + B Left Stick Down + Down Button King Dedede holds his hammer underneath himself and twirls it, rapidly hitting enemies. He is completely invulnerable during the move's duration.
Dedede Hammer Flip Left Stick Up + B Left Stick Up + Down Button In King Dedede pulls back his hammer as its head, then pulverizes enemies with a powerful uppercut. This is the strongest move he can perform, and one of the most powerful moves in the series that's not from a limited-use ability. In Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, the move resembles Kirby's version of it from Smash Bros. and Hammer Lord, where he can move and jump while charging it and it becomes more powerful over time. If he charges it for too long, the head explodes, leaving only the handle which deals minimal damage when swung.
Move While Charging Left Stick Left/Left Stick Right during Dedede Hammer Flip King Dedede moves while charging the Dedede Hammer Flip. King Dedede can also jump while charging.
Dedede Hammer Throw Dash + X or X during Giant Dedede Swing Dash + Up Button or Up Button during Giant Dedede Swing King Dedede performs a Giant Dedede Swing before releasing his hammer, sending it flying in the direction held. It floats slightly upwards as it flies, exploding on impact for huge damage.
Head Slide Dash + Left Stick Up, Left Stick Down + B Dash + Left Stick Up, Left Stick Down + Down Button King Dedede leaps forwards invulnerably and slides across the ground a short distance, mimicking the similar move from his boss fights.
Underwater Hammer Swing B while swimming Down Button while swimming King Dedede somersaults once in the water with his hammer, similarly to Giant Swing.
Hover A in midair Right Button in midair King Dedede flies by inflating himself with air and flapping his arms, similarly to Kirby.
Air Bullet B during Hover Down Button during Hover Dedede spits his inhaled air as a bullet that can damage weak enemies, and stops flying.
Super Dedede Jump Left Stick Down, and then Left Stick Up + B Left Stick Down, and then Left Stick Up + Down Button Dedede jumps in the air and lands in the ground a few seconds later.

Move Controls Description
Pro Controller Joy-Con
Hammer Y Left Button King Dedede swings his hammer downwards in front of himself. Can pound in stakes.
Triple Dedede Hammer Hold Y, then release Hold Left Button, then release King Dedede pulls back his hammer, then slams his hammer to the ground three times in succession, the final hit more powerful than the other two. This move will fail if the hammer does not hit the ground.
Giant Dedede Swing Dash + Y Dash + Left Button King Dedede spins rapidly with his hammer outstretched, hitting opponents several times.
Giant Swing Y in midair Left Button in midair King Dedede swings his hammer vertically 360° around him in midair.
Ultra-Giant Swing Dash + Y in midair Dash + Left Button in midair King Dedede swings his hammer vertically 720° around him in midair.
Hammer Twirl Left Stick Down + Y Left Stick Down + Left Button King Dedede holds his hammer underneath himself and twirls it, rapidly hitting enemies. He is completely invulnerable during the move's duration.
Dedede Hammer Flip Left Stick Up + Y Left Stick Up + Left Button In King Dedede pulls back his hammer as its head, then pulverizes enemies with a powerful uppercut. This is the strongest move he can perform, and one of the most powerful moves in the series that's not from a limited-use ability. In Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, the move resembles Kirby's version of it from Smash Bros. and Hammer Lord, where he can move and jump while charging it and it becomes more powerful over time. If he charges it for too long, the head explodes, leaving only the handle which deals minimal damage when swung.
Move While Charging Left Stick Left/Left Stick Right during Dedede Hammer Flip King Dedede moves while charging the Dedede Hammer Flip. King Dedede can also jump while charging.
Dedede Hammer Throw Dash + A or A during Giant Dedede Swing Dash + Right Button or Right Button during Giant Dedede Swing King Dedede performs a Giant Dedede Swing before releasing his hammer, sending it flying in the direction held. It floats slightly upwards as it flies, exploding on impact for huge damage.
Head Slide Dash + Left Stick Up, Left Stick Down + Y Dash + Left Stick Up, Left Stick Down + Left Button King Dedede leaps forwards invulnerably and slides across the ground a short distance, mimicking the similar move from his boss fights.
Underwater Hammer Swing Y while swimming Left Button while swimming King Dedede somersaults once in the water with his hammer, similarly to Giant Swing.
Hover B in midair Down Button in midair King Dedede flies by inflating himself with air and flapping his arms, similarly to Kirby.
Air Bullet Y during Hover Left Button during Hover Dedede spits his inhaled air as a bullet that can damage weak enemies, and stops flying.
Super Dedede Jump Left Stick Down, and then Left Stick Up + Y Left Stick Down, and then Left Stick Up + Left Button Dedede jumps in the air and lands in the ground a few seconds later.

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 Shards 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 cowers behind the throne) with one move, and kidnaps him. Taranza ascends the Dreamstalk with Dedede in tow as Kirby, who witnessed everything, 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 being cornered in Royal Road, Taranza reveals he abducted the king believing he was the chosen hero by the Dreamstalk to save the kingdom. King Dedede becomes the penultimate boss of Royal Road when Taranza hypnotizes him and controls him like a marionette, as well as magically materializes a mask, forcing him to fight Kirby as Masked Dedede.

After Masked Dedede is defeated twice, Taranza realizes Kirby was the true hero and summons Queen Sectonia, who disposes of him for his failure before confronting 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 free will returned after Kirby defeats Queen Sectonia. However, the malevolent monarch recovers and, after monologuing to Kirby and a terrified Dedede about her beauty and power, fuses with the Dreamstalk. The vines cover Planet Popstar as King Dedede and Kirby panic before several of the People of the Sky (whom Kirby previously rescued) arrive with a cannon. Dedede helps Kirby by firing him into the Dreamstalk's overgrowth. Weakening it by destroying the hostile flower buds, Dedede blasts Kirby through the opening so he can confront Sectonia for the second time before it closes. After defeating her, Kirby is grabbed by a vine while his guard is down. Before Kirby can be finished off, Taranza and King Dedede answer his cry for help. King Dedede beckons his former kidnapper to throw him to Kirby, smacking him free with his hammer and momentarily stunning Queen Sectonia. Seeing Taranza holding a Miracle Fruit, King Dedede tosses him Kirby, who is then revitalized and becomes Hypernova Kirby. Kirby then defeats Queen Sectonia for the final time, causing her vines to disintegrate. The king and the pink puff fall from the sky, but Taranza catches King Dedede while the People of the Sky catch Kirby, and they all admire the bloomed flowers on the cleansed 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[]

Cannon DAuJLJbVYAER17h This section contains information that does not coincide with the main series canon. (Similar)
KTD King Dedede

King Dedede in 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.

Techniques[]
Move Controls Description
Hammer B King Dedede swings his hammer downwards in front of himself. Can pound in stakes.
Hammer Wave B King Dedede performs Hammer as usual, also sending forwards a wave of energy with a long range. While it appears to be grounded, it can actually travel in midair as well.
Hammer Cannon Press and hold B, then release King Dedede winds back his hammer, swinging it horizontally forwards when released and firing a red blade of energy forward that can cut ropes.
Aim Hammer Cannon Either of Directional Pad Up/Directional Pad Down while holding B King Dedede aims up or down while his hammer is wound back, changing the direction the Hammer Cannon will fire in when released.
Giant Dedede Swing Dash + B King Dedede spins rapidly with his hammer outstretched, hitting opponents several times. This move has the Bluster effect and can cool Fire Blocks.
Giant Swing B in midair King Dedede swings his hammer vertically 360° around him in midair.
Ultra-Giant Swing Dash + B in midair King Dedede swings his hammer vertically 720° around him in midair.
Hammer Twirl Directional Pad Down + B King Dedede holds his hammer underneath himself and twirls it, rapidly hitting enemies. He is completely invulnerable during the move's duration. This move has the Sizzle effect and can light fuses or melt Ice Blocks.
Dedede Hammer Flip Directional Pad Up + B King Dedede pulls back his hammer as its head bursts into flame, then pulverizes enemies with a powerful uppercut. This is the strongest move he can perform, and one of the most powerful moves in the series that's not from a limited-use ability.
Dedede Hammer Throw Dash + X or X during Giant Dedede Swing King Dedede performs a Giant Dedede Swing before releasing his hammer, sending it flying in the direction held. It floats slightly upwards as it flies, exploding on impact for huge damage.
Underwater Hammer Swing B while swimming King Dedede somersaults once in the water with his hammer, similarly to Giant Swing.
Hover A in midair King Dedede flies by inflating himself with air and flapping his arms, similarly to Kirby.
Air Bullet B during Hover Dedede spits his inhaled air as a bullet that can damage weak enemies, and stops flying.

Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe[]

Cannon DAuJLJbVYAER17h This section contains information that does not coincide with the main series canon. (Similar)

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[]

Cannon DAuJLJbVYAER17h This section contains information that does not coincide with the main series canon. (Similar)

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.[6]. 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 and the Rainbow Curse[]

Though not appearing in this game, King Dedede is referenced in a Figurine. According to a comic, he and Meta Knight lost their colors and got them back after Kirby defeated Dark Crafter. He also appears in Elline's Secret Diary, though she may not have actually met him due to inaccuracies in her depiction of the king.

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 invading and mechanizing his kingdom. King Dedede tries to retaliate with his castle's Shotzos, but is hopelessly overpowered by their technologically superior artillery and his castle ends up partially ravaged by blasts from the Access Ark. 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, Dedede 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 sees that Kirby had successfully restored Planet Popstar to its natural state, rejoicing at this pleasant turn of events with a Waddle Dee.

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

Kirby's Blowout Blast[]

Cannon DAuJLJbVYAER17h This section contains information that does not coincide with the main series canon. (Similar)

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 of 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.

Techniques[]

Move Controls Description Damage (Robo Bonkers)
Hammer B King Dedede strikes the ground in front of him with his hammer. 200
Hammer Twirl B during jump King Dedede holds the hammer below his and twirls it around. 55x2 (initial hits), 70 (final hit)
Dedede Hammer Throw Hold/release B King Dedede charges up his hammer, and then swings it around him before throwing it. 30x4 (Giant Dedede Swing), 250 (thrown hammer), 200 (hammer explosion)
Giant Dedede Swing Y King Dedede swings his hammer around him. 20x3 (swinging), 60 (last swing)


Video[]

Kirby Star Allies[]

Kirby_Star_Allies_Japanese_King_Dedede_Promo

Kirby Star Allies Japanese King Dedede Promo

King Dedede as he appears in 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, with the boss title of His Royal Nemesis. Like the other bosses in Kirby Star Allies, he is corrupted by the Jamba Heart. He is looking from his castle balcony with one of his Waddle Dees. As they bring him his meal, one of the Jamba Hearts come crashing into his castle. As he cautiously inspects it, he's soon corrupted. He has all of the food in Dream Land stolen, which prompts Kirby to head to his castle to investigate. Reaching the throne room, he and the Star Allies see Dedede gorging on the stolen, spoiled food before the king attacks them.

In the first half of the battle, he is fought like normal. He attacks with sliding, jumping, hitting the ground with a hammer, trying to inhale Kirby and his friends, and inflating himself and floating. 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 immediately be befriended and turned into a Dream Friend by throwing a Friend Heart at him; he will also become available to summon using the Dream Rod in the Dream Palace along with the Wave 2 Dream Friends. 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. In the third update which released on November 30, King Dedede received a new attack for his moveset, which involves King Dedede jumping into the air to land on enemies, identically to the attack in his boss fights.

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 except Soul Melter EX, where he is replaced by Parallel Dedede.

Attacks[]

King Dedede starts with five moves, some of which have variants. He can run and perform his diving attack twice, sometimes once, leaving two stars behind. He can perform the Super Dedede Jump three times consecutively, with the first and third jump aimed at the player, the second jump aimed away; sometimes he only performs one jump. He can swing his hammer; if the player is in the air, he will leap up into the air before swinging his hammer downward, creating a shock wave. He can jump to the left side of the arena and try to inhale the player; if successful, he will shoot back out the player as a star. He can inflate himself and float around.

  • Double Head Slide
  • Triple Dedede Jump
  • Hammer
  • Super Dedede Jump (left)
  • Inhale
  • Head Slide
  • Super Dedede Jump
  • Hover

Upon reaching half health, King Dedede loses his hammer; he gains a purple aura and bulks up, becoming Macho Dedede. He has long, beefy arms and a buff chest. His Super Dedede Jump creates four stars instead of two due to his fists. He can slam his fists into the ground one after the other before slamming them both twice in a row, creating a piece of rubble that can be inhaled; each fist slam also causes a star to appear. He can grab rotten food from the pile and throw it into the arena; he throws three piles.

  • Super Dedede Jump
  • Desperate Dumdum
  • Disposable Food
  • Triple Dedede Jump
  • Disposable Food

After taking enough damage, Macho Dedede will jump to the center of the arena and swing his arms before jumping high into the air and slamming downward, destroying the floor and taking the battle to a lower floor, which features a single pillar in the middle. From here, he gains some new attacks and variants. When throwing food, he jumps onto the pillar before throwing it down, and fly throws two piles. He can jump into the space between the pillar and wall, perform a spinning jump, and slam his fists into the ground, then doing it on the other side of the pillar and getting his hands stuck in the ground; each pound creates four stars, and rubble is created when he pulls his fists out of the ground. He can grab onto the pillar and start spinning around it. He can grab onto the pillar and start pounding his fist twice on each side, getting his hand stuck the third time.

  • Disposable Food
  • Desparate Dumdum
  • Disaster Spinning
  • Desparate Dumdum
  • Dumdum Turn
  • Disaster Spinning
  • Desparate Dumdum

After taking enough damage again, he will destroy the floor again, taking the fight to an even lower floor, which now features two pillars. His attacks are now slightly different. For Disaster Spinning, after reaching the bottom of the first pillar, he jumps to the top of the second pillar. For Desperate Dam Dam, he performs his spinning jump slam three times instead of twice. His Dam Dam Turn attack remains the same; the pillar he grabs onto is the one closest to him. He only throws one pile for his Disposable Food attack.

  • Disaster Spinning
  • Desparate Dam Dam
  • Dam Dam Turn
  • Disposable Food
  • Disaster Spinning
  • Desparate Dam Dam
  • Disaster Spinning
  • Disposable Food
  • Desparate Dam Dam

Techniques[]

Move Controls Description Damage[7]
Pro Controller Joy-Con
Hammer B Down Button King Dedede swings his hammer downwards in front of himself. Can pound in stakes. 31
Giant Dedede Swing Dash + B Dash + Down Button King Dedede spins rapidly with his hammer outstretched, hitting opponents several times. 29 per hit
Giant Swing B in midair Down Button in midair King Dedede swings his hammer vertically 360° around him in midair. 29
Ultra-Giant Swing Dash + B in midair Dash + Down Button in midair King Dedede swings his hammer vertically 720° around him in midair. 18 per hit
Hammer Twirl Left Stick Down + B Left Stick Down + Down Button King Dedede holds his hammer underneath himself and twirls it, rapidly hitting enemies. He is completely invulnerable during the move's duration. 18 per hit
Dedede Hammer Flip Left Stick Up + B Left Stick Up + Down Button King Dedede pulls back his hammer as its head charges with energy, then pulverizes enemies with a powerful uppercut. This is the strongest move he can perform, and one of the most powerful moves in the series that's not from a limited-use ability. The move resembles Kirby's version of it from Smash Bros. and Hammer Lord, where he can move and jump while charging it and it becomes more powerful over time. If he charges it for too long, the head explodes, leaving only the handle which deals minimal damage when swung. 44 (1 lvl.)
66 (2 lvl.)
88 (3 lvl.)
9 (handle)
Move While Charging Left Stick Left/Left Stick Right during Dedede Hammer Flip King Dedede moves while charging the Dedede Hammer Flip. King Dedede can also jump while charging. N/A
Dedede Hammer Throw Dash + Y or Y during Giant Dedede Swing Dash + Left Button or Left Button during Giant Dedede Swing King Dedede performs a Giant Dedede Swing before releasing his hammer, sending it flying in the direction held. It floats slightly upwards as it flies, exploding on impact for huge damage. 66
Head Slide Dash + Left Stick Up, Left Stick Down + B Dash + Left Stick Up, Left Stick Down + Down Button King Dedede leaps forwards invulnerably and slides across the ground a short distance, mimicking the similar move from his boss fights. N/A
Underwater Hammer Swing B while swimming Down Button while swimming King Dedede somersaults once in the water with his hammer, similarly to Giant Swing. 29
Hover A in midair Right Button in midair King Dedede flies by inflating himself with air and flapping his arms, similarly to Kirby. 0
Air Bullet B during Hover Down Button during Hover Dedede spits his inhaled air as a bullet that can damage weak enemies, and stops flying. 10 (near), 8 (far)
Super Dedede Jump Left Stick Down, and then Left Stick Up + B Left Stick Down, and then Left Stick Up + Down Button Dedede jumps in the air and lands in the ground a few seconds later.

Move Controls Description Damage[8]
Pro Controller Joy-Con
Hammer Y Left Button King Dedede swings his hammer downwards in front of himself. Can pound in stakes. 31
Giant Dedede Swing Dash + Y Dash + Left Button King Dedede spins rapidly with his hammer outstretched, hitting opponents several times. 29 per hit
Giant Swing Y in midair Left Button in midair King Dedede swings his hammer vertically 360° around him in midair. 29
Ultra-Giant Swing Dash + Y in midair Dash + Left Button in midair King Dedede swings his hammer vertically 720° around him in midair. 18 per hit
Hammer Twirl Left Stick Down + Y Left Stick Down + Left Button King Dedede holds his hammer underneath himself and twirls it, rapidly hitting enemies. He is completely invulnerable during the move's duration. 18 per hit
Dedede Hammer Flip Left Stick Up + Y Left Stick Up + Left Button King Dedede pulls back his hammer as its head charges with energy, then pulverizes enemies with a powerful uppercut. This is the strongest move he can perform, and one of the most powerful moves in the series that's not from a limited-use ability. The move resembles Kirby's version of it from Smash Bros. and Hammer Lord, where he can move and jump while charging it and it becomes more powerful over time. If he charges it for too long, the head explodes, leaving only the handle which deals minimal damage when swung. 44 (1 lvl.)
66 (2 lvl.)
88 (3 lvl.)
9 (handle)
Move While Charging Left Stick Left/Left Stick Right during Dedede Hammer Flip King Dedede moves while charging the Dedede Hammer Flip. King Dedede can also jump while charging. N/A
Dedede Hammer Throw Dash + A or A during Giant Dedede Swing Dash + Right Button or Right Button during Giant Dedede Swing King Dedede performs a Giant Dedede Swing before releasing his hammer, sending it flying in the direction held. It floats slightly upwards as it flies, exploding on impact for huge damage. 66
Head Slide Dash + Left Stick Up, Left Stick Down + Y Dash + Left Stick Up, Left Stick Down + Left Button King Dedede leaps forwards invulnerably and slides across the ground a short distance, mimicking the similar move from his boss fights. N/A
Underwater Hammer Swing Y while swimming Left Button while swimming King Dedede somersaults once in the water with his hammer, similarly to Giant Swing. 29
Hover B in midair Down Button in midair King Dedede flies by inflating himself with air and flapping his arms, similarly to Kirby. 0
Air Bullet Y during Hover Left Button during Hover Dedede spits his inhaled air as a bullet that can damage weak enemies, and stops flying. 10 (near), 8 (far)
Super Dedede Jump Left Stick Down, and then Left Stick Up + Y Left Stick Down, and then Left Stick Up + Left Button Dedede jumps in the air and lands in the ground a few seconds later.

Elemental Attributes[]
Move Blizzard Bluster Sizzle Splash Zap
Hammer Twirl Wherever standing or in midair, King Dedede creates four icicles, two to either side of him. King Dedede floats into the air, creating a whirlwind beneath him. King Dedede creates a brief fiery explosion around himself. King Dedede shoots out two droplets, one to either side of him. King Dedede summons down a bolt of lightning onto himself as he twirls his hammer.
Dedede Hammer Swing King Dedede creates a trail of crystalline ice along the ground. King Dedede floats into the air as he spins, creating a small whirlwind. King Dedede creates a trail of fire as he travels along the ground. King Dedede creates a trail of water as he travels along the ground. King Dedede leaves a trail of sparks as he travels along the ground.
Dedede Hammer Throw
Giant Swing N/A King Dedede's aerial descent slows as he performs this move. N/A N/A N/A
Ultra-Giant Swing
Dedede Hammer Flip King Dedede creates a series of increasingly-large icicles in front of him, the more the longer the move is charged. King Dedede's jumps are floatier while charging this move. When released, he leaps up into the air before slamming his hammer down to the ground, creating a whirlwind on impact. King Dedede shoots out fireballs as he swings, the number of which depending on how long he charges up, and the fireballs explode on contact. King Dedede shoots droplets forward as he swings, the more the longer he charges. King Dedede summons down a bolt of lightning onto himself as he swings, and the lightning creates electrical explosions above him, the more the longer he charges.

Kirby Fighters 2[]

Cannon DAuJLJbVYAER17h This section contains information that does not coincide with the main series canon. (Similar)
KPR Waddle Dee 2 This section is currently under construction

King Dedede appears alongside Meta Knight as the main antagonist of the Story Mode in Kirby Fighters 2. He also appears as a playable character, retaining his moveset from Kirby Star Allies. He is unlocked as a playable character after clearing the Final Chapter of Story Mode: The Destined Rivals. Additionally, he appears as a stage hazard in the Dedede Arena and Gourmet Go Go stages.

Story[]

After many defeats at the hands of Kirby, King Dedede partners up with Meta Knight to finally win in a battle against him. King Dedede and Meta Knight then send Kirby a letter, challenging him as they await at the Summit of the Buddy Fighters Tower. Kirby accepts the challenge, partners up with a buddy, and enters the Buddy Fighters Tower to battle his two greatest rivals.

After defeating Twin Woods on the 5th floor, Kirby and his buddy reach the 10th floor, where they finally encounter King Dedede and Meta Knight, or so they thought. The two teams engage in battle, with Kirby and his buddy emerging victorious. However, it turns out that the King Dedede and Meta Knight they had fought were two Waddle Dees in disguise. The two Waddle Dees flee, dropping a key that unlocks more to the tower. Kirby and his buddy continue climbing the Buddy Fighters Tower to battle the real Meta Knight and King Dedede.

Arriving at the 15th floor, Kirby and his buddy at last encounter the real King Dedede and Meta Knight. The two teams duke it out, but despite King Dedede's and Meta Knight's efforts, they are defeated. Not accepting defeat just yet, the two retreat and ascend higher into the tower. Kirby and his buddy use the key they dropped to ascend higher as well.

Finally reaching the Summit of the Buddy Fighters Tower, Kirby and his buddy find King Dedede and Meta Knight awaiting them. With their bond having grown deeper, they challenge Kirby and his buddy in a final battle. However, they are defeated, but refusing to give up, King Dedede pulls out a Maxim Tomato. He takes a bite out of half of it and gives the other half to Meta Knight, who eats it. The two of them, now fully reenergized, continue the battle with Kirby and his buddy. But, yet again, they are bested. Weakly getting up, King Dedede and Meta Knight reach for each other as they then collapse.

Afterwards, King Dedede, dejected by another loss to his arch-rival, takes a walk through Dream Land during the evening, with Meta Knight flying overhead. Still, determined to defeat his arch-rival, King Dedede is then carried away by Meta Knight as they head back to the Buddy Fighters Tower. The tower then raises up even higher, to the point of piercing the heavens, with King Dedede and Meta Knight waiting at the Summit. Kirby and his buddy, sensing their presence, enter the tower yet again to finish this once and for all.

Moon Warriors

Waning Crescent Masked Dedede & Waxing Crescent Masked Meta Knight

At the 50th floor, Kirby and his buddy reach the Summit. There, King Dedede and Meta Knight appear. With their deepened bond blazing in their eyes, the two engage with Kirby and his buddy in the true final battle. In a mighty struggle, Kirby and his buddy claim victory. However, Meta Knight's mask breaks in half. In his own eagerness to win against Kirby for once, King Dedede seizes the opportunity to pull out the Mask of Dark Bonds. He tosses one of the masks to Meta Knight, and puts the other one on himself, becoming Waning Crescent Masked Dedede & Waxing Crescent Masked Meta Knight. The power of the masks cause the king and knight to lose themselves, and they attack Kirby and his buddy to settle the challenge. In a grueling battle, however, they are conquered. Subsequently afterwards, two Buddy Star Blaster pieces float down from the sky. Using the pieces, Kirby and his buddy assemble the Buddy Star Blaster, and use it to blast King Dedede and Meta Knight with a powerful laser. The laser sends them flying into the distance, releasing them from the Masks of Dark Bonds as well, which lose the dark aura emanating from them.

Devastated by another defeat at the hands of his arch-rival, King Dedede takes a nighttime walk through Dream Land, with Meta Knight flying overhead once more. After a while, King Dedede trips and falls. Meta Knight then flies over to him and offers his hand to help him up, with King Dedede depressingly accepting it.

Techniques[]

Move Controls Description
Hammer Down Button King Dedede swings his hammer downwards in front of himself. Can pound in stakes.
Giant Dedede Swing Dash + Down Button King Dedede spins rapidly with his hammer outstretched, hitting opponents several times.
Giant Swing Down Button in midair King Dedede swings his hammer vertically 360° around him in midair.
Ultra-Giant Swing Dash + Down Button in midair King Dedede swings his hammer vertically 720° around him in midair.
Hammer Twirl Left Stick Down + Down Button King Dedede holds his hammer underneath himself and twirls it, rapidly hitting enemies. He is completely invulnerable during the move's duration.
Dedede Hammer Flip Left Stick Up + Down Button King Dedede pulls back his hammer as its head charges with energy, then pulverizes enemies with a powerful uppercut. This is the strongest move he can perform, and one of the most powerful moves in the series that's not from a limited-use ability. The move resembles Kirby's version of it from Smash Bros. and Hammer Lord, where he can move and jump while charging it and it becomes more powerful over time. If he charges it for too long, the head explodes, leaving only the handle which deals minimal damage when swung.
Move While Charging Left Stick Left/Left Stick Right during Dedede Hammer Flip King Dedede moves while charging the Dedede Hammer Flip. King Dedede can also jump while charging.
Dedede Hammer Throw Dash + Right Button or Right Button during Giant Dedede Swing King Dedede performs a Giant Dedede Swing before releasing his hammer, sending it flying in the direction held. It floats slightly upwards as it flies, exploding on impact for huge damage.
Head Slide Dash + Left Stick Up, Left Stick Down + Left Button King Dedede leaps forwards invulnerably and slides across the ground a short distance, mimicking the similar move from his boss fights.
Hover Right Button in midair King Dedede flies by inflating himself with air and flapping his arms, similarly to Kirby.
Air Bullet Down Button during Hover Dedede spits his inhaled air as a bullet that can damage rivals, and stops flying.
Super Dedede Jump Left Stick Down, and then Left Stick Up + Down Button Dedede jumps in the air and lands in the ground a few seconds later.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land[]

Dimensional rift C Bsn 8VwAIzPgw.jpg large transparent "Forgo Dedede" redirects here.

King Dedede appears as a major antagonist in Kirby and the Forgotten Land. In this game, he sports a new design (with leopard spotting on his robe, feathers near his neck, and rips in parts of his outfit). He is similar to his appearance in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards.

After being pulled into the New World by the same vortex that brought Kirby there, the king made a futile effort to find Kirby and became discouraged that he could not find his rival; before long, however, he fell victim to Fecto Forgo's psychic influence and joined the Beast Pack. Kirby and Elfilin first encounter King Dedede in a ruined chapel at Winter Horns, where his presence visibly horrifies Kirby. There, Kirby does battle with the king, who retains the boss title of His Royal Nemesis, as well as serve as the fourth boss of the game. King Dedede initially uses his standard methods of combat, such as jumping (producing shock waves), using his hammer (swung vertically or horizontally befitting the game's 3D nature), and attempting to tackle Kirby. However, upon losing his hammer (which Kirby can steal with his vacuum breath for the Hammer ability), the king will take hold of a nearby pillar and begin using it to perform a variety of long-range, hard-hitting attacks. Upon 'defeat', Dedede pretends to faint, but then gets back up after Kirby frees the three Waddle Dees that he was guarding in a golden cage, preparing a sneak attack. When the player attempts to move onward, Dedede suddenly locks Elfilin in a cage and - before Kirby can rescue Elfilin - flies off to the forbidden island with a flock of crows, forcing Kirby to follow him in hot pursuit.

In the penultimate level, Redgar Forbidden Lands, King Dedede returns, this time outfitted with a mask based on a warthog; the mask drives Dedede insane and turns him into Forgo Dedede, given the boss title of His Primal Nemesis, and serves as the sixth/third-to-last boss of the game.

When Kirby and Forgo Dedede begin to clash, the primal king wields two hammers and has much stronger and faster iterations of his past moves; he can rapidly walk towards Kirby while slamming both hammers, slam down his hammers to send out fire tornadoes that chase Kirby, use a hammer spinning attack similar to that used by Masked Dedede, and can throw the hammers to create explosions that leave puddles of lava behind (the King quickly reacquires additional hammers). Upon losing his first health bar and his hammers (which, as with the first fight, will yield the Hammer ability if Kirby inhales them), the mask's influence takes full control, causing Forgo Dedede to descend on all fours and become completely feral and almost boar-like. In this state, Forgo Dedede will rapidly run around Kirby in between his attacks, which include charging Kirby repeatedly (ending in his trademark tackle), jumping with enough force to leave puddles of lava where he lands, creating numerous fire tornadoes with his bare hands, and attempting to inhale Kirby from the other side of the platform (the only phase in the game where he attempts to do so); he can also roar to summon Primal Awoofys to attack Kirby.

After being defeated for the second time, the mask breaks and King Dedede is restored to his original self, visually evident by the change in his irises. He attempts to join Kirby and the other Waddle Dees on the elevator leading to Lab Discovera until the other members of the Beast Pack, realizing King Dedede failed to beat Kirby, started to pursue them. During the pursuit, one of the Waddle Dees ended up tripping, and King Dedede elected to sacrifice himself to hold off the rest of the Pack, saving the Waddle Dee and throwing them into the elevator with Kirby before it closes. What happened to King Dedede is unknown until the credits, where he is shown to be alive and well, welcoming Kirby and Bandana Waddle Dee back to the New World.

After complating the main game, King Dedede can be found resting and recovering alongside a few Waddle Dees serving him near the Colosseum in Waddle Dee Town. One of the Waddle Dees, known as Minion Waddle Dee, can be interacted with and will offer the blueprint for the Masked Hammer evolution, courtesy of the king himself.

Masked Dedede[]

Dimensional rift C Bsn 8VwAIzPgw.jpg large transparent "Masked Dedede" redirects here.
Meet my powerful secret weapon... The brand-new Dedede Hammer!
— Masked Dedede • Kirby Super Star Ultra

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.

Physical Appearance[]

Masked Dedede appears identical to King Dedede except he wears a grey, 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.

Games[]

Kirby Super Star Ultra[]

Masked Dedede 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.

Masked Dedede Hammer Spin

Masked Dedede's Giant Dedede Swing

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. King Dedede is sent flying in an identical fashion to when he lost in Spring Breeze.

Masked Dedede is also fought as the first of the Final Four in The True Arena. Here, the Hammer ability does not appear (unlike Meta Knight's battle in The Arena, where the Sword ability still appears) and upon defeat, King Dedede just falls to the ground after his mask breaks rather than him being launched towards the sky.

Kirby: Triple Deluxe[]

Dimensional rift C Bsn 8VwAIzPgw.jpg large transparent "Masked Dedede's Revenge" redirects here.
Well, since you're already here... I'll give you your precious hero back. But he may be a little more... hostile than you remember him!
— Taranza • Kirby Super Star Ultra
KTD Masked Dedede

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.

MDDDRevengeKTD

Masked Dedede's Revenge

KTD Masked Dedede's Revenge

The Giant Dedede Swing with the axe.

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 thrusts 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[]

Cannon DAuJLJbVYAER17h This section contains information that does not coincide with the main series canon. (Similar)
DDDZ Beetley

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[]

Cannon DAuJLJbVYAER17h This section contains information that does not coincide with the main series canon. (Similar)
KBlBl Giant Masked Dedede

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 addition 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[]

KBR Masked Dedede trophy

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. Additionally, Hammer Kirby's alternative headgear has the hammer's design to change to resemble Dedede's own hammer.

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.

Masked Dedede also appears as a primary, ace-class attack spirit. His spirit sports no effect when applied to a fighter.

Music[]

The Masked King
KSSU Masked Dedede artwork
Another Swordsman and King's World to Win
Kirby Star Allies
Music
The Great King Dedede has Arrived!
Kirby Star Allies
Music
King Dedede & Meta Knight Medley
Kirby 25th Anniversary Orchestra Concert
Music
King Dedede's Theme
Kirby's Star Stacker (Super Famicom)
Music File:KSSSF DDD.ogg
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.

Mario Kirby Masterpiece[]

King Dedede acts as the presumed antagonist of the Kirby segment of the film, where Kirby storms to his castle under the belief that he had abducted a puppy's mother. However, it turns out King Dedede had rescued the mom and was nursing her back to health. Afterward, they had a feast.

Kirby: Right Back at Ya![]

Cannon DAuJLJbVYAER17h This section contains information that does not coincide with the main series canon. (Similar)

I'll show them kids. If I can't earn respect, I'll just buy it... from Nightmare Enterprises!
— King Dedede • A Dark and Stormy Knight

King Dedede's role in Kirby: Right Back at Ya! is as an antagonist; he is less noble and is portrayed as more despicable, with a more malicious disposition. He rules over Dream Land, the Cappies and his Waddle Dee Army, using monsters purchased from Nightmare Enterprises in an effort to defeat Kirby. King Dedede's right-hand man is named Escargoon, and the two serve as somewhat of a comical duo who constantly bicker with each other.

Physical Appearance[]

King Dedede's appearance in Kirby: Right Back at Ya! is similar to his appearance in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (excluding the gloves), with a blue stomach and a tan robe covering it. Dedede's attire never deviates from this royal finery; 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 purple sunglasses in the shape of his peace sign insignia when he is sunbathing.

General Information[]

In Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, King Dedede serves as the primary antagonist, second only to Nightmare in the movie. His role is similar to his game roles, except that his likable side is substantially diminished in comparison and he appears much more mean, petty, and selfish. If he is convinced that he has been either wronged, tricked, or insulted by someone, or does not immediately get what he wants (especially when someone else has itKirby's Pet Peeve Snack Attack Part 1), he commonly reacts with both fury and spite against his (real or perceived) enemies. In addition, he has very little respect for anyone in town or his staff, treating their safety and desires as secondhand in his goals for whatever greedy thing he wishes. He consistently ignores or shrugs off any negative comments from the citizens of Cappy Town, believing them to be below him, and sometimes takes his anger out on them and Escargoon. Despite this, the citizens of Cappy Town still consider him their king; few Cappies stay mad at him for long, as all he has to do is say something appealing to win back their favor.

Dedede pilot

King Dedede as he appears in the Kirby of the Stars Pilot.

A driving force behind many events in the anime is King Dedede's anger towards Kirby, which mainly comes from the fact that the Cappies respect and adore the pink hero more than him, even though his infamy is because of his own irreverent attitude and self-centered nature. King Dedede can't defeat Kirby himself, so he orders monsters from Nightmare Enterprises and sends them after Kirby. An example of this appears in the Kirby of the Stars Pilot, where Dedede tries to get rid of Kirby using various tricks and traps, only for them to quickly backfire. Kirby offers him a hot dog, causing him to cry in defeat at the kind gesture. 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 though he usually never admits it unless in dire situations.

King Dedede's residence, Castle Dedede, is guarded by an innumerable amount of Waddle Dees and one Waddle Doo general, who seems to be able to translate what the Waddle Dees say. On three occasions, he has used the Waddle Dees for his own personal gain or shown low gratitude for their loyalty, 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 Pink-Collar Blues, again during a situation trying to repay Nightmare Enterprises by putting the Waddle Dees up for sale Waddle While You Work, and once more when he selfishly slashed their meal rations to very poor and malnourishing sandwiches upon realizing the quality and cost of their original dinner amounts, which soon led to a revolt by the Waddle Dees. Hunger Struck

Dededesunglasses

Dedede's sunglasses

King Dedede claims to be 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 Professor Curio's help). He was found out, however, and his plans were dashed by Stone Kirby when he unleashed the Dedede Stone, Curio's Curious Discovery Due to this, it has not been proven nor disproven if King Dedede is telling the truth.

King Dedede is often criticized about his weight, particularly by Knuckle Joe, who would call him "Tubby," among 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 King Dedede's trusty hammer (sometimes Dedede doesn't understand what Escargoon means when he insults him, but pummels him anyway just to be cruel), 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 less intelligent than Escargoon (while crying under the assumption he accidentally killed Kirby).

Dedede eventually turns against Nightmare Enterprises nearing the series 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. Fright to the Finish

Language changes[]

In the English dub, he is voiced by Ted Lewis, and speaks with a thick Southern/New Orleans 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 voicing Hiroshi Agasa in Detective Conan, Myoga in Inuyasha, and Genma Saotome in Ranma ½. Some episodes of the dub also use Dedede to parody George W. Bush, who was America's president at the time, by having him say things similar to "Bushisms", once even satirizing Bush's initial given reason for the Iraq War with a line about "weapons of mass Dedede-struction".

King Dedede's characterization varies slightly between English and Japanese versions of Kirby: Right Back at Ya!. In the Japanese version, King Dedede has a verbal tic, ending most of his sentences with ぞい (-zoi), an archaic particle that indicates mild emphasis. He also uses the personal pronoun 儂 (わし/Washi), which is used by elderly men. This is later carried over to the voiceover for his Japanese dialogue in Kirby's Epic Yarn. His characterization in the Japanese and English versions also varies slightly, namely in regards to his overall role in Nightmare Enterprise's attacks on Pop Star. In the former, he is initially left completely unaware of Nightmare Enterprise's dark side or that the items sent to him were monsters (at least until Kirby came along), while in the latter, he knows full well that he was ordering monsters and did so anyways, while still not grasping the overall scope of what they're doing.

Personality[]

In the anime, King Dedede's personality can be compared to that of a spoiled, bratty child. He takes his authority, as well as his army of Waddle Dees who serve as his staff at Castle Dedede, for granted; however, if his people choose to defy him when he oversteps his bounds, he has little to no ability to stop them, short of ordering monsters from Nightmare Enterprises and having it backfire on Escargoon and himself. He sometimes 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. In Fitness Fiend, he expressed contentment with a sedentary life, as he later transformed into a snack-munching couch potato - though it could have been partly from the effect of the special ingredient in Nightmare Enterprises' boxes of chips. In A Princess in Dis-Dress, he had a childlike crush on Princess Rona and made a completely weird song to woo her and have her become his queen, which failed badly since that was not the real princess he sang to, much to his sadness.

Dededefood

Dedede enjoying a meal.

King Dedede expects and enjoys extravagant luxuries befitting his kingly status. Though 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 The Meal Moocher, Dedede is relatively benevolent and generous toward the Cappies for a short time, as they kept him fed with rich, gourmet meals. Much of his downtime is spent either obsessing over food, or searching for new chefs and novel new dishes, since he would get tired of eating the same meal over and over again, even ripping a menu in half to prove it (though he was angry at the time). 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 Nightmare Enterprises. His favorite food is apparently Turban Shells, 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. Shell-Shocked Dedede is also known to like hot baths, and appeared to enjoy acting in commercials for products on his TV channel, Channel DDD. Furthermore, he is quite particular about getting a proper amount of sleep every night (which mostly proves to be difficult, as Escargoon often wakes him up early), and found it very bothersome to stay up late in order to be able to cast a curse over the townsfolk. Don't Bank on It

HnK Dedede

Dedede's close-up.

In a few episodes, it is implied that King Dedede can't read (hinted to have been kicked out of kindergarten for unruly behavior), unless he is read aloud to. A Novel Approach However, in some episodes, he can read The Big Taste Test (at one point, King Dedede even says he prefers books with pictures in them, since they explain the story better). One episode even reveals that part of his head is hollow, as if he has no brain. Teacher's Threat In the Japanese version, it is suggested that this condition was the result of head trauma when he was younger. Despite the King's brainlessness, he did attempt to create an education system (at least three times) to the children of Cappy Town, with the ulterior motive of harassing them and making himself look better. Each time always resulted in failure and the destruction of the school. eNeMeE Elementary The School Scam Teacher's Threat Although King Dedede has wished in his third attempt to become smarter to be better able to outsmart Kirby, his laziness, lack of self-motivation, and aforementioned behavior prevent him from being able to.

Despite being very similar to his video game counterpart, this version of King Dedede is comparatively worse. His hatred for Kirby, who practically does nothing to provoke him, has taken over him, and instead of keeping it just between him and Kirby, he has no regard for the townsfolk at all and often takes his huge hatred of Kirby out on innocent citizens of Cappy Town. Strangely enough, despite being a complete bully to pretty much everyone in Cappy Town, citizens still see him as a king and occasionally show some respect to him. While certainly more villainous than his other versions, he still keeps a comedic and incompetent personality, especially with his new partner Escargoon, who is slightly more competent than his king.

While he keeps it deeply buried, Prediction Predicament - Part II shows that Dedede truly feels a small amount of guilt from his tyrannical deeds, and even cried joyful tears from being able to make someone happy when he builds a park for Kirby and the Cappy children. However, the only reason why he did it was because that he believed the world was going to end.

in D'Preciation Day, while Dedede tried once again to defeat Kirby, Tiff and the town decided to pull a prank on him by faking Kirby's death with a full funeral that the entire town was in on; upon his discovery of this funeral, Dedede actually felt terrible about what he thought he did and cried at Kirby's fake gravestone, and when it was revealed to all be a prank, Dedede cried tears of joy and relief.

In Kirby's Egg-Cellent Adventure, it is implied that he is (and even claimed to be) an avid birdwatcher. He also has ambitions to clear out Whispy Woods' forest so he can build a country club and play his second favorite sport - golf. Beware: Whispy Woods!The Flower PlotWar of the Woods Trick or Trek. His favorite sport is apparently beating Escargoon to a pulp much to the latter's displeasure.

In some episodes, his trademark hammer would be inhaled by Kirby to get the Hammer ability.Dedede's Pet ThreatShell-Shocked

Modes of Transportation[]

DDDTank

King Dedede's Tank

DDDLimo

King Dedede's Limousine

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). Kirby Comes to Cappy Town 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 have 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. Tourist Trap

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.

Relationships[]

Kirby[]

KPR Maxim Tomato Main article: Kirby

For most episodes, Dedede sees Kirby as his enemy. For the first few episodes, 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 The Chill Factor, 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). 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[]

KPR Maxim Tomato Main article: Waddle Dee

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 in 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. In 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 Dees against the King. Luckily for the King, Kirby fixed the situation and he learns his lesson.

Meta Knight[]

KPR Maxim Tomato Main article: Meta Knight

Although there are many episodes of Kirby: Right Back at Ya! where Dedede and Meta Knight are seen together such as Kirby's Duel Role, 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" which is not always the case as Meta Knight has opposed the king at times.

Escargoon[]

KPR Maxim Tomato Main article: 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's mostly abusive to Escargoon, such as stealing his prized jewel collection for selfish purposes, The Thing About the Ring Dedede does feel sympathy for him. He even started scaring Escargoon until Escargoon got back at him. Escargoon Squad 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 just to help him out.

Tiff[]

KPR Maxim Tomato Main article: 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 does despise her. 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 is 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.

Princess Rona[]

King Dedede was madly in love with her and wanted her to marry him above all else to make her his queen and become more powerful. He wrote a song and interrupted her meal to propose to her unaware that the girl he was singing to was not the real Princess. After learning that Commander Vee was the princess in disguise he felt heart broken and Escargoon told him he can feel better by having cheeseburgers. He most likely lost interest in her as he never mentions her again.

N.M.E. Sales Guy[]

KPR Maxim Tomato Main article: 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 him into buying something needless or expensive, or simply taking advantage of his intellect in general, the N.M.E. Sales Guy uses Dedede 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 Fright to the Finish, 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 starting with Brawl.

Kirby Air Ride[]

King Dedede on a bike. Is he really a king?
— King Dedede's Flavor Text • Kirby Air Ride

King Dedede makes his second playable appearance in Kirby Air Ride as an unlockable racer, riding his own Air Ride Machine, a Wheelie Bike variant known as Wheelie Bike Dedede Custom.[9]

General Information[]

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 with powerful blows. King Dedede also has his own unique charge meter. 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.

King Dedede's only Air Ride Machine, the Wheelie Bike Dedede Custom, is similar in size and appearance to the standard Wheelie Bike, but is slightly outclassed by it in handling and acceleration. He has excellent offense, defense, weight, and above average top speed, but below average jump, handling, and acceleration. 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. The boss 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[]

Dedede's Theme[]

Dededekss

Dedede in Kirby Super Star

King Dedede's theme often plays during battles against him. The song was used for his fights 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 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 in 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 his theme from Kirby's Star Stacker (Super Famicom). Masked Dedede's theme is used in later games to represent Masked Dedede, or King Dedede’s appearances in where he (or his variants) wears a mask, such as King D-Mind and Forgo Dedede. In Kirby Star Allies, King Dedede's theme is expanded further since Kirby Super Star. This new version is used in Kirby and the Forgotten Land.

Besides his own theme, King Dedede is also associated with the music that plays in Gourmet Race from Kirby Super Star due to his appearance in that sub-game. An orchestral version of this theme originally debuted in Super Smash Bros. Melee as the music for the Fountain of Dreams stage, and a remix of this was employed during the battle against him in Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land. Both King Dedede's theme and the music that plays in Gourmet Race feature as alternate music for the Battleship Halberd stage in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the former being a remix of the version in Kirby Super Star, and the latter being a heavy metal remix. The version in Super Smash Bros. Melee returns as alternate music for the Green Greens stage in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and the Dream Land (64) stage in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. The music for Gourmet Race was used again for the Castle Dedede stage in 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. Additionally, the theme plays during the battle against Robo Dedede, a robotic version of King Dedede that appears in the Scope Shot sub-game.

Db The following section contains transcluded content from the Database. Source: (viewedit • help)
King Dedede's Theme
King Dedede RtDDX
King Dedede's Theme
Kirby's Dream Land 2
Music File:KDL2 DDD.ogg
King Dedede's Theme
Kirby's Star Stacker (Super Famicom)
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King Dedede's Theme
Kirby's Dream Land 3
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King Dedede's Theme
Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble
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King Dedede's Theme
Kirby: Squeak Squad
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King Dedede's Theme
Super Smash Bros
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Boss Stages
Kirby Mass Attack
Music File:KMS Boss.ogg
Taranza, the Master of Puppetry
Kirby: Triple Deluxe
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Dedede's Theme
Kirby: Triple Deluxe
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King Dedede's Theme
Super Smash Bros
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King Dedede's Theme
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse
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Dedede's Tridimensional Cannonn
Kirby: Planet Robobot
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King Dedede & Meta Knight Medley
Kirby 25th Anniversary Orchestra Concert
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Taranza, the Master of Puppetry (Star Allies Arrange ver.)
Kirby Star Allies
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The Great King Dedede has Arrived!
Kirby Star Allies
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Taranza Sees Right Through You!
Kirby Star Allies
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Another Swordsman and King's World to Win
Kirby Star Allies
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VS. King Dedede & Meta Knight ver. 2
Kirby Fighters 2
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Stage of the Partners Who Shook the Heavens
Kirby Fighters 2
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King Dedede's theme is as timeless as the Kirby series itself, as the portly penguin king features as Kirby's main antagonist throughout the games, and is the final boss in Kirby's Dream Land, the first in the series.

The musical motif is recurrent throughout many games and is not limited to contexts involving Dedede directly. The only notable confrontation against Dedede where some variation of the theme does not play is in Kirby's Adventure, when fighting him at the Fountain of Dreams.

Kirby Super Star introduces an extended version of the theme music, which includes Kirby Super Star's main leitmotif, which has been used ever since.

Kirby Star Allies further introduced a new part, which was carried over to Kirby and the Forgotten Land.

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 • Super Smash Bros. Melee
Alt-kingdedede

King Dedede's colors in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. His blue, green, purple, and pink palette swaps are based on those in Kirby Air Ride, while his brown color scheme is his monochrome look from the early Kirby games.

King Dedede Wii U

King Dedede's colors in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. This game added two new colors, the blue palette comes from Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, and the black one comes from Kirby Air Ride.

King Dedede Palette (SSBU)

King Dedede's colors in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

King Dedede was meant to be in the original Super Smash Bros. game, but was taken out due to memory limitations and time constraints. He does, however, make a cameo appearance in the background of the Dream Land stage, where he occasionally flies in the background, having his appearance from Kirby's Dream Land 3. 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. The first two stickers can be applied only by King Dedede, Meta Knight, and Kirby with each sticker increasing Direct Attack by 21 and Leg Attack by 28, respectively. The last sticker, being only applicable by King Dedede, increases his Throwing Attacks by 30.

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 still appears in the background of the Dream Land 64 stage, but if he is participating as a fighter, he will not appear in the background. A glitch can occur on the stage in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS where he can appear in the background even if he is participating.[citation needed]

King Dedede returns as a fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He once again receives a few changes from the previous installment such as another new Final Smash. His Classic Mode campaign is called "Royal Rumble", where Dedede battles other fighters with royal titles before a showdown with Master Hand.

Masked Dedede also makes an appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a primary attack-type spirit, who can be summoned using cores from the Reporter & Wrestler and Hammer Bro spirits.

Victory Poses[]

Super Smash Bros. Brawl[]

  • Pats his belly while a Waddle Dee stands in front of him.
  • Slams his hammer down on his left side, does the same with his right, and shows a happy face.
  • Spins his hammer with an evil face, and when he stops, he shows a happy face.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U[]

  • Slaps his belly twice, and rests his hand on it as a Waddle Dee stands nearby.
  • Slams his hammer down on both sides of him, then looks towards the screen.
  • Spins his hammer into the air and finishes with a pose.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[]

  • Slaps his belly twice, and rests his hand on it as a Waddle Dee walks up to him.
  • Swings his hammer twice into the floor, then stares at the camera with a smirk.
  • Spins his hammer into the air and finishes with a pose, while activating the Jet Hammer.

Role in Adventure Mode: 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, as 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.[10]

Dedede Subspace Emissary

King Dedede's introduction in the Subspace Emissary.

Dededecap

A Timed Badge.

Dedede 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 out, 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.

DededeNessLuigiPeach

King Dedede placing Dedede Caps on Luigi, Ness, and Peach.

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.

The first time King Dedede is shown, he uses his Waddle Dees to ambush an unsuspecting Luigi and turn him into a trophy, using him as bait for an approaching Wario. As Wario approaches on his hovering bobsled carrying two trophies of Princess Peach/Zelda 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 and speeds away.

King Dedede then speeds past Mario and Pit/Link and Yoshi, who had just defeated Link and Yoshi/Mario and Pit after a misunderstanding over the former pair defeating a clone of Zelda/Peach lead to a fight. King Dedede picks up the defeated pair's trophies with his stolen vehicle's claw hand. Before he can get away, Kirby appears out of nowhere and uses Final Cutter on the claw, causing the Link and Yoshi/Mario and Pit trophies to be flung from the cargo and allow him to revive them. The restored Link/Pit fires an arrow at the vehicle, damaging the engine. Kirby, Mario, Yoshi, Link, and Pit then chase after King Dedede to rescue the remaining trophies. The five notice the vehicle abandoned at the entrance to a cave and, after exiting the caverns, see King Dedede's castle in the distance.

In his castle, King Dedede puts his badges on Luigi's nose and Ness's chest. Noticing he doesn't have a badge for Peach/Zelda, he decides to give her the one he intended for himself, placing it on her brooch/shoulder. Suddenly, Bowser and the Koopa Troop invade the castle, causing the ceiling to collapse. King Dedede is knocked unconscious when a ceiling piece falls on his head and is buried along with the trophies in the rubble. Bowser only notices the princess's trophy in the debris and escapes with it. After both the Koopa Troop and Kirby's group vacate the area, the Ancient Minister has a Subspace Bomb detonated and the castle, along with Dedede, Luigi, and Ness, is sent into Subspace. Either from being knocked unconscious and buried in rubble or sent into Subspace, King Dedede was turned into a trophy.

Much later, after Tabuu turns many fighters into trophies using Off Waves, the Timed Badges go off and revive Ness and Luigi, who in turn revive Dedede upon realizing it was his badges that restored them. Dedede then leads them into the Subspace, finding many of the fighters' trophies and revive them later on. The three notice the limp Master Hand, a staircase created by Tabuu, and Bowser's trophy, who had been betrayed by his accomplice Ganondorf. Dedede revives Bowser, who awakens in rage and fights Dedede, only to be defeated and reverted back into a trophy. Dedede again restores Bowser, who once again awakens in a rage. Unafraid, Dedede gives him a sharp flick across the nose, snapping him out of his rage. Dedede shows him the defeated Master Hand and the stairway leading to Tabuu, telling him they should fight the real enemy instead of each other. Dedede also finds his rival, Kirby, who had been revived from swallowing the badge that fell off Peach/Zelda and found the remaining fighters, and tackles him in a hug. Dedede points to Tabuu and drags Kirby along so they can confront him. About to climb the stairway to the final battle, King Dedede is attacked by Wario, who had been revived by Kirby, likely as payback for ambushing 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, explaining that Tabuu is a bigger threat than him. After thinking it over, Wario decides to help defeat Tabuu.

With the help of Sonic, Dedede and the others defeat Tabuu, releasing most of the areas from Subspace. Dedede is seen along with the other thirty-one fighters standing at a cliff, looking at where the Isle of Ancients, which couldn't be restored, once stood.

Role in reveal trailers[]

SSBUl Krool Smack

King K. Rool ambushes King Dedede.

Aside from the game itself, Dedede also appears in the debut trailer for King K. Rool, "The Rivals," where he plays a prank on Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong by wearing a King K. Rool mask and cape. He throws off his costume and laughs hysterically at the Kongs' shocked reactions. The real K. Rool soon emerges from behind him and knocks him aside, much to his surprise.

Dedede also appears to celebrate in the debut trailer for Banjo-Kazooie, "Best Friends," after the duo knocks K. Rool off a cliff likely as paypack for what K rool did to him.

Moveset[]

Special Moves[]

Special Move Type Special Move Name Description Image
Neutral Inhale Inhale opponents and spit them out as stars. Spi 10 dedede nt 1
Dedede Storm A cyclone from King Dedede's mouth that pulls foes in, hits repeatedly, and launches upward. Spi 10 dedede nt 2
Taste Test Inhale opponents quickly, and spit them out as stars instantly. Spi 10 dedede nt 3
Side Waddle Dee Toss Throws a Waddle Dee, sometimes a Waddle Doo, or rarely a Gordo. Waddle Dees do minor damage and will walk around, Waddle Doos deal more damage and will use their beam attack, and Gordos do the most damage, bouncing once before disappearing. Very rarely, King Dedede will throw a capsule.
Gordo Throw Throw a Gordo. If opponents attack it with the right timing, they can hit it back. Spi 10 dedede sd 1
Topspin Gordo Throw a Gordo that moves slowly at first, then kicks into high gear after it bounces. Spi 10 dedede sd 2
Bouncing Gordo Throw a Gordo that bounces back and forth. Lasts a while, but each hit doesn't hurt much. Spi 10 dedede sd 3
Up Super Dedede Jump A big jump, and then a downward crash. Press up to cancel it. Spi 10 dedede up 1
Rising Dedede A big jump that attacks on the way up instead of the way down. Spi 10 dedede up 2
Quick Dedede Jump A jump and crash that's extra fast but doesn't go as high or hit as hard. Spi 10 dedede up 3
Down Jet Hammer You can charge it while walking around, but charge it for too long and you'll take damage. Spi 10 dedede dw 1
Armored Jet Hammer Charging gives you super armor, but charging fully hurts you more. Also deals less damage. Spi 10 dedede dw 2
Dash Jet Hammer Pushes you backward while charging, and sends you dashing forward when you attack. Spi 10 dedede dw 3

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 from 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 slower 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 game(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.

Final Smash[]

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl[]
WaddleDeeArmy

Dedede using his Final Smash

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 is Dede-Rush. It 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 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, 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.

In Other Languages[]

Names, etymology and in other regions
Language Name Definition, etymology and notes
Japan デデデ大王 Translates to Great King Dedede.
United States of America King Dedede
People's Republic of China
(Traditional)
帝帝帝大王 Translates to Great King Dedede.
Republic of Korea 디디디 대왕 Translates to Great King Dedede.
Russian Federation Король Дидиди Translates to King Dedede.
Federal Republic of Germany König Dedede Translates to King Dedede.
Netherlands Koning Dedede Translates to King Dedede.
French Republic Roi DaDiDou Translates to King DaDiDou.
Quebec Roi Dadidou Translates to King Dadidou.
Italian Republic King Dedede Same as English
Kingdom of Spain
(General)
Rey Dedede Translates to King Dedede.

Quotes[]

Heh heh heh heh heh. Some warrior. Now stand back. This boy's goin' into orbit!
— King Dedede • Kirby Comes to Cappy Town
Look at all the variety. There's shy birds, fly birds, blue birds, two birds, crazy birds, and lazy birds!
— King Dedede • Kirby's Egg-Cellent Adventure
Y'all gonna be ghosts when I catch up with ya!
— King Dedede • Escargoon Squad
Lucky little lump.
— King Dedede, about Kirby • The Pillow Case
From the moment I laid my big ol' eyes on your big ol' head, I knew you were my love.
— King Dedede • A Princess in Dis-Dress
Yuck! Yuck! Yuck! This slop ain't fit for a doggone dog! There's gotta be somethin' here that's eatable!
— King Dedede • The Hot Shot Chef / A Spice Odyssey
Course I know how to read, you dummy! I learned how to before I got expelled from kindergarten!
— King Dedede • A Novel Approach
Oh, come now. Little ol' me a hero? Surely you jestin'!
— King Dedede • Cartoon Buffoon
Time for me to work on my hypno-doot-dooey.
— King Dedede • Don't Bank on It
Can't tell a crook by its blubber!
— King Dedede • Snack Attack - Part II
If you want to help me, hand me another bag of them chips!
— King Dedede • Fitness Fiend
I need some down time so my brain could re-coagulate.
— King Dedede • Teacher's Threat
You can't be mean to my Waddle Dees! Only I can be mean to my Waddle Dees!
— King Dedede • Kirby's Epic Yarn
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 • Kirby Battle Royale
It seems you've unlocked a new stage, youngster!
— Notification • Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn

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 • Kirby's Avalanche Instruction Booklet
He'll open his big mouth and try to inhale Kirby or hit him with his hammer.
— Enemy Characters • Kirby Super Star Instruction Booklet
The ruler of Dream Land is a selfish, loud glutton with an affinity for chaos and an aversion to Kirby.
— Kirby: Right Back at Ya! character description • Nintendo Power magazines
The rowdy ruler of Dream Land is a big-mouthed buffoon with a king-sized problem and a pint-sized brain. As far as his subjects are concerned, Dedede's a zero and Kirby's a hero. So the bad guy's goal is to get rid of Kirby--for good!
— Character description • Kirby: Right Back at Ya! official English website and Nintendo Power magazines
Big, heavy, and mallet-toting!
— In-game description (playable) • Kirby: Canvas Curse
From his castle high atop the mountains, King Dedede rules over all of Dream Land. Is he responsible for the theft of Kirby's cake? Only time will tell...
— Characters • Kirby: Squeak Squad Instruction Booklet
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 • Super Smash Bros. Brawl
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 • Revenge of the King
This selfish Dream Land king wields a big hammer that's almost as big as his mouth!
— King Dedede’s Cast Description • Kirby's Epic Yarn
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 • Kirby Mass Attack
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 • Kirby's Return to Dream Land
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 • Kirby: Triple Deluxe
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 • Kirby: Triple Deluxe
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) • Kirby: Triple Deluxe
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 • Kirby Fighters Deluxe
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 • Kirby Fighters Deluxe
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 • Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U
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) • Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U
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 • Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U
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) • Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U
Choose up, middle, or down right after starting this move to hit the Gordo in three different ways, changing how it bounces.
— Tips • Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U
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 • Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U
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 • Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U
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 • Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U
Dedede is already perfect, so his Inhale won't copy abilities. Instead, it has a longer range than Kirby's.
— Tips • Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U
If King Dedede's damage goes over 100%, he can keep charging this move past maximum without taking damage.
— Tips • Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U
It's possible to charge this move to deal more damage, but charging for too long will start to hurt Dedede too!
— Tips • Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U
He can attack while prone by cartwheeling forward. This lets him attack while moving, like a dash attack.
— Tips • Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U
After leaping up high, Dedede crashes down to attack. This move can be canceled partway through by pressing up.
— Tips • Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U
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 • Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U
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 • Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
#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 • Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
#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 • Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
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 • Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
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 • Kirby and the Rainbow Curse
King Dedede is now in the Collection Lists! You can use this in Battle Mode and Online Battles after it's unlocked.
— New ability! • Kirby Battle Royale
The king of Dream Land who wields his trademark gigantic hammer.
— Headgear description • Kirby Battle Royale
This hammer is great for swinging around like a king.
— Headgear description • Kirby Battle Royale
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 Star Allies
The rival to rival all rivals, ever since Kirby's Dream Land! This tough guy calls himself a king and can take a friend'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 • Kirby Star Allies
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 • Kirby Star Allies
He's not very fast, but he's one of few heavyweight fighters with great recovery. Apparently, a defeat by Kirby inspired him to train hard to learn a move called Hovering, which allows him to float after taking a deep breath.
— #39: King Dedede • Official Super Smash Bros. Ultimate website
The greedy, self-proclaimed king of Dream Land, King Dedede is Kirby’s “arch-frenemy”. Armed with a giant hammer, King Dedede often causes trouble, but sometimes helps Kirby out in a pinch.
— Official Kirby Website
Rumors claim that this mechanized hammer was swung by the king himself. They say he chose it to defeat a fated rival.
— Weapon description • Super Kirby Clash
A helmet that resembles a mask worn by a great king consumed by revenge. People say that this cursed king would wear this mask when things got serious.
— Armor description • Super Kirby Clash
King Dedede and Meta Knight's combo attacks are very powerful, but they also leve them wide open for counterattacks!
— Look for Openings • Kirby Fighters 2
Which pair has the stronger bond? The final battle between old rivals begins now!
— The Destined Rivals • Kirby Fighters 2
The king and knight have returned! They are brimming with power this time, but then again, your climb up the tower has changed you too. Whose partnership is stronger? We'll see in this destined battle!
— King Dedede & Meta Knight (Chapter 4) • Kirby Fighters 2
On the Summit of the heaven-piercing tower, bond is tested against bond. The true final battle begins!
— Close to the Heavens • Kirby Fighters 2
It's a clash between bonds in a battlefield among the stars! King Dedede and Meta Knight draw on their memory of past fights to ready themselves for the last battle. Their blazing bond glows in their eyes!
— King Dedede & Meta Knight (Final Chapter) • Kirby Fighters 2

Videos[]

Trivia[]

  • In illustrations or cutscenes, King Dedede has one of two symbols on the back of his robe.
  • 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's illustration).
    • In Kirby's Star Stacker (Super Famicom), 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).
  • Although spin-offs imply he has a hatred of stars, his hammer is shown with an image of a star on it.
  • 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.
  • Even though he is a boss in almost every Kirby game, he is never the main antagonist in any mainline game, with the exception of Kirby's Dream Land. However, he has taken the role of the main antagonist in many spin-offs.
  • Though he is the main antagonist of the franchise, Dedede has been the main antagonist of only two games in the primary game library: Kirby's Dream Land and Kirby Super Star (sharing his role with Marx) and their remakes.
  • In Kirby's Pinball Land, one of Dedede's attacks involves shooting lightning from his hands to disable the flippers. It is unclear how he does this, although it may be due to magic. This attack is never used or acknowledged in any other future appearances.
  • In Kirby's Avalanche, his AI is used by Satan in Puyo Puyo. However, he does shake the board similar to Zoh Daimaoh from the aforementioned game.
    • Due to a glitch, the panic music never plays in his stage when Kirby is close to losing.
  • When fighting King 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 King 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.
  • Despite his girth, King Dedede runs fast in Gourmet Race, as he is able to catch up with Kirby.
  • In the non-canon Kirby Super Star manga, there presumably is a Queen Dedede. This is not mentioned elsewhere.[11]
  • Dedede's hat in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards is different to all other games; featuring crown-like spikes on his hat rather than a spherical bobble.
    • In the second phase of King Dedede’s boss battle in Kirby Star Allies, the bobble on his hat becomes splayed, somewhat resembling the spikes on his hat in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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: Canvas Curse, Kirby's Return to Dream Land, and Kirby Star Allies, the playable King Dedede has more health than Kirby and other Friends.
  • His theme plays while fighting Meta Knight in Kirby: Squeak Squad, despite King Dedede not being present.
  • 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 resembles how it appears in the anime. When fighting Dedede, the machine in the background bears a resemblance to the Monster Transmitter.
  • 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 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 normally 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 skeptical 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).
  • There is a glitch in Spring Breeze: when the player defeats King Dedede in co-op wireless play, King Dedede may yell Mike Kirby's Stand Mike sound rather than the usual "No!" There is also a similar occurrence in Revenge of the King, in which Kirby's Stand 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.
  • The Brand New Dedede Hammer in Kirby Super Star Ultra could be based on the fact that his hammer in Super Smash Bros. Brawl is mechanical.
  • 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 Kirby's Epic Yarn, Dedede cannot use his Inhale attack. This is because he was turned to yarn like Kirby.
  • 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.
  • In Kirby's Epic Yarn, it says that King Dedede's theme is new, but it was in many games before that.
  • 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.
KingDededeHat

The King Dedede hat in StreetPass Mii Plaza.

  • King Dedede makes a cameo appearance as a purchasable hat in the Nintendo 3DS built-in game StreetPass Mii Plaza.
  • Dedede has been voiced by Shinya Kumazaki in every game that he has directed. This also includes variants of King Dedede, such as Shadow Dedede, Team DDD, Dedede Clone, King D-Mind, Parallel Dedede, and Phantom King Dedede/Phantom Forgo Dedede.
  • 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.
  • Masked Dedede's mask is apparently power-amplifying and its origins are unknown.[12]
    • 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.[13][14]
  • 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 Kirby's Dream Land and its remake as Spring Breeze. It may show Dedede has gained a better moral code.
  • In Kirby Star Allies, one of King Dedede's gloves appears as one of the symbols on Void Termina's body.
  • King Dedede's circumstances in Kirby: Triple Deluxe serve as a parallel for Meta Knight's in Kirby: Planet Robobot, as both were kidnapped by the enemy before eventually being controlled to fight Kirby, but are defeated and have their masks shattered. They then assist Kirby to get his Final Weapon to fight the true antagonist, with a little help from a traitor of the antagonist's side.
    • They go on their own adventures, battle with improved bosses, and also fight a knight as the final boss.
    • Meta Knight has no involvement in Kirby: Triple Deluxe’s main story, in the same way King Dedede had no involvement in Kirby: Planet Robobot’s main story. Instead, doppelgängers of them fill their absence as bosses.
    • Both also make physical appearances in cutscenes, King Dedede appearing in Kirby: Planet Robobot’s opening and ending story cutscenes, and Meta Knight in Kirby: Triple Deluxe’s 100% completion cutscene.
  • In Kirby Fighters 2, King Dedede's four battle entrance poses as a playable character are taken from other media:
  • Dedede's exact species is never outright stated or have received an official confirmation. However, it's certain that's he's some sort of bird, telling by his design and how Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards refers to him as a bird. His species is often regarded as a penguin and many references and hints to his species have been placed in certain games or sources, such as Snake's codec call in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, a Kirby Twitter post, and an official stop motion video by PARCO-ART using the Shakurel Kirby figures, in which King Dedede is followed by a bunch of penguins. However, he has also been referred to as a regal eagle in a Nintendo Power Magazine, though this may be referencing how he resembles a bird rather than full on stating he's an eagle. This latter reference also predates most of the above ones, so even if taken as literal, it had plenty of time to change.
  • Kirby: Squeak Squad is the only time where he appears as the first boss.
  • Ironically, King Dedede can be attacked by Waddle Dees in Kirby's Return to Dream Land (Deluxe), Kirby: Triple Deluxe, and Kirby Star Allies, even though he is their king.
  • King Dedede is the third most recurring character in the series, second to only Kirby and Waddle Dee, as he is present in every installment with the exception of Kirby & the Amazing Mirror, Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, Team Kirby Clash Deluxe, and Super Kirby Clash.
  • King Dedede's theme in Kirby and the Forgotten Land, "Roar of Dedede," is a remix of his theme in Kirby Star Allies, while his second phase theme as Forgo Dedede, "Masked and Wild D.D.D.," is a remix of Masked Dedede's theme.
  • King Dedede's mask in Kirby and the Forgotten Land may be based on a mask of shame, specifically for gluttony.

Artwork[]

Icons[]

Concept Artwork[]

Gallery[]

Sprites and Models[]

References[]

  1. http://www.kirbysrainbowresort.net/info/np/np_k64_4.jpg
  2. Several sources, such as Snake's codec call in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and a Kirby Twitter post using the nickname "mouthy penguin," imply that Dedede at least resembles a penguin. However, he is never directly referred to as one. The Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards Nintendo Power guide gives him the nickname "regal eagle," though this may have been done purely for the rhyme. These nicknames may indicate that he merely resembles a bird rather than being a specific species.
  3. King Dedede amiibo description
  4. Kirby 64 Official Japanese Website - Character Bios
  5. Spriter's Resource
  6. Miiverse
  7. Twitter post
  8. Twitter post
  9. Miiverse
  10. Smash Bros.com
  11. Kirby's Rainbow Resort
  12. Miiverse
  13. Kirby's Dream Land ending
  14. Kirby's Dream Land ending (Extra Mode)
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