Editing King Dedede

{{ArticleIcons|allgames=y}}

{{forfighter|SSBB=y|SSB4=y|SSBU=y}}

|image        = [[File:King Dedede.png|275px]]

|caption      = [[File:KirbySymbol.svg|50px|class=invert-dark]]

|universe    = {{uv|Kirby}}

|firstgame    = ''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]'' (1992)

|lastappearance = ''{{iw|mariowiki|Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition}}'' (2024, cameo)

|species      = Bird<ref>{{cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410061607/https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dv3MflbX4AAQWf2.jpg|title=Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards Nintendo Power Guide, page 21}}</ref>

|homeworld    = {{s|wikirby|Dream Land}}, {{s|wikirby|Popstar}}

'''King Dedede''' ({{ja|デデデ大王|Dedede Daiō}} ''Great King Dedede'') is a character from the {{uv|Kirby}} series. Following his debut in ''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]'' as a full-fledged villain, King Dedede steadily transitioned into both an antihero and [[Kirby]]'s "arch-frenemy"<ref name=PlayProfile>{{cite web|url=https://play.nintendo.com/themes/friends/king-dedede/|title=King Dedede - Play Nintendo}}</ref> by willingly allying with Kirby on a number of occasions for the greater good while maintaining their rivalry.

After making cameo appearances in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' as a background character and in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'' as a [[trophy]], King Dedede transitioned into a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', and has remained as such since then.

[[File:KDL2ArtKingDedede.png|left|thumb|150px|Artwork of King Dedede from ''Kirby's Dream Land 2''. This design influenced his background appearance in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'']]

King Dedede is a rotund, blue, penguin-like bird who possesses an egocentric and selfish disposition, which is best exemplified by his status as the self-proclaimed king of {{iw|wikirby|Dream Land}}.<ref name=PlayProfile/> His signature attire consists of a red, regal coat with white fur trim and his personal emblem, a stylized version of his hand striking the V sign, embossed on the back. He also wears yellow mitten-like gloves, a red {{iw|wikipedia|tuque}} with a white fur pom-pom and gold crown-like brim, and a sash featuring blue and white trim with red and yellow tessellated triangles.

King Dedede is most often defined by his gluttony. He lives in [[wikirby:Castle Dedede|a regal castle]] staffed by [[Waddle Dee]] servants, and he enjoys food to the extent of hoarding piles of it. This behavior, however, is contrasted by his incredible athleticism and ingenuity. Like [[Kirby]], King Dedede is able to {{b|inhale|King Dedede}} enemies and spit them out as projectiles (but he cannot copy a foe's ability like Kirby can). After his first defeat at Kirby's hands, Dedede underwent rigorous training to learn how to puff up and fly like him. Outside of this, Dedede wields a large wooden mallet as his signature weapon; this mallet is depicted in some games as having special features built into it, such as a powerful jet engine, or the ability to fire missiles or a chargeable laser.

In early ''Kirby'' games and spin-off titles, Dedede is depicted as the central antagonist. King Dedede's misdeeds, driven by greed, range from stealing food from the Dream Land residents in ''Kirby's Dream Land'' to stealing all the stars from the sky in ''{{iw|wikirby|Kirby's Dream Course}}''. In other games, such as ''{{iw|wikirby|Kirby's Dream Land 3}}'' and ''{{iw|wikirby|Kirby: Triple Deluxe}}'', Dedede's antagonism is not of his own volition; he is manipulated by a greater evil through mind control or possession.

In fact, a common misconception about King Dedede is that he is evil. He is merely selfish and mischievous, which renders him too benign to be an outright villain, especially compared to other ''Kirby'' antagonists. Beginning with ''{{iw|wikirby|Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards}}'', he began being depicted as an anti-hero, possessing a standoffish personality tempered by hidden compassion for others. This depiction is his most consistent portrayal in the series, especially as of ''{{iw|wikirby|Kirby's Return to Dream Land}}''.

 

 

King Dedede's relationship with Kirby varies from a nemesis to a partner. The king believes himself to be Kirby's "destined rival". Kirby, on the other hand, bears no such grudge. While Kirby regularly foils Dedede's schemes,  the duo also partake in friendly speed-eating contests in ''[[Kirby Super Star]]''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> Gourmet Race sub-game, and Dedede even teams up with Kirby as a playable character in ''Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards'', ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land'', and ''{{iw|wikirby|Kirby Star Allies}}''. In the anime series ''{{iw|wikirby|Kirby: Right Back at Ya!}}'', he is much more malicious and determined to defeat Kirby, but he rarely succeeds due to his simple-mindedness. However, he retains a form of respect for Kirby, which he rarely shows.

 

In the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series, King Dedede is voiced by his creator, [[Masahiro Sakurai]], who also voiced him in ''Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards''. His appearance in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series is primarily influenced by ''Kirby Super Star''. However, there are additional details original to the series, such as his kimono-like robes and mechanically-enhanced hammer. His more elaborate robes would later make an appearance in ''{{iw|wikirby|Kirby Mass Attack}}'', while the idea of an upgraded mechanical hammer is seen multiple times in the ''Kirby'' series, starting with ''{{iw|wikirby|Kirby Super Star Ultra}}''.

In ''Super Smash Bros.'', King Dedede makes a cameo in the background of {{SSB|Dream Land}}. However, according to a page on ''[[Smabura-Ken]]'' (the game's official Japanese website), King Dedede, alongside [[Bowser]] and [[Mewtwo]], was [[Beta elements (SSB)|planned]] to be included as a playable character, but was cut due to time constraints. Aside from this, no other information is available.

 

 

In an official poll held on ''[[Smabura-Ken]]'' regarding characters for a potential sequel, Dedede placed fourth with 46 votes, being the highest ranked non-{{uv|Mario}} character.<ref>http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n01/n64/software/nus_p_nalj/smash/PostResult2.html</ref>

Like in the original ''Super Smash Bros.'', King Dedede reappears in the background of Dream Land in ''Super Smash Bros. Melee''.

{{Trophy

|name=King Dedede

|image=King Dedede Trophy Melee.png

|desc=Dedede's the self-proclaimed king of Dream Land. While he says he's king, Dedede performs 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 the vigorous training he undertook after being bested by Kirby.

|gamelist={{Trophy games|game1=Kirby's Dream Land|release1=8/92}}

[[File:King Dedede SSBB.jpg|thumb|200px|King Dedede, as he appears in ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl''.]]

King Dedede is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', making him the third playable character from the ''Kirby'' series following {{SSBB|Kirby}} and {{SSBB|Meta Knight}}. He wields his trademark hammer, swinging it in most of his standard attacks, like the {{SSBB|Ice Climbers}}, and has very powerful hammer-based attacks. His special moves are {{b|Inhale|King Dedede}}, [[Waddle Dee Toss]], [[Super Dedede Jump]], and [[Jet Hammer]]. Inhale is very similar to Kirby's trademark move, but King Dedede lacks the ability to copy abilities. Waddle Dee Toss lets him throw his minions at foes, sometimes producing not only [[Waddle Dee]]s, but also more deadly [[Waddle Doo]]s and [[Gordo]]s. It is also possible for Dedede to throw out capsules containing items.

Super Dedede Jump is an effective recovery move, sending King Dedede high into the air, then crashing into the ground to damage foes. He can also cancel out of doing this. Finally, King Dedede mechanizes his hammer with Jet Hammer. The hammer's power is charged up by holding the special attack button, and then released for a mighty swing. King Dedede incurs damage after charging for too long, however. His dash attack, forward smash, Inhale, and Super Dedede Jump all come from ''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]''.

Like other playable characters, King Dedede retains his core design, albeit greatly enhanced graphically; most notably, his usually-exposed girth (other than his patterned waistband) is now covered by fine robes of a similar color, making his overall wear resemble a kimono. Additionally, his alternate costumes not only change the color of his outfit but the design on his waistband, as well.

King Dedede currently ranks 12th on the [[tier list]] in C+ tier. King Dedede possesses a powerful chain grab that can perform infinites on most lower-tier characters, which is complemented by his fast and long-reaching grab. He also overcomes his poor speed through his high vertical endurance, boasts one of the best recoveries in the game, and has a strong aerial game (with his back aerial in particular being very useful).

{{main|List of SSBB trophies (Kirby series)}}

|name=King Dedede

|image=King Dedede - Brawl Trophy.png

|desc=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.

|gamelist={{Trophy games|console1=GB|game1=Kirby's Dream Land|console2=N64|game2=Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards}}

|game=Brawl

}}

! Fighter(s)

| ''[[wikirby:Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards|Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards]]''

| {{SortKey|AttackSpecialsDirect+021}}[[File:SpecialsDirect.png|16px|link=Specials: Direct]] Attack +21

| {{StickerHead|Kirby|Meta Knight|King Dedede}}

| ''[[Kirby Super Star]]''

| {{StickerHead|Kirby|Meta Knight|King Dedede}}

| ''[[wikirby:Kirby: Squeak Squad|Kirby: Squeak Squad]]''

| {{Head|King Dedede|g=SSBB|s=16px}}

{{Main|King Dedede (SSB4)}}

[[File:King Dedede SSB4.png|thumb|King Dedede, as he appears in ''Super Smash Bros. 4''.]]

King Dedede returns as a playable character in ''Super Smash Bros. 4''.  He has a more cartoonish look than his appearance in ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'', reminiscent of his appearance in ''Kirby: Right Back at Ya!'', and gained a new Final Smash called [[Dedede Burst]].

King Dedede has seen a large fall from his previous [[tier list]] spot for ''Brawl'', now ranking 52nd out of 55 characters for ''SSB4''. While still maintaining his high power and [[disjointed]] reach with his hammer, he lost his effective [[chain grab]], a technique removed from ''SSB4''. This removes what made him so effective in ''Brawl''. His back aerial was also changed for the worse, no longer being as versatile as it once was. King Dedede also has a new side special: [[Gordo Throw]]. Since he now throws only Gordos, the new move has consistent power compared to the random nature of Waddle Dee Toss. However, this new attack can also be a hindrance for Dedede, as the Gordos are easily sent back to him by [[reflectors]] or any attack that does 2% or higher. The combination of his large size and slow mobility also makes him vulnerable to combos and camping.

Due to his flaws heavily outweighing his strengths, Dedede is regarded poorly in competitive play despite some notably high tournament results from players like {{Sm|Big D}} and {{Sm|Zaki}}.

{{main|List of SSB4 trophies (Kirby series)}}

|name=King Dedede

|image-3ds=KingDededeTrophy3DS.png

|image-wiiu=KingDededeTrophyWiiU.png

|desc-3ds-ntsc=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.

|desc-wiiu-ntsc=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 five jumps. His Jet Hammer will leave a mark on everyone he meets.

|desc-pal=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.

|gamelist={{Trophy games|console1=GB|game1=Kirby's Dream Land|release1=08/1992|console2=3DS|game2=Kirby: Triple Deluxe|release2=05/2014}}

|name=King Dedede (Alt.)

|image-3ds=KingDededeAltTrophy3DS.png

|image-wiiu=KingDededeAltTrophyWiiU.png

|desc-3ds-ntsc=For the Gordo Throw side special, King Dedede sends 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!

|desc-wiiu-ntsc=For the Gordo Throw side special, King Dedede sends 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 the Gordo, it'll bounce back toward you. Use the special again to whack it back at them!

|desc-pal=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!

|gamelist={{Trophy games|console1=GB|game1=Kirby's Dream Land|release1=08/1992|console2=3DS|game2=Kirby: Triple Deluxe|release2=05/2014}}

King Dedede returns as a playable character in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.'' He once again features a new [[Final Smash]] called [[Dede-Rush]], which features him launching an opponent into a steel cage, assuming his {{iw|wikirby|Masked Dedede}} persona, and then attacking any trapped opponents with a barrage of missiles and his [[Jet Hammer]]. Unlike ''Brawl'' and ''SSB4'', he is an unlockable character instead of a starter character.

{{clr}}

SSBU spirit King Dedede.png|325. '''''King Dedede'''''

*King Dedede's name is pronounced in two ways: the English, Korean, Dutch, and Russian versions read his name as "Dee-Dee-Dee", while the Japanese, Spanish, German, and Italian versions read it as "Day-Day-Day".

*King Dedede is one of the two playable characters to appear in every game of the series who was not playable in every iteration, the other being [[Charizard]].

*In ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land'', the Hammer ability received a new move called Hammer Twirl, which is directly inspired by King Dedede's down aerial from ''Brawl'' in which he twirls his hammer below himself. Ironically, King Dedede's down aerial was changed in ''SSB4'', which was released after ''Return to Dream Land''.

*King Dedede is one of the four characters to have a different Final Smash across every entry since Final Smashes were introduced; the other three are [[Pit]], [[Zero Suit Samus]], and [[R.O.B.]]

*Ever since his debut in ''Brawl'', King Dedede has had the worst air speed of any fighter.

**King Dedede is also the heaviest ''Brawl'' veteran as of ''Ultimate'', though [[Snake]] was heavier than him in ''Brawl''.

*If King Dedede is present when playing on [[Dream Land]], the sprite of King Dedede in the background will not appear.

*King Dedede is the only confirmed cut fighter from ''Super Smash Bros.'' who was not added in ''Melee''.

[[Category:King Dedede| ]]

[[es:Rey Dedede]]