Editing King Dedede (SSBU)

King Dedede’s voice clips from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'', where he was voiced by series creator [[Masahiro Sakurai]], have been repurposed for in ''Ultimate''.

With the exception of the third method, King Dedede must then be defeated on [[Fountain of Dreams]].

King Dedede is tied for the third heaviest character in the game with {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}}, making him a [[Weight|super heavyweight]]. King Dedede shares some typical attributes with other heavyweights, such as a high damage output, high KO potential, great endurance, quick [[Falling speed|falling]] and third fastest [[fast fall]]ing speeds (both tied for second and third fastest respectively), overall sluggish mobility, and a high susceptibility to combos. In addition to having an average initial dash and the thirtieth highest [[gravity]], King Dedede has the twenty-eighth slowest [[Walk|walking speed]], eleventh slowest [[Dash|dashing speed]], the worst [[air speed]] in the game, and the fourth slowest [[air acceleration]]. To counteract these flaws, however, King Dedede is gifted with four [[Double jump|midair jump]]s.

As a super-heavyweight, King Dedede has immense endurance, both vertically and horizontally. His massive weight makes him difficult to launch, and his incredibly fast falling speed lets him return to the ground quickly. Despite having the worst air mobility, his four midair jumps and [[Super Dedede Jump]], the latter of which travels a very long vertical distance and has [[super armor]] during its ascent and descent, gives him great recovery for a heavyweight. Super Dedede Jump also has a [[meteor smash]] hitbox during its descent, making it risky to intercept if he recovers high. His [[tech]] rolls are unusually long-distanced for a character of his size, making him difficult to [[tech-chase]]. Finally, King Dedede's trademark hammer grants him a long disjoint in many of his attacks, allowing him to safely [[space]] his opponents.

True to a heavyweight character, King Dedede is gifted with an abundance of KO options and finishers. King Dedede's dash attack is a notable example, dealing huge damage, high pressure to shields, and being able to KO at a mere 55% on middleweight opponents. King Dedede's smash attacks all possess good damage and knockback, while having their own perks: forward smash can KO at 30%, has deceptively short ending lag, allowing King Dedede to quickly react, while also being able to deal immense pressure to shields with only a slight charge; up smash KOs at 100% and sports transcendent priority, while coming with good range and speed, easily being able to hit even the smallest of opponents, while dealing great vertical knockback; lastly, down smash is the fastest smash attack in Dedede's arsenal, KOing at 80%, having transcendent priority, and easily [[Punishment|punishing]] rolling opponents.

The rest of King Dedede's grounded moveset comes with merits: neutral attack can deal multiple hits, being able to combo into itself, while the finisher's unique vertical knockback allows this move to KO at 150% under [[rage]]. King Dedede's forward tilt sports good range and startup lag, while its multiple hits are effective for dealing damage and starting combos, while also trapping rolling or floor-bound opponents; up tilt has quick startup lag and good range, allowing it to combo into itself while dealing good damage and leaving King Dedede's body and head [[intangible]]; lastly, down tilt deals good damage and has good range, being able to pursue opponents or retreat from them.

King Dedede's aerial game is also decent, thanks to his multiple midair jumps which allow him to stall and bait reactions from opponents. Neutral air is his fastest aerial due to coming out on frame 7, which can help disrupt enemy combos, and its late hit can also set up combos for Dedede himself, such as up tilt or up air. Forward air has a lot of range in front of Dedede, which is good for spacing with its decent startup speed, and can [[wall of pain]] at lower percents. Back air is a potent kill option with a good range behind Dedede, which is also a good option for spacing and landing. Up air can beat out a lot of down aerials thanks to its long-range, and it also has strong KO potential. Down air, when sweetspotted, is a powerful meteor smash offstage, but its use in general is limited due to its slow startup and small awkward hitbox.  

King Dedede's grab game is less overwhelming than his grounded and aerial attacks, but it is still sufficient. King Dedede's grab only has average range, but this problem can be mitigated by simply [[dash grab]]bing. King Dedede's pummel is good for racking up on damage, due to its quick speed, which is especially deadly at high percentages; forward throw has good [[edgeguard]]ing potential, due to sending opponents forward, easily being able to follow up with Gordo Toss; back throw is Dedede's strongest throw, dealing the most damage and knockback while having limited degrees of damage racking and edgeguarding potential; up throw can also be used to launch opponents into previously thrown Gordos, and can follow up with an up aerial; lastly, down throw's low damage and knockback lend it great combo potential, easily stringing into itself, and initiating combos with Dedede's neutral, forward, and back aerials.  

Although King Dedede's high weight and falling speeds allow him to easily return to the ground, they also render him vulnerable to combos, juggling, and chain throws while hindering his recovery. King Dedede's recovery is further hampered by his low airspeed and jump height, often forcing him to use his Super Dedede Jump to return onstage. Super Dedede Jump itself, in spite of traveling high, also causes King Dedede to descend very quickly; this, coupled with its limited horizontal maneuverability, renders Super Dedede Jump unreliable for recovering at certain distances offstage.  

King Dedede's other specials can work against him, as well. Inhale has high ending lag, allowing other characters to easily punish him. Gordo Toss' Gordos can be reflected back at King Dedede from any attack that does 2% or higher, dealing immense damage to him and potentially resulting in a self-induced KO, requiring him to exercise caution or utilize Inhale on his reflected Gordos. Jet Hammer also takes a long time to charge, leaving King Dedede susceptible to attack, and its high ending lag leaves him vulnerable to punishment from his opponents.

Overall, King Dedede's high weight, endurance, range, and power allow him to punish his opponents with relative ease from distances, but his poor overall mobility makes King Dedede's approach somewhat abysmal and renders his recovery somewhat predictable and overly reliant on Super Dedede Jump. Dedede players should be careful to not make a mistake, else his high weight would render him to heavy punishment.

King Dedede was infamous for being one of the worst characters in ''SSB4'', owing to a large number of considerable nerfs he received both at ''SSB4''{{'}}s launch and via game updates while not receiving a single buff in return, and his large amount of weaknesses, including notoriously poor frame data, his moveset's lack of power despite being a super heavyweight, and his special moveset's lack of utility outside of [[Gordo Throw]]. Possibly as a result of his very poorly regarded status, King Dedede has been buffed overall in the transition from ''SSB4'' to ''Ultimate''.

Among King Dedede's biggest buffs are those to the utility and consistency of his ground game. [[Neutral attack]]'s KO power was significantly improved, and it has undergone adjustments that make it harder for opponents to fall from the move as easily. [[Forward tilt]] connects much better overall, allowing it to deal its maximum damage more frequently, whereas [[up tilt]] has increased KO power (though it's still not as powerful as it was in ''Brawl'') and [[down tilt]]'s hitbox was fixed, which when combined with the changes to [[jostling]] allows it to connect much more frequently. [[Dash attack]] now deals significantly increased knockback and has had its hitbox fixed, now making it a usable (albeit still rather slow) punish option. His smash attacks are also more useful, with both [[forward smash|forward]] and [[up smash]] dealing more damage and knockback, and his forward smash is now slightly faster. Finally, his grab game has been slightly improved, thanks to his longer-reaching standing and dash grabs, and in spite of their increased startup and ending lag.

King Dedede's special moveset has also received several miscellaneous buffs, giving him options that either he previously lacked or were outclassed. {{b|Inhale|King Dedede}} has a much larger grabbox and has gained the ability to spit out inhaled projectiles with a one-time increase to their damage, effectively giving him a [[reflection|reflector]], which helps alleviate his vulnerability to projectile camping. Gordo Throw's hitboxes are larger and more accurate and the move has less ending lag after a Gordo has been thrown. Additionally, Inhale's new ability to suck in projectiles to spit them out combines well with Gordo Throw, giving King Dedede another way to throw or re-launch Gordos at a faster speed, which gives the projectile much more utility. Lastly, [[Jet Hammer]] now deals more damage and knockback, has [[shield break]]ing potential, and it now has heavy [[armor]] before the move comes out that resists up to 14%, exponentially improving the move as a hard punish option.

Aside from direct changes, King Dedede also benefits from a few changes to universal gameplay mechanics. The universal increase to mobility has buffed his abysmal horizontal mobility (although it still remains among the worst across the series), while the reductions to landing lag, the streamlined jumpsquats and the new limitations to [[air dodge]] mechanics have increased the effectiveness of his aerial moveset, by giving him additional landing options, and improving both his combo ability (with his neutral aerial, in particular, being a more potent combo starter) and [[edgeguarding]] ability.

However, King Dedede is not without a few nerfs. His [[back aerial]], despite having a visually more accurate animation, has smaller hitboxes, slightly decreasing its range. His [[up aerial]], previously notorious for its lackluster KO potential due to its vulnerability to [[DI]] and [[LSI]], sends at an even lower angle that made it worse for KOing prior patch 8.0.0, though it received a very significant knockback buff on the said patch, making it stronger than in ''SSB4'' even with its new, inferior angle. His neutral attack and up tilt also deal less damage. Despite this, the nerfs are all minor in comparison to his more useful buffs.  

Altogether, King Dedede's entire kit has been improved from ''SSB4'', making him function better compared to his previous incarnation, and was initially considered among the best super heavyweights in the game. However, it is important to note several points: King Dedede's playerbase, while having players across all levels of play, remains lackluster at the highest level, despite players such as {{Sm|ZAKI}}, {{Sm|Atomsk}}, and {{Sm|Peli}} achieving solid results in tournament. His vulnerabilities to projectile camping, rushdown, as well as having a lacking disadvantage state from the previous game have remained, which is compounded by most top-tier characters such as {{SSBU|Palutena}}, {{SSBU|Pikachu}}, and {{SSBU|Mario}}. He has also received a few nerfs on game updates to his more useful moves. As such, players have debated on whether King Dedede is as effective as originally imagined, with the current general consensus is that he is a low-mid, low, or even bottom tier character because of his improvements compared to ''SSB4'' haven’t entirely been addressed. In the end, King Dedede's true viability remains questionable.

King Dedede has garnered a mix of buffs and nerfs via game updates, but was slightly buffed. The most notable nerfs were to Gordo Throw, as Gordos have smaller hitboxes and deal less shield damage, removing some shield break set-ups. Additionally, the Gordo-boosted Super Dedede Jump was removed altogether. Moreover, King Dedede's shield pressure was further toned down by removing forward smash's ability to hit grounded characters twice, which removed its ability to instantly break shields. It wasn't until update 8.0.0 where King Dedede had some of his kit improved.<!--Down throw became less susceptible to DI via update 1.0.4 in SSB4--> Up tilt gained a noticeable damage increase, down tilt's launching angle was lowered, and both forward aerial and especially up aerial gained increased knockback. Inhale was also made safer via reduced startup and larger grabboxes. Both up and down tilt now give King Dedede strong, reasonably fast KO options that he lacked, and Inhale is now better at catching approaches and projectiles. While King Dedede retains a lot of his fundamental flaws and hasn't been improved as much compared to other tepidly received characters, his buffs have given him more consistency despite his initial nerfs.

*King Dedede can perform 4 [[midair jump]]s.

|neutralname=&nbsp;

|neutraldesc=A pair of hammer swings, followed by thrusting his hammer forward while twirling its head, followed by an upward swing. Unlike most neutral infinites, its finisher launches opponents at a nearly vertical trajectory and has KO potential, as it KOs around 150% without rage. It is much faster than it was in ''SSB4'', and connects more reliably.

|ftiltname=&nbsp;

|ftiltdesc=Thrusts his hammer forward while twirling its head. Very good range, though its fourth hitbox can only connect if the move lands at the tip of the hammer. However, its rather long ending lag makes this move unsafe if it does not connect at its farthest range. It is very useful for Dedede's ledge traps as its speed, range, and long-lasting hitbox allows it to trap rolls and neutral get-ups, but this is less rewarding than using his smash attacks. Also good for catching landings when reversed out of a run, and can stuff out punish attempts for a landed back aerial.

|utiltname=&nbsp;

|utiltdmg=11.5% (head & neck), 9.5% (tip of head)

|utiltdesc=An upward headbutt. King Dedede's head and upper body are [[Intangibility|intangible]] while its hitbox is active. It has fast start-up lag with low ending lag. This move can combo into itself at low percents, and has KO potential at high percents. Its high knockback makes it the fourth strongest up tilt in the game, being able to KO Mario at 103% in Final Destination at 85% rage and no DI.

|dtiltname=Rolling

|dashname=Belly Flop

|dashdesc=His signature belly-flopping tackle. A slow and powerful KOing option, it is the strongest dash attack in the game and is even stronger than some of the cast's smash attacks, KOing middleweights at around 55% near the edge due to its exceptionally high knockback. The attack can be used for a hard read or setting up tech-chases. Can hit every character on the ledge after their [[Edge|ledge invincibility]] has ended. However, its high ending lag causes the attack to be very punishable when missed. Originates from ''Kirby's Dream Land''.

|fsmashname=&nbsp;

|fsmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|16}} (head, early), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|25}} (head, late), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|18.5}} (handle),  {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|11}} (shockwave)

|fsmashdesc=Rears his hammer back and slams it down. The most damaging and strongest forward smash in the game {and the third strongest forward smash overall, behind {{SSBU|Lucario}}'s at max [[aura]] and {{SSBU|Hero}} with a critical hit). It can KO as early as 30% near the edge, even when uncharged, and when fully charged, it is even capable of OHKOing some lighter characters like {{SSBU|Pichu}} near the edge of Final Destination. It has a very slow startup, but a deceptively short end lag and a long-ranged quakebox. It can break shields point blank with only a little bit of charging. Originates from ''Kirby's Dream Land''.

|usmashname=&nbsp;

|usmashdesc=An upward hammer swing. A decent anti-air option with great vertical knockback, KOing at middleweights at 100%. Has good range in front and behind Dedede with consistent power throughout the duration, being able to hit short characters unlike in ''SSB4''. It also has a transcendent priority.

|dsmashname=&nbsp;

|dsmashdesc=A spinning hammer swing around himself. King Dedede's fastest kill move, sending foes at a low angle and can KO around 80% near the edge. Best used for catching rolls as well as ledge attacks. It also has a transcendent priority. Appears very similar to the Giant Dedede Swing from ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land''.

|nairname=&nbsp;

|nairdesc=A [[wikipedia:Professional wrestling aerial techniques#Splash|splash]]. Dedede's fastest aerial, coming out on frame 7. Functions like a [[sex kick]], but unlike the majority of them, it has transcendent priority, meaning that it cannot cancel out projectiles. When coupled with a fast fall, its late hit has follow-up potential, such as an up tilt at low percents, neutral, forward or back air at mid percents, and up air at higher percents.

|fairname=&nbsp;

|fairdesc=Somersaults to perform a downward hammer swing. Has good range in front of Dedede, but can be unsafe on hit at lower percents if spaced poorly. This move does not autocancel in a short hop and has more landing and ending lag than his back aerial, but starts much earlier. Is capable of performing a pseudo [[wall of pain]] while edgeguarding. It can also [[lock]] and fend off edgeguard attempts while recovering, due to its long-range reaching through ledges.

|bairname=&nbsp;

|bairdesc=A horizontal hammer swing behind himself. One of Dedede's best moves for spacing and KOing, doing so reliably below 120%. Can be autocanceled in a short hop, and is also relatively safe on shield when spaced at max range.

|uairname=&nbsp;

|uairdesc=Thrusts his hammer upward while twirling its head. It has tremendous reach above Dedede and can beat out numerous down aerials. It is quite strong for a multi-hit move, being able to KO below 130%. Like his forward aerial, it can hit edgeguarding opponents through ledges.

|dairname=&nbsp;

|dairdmg=15% (middle of head), 8% (edge of head)

|dairdesc=A downward hammer swing. The sweetspot is a very powerful aerial-only [[meteor smash]]. The meteor smash only activates at 28% or higher. On grounded opponents, it deals high horizontal knockback, KOing at around 100% near the edge. However, its usage is very limited due to its high startup, causing it to be Dedede's slowest aerial.

|grabname=&nbsp;

|grabdesc=Reaches out. King Dedede's grab range is average.

|pummelname=&nbsp;

|pummeldesc=A headbutt. Quicker but less damaging than it was in ''Smash 4''. Good for racking damage.

|fthrowname=&nbsp;

|fthrowdesc=Strikes the opponent forward with his hammer. It can be used to set up an edgeguard or launch the opponent into a [[Gordo Throw|previously thrown Gordo]]. King Dedede's second strongest throw. It can KO middleweights at around 160% at the edge of Final Destination.

|bthrowname=&nbsp;

|bthrowdesc=Strikes the opponent backward with his hammer. King Dedede's strongest throw, but due to the fact that it launches at a very high angle, it does not KO until very high percentages, it can KO middleweights at around 148% at the edge of Final Destination with no DI, but around 30% later with good DI. It is better at damage racking due to these factors. Like forward throw, it can be used to launch the opponent into a previously thrown Gordo.

|uthrowname=&nbsp;

|dthrowname=&nbsp;

|dthrowdesc=A one-handed [[wikipedia:Professional wrestling throws#Body slam|body slam]]. King Dedede's best combo starter, it can initiate true combos into a neutral or forward aerial at very low percents and back air at low to mid percents. At medium percentages, down throw to up aerial is a KO combo if the opponent DIs incorrectly. It also has slight KO potential at very high percents, as it can KO middleweights at around 235% on Final Destination.

|floorbdesc=

|edgedesc=Performs a kick while climbing up.

|nsdmg=12% (spit)

|nsdesc={{s|wikirby|Inhale}}s the opponent. While they have been Inhaled, King Dedede can then walk around and spit them out to inflict damage. He will also receive a 0.25x Received Knockback Multiplier, making it almost impossible to KO him while someone is inhaled. Inhale can also be used to [[Item-swallowing|swallow]] items and spit back projectiles, acting as a reflector. The reflector property is quite notable as unlike the rest of the cast, it has no reflect limit. Inhale is also a good landing mix-up to catch [[sidestep]]s and shields.

|ssdesc=Hits a bouncing {{s|wikirby|Gordo}} with his hammer. Its trajectory can be angled upward, forward, or downward, which can be used for [[mindgames]]. By extension, his throws can be used to launch the opponent toward a previously thrown Gordo. The Gordos disappear after almost 3 seconds. An upward-angled Gordo can be used to deny most options at the ledge or even all when combined with an attack. Gordo can also stick to any surface that allows [[wall jump]]ing, and is much more consistent than it was in ''SSB4''. They can also be reflected by any attack dealing at least 2%. Of further note is that Dedede can hit opponents with the hammer swing used to serve the Gordo, potentially leading into a hit by both the hammer and Gordo for a considerable amount of damage. Dedede can also inhale his own Gordo and spit it out at a considerable speed.

|usdesc=His signature jump. It concludes with a [[wikipedia:Professional wrestling aerial techniques#Diving double foot stomp|diving double foot stomp]] that buries grounded opponents and meteor smashes aerial ones. Like [[Yoshi Bomb]], it emits stars on both sides after the diving double foot stomp hits the ground, which can make it difficult to punish, especially against characters that lack a projectile. While it cannot grab edges during its descent, it can do so upon being canceled. However, if it is canceled too late before landing, Dedede will endure landing lag that lasts for more than a second.

|dsdmg=12% (uncharged grounded), 11% (uncharged aerial), 40% (fully charged grounded), 32% (fully charged aerial)

|dsdesc=Activates the afterburner in his hammer to charge up a very powerful swing, which is released when the special button is released. Dedede can walk around slowly and jump once while charging. It has heavy armor during the swing, and it can hit opponents hanging from the ledge after their invincibility wears off. The jet hammer will inflict the most amount of knockback if released just before the full charge. Dedede can hold the hammer out indefinitely, but it slowly does recoil damage if he holds it when fully charged up until 100%. A fully charged Jet Hammer can easily KO opponents below 50% near the edge, and is able to break shields with a full charge.

|fsdesc=Strikes the opponent with his hammer sending them into his trademark boxing ring with a cage set up. Adopting his Masked Dedede persona, he attacks his opponent with a barrage of missiles, followed by a powerful spinning hammer swing. Deals approximately 60% in total with considerable knockback, but can only trap one opponent at a time.

===[[On-screen appearance]]===

*Is carried in on a palanquin by four [[Waddle Dee]]s, then jumps off, scattering them.

KingDededeOnScreenAppearanceSSBU.gif|King Dedede's on-screen appearance

</gallery>

===[[Idle pose]]s===

*Puts his hammer on his shoulder, briefly tapping against his shoulder twice.

*Smacks his belly twice.

SSBUKingDededeIdle1.gif|King Dedede's first idle pose

*'''Up taunt''': Holds up his hammer in celebration, twirling it and hoisting it upwards 3 times.

*'''Left:''' Swings his hammer twice before turning to the camera and posing.

*'''Right:''' Twirls his hammer with a grimace, then activates the [[Jet Hammer]].

==In competitive play==

At the beginning of ''Ultimate'''s metagame, many professionals noticed Dedede's improvements from the previous installment, albeit still retaining some of his weaknesses there. This led to most of the community considering him as a low-mid or even low tier character. However, as professionals such as {{Sm|ZAKI}} and {{Sm|Atomsk}} began making notable impacts in major tournaments, most players' perception changed, citing his positive qualities such as his great edge trapping with Gordos, resilient endurance, disjointed range, and stronger KO power in comparison to ''SSB4''. This led to Dedede becoming a popular choice among all levels of play in comparison to his release, most notably in local and regional tournaments, with the general perception casting him as an upper mid-tier or even high tier character.

However, updates removing Dedede's shield break combinations as well as shrinking the Gordos' hitboxes hurt Dedede's success: ZAKI's results failed to reach his prior success, Atomsk reduced him to a co-main, {{Sm|Big D}} rarely uses the character anymore, and {{Sm|Peli}} went through a short retirement followed by a several months-long character crisis and is currently co-maining the character with {{SSBU|Palutena}}. Because of this, Dedede's representation has significantly dropped, with some players reconsidering him to be strictly a mid-tier character instead of a high tier character or, in some instances, a low tier character. In addition, Dedede's poor disadvantage state, inconsistent KO potential, and laggy frame data have caused him to struggle against most top tier and/or high tier characters, such as {{SSBU|Palutena}}, {{SSBU|Mega Man}}, and {{SSBU|Fox}}. Although King Dedede is seen as a better character than he was in ''SSB4'', his first definitive tier placement in ''Ultimate'' remains to be seen.

<!--If you are planning to add a player you consider to be notable, please provide tournament results in some shape or form in the edit summary (be it a link to a results thread or bracket of placing high in a tournament of other notable players or a video of them beating a notable player). Winning tournaments without notable players present is generally not enough to warrant a spot.-->

''Any number following the Smasher name indicates placement on the [[Fall 2019 PGRU]], which recognizes the official top 50 players in the world in [[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]] from July 13th, 2019 to December 15th, 2019.''

*{{Sm|Addy|Mexico}} - Uses Dedede as a co-main/secondary alongside with {{SSBU|Wario}} and is considered the best Dedede player in Mexico. Placed 4th in {{Trn|BIT MASTER MTY 5}}, 9th at both {{Trn|BIT MASTER MTY 7}} and {{Trn|SKL: Open Primavera 2020}}, and 33rd in {{Trn|Smash Factor 8}}. Has a win over {{Sm|AC}}.

*{{Sm|Atomsk|USA}} - The best King Dedede player in North America since Big D's inactivity with the character. Placed 13th at {{Trn|Smashadelphia 2019}}, 25th at {{Trn|Pound 2019}}, and 65th at {{Trn|GENESIS 6}}, beating players such as {{Sm|Gen}}. At some point, he dropped the character in favor of {{SSBU|Banjo & Kazooie}}<ref>[https://twitter.com/Atomsk92/status/1174126737803943936]</ref> but now uses both as co-main<ref>[https://twitter.com/Atomsk92/status/1182259634029170693]</ref>. Ranked 6th at the [[New Jersey Power Rankings|New Jersey Smash Ultimate Power Rankings]].

*{{Sm|Bobby Fabulous|USA}} - Placed 7th at {{Trn|Don't Roll With It!}} and 17th at {{Trn|Clash Of The Carolinas III}}. Has wins over {{Sm|Lazyboredom}} and {{Sm|NoTag}}.

*{{Sm|Bryce|USA}} - Placed 25th at {{Trn|Collision 2019}} and has wins over {{Sm|Rivers}}, {{Sm|6WX}}, {{Sm|Jakal}}, and {{Sm|Dill}}.

*{{Sm|El_Bardo|Spain}} - Placed 5th at {{Trn|Codec Call 4}}, 7th at {{Trn|Codec Call 3}}, 9th at {{Trn|Tizona}}, and 33rd at {{Trn|Syndicate 2019}}. Currently ranked 9th in the [[Spanish Power Rankings|Spanish Smash Ultimate Power Rankings]].

*{{Sm|Peli|England}} - The second best King Dedede player in the world. Placed 2nd at {{Trn|Schism 3}}, 5th at {{Trn|Regen 2019}}, 9th at {{Trn|Valhalla III}}, 25th at {{Trn|Syndicate 2019}}, and 65th at {{Trn|Frostbite 2019}}. Ranked 23rd in the [[European Smash Rankings]]. Has wins over {{Sm|Larry Lurr}}, {{Sm|iStudying}}, {{Sm|Meru}}, {{Sm|Antheia}}, and {{Sm|T}}.

*{{Sm|Swamp|USA}} - Placed 25th at {{Trn|2GG: SoCal Chronicles 2020}} and 49th at {{Trn|2GG: All In}}. Has wins over {{Sm|MastaMario}}, {{Sm|Taternator}}, and {{Sm|Marvelous_Marco}}.

*{{Sm|ZAKI|Japan}} - The best King Dedede player in the world. Placed 2nd at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 2}}, 5th at {{Trn|Umebura SP 2}}, 25th at {{Trn|Umebura Japan Major 2019}}, {{Trn|2GG: Prime Saga}} and {{Trn|Sumabato SP 11}}, and 33rd at both {{Trn|EVO 2019}} and {{Trn|Umebura SP 7}}. Formerly ranked 11th in the [[Japan Player Rankings]].

 

*{{Sm|Big D|Canada}} (#49) - The best King Dedede player in North America and one of the best ones in the world. Placed 4th at both {{Trn|Battle of BC 3}} and {{Trn|Don't Park on the Grass 2018}}, 25th at {{Trn|Get On My Level 2019}}, and 33rd at {{Trn|GENESIS 6}}. Has wins over players like {{Sm| Captain L}}, {{Sm|MuteAce}}, {{Sm|dyr}}, and {{Sm|Pandarian}}. Now only uses King Dedede against specific matchups, and mostly uses {{SSBU|Ice Climbers}} in tournament.

*{{Sm|DiZ|USA}} - Played King Dedede early in ''Ultimate'' and placed 2nd at {{Trn|GatorLAN Spring 2019}}. Has dropped the character in favor of {{SSBU|Piranha Plant}}, but still rarely plays him as a secondary. Currently ranked 8th on Central Florida Ultimate Power Rankings, and was ranked 6th while solo maining Dedede.

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|2||{{SSBU|Marth}} {{Head|Marth|g=SSBU|s=20px}} and {{SSBU|Roy}} {{Head|Roy|g=SSBU|s=20px}}||[[Castle Siege]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Fire Emblem|Fire Emblem Theme}}''||

|3||{{SSBU|Zelda}} {{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=20px}}||[[Hyrule Castle]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Overworld Theme - The Legend of Zelda (64)}}''||

|4||{{SSBU|Peach}} {{Head|Peach|g=SSBU|s=20px}} and {{SSBU|Daisy}} {{Head|Daisy|g=SSBU|s=20px}}||[[Princess Peach's Castle]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Mario Bros.|Underwater Theme - Super Mario Bros.}}''||

|5||{{SSBU|Bowser}} {{Head|Bowser|g=SSBU|s=20px}} and {{SSBU|Bowser Jr.}} {{Head|Bowser Jr.|g=SSBU|s=20px}}||[[Find Mii]] ([[Battlefield form]])||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Mario Bros.|King Bowser - Super Mario Bros. 3}}''||

|6||{{SSBU|Ganondorf}} {{Head|Ganondorf|g=SSBU|s=20px}}||[[Bridge of Eldin]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Calamity Ganon Battle - Second Form}}''||

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"

! style="width:5%;"|No.

! style="width:5%;"|Image

! Name

! Type

! Power

! Stage

! Music

| 39

| [[File:King Dedede SSBU.png|center|108x108px]]

| {{SSBU|King Dedede}}

| [[File:SpiritTypeAttack.png|20px|center|Attack]] <center>{{color|#dc1029|Attack}}</center>

| 9,000

| [[Fountain of Dreams]] ([[Ω form]])

| ''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kirby|King Dedede's Theme (Brawl)}}''

{{-}}

King Dedede's Fighter Spirit can be obtained by completing [[Classic Mode]]. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 500 coins. Unlocking King Dedede in World of Light allows the player to preview the first spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As a Fighter Spirit, it cannot be used in Spirit Battles and is purely aesthetic. Each Fighter Spirit has an alternate version that replaces them with their artwork in ''Ultimate''.

Additionally, King Dedede makes an appearance as a Primary Spirit under his Masked Dedede alter ego.

King Dedede Spirit.png|325. '''''King Dedede'''''

Masked Dedede Spirit.png|353. Masked Dedede

==In Spirit battles==

|{{anchor|Moblin}}Moblin

|•{{SSBU|King Dedede}} Team {{Head|King Dedede|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Grey}} (×4)

|[[File:SpiritTypeNeutral.png|20px|center|Neutral]]

|{{anchor|Raphael the Raven}}Raphael the Raven

|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]

|{{anchor|Pak E. Derm}}Pak E. Derm

|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]

|•You have reduced jump power<br>•Timed battle<br>•Only certain Pokémon will emerge from Poké Balls ([[Alolan Exeggutor]])

|{{anchor|Don Bongo}}Don Bongo

|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]

|•The enemy has increased move speed after a while<br>•The enemy is giant<br>•The enemy has reduced move speed

|{{anchor|Kracko}}Kracko

|•{{SSBU|King Dedede}} {{Head|King Dedede|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Grey}}<br>•{{SSBU|Pikachu}} {{Head|Pikachu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}} (×2)

|[[File:SpiritTypeGrab.png|20px|center|Grab]]

|{{anchor|Gordo}}[[Gordo]]

|•Clear {{SSBU|King Dedede}} {{Head|King Dedede|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Cyan}} (×3)

|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]

|{{anchor|Peppy Hare}}[[Peppy Hare]]

|[[File:SpiritTypeNeutral.png|20px|center|Neutral]]

|{{anchor|Dyntos}}Dyntos

|[[File:SpiritTypeNeutral.png|20px|center|Neutral]]

|{{anchor|Yellow Wollywog}}[[Yellow Wollywog]]

|•{{SSBU|King Dedede}} {{Head|King Dedede|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}} (×3)

|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]

|{{anchor|Lyle}}Lyle

|[[File:SpiritTypeAttack.png|20px|center|Attack]]

|{{anchor|Fish}}[[Fish]]

|[[File:SpiritTypeGrab.png|20px|center|Grab]]

|•The enemy's neutral special has increased power<br>•Timed battle<br>•The enemy favors neutral specials

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Nintendo|Balloon Fight Medley}}

|{{anchor|Chef (Personal Trainer: Cooking)}}Chef (Personal Trainer: Cooking)

|''Personal Trainer: Cooking'' Series

|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Nintendo|Personal Trainer: Cooking}}

|{{anchor|Gruntilda}}Gruntilda

|•{{SSBU|King Dedede}} {{Head|King Dedede|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}<br>•Giant {{SSBU|Dr. Mario}} {{Head|Dr. Mario|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}} (×3)

|[[File:SpiritTypeAttack.png|20px|center|Attack]]

|•Defeat the main fighter to win<br>•The floor is poisonous<br>•[[Stamina battle]]

! colspan=1|Reference

|{{anchor|Dark Matter}}Dark Matter

|•{{SSBU|Meta Knight}} {{Head|Meta Knight|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Navy}}<br>•{{SSBU|King Dedede}} {{Head|King Dedede|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Grey}}

|[[File:SpiritTypeAttack.png|20px|center|Attack]]

|{{anchor|Captain Syrup}}{{s|mariowiki|Captain Syrup}}

|[[File:SpiritTypeGrab.png|20px|center|Grab]]

|{{anchor|Yusuke Kitagawa}}[[Yusuke Kitagawa]]

|•{{SSBU|Chrom}} {{Head|Chrom|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Black}}<br>•{{SSBU|King Dedede}} {{Head|King Dedede|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Cyan}}

|[[File:SpiritTypeGrab.png|20px|center|Grab]]

|{{anchor|Hero's Comrades}}Hero's Comrades

|•{{SSBU|Ike}} {{Head|Ike|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Black}}<br>•Tiny {{SSBU|King Dedede}} {{Head|King Dedede|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Pink}}<br>•{{SSBU|Zero Suit Samus}} {{Head|Zero Suit Samus|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=ShortsBlue}}<br>•{{SSBU|Sheik}} {{Head|Sheik|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}}<br>•Tiny {{SSBU|Robin}} {{Head|Robin|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}}<br>•{{SSBU|Zelda}} {{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}<br>•{{SSBU|Link}} {{Head|Link|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Teal}}

|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]

|[[dragonquestwiki:Rab|Rab]]

|{{anchor|Kim Kaphwan}}Kim Kaphwan

|[[File:SpiritTypeAttack.png|20px|center|Attack]]

|•The enemy's kicks and knee strikes have increased power<br>•Reinforcement will appear after an enemy is KO'd<br>•All fighters have reduced jump power

===Character Showcase Video===

**Ironically, both King Dedede and King K. Rool are opponents for each other's Classic Mode route.

*In the Korean version of the game, the [[Announcer]] calls him "King Dedede", despite having a slightly different name in Korean, "Dedede Daewang", which translates to "King Dedede the Great".

*In the Chinese version of the game, the Announcer calls him "King Dedede" in the Simplified version, while the Traditional version has the "Dedede!" announcement from the Japanese version.

*In the French and European Spanish versions, the name tag and voice clip from the announcer on the victory screen is slightly different from the one used on the character select screen, instead featuring a noticeable translation of "the" ('''le''' Roi Dadidou and '''el''' Rey Dedede, respectively). This trait is shared with {{SSBU|Wii Fit Trainer}}, {{SSBU|Pokémon Trainer}}, {{SSBU|Villager}}, {{SSBU|Ice Climbers}}, {{SSBU|Inkling}}, {{SSBU|Hero}}, and the {{SSBU|Mii Fighter}}s. Additionally, he and {{SSBU|Duck Hunt}} are only two fighters having this trait in the European version, but not in the American version.

*King Dedede is one of the only two antagonists that can be unlocked in the Light Realm, the other being {{SSBU|Bowser}}.

*Prior to 3.0.0, if King Dedede threw a Smart Bomb at his opponent and tried to Inhale them, the Inhale would not affect anyone until the bomb explosion was over. This glitch may likely have been caused by opponents stuck during the hitstun. When this happened, anyone caught in the Inhale from before will teleport into King Dedede's mouth once the explosion ended. {{SSBU|Kirby}} could do this too. This was patched, where characters can now no longer be put into hitstun during Inhale.

 

{{reflist}}