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 ''Ultimate''.

King Dedede is ranked 79th out of 82 on the current ''Ultimate'' [[tier list]], placing at the top of E+ tier. This is very similar to his low tier placement in ''Smash 4'', at 51st out of 54. King Dedede has some of the best endurance out of all fighters on the roster. Dedede is tied with {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}} as the [[weight|third-heaviest]] character in the game and has one of the best vertical recoveries due to [[Super Dedede Jump]], allowing him to survive to extremely high percents. Dedede's primary strengths lie in his hammer and deadly [[Ledgetrapping|ledge traps]]. King Dedede's hammer provides him with large, [[disjointed hitbox]]es on most of his moveset, making him one of the few super heavyweights that can reliably [[Spacing|space]] his opponent. Dedede's hammer can also be quite powerful, as he boasts some of the strongest [[smash attack]]s and [[aerial]]s in ''Ultimate''. Furthermore, Dedede's [[Gordo Throw]], combined with his various [[Tilt attack|tilts]] and smash attacks, can make Dedede one of the most intimidating characters on the [[ledge]]. King Dedede's moves were largely buffed in power, frame data, and [[combo]] ability in their transition to ''Ultimate''. The most significant improvement to Dedede's overall moveset is that {{b|Inhale|King Dedede}} now serves as a reflector, allowing Dedede to better fight against [[Camping|projectile camping]]. Inhale can also be used in conjunction with his [[Gordo]]s, giving him another method to use his sole [[projectile]] against his opponent.

However, King Dedede has severe flaws that overshadow most of his strengths, especially when in disadvantage. Dedede has awful mobility, with him especially struggling in the air due to possessing the slowest [[air speed]] in the game, making it a challenge for him to [[approach]] or retreat from his opponent. Like several super heavyweights, King Dedede has a large hurtbox and a few evasive options, making him extremely susceptible to combos and [[juggling]]. While this can be somewhat dealt with through Dedede's incredibly quick [[falling speed]], his attributes of a super heavyweight only compound the issues his sluggishness presents. Dedede's atrocious air speed in combination with his fast falling speed leave him extremely vulnerable offstage, making it troublesome for Dedede to return to stage safely. In addition, the slow frame-data associated with Dedede's moveset make a majority of his moveset very committal. Dedede's [[special move]]s all leave him open to punishment. Dedede alsod has to be careful when using Gordo Throw, as Gordos can be reflected back by the opponent by dealing at least 2% on it, causing significant damage. Super Dedede Jump is best useful if Dedede can connect with the ledge, as the move has exceptionally high ending lag onstage and cannot snap to ledges during descent. All of this leads to Dedede having a surprisingly hard time taking off [[Stock|stocks]], as his powerful finishers are unsafe, and his deadly set-ups are difficult to establish in [[Neutral game|neutral]].  

King Dedede's competitive percetion has shifted throughout ''Ultimate''{{'}}s metagame. At launch, Dedede was considered an upper mid-tier due to his received buffs, as well as the utility of [[Gordo Throw]] and his [[shield break]]ing set-ups, which led to a large playerbase. However, Dedede received notable nerfs to Gordo's hitboxes and [[shield break]] set-ups in subsequent [[List of updates (SSBU)|balance patches]], leading to a decline in his competitive standing and most of Dedede's early mains have either dropping him in favour of better characters, such as {{Sm|Peli}}, or relegating him to a [[secondary]]. However, King Dedede continues to receive moderate success from dedicated players, such as [[Smasher:Atomsk|Atomsk]] and [[Smasher:ZAKI|ZAKI]].

King Dedede is tied for the third heaviest character in the game alongside {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}}, making him a [[Weight|super heavyweight]]. King Dedede shares some archetypical attributes with other heavyweights, such as a high damage output, high KO potential, great endurance, quick [[Falling speed|falling]] and [[fast fall]]ing speeds (both tied for 2nd and 3rd fastest, respectively), overall sluggish mobility, large size and a high susceptibility to combos. In addition to possessing an average [[initial dash]] and the 30th highest [[gravity]], he has the 28th slowest [[Walk|walking speed]], 11th slowest [[Dash|dashing speed]], the slowest [[air speed]] in the game, and is tied for the 5th 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 boasts 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 considerable 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 unnaturally 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 several of his attacks, allowing him to safely [[space]] his opponents, especially if they are slow and have worse range than him.

True to a super heavyweight, King Dedede is gifted with an abundance of finishers. King Dedede's [[dash attack]] is a notable example, as it deals huge damage, and reliably KOs under 100%, while being able to KO as low as below 60% near the ledge. King Dedede's [[smash attack]]s all possess great power, great disjointed range, and [[transcendent priority]], while possessing their own perks: [[forward smash]] can reliably KO from 60% and below in most situations, has deceptively short ending lag for an attack of its power, while also being able to deal severe [[shield damage]], making it an intimidating shield pressuring tool; up smash reliably KOs from anywhere on-stage around 100ish% without rage, while covering a large space all-around Dedede; lastly, down smash is his fastest smash attack in his arsenal and covers significant horizontal distance around both sides of Dedede, while easily KOing below 100% near the ledge and around 125% from center.

The rest of King Dedede's grounded moveset comes with merits: [[neutral attack]] can be useful for racking up damage, 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]]; finally, 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 that allow him to stall and bait reactions from opponents. [[Neutral aerial]] is his fastest aerial due to coming out on frame 7, which can disrupt the opponent's combos, and its late hit can also set up combos for Dedede himself, such as up tilt or up air. [[Forward aerial]] has a lot of range in front of Dedede, which is good for spacing with its decent startup lag, and can lead into a [[wall of pain]] at lower percents. [[Back aerial]] is a potent KOing option with a good range behind Dedede, which is also a good option for spacing and landing. [[Up aerial]] can beat out a lot of down aerials thanks to its long range, and it also has strong KO potential. [[Down aerial]], when sweetspotted, is a powerful meteor smash offstage, but its use in general is limited due to its slow startup and small and awkward hitbox.

King Dedede's [[grab]] game has perks of its own. Although his grab has merely average range, this problem can be mitigated by [[dash grab]]bing. His [[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, 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; finally, [[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. As a cherry on top, both forward and back throw can KO at higher precents at the edge, although the latter is mitigated by DI due to its awkward launching angle.

King Dedede's [[special move]]set has decent and flexible utility as well. [[Inhale]] functions as a strong command grab that can be [[B-reverse]]d for landing options against shielding opponents on the ground or on platforms above Dedede. The spit can force opponents into a recovering state by sending them offstage or even spit them under the stage, which is perhaps where Dedede is strongest. Inhale also doubles as a [[reflection|reflector]], allowing him to contest against projectile-campers. The Gordos from [[Gordo Throw]] function as powerful stage control options with KO potential in their own right at 140% and above and can set up deadly ledge traps. Finally, [[Jet Hammer]] is an effective punishing tool with heavy armor that deals excellent damage and knockback, and with a maximum charge, it can break full shields.

In spite of these strengths, King Dedede still has noteworthy drawbacks. King Dedede's biggest problem is his [[approach]], which is among the worst in the game. His mobility is sluggish, especially in the air, giving King Dedede immense difficulty catching up to or retreating from his opponents, as well as speed demons, such as {{SSBU|Sonic}} and {{SSBU|Fox}}, easily outpacing him. King Dedede's poor grounded mobility also makes him over-reliant on [[fox-trotting]] to cover grounded distances, which itself is somewhat predictable. In addition, King Dedede is also brought down by his underwhelming frame-data, which is among the slowest in ''Ultimate'', which makes him vulnerable to punishes should Dedede throw out a move with considerable lag, which further burdens his comittal approach.

Although King Dedede's fast falling speed allows him to easily land, his glacial air speed, large hurtbox, heavy weight and lack of quick evasive options renders him vulnerable to combos and juggling. King Dedede's recovery is further burdened by his aforementioned sluggish air speed and fast falling speed, often forcing him to be reliant on Super Dedede Jump to return onstage. Super Dedede Jump itself, in spite of traveling at a considerable vertical distance, also causes King Dedede to descend extremely quickly; this, coupled with its limited horizontal maneuverability, renders Super Dedede Jump unreliable for recovering at certain distances offstage. In addition, King Dedede is incapable of grabbing ledges during its descent and/or after Super Dedede Jump has travelled enough distance, forcing him to cancel the move while recovering to prevent unintentional [[self-destruct]]s, which is often risky.

King Dedede's other [[special move]]s can work against him as well. Inhale has high ending lag, allowing other characters to easily punish him after he finishes the move. Gordo Toss's Gordos can be reflected back at King Dedede via inflicting 2% against the Gordd 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 is characterized as a zoner powerhouse. King Dedede's high weight, endurance, range, and power allow him to punish his opponents with relative ease and survive for a very long time, but his poor overall mobility makes King Dedede's approach somewhat abysmal and renders his recovery somewhat predictable and over-reliant on Super Dedede Jump. Dedede players should be careful to not make a mistake, or else they might potentially risk getting heavily punished.

King Dedede was infamous for being one of the worst characters in ''SSB4'', owing to a large number of weaknesses such as 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]]. Even in game updates, he infamously received nerfs while not receiving a single buff in return. Possibly as a result of his poorly regarded status, King Dedede has been buffed overall in the transition to ''Ultimate'', albeit not enough to significantly change his standing.

Altogether, King Dedede's entire kit has been noticeably improved from ''SSB4'', and while this doesn't change his core playstyle significantly (aside from Inhale becoming a reflector), it allows him to play to his strengths better thanks his moves gaining improved consistency and utility, allowing King Dedede to utilize his strengths better. However, it is important to note that, due to this, King Dedede still retains most of his core weaknesses from the previous game, such as slow movement speed, a lackluster disadvantage state, a vulnerability to some forms of camping, and a high susceptibility to rushdown and combos, with many of these changes failing to alleviate his weaknesses outside of Inhale becoming a pseudo-reflector. Combined with the vast majority of returning veterans also receiving buffs that have improved them, King Dedede has not significantly improved relative to the cast, despite performing much better than in ''SSB4''.

|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.

|fsmashdesc=Rears his hammer back and swings it downward. It can KO as early as 30% near the edge, even when uncharged (which even {{SSBU|Bowser}} and {{SSBU|Ganondorf}} cannot do until 39% and 38%, respectively). When fully charged, it is even capable of OHKOing some lighter characters (such as {{SSBU|Pichu}}) near the edge of Final Destination, and even the heaviest fighters at less than 10%. It is the strongest forward smash in the game by default; when factoring in {{SSBU|Lucario}}'s forward smash at maximum [[Aura]] and {{SSBU|Hero}}'s forward smash with a critical hit, it is the 3rd strongest. Overall, it is the 4th strongest attack of any kind in the entire game by default, being surpassed only by [[Judge]] 9, aerial reverse [[Warlock Punch]], and [[Flare Blade]]. It has very slow startup (frame 40), but deceptively short ending lag for its power. It also deals additional shield damage, to the point that its clean hit can break a full shield when fresh, and possesses both transcendent priority and a long-ranged quake hitbox. Originates from ''Kirby's Dream Land''.

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

|pummeldesc=A headbutt. Has below-average speed, though it is quicker but less damaging than it was in ''SSB4''.

|edgedesc=Performs a kick while climbing up.

|ssdesc=Hits a bouncing {{iw|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 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, or re-catch the Gordo and throw it back, though unless it has been Inhaled before hand, this can be done only up to three times.

*{{Sm|Addy|Mexico}} - Considered the best King Dedede player in Mexico. He has a notable amount of results in regards to regional tournaments such as 4th at {{Trn|BIT MASTER MTY 5}} and 9th at {{Trn|SKL: Open Primavera 2020}}, garnering wins over {{Sm|Ang}} and {{Sm|Nery}}. His supermajor results are more rare, but he has placed 33rd at {{Trn|Smash Factor 8}} with a win over {{Sm|AC}}, and more recently 65th at {{Trn|Smash Factor X}}. He was ranked 29th on the [[Mexican Power Rankings]], being the only King Dedede player to be ranked in the country.

*{{Sm|Atomsk|USA}} - One of the best King Dedede players in the world when he was active. Has a multitude of great regional results such as 3rd at {{Trn|CROSSxUP}} with a win over {{Sm|Quidd}} and 4th at {{Trn|Hold The Line}} where he defeated {{Sm|Light}}, which are some of King Dedede's best wins in the current meta. He also has some solid major results which include a 25th at {{Trn|Pound 2019}}, 33rd at {{Trn|Glitch 8.5 - Konami Code}}, and 65th at {{Trn|GENESIS 7}}. He was formerly ranked as high as 5th at the [[New Jersey Power Rankings|New Jersey Smash Ultimate Power Rankings]]. During the pandemic era, he became a very notable Wi-Fi Warrior, placing 3rd at {{Trn|The Box: Lunch Box 7}} and 5th at {{Trn|Frame Perfect Series 4: ONLINE}}, as well as being formerly ranked 39th on the [[Wi-Fi Warrior Rank v6]].

*{{Sm|Castelia|USA}} - The current best King Dedede player in the United States. She gained notoriety as one of the best King Dedede players in the online metagame, placing 3rd at {{Trn|Dabuz's Galaxy Sized Journey To EVO}}, 7th at {{Trn|Ultimate Naifu Wars 5}}, and 25th at {{Trn|SWT: NA Northeast Ultimate Online Qualifier}} and was formerly ranked 34th on the [[Wi-Fi Warrior Rank v4]]. In the post-pandemic era, she was previously ranked as high as 4th on the Upstate [[New York Power Rankings]] and placed 33rd at a few offline events such as {{Trn|Glitch - Regen}} and {{Trn|Get On My Level 2023}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|Jake}}, {{Sm|KirbyKid}}, and {{Sm|PkChris}} at other events.

*{{Sm|El_Bardo|Spain}} - One of the best King Dedede players in Europe. He has shown a lot of results in region as a King Dedede player with top 8 at multiple Spanish events and wins over {{Sm|Tropped}} and {{Sm|ForTseKe}}. Additionally, he has placed 33rd at {{Trn|Syndicate 2019}} and {{Trn|GLORY 3}}. He is currently ranked 45th in the [[Spanish Power Rankings|Spanish Smash Ultimate Power Rankings]].

*{{Sm|Peli|UK}} - One of the best King Dedede players in the world before dropping the character in favor of solo-maining {{SSBU|Sonic}}. Back when he mained the character, he was ranked 23rd on the [[European Power Rankings]] and placed 3rd at {{Trn|UKIE Ultimate Circuit Finale}}, 9th at {{Trn|Valhalla III}}, and 25th at {{Trn|Syndicate 2019}}, using King Dedede to beat European talent such as {{Sm|iStudying}}, {{Sm|CurryGovernor}}, and {{Sm|Meru}}. He also won {{Trn|VCA 2021}} and while he primarily played Sonic, it marked one of the best runs for a King Dedede player, as Peli used the character to defeat {{Sm|Space}} and {{Sm|Leon}} in his bracket.

*{{Sm|ZAKI|Japan}} - The best King Dedede player in the world. His best performance to date is 2nd at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 2}} where he defeated {{Sm|Sigma}} and {{Sm|Gackt}}. He has placed top 8 at multiple other Japanese tournaments such as 5th at {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 4}} where he beat {{Sm|HIKARU}} and {{Sm|Kome}}, as well as other Sumabatos such as {{Trn|Sumabato SP 19}}, {{Trn|Sumabato SP 26}}, and {{Trn|Sumabato SP 30}}. He also holds the highest solo King Dedede placements at supermajors such as 25th at {{Trn|Umebura Japan Major 2019}} and 33rd {{Trn|EVO 2019}}. Currently ranked 38th on the [[Experimental Smash Player Rankings]].