Super Dedede Jump
| Super Dedede Jump | |
|---|---|
 King Dedede using Super Dedede Jump. | |
| User | King Dedede |
| Universe | Kirby |
| Article on WiKirby | Super Dedede Jump |
| “ | Jump high and come down with massive force. You can cancel the move by tapping the Control Stick down. | ” |
| —Brawl's instruction manual | ||
| “ | A big jump followed by a downward crash. | ” |
| —Smash for 3DS's foldout | ||
Super Dedede Jump (スーパーデデデジャンプ, Super Dedede Jump) is King Dedede's up special move. He jumps extremely high, then crashes down, dealing damage during the descent and when landing on the ground. The jump can be angled by pressing left or right while Dedede is turning to face the screen before he actually jumps, but once in the air, pressing left or right only changes the direction Dedede faces when he lands. He is vulnerable when he lands, so one can cancel the move by tapping down in Brawl or up in Smash 4 if it looks risky; this also allows the player to adjust Dedede's horizontal momentum. However, if it is done too close to when Dedede lands, he will become even more vulnerable; instead of just getting up, he will fumble around for about a second and a half before getting up, forcing delicate strategy when canceling the move. If Dedede hits a ceiling while using the move, he will fall helplessly.
Unlike most other up special recoveries in the game, this move does not auto-sweetspot the edge, except in Super Smash Bros. 4, but only during the upward jump. However, if the move is canceled close enough to the edge, Dedede will snap to it. It is also possible to use the Super Dedede Jump as an edgeguarding move.
During the first half of this attack (when he jumps into the air), King Dedede has armor, causing long attacks such as Smart Bomb to freeze King Dedede if he is hit during his armored frames. However, the jump deals no damage. If he hits an opponent as he is falling, it becomes a powerful meteor smash. If this move meteors an opponent onto the ground, and then Dedede lands on top of them, it has vertical knockback instead of the normal 45-degree angle. Stars are produced around King Dedede when he lands, produced in reference to the Kirby games. In Super Smash Bros. 4, Super Dedede Jump gained the ability to bury grounded opponents when landing on top of them.
Amusingly enough, if this move is used under a low-gravity effect (through certain stages, such as Pirate Ship and Spear Pillar, or through Special Brawl options), Dedede comes down at ridiculously slow speed and can travel absurd distances horizontally. This glitch can also work while Dedede is standing on ink in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. By the same token, its utility as a recovery move is hampered by high-gravity effects, but it becomes much more difficult to avoid.
Origin
Super Dedede Jump is one of King Dedede's main attacks from the Kirby series, including his debut in Kirby's Dream Land. In the Kirby games, when Dedede jumps and lands, two stars would appear on each side of him, which Kirby could swallow and spit them back at King Dedede, though Kirby can't swallow the stars in Brawl.
King Dedede performing the move in Kirby's Dream Land.
Customization
Special Move customization was added in Super Smash Bros. 4. These are the variations:
| 1. Super Dedede Jump | 2. Rising Dedede | 3. Quick Dedede Jump |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
| "A big jump, and then a downward crash. Press up to cancel it." | "A big jump that attacks on the way up instead of the way down." | "A jump and crash that's extra fast but doesn't go as high or hit as hard." |
- Super Dedede Jump: Default.
- Rising Dedede: Deals damage on the way up, then falls helplessly. Dedede's helpless state operates the same as if he had canceled the standard version of the move, so he will suffer extreme landing lag if he lands too soon after the peak of his jump.
- Quick Dedede Jump: A faster version of Super Dedede Jump that deals less damage and doesn't go as high.
Trivia
- In Smash 4, the sound effect of King Dedede landing when he is helpless is that of a cymbal mixed with percussion instruments, which sounds similar to the sound Dedede makes upon hitting a drum in the Kirby: Triple Deluxe minigame, Dedede's Drum Dash.
- Surprisingly, the sound that plays while jumping is very similar to the sound made by zooming the map in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.
