King Dedede (SSB4)

King Dedede in Super Smash Bros. 4
Universe	Kirby
Other playable appearance	in Brawl
Availability	Starter
Final Smash	Dedede Burst
Tier	H (46)

King Dedede (デデデ, Dedede) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4. He was announced on January 10th, 2014 to commemorate the release of Kirby: Triple Deluxe in Japan. He is once again voiced by long-time Kirby producer and the creator and director of the Super Smash Bros. series, Masahiro Sakurai, whose voice clips have been digitally altered from Brawl.

King Dedede is currently ranked 46th out of 56 on the tier list, placing him in the H tier alongside Lucina and makes him the third lowest ranked super heavyweight. This makes him the highest ranked bottom-tier character, which is a significant drop from his previous position in Brawl, where he was ranked 12th out of 38 on tier list. King Dedede's strengths are his large disjointed range with his mallet, good punishing moves, and impressive recovery from multiple midair jumps and super armor and distance on Super Dedede Jump. However, the drop on his tier position is largely due to the weakening or total removal of moves that were important to his neutral game, such as the removal of chain grabbing, his infamous back aerial, and his significantly reduced grab range. Additionally, he retains his poor mobility and sluggish frame data from Brawl, and is no longer capable of projectile camping due to his new Gordo Throw being reflectable by any attack that deals 2% or more. As a result of these factors, as well as his large size and considerable weight, King Dedede is quite vulnerable to rushdowns, combos, and projectile camping. In addition, King Dedede is surprisingly weak for a super heavyweight, with a good number of moves failing to KO until very high percentages.

Attributes

King Dedede is the epitome of the archetypal heavyweight character. He has a large frame, is the third heaviest, has slow walking and dashing speeds, the slowest air speed, one of the lowest air acceleration values, the second highest falling speed and above average gravity. However, unlike his fellow super heavyweights, he possesses a weapon in the form of his signature wooden mallet, which grants his attacks additional range.

King Dedede's biggest strength is his impressive survivability. His very high falling speed gives him the the greatest vertical endurance, and his weight alone gives him one of the best horizontal endurances. In addition, he is notoriously difficult to edgeguard and gimp. Despite his very high falling speed and extremely low air speed, he possesses four midair jumps. These help him stall his fall and cover long distances, as well as allowing him to edgeguard safely. His recovery does not end with his midair jumps. His up special, Super Dedede Jump, grants a very large amount of vertical distance and a good amount of horizontal distance. It also has super armor and is a meteor smash, meaning that attempts to intercept it may end with the opponent getting launched.

Another advantage King Dedede has is his harsh punish game. Almost all of his attacks deal high amounts of damage, and put opponents in a disadvantage. His most useful moves at that include, but are not limited to, down tilt, down smash and his grab game. The former two are very quick moves for a super heavyweight, and can help him fend off opponents and set up edgeguards. His pummel is highly damaging, making it good for adding up damage. His forward and back throws can send opponents off-stage, or KO at higher percentages. Lastly, his down throw can combo into up tilt and any aerial attack, making it very reliable for damage racking and giving him combos that most fellow heavyweights do not have.

However, King Dedede has numerous weaknesses. One of King Dedede's most prominent weaknesses is his polarized mobility. All of his stats work against him, as they give him very slow horizontal movement, hindering his ability to approach and combat spacing and camping. The latter problem is more serious as he has nothing against projectiles. His very quick vertical mobility also leaves him very vulnerable to combos, and has a hard time escaping from them, making it very easy for other characters with reliable combos to rack up damage on him. His biggest flaw, however, is his underwhelming moveset. The majority of his moves are among the slowest, along with Shulk and Ganondorf, making King Dedede prone to punishment. On top of that, his moveset is among the weakest of all heavyweights, with very few moves being capable of reliably KOing before 80%. Finally, his only projectile, the Gordo Toss, can be reflected by any attack that deals at least 2%, limiting their otherwise great utility and making them unsafe when used from a distance.

King Dedede is one of the characters that benefits the least from customs, having only three moves with utility that matches or surpasses that of the original versions: Topspin Gordo, Bouncing Gordo and Rising Dedede. Topspin Gordo has consistent power and moves much faster, giving it much more range, but starts up slower and does not last as long. Bouncing Gordo is electric and allows for stage control and pressure, but is much weaker. Rising Dedede maintains its super armor while having a strong hitbox on the way up, making it impossible to interrupt his recovery, and cancels immediately at the apex of the jump, making it able to grab the edge at anytime but removes its very powerful descending hitbox. All of his other custom moves have very situational advantages and are overshadowed by their disadvantages, with Dedede Storm, Taste Test, and Armored Jet Hammer being the most notorious examples. Dedede Storm has much slower start-up and ending lag than Inhale, removes Dededecide, is a multiple hitting move that cannot connect after 100%, and lacks strong hitboxes, preventing it from KOing even well over 200%. Taste Test spits opponents out instantly, preventing Dedede from sending the opponent off-stage, which allows them to exploit Dedede's infamous neutral game. Armored Jet Hammer offers super armor on charge, but causes recoil damage faster, is drastically weaker to the point where a fully charged blow is weaker than an uncharged hit by the default, and has severe ending lag to the point where one can jump from the top of Battlefield and use it and then be unable to move until Dedede lands on the main platform.

Overall, King Dedede's weaknesses outweigh his strengths, resulting in very low tournament representation and being poorly regarded in the western scene, with only Big D getting arguably notable results. However, he is viewed more favorably in the European scene, courtesy of hsving notable players such as El_Bardo to his credit.

Changes from Brawl

King Dedede has received a mix of buffs and nerfs in the transition from Brawl to SSB4, but he is considered to be immensely nerfed overall. Several of his moves have been heavily altered or changed entirely for cosmetic purposes, which has resulted in both positive and negative changes to his playstyle, though despite his notorious buffs, the latter is much more prevalent than the former due to his worse frame data and the loss of many of the traits that made him a formidable fighter in Brawl.

The most notable positives that these changes bring are his new down tilt, new forward aerial, and his new side special Gordo Toss. Dedede's new down tilt has faster start-up and travels a long distance, making it one of his best defensive moves (out of shield, after a smash attack, etc). His new forward aerial has less start-up, and more favorable hitbox placement than in Brawl. Unlike Waddle Dee Toss, Gordo Toss deals a consistent amount of damage, fairly high knockback, and can even be used to "pinball" opponents by using their tumbling momentum to Dedede's advantage by trapping them between a Gordo and Dedede due to the ability to angle a Gordo's trajectory. As a result, these three new moves are noticeably more versatile than their previous iterations in Brawl. Some of the gameplay changes brought about by SSB4 have also helped Dedede. He is now less susceptible to projectile camping due to the universal nerf to campable projectiles, and he can utilize the rage mechanic very effectively due to his considerable weight, which supplements his high power. Finally, Dedede's already excellent recovery was buffed further.

However, the aforementioned new move alterations and changes to gameplay mechanics have also brought drawbacks that drastically outweigh the aforementioned positives despite having a less polarized moveset than Brawl. The most notable examples are his up tilt, new back aerial, and especially his new down throw all losing their versatility due to the former losing its KOing power, the second losing its fast startup and lingering hitbox (both up tilt and back aerial also lost their consistent strength), and the latter being affected by SSB4's removal of chain grabbing. King Dedede's renowned grab game was also nerfed even further due to his grab range being reduced. Despite zoning having been nerfed, Dedede still arguably has the hardest time dealing with it. Finally, the removal of hitstun cancelling also significantly harms Dedede as it lowers his vertical endurance and makes him an easy victim of combos, which is further compounded by the introduction of more versatile combo throws than he has. As a result, King Dedede is one of the few characters to have been truly nerfed from Brawl, so much so that he is now seen as non-viable in competitive play.

Aesthetics

• King Dedede has a more cartoonish and brightly colored appearance due to the new aesthetic used in SSB4, making him look reminiscent of his appearance in Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, which visually makes his pupils smaller than they were in Brawl. Additionally, Dedede's model also sports a graphical effect that accentuates the fuzz on his robes and crown, while he has gained even more exaggerated facial expressions.
• The sound King Dedede makes during his up taunt is now in sync with the animation, regardless of the direction he is facing.

Attributes

• King Dedede is heavier (112 → 119).
• King Dedede jumps higher.
• King Dedede walks faster (0.95 → 0.98).
• King Dedede dashes faster (1.22 → 1.36).
• King Dedede's air speed is slower (0.658 → 0.63), worsening his aerial mobility.
• The removal of chain grabbing both helps and hinders King Dedede. While it results in him no longer being very susceptible to them, it also costs him one of the most pivotal aspects of his playstyle from Brawl.
• The removal of hitstun canceling significantly harms King Dedede, as it makes him a very susceptible to combos. It also means he can no longer momentum cancel, decreasing his vertical endurance despite being heavier than in Brawl, although he still has the best vertical endurance among the cast.

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack deals less damage (6% → 4% (first), 5% → 4% (second), 2% → 1% (infinite)).
• Neutral attack's hits connect together better due to the first hit having slightly decreased start-up (frame 12 → frame 10) and the second hit being able to be interrupted significantly faster (frame 50 → 28). The neutral infinite also has a finisher, making the move safer, more useful, and being able to KO around 150%. As a result, it is no longer considered among the worst neutral attacks.
• Forward tilt deals more damage (6%/4% → 11%) and has increased knockback, now being able to KO at very high percentages. It also consists of multiple hits.
• Forward tilt has slightly decreased reach and more ending lag (20 frames → 26).
• Up tilt has increased horizontal reach, especially in front of King Dedede, making it slightly easier to land.
• Up tilt now has a sourspot on the later portion of the attack that deals 2% less damage (12% → 10%) and it is significantly weaker overall, no longer KOing until near 150%. It also has slightly less vertical reach, more start-up (frame 7 → 9) and ending lag (25 frames → 29).
• King Dedede has a new down tilt, a forward rolling tackle. It produces a significantly larger hitbox and has decreased start-up (frame 7 → 6), making it more useful and versatile.
• Down tilt lands at a higher angle, making it a less effective KOing option at very high percentages. It also has slightly less duration (10 → 8 frames) and more ending lag (25 frames → 27).
• Dash attack now has a sourspot on the later portion of the attack that deals 3% less damage (16% → 13%). It can also miss if used too close to the opponent.
• Forward smash's sourspots deal more damage (13% → 15% (early), 5% → 6% (late)) and knockback, though they are still drastically weaker than the sweetspot.
• Up smash deals slightly more knockback and has less start-up (frame 20 → 17).
• Down smash is now a semi-spike, making it a much more effective attack in general, especially on the edge despite its lower power.
• Down smash deals 2% less damage (15% → 13%) without knockback compensated. It also lasts 1 frame shorter (10 frames → 9).

Aerial attacks

• King Dedede has a new forward aerial, a downward hammer swing. It has faster start-up (frame 16 → 13) and a much more favorable hitbox placement that makes it much easier to land.
• Forward aerial deals 3% less damage (15% → 12%) and significantly less knockback, not being able to KO until well beyond 150% outside edge-guarding. It also no longer autocancels from a short hop and has more ending lag (22 frames → 27).
• King Dedede has a new back aerial, an upward hammer swing. It deals 3% more damage (13% → 16%), making it more effective as a KOing option.
• Back aerial has significantly slower start-up (frame 6 → 17), significantly shorter duration (frame 6-25 → frame 17-19), and more ending lag (8 frames → 20 frames), losing the immense versatility and all-around usefulness the previous back aerial had.
• Up aerial's loop hits deal 1% less damage (2% → 1%), reducing the move's overall damage potential by 7% (19% → 12%).
• Up aerial's last hit deals much stronger knockback, making it much more effective at KOing opponents above, KOing below 130% regardless of Dedede's proximity to the upper blast line. It also has significantly reduced SDI capacity, making it much harder to escape.
• King Dedede has a new down aerial, a downward hammer swing. It is a very powerful meteor smash on aerial opponents if it hits with the hammer's whole head, and launches at a horizontal angle on grounded opponents, giving Dedede access to a new potent edge-guarding tool in the air and a new powerful, though situational, KO option on-stage.
• Down aerial has much slower start-up (frame 9 → 22) and much smaller hitboxes without the long duration (frame 9-27 → frame 22-23), losing the strong anti-juggling capabilities the previous down aerial possessed. It also deals less damage if all hits connect and has gained a sourspot at the hammer's edges (17% → 15%/8%). It also no longer deals multiple hits, removing its ability to pressure.

Throws/other attacks

• All grabs' ranges have been reduced.
• Dash grab has slightly less ending lag, making it less punishable when whiffed.
• Dash grab's animation has been slightly changed. King Dedede no longer stumbles over when he misses a dash grab.
• Forward, down and back throws deal less damage (12% → 10% (forward), 8% → 6% (down), 16% → 13% (back)).
• Up throw has less ending lag, allowing for follow-ups with up aerial at lower percentages.
• Down throw launches opponents at a more vertical angle, improving its combo ability.
• Down throw no longer has set knockback.
• Down throw's animation has been changed. King Dedede now forcefully throws opponents onto the ground with an arm instead of sitting on them.
• King Dedede's intangible and very far-reaching over 100% ledge attack was removed, leaving him with a significantly inferior ledge attack at high percentages.

Special moves

• The removal of grab armor makes Inhale slightly less useful as a defensive landing option, as trades will now result in Dedede getting hit instead of Inhaling the opponent.
• King Dedede has a new side special, Gordo Toss. Dedede takes out a Gordo and hits it with his hammer, bouncing it along the ground. Gordos are more consistent as a projectile due to them still being powerful projectiles that can KO under 150%, in comparison to the extremely weak Waddle Dees and Waddle Doos. The ability to bounce the Gordos in different trajectories also gives the move greater trapping capabilities. The hammer swing in the initiation of the move additionally produces its own hitbox that deals 12%, which can also hit opponents into the subsequently tossed Gordo for immense damage. Depending on the opponent's position, the attack can also hit twice.
• Compared to the rare Gordos in Waddle Dee Toss, they deal 8% less damage (22% → 14%), making them significantly weaker. Additionally, Gordos can be reflected by any hitbox that deals at least 2%, giving the move significantly more risk than Waddle Dee Toss if a Dedede player misuses the move.
• King Dedede can now grab ledges during the rising portion of Super Dedede Jump as long as he is facing the stage, significantly improving his recovery's safety. The falling hitbox of Dedede Jump is also more powerful and can now bury grounded opponents.
• Super Dedede Jump falls faster and is now canceled by pressing up instead of down.
• Jet Hammer's swing has significantly improved horizontal reach and a much larger hitbox overall, especially if fully charged, allowing it to hit airborne opponents easier and now allowing to hit ledge hanging opponents, with the fully charged hitbox being able to hit any ledge-hanging character. When combined with the new ledge mechanics, this gives the move newfound ability as an edge-guarding option. The move is also significantly more powerful throughout all its stages, dealing up to 8% more damage when fully charged and KOing below 50% near the ledge, while being able to KO well below 150% and potentially under 100% even when lightly charged. Fully charged Jet Hammer additionally deals significantly increased shield damage, to where it can nearly break a full shield, and holding a fully charged Jet Hammer stops damaging Dedede at 100% instead of 150%. Additionally, with the introduction of rage, Jet Hammer's recoil is now a double-edged sword rather than a detriment.
• Jet Hammer's animation has slightly changed. It now produces much more intense lighting that visually lights up the surrounding areas, and Dedede now visibly sweats with a grimacing facial expression when using the move. Jet Hammer also produces a wind effect, though it is just purely aesthetic, and it has a different swinging animation when released without being fully charged.
• King Dedede has a new Final Smash, Dedede Burst. It is a trapping Final Smash with average initial range and KO potential of a typical Final Smash, making it significantly more reliable at KOing opponents than Waddle Dee Army. However, Dedede Burst deals a fixed amount of damage, making it less damaging than Waddle Dee Army, and is the only trapping Final Smash that can be escaped from.

Update history

Despite his poorly regarded status, King Dedede has been nerfed in game updates. His already poor air speed was reduced further, worsening his ability to escape aerial combos and juggling, his forward aerial is weaker which makes him easier to be punished at low percentages even on hit, his down throw is stronger which makes followups harder to perform, his Final Smash can now be escaped from, and Gordo Toss is easier to deal with. However, changes to shield mechanics have made Dedede's moves now safer on shield due to either high damage, high hitlag or multiple hits. However, this does not compensate properly for his nerfs, making him slightly worse than he was during the game's initial release.

1.0.4

• Forward aerial deals 1% less damage: 13% → 12%.
• Down throw's angle altered: 70° → 80°.
• Down throw's knockback scaling increased: 60 → 82. This hampers its combo ability at higher percents.
• All variations of Gordo Toss require 1% less damage to be reflected: 3% → 2%.
• All variations of Gordo Toss have had their hitbox sizes decreased by 0.4 units.
• Dedede Burst's hammer hits transition into each other faster.
  • Due to the above change and the lower knockback on each hit, characters can now air dodge out of and escape Dedede Burst.

1.0.8

• Super Dedede Jump's voice clip changed.
• King Dedede's name now takes up one line in both the character selection screen and the results screen.

1.1.3

• Inhale and Taste Test's timings modified.
• Super Dedede Jump's facing restriction modified.

1.1.4

• King Dedede's air speed decreased: 0.658 → 0.63.

Moveset

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			4%	A pair of hammer swings followed by a twirling attack that traps the opponent and finished with an uppercut swing. It is the second slowest neutral attack in the game, coming out on frame 10, only beating Zelda's by 1 frame. However, King Dedede's has a huge disjointed range and can be used in a zero-to-death combo. Unlike most neutral attacks, the finisher sends opponents on a nearly vertical trajectory, and can KO around 150%.
			4%
			1% (loop), 3% (last)
Forward tilt			2% (hits 1-4), 3% (hit 5)	A spinning hammer poke. Very good range. Fourth hitbox can only connect if the move lands at the tip of the hammer. Long endlag makes this move unsafe if it misses.
Up tilt			12% (body), 10% (head)	A short hopping headbutt. Dedede's head and upper body are intangible while the hitbox is active.
Down tilt			10% (clean), 6% (late)	Dedede rolls forward. Very fast start-up, can be used after most defensive options and attacks. Good out-of-shield option and for disrupting opponents.
Dash attack			16% (clean), 13% (late)	King Dedede's signature tripping dive. A slow and powerful KOing option. It is strongest dash attack in the game and is even stronger than some of the cast's smash attacks, KOing at around 80% near the edge due to its exceptionally high knockback. The attack originates from Kirby's Dream Land.
Forward smash			15% (early), 24% (clean), 6% (late)	Dedede winds up and brings down the hammer. The strongest and second most damaging forward smash in the game, with almost equal KO power to match. Second strongest forward smash in the game, beaten out only by max aura Lucario's forward smash. Has very slow start-up, but rather low ending lag, making it more difficult to punish head-on than expected. The attack originates from Kirby's Dream Land.
Up smash			14% (hammer), 9% (body)	A vertical hammer swing. Relatively slow compared to his up tilt, but less situational than in Brawl. Great vertical knockback if hit at the top of the arc or at the end, KOing at around 110%.
Down smash			13%	A low spinning hammer attack. Dedede's weakest smash attack, but the head of the hammer is a semi-spike, making it one of Dedede's quickest and most reliable ground finishers, KOing under 100% near the edge.
Neutral aerial			12% (clean), 7% (late)	Dedede throws his arms and legs out to perform a belly flop. Acts as a sex kick.
Forward aerial			12%	A downward hammer swing. At low percentages, it can combo into itself to drag opponents downward and off-stage. This can be fatal for characters with unimpressive recoveries, such as Roy, Little Mac or Cloud.
Back aerial			16%	An upward hammer swing. Can KO reliably below 130% and autocancels after a short hop.
Up aerial			1% (hits 1-7), 5% (hit 8)	An upward hammer spin. Quite strong for a low-lag multi-hit move, surpassing Fox's, being able to KO below 130%. It can drag opponents down, similarly to Greninja's up aerial. This move is also useful for fending off edgeguarders while recovering.
Down aerial			15% (hammer head), 8% (handle)	A single downward swing. The sweetspot is a very powerful meteor smash only on aerial opponents. On grounded opponents, it deals high horizontal knockback, KOing at around 100% near the edge.
Grab			—
Pummel			3%	A headbutt.
Forward throw			4% (hit 1), 6% (throw)	Dedede whacks the opponent away with his hammer.
Back throw			4% (hit 1), 9% (throw)	Same as the forward throw, just backwards and at a higher angle. King Dedede's strongest throw, but doesn't KO until very high percentages (depending on the opponent's weight and DI).
Up throw			4% (hit 1), 5% (throw)	Dedede throws the opponent above his head, then pushes them upwards.
Down throw			6%	Dedede grabs the opponent's head and brings them into the air, then plants them into the ground. Dedede's best way to rack up damage, scoring true combos into up tilt, up smash, and all aerials (except down aerial) until medium percentages, and then into up aerial until high percentages.
Forward roll Back roll Spot dodge Air dodge		—	—
Techs		—	—
Floor attack (front) Floor getups (front)			7%
Floor attack (back) Floor getups (back)			7%
Floor attack (trip) Floor getups (trip)			5%
Edge attack Edge getups			8%
Neutral special	Default	Inhale	5% (release), 10% (spit)	Dedede inhales opponents. While they have been inhaled, Dedede can then walk around and spit them out to inflict damage. This move can also can also be used to swallow projectiles and items.
	Custom 1	Dedede Storm	2% (loop hits), 3% (outer hit)	Instead of inhaling opponents, King Dedede will suck the opponent towards him, hit multiple times, and then blows them upwards with the final hit. Will stop connecting reliably around the 100% range on most characters and usually cannot KO until the 200% range due to the lack of strong hitboxes throughout the move.
	Custom 2	Taste Test	5% (release), 12% (spit)	Inhales opponents faster than the default and the spit deals slightly more damage. However, King Dedede will spit the opponent out immediately instead of keeping them inside his mouth.
Side special	Default	Gordo Throw	10% (hammer), 14%/12.5%/11%/9.5% (Gordo)	Dedede hits a bouncing Gordo forward. Its trajectory can be angled upwards, forward, or downwards. The Gordos disappear after 4 bounces. Additionally, they can be reflected by any attack dealing at least 2% damage. 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 hammer and Gordo for big damage.
	Custom 1	Topspin Gordo	10% (hammer), 11% (Gordo)	Throws Gordos that do not go far initially, but fly forwards upon bouncing. Disappears after a second bounce.
	Custom 2	Bouncing Gordo	10% (hammer), 6% (Gordo)	Serves electric Gordos that bounce back and forth. Angling the move changes the Gordo's trajectory significantly.
Up special	Default	Super Dedede Jump	15% (drop), 11% (landing), 5% (stars)	Dedede performs his signature jump and launches upwards, rocketing down with a devastating stomp that buries grounded opponents on impact. Aerial opponents hit by the stomp are meteor smashed. This move launches out stars after Dedede hits the ground. Due to the stars that fly out after King Dedede hits the ground, this move can sometimes be difficult to punish, especially against characters that lack a projectile. This move cannot grab ledges on descent, unless it is canceled.
	Custom 1	Rising Dedede	15% (clean), 12% (late)	Instead of stomping, Dedede does damage during the jump and then falls into helplessness. If Dedede descends less distance than he ascended, he will suffer severe landing lag.
	Custom 2	Quick Dedede Jump	10% (drop), 5% (stars)	Dedede leaps faster and lower than the default. The stomp is also weaker.
Down special	Default	Jet Hammer	11% (uncharged ground), 10% (uncharged air), 38%/28% (fully charged ground), 27%/16% (fully charged air)	King Dedede charges up his hammer, which deals recoil damage if he holds it at full charge. If released at full charge, he unleashes a powerful rocket-propelled hammer chop which can easily KO opponents below 50% near the edge. At 100%, King Dedede will stop taking self-damage.
	Custom 1	Armored Jet Hammer	9% (uncharged), 24%/20% (fully charged ground), 22%/15% (fully charged air)	Makes King Dedede immune to flinching while charging on the ground, though the attack is significantly weaker, not KOing until 150%, and Dedede takes recoil damage faster.
	Custom 2	Dash Jet Hammer	7%/6% (uncharged), 18%/16% (fully charged)	Charging the attack pushes Dedede backward, while unleashing it propels him forward at the expense of damage.
Final Smash		Dedede Burst	10% (hits 1-3), 1% (hit 4), 15% (hit 5)	King Dedede violently inhales the opponents into place, smashes them three times with his hammer aflame, and shoots a bomb out of it, sending the victims flying diagonally.

On-screen appearance

• King Dedede is carried in on a palanquin by four Waddle Dees, then jumps off, scattering them.

Taunts

• Up taunt: Hoists his hammer above his head and pumps it up and down.
• Side taunt: Spins his hammer while looking at the camera, laughing.
• Down taunt: Dances in a circle while drumming on his belly.

Up taunt	Side taunt	Down taunt

Idle poses

• Taps his hammer on his shoulder.
• Smacks his belly.

Crowd cheer

	English	Japanese
Cheer
Description	De-De-De! De-De-De! Dedededededede!	De-De-De! De-De-De! Dedededededede!
Pitch	Group chant	Group chant

Victory poses

A flourished remix directly from Brawl. It is a remix of the short recurring theme that plays when Kirby completes a stage or defeats a boss, debuting in Kirby's Dream Land.

• Slaps his belly twice with the sound of a bongo drumbeat as he leans on his hammer with one arm and a Waddle Dee stands nearby. Afterward, he continues to rub his belly with his free hand as he laughs gloatingly.
• 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 while sporting a strained and angry facial expression. In the Nintendo 3DS version, his eyelids will slightly adjust at the end of the animation, resulting in his expression simply looking strained and no longer angry.

In competitive play

Official Custom Moveset Project

Character	Custom sets available
King Dedede	3112	3122	3312	3322	1122
	1312	1322	2112	2122	2312

Active

•  Big D
•  El_Bardo
•  Girthquake
•  Hello
•  Jdawg
•  J.T.C.
•  KingJames
•  Soul Train

Inactive

•  Vex Kasrani

Trophies

King Dedede

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.

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.

: Kirby's Dream Land (08/1992)

: Kirby: Triple Deluxe (05/2014)

King Dedede (Alt.)

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!

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!

: Kirby's Dream Land (08/1992)

: Kirby: Triple Deluxe (05/2014)

Dedede Burst

For Dedede's Final Smash, he takes a deep breath, pulling his foes toward him. Once he's gotten them right where he wants them, he'll unleash blows from his giant burning hammer. Topping things off is an explosive from the end of the hammer, sending enemies flying. Could this be worse for his foes? Yes! He's invincible the whole time too!

For Dedede's Final Smash, he inhales fiercely to pull foes towards him. Once he's got them right where he wants them, he thrashes them with a giant burning hammer. Then, to top it off, he fires an explosive from his hammer, sending them blasting off. Could it get any worse? Well... yes - Dedede's invincible the entire time.

• 

  Classic (3DS)

• KingDededeAllStarTrophy3DS.png

  Alt. (3DS)

• 

  Classic (Wii U)

• 

  Alt. (Wii U)

• 

  Dedede Burst

In Event Matches

Solo Events

• All-Star Battle: Brawl: King Dedede is one of the opponents fought in this event. All opponents debuted in Brawl and reappeared in SSB4.
• Kirby's Crazy Appetite: Three King Dededes will try to stop Kirby from healing his damage.
• The Final Battle: The player must defeat King Dedede, along with Bowser and Ganondorf.
• The King Strikes Back: King Dedede must defeat Kirby in a 150 HP battle.

Co-op Events

• Final Battle Team-Up: King Dedede appears as an opponent to be defeated.
• Food Fight: A damaged King Dedede and Kirby must defeat Wario, Yoshi, and Pac-Man.
• The Ultimate Battle: Two players select a character and must defeat the entire roster.
• Wrecking Bros.: King Dedede and Wario appear to hinder Mario and Luigi's progress.

Alternate costumes

					File:KingDededeHeadBrownSSB4-U.png

Gallery

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  King Dedede in the Nintendo Direct from April 8th, 2014.

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  King Dedede's amiibo.

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  The Pic of the Day shown during King Dedede's reveal.

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  King Dedede performing his neutral aerial with Kirby.

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  King Dedede charging his Jet Hammer on Mario Galaxy.

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  King Dedede's forward smash.

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  One of King Dedede's idle poses.

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  King Dedede in what appears to be the ending animation of his forward smash.

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  King Dedede landing with Super Dedede Jump.

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  King Dedede charging Jet Hammer while approaching Fox using Fire Fox.

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  King Dedede using his dash attack on Little Mac.

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  King Dedede in stunned state.

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  King Dedede crouching in front of the Wii Fit Trainer...

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  ...and then getting hit by her forward smash.

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  King Dedede performing his down taunt with Peach and Zelda in the Nintendo 3DS version.

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  "Curiouser and curiouser ..."

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  "Ah--soft and squishy." [1]

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  King Dedede's new Final Smash, Dedede Burst.

Trivia

• The "Curiouser and Curiouser" line from Zelda's perspective used in her picture with King Dedede in the gallery is a quote from Chapter 2 of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
• King Dedede and Mega Man are the only characters that have projectiles that can stick to walls.