King Dedede: Difference between revisions

[[Masahiro Sakurai]] <small>(''Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards'' and [[Super Smash Bros. (series)|''Super Smash Bros.'' series]])</small>

|theme title=[[King Dedede's Theme]]

'''King Dedede''' ('''King DeDeDe''' in some older games; sometimes shortened to '''Dedede''') is a portly, blue, penguin-like creature who wields a hammer and proclaims himself king of [[Dream Land]]. He is a recurring character who serves as [[Kirby]]'s "arch frenemy"{{#ifeq:{{PAGENAME}}|King Dedede|<ref>{{Cite|Every hero needs an arch frenemy, and King Dedede is Kirby’s! The self-proclaimed king of Dream Land, King Dedede just loves stirring up trouble. His other hobbies include yelling orders at his loyal Waddle Dees and bashing things with his huge hammer.|[https://play.nintendo.com/themes/friends/king-dedede/ Play Nintendo]}}</ref>}} and is usually fought as a [[boss]]. Though he often engages in trouble-making, mostly involving stealing other people's food, he has performed noble deeds as well, such as trying to seal away [[Nightmare]], helping Kirby battle [[Queen Sectonia]], and accompanying Kirby in several of his adventures. Because of this, he is considered a protagonist, despite his greediness and egotism. King Dedede lives in [[Castle Dedede|a castle atop a mountain]] with a retinue of [[Waddle Dee]]s acting as his servants.

Having debuted in the series' first installment, ''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]'', King Dedede is arguably the most recognizable character from the [[Kirby (series)|''Kirby'' series]] behind the pink hero himself, having appeared in every game except ''[[Kirby & The Amazing Mirror]]'' and ''[[Team Kirby Clash Deluxe]]'', though not all of those appearances are major roles. He is often portrayed as a comic foil to Kirby, especially in spin-off titles, which makes him comparable to [[mariowiki:Bowser|Bowser]] from the [[mariowiki:Mario (franchise)|''Mario'' franchise]], though King Dedede is not nearly as villainous. He has appeared in one form or another in nearly every game in the series, and he even stars in his own side game, ''[[Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe]]''. In older games, he was seldom playable, but this changed starting with ''[[Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards]]'', with the king being playable in many of his subsequent appearances.

|footer=In each game, he may differ in the particulars, but his portly figure, regal hat and robe, and his large wooden mallet are all characteristically "Dedede".

|image1 = KDL Dedede artwork.png

|image2 = K64 King Dedede Artwork 3.png

|image3 = KSA King Dedede Artwork.png

King Dedede resembles a round, blue, penguin-like creature, though Nintendo Power has referred to him on at least one occasion as an eagle.<ref>'''Nintendo Power''', Vol. 134</ref> He has a large, round belly, blue eyes, a yellow beak, and yellow feet which resemble [[Kirby]]'s. He wears a kingly red coat with white trim and a red tuque with a golden crown-like ridge. The red coat itself sports a white trim and, on its back, bears his signature V-sign emblem (or in earlier appearances, a portrait of himself). In most appearances, he also wears yellow gloves on his hands, and a beige undershirt under his coat; occasionally, it is designed as an elaborate ''[[wikipedia:kimono|kimono]]'' instead. Around his belly is an ''[[wikipedia:obi (sash)|obi]]'' (patterned belt) with a tessellated red-and-yellow design on it, somewhat resembling pointed teeth. When he is possessed by [[Dark Matter]], this obi will open up like a big mouth to chomp at Kirby or fire projectiles.

King Dedede, like Kirby, can [[inhale]] and [[hover]] by expanding his belly. According to his trophy in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', King Dedede could not hover initially but taught himself how after being [[Kirby's Dream Land|beaten by Kirby for the first time]]. However, King Dedede is not able to [[Copy Ability|copy abilities]] like his pink rival (according to flavor text in ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U|Super Smash Bros. for Wii U]]'', this is because he's "already perfect"). To make up for this, he carries a large wooden mallet, which he uses for most of his attacks. When that is not enough, the king can use his portly size to perform [[Super Dedede Jump|great leaps]] and [[Head Slide|body slams]].

While the most basic aspects of King Dedede are more or less consistent throughout the series, his design tends to change notably with each game, as his body proportions and the particulars of his wardrobe are given tweaks and adjustments more so than many other characters. This is most notable when comparing his portrayal in games such as ''[[Kirby Super Star]]'' versus ''[[Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards]]'', or his appearance in ''[[Kirby Star Allies]]'' versus ''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]''. In the June 2022 edition of Nintendo Dream Magazine, in the ''Kirby and the Forgotten Land'' developer interview, [[Shinya Kumazaki]] explained that the reason for this was because it was King Dedede's "destiny" since he has more details than Kirby, and with each new game, he is designed to "...bring out the worldview of that particular work".<ref>[https://gigi9714.wordpress.com/2022/07/31/translation-of-the-kirby-and-the-forgotten-land-interview-from-the-june-2022-edition-of-nintendo-dream/ Gigi's translation of the interview from the June 2022 edition of Nintendo Dream]</ref> Despite this statement, King Dedede has been known to receive substantial design changes in remakes of games compared to his look in the originals, with ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe]]'' being the most prominent example.

While King Dedede considered Kirby one of his enemies in the past, he resolved his grudge with Kirby in [[Revenge of the King]], a sub-game added in ''[[Kirby Super Star Ultra]]''. After that, their relationship became much friendlier, and he became one of Kirby’s close companions. Dedede views Kirby as his "destined rival," as the games phrase it since ''[[Kirby Fighters 2]]'', and the two are often described as "buddies" or "friendly rivals". Their bond has grown to the point that when King Dedede arrived in the [[New World]] in ''Kirby and the Forgotten Land'', he was "crestfallen" that he couldn't find Kirby, and is genuinely happy to see him once he breaks free from the Beast Pack's brainwashing.

|King Dedede swings his hammer, usually in an overhead manner, which causes [[Drop Star]]s to form around the point of impact.

|King Dedede jumps head-first at his opponent, crashing to the ground. Depending on the game, this either looks like a disheveled belly flop, or a purposeful dive. It only sometimes drops Drop Stars.

|King Dedede uses his own inhale, which has a longer range and is more powerful than Kirby's, but cannot copy abilities. If King Dedede inhales his foe, he will spit that foe back out as a [[Star Bullet]] to damage them.

|King Dedede leaps high into the air and comes crashing back down, creating two Drop Stars on each side of him.  

*'''[[Masked Dedede]]''': King Dedede wears a special mask when he is serious about fighting, and also carries a special mechanical hammer. This version of Dedede first appeared in ''[[Kirby Super Star Ultra]]''.

*'''[[Parallel Dedede]]''': A different more powerful version of King Dedede who hails from Another Dimension, first encountered in ''[[Kirby Star Allies]]''.

*'''[[Shadow Dedede]]''': A dark version of King Dedede that emerged from the [[Dimension Mirror]] in ''[[Kirby: Triple Deluxe]]''.

*'''[[Team DDD]]''': An army of smaller Dededes who accompany the King in ''[[Kirby Fighters Deluxe]]''.

*'''[[Waning Crescent Masked Dedede & Waxing Crescent Masked Meta Knight|Waning Crescent Masked Dedede]]''': King Dedede puts on a cursed relic called the Mask of Dark Bonds along with Meta Knight in the final boss encounter in the [[Story Mode: The Destined Rivals|story mode]] of ''[[Kirby Fighters 2]]''.

*'''[[Phantom King Dedede]]''': An illusion of the king formed from powerful psychic energy and memories of his turn under [[Fecto Forgo]]'s control in ''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]''.

| Referenced by a [[Costumes|costume]] and [[Colors|color]] for Kirby, and also appears on several [[Character Treat]]s.

King Dedede first appears in ''[[Kirby's Dream Land]]'', where he serves as the main antagonist and final boss. Prior to the game, King Dedede had stolen all of the food in Dream Land and left the population hungry, and had also stolen the land's [[Sparkling Stars]]. [[Kirby]] sets out to defeat Dedede and give the people back their food and their stars. After traveling through the different regions of the land, Kirby finally confronts the king in his castle atop [[Mt. Dedede]]. The two of them engage in battle in a wrestling ring. Kirby manages to defeat him and the food supplies of Dream Land are saved.

In ''[[Kirby's Adventure]]'' and its remake ''[[Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land]]'', King Dedede reappears as the apparent final boss of the game. The game begins with him stealing the [[Star Rod]] from the [[Fountain of Dreams]], which he then divides into seven pieces and gives a piece each to six of his trusted friends while keeping the last one. This causes Kirby to assume ill will from his enemy, and he sets out and tries to restore the broken artifact.  

In ''[[Kirby's Block Ball]]'', King Dedede is the main villain, having once again stolen the [[Sparkling Stars]] and hidden them in his castle. King Dedede is the final boss in this game and is encountered in the seventh round of [[Kirby's Block Ball - Stage 11|Stage 11]]. King Dedede has 24 hit points in this game, as opposed to other bosses which only have 12.  

In ''Kirby Super Star Ultra'', King Dedede also appears on two cards in [[Kirby Card Swipe]]. One of them depicts him in Ball form from ''Kirby: Canvas Curse''.

===''Kirby's Star Stacker'' (SNES)===

This is the first time Dedede is depicted as an ally of Kirby, albeit only because he is worried about his safety without him. This is referenced by the name of the cutscene where he joins Kirby's group, "A Reluctant Ally," or '''ついていってやるよ''' (''I'm Coming Too'') in Japanese. Dedede's Japanese pause screen descriptions as an ally in ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land]]'' and ''[[Kirby Star Allies]]'' both reference the idea that he is worried about the other heroes and include ついていってやるぜ ("I'm coming too"), maintaining this as a consistent part of his character.

King Dedede serves as the first boss in this title. His move-set is largely the same as it has always been, but he has been weakened, and suffers more recoil from damage, in order to make him a more manageable first encounter.

!colspan=4|King Dedede's Move-set in ''Kirby's Return to Dream Land'' &nbsp;

In ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe]]'', King Dedede's design has been updated to match his appearance in ''[[Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]'', though with his usual outfit rather than the unique outfit from said game. Additionally, [[Super Dedede Jump]] and [[Head Slide]] have been added to his move-set. Finally, three [[Dress-Up Mask]]s are dedicated to King Dedede himself, including [[Forgo Dedede]] and [[Masked Dedede]], and they can be unlocked by completing [[Stamp Rally]] cards #10, #29, and #37 respectively. Wearing any of these masks will replace the wearer's voice with that of King Dedede's.

In ''[[Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition]]'', King Dedede appears in the intro animation that carries into the title. When he is transformed from his 2-D sprite into his 3-D model form, he briefly laments about the belly he was given. From there, he helps launch Kirby into the title screen so he can become part of the emblem.

His move-set in Dededetour! is largely the same as it was in ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land]]'', but he is made larger in size, comparable to [[Bonkers]], and is given a few new moves that allow him to solve puzzles that Kirby would normally require [[Copy Abilities]] for. Firstly, like [[Sword]] Kirby, Dedede can shoot a projectile from his regular Hammer if he has full health. Secondly, he can charge up and release an aimed projectile similar to [[Archer]] Kirby that can cut ropes. Lastly, Giant Dedede Swing now has a wind property that can put out flames, like [[Ice]] Kirby. As always, Hammer Twirl and Dedede Hammer Flip can light things on [[fire]].

While King Dedede himself does not feature in ''[[Kirby and the Rainbow Curse]]'', he is represented by one of the [[Figurine]]s. His absence is explained in the Play Nintendo comic ''In the Name of Fashion'', where he and [[Meta Knight]] are revealed to have lost their colors at the beginning of the game.<ref>''[https://play.nintendo.com/news-tips/comics/kirby-and-rainbow-curse-presents-name-of-fashion/ In the Name of Fashion]'' comic from Play Nintendo</ref>

In ''[[Kirby's Blowout Blast]]'', King Dedede is faced as the last boss of the main series of levels. He battles Kirby using his hammer and other techniques as usual, though in a 3-D space. When defeated, he uses one of the [[Sparkling Star]]s to grow giant, and renew his attacks. When defeated again, he returns to normal size.

King Dedede is a playable character in this title, unlockable after completing [[Dedede's Cake Royale]]. He fights similarly to [[Hammer]] Kirby, but has a unique B charge special.

!colspan=4|King Dedede's Move-set in ''Kirby Battle Royale'' &nbsp;

The first phase of the battle plays out as usual, with Dedede attacking using Head Slides, Super Dedede Jumps, his hammer, hovering and his Hypernova Inhale.

King Dedede's boss battle theme in ''Kirby Star Allies'' is titled '''マッチョ オブ デデデ''' (''Macho of Dedede'') on ''[[Kirby Star Allies: The Original Soundtrack]]''. This version is a remix of his iconic two-section theme and adds a new section at the beginning.

| '''Head Slide'''

|Dedede runs and dives into Kirby or an ally. He always begins with this attack in this boss battle, similar to many previous ''[[Kirby (series)|Kirby]]'' games.<br>Unlike previous ''Kirby'' games, Head Slide leaves a [[Drop Star]] on each side this time.

| '''Super Dedede Jump'''

| '''Hammer'''

| '''Hypernova Inhale ~ Spit'''

|Dedede inhales in the range of about half the stage. If he captures someone, he will then spit them out.

*The Japanese name of [[Hypernova]] is 'Big Bang.'

| '''Hover'''

| '''Super Dedede Jump'''

| '''Desperate Dum Dum'''

|Dedede attacks with his beefy arms, slamming the ground in succession. Every slam leaves a star.<br>At the end of Dedede's combo, a rock is flipped out from the floor, which can be swallowed for the [[Stone]] ability.<br>After breaking the floor of the castle, Dedede instead jumps to a nearby pillar, charges up and then slams both his arms onto the ground. This occurs twice in a row after breaking the floor once and three times after breaking the floor twice. After the final instance of the attack, his arms get stuck in the ground for a few seconds before pulling it out, along with some rocks.

| '''Dispose Food'''

| '''Floor Slam Break'''

|When Dedede's [[health]] is lowered to two given moments (about 45% and 25% left), he slams the floor with his beefy arms, causing it to break and sending everyone to a lower level.<br>Kirby and friends are separated into different sides of the poles. The bottom of the poles can be destroyed so Kirby can reunite with his allies.<br>The first level below has one pole and the second level below has two poles.

| '''Disaster Spin'''

| Dedede spins around the poles, jumping from one to the other.

| '''Dum Dum Turn'''

|Dedede hops on a nearby pillar and slams his arm in the ground twice in three sets; with each set in a different direction; left or right. After the third set, he slams his arm in the ground and it gets stuck. After a second or two, he pulls his arm out as a rock comes flying out of it.

!colspan=2|Attack names are taken from Japanese guide books where applicable, while others are taken from English sources in other games.

#Super Dedede Jump x3

#Super Dedede Jump

#Super Dedede Jump

#Super Dedede Jump

#Desperate Dum Dum

#Super Dedede Jump x3

After losing some of his health during phase 2 and after using the "Floor Slam Break" attack, King Dedede attacks in a fixed order on loop as follows:

#Desperate Dum Dum x2

#Desperate Dum Dum x2

#Dum Dum Turn

#Desperate Dum Dum x2

After losing some more of his health during phase 2 and after using the "Floor Slam Break" attack for a second time, King Dedede switches to this fixed order on loop:

#Desperate Dum Dum x3

#Dum Dum Turn

#Desperate Dum Dum x3

#Desperate Dum Dum x3

King Dedede also appears as a [[Dream Friend]], recruitable from a [[Dream Palace]]. In this form, he can help Kirby and travel with him using a move-set similar to the one he had in ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land]]''. However, he is now able to use the Head Slide attack, which formerly could only be seen in his boss battles. In the latest update, the same can be said for the Super Dedede Jump (although he could use it as his up special in the [[Super Smash Bros. (series)|''Super Smash Bros.'' games]] earlier).

King Dedede plays a prominent role in ''[[Kirby Fighters 2]]'', both as a playable character and as a boss, [[King Dedede & Meta Knight|paired up with]] [[Meta Knight]]. King Dedede is unlocked as a playable fighter after [[Story Mode: The Destined Rivals]] is completed. His move-set is largely the same as it is in ''Kirby Star Allies''. Notably, he has 15% more [[stamina|health]] than other playable characters, perhaps to help compensate for his larger size. Additionally, one of his battle entrance poses is the same pose he assumes in his ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' render.

====Move-set====

!colspan=5|King Dedede's move-set in ''Kirby Fighters 2'' &nbsp;

Upon arriving to the [[New World]] at the beginning of the game, his first thought is to look for Kirby, who, to his misery, hasn't arrived yet. After a while his mind slowly gets possessed by telepathic waves from [[Fecto Forgo]]'s larval state into helping the [[Beast Pack]]. Kirby first encounters him in the [[Winter Horns]] boss stage [[An Unexpected Beast King]], where once defeated, he successfully captures [[Elfilin]] and escapes to the Forbidden Island. The next time Kirby comes across King Dedede in [[In the Presence of the King]], he is further corrupted by a mask resembling a hog, now [[Forgo Dedede]]. After being beaten for the last time, King Dedede reunites with his Waddle Dees, no longer controlled by Fecto Forgo. However, this rejoice is abruptly interrupted when a stampede of Beast Pack members closes in on the group, and King Dedede decides to stay back and fight the beasts alone after saving one of his [[Waddle Dee]]s who tripped and fell behind Kirby and the others.

The following lists all of King Dedede's attacks during his boss battle (attack names are from the ''Kirby and the Forgotten Land Perfect Support Guide''). He is accompanied by two [[Primal Awoofy|Primal Awoofies]] at the start, both of which are ordered to immediately rush Kirby. Attack names listed with ''italics'' are only used in the second phase.

|King Dedede approaches Kirby with his hammer and, once close enough, slams down, creating a [[Drop Star]] on impact.<br>King Dedede always begins the battle with one instance of this attack and might do two of them in a row before the "Dedede Swing."

|King Dedede makes a great leap into the air, then falls down, producing a shockwave on landing and causing a ring of Drop Stars to appear around him. He may use this move up to three times in succession, with the last jump being a very high spinning one.

|King Dedede runs after Kirby and dives at him, producing two Drop Stars on impact, assuming that the head slide doesn't occur too close to the edge of the arena.

|King Dedede approaches Kirby with his hammer and, once close enough, swings around laterally, creating a [[Drop Star]] after the swing.

|'''''エンド オブ アイスエイジ'''''<br>''End of Ice Age''

|'''''NEW WORLDアタック'''''<br>''NEW WORLD Attack''

|King Dedede attacks with his pillar, slamming the ground and creating lots of Drop Stars.

|'''''NEW WORLDスイング'''''<br>''NEW WORLD Swing''

|King Dedede swings his pillar laterally and creating lots of Drop Stars.

King Dedede does not appear directly in ''[[Kirby's Dream Buffet]]''. However, Kirby can dress up like him and take on his main body color using the [[Colors]] and [[Costumes]] menu. Additionally, King Dedede appears on several [[Character Treat]]s.

Despite King Dedede's heavyweight status, his four mid-air jumps and very long-range up-special '[[Super Dedede Jump]]' can allow him to come back from even the deepest parts of off-stage. As such, his survivability is quite high, even if he is often unable to get a hit against speedier characters. His ability to 'chain-grab' certain opponents (by grabbing and throwing them over and over again) makes him very dangerous in certain matchups, and in many cases makes up for his otherwise lackluster move-set. King Dedede is also infamous for his forward-tilt attack, where he juts his hammer out forward in a motion that can hit much farther than any other attack of its type in the game.

At the beginning of the gameplay, he is seen turning other protagonists into trophies and putting his badges on them. However, it turns out Dedede is actually on the good side.

The protagonists later face Tabuu, but all get knocked out and turned into trophies by his Off-Waves. Thanks to the Dedede Brooches, they revive one after another, and they reunite for the final battle with Tabuu.

King Dedede returns in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'', though this time he must be unlocked before he can be used. Although retaining his essential characteristics as a slow heavyweight with five jumps, he has had many important improvements to his move-set to help offset his status as one of the worst fighters in the previous game. His main improvements come in the form of stronger and safer hammer attacks, which can now properly ward off opponents in most cases. His mobility has also been improved somewhat and his already heavy weight increased even further.

King Dedede has had a couple of fundamental changes to his move-set as well. His Inhale can now catch projectiles and spit them back for increased damage, acting as a sort of reflector much like Kirby's. In addition, he was once again given a new Final Smash (this one known as 'Dede-Rush'), which allows him to throw his opponents into a caged boxing ring and assault them as [[Masked Dedede]] before launching them away.

!colspan=4|King Dedede's Trophy in ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' &nbsp;

!colspan=4|King Dedede's Trophy in ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'' &nbsp;

!colspan=6|King Dedede's Trophies in ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U'' &nbsp;

===''Kirby: Triple Deluxe'' [https://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/manual-3DS-kirby-triple-deluxe-en.pdf electronic manual]===

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<tab name="Kirby's Dream Course (unofficial translation)">

<tab name="Kirby's Star Stacker (Game Boy)">

<tab name="Kirby's Star Stacker (Super Famicom) (unofficial translation)">

<tab name="Kirby's (Extra) Epic Yarn">

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|koR=cheonjeog poggun dididi daewang