King Dedede

King Dedede, also known as Dedede the Great, is one of the major characters from the Kirby series.
== Charactah Account ==
King Dedede seeks to destroy Kirby by any cost. He has ruled Dream Land for 300 years (so he claims), and is still going strong, but is not regarded actually as a king. Despite the fact Dedede is greedy, scheming, and even outright sadistic- even going as far as to say that people’s suffering amuses him- no one has ever tried to dethrone him, despite the fact that he also threatens the children. He's actually harmless for the most part, but his intense dislike of Kirby compels to purchase monsters from Nightmare Enterprises and cause mayhem for the people of Dream Land.
He loves buying new "toys" and acts like a spoiled child despite his age. He's jealous of the attention Kirby gets, and while at first he even wanted to kill Kirby, later he focuses more on trying to kick him out or just make him look bad. Of course he has a kinder, gentler side, but it only shows in the most extreme of circumstances.
== Appearance ==
=== Anime ===
* Kirby of the Stars Special Episode: Take it Down! The Crustacean Monster Lobzilla
* Kirby: Right Back at Ya!
* Kirby: Right Back at Ya! Pilot
=== Manga ===
* Kirby of the Stars
* Kirby of the Stars: The Story of Dedede Who Lives in Pupupu
=== Video Games ===
* Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe
* Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
* Kirby Air Ride
* Kirby and the Forgotten Land
* Kirby and the Rainbow Curse
* Kirby Battle Royale
* Kirby Fighters 2
* Kirby Fighters Deluxe
* Kirby Mass Attack
* Kirby Star Allies
* Kirby Super Star
* Kirby Super Star Ultra
* Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble
* Kirby's Adventure
* Kirby's Avalanche
* Kirby's Block Ball
* Kirby’s Blowout Blast
* Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition
* Kirby's Dream Course
* Kirby's Dream Land
* Kirby's Dream Land 2
* Kirby's Dream Land 3
* Kirby's Epic Yarn
* Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn
* Kirby's Pinball Land
* Kirby's Return to Dream Land
* Kirby's Star Stacker
* Kirby's Super Star Stacker
* Kirby's Toy Box
* Kirby: Canvas Curse
* Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land
* Kirby: Planet Robobot
* Kirby: Squeak Squad
* Kirby: Triple Deluxe
* Super Smash Bros.
* Super Smash Bros. Brawl
* Super Smash Bros. Melee
* Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U
* Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
== Trivia ==
* In illustrations or cutscenes, King Dedede has one of two symbols on the back of his robe.
** An illustration of himself giving a peace sign, used in earlier games, including Kirby's Dream Land, Kirby's Adventure, and Kirby Super Star.
** An emblem of a hand giving the same sign. This is more commonly used, but its design is slightly changed in Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land.
* On his sprites in Kirby's Dream Land, the back of Dedede's robes originally had a white "0" outline.
** In Kirby Super Star, it was changed to a yellow square outline, but the closeup during the Gourmet Race intro had an illustration of him giving the v-sign.
** In Kirby's Dream Land 3, that was simplified to a yellow circle with a red image of a hand giving the same symbol (though his robes had a yellow circle with a black swirl in the intro's illustration).
** In Kirby's Super Star Stacker, the circle became white and the symbol itself became yellow.
** In subsequent games, he has consistently been given a yellow circle with the silhouetted v-sign in blue for 3D portrayals, and a bare version of the same symbol for 2D depictions (though his robes were once bare red in Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble).
* Although spin-offs imply he has a hatred of stars, his hammer is shown with an image of a star on it.
* In Quick Draw, Dedede is the fifth and final challenger, wielding a large gun that shoots a retractable boxing glove. If Kirby is faster, the king will be dispatched by a cannon. In Samurai Kirby, he is the fourth challenger, with Meta Knight taking his previous place. King Dedede uses a hammer here, though Kirby can defend against this with a party cone if he is fast enough.
* Even though he is a boss in almost every Kirby game, he is never the main antagonist in any mainline game, with the exception of Kirby's Dream Land. However, he has taken the role of the main antagonist in many spin-offs.
* Though he is the main antagonist of the franchise, Dedede has been the main antagonist of only two games in the primary game library: Kirby's Dream Land and Kirby Super Star (sharing his role with Marx) and their remakes.
* In Kirby's Pinball Land, one of Dedede's attacks involves shooting lightning from his hands to disable the flippers. It is unclear how he does this, although it may be due to magic. This attack is never used or acknowledged in any other future appearances.
* In Kirby's Avalanche, his AI is used by Satan in Puyo Puyo. However, he does shake the board similar to Zoh Daimaoh from the aforementioned game.
** Due to a glitch, the panic music never plays in his stage when Kirby is close to losing.
* When fighting King Dedede in Spring Breeze, Mario, Luigi, Birdo, and Toad appear in the crowd (Peach is also faintly visible, and Bowser is off-screen, but part of the game data). In the remake, Peach, Mario, Luigi, Wario, and Toad appear, while the former set still appears in Megaton Punch.
** When fighting King Dedede in Revenge of the King, the only one in the crowd is Bandana Waddle Dee, because Dedede has already sent everyone else after Kirby. King Dedede solemnly declares the ensuing fight to settle their grudge.
* Despite his girth, King Dedede runs fast in Gourmet Race, as he is able to catch up with Kirby.
* In the non-canon Kirby Super Star manga, there presumably is a Queen Dedede. This is not mentioned elsewhere.
* Dedede's hat in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards is different to all other games; featuring crown-like spikes on his hat rather than a spherical bobble.
* Several pre-release screenshots of Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards show that King Dedede was playable without Kirby riding him at one point in development.
** In the second phase of King Dedede’s boss battle in Kirby Star Allies, the bobble on his hat becomes splayed, somewhat resembling the spikes on his hat in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards.
* According to Escargoon in the episode A Princess in Dis-Dress, King Dedede usually eats seven cheeseburgers to fill the emptiness left by a heartbreak.
* King Dedede shares Kirby's immense appetite for food. In the episode Fitness Fiend, Dedede ate enough bags of potato chips to have the bags scattered all over his throne room.
* In Kirby: Canvas Curse, Kirby's Return to Dream Land, and Kirby Star Allies, the playable King Dedede has more health than Kirby and other Friends.
* His theme plays while fighting Meta Knight in Kirby: Squeak Squad, despite King Dedede not being present.
** His theme is also used when fighting Whispy Woods and Lady Ivy in Kirby Mass Attack, in addition to his own fight.
** Kirby's Adventure, Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, and Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards are the only Kirby games that do not play King Dedede's theme when fighting him.
* Dedede's portrayal and artwork in Kirby: Squeak Squad most resembles his appearance in the anime. His castle, as seen in the background and cutscenes, also resembles how it appears in the anime. When fighting Dedede, the machine in the background bears a resemblance to the Monster Transmitter.
** This also applies to his recent appearance in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, where many of his new facial expressions are also reminiscent of his incarnation in the anime.
* King Dedede is one of two Super Smash Bros. characters (the other being Meta Knight) to have been planned to be a playable character twice (in the first one and Super Smash Bros. Melee).
* King Dedede ranked first in Super Smash Bros. Brawl’s Japanese character inclusion poll.
* King Dedede has the fastest falling speed in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, yet paired with Zelda for having the third slowest dash speed and slowest air speed in the game.
* In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Solid Snake discusses with the colonel about the hammer King Dedede carries, and how it is far too heavy for Snake to even remotely lift, despite King Dedede waddling around with it with no issue, implying King Dedede has massive strength. Whether his hammer is heavy normally or if this is because his hammer is mechanical in Super Smash Bros. Brawl is not said.
* Because of his role in the Subspace Emissary, King Dedede, along with Wolf, is the only one of the Nintendo Rogues gallery to not be evil in the game. He did serve the Subspace Army at one time, but left as soon as he became skeptical about Tabuu's true plans. This reflects Dedede's role in most Kirby games, where he is initially a foe and turns into an ally near the end of the game.
* In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, unlike in the main Kirby series, Kirby is able to Inhale King Dedede and gain his Copy Ability. This results in Kirby basically keeping his own inhale ability, but not being able to copy other foes as long as he is wearing Dedede's hat, only being able to spit them out as stars (as was the case in Kirby's Dream Land).
* There is a glitch in Spring Breeze: when the player defeats King Dedede in co-op wireless play, King Dedede may yell Mike Kirby's Stand Mike sound rather than the usual "NOOOOOO!" There is also a similar occurrence in Revenge of the King, in which Kirby's Stand Mike sound will play as opposed to the sound of its first use. It is unknown whether or not this was intended or a glitch. However, said sound was put in the soundtrack.
* Masked Dedede's theme is based on the theme of King Dedede in Kirby's Super Star Stacker.
* The Brand New Dedede Hammer in Kirby Super Star Ultra could be based on the fact that his hammer in Super Smash Bros. Brawl is mechanical.
* In Kirby's Epic Yarn, Dedede cannot use his Inhale attack. This is because he was turned to yarn like Kirby.
* When making a custom emblem in Mario Kart DS, an available "template" for use is the v-sign sometimes found on the back of Dedede's robes.
* In the Japanese version of the anime, King Dedede usually ends his sentences with "zoi", which means nothing and is just a verbal tic common with some anime characters.
* In Kirby's Epic Yarn, it says that King Dedede's theme is new, but it was in many games before that.
* When fighting Masked Dedede on his second phase in Kirby: Triple Deluxe, a remix of his Masked Dedede Theme from Kirby Super Star Ultra plays.
* King Dedede makes a cameo appearance as a purchasable hat in the Nintendo 3DS built-in game StreetPass Mii Plaza.
* Dedede has been voiced by Shinya Kumazaki in every game that he has directed. This also includes variants of King Dedede, such as Shadow Dedede, Team DDD, Dedede Clone, King D-Mind, and Parallel Dedede.
* A slightly distorted version of Dedede's roar from Kirby: Triple Deluxe is produced by Dark Crafter at the beginning of his battle in Kirby and the Rainbow Curse.
* Masked Dedede's mask is apparently power-amplifying and its origins are unknown.
** His mask's design is also a heavily-altered version of Dark Mind's mask.
** However, the Pause Screen description for Masked Dedede's Revenge in Kirby: Triple Deluxe seems to imply that the mask keeps his power suppressed as opposed to amplifying it.
* In Kirby's Blowout Blast, when Giant King Dedede's Revenge is defeated and the king lands on the platform, he sits with his mouth hanging open. When Giant Masked Dedede is defeated and the king shrinks down, he lies on the ground crying. These are both references to reactions he has at the end of Kirby's Dream Land.
* The Pause Screen description for King Dedede's fight in Kirby Star Allies expresses disbelief that he has stolen all the food in Dream Land and hoarded it to himself, despite that being the plot of Kirby's Dream Land and its remake as Spring Breeze. It may show Dedede has gained a better moral code.
* In Kirby Star Allies, one of King Dedede's gloves appears as one of the symbols on Void Termina's body.
* King Dedede's circumstances in Kirby: Triple Deluxe serve as a parallel for Meta Knight's in Kirby: Planet Robobot, as both were kidnapped by the enemy before eventually being controlled to fight Kirby, but are defeated and have their masks shattered. They then assist Kirby to get his Final Weapon to fight the true antagonist, with a little help from a traitor of the antagonist's side.
** They go on their own adventures, battle with improved bosses, and also fight a knight as the final boss.
** Meta Knight has no involvement in Kirby: Triple Deluxe’s main story, in the same way King Dedede had no involvement in Kirby: Planet Robobot’s main story. Instead, doppelgängers of them fill their absence as bosses.
** Both also make physical appearances in cutscenes, King Dedede appearing in Kirby: Planet Robobot’s opening and ending story cutscenes, and Meta Knight in Kirby: Triple Deluxe’s 100% completion cutscene.
* In Kirby Fighters 2, King Dedede's four battle entrance poses as a playable character are taken from other media:
** He can make the same pose as when he is recruited as a Dream Friend in Kirby Star Allies.
** He can make the same pose as when after he is imbued with an element in Kirby Star Allies.
** He can make the pose assumed by his Kirby series amiibo figure.
** Lastly, he can make the same pose he assumes for his artwork in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
* Dedede's exact species is never outright stated or have received an official confirmation. However, it's certain that's he's some sort of bird, telling by his design and how Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards refers to him as a bird. His species is often regarded as a penguin and many references and hints to his species have been placed in certain games or sources, such as Snake's codec call in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, a Kirby Twitter post, and an official stop motion video by PARCO-ART using the Shakurel Kirby figures, in which King Dedede is followed by a bunch of penguins. However, he has also been referred to as a regal eagle in a Nintendo Power Magazine, though this may be referencing how he resembles a bird rather than full on stating he's an eagle. This latter reference also predates most of the above ones, so even if taken as literal, it had plenty of time to change.
* Kirby: Squeak Squad is the only time where he appears as the first boss.
* Ironically, King Dedede can be attacked by Waddle Dees in Kirby's Return to Dream Land, even though he is their king.
* King Dedede's Kirby and the Forgotten Land boss theme, "Roar of Dedede", is a remix of his Kirby Star Allies boss theme, while his Forgo Dedede second phase theme, "Masked and Wild D.D.D.", is a remix of Masked Dedede's theme.
* King Dedede's Kirby and the Forgotten Land mask may be based on a mask of shame, specifically for gluttony.
== Gallery ==
File:King Dedede Render 01.png
File:King Dedede Render 02.png
File:King Dedede Render 03.png
File:King Dedede Render 04.png
File:King Dedede Render 05.png
File:King Dedede Render 06.png
== External Links ==
* King Dedede at Kirby Wiki
Category:Characters
Category:Males
Category:Kirby