King Dedede

" “ Sing when you want to sing, dance when you want to dance! Everyday, have fun and enjoy life! That’s what it means to be a Great King! ” ― King Dedede • King Dedede’s Great Escape Strategy (translated by deafeninggardenerpanda)"

King Dedede is one of the main deuteragonists of the Kirby franchise, initially introduced as the first antagonist before quickly growing out of that role. He's the self-made king of Dream Land and a good friend of Kirby's, although he prefers to be seen as his "destined rival." He has been a major character in the series ever since the first game, Kirby's Dream Land, and despite debuting as a misguided buffoon, he has grown into one of Kirby's closest allies and a selfless hero in his own right, helping or straight up accompanying his former nemesis on many adventures.

History of Dedede
" “ Surely King Dedede would never steal all the food in the kingdom and hoard it for himself... Why would he do such a vile deed?! ” ― King Dedede 's boss pause description • Kirby Star Allies"

In his debut, Kirby's Dream Land (as well as its remakes as "Spring Breeze" in Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra), King Dedede is at the top. Even before the events of the game took place, Dedede had an arena in his castle specifically for himself, with the title of champion and an adoring audience as well, implying that he's an active fighter with an impressive reputation. The power, fame, and title got to his head, and Dedede thought that he could get away with stealing all of the food in Dream Land, as well as it's Sparkling Stars, but in his hubris, he ended up being thwarted by a certain pink ball of the stars who recently flown in on the spring breeze. For the first time in his life, the Great King Dedede was humiliated, but in the secret ending of the game's Extra Mode, the one who tried to comfort him in his time of need, was surprisingly the one who took him down a peg in the first place, Kirby. Whether or not that ending is the true one or non-canon, this defeat served as a lesson for Dedede, and this lesson is one he would never forget, because as early as his second appearance, Kirby's Adventure it is shown that he has already learnt from his first encounter with Kirby. Not only has he learned to copy Kirby’s ability to float, but he also learned that if he was going to cross Kirby, it’d be for a good cause. He didn’t break the Star Rod to cause mischief, but to prevent literal nightmares from hijacking it to surf the currents of the Fountain of Dreams and haunt Dream Land. Although he did treat himself to a dip in its waters as a reward, compared to stealing his subjects’ food for personal satisfaction, he’s already made significant progress into becoming a better king. After that, he only fights Kirby when literally possessed by the powers of darkness (or self-defense in Squeak Squad's case). Then, in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, Dedede is, at first, seemingly reluctant to join Kirby and friends on their quest, but the fact that he did ending up tagging along shows that there was a part of him that wanted to join them. According to the Japanese website, his motivation for joining is because he was worried about the kids going on such a dangerous trip, and over the course of the adventure, he grows closer to them, having picnics and sitting on the beach with them, letting Kirby piggyback ride on him, helping Adeline escape from an erupting volcano, being sad to leave Ripple Star in the bad ending, and being concerned when Kirby falls over in the good ending. Whichever ending you got, Dedede would've grown attached to his new friends, but in both endings, he still tries to hide it. So, even in the early days of the series history, Dedede is shown to have a big heart and care for others, but seems to try to conceal his true feelings, likely because he wants to be seen as tough and aloof and fears that outwardly showing affection might make him look "softer." This is brought up in the Kirby Portal Personality Quiz, when you get King Dedede as the result." “ As a “King Dedede” type, your sense of responsibility is stronger than that of most people, and you firmly believe you can do anything as long as you try hard enough. Adding to that, being trusted by others often brings you great joy and gets you motivated. Since you also have determination, you’re good at putting together a team and acting as its leader. While you are thoughtful and considerate, you’re also the type to not directly show your emotions and affection to others. You might want to try expressing your honest feelings to another person some time. ” ― Kirby Personality Quiz when King Dedede is the result (translated by kaialone) • Kirby Portal"And then we come to Revenge of the King, the first time in a long while where Dedede actually chooses to fight Kirby again out of his own free will, but this time, it isn't a case of "hero versus villain." This isn't any sort of misunderstanding, this isn't him regressing back to stealing food, this isn't even about glory: the arena where it all began is now an electric cage, the only viewer being Bandana Waddle Dee, who Dedede spared from fighting Kirby, but still did so anyway out of sheer loyalty, making this match more personal. Here, Dedede challenges Kirby to a rematch, respecting him as an equal, even giving him a hammer of his own so they can settle things fair and square. The Great King said it himself: "Our grudge will be settled at last." And when the battle is over and a winner is decided, Dedede doesn't throw a tantrum or demand another rematch, but instead humbly accepts his defeat, as he shamefully walks towards the setting sun, with his retinue of Waddle Dees in tow, choosing to stay by his side despite his losses, showing that they follow him not because of his self-imposed title, but because they genuinely respect and admire him as a person. This brings us to Kirby's Return to Dream Land, where, for the first time, Dedede is member of the playable cast, being a hero alongside Kirby and friends willingly and happily from the very start of the game, and he has stayed as one of Kirby's closest friends since. The plot of Kirby: Triple Deluxe even entirely revolves around Kirby going out of his way to rescue the King after he was kidnapped by Taranza, with Dedede returning the favor by saving Kirby from the clutches of Queen Sectonia in the final act, being the only reason Kirby was able to succeed (when the scene is replayed in slow-motion during the ending, Dedede can be seen shaking his hammer before hitting Kirby, showing that he's hesitating a bit because he doesn't want to hurt him, and after, he immediately makes sure if he's okay and smiles when he's revived by the Miracle Fruit). In Kirby and the Forgotten Land, he even selflessly sacrifices himself for a single normal Waddle Dee after you snap him out of being mind-controlled again, which is a stark contrast to his self-serving behavior of the first game. He has gone from self ish to self less. He has gone from a "Self-Proclaimed" King, to a Self-Made one. He's not a villain, or a frenemy, or an anti-hero, but a blatant unambiguous hero who has grown into his role as the rightful ruler of Dream Land, and until the rest of the world is able to recognize that, he's going to keep on hammering it home." “ Once a Great King becomes a great person, he’s gotta commit to the act and stay with it ‘till the very end! ” ― King Dedede • King Dedede’s Great Escape Strategy (translated by deafeninggardenerpanda)"

Why He's a Great King
" “ The Great King can lazily enjoy himself because Dream Land is at peace. Everyone in Dream Land doesn’t always respect him that much. Because it’s normal for everyone to be at peace. But when hard times arise, or if there’s trouble, King Dedede rises up to the forefront for everyone and protects them. When that happens, everyone finally realizes how strong King Dedede is. But when it becomes peaceful again, they forget. The times when King Dedede is lazy are the times when everyone in Dream Land is at their happiest. That’s why I have a lot of respect for the lazy King Dedede. ” ― Bandana Waddle Dee about King Dedede • King Dedede’s Great Escape Strategy (translated by deafeninggardenerpanda)"
 * 1) A common misconception amongst those whose only exposure to the Kirby series is through Super Smash Bros. and the anime, is that Dedede is the main antagonist of the series, but that interpretation of his character is demonstrably false and untrue.
 * 2) *Instead of looking mean and threatening, he's designed to appear round and cute (or "shaped like a friend" if you prefer).
 * 3) *After his antagonistic role in the first game, he never regressed back to his old ways and instead becoming more and more heroic, unlike Bowser, whose very rare alliances with the heroes are only temporary, and immediately returns to his old habits the moment his partnerships loses its purpose.
 * 4) *When looking at his actions in the first game, it can be argued that Dedede was never even evil to begin with. Sure, stealing all the food in Dream Land made him an antagonist, but it was moreso an act of shortsighted selfishness rather than outright cruelty, and upon learning the error of his ways, he started improving himself as soon as the second game, Kirby's Adventure.
 * 5) While he is usually fought as a boss, that doesn't make him a villain. In Kirby's Adventure for example, he only stole the Star Rod to prevent Nightmare from haunting all of Dream Land. Every Dedede battle after that has been either him being controlled by the true villain, a challenge with nothing at stake, or a weird old pseudo-remake/retelling of the first game that might not even be canon since they're usually spin-offs.
 * 6) *Dedede is often mistaken for an anti-hero, but he isn't, because being one implies that he does heroic things for not traditionally heroic reasons, but despite having flaws he's purely altruistic in his intentions.
 * 7) Ever since officially ending their grudge once and for all in Kirby Super Star Ultra 's Revenge of the King, he is seen to be on friendly terms with Kirby, happily joining him on many adventures and even saving each other's lives. Many official artwork and books set in the games' world also depict him as one of Kirby's closest friends, and as previously said above, most of the battles he has with Kirby out of his own volition are just challenges and competitions.
 * 8) * Dedede's relationship wit h Kirby is actually pretty similar to that of a big brother's. He may tease, compete, and be a little jealous of him from time to time, but at the end of the day, he cares for the kid and has a lot in common with him (such as their optimistic carefree and gluttonous personalities). When Kirby tumbles down the stairs in the good ending of Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, Dedede is concerned for his safety, in the title screen of Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Dedede will try to amuse Kirby with a silly face, and according to a figurine description in Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Dedede was crestfallen without Kirby when he first arrived in the New World. It's adorable, and even kind of confirmed from the words of the series director himself!
 * 9) * In Kirby Super Star Ultra 's Revenge of the King, Dedede gives Kirby a hammer in order to have a fair match as equals (much like Meta Knight usually does). According to various pause descriptions for the Hammer ability, Kirby has kept that same hammer since then and inherited it, and in Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Dedede even gives Kirby an upgrade for the Hammer ability. The fact that Dedede trusts Kirby with his hand-me-downs is extremely wholesome.
 * 10) *Dedede is often described as Kirby's "frenemy," but much like the idea of him being a villain or an anti-hero, this is untrue. The perfect example of a frenemy dynamic would be Tom and Jerry. While it's usually Tom who starts the chase by preying on Jerry, it's not uncommon for Jerry to start the chase by intentionally annoying Tom. They both enjoy antagonizing each other, only join forces when they have a common goal, and will immediately get jealous when one of them catches the other spending more time with someone else. This does not apply to Kirby and Dedede, as Kirby doesn't hold grudges or take pleasure in picking fights with anyone, and Dedede never preys on or actively tries to torment him every chance he gets, respectfully challenging and competing with him instead.
 * 11) In Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Dedede gets to be one of the main playable characters who willingly and happily joins Kirby on his adventure. Going back to comparisons with Bowser, every time the Koopa King teams up with Mario and friends, it's only because he's been usurped by the new villain on the block and "desperate times call for desperate measures". Even after he's joined your party, Bowser will continue to remind you that he's a villain at the end of the day. This isn't the case with Dedede. The reason they went on their adventure is purely because they wanted to help Magolor repair his ship, and Dedede didn't hesitate to go along with it or even ask for anything in return, because helping those in need is just what a good king does.
 * 12) *In the game's novelization (yes those exist, more about them at #13), Dedede is the first one to jump into action when seeing the Lor Starcutter crash onto Dream Land, fearing that whoever's onboard isn't injured, even arguing against Meta Knight when he suspects that it may be a trap, because, for better or for worse, Dedede's moral compass is stronger than his reasoning.
 * 13) The best part about Dedede's growth into a selfless and heroic king is that he still keeps his relatable flaws that make him who he is, even after he's become a good guy. He's still a bit of a buffoon, he's still a bit greedy, he still enjoys being lazy, he's still a huge glutton, and he will always dream of surpassing Kirby one day, but that doesn't make him any less of a good person, it just makes it even greater when he manages to set all of that aside for the greater good. He's not perfect, but his heart is in the right place, and that's what makes him perfect.
 * 14) To reflect his growth, his title has been changed from "Self-Proclaimed King" to "Self-Made King," shifting the meaning from "he's not even a real king, that's just what he calls himself" to "worthy of his title and respect."
 * 15) Unlike his anime counterpart, Dedede doesn't rule through cruelty and oppression, but through sheer charisma. His Waddle Dees follow him purely out of respect and admiration and will continue to stay by his side even when given the opportunity to abandon him, which can be seen in Kirby Super Star Ultra 's Revenge of the King. In turn, Dedede also cares for his minions just as much as they care for him, earning their aforementioned respect and admiration. Many examples include:
 * 16) * Instead of constantly pushing them around, he can be seen peacefully playing chess and gazing at the sky with them in the intros of Kirby: Planet Robobot and Kirby Star Allies, respectively.
 * 17) * In Kirby Super Star Ultra 's Revenge of the King, when Kirby is nearing the final battle, Dedede considers sending Bandana Waddle Dee to fight him, but instead chooses to spare him, and even apologizes for even considering the option, knowing that his loyal servant would likely get harmed.
 * 18) *In Kirby and the Forgotten Land, his most recent outing, Dedede volunteers to hold of the Beast Pack, allowing Kirby to escort his Waddle Dees to safety. This isn't just an act of selflessness, but also one of self-sacrifice (of course, he does make it out alive).
 * 19) He has a lot of cool and iconic boss battles across the series' history, each with their own creative twist that makes every fight feel fresh, accompanied with countless amazing remixes of his iconic theme, while also evolving and adding onto his old moves, showing that Dedede is an athletic, strong, and capable fighter, and as most of his battles happen when he's being controlled against his will by a dark force, they can also show just how much of a beast Dedede can be when he is pushed beyond his limits and stops holding back.
 * 20) Really, it is impressive how he's constantly able to rival Kirby's strength and abilities, considering just how powerful the pink puff is. Kirby is capable of splitting his planet in half, and sending a meteor several lightyears away with the swing of a bat, and Dedede is able to keep up with Kirby in battles and adventures just fine, even mimicking his iconic abilities such as his inhale and hover, but unlike Kirby, who presumably already had this impossible strength and unorthodox abilities to begin with, Dedede had to train and work hard in order to become a worthy opponent for him. It really is amazing and inspiring.
 * 21) *In Kirby: Triple Deluxe's Dededetour Sub-Game, Dedede is capable of defeating Dark Meta Knight, which is notable as this is something that even the real Meta Knight couldn't do in Kirby & The Amazing Mirror. While the events of this mode are non-canonical, it is still meant to show what Dedede is capable of accomplishing if he wanted to.
 * 22) *According to the boss description of Dedede Clone in Kirby: Planet Robobot, King Dedede is even considered to be one of the strongest beings on Planet Popstar, which is very credible considering the fact that pause screen descriptions in Kirby series are usually sources of important lore.
 * 23) He's more intelligent than most give him credit for. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl's story mode Subspace Emissary, he planned ahead to counter Tabuu by creating special badges that restore his fellow fighters even after everyone has been turned into trophies, and it actually worked. As previously mentioned, Dedede plays chess with his Waddle Dees. In the official steampunk alternate universe, Kirby's Dreamy Gear, Dedede is an engineer, and while non-canon, the fact that this is considered a fitting role for him may explain the many mechs he's used and operated over the years.
 * 24) * While on the topic of Subspace, there is a scene where Dedede chooses to give up his own badge for Princess Peach/Zelda, giving us another example of his selflessness.
 * 25) His will is even growing strong enough to fight back being manipulated by the true villains, even if by a little bit. For example: Before the battle against "Forgo Dedede" begins, he can be seen trying to remove the mask that's controlling him, and the fact that the villains saw it necessary to give him a mask to cloud his mind even further implies that he was trying to fight the control prior as well.
 * 26) Despite how poorly Kirby Right Back at Ya! does at faithfully adapting his character (further explanation below), its portrayal of him is undeniably enjoyed by many who grew up watching that version of him, and still has some good, albeit few, moments of growth in episodes like "Prediction Predicament" and "D'Preciation Day".
 * 27) If you're looking for media outside of the games that represents his character faithfully, might we suggest the official Japan-only Kirby novels, which can all be read (fan-translated) here. While the early novels' characterization of Dedede may be more similar to his anime incarnation, as he intentionally goes out of his way to cause trouble for Kirby, and the anime's design of his castle is on the cover of the first novel, later entries become more in-line with the games, especially the one based on Kirby's Return to Dream Land, which can be read here, as that one in particular has Shinya Kumazaki, the current Kirby series director, heavily contributing to it, even having his commentary included. Dedede even gets his own story where he stars as the main character, which can be read here.
 * 28) There's even more examples of Dedede being a wholesome friend in outside media, such as:
 * 29) *These adorable official illustrations from the Official Japanese Kirby Twitter show Dedede secretly delivering gifts to Kirby (and presumably all the other the good boys and girls of Dream Land as well) on Christmas. There are more examples of the King's caring nature in these official illustrations, such as him protecting Lovely from the rain with a parasol, and him helping his friends make sweet treats, not for himself, but for others, in preparations for White Day.
 * 30) *The JP Kirby Twitter also has "Dedede Directories", where Dedede talks about various characters from different Kirby games over the years in chronological order. When talking about Ribbon, he fondly reminisces about the time he spent with his friends in Kirby 64.
 * 31) *Dedede is also seen hanging out with Kirby and friends in the It's Kirby Time is a series of picture books, such as in Kirby's Tiny World and Kirby's Birthday.
 * 32) *Even earlier media predating Kirby's Return to Dream Land cementing Dedede's alignment as a hero had good guy Dedede representation in the Mario Kirby Masterpiece Video and Kirby of the Stars! Moretsu Pupupu Hour!.
 * 33) Shinya Kumazaki, the current series director and one responsible for its hidden stories and extended lore, has said many times that Kirby's Adventure is his favorite game in the series and helped change his perception of videogame storytelling (source). The reveal of Dedede actually having heroic intentions stuck with him and led to him becoming his favorite character. Kumazaki would go on to direct Kirby's Return to Dream Land, which would redefine the series in many ways going forward, and if it weren't for Dedede, the Kirby series would've likely fell into obscurity after Sakurai left, and while Sakurai left the series, it doesn't mean he does not like the direction the modern games are going, in fact, he is quite supportive!
 * 34) While his voice in the anime provided by Kenichi Otaga and Ted Lewis are definitely iconic, with the latter especially being the majority of the internet's favorite, his grunts and roars provided by Shinya Kumazaki in the games deserves some credit as well, and does a great job making him sound menacing, goofy, or sweet whenever he needs to be. Dedede's roar has even been incorporated into his own theme, in the fittingly named "Roar of Dedede". Kumazaki has even done his Dedede voice live onstage during the Kirby 30th Anniversary Music Fest, although it unfortunately no longer can be seen as original livestream has been made private on YouTube.

Unkingly Qualities

 * 1) In the anime adaptation, Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, Dedede was portrayed as a cruel, sadistic, and abusive dictator who sees the suffering of others as the most amusing thing there is. Not only that, but he doesn't fight or compete directly at all, instead relying on monsters to "clobber that there Kirby", said monsters being provided by Nightmare Enterprises, a company owned by the entity Dedede literally tried to heroically stop in Kirby's Adventure. He's nothing but a big fat pathetic joke villain for the kids watching to point and laugh at whenever he's made a fool of, and as cartoons are far more easily accessible than video games (at least during the time the show was on air), this is the version of Dedede that is more commonly remembered, meaning that the anime's depiction of him is largely to blame for the character's undeserved reputation as a "villain". Nowhere is this fact made more apparent than the countless and extremely widespread memes of him.
 * 2) *While he might have been more caring in "Prediction Predicament" and "D'Preciation Day", he instantly regresses back into being a tyrant in the next episode to keep in line with the status quo. Him seeming redeemable in 2 episodes out of 100 doesn't come close to the growth he's gone through in the games, and is just wasted potential in comparison. Even in the final moments of the last episode in the series, he still whines about not being able to order monsters and cause mayhem anymore, showing that he hasn't learned a thing.
 * 3) His characterization was also done poorly in Kirby Battle Royale: he was hellbent on humiliating Kirby and rigged the entire tournament against him, instead of trying to succeed over him fair and square, like in Revenge of the King.
 * 4) The trope of him getting possessed for the sake of a boss fight has been done to death, and prevents him from being a playable character. Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, Kirby: Triple Deluxe, Kirby: Star Allies, and Kirby and the Forgotten Land handle this trope really well by giving him heroic moments after he's freed, but him being controlled is starting to get old. Hopefully in the future, his character will develop further to the point of being able to resist being possessed, allowing him to adventure with Kirby more like he did in Kirby's Return to Dream Land.

Trivia

 * While not confirmed, considering that Kirby himself was originally meant to be a placeholder, and that Dedede shares his ability to inhale and hover, it's possible that Dedede was originally intended to be the main protagonist of Kirby's Dream Land, but was repurposed into being the final boss when HAL chose to stick with the placeholder. More things support this theory, such as the fact that Dedede's cute, colorful, and rounded design and signature ✌️-sign is something you'd usually see from a platformer mascot rather than the main antagonist, that Kirby was originally going to be named "Popopo", which is similar to "Dedede", and that Dedede redeems himself so early into the series in Kirby's Adventure, likely because he was never intended to be the villain to begin with.
 * He or his likeness has appeared in every game in the series except Kirby & The Amazing Mirror. As such, he is the most recurring major character of the series besides Kirby and Waddle Dee.
 * Whenever Dedede isn't himself, he gives up his hammer for another weapon. As this is something he rarely does out of his own volition, it's a clever detail signaling that he's under someone else's control.
 * Masked Dedede's Revenge in Kirby: Triple Deluxe wields an axe.
 * The Dedede Clones in Kirby: Planet Robobot use a Tri-Dimensional Cannon.
 * Macho Dedede in Kirby Star Allies doesn't use a weapon at all.
 * In Dedede's first battle in Kirby and the Forgotten Land, he swings around a giant pillar.
 * In the games, there is plenty of wordplay involving Dedede's name.
 * Kirby: Triple Deluxes title can be interpreted as 3D, and it also released on the 3DS. Dedede is heavily involved in the game's plot and has two entire Sub-Games dedicated entirely to himself. The Kirby: Triple Deluxe subgame Dedede's Drum Dash involves the king himself. Acronymized, it spells DDD'. The Sub-Game, Dededetour, is a portmanteau of Dedede and detour.
 * In Kirby: Planet Robobot, Susie's Dedede Clone uses a Tri-Dimensional Cannon, 'Tri-Dimensional' also being another play on "3D" and "Dedede".
 * There are two main naming patterns for remixes of King Dedede's theme in recent games:
 * "(Subject) of Dedede", based on The Revenge ("Revenge of Dedede" in Japanese). This is the basis for "History of Dedede", "Macho of Dedede", and "Roar of Dedede".
 * "Dedede's (subject)" or "(subject): D.D.D." This is the basis for "Dedede's Royal Payback" ("Take Back the Throne: D.D.D."), "Dedede's Tridimensional Cannon" ("Electromagnetically Conducted Triple Turret Cannon: D.D.D.") and "Masked and Wild: D.D.D."
 * "Revenge of the Enemy" is also named after Revenge of Dedede.
 * King Dedede is currently voiced by Shinya Kumazaki, the current series director for Kirby, and in the Super Smash Bros series, King Dedede is voiced by Masahiro Sakurai, the creator of both the Kirby and Super Smash Bros. series.
 * In the Kirby 30th Anniversary Music Fest, 3 of Dedede's themes were remixed into a medley for "デデデ大王フェス" ("King Dedede Festival"). What makes it so special from the other songs of that event, is that it was performed specially by the HAL Laboratory Dream Band, with Shinya Kumazaki doing Dedede's roars in person.

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