King Dedede

" “ He's usually so carefree, perhaps a teeny-tiny bit lazy... But when it matters most, our leader always does his royal duty. Long live King Dedede! ” ― Minion Waddle Dee about King Dedede • Kirby and the Forgotten Land"

King Dedede is one of the main protagonists of the Kirby series. He's the self-made king of Dream Land and is Kirby's former "royal nemesis" or "destined rival," although he is simply just a competitive friend at this point, who, despite his debut as a greedy self-serving tyrant, grew into one of Kirby's closest allies, helping or straight up accompanying him on many adventures.

History of Dedede
" “ 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)"

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 got to his head, and Dedede thought he could get away with stealing all of the food in Dream Land, but in his hubris, got 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 end, 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. This sparked a change in Dedede's behavior that would only grow more and more as time went on.

Before moving on to his second appearance by release, in Kirby Super Star, half of the other Sub-Games featured after Spring Breeze happen as a direct result of the events of the first game. Thanks to the food shortage, Dynablade had to ravage the land just to search for food to feed her chicks. The reason Meta Knight and his crew tried to conquer Dream Land, was because he saw its ruler as slothful and corrupt, and believed that things would be better of if he was in charge. And worst of all, the food shortage triggered the wrath of Marx, who is implied in the English localization of Kirby Star Allies flavor text, and outright stated in the original Japanese, to concoct mad plans when he isn't well fed. While Dedede was absent in all of these Sub-Games, these events were affecting all of Dream Land, and in the case of Milky Way Wishes, Planet Popstar entirely, so it would be pretty hard to miss. Now fully aware of the weight of his actions, Dedede would work hard to better himself and become the king that his people deserve.

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. He did treat himself to a dip in its waters as a reward, but compared to stealing his subjects’ food for personal satisfaction he’s already come a long way. 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. 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 boxing ring 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, and respects him as an equal, even giving him a hammer 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.

Chronologically, Kirby: Triple Deluxe is meant to pick up after Super Star, and by extension Super Star Ultra, where Dedede gets kidnapped and Kirby sets off to rescue him. This is likely the turning point in his character, with his grudges already beaten out of him in the previous game, his former rival going out of his way to save him is what finally got them to be on friendly terms permanently, but not before 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).

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 Kirby's most dependable allies since, even selflessly sacrificing himself for a single normal Waddle Dee in Kirby and the Forgotten Land, 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 acting tough and aloof, to being gentle and friendly. 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.

Why He's a Great King

 * 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 this is false: anti-heroes lack conventional heroic qualities, such as idealism, courage, and morality, and will only do good when they have something to gain from it. This isn't the case with Dedede, as he has grown to become genuinely righteous and responsible, putting the needs and safety of others before himself on multiple occasions.
 * 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. For as many times Tom starts the chase by preying on Jerry, Jerry starts the chase by being a jerk to 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 inconvenience 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 because he's been usurped by the new villain on the block and has no one left to turn to, and he won't stop reminding you that he's a villain even after he's joined your party. 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, because helping those in need is just what a good king does. Sure, Magolor turned out to be a deceptive egg, but none of them knew that.
 * 12) 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."
 * 13) 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:
 * 14) *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.
 * 15) *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.
 * 16) *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).
 * 17) 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 against his friends.
 * 18) Really, it is impressive how he's is 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.
 * 19) *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.
 * 20) *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 impressive, especially considering the context that the descriptions in the game are actually being narrated by a super computer (Star Dream).
 * 21) 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.
 * 22) *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.
 * 23) 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.
 * 24) 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.
 * 25) 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.
 * 26) 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!

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. As mentioned above, in the games, Dedede's followers follow him purely out of respect and admiration, but in Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, he is despised by everyone in Cappy Town, and one episode ("Sweet and Sour Puss") even revolves entirely on the townsfolk happily torturing him when a monster renders him completely passive. Another difference, is that instead of being an intelligent leader and engineer who is capable of planning ahead to counter threats as mentioned above, in the show, he's illiterate and was expelled from kindergarten ("A Novel Approach"). 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 (which is always), and that misses the point of his character entirely, as the "big fat pathetic joke villain" trope is everything Dedede is meant to subvert, which we know to be the case 'cause, again, him growing out of the antagonist role literally started as soon as the second game, and by the time Kirby: Right Back at Ya! was on the air, Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards was already released.
 * 2) *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, which is kind of degrading to the true Dedede featured in the games.
 * 3) * 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. Him seeming redeemable in 2 episodes out of 100 doesn't make this version of Dedede nuanced, it just makes him wasted potential. 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.
 * 4) 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.
 * 5) 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, 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

 * The symbol on the back of his robe is actually a very simplified version of a ✌️-sign.
 * 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.

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