History Characters / KirbyKingDedede

!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/MasahiroSakurai (''Kirby 64'' and ''Super Smash Bros.''), Shinya Kumazaki (''Return to Dream Land'', ''Triple Deluxe'', ''Star Allies'')

* FunWithAcronyms: Interestingly played with in regards to his name. [[spoiler:In ''Planet Robobot'' Japanese version, in the 5th world's boss stage, Susie is talking about the "product" that she'll show Kirby; she described it - [[GratuitousEnglish in English]] - as "Dangerous", "Deadly" and "Deluxe". Then she reveals it to be the Dedede Clone. And when you beat the clones in the second phase (with the D3 Cannon), said clones explode, each forming the letter "D" in sparkles.]]

* SelfDuplication: He's cloned himself in ''Kirby Fighters Deluxe''. He can have up to 63 of them depending of how much continues you used and the difficulty level. [[spoiler:''Planet Robobot'' has his clone being able to split into 3 as it takes damage.]]

* BigGood: [[spoiler:Believe it or not, of ''VideoGame/TheSubspaceEmissary'' - had it not been for his reviving brooches, Tabuu [[TheBadGuyWins would've won]]. In fact, if that game was your introduction to his character, you'd be forgiven for assuming that he was always one of Kirby's biggest allies, considering how friendly he acts towards him[[labelnote:*]]Which, granted, he is now, but he wasn't always one.[[/labelnote]]]].

* ADayInTheLimelight: ''Triple Deluxe'' is where he gets quite some spotlight despite not being the villain. He gets kidnapped in the opening and becomes Kirby's motivation for the game. [[spoiler:He then gets BrainwashedAndCrazy and is fought as a ClimaxBoss. After Kirby BeatTheCurseOutOfHim, Dedede then helps Kirby reach Sectonia's OneWingedAngel form and then releases Kirby from Sectonia's clutch to save him. The final narration even notes Dedede's contribution to the whole story as it notes that the Dreamstalk (which, despite the People of the Sky expecting Kirby as their hero, lifts Dedede's castle as well as Kirby's house) works InMysteriousWays.]] He even gets his own extra mode, something that Meta Knight had done twice before.

* BigGood: [[spoiler:Believe it or not, of ''VideoGame/TheSubspaceEmissary'' - had it not been for his reviving brooches, Tabuu [[TheBadGuyWins would've won]]. In fact, if that game was your introduction to his character, you'd be forgiven for assuming that he was one of Kirby's biggest allies, considering how friendly he acts towards him]].

[-'''Main Series:''' [[Characters/KirbyHeroesAndSupportingCharacters Heroes and Supporting Characters]] ([[Characters/KirbyKirby Kirby]] | '''King Dedede''' | [[Characters/KirbyMetaKnight Meta Knight]]) | [[Characters/KirbyEnemies Enemies]] | [[Characters/KirbyRecurringBosses Recurring Bosses]] | [[Characters/KirbyVillainousFactions Villainous Factions]] ([[Characters/KirbyDarkMatter Dark Matter]] | [[Characters/KirbyAnotherDimension Another Dimension]]) | [[Characters/KirbyOtherMajorAntagonists Other Major Antagonists]] | [[Characters/KirbyOtherBosses Other Bosses]]\\

* BeatTheCurseOutOfHim: [[VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand2 Whenever]] [[VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand3 he]] [[VideoGame/Kirby64TheCrystalShards gets]] [[VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies possessed]], this is usually how he's saved.

* BossSubtitles: "His Royal Nemesis, King Dedede" in ''Kirby Star Allies'', which is reused in ''Kirby and the Forgotten Land''. In Japanese, it's the similar 宿敵の暴君 (''Shukuteki no Boukun'', or "Tyrannical Arch-Rival").

* EvilCostumeSwitch: In ''Forgotten Land'', Dedede gets a tattered, leopard-spotted version of his usual robes to go along with his joining the Beast Pack.

* HalfDressedCartoonAnimal: His early design only had him wearing a robe and sash on his body. His later design would give him a [[BarefootCartoonAnimal cream colored yakuta]], which is made a lot more apparent in ''Star Allies''.

%%* SoreLoser

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: He may be [[AuthorityInNameOnly a self-proclaimed king]], but a good deal of games demonstrate he's not afraid to [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething show off just what he can do]], be it [[AntiVillain fighting against Kirby]] or [[AntiHero defending Dream Land]]. Especially seen in ''Triple Deluxe''[='=]s [[BonusDungeon Dededetour]] where he defeats [[spoiler:Queen Sectonia DX (a more powerful version of the original); Shadow Dedede (a dark doppelganger made by the Dimensional Mirror); and Dark Meta Knight -- (who defeated Meta Knight on his own but is now powered by the Dimensional Mirror with a plentiful supply of new abilities).]] '''ALL IN A ROW. ''BY HIMSELF.'''''

* ThrowDownTheBomblet: In ''VideoGame/KirbyMassAttack'' he also throws bombs.

* ArtEvolution: His design has changed quite a bit over the years, but the 3D games in particular seem to update his design with each new console generation. ''Return To Dream Land's'' design was basically a 3D version of his old design from the GBA and DS games, his ''Triple Deluxe'' and ''Planet Robobot'' designs changed his facial structure with a differently-shaped beak and his eyes being further apart, and ''Star Allies'' changes his face again to be more expressive while modifying his proportions to resemble his appearance in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros''

* BossSubtitles: "His Royal Nemesis, King Dedede" in ''Kirby Star Allies''. In Japanese, it's the similar 宿敵の暴君 (''Shukuteki no Boukun'', or "Tyrannical Arch-Rival").

** Though Star Allies got rid of the beam, wind on his spinning attacks, and the fire for Hammer Twirl, he's even larger than Bonkers and has unique attacks like his FaceFault and (after an update) his super jump from just about every boss battle. Both are completely invincible and can ensure he stays completely unharmed through a long fall, and the slide move gets a surprising amount of distance. If anything, they're ''improved''!

A hammer-wielding penguin ([[AmbiguousSpecies possibly]]) and the king of Dream Land, though nobody actually acknowledges him as such since said title's entirely self-proclaimed. That, and he never really does anything related to administration, prefering to eat his own weight in food and cause general mischief. He's only been the BigBad of the very first game and certain spin-offs. In the main series, however, he usually ends up as the villain by getting [[DemonicPossession possessed by the real one]].

[-'''Main Series:''' [[Characters/KirbyHeroesAndSupportingCharacters Heroes and Supporting Characters]] ([[Characters/KirbyKirby Kirby]] | '''King Dedede''' | [[Characters/KirbyMetaKnight Meta Knight]]) | [[Characters/KirbyEnemies Enemies]] | [[Characters/KirbyRecurringBosses Recurring Bosses]] | [[Characters/KirbyVillainousFactions Villainous Factions]] ([[Characters/KirbyDarkMatter Dark Matter]]) | [[Characters/KirbyOtherMajorAntagonists Other Major Antagonists]] | [[Characters/KirbyOtherBosses Other Bosses]]\\

* AmbiguousSpecies: He definitely looks like a penguin, but it's questionable if he's even a ''bird''. Unlike a penguin, he can fly, doesn't appear to have feathers, and his feet being attached to his body seemingly without legs may be because of art style more than anything. One official guide calls him a "regal eagle", but likely wasn't meant to be taken literally. As far as we know he's a [[ShapedLikeItself Dedede]].

* BossSubtitles: "His Royal Nemesis, King Dedede" in ''Kirby Star Allies''.

* ButHeSoundsHandsome: In [[https://twitter.com/Kirby_JP/status/1473488630794829825 this tweet]], Dedede claims the
"[[BlatantLies unidentified warrior]]", Masked Dedede, just ''has'' to be a manly man with a persistent spirit, and a nice guy underneath the mask to boot!

A hammer-wielding penguin ([[AmbiguousSpecies possibly]]) and the king of Dream Land, though nobody actually acknowledges him as such since said title's entirely self-proclaimed. That, and he never really does anything related to administration, prefering to eat his own weight in food and cause general mischief. He's only been the BigBad of the very first game and certain spin-offs. In the main series, however, he usually ends up as the villain by getting [[DemonicPossession possessed by the ''real'' villain]].

Hammer-wielding penguin ([[AmbiguousSpecies possibly]]) and self-proclaimed ruler of Dream Land, though he never really does anything related to administration. Usually ends up as the villain through {{Greed}} or DemonicPossession.

[-'''Main Series:''' [[Characters/KirbyHeroesAndSupportingCharacters Heroes and Supporting Characters]] ([[Characters/KirbyKirbyAndFriends Kirby and Co.]] ([[Characters/KirbyKirby Kirby]] | '''King Dedede''' | [[Characters/KirbyMetaKnight Meta Knight]])) | [[Characters/KirbyEnemies Enemies]] | [[Characters/KirbyRecurringBosses Recurring Bosses]] | [[Characters/KirbyVillainousFactions Villainous Factions]] ([[Characters/KirbyDarkMatter Dark Matter]]) | [[Characters/KirbyOtherMajorAntagonists Other Major Antagonists]] | [[Characters/KirbyOtherBosses Other Bosses]]\\

[[redirect:Characters/KirbyKirbyAndFriends]]

[[redirect:KirbyKirbyAndFriends]]

!King Dedede
!!!'''Debut:''' ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand''
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/MasahiroSakurai (''Kirby 64'' and ''Super Smash Bros.''), Shinya Kumazaki (''Return to Dream Land'', ''Triple Deluxe'', ''Star Allies'')
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kf2_king_dedede_8.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Click to see Masked Dedede]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kssu_masked_dedede_artwork.png[[/labelnote]]]]

-> ''"[[VideoGame/KirbysEpicYarn You can't be mean to my Waddle Dees!]] [[HypocriticalHeartwarming Only I can be mean to my Waddle Dees!]]"''

Hammer-wielding penguin ([[AmbiguousSpecies possibly]]) and self-proclaimed ruler of Dream Land, though he never really does anything related to administration. Usually ends up as the villain through {{Greed}} or DemonicPossession.
----
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:A-C]]
* AbsenteeActor:
** He's completely absent in ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheAmazingMirror'', not even as a cameo.
** In ''VideoGame/TeamKirbyClashDeluxe'' and ''VideoGame/SuperKirbyClash'', no mention is ever given to him; however, [[spoiler:the TrueFinalBoss is a variant of him called King D-Mind]].
* {{Acrofatic}}: Depending on the game, he can be pretty agile despite his size.
* ActuallyADoombot: The first encounter with him and Meta Knight in ''Kirby Fighters 2'' turns out to be a pair of Waddle Dees in disguise.
* ADayInTheLimelight: ''Triple Deluxe'' is where he gets quite some spotlight despite not being the villain. He gets kidnapped in the opening and becomes Kirby's motivation for the game. [[spoiler:He then gets BrainwashedAndCrazy and is fought as a ClimaxBoss. After Kirby BeatTheCurseOutOfHim, Dedede then helps Kirby reach Sectonia's OneWingedAngel form and then releases Kirby from Sectonia's clutch to save him. The final narration even notes Dedede's contribution to the whole story as it notes that the Dreamstalk (which, despite the People of the Sky expecting Kirby as their hero, lifts Dedede's castle as well as Kirby's house) works InMysteriousWays.]] He even gets his own extra mode, something that Meta Knight had done twice before.
* AdiposeRex: You would be hard-pressed to find a fatter individual in Dream Land, and none of them are claiming to be royalty either.
* AffablyEvil: He's not really that bad a guy, he's just vain, extremely greedy, and occasionally mean-spirited. Of course, that doesn't mean he's not affable -- in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'', he hugs Kirby towards the end of The Subspace Emissary when he realizes he's alright.
* AmbiguousSpecies: He definitely looks like a penguin, but it's questionable if he's even a ''bird''. Unlike a penguin, he can fly, doesn't appear to have feathers, and his feet being attached to his body seemingly without legs may be because of art style more than anything. One official guide calls him a "regal eagle", but likely wasn't meant to be taken literally. As far as we know he's a [[ShapedLikeItself Dedede]].
* AnAxeToGrind: In ''Triple Deluxe'', his hammer winds up being broken [[spoiler:during a fight with Kirby when Taranza's using him as a puppet]], so he rips a battle-axe taller than he is off a nearby statue and showcases that he's every bit as proficient with it as he is with his hammer.
* AnotherSideAnotherStory: He gets his own "extra mode" run in form of Dededetour! in ''Triple Deluxe''. He's described as going on his own adventure to stop [[spoiler:Queen Sectonia and her rule]] (and either stop [[spoiler:her from ruling Dream Land]], or try to take over Floralia as part of his territory).
* AntiHero: He's more commonly this than an outright villain. He's selfish, greedy, and tends not to hesitate when it comes to clobbering Kirby when their interests don't align, but he's never really gotten to the point of being ''evil''. As far back as ''Kirby's Adventure'', Dedede's been proactively defending Dream Land from much worse threats (when he's not being possessed by them) in his own unscrupulous ways, and more modern games seem to forgo Dedede's animosity with Kirby entirely in favor of portraying him as one of Kirby's TrueCompanions.
* AntiVillain: In ''Kirby's Adventure'', ''Dream Land 2'', and ''Dream Land 3''.
* ArchEnemy: Most likely due to longevity. He is not Kirby's ''worst'' enemy, but he is the most common.
* TheAtoner: His Guest Star description in ''Star Allies'' mentions that he goes on a journey to save his people and to clean his name (presumably after being BrainwashedAndCrazy).
* ArtEvolution: His design has changed quite a bit over the years, but the 3D games in particular seem to update his design with each new console generation. ''Return To Dream Land's'' design was basically a 3D version of his old design from the GBA and DS games, his ''Triple Deluxe'' and ''Planet Robobot'' designs changed his facial structure with a differently-shaped beak and his eyes being further apart, and ''Star Allies'' changes his face again to be more expressive while modifying his proportions to resemble his appearance in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros''
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: He may be [[AuthorityInNameOnly a self-proclaimed king]], but a good deal of games demonstrate he's not afraid to [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething show off just what he can do]], be it [[AntiVillain fighting against Kirby]] or [[AntiHero defending Dream Land]]. Especially seen in ''Triple Deluxe''[='=]s [[BonusDungeon Dededetour]] where he defeats [[spoiler:Queen Sectonia DX (a more powerful version of the original); Shadow Dedede (a dark doppelganger made by the Dimensional Mirror); and Dark Meta Knight -- (who defeated Meta Knight on his own but is now powered by the Dimensional Mirror with a plentiful supply of new abilities).]] '''ALL IN A ROW. ''BY HIMSELF.'''''
* AuthorityInNameOnly: Besides his soldiers and servants, no one respects his rule. Not even his "friends", since Meta Knight tried to overthrow him in ''Revenge of Meta Knight'', while Whispy Woods and Kracko show no qualms in attacking the king in ''Return to Dream Land'' and ''Triple Deluxe'', respectively. In fact, officially he has no actual power and his edicts go unheeded by the people of Dream Land. Also implied to be the case in the anime. However, CharacterDevelopment as a result of being possessed and beaten repeately has made him decide to get stronger and attempt to improve his reputation, so that maybe the people of Dream Land will eventually start treating him like a real leader.
* BadassBaritone: In games where he is voiced, Dedede is liable to have a bellowing, kingly voice. It's greatly emphasized by his tendency to [[RoarBeforeBeating roar]], and he indeed has the strength to back it up.
* BadassInDistress: In ''Triple Deluxe'', Kirby's mission is to save him.
* BeatTheCurseOutOfHim: [[VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand2 Whenever]] [[VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand3 he]] [[VideoGame/Kirby64TheCrystalShards gets]] [[VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies possessed]], this is usually how he's saved.
* BecomingTheMask: Despite the AuthorityInNameOnly status as listed above, and Dedede largely initially just claiming kingship as an excuse to do whatever he wants, he's actually surprisingly dedicated to the role of King in multiple series entries, even having shown signs as early as ''Adventure'' in making the [[IDidWhatIHadToDo hard choice]] of breaking up the Star Rod to protect Dream Land. His other feats in the name of acting as King include diplomatically aiding both Ribbon and Magolor of other worlds when they ended up stranded on Popstar, aiding the Floralians and later acting to free them of his own accord, and even his Guest Star mode in ''Star Allies'' is Dedede attempting to prove that he can protect his kingdom. Such actions might well be part of the reason why nobody has actually contested his claim of kingship and just sort of let him retain it.
* BewareTheSillyOnes: He may appear goofy and serve as PluckyComicRelief from time to time, but underestimate him at your own will; for as his skill with the [[DropTheHammer hammer]] (which he wields almost flawlessly) is enough to show why he should be respected as the ([[AuthorityInNameOnly self-proclaimed]]) [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething king of Dream Land]].
* BigBad: Of the original game, Spring Breeze in ''Kirby Super Star'', and Revenge of the King in ''Ultra''. Also is the villain in most spinoffs such as ''Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble'', ''Kirby's Dream Course'', '' Kirby's Super Star Stacker'', ''Kirby Fighters Deluxe'', ''VideoGame/KirbysBlowoutBlast'' and [[spoiler:''Videogame/KirbyBattleRoyale''. Appears to be the BigBad of several other games as well, but actually isn't, for various reasons.]]
* BigBadDuumvirate: He and Meta Knight team up to take down Kirby in the story mode of ''Kirby Fighters 2''.
* BigEater: Not shown doing this as often as Kirby (due to not being the focal point of the series), but Dedede can pack it away as much as his [[FriendlyEnemy friend/foe]]. There's a reason that the plot of the very first game kicked off with Dedede stealing all of Dream Land's food, and the same reason is why he's Kirby's opponent in Gourmet Race.
* BigFun: When he's not doing something bad, anyway.
* BigGood: [[spoiler:Believe it or not, of ''VideoGame/TheSubspaceEmissary'' - had it not been for his reviving brooches, Tabuu [[TheBadGuyWins would've won]]. In fact, if that game was your introduction to his character, you'd be forgiven for assuming that he was one of Kirby's biggest allies, considering how friendly he acts towards him]].
* BlackHoleBelly: Dedede's range and power for his VacuumMouth is even greater than Kirby's, and he'll even demonstrate it by inhaling Kirby if given the chance.
* BossSubtitles: "His Royal Nemesis, King Dedede" in ''Kirby Star Allies''.
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: So, so often, usually by DemonicPossession.
** [[VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand2 By]] [[VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand3 Dark]] [[VideoGame/Kirby64TheCrystalShards Matter]], complete with BellyMouth and EyesDoNotBelongThere. Also [[VideoGame/KirbyMassAttack Necrodeus]] (presumably).
** In ''Epic Yarn'', he gets turned into yarn and is forced to fight Kirby with [[PeoplePuppets marionette-like strings on his body]], courtesy of Yin-Yarn. [[spoiler:The marionette strings part is also done by [[VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe Taranza]] in his game's climax.]]
** Happens again in ''Star Allies'', this time with the added side effect of making him absurdly muscular. After you BeatTheCurseOutOfHim, you can add him to your team in the Dream Palace or by throwing a Friend Heart at him.
* BurningWithAnger: Occasionally in ''Kirby's Dream Land 2'', he will go into a rage that will make his next attack highly explosive.
* ButtMonkey: If it's not happening to Kirby, it's happening to Dedede.
* TheCaligula: He's a pretty selfish, greedy, and gluttonous king who acts entirely on his whims. He's also a JerkWithAHeartOfGold, however, and can at times [[PetTheDog be pretty nice]]. And he does care for his kingdom, which shows whenever it gets threatened.
* CantCatchUp: He learned to duplicate Kirby's flight after his first defeat, while Kirby learned to run as fast as Dedede ''and'' copy powers.
* CartoonCreature: It's not clear what he's supposed to be, but some elements of his design seem to indicate he's a penguin.
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: From being a BigBad in the very first game, to a [[spoiler:WellIntentionedExtremist]] in ''Adventure'', to a reluctant ally in ''Crystal Shards'', to become an outright good guy in ''Return to Dream Land'' onwards. Inbetween, though, he might sometimes get BrainwashedAndCrazy or [[DemonicPossession possessed]], or be the major antagonist in the spinoffs, showing the "enemy" part of his relationship with Kirby. It's pretty telling that when he (once again) steals all the food in Dream Land at the start of ''Star Allies'', it's noted that this is ''horribly'' out of character for him, [[DramaticIrony despite the fact that]] [[VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand this was his first ever scheme.]]
* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: According to his trophy information in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee'', he underwent training to learn how to inhale air to float like Kirby after his first defeat. As we can see, the training paid off.
* CoolMask: He dons an intimidating mask as Masked Dedede, and he usually goes all out in the battles where he's wearing it.
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: He's a greedy, gluttonous bumbler who seemingly exists to either take the blame for what another villain has done or be possessed by them. He is also at the same time one of the most powerful individuals in Dream Land, a fighter on the same level as Kirby and Meta Knight, and actually ''incredibly'' clever when the situation calls for it.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:D-M]]
* DemotedToExtra:
** He only appears as a clay sculpture and a doodle (in Elline's diary) in ''Rainbow Curse'' (and Kirby can wear his hat with a Dedede amiibo), having no appearance in the game's story.
** In ''Planet Robobot'', he only makes an appearance in the intro and the ending, as well as a set of stickers. [[spoiler:However, clones of his DNA appear as a boss battle]].
* DiscOneFinalBoss: in ''Kirby's Adventure'' and ''Kirby's Dream Land 2'' and ''3''.
* DistressedDude: In ''Triple Deluxe'', he gets kidnapped by the spider mage Taranza for an unknown reason.
* DropTheHammer: [[WeaponOfChoice Rarely seen without it.]]
* DualBoss: He finally fights alongside Meta Knight in ''Kirby Fighters 2'', complete with new team attacks that they perform together.
* EarlyInstallmentCharacterDesignDifference: Dedede's torso and abdomen was colored fully blue just like his head in earlier games, and he didn't wear gloves. ''Kirby Super Star'' was the first game to give him gloves and a cream-colored body as opposed to a blue one. Despite this, he still retained his old look in ''Dream Land 2'', ''Dream Land 3'', ''Kirby 64'', and even the anime. It wasn't until ''Nightmare in Dream Land'' where he would permanently keep his ''Super Star'' design. (However, his blue-bodied design does show up occasionally, such as his figurine in ''Kirby and the Rainbow Curse'' and his artwork for ''Play Nintendo''). ''Star Allies'' shows that his cream colored body is really a shirt or a vest, akin to how he looks in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' (where he wears a yellow yukata as undershirt), implying that his outfit was simply updated over time.
* EnergyBall: [[spoiler:Masked Dedede's Revenge, as well as Shadow Dedede, can shoot these from their axe.]] Star Rod-Hammer Dedede uses the power of Star Rod to make his hammer shoot balls of light. [[spoiler:Dedede Clone can also utilize it.]]
* ErmineCapeEffect: Whether or not he's a king, he looks quite the part - with a NiceHat, gloves, a fancy red coat and the belly band-like sash.
* EverythingsBetterWithPenguins: Maybe. He looks an awful lot like one, but is never actually stated to be one (a fact that's lampshaded in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'' during [[VideoGame/MetalGear Snake]]'s codec conversation about him).
* EvilCounterpart: To Kirby, being a VillainousGlutton. Later appearances emphasized this by giving Dedede aerial abilities. [[spoiler:Shadow Dedede]] serves as one to him in ''Triple Deluxe''.
* EvilKnockoff: In ''Planet Robobot'', [[spoiler:the Haltmann Works Company use a sample of his DNA to create a series of Dedede Clones.]]
* ExtremeOmnivore: At least in the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series, where he'll eat almost any item in the games if you make him inhale it.
* FaceFault: An unusual, but just as goofy example, as it's one of Dedede's signature attacks. Akin to a penguin sliding on its belly, he often dashes forward, trips, and skids face-first across the ground. Surprisingly, up until ''Star Allies'', it was completely absent from his moveset as a player character.
* FatalFlaw: Greed, though he's [[CharacterizationMarchesOn mellowed out considerably in recent years]]. ''Star Allies'' implies he still has some greedy tendencies, as the Jamba Heart (which [[TheCorruption exaggerates a person's worst qualities]]) causes him to [[CallBack (once again)]] steal all of Dream Land's food. He's just learned to keep his behavior in check.
* FatBastard: He has stolen ''all'' the food in Dream Land, twice. Though he is fat because he is a greedy over-eater, as of ''Kirby's Adventure'' he trained to duplicate Kirby's flight, so he must eat enough to stay fat despite his work.
* AFatherToHisMen: He seems to actually care very much about his Waddle Dees.
* FlyingFlightlessBird: Just like Kirby, he can fly by sucking up air, despite the fact that he is (possibly) a penguin.
* FunWithAcronyms: Interestingly played with in regards to his name. [[spoiler:In ''Planet Robobot'' Japanese version, in the 5th world's boss stage, Susie is talking about the "product" that she'll show Kirby; she described it - [[GratuitousEnglish in English]] - as "Dangerous", "Deadly" and "Deluxe". Then she reveals it to be the Dedede Clone. And when you beat the clones in the second phase (with the D3 Cannon), said clones explode, each forming the letter "D" in sparkles.]]
* GadgeteerGenius: He's prone to occasionally employ technology for his ends, from rocket launchers to HumongousMecha.
* GoKartingWithBowser: This is pretty much what Gourmet Race is.
* TheGoodKing: Downplayed. Greedy face-stuffer that he is, he's been known to occasionally try his hand at a noble action or two, usually helping Kirby out with his abilities or so. He's especially protective of "his" Dream Land despite robbing its people of their food at least twice. It's also noted that his Waddle Dee subjects are quite fond of him, and deep down he loves them as well.
* HalfDressedCartoonAnimal: His early design only had him wearing a robe and sash on his body. His later design would give him a [[BarefootCartoonAnimal cream colored yakuta]], which is made a lot more apparent in ''Star Allies''.
* HarmlessVillain: Dedede's not really bad ([[AlternateUniverse except in the anime]]), he's just big and greedy so Kirby has to bring him down to earth. In fact, he's been known to give Kirby giant hugs.
* HeelFaceTurn: ''Kirby's Super Star Ultra'' marked a permanent change in the status quo (an incredibly unusual thing for a series so light on continuity) by finally ending Kirby's rivalry with Dedede ([[FriendlyRivalry at least the genuinely hostile aspects of it]]) and changing them from "enemies" (and occasionally [[EnemyMine reluctant allies]] as in ''Kirby 64'') to "friends". ''Return of the King'' is the final game in which Dedede plays the role of an antagonist knowingly and cognizantly; after his defeat here, from ''Return to Dream Land'' onward Dedede has abandoned virtually all reluctance or hostility with Kirby and was thrust into the spotlight as one of the main protagonists in his own right.
* HiddenDepths: [[VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot Apparently, he's into]] TabletopGame/{{chess}}.
* HulkingOut: ''Star Allies'' has Dedede's corruption turn him into a gorilla-like creature, complete with barrel chest and big, musclebound arms ([[TopHeavyGuy and with his legs still small]]). He throws food and climbs the columns of his castle like a gorilla as well. It's a reference to one of the anime's episodes.
* HypocriticalHeartwarming: In ''VideoGame/KirbysEpicYarn'', he sees a group of Yarn Waddle Dees having tied up his own Waddle Dees. He then proclaims that only he can be mean to his Waddle Dees.
* ImpossiblyCoolWeapon: In ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'', his hammer has a '''[[RocketPoweredWeapon jet engine]]''' for the sole purpose of swinging extremely strong hits. In "Revenge of the King" in ''Kirby Super Star Ultra'', Masked Dedede has an even cooler new hammer. Aside from also having the jet engine, it can [[MacrossMissileMassacre launch missiles]], [[FireBreathingWeapon shoot a gout of flame]], and be used for an extreme SpinAttack.
* InterfaceScrew: He in ''Kirby Fighters Deluxe'' can throw out Dedede keychains towards the screen to obscure it.
* {{Jerkass}}: In the spinoffs and the anime. Also in the original game, one of the few games in which he's not a good guy, [[BrainwashedAndCrazy possessed]] or a WellIntentionedExtremist. He just steals everyone's food for no real reason, apparently, as he's never shown eating it. Okay, he is on the second time around in ''Super Star''.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold:
** In ''Kirby 64'', he's still a jerk but ultimately means well.
** Same thing in ''Kirby's Adventure'', where the only reason he was opposing Kirby was to protect Dream Land from [[spoiler:Nightmare]], who was still sealed in the fountain.
* JigglePhysics: {{Played for laughs}} in the trailer for Kirby's 20th anniversary. After making the jump to the 3rd dimension, Dedede strikes a pose with Kirby and Meta Knight, and notices that his belly jiggles; he then proceeds to look at his stomach crossly, and poke it with the haft of his hammer.
* {{Leitmotif}}:
** The Mt. Dedede theme from ''Kirby's Dream Land'' was eventually [[BootstrappedTheme Bootstrapped]] into his personal music by ''Super Star'', and has since been used as such by nearly every game since.[[note]]It fails to appear in ''Avalanche'' and ''The Crystal Shards'', and is instead used as the miniboss tower theme in ''Adventure''.[[/note]]
** The popular "Gourmet Race" theme from ''Super Star'' got re-orchestrated for ''Nightmare in Dream Land'' into his Boss theme when they duel at the Fountain of Dreams.
* LargeAndInCharge: He is not the largest creature in Dream Land (his larger friend, Whispy Woods, is a frequent sight), but he is larger than most of his army and the rest of the creatures he claims to rule over.
* LeftStuckAfterAttack: In ''Star Allies'', when he does his falling smash attack with his enlarged arms, he may sometimes get his arms stuck on the ground, leaving him open to attack.
* LetsGetDangerous: As Masked Dedede, he tends to be far more serious (and [[ThatOneBoss difficult]]) than when he's just regular Dedede. This also extends [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ju-00VrNvE&ab_channel=SuperRayman001 to his boss theme]], which is a faster paced and more intense remix of his normal boss theme.
* LovableJock: Despite being selfish, greedy, and above all gluttonous, he's not really such a bad guy deep down. He's also [[{{Acrofatic}} surprisingly athletic despite his girth]] as indicated by the Snack Tracks race and his boxing match like fight with Kirby in Revenge Of The King.
* MagicVersusScience: Downplayed. By and large, King Dedede has a specific preference for technological enhancements and weaponry, even as far back as his missile launcher from ''Block Ball'' and his HumongousMecha Robo Dedede in ''Dream Course'' [[spoiler:and Dededestroyer Z in ''Battle Royale'']]. Usually he only uses magic or magic-like abilities when under the influence of DemonicPossession; he has, however, used a power-up from the Fountain of Dreams in ''Fighters Deluxe''.
* MakeMyMonsterGrow: Makes himself somewhat larger in ''Kirby Fighters Deluxe'' upon defeating his Combo Dedede backup. Then in ''Kirby's Blowout Blast'' he goes full-on AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever with the power of the Sparkling Star.
* MaskPower:
** ''Kirby Super Star Ultra'' features the unlockable "Revenge of the King" segment, which is a Hard Mode-style rerun of "Spring Breeze" (remember how ''Kirby's Dream Land'' had a Hard Mode?). King Dedede has clearly taken a leaf out of Meta Knight's book for the occasion, going so far as to give himself a steel mask that obscures everything except his eyes. He's a '''lot''' harder than he was before.
** [[spoiler:This form of Dedede makes a return in ''Triple Deluxe'', and has been improved even further]].
** He can don the mask in ''Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe'', though all it does is add a sound effect during backbeat combos.
** [[spoiler:Then in ''Kirby's Blowout Blast'', he combines the mask with MakeMyMonsterGrow in the Secret Path final boss, becoming Giant Masked Dedede. Here, the mask actually helps him protecting his face from weak star shots; Kirby has to inhale a lot of stars at once to actually hurt him.]]
** In ''Battle Royale'' it's also one of the unlockable costumes.
** He also puts it on for his Final Smash in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate''.
** [[spoiler:''Kirby Fighters 2'' gives him a new mask with a lunar motif known as the "Mask of Dark Bonds", which he wears with Meta Knight to increase their power together.]]
* MoralityPet: While he can be pretty mean at times, he genuinely cares for his Waddle Dees, who adore him in kind.
* MouthyBird: [[ZigzaggedTrope Zigzagged]]. Averted the earliest games where he was shown almost exclusively from the side which emphasized his relatively normal and unmouth-like beak. Once ArtEvolution kicked in, he started being shown more from the front, which made him fall into a type 2, right down to having [[ToothyBird teeth]] in some depictions, particularly the anime. Currently it's [[DownplayedTrope downplayed]] with his current 3D model which, while still plenty expressive, is stiffer and longer, making it generally more evocative of his early more bird-like beak.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:N-Z]]
* NoPronunciationGuide: Is it "dee-dee-dee" or "day-day-day"? Seems to depend mostly on region. Most English-speaking territories use the former; Japan as well as Italian-, French-, and Spanish-speaking countries use the latter. It seems both are correct, because the announcer of ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'' pronounces his name ''both'' ways depending on your game's region. Additionally, if the crowd begins chanting his name, they'll alternate between the pronunciations.
* NotMeThisTime: After [[EstablishingCharacterMoment stealing all the food in Dream Land]] and then taking a bath in the sacred Fountain of Dreams, Kirby tends to view Dedede with suspicion. Predictably, games after that (with few exceptions) never show him being the actual villain. In fact, when he pulls one of his old schemes at the start of ''Star Allies'', the pause screen descriptions imply that Kirby is ''confused'' by this, meaning it's gotten to the point where Dedede isn't even considered a villain by Kirby anymore.
* OhCrap: His reaction when things go wrong. Like when Kirby shows up to rescue the trophies in the ''Subspace Emissary'' [[spoiler:or when Kirby accidentally awakens Nightmare.]]
* PenguinsAreDucks: He is implied to be a penguin, yet he resembles a duck more due to his feet, his beak being rounded (although they do resemble lips sometimes, as mentioned above), and as mentioned above, he can fly by inhaling enough air.
* PokeThePoodle: Any genuine villainy he performs always ends up being this. He's always more of a nuisance than an actual threat to Dream Land.
* PowerupMount: Plays this role for his sections in ''Kirby 64'', as well as ''Return to Dream Land'' (the other playable characters can also serve as this in said game); with his brute strength and hammer, Dedede can bust down walls for Kirby.
* PowersViaPossession: Dedede's repeated possessions during the Dark Matter trilogy featured his body exhibiting strange abilities like floating through the air like a dangled puppet, shooting dark {{Energy Ball}}s from an eye that popped out of his stomach, or developing a ravenous BellyMouth. [[spoiler:Shadow Dedede of ''Triple Deluxe'' has these same powers but developed to a much more advanced degree. The game's commentary about the "darkness in his heart" could be an implication that Shadow Dedede was possessed by an alternate version of Dark Matter (implied to be Dark Mind) for ''far'' too long]].
* PreFinalBoss:
** King Dedede himself appears as the DiscOneFinalBoss of ''VideoGame/KirbysAdventure'', ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand2'' and ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand3''. In the first game, he turns out to be the DiscOneFinalBoss who actually tried to prevent the ''real'' BigBad, the Nightmare, from corrupting the Fountain of Dreams, while in the latter two games he's the victim of the DemonicPossession via Dark Matter (however, if the player did not [[GottaCatchThemAll collect all pieces]] of the game's respective [[EleventhHourSuperpower final weapons]] (Rainbow Drops in ''2'', Heart Stars in ''3''), he will end up being the game's FinalBoss, with the bad ending playing).
** [[spoiler:In ''Triple Deluxe'' he's fought as Masked Dedede while being controlled by Taranza before Queen Sectonia is fought.]]
* RecurringBossTemplate: Whenever he doesn't appear as a boss (and/or he's playable), there'll usually be another boss made in his likeness, namely [[spoiler:Shadow Dedede, Dedede Clone, King D-Mind, and]] Parallel Dedede.
* RedemptionDemotion:
** Downplayed. As of ''Return to Dream Land'', King Dedede's fully playable self utilizes a modified version of the Hammer Copy Ability, as opposed to any of the attacks he's usually seen using. He does, at least, have a few extra tricks: he can freely spam his Hammer Throw (although the damage is lessened), and in ''Triple Deluxe'' he can launch a slicing beam out of his hammer as a ranged attack to cut ropes.
** Though Star Allies got rid of the beam, wind on his spinning attacks, and the fire for Hammer Twirl, he's even larger than Bonkers and has unique attacks like his FaceFault and (after an update) his super jump from just about every boss battle. Both are completely invincible and can ensure he stays completely unharmed through a long fall, and the slide move gets a surprising amount of distance. If anything, they're ''improved''!
* RobotMe: Mecha Dedede in ''Dream Course'' and Robo Dedede in ''Return to Dream Land's'' Scope Shot minigame. There's also HR-D3 in ''Mass Attack'' [[spoiler:and ''Return to Dream Land's'' Extra Mode, although in the latter, its color scheme more resembles Metal General EX and even has his head instead of Dedede's VSign logo.]] [[spoiler:''Battle Royale'' also has Dededestroyer Z, a mech that Dedede himself drives as the FinalBoss]].
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: While some may question his "King" title from time to time, there's no question that he's quite active when something big happens.
* SelfDuplication: He's cloned himself in ''Kirby Fighters Deluxe''. He can have up to 63 of them depending of how much continues you used and the difficulty level. [[spoiler:''Planet Robobot'' has his clone being able to split into 3 as it takes damage.]]
* ShockAndAwe: In ''Kirby's Pinball Land'' he can fire lightning from his hands to disable one of flippers. [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment It was never explained how he was able to use this attack and he never used it ever since in any other games.]]
* ShockwaveStomp: One of his moves from the very beginning has been a huge leap that ends with stars very forcefully flying from his feet when he lands. A bit of HoistByHisOwnPetard in this case, as Kirby can inhale those and fire them back at Dedede. When the devs need the battle to be harder, though, he also produces ripples of energy, proper shockwaves that can actually hurt Kirby.
* SlideAttack: In addition to the sliding kick that playable characters have, Dedede sometimes kicks off the ground to slide a little further for his FaceFault attack. He slides a fair distance when using it as a playable character, too.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: On occasion, such as the end of the Extra Game in ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand'', his name is spelled "[=DeDeDe=]".
** The blurb on the back of the ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand3'' box has this hilarious nugget:
--> "''With all those friends, two-player simultaneous play and many other helpful surprises, Kirby should have no trouble saving Dream Land again, right? Not if '''Kind Dedede''' has anything to say about it!''"
* SpamAttack:
** [[spoiler:As Masked Dedede's Revenge, one of his moves is just him wildly swinging his axe around multiple times. Shadow Dedede can do the same thing, which lasts longer.]]
** In ''Kirby Fighters Deluxe'' this is one of his new moves he can do after he TurnsRed. [[spoiler:He has the "furious axe swings" move that Masked Dedede's Revenge and Shadow Dedede has, only with his hammer.]] He also moves back and forth as he repeatedly slams his hammer in front of him before leaping up for a massive smash that creates a shockwave. [[spoiler:Dedede Clones, after they split, can do this as well.]]
* SpinAttack: He originally doesn't have one, but he can do it when he's playable. Masked Dedede, [[spoiler:his "Revenge" version in ''Triple Deluxe'', Shadow Dedede]] and Star Rod-Hammer Dedede can do it as well.
* StoutStrength:
** Despite being pudgy, anyone who can swing that hammer with such force has to be strong. ''VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot'' calls him one of the strongest lifeforms on Planet Popstar.
** While a spinoff game, In ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'' during the Subspace Emissary, King Dedede goes toe-to-toe with [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Bowser]], one of (if not the physically strongest) character in the Mario franchise, and King Dedede canonically ''wins''.
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Meat, every cutscene of him eating has at least one instance of him chowing down on CartoonMeat.
* ThrowDownTheBomblet: In ''VideoGame/KirbyMassAttack'' he also throws bombs.
* TrainingFromHell: King Dedede has always been able to mimic Kirby's [[VacuumMouth Inhale]] ability but, according to his trophy description in ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee Melee]]'', intense training between ''Kirby's Dream Land'' and ''Kirby's Adventure'' was what allowed him to learn to fly like Kirby.
* ATwinkleInTheSky: [[spoiler:Happens to him in Kirby Fighters Deluxe and VideoGame/KirbyBattleRoyale, when you land the final blow on him in the former after a fight against Team DDD, and when his Dededestroyer Z's explosion launches him in the latter after you defeat it. Also happens to the Dedede Clones, although they don't simply twinkle - instead they explode in a D-shaped blast each.]]
* VacuumMouth: He's able to inhale things the same way Kirby can, but he's unable to use Copy Abilities because he's [[Videogame/SuperSmashBros "already perfect"]].
* VideogameFlight: Like Kirby, he flies by inflating his stomach and flapping.
* VillainForgotToLevelGrind: [[TookALevelInBadass Averted continuously]] by Dedede. Every time he returns to fight Kirby ([[DemonicPossession and isn't being directly possessed by Dark Matter or some such]]), he ''always'' brings something new to the table. Most notably shown in ''Kirby's Adventure'' after training himself to learn Kirby's techniques, ''Revenge of the King'' with his Masked Dedede state, in ''Kirby Fighters Deluxe'' wherein he empowers himself via the Star Rod, and in ''Kirby's Blowout Blast'' where he becomes gigantic. Played painfully straight in ''Squeak Squad'' where he ends up being the very first boss, but even there he [[FlunkyBoss summons]] [[{{Mook}} Parasol Waddle Dees]] (which Kirby may choose to inhale and shoot back at him, whereas back in ''Adventure'' he didn't do anything of the sort).
* VillainousBreakdown: In the first game, he throws a ''violent'' tantrum upon being defeated in the Normal Mode of the game, leading into the game's Extra Mode. After beating that mode too however, he enters [[DespairEventHorizon a different type of breakdown.]]
* VillainousGlutton: Again, his debut saw him abscond with all the food in the land for his own pleasure. This first impression has effectively colored all of his relations with Kirby since.
* WantsAPrizeForBasicDecency: A possible interpretation of his actions in ''Kirby's Adventure'' (and ''[[VideoGameRemake Nightmare in Dream Land]]''). For having [[spoiler:secured a SealedEvilInACan]], Dedede apparently decided himself entitled to use [[HolyGround the Fountain of Dreams]] as his own personal swimming pool.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Played this part in ''Kirby's Adventure'', as well as the remake Nightmare in Dream Land, where it seems like he was up to standard villainy by stealing the Star Rod from the Fountain of Dreams, but it is later revealed that he had a very ''good'' reason for doing so: [[spoiler:as a horrifically evil entity, aptly named "Nightmare", had contaminated the Fountain of Dreams and threatened to escape out of it; Dedede removing the Star Rod prevented Nightmare from breaking out, at the cost of the people in Dream Land being unable to have restful sleep]].
* WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer: In ''Dededetour'', his hammer abilities are improved so his hammer can solve any puzzle in the game (except for the Hypernova sections). Such as how his Hammer Swing can put out flame blocks or he gains a new ChargedAttack where he launches a "hammer beam" (that works like Archer Kirby's arrow) that cuts ropes.
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: The bio for [[spoiler:Dedede Clone 2.0]] in ''Planet Robobot'' implies that the events of ''Triple Deluxe'' left him with a fear of [[spoiler:"a certain insect"[[note]]For those curious, it's a wasp.[[/note]]]].
* WorthyOpponent: He sees Kirby as this. In ''Revenge of the King'', he even makes sure Kirby is fighting on the same terms as him by refusing to fight until Kirby picks up his old hammer, in the same way Meta Knight does with the sword. Also, in ''Kirby Fighters Deluxe'', when the pause screen description for Team [=DDD64=] has him speak in first person, he sounds rather menacing and inviting at the same time.
* YourSizeMayVary: There's some difference as to how much bigger than Kirby Dedede really is. Classic Dedede is easily twice as tall as Kirby, while from ''Nightmare in Dream Land'' forward his was easily ''three'' times Kirby's height. He was briefly shrunk down to only a fraction taller than Kirby for ''Return to Dream Land'' and ''Triple Deluxe'', while ''Fighters Deluxe'' implicitly reconciled the difference by demonstrating him using the Fountain of Dreams' power to grow.
[[/folder]]
----

* YourSizeMayVary: There's some difference as to how much bigger than Kirby Dedede really is. Classic Dedede is easily twice as tall as Kirby, while from ''Nightmare in Dream Land'' forward his was easily ''three'' times Kirby's height. He was briefly shrunk down to only a fraction taller than Kirby for ''Return to Dream Land'' and ''Triple Deluxe'', while ''Fighters Deluxe'' implicitly reconciled the difference by demonstrating him using the Fountain of Dreams' power to grow.