A HISTORY OF KING DEDEDE! A Kirby Series Character Analysis

Don't worry, I didn't forget about this! The self-proclaimed ruler of Dream Land has appeared in almost as many games as Kirby himself, but how has his character fared over the years? Is he still the greedy king he was introduced as, or has evolved into a true star warrior? Let's take a look and see if Dedede really deserves his title as king!

Thank you for watching!

Intro (0:00)
Kirby's Dream Land (1992) (0:56)
Kirby's Adventure (1993) (2:26)
Kirby's Dream Land 2 & 3 (1995 & 1997) (4:43)
Kirby Super Star (1996) (5:46)
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (2000) (6:51)
Kirby Squeak Squad (2006) (8:53)
Kirby Super Star Ultra (2008) (10:58)
Kirby's Return to Dream Land (2010) (14:44)
Kirby Triple Deluxe (2014) (16:11)
Kirby Planet Robobot (2016) (20:28)
Kirby Star Allies (2018) (22:02)
Who is King Dedede? (24:45)

[nickstone]

I like Dedede. But not as much as I like you, Silvery.

[LegethDrn]

Dedede went from "Haha hungry hammer bird" to "If you can't beat them, join them"

[Lt_Gonzo]

There actually is an explanation for his motives in Kirby 64! According to the Japanese character descriptions, Dedede at first didn't want to face Kirby after losing to him again, but then decided to go with them anyway because he didn't want them going on their own! It's kind of sweet, really

[napkin.]

I just love how Dedede completely abandons the concept of being a villain, and whenever he IS a boss- he's simply possessed. The poor king needs a break from all of those hell demons

[dabluepittoo-aqua]

OK, but can't we just appreciate how Dedede gives Kirby a little headpat after hitting him out of Sectonia's vines, checking if he's OK?

Dedede is truly perfection

[unikorn]

It’s so funny how adorable and charming a big blue penguin with a mallet can be

[treechops]

I like the idea that dedede this entire time has just been having his own adventures in the background. Like in prison gods and tracking down evil wizards. While Kirby is just napping or something

[thatrandomredengine]

I love Dedede in Forgotten Land, the moment he went back to save a single waddle Dee and risk death, is a total chad moment!

[rusticdebris]

One small detail that I love is that in Dedede's battle in Revenge of the King, the only person in the stands is Bandana Dee.
In your previous fight, the stands were filled to the brim with people wanting to watch the fight. Hell, even some Mario characters show up. But this time? The only person Dedede wants to see this battle is the person who (At the time, and probably still) he trusts most, his second in command. It's not about glory, it's personal.

[needen]

Dedede is my favorite Nintendo rival to a protagonist, and honestly, he really is a well-rounded character.
I hope he shows up in more games with his interesting charm.

[MistDemon]

King Dedede update: In Kirby and the forgotten land, he tries to look for Kirby initially, but gets brainwashed again. However when he stops being controlled he saves a random waddle dee and chooses to stay behind to fend off a wave of enemies. After the main story it is revealed that despite being beaten up by Kirby, he was able to defeat the wave and escape. If he is this caring to the waddle dees when it really matters, then it is no wonder a lot of them are loyal.

[Moss_Dude]

"However, chef Kawasaki also appears in his own sub game... Samurai Kirby. YOU BI-"

[PotatoPatatoVonSpudsworth]

He's a penguin who taught himself to fly, purely to spite Kirby. I love this big lug!

[kirbo]

Dedede is legitimately one of my fav nintendo rivals bc you can really sense the rivalry between him and Kirby and can tell there’s a respect there

[klu]

A very great analysis! I agree with most of your points regarding Dedede's development. But I wouldn't say his Star Allies pause-screen is entirely without new information. Even though it mostly states his previous development, it does feature one notable difference from his past descriptions. He isn't mentioned as "self-proclaimed king" but rather as "self-made king". I think it's pretty important, as it shows that people of Dream Land actually came to accept him as such and he himself accepted the responsibility of being a king instead of just using it as an excuse to do whatever he wants.
Also regarding Bandana Dee video... There's always Kirby Battle Royale. ;)

[SpScarletSpider]

I think the best lore bit I remember reading about Dedede is that the reason why the Waddle Dees respect him so much as a king is because he actually takes the time to get to know them and plays games with them.

[usinklee]

I think the Super Smash Bros. Brawl cutscene that shows Dedede hugging Kirby in a sweet embrace after a long time apart pretty much confirms they are good friends now

[PyroGothNerd]

Actually, Dedede DID try to explain why he broke the star rod, acording to the game manual. Kirby refused to listen to his "excuses" and ran off.

[castform]

Dedede is by far, hands down my favourite character ever. There might be better, more fleshed out characters out there but Dedede will always be special to me. He's subtley grown over the years from a glutonous prick to a respectable monarch and lovable goof. He may not be the greatest at times, but the point is he tries. I just loved his bond with Meta Knight in KF2 and his close knit with Bandana Dee. It's so nice to see. I hope he keeps clobberin along, even if he get possessed for the billionth time (I know the clobber thing doesn't make sense but I was getting a Right Back at Ya reference in here somewhere.)

P.S don't worry. Star Allies disappointed me too.

[PaintraSeaPea]

i think theres definitely enough to analyze about bandana waddle dee. his history is not as extensive as dedede's, but i still think theres something worth taking a look at there. something that jumps out to me as interesting is his shift from being dedede's second-in-command to more of a best friend character to kirby. you would definitely want to look at spinoffs and outside material for that one, like the apple juice song. maybe also throwing in a little look at waddle dees in general to add a little fluff to it, since they have been a mainstay since the beginning.