King Dedede
'Kirby' character
File:KingDedede200px.jpg
King Dedede as he appears in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
First gameKirby's Dream Land (1992)
Created byMasahiro Sakurai

King Dedede (Japanese: デデデ大王, Hepburn: Dedede Daiō) is a fictional character and the primary antagonist in Nintendo's Kirby video game series created by Masahiro Sakurai and developed by HAL Laboratory. Dedede first appeared in the 1992 video game Kirby's Dream Land as the main villain. He returned for all other games of the series except Kirby & the Amazing Mirror (2004) and Kirby and the Rainbow Curse (2015), also appearing in several Kirby comic books, in the 2001 anime series and in the Super Smash Bros. series, more specifically Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.

King Dedede is the self-proclaimed king of Dream Land and the "arch-frenemy" of Kirby.[1] Although Dedede is typically a major antagonist of the Kirby series, his moral character has been debated by video game critics; this is courtesy of his goals being driven by greed and selfishness rather than outright maliciousness, as well as demonstrating traits of camaraderie alongside Kirby in regards to either serious threats (such as in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards), or easy-going moments (such as in the minigames where Dedede is featured as a playable character), as well as many of his roles as the antagonist actually being the result of another enemy controlling him (such as in Kirby's Dream Land 2 and Kirby's Dream Land 3).

Characteristics

King Dedede is a large, portly bird[2] that dresses in red and white royal finery with his personal emblem, a stylized version of his hand striking the V sign, embossed on the back of his robe. He also wears yellow mitten-like gloves, a red and yellow zigzag-patterned sash, and wields a giant wooden mallet as his signature weapon. Some games depict the mallet having features built into it to increase its power and versatility, including a jet engine, precision bearings and, in Kirby: Triple Deluxe, a chargeable laser cannon used for shooting at targets from afar.

Like Kirby, King Dedede is able to inhale objects and spit them out with tremendous force, as well as breathe in huge amounts of air at once to hover and/or fly.[3] Although King Dedede is considered a major antagonist of the series, critics have noted that he does not fully fit the profile of a villain, owing to his tendency to be merely greedy and selfish instead of definitively evil.[3][4] Incidentally, King Dedede even helps and/or fights alongside Kirby in some situations, and has been shown to compete with him in events, such as speed-eating contests and minigames.[5][6]

Appearances

In the Kirby video game series

King Dedede is introduced to the series as the main antagonist of the game Kirby's Dream Land (1992),[7] in which he steals Dream Land's food supply, prompting Kirby to travel to his castle and confront him.[6] In Kirby's Adventure (1993), King Dedede breaks the Star Rod, the source of all dreams, into several pieces, preventing the inhabitants of Dream Land from having dreams. Kirby defeats King Dedede, but unbeknownst to Kirby, he is only the penultimate boss, and broke the Star Rod in order to keep Nightmare sealed in the Fountain of Dreams. As a result, Dedede briefly assists Kirby in defeating Nightmare and stopping his plot against Dream Land.[6][8] In Kirby's Dream Land 2 (1995), King Dedede appears as the penultimate boss, and fights while being possessed by a spirit-like entity known as Dark Matter, the game's true final boss.[9] In Kirby Super Star (1996), Dedede appears in the "Spring Breeze", "Gourmet Race", and "Samurai Kirby" minigames, as well as in the "Arena" minigame where he is fought alongside the rest of the game's bosses.[10][11][12][13] Dedede is possessed by Dark Matter again in Kirby's Dream Land 3 (1997) to fight against Kirby as the game's penultimate boss.[14]

King Dedede plays the role of a protagonist in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (2000), helping Kirby in certain areas after Kirby once again saves him from possession by Dark Matter.[15] Additionally, King Dedede is a playable character in the game's three minigames.[16] Images of the game's beta show that Dedede was originally a playable character all throughout the game.[17] In Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble (2001), Dedede steals all of the stars from the sky for himself and Kirby needs to fight him to get them back.[18][19] In Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land (2002), a remake of Kirby's Adventure, he plays the same role as in the original game.[20][21] After his absence from Kirby and the Amazing Mirror (2004), King Dedede appears in Kirby Squeak Squad (2007) and is identical to his appearance in previous games, with the exception of a new ability to summon Parasol Waddle Dees. Unlike previous games, he is the first boss of the game, and he can easily be defeated by the Ice ability, which is supplied outside of his room.[22]

King Dedede appears in Kirby's Return to Dream Land (2011) as one of the four playable protagonists, alongside Kirby, Meta Knight, and Waddle Dee,[23] and as playable character in multi-player mode.[5] Kirby: Triple Deluxe (2014) features a rhythm-based platforming mode, "Dedede's Drum Dash", in which Dedede is playable.[24][25] Also, when the Story Mode is completed, the "Dededetour" sub-game is unlocked, allowing players to play through the game as King Dedede. Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe, an enhanced, standalone version of "Dedede's Drum Dash" released on the Nintendo eShop, marks the debut of King Dedede starring in his own game.[26]

King Dedede also appears in several spin-off games in the series. He appears as the final boss in Kirby's Pinball Land (1993).[27] In Kirby's Avalanche (1995), Dedede appears as the final opponent.[28] He appears as the single boss in Kirby's Dream Course (1995), along with a robotic version of himself.[29] In Kirby's Block Ball (1996), he is a hidden final boss.[30] In Kirby's Star Stacker (1997), Dedede appears to antagonize Kirby during the "Round Clear" sub-game, in which Kirby has to completely deplete his hit points in order to move on to the next stage.[31] Additionally, there was a version of the game released only in Japan in 1998 which featured him as the final boss in a short story mode.[32] He is an unlockable character in Kirby Air Ride (2003) and Kirby Canvas Curse (2005).[33][34] King Dedede is a boss in Kirby's Epic Yarn (2010) and Kirby Mass Attack (2011).[35][36] Although he is absent from the main story, King Dedede appears in Kirby and the Rainbow Curse (2015) as a collectible figurine.[37] The game is also compatible with the King Dedede Amiibo, which Kirby can use for a temporary increase in health.[38]

Other appearances

King Dedede has made several appearances outside of the Kirby video game series. He is featured in every Kirby manga adaptation; the first one was written by Yoshiko Sakuma, and published by Shogakukan originally in 1992,[39] and the most recently is a 2012 Yuki Kawakami manga by Shogakukan, Hoshi no Kirby: Pack to Daibaku Show.[40] Dedede is a main character in the 2001–2003 anime Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, in which he is the ruler of Dream Land who tries to defeat Kirby at any cost, usually by ordering monsters from Nightmare Enterprises.[41] Dedede has also been featured in the Super Smash Bros. video game series. While originally planned for inclusion in the first installment of the series and its sequel, he did not appear as a playable character until 2008's Super Smash Bros. Brawl. He made a return appearance as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.[42]

Reception

After his first appearance in Kirby's Dream Land, King Dedede has received generally positive reception. GamesRadar included Dedede on their list of "9 video game 'bad guys' who aren't really bad at all", noting "he actually only committed the 'crime' because he knew that a nightmare had infested the fountain and wanted to stop it from infiltrating the dreams of the country's citizens through the power of the rod."[4] Although Dedede "has historically been the pink puffball's major nemesis",[43] Complex stated his popularity was eventually surpassed by Meta Knight.[44]

In 2007, IGN correctly speculated that King Dedede could appear in a subsequent Super Smash Bros. game, since he "is the classic recurring villain of the Kirby franchise", and his creator, Masahiro Sakurai, is also the game director.[45] UGO Networks remarked that he is "cool" because "he's a hammer-wielding, glove-wearing evil penguin."[46] They also listed the fight against King Dedede in Kirby's Dream Land as the seventh hardest boss battle in video games in their "Top 50".[47] King Dedede has been cited by Yahoo! Voices as one of the top five characters in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.[48]

References

  1. ^ "King Dedede amiibo Figure - Super Smash Bros". Nintendo. Every hero needs an arch frenemy, and King Dedede is Kirby's!
  2. ^ "Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards Prima Guide, page 21".
  3. ^ a b "Profile: King Dedede". IGN. Ziff Davis Media. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  4. ^ a b Houghton, David (July 18, 2013). "9 video game 'bad guys' who aren't really bad at all". GamesRadar. Future plc. Retrieved July 22, 2013.
  5. ^ a b Hernandez, Pedro (October 23, 2011). "Kirby's Return to Dream Land". Nintendo World Report. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  6. ^ a b c Turnquist, Mel (July 29, 2011). "Is King Dedede Really a Villain?". Nintendojo. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  7. ^ Oxford, Nadia. "Complete History of Kirby". 1UP.com. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on May 14, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2013. ((cite web)): Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ "Kirby's Adventure - Overview". Allgame. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  9. ^ "Kirby's Dream Land 2 - Instruction Booklet". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on January 13, 2007. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  10. ^ "Kirby Super Star - Spring Breeze". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on May 10, 2006. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  11. ^ "Kirby Super Star - Bosses". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on March 10, 2009. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  12. ^ "Kirby Super Star - Gourmet Race". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on February 24, 2009. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  13. ^ "Kirby Super Star - Samurai Kirby". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on March 4, 2009. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  14. ^ "Kirby's Dream Land 3 - Bosses". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on January 1, 2009. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  15. ^ "Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards - Friends and Helpers". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on October 10, 2007. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  16. ^ "Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards - Mini-Games". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on October 10, 2007. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  17. ^ "Strategy - Kirby 64". Kirby's Cloud. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  18. ^ "Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on January 1, 2009. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  19. ^ "Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble - Story". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on January 1, 2009. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  20. ^ "Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on December 30, 2008. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  21. ^ "Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land Review for Game Boy Advance". Gaming Age. Archived from the original on November 6, 2005. Retrieved January 12, 2014. ((cite web)): Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ "Kirby: Squeak Squad - Bosses". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on March 22, 2009. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  23. ^ George, Richard (October 24, 2011). "Kirby's Return to Dream Land Review". IGN. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  24. ^ "Video: 'Kirby — Triple Deluxe' full-length game play trailer". Digital Journal. December 28, 2013. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  25. ^ MacDonald, Keza (December 28, 2013). "Everything That Happened in Nintendo Direct, December 18". IGN. Ziff Davis Media. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  26. ^ http://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/4-3A4VrNCWjUJzpZADqcvarJ6SegqctM
  27. ^ "Kirby's Pinball Land". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on April 22, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  28. ^ "Kirby's Avalanche - Bosses". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on February 14, 2008. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  29. ^ "Kirby's Dream Course - Boss". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on February 2, 2009. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  30. ^ "Kirby's Block Ball - Bosses". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on April 27, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  31. ^ "Kirby's Star Stacker - Round Clear Guide". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on May 10, 2006. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  32. ^ "Kirby No Kirakira Kizzu - Story Mode Guide". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on March 3, 2009. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  33. ^ "Kirby Air Ride Cheats". GameRevolution. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  34. ^ "Kirby: Canvas Curse". Cheat Code Central. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  35. ^ Good-Feel, HAL Laboratory (2010). Kirby's Epic Yarn (Nintendo Wii). Nintendo. Level/area: Snow Land.
  36. ^ Drake, Audrey (August 11, 2011). "King Dedede Kicks Kirby's Butt". IGN. Ziff Davis Media. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
  37. ^ "Walkthrough All Figurines (Complete Collection) for Kirby And The Rainbow Curse". ChapterCheats. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  38. ^ "タッチ!カービィスーパーレインボー：使えるａｍｉｉｂｏはこの3体!デデデ" [Touch! Kirby Super Rainbow: These 3 amiibo Forms Are Useful! Dedede]. nintendo.co.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved December 26, 2014. ((cite web)): Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  39. ^ Sakuma, Yoshiko (1992). 星のカービィ [Hoshi no Kirby]. Shōgakuninensei (in Japanese). Shogakukan.
  40. ^ 星のカービィ　パクッと大爆ショー!! [Hoshi no Kirby: Pack to Daibaku Show]. Kokoro Ichiban! (in Japanese). Shogakukan. 2012.
  41. ^ 星のカービィ/デデデ大王 (in Japanese). Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  42. ^ Bogos, Steven (January 10, 2014). "King Dedede Confirmed For Super Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS". The Escapist Magazine. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  43. ^ Watts, Steve (October 25, 2007). "King Dedede Joins the Brawl". 1UP.com. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on January 13, 2014. Retrieved July 26, 2013. ((cite web)): Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  44. ^ Anyanwu, Obi (January 2, 2013). "25 Video Game Characters That Deserve a Spinoff". Complex. Retrieved July 26, 2013.
  45. ^ Thomas, Lucas M. (June 29, 2007). "Smash It Up! - Volume 2". IGN. Ziff Davis Media. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  46. ^ "King Dedede — Super Smash Bros. Brawl Characters". UGO Networks. IGN Entertainment. February 12, 2008. Archived from the original on January 13, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2013. ((cite web)): Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  47. ^ Littler, Chris (August 27, 2010). "Top 50 Hardest Boss Battles". UGO Networks. p. 3. Archived from the original on September 2, 2012. Retrieved May 6, 2013. ((cite web)): Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  48. ^ "Super Smash Bros. Brawl: Advanced Strategy for Kirby and King Dedede". Yahoo! Voices. Archived from the original on July 29, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2013. ((cite web)): Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
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