10Smash Ultimate has its fair share of one trick ponies. It basically has to, given the incomparable size of the game’s roster. Suffice it to say, a lot of fighters fall into a couple of basic categories. There are up close and personal types that like to mix things up with flashy combos. You have your ranged fighters that don’t like to battle up close. And you have your big, slow bruisers that can’t recover well. But a few entrants in Smash Ultimate mix some of those basic buckets together…
Smash Ultimate sports 74 different playable characters at launch — including every single previous character from the super-franchise and a bunch of fresh faces. That’s not even including the glut of DLC fighters, assist trophies, and more. There’s so much that no one person could possibly keep track of everything. That’s why we’ve compiled a guide to every single character.
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This time we’re looking at King Dedede: Kirby’s longtime frenemy and rival. The royal penguin has most of what you’d expect. He’s still got a great big hammer. His air recovery is also very reminiscent of Kirby’s, which seems appropriate for the series, and makes him a surprisingly “safe” bruiser within the Smash Ultimate roster.
According to the official Nintendo description of King Dedede…
He’s not very fast, but he’s one of few heavyweight fighters with great recovery. Apparently, a defeat by Kirby inspired him to train hard to learn a move called Hovering, which allows him to float after taking a deep breath.
King Dedede Moves
Inhale (B) – Inhales opponents and spits them out as stars.
Gordo Throw (Side + B) – Throws a Gordo. The Gordo can be hit back if attacked by an opponent with the right timing.
Super Dedede Jump (Up + B) – Jumps up high and then crashes downward. Can be canceled by tilting up.
Jet Hammer (Down + B) – Charges up his hammer for a mighty blow. Can move while charging but takes damage if charged too long.
Dede-rush (Final Smash) – Dedede slams an opponent into a chain-link cage with him hammer before unleashing missiles. He then transforms into Masked Dedede and launches the opponent. If you miss the first swing, the move doesn’t activate.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
The big boy from the Kirby series packs a mean wallop in Ultimate, receiving some nice buffs to most of his arsenal. King Dedede’s neutral game is more potent, his throws are more powerful, and his Jet Hammer can shatter the opponent’s shield. Dedede is all about the offense, a veritable juggernaut of a big blue boy.
Weaknesses
He is still a bit slower, and while his recovery is solid, he’s got some wind-up on his moves. Faster fighters might give you trouble, so don’t let the speedsters rush you down and be careful to not leave too many openings for foes to turn the tables on you after a big whiff.
King Dedede Outfits
King Dedede isn’t a total palette swap character, but he’s darn close. Most of his costumes just change his clothing colors. A few of them also alter the pattern on his belt. The real standout among the King Dedede costumes, though, is his monochromatic skin. It seems like a clear reference to his look in the Kirby’s Dream Land series for Game Boy — which featured the first appearances of both the pink puffball and Dedede himself.
All of our Smash Ultimate guides created with the help of Eric Van Allen.
