King Dedede

Smash Attacks

SIDE SMASH

Dedede slowly lifts his huge hammer before swinging it down in front of him.

DOWN SMASH

A spin attack with the hammer down by his feet to hit anyone nearby.

UP SMASH

Dedede whips his hammer around to hit down behind him.

Basic Attacks

Standing Attack

Dedede swings his hammer horizontally then upward before spinning it for rapid strikes into an upward ender.

Forward Tilt

Dedede spins his hammer forward in front of him.

Up Tilt

Dedede hops a little then headbutts your opponent.

Down Tilt

Dedede looks tired as he rolls forward before dropping to the ground for a nap. Repeating this attack will force him to continue to roll or cartwheel over. This allows King Dedede to attack while moving forward.

Dash Attack

Dedede runs toward his opponent and then falls on that opponent, using his size as a weapon!

Edge Attack

Dedede return to the stage and then kicks out toward the opponent.

Air Attacks

Neutral Air Attack

Dedede spreads his limbs, hitting anyone around him.

Up Air Attack

Dedede extends his hammer high up and spins it in an attack.

Down Air Attack

Dedede swings his hammer downward to meteor smash opponents. This hits under the rear half of Dedede’s body.

Forward Air Attack

A downward hammer strike immediately in front of Dedede.

Back Air Attack

An upward hammer strike toward Dedede’s back.

Special Attacks

Inhale (Neutral Special)

King Dedede sucks his opponent into his mouth. He can continue to move and jump around, but he can’t attack or shield. Attacking spits the opponent out as a star, which can be used to attack other opponents.

Gordo Throw (Side Special)

Throw a Gordo at the opponent. Hit up, down, or forward after inputting this attack to change how the Gordo bounces. Only one Gordo may be out at a time. With the right timing, though, opponents can hit the Gordo back!

Super Dedede Jump (Up Special)

A huge jump into the air, followed by a huge splash attack! You can hit Up during the animation to cancel it, but this leaves you in a fall state. The later you cancel it, the worse the landing!

Jet Hammer (Down Special)

King Dedede charges up his hammer before delivering a massive swing. You can walk around and even single jump while charging the hammer. Be careful—if you charge it for too long, it will start dealing damage to King Dedede.

Final Smash

Dedede Burst

King Dedede inhales his opponents into a spinning vortex. He then pummels them with his hammer before lobbing a bomb at them for the final blow, launching everyone in an upward diagonal direction. This does about 46% damage to everyone caught in the vortex. The range on the inhale is about half of Final Destination form.

Strategy

King Dedede is one of the heaviest characters in the game and as such has some extremely heavy-hitting moves. One thing that separates him from other heavyweights is that he has multiple jumps, allowing him a better recovery. Overall he has good range on his attacks, massive damage, a good throw range, and decent aerial mobility for a heavyweight. His Side Smash has a long startup, but it’s one of the hardest-hitting Smash attacks in the game. Even his Dash attack can KO lighter opponents under 100%.

Opponents will be scared of Dedede’s damage and range, so get ready to initiate. Dedede’s Inhale attack has some invincibility when sucking opponents in, so you can use it like a ranged counter. Once you’ve inhaled someone, your best options are to jump off-stage before shooting them out or to shoot them at other opponents. If opponents are just trying to camp you, Dedede has the option of throwing a Gordo at them. Because this can be hit back, it isn’t the best projectile, but you can mix up its timing and set up obstacles with the different variations. This makes Gordo Throw particularly interesting when edge-guarding. The Super Dedede Jump is Dedede’s main recovery tool but only on its way up. On its way down, it does have some super armor, invincibility, and the ability to meteor smash. Finally, his Jet Hammer attack can be charged up to deal ridiculous amounts of damage. While charging, you can still move and jump, so don’t be afraid to let it damage you a little if you’re close to an opponent. This is one instance where Dedede’s heavy weight pays off!

In the air, your Back Aerial attack is your main tool to KO opponents. It’s a little slow, but the KO power makes up for it. Down Air is also good for meteor smashing opponents who are in the air, but you have to be significantly above them to do so. For KOing opponents from the ground, your best bets are Side Smash, Up Smash, Dash Attack, and Up Tilt. Up Tilt has some invincibility that gives it extra versatility. When edge-guarding, Down Tilt and Forward Tilt come in handy, as does Gordo Throw. Take your time, use your throws, and make opponents pay for their mistakes!

Recovery

King Dedede’s main recovery tools are his five jumps and his Super Dedede Jump. Super Dedede Jump can be aimed to go in a left or right parabola with an accurate diagonal input using the Special button. Be sure to land on the stage with this, or King Dedede will self-destruct. If you use it from under a stage like Final Destination, King Dedede pushes his way up and finds the edge. If you’re going to miss the edge while using this attack, you can always hit Up to cancel the fall, but it leaves you in a fall state. With enough space, though, even during a fall state you may be able to float yourself back to an edge. As with all characters possessing multiple jumps, don’t be predictable on your return—move left or right while jumping to confuse your opponents.