King Dedede (SSBU): Difference between revisions

|tier = D+

|ranking = 80

King Dedede's voice-clips from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'', where he was voiced by series' creator [[Masahiro Sakurai]], have been repurposed for ''Ultimate''.

King Dedede is ranked 80th out of 82 on the current ''Ultimate'' [[tier list]], placing at the bottom of D+ tier. Despite Dedede's numerous buffs, this is similar to his exceptionally low ranking in ''Smash 4'' at 51st out of 54. King Dedede has some of the best endurance out of all fighters on the roster. Dedede is tied with {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}} as the [[weight|third-heaviest]] character in the game and has one of the best vertical recoveries due to [[Super Dedede Jump]], allowing him to survive to extremely high percents. Dedede's primary strengths lie in his hammer and deadly [[Ledgetrapping|ledge traps]]. King Dedede's hammer provides him with large, [[disjointed hitbox]]es on most of his moveset, making him one of the few super heavyweights that can reliably [[Spacing|space]] his opponent. Dedede's hammer can also be quite powerful, as he boasts some of the strongest [[smash attack]]s and [[aerial]]s in ''Ultimate''. Furthermore, Dedede's [[Gordo Throw]], combined with his various [[Tilt attack|tilts]] and smash attacks, can make Dedede one of the most intimidating characters on the [[ledge]]. King Dedede's moves were largely buffed in power, frame data, and [[combo]] ability in their transition to ''Ultimate''. The most significant improvement to Dedede's overall moveset is that {{b|Inhale|King Dedede}} now serves as a reflector, allowing Dedede to better fight against [[Camping|projectile camping]]. Inhale can also be used in conjunction with his [[Gordo]]s, giving him another method to use his sole [[projectile]] against his opponent.

However, King Dedede has severe flaws that overshadow most of his strengths, especially when in disadvantage. Dedede's awful mobility is the source of several of his problems, with him especially struggling in the air thanks to possessing the slowest [[air speed]] in the game. Despite its improvements, it is still a challenge for him to [[approach]] or retreat from his opponent. Like several super heavyweights, King Dedede has a large hurtbox and a few evasive options, making him extremely susceptible to combos and [[juggling]]. While this can be somewhat dealt with through Dedede's incredibly quick [[falling speed]], his super-heavyweight attributes only compound the issues his sluggishness presents. Dedede's atrocious air speed in combination with his fast falling speed leave him extremely vulnerable offstage, making it troublesome for Dedede to get back to stage safely. In addition, the slow frame-data associated with Dedede's moveset make a majority of his moveset very committal. Dedede's [[special move]]s all leave him open to punishment. Inhale and [[Jet Hammer]], despite their newfound utility, still have slow ending lag. Dedede has to be careful when using Gordo Throw, as Gordos can be reflected back by the opponent by dealing at least 2% on it, causing significant damage. Super Dedede Jump is best useful if Dedede can connect with the ledge, as the move has exceptionally high ending lag on stage. All of this leads to Dedede having a surprisingly hard time taking off [[Stock|stocks]], as his powerful finishers are unsafe, and his deadly set-ups are difficult to establish in [[Neutral game|neutral]].  

King Dedede's sheer amount of problems have left him with negative competitive reception. While Dedede was initially viewed as an upper mid tier, his weaknesses only became more apparent as the metagame progressed. Dedede also received notable nerfs to his Gordo hitboxes and [[shield break]] set-ups in subsequent [[List of updates (SSBU)|balance patches]], lowering his competitive standing even further. Though players such as [[Smasher:Atomsk|Atomsk]] and [[Smasher:ZAKI|ZAKI]] have seen some success with the character, many of Dedede's early mains have either dropped him or relegated him to a [[secondary]]. As such, King Dedede is seen as largely unviable.

King Dedede is tied for the third heaviest character in the game alongside {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}}, making him a [[Weight|super heavyweight]]. King Dedede shares some typical attributes with other heavyweights, such as a high damage output, high KO potential, great endurance, quick [[Falling speed|falling]] and [[fast fall]]ing speeds (both tied for second and third fastest respectively), overall sluggish mobility, large size and a high susceptibility to combos. In addition to having an average initial dash and the thirtieth highest [[gravity]], he has the 28th slowest [[Walk|walking speed]], eleventh slowest [[Dash|dashing speed]], the slowest [[air speed]] in the game, and the fourth slowest [[air acceleration]]. To counteract these flaws, however, King Dedede is gifted with four [[Double jump|midair jump]]s.

|neutraldesc=A pair of hammer swings, followed by thrusting his hammer forward while twirling its head, followed by an upward swing. Unlike most neutral infinites, its finisher launches opponents at a nearly vertical trajectory and has KO potential, as it KOs around 150% without rage. It is much faster than it was in ''SSB4'' and connects more reliably.

|edgedesc=Performs a kick while climbing up.

|ssdesc=Hits a bouncing {{iw|wikirby|Gordo}} with his hammer. Its trajectory can be angled upward, forward, or downward, which can be used for [[mindgames]]. By extension, his throws can be used to launch the opponent toward a previously thrown Gordo. The Gordos disappear after almost 3 seconds. An upward-angled Gordo can be used to deny most options at the ledge or even all when combined with an attack. Gordo can also stick to any surface that allows [[wall jump]]ing, and is much more consistent than it was in ''SSB4''. They can also be reflected by any attack dealing at least 2%. Of note is that Dedede can hit opponents with the hammer swing used to serve the Gordo, potentially leading into a hit by both the hammer and Gordo for a considerable amount of damage. Dedede can also Inhale his own Gordo and spit it out at a considerable speed, or re-catch the Gordo and throw it back, though unless it has been Inhaled before hand, this can be done only up to three times.

*{{Sm|ZAKI|Japan}} - The best King Dedede player in the world. His best performance to date is 2nd at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 2}} where he defeated {{Sm|Sigma}} and {{Sm|Gackt}}. He has placed top 8 at multiple other Japanese tournaments such as 5th at {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 4}} where he beat {{Sm|HIKARU}} and {{Sm|Kome}}, as well as other Sumabatos such as {{Trn|Sumabato SP 19}}, {{Trn|Sumabato SP 26}}, and {{Trn|Sumabato SP 30}}. He also holds the highest solo King Dedede placements at supermajors such as 25th at {{Trn|Umebura Japan Major 2019}} and 33rd {{Trn|EVO 2019}}. Currently ranked 38th on the [[Experimental Smash Player Rankings]].