Why is King Dedede Bad in Smash Ultimate?
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King Dedede, the self-proclaimed ruler of Dream Land, is a character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate that many players struggle with. While he boasts some unique strengths, a plethora of weaknesses and fundamental flaws keep him near the bottom of the tier lists. He’s often characterized as a character with potential that never quite pans out in practice, earning him a reputation as a “low-tier” or “bad” character. In essence, King Dedede’s primary issues stem from his awful mobility, predictable offense, and susceptibility to combos, which significantly hinder his ability to compete against most of the cast. He is a classic example of a heavyweight character who is burdened with limitations.
Core Issues Plaguing the King
King Dedede’s shortcomings can be broken down into several key areas that severely limit his effectiveness.
Horrendous Mobility
Perhaps the most crippling of Dedede’s flaws is his abysmal mobility. He has the slowest air speed in the game, making him an easy target for aerial juggles and edge-guarding. His ground speed isn’t much better, making it difficult for him to close the distance on opponents or escape unfavorable situations. This lack of mobility is the bedrock of most of his issues, as it makes it hard for him to engage or disengage, putting him at a severe disadvantage.
Vulnerability to Combos
As a heavyweight character, Dedede is intended to be a tank, but his large hurtbox and slow movement also make him a prime target for extended combos. Faster characters can easily take advantage of his sluggish movement and lack of escape options to rack up significant damage. He becomes ‘combo food’ in many matchups, which exacerbates his already poor positioning options.
Predictable Offense
Dedede’s reliance on zoning with Gordos and his hammer attacks makes his offense incredibly predictable. Once opponents understand his patterns, it becomes easy to punish him. While his attacks do have decent range and power, they often come with significant startup and endlag, giving opponents ample time to react and punish. He struggles to open up opponents and lacks the speed or mix-ups to keep opponents guessing.
Slow Frame Data
The slow frame data on many of Dedede’s moves is a significant handicap. This means that many of his moves take a long time to start up, leaving him open to retaliation. Combined with his poor mobility, slow frame data significantly diminishes his ability to trade with opponents, making it easy for faster characters to punish him. His reliance on powerful but slow attacks renders him easily susceptible to superior frame data of other characters.
Lacks a Reliable Kill Throw
Despite being a heavyweight with powerful attacks, Dedede still lacks a kill throw, severely hindering his ability to finish off opponents. While his kill moves are powerful, they are also predictable and risky to land, making it difficult to reliably secure a win.
King Dedede’s Strengths
Despite his numerous weaknesses, King Dedede isn’t entirely devoid of merit. He does possess some unique strengths which, in the right hands, can be leveraged.
Strong Disjointed Hitboxes
Dedede has disjointed hitboxes, particularly on his hammer and Gordos. These give him a long range and make him harder to punish when he initiates attacks. He has a 360 angle of coverage. When used effectively, his disjoints can give him a degree of advantage.
Early Kill Potential
His moves, such as his forward smash and up air, can kill very early, which means that he has kill potential. However, these moves are so slow, they are considered very risky to land.
Zoning with Gordos
Dedede’s Gordos can be effective in controlling space and keeping opponents at bay. However, these projectiles are easy to reflect, and Dedede needs to be in close proximity to them, which further exposes him to attack.
Is King Dedede Worth Playing?
King Dedede presents a unique challenge in Smash Ultimate, he’s a character that requires a high level of patience and mastery to be effective. His significant weaknesses mean he struggles against most of the roster. While his powerful moves and range can feel gratifying when they connect, his overall lack of speed, predictable patterns, and susceptibility to combos, put him at a disadvantage in most matchups.
For players who enjoy a difficult challenge and are willing to invest a lot of time and effort, King Dedede can be a fun character. However, for players looking for consistent success and an easier path to victory, there are much better options on the Smash Ultimate roster. He’s a character that requires dedication, a deep understanding of the game, and a willingness to overcome his shortcomings through skilled play.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is King Dedede the worst character in Smash Ultimate?
While not definitively the worst, King Dedede is widely considered to be a low-tier character, often residing near the bottom of tier lists. His weaknesses, such as poor mobility and susceptibility to combos, are significant enough to make him very challenging to play effectively against skilled opponents.
2. Why is King Dedede so slow in the air?
King Dedede’s slow air speed is a deliberate design choice to reflect his character’s weight and clumsiness. It’s a significant weakness that makes him vulnerable to juggling and offstage edge-guarding, which makes him easily exploitable by most of the cast.
3. How do I deal with King Dedede’s Gordos?
Reflecting Gordos is the most common strategy against Dedede. Most characters can easily reflect his projectiles back at him, turning his zoning tools against him. Additionally, characters with fast movement options can also outmaneuver the Gordos altogether.
4. What are King Dedede’s best kill options?
His forward smash and up air are his most potent kill moves, but they are also very slow and predictable. His down special, the Gordo Toss, can also kill at high percentages, but it is too risky to land on a consistently basis, due to reflect and counter options.
5. Is King Dedede considered a “combo food” character?
Yes, due to his large hurtbox and slow movement, King Dedede is highly susceptible to combos. Fast characters can easily juggle him in the air or chain attacks on the ground, making him a ‘combo food’ in many matchups.
6. How does King Dedede’s size affect him in the game?
King Dedede’s large size is a double-edged sword. It gives his attacks a wider range but also makes him a bigger target, thus a bigger hurtbox. This, coupled with his slow mobility, makes him easy to hit and to combo against.
7. Why is King Dedede’s grab range so good?
King Dedede’s grab range is longer than many other characters, allowing him to catch opponents out of position. This is one of his few strengths, and allows him to shield grab many attacks.
8. Does King Dedede have any true combos?
Dedede doesn’t have many “true” combos, meaning strings that are guaranteed without any interaction or escape options for the opponent. His combos are mostly based on reads and opponent mistakes.
9. Is King Dedede better or worse than Ganondorf in Smash Ultimate?
Both characters are generally considered low-tier, however, most players agree that Ganondorf is generally considered slightly worse than Dedede due to his even greater weaknesses. Both suffer from poor mobility, but Dedede has more range, and better movement options.
10. How can I improve my King Dedede gameplay?
Improving with Dedede requires patience and an understanding of spacing and baiting opponents. Focusing on mastering his disjointed hitboxes, using Gordos strategically, and learning to punish opponent’s errors are key to success.
11. Does King Dedede ever receive any buffs in updates?
King Dedede has received some minor adjustments in past updates, but no significant buffs that have drastically changed his viability. He is constantly buffed in other games, but Smash Ultimate seems to leave the King in the low-tier position.
12. Is King Dedede a popular character in competitive Smash?
King Dedede is not a popular character in competitive play due to his various weaknesses. He is rarely seen in high-level tournaments, and when he is, his win rate is low.
13. Why do many tournaments ban short step chain grabs with Dedede?
The short step chain grab is banned in many tournaments because Dedede’s massive grab range allows him to grab opponents from a much greater distance and more often, while also making it difficult to react and counter. This can often lead to very frustrating gameplay loops, that do not reflect the general way the game is supposed to be played.
14. What are King Dedede’s main advantages?
King Dedede’s main advantages are his disjointed hitboxes, his early kill potential, and his ability to zone with Gordos. His ability to cover a 360 degree angle when attacking is also notable.
15. Is King Dedede a good character for beginners?
King Dedede is not recommended for beginners due to his complex playstyle. His slow speed and reliance on specific spacing makes him a challenging character to learn, requiring a high degree of patience. There are many simpler characters with fewer weaknesses that are more suitable for beginners.