The Beginner’s Guide to Training the King Dedede amiibo in Smash Ultimate

Welcome to Amiibo Doctor! In addition to training this amiibo, we also have the most cutting-edge guides for nearly every amiibo in the competitive amiibo scene’s many Discord servers. You should also reference our Raid Boss amiibo guides, and if you’re having trouble winning in competitive amiibo, check the official amiibo tier list! Happy training!

by Dreamy Jay, Guest Contributor

Dreamy Jay might not have the greatest Palutena, Duck Hunt, Kirby or Lucina. But one things for sure, the best Dedede is his trusty Mr. Mallet. He won PAL (Professional Amiibo League) with MANY wins and barely any loses. And Mr. Mallet’s journey is just beginning as we speak…

You can show your support for Amiibo Doctor by purchasing a King Dedede amiibo through this Amazon Affiliate link! Thank you for keeping interest in amiibo alive.

A.I. Issues

If handled poorly, Dedede’s AI flaws can overtake his battles and be an extreme risk to his victory. Once spotted during a match, it’s important to reset the match before it’s saved. If it is saved, reset Dedede.

The first AI flaw is Up B on stage. As long as he doesn’t hit you, it’ll go away. Keep in mind there’s a big difference between this and missing the ledge.

Gordo also has an AI flaw that has been discovered recently. If you’re not close enough to the ledge (or use/get hit by Gordo on stage), Dedede will start to use Gordo on stage. More on this in Overall Playstyle.

The last one is the most important since Dedede must be grounded at almost all times. Don’t let the amiibo hit you while he’s off stage. That’ll make Dedede eventually brave enough to go off stage, but we want to avoid that. You can reduce it by SD’ing off stage if he ever chases you when you’re off stage, but I’d just reset if he does it consistently.

Overall Playstyle

Dedede much like all penguins doesn’t belong in the sky. Simple as that. However. Dedede is a special penguin. Although he must be grounded, he can still throw aerials on stage. Especially Up Air which is his best move when it comes to aerial attacks. Back Air and a little of Forward Air are also good options (don’t worry if Dedede uses F-Air too much). However. Due to frequent updates on the Dedede amiibo, you may need to stick to grounded moves more as aerial moves tend to lead to off-stage play. Repetition on aerials is your worst enemy. When doing repetition for grounded attacks it’s much better.

Now for the most important part of the lesson; Forward Tilt. Not Forward Smash. It is too important to leave out. It’s quick, it can reach for, and most of Dedede’s quickest moves like Down/Up Tilt (Which should be still used) can’t compete. When it comes to Forward Smash it’s the exact opposite. It can spark up massive damage, but in return, you get a sluggish attack that leaves you open to other attacks. Anyway since we’re on the topic, I’d like to mention Dedede’s slower moves. Down/Up Smash is by far Dedede’s best KO Options, although it should be used sparingly. And now…

Gordos. The projectile that’s so great it doesn’t need an introduction. Its genius design helps you understand “what goes around comes around”. If you mistreat the Gordo, you’ll pay for your actions. The same is said in amiibo. Earlier said in A.I. Issues, “If you’re not close enough to the ledge (or use/get hit by Gordo on stage), Dedede will start to use Gordo on stage.” If he ever shows signs of using too much Gordo due to this, don’t save the match. Reset the match. And try again. There are 3 main Gordo shots. UpShot (Barrier Shot), Forward Shot (Straight Shot), and Down Shot (Lob Shot). You need Dedede to use at least 2 of these shots while he still doesn’t hit you when he’s off stage (especially the Barrier Shot).

This will be hard no doubt. But Dedede must be treated like a fine wine. Aging like one too. That’s where you come in. You have to keep training and perfecting Dedede, seeing what he needs while avoiding mistakes. Does he need more Forward Tilt? They use more Forward Tilt but don’t forget about Down Smash. Does he use Gordo enough? Test him against another amiibo to see so. If not then use multiple Gordo shots to help him. You. Have to. Make him. Unstoppable.

How to Train King Dedede

This training method might seem a bit… Simple? That’s how I can describe it, although it has many benefits for Dedede and other Amiibo with long ranged attacks. I tried this against my Dedede Amiibo and saw good progress after a while.

This method is called the “Wait… Attack!” method. How it works is easy, when close to Dedede it’s important to keep your shield up before his attack (Assuming you used a lot of Forward Tilt recently). After your shield blocks the attack, you punish with Forward Tilt and this could either lead into combos or you start the process over when Dedede gets up. Now something this simple couldn’t possibly be taken this seriously, right? Trust me, it has its benefits.

Other notes:

• Use Down Tilt sparingly.
• Even though I said Forward Smash is not good, it’s ok to use once.
• Jet Hammer is fine.
• Inhale never.

Why It Works

The method above that was discussed might be simple, but save your critiques for after this section. First off, Dedede’s Forward Tilt has such a long range that it can punish rolls given practice, and it’s super quick too. This also gives your Dedede Amiibo a boost as well, he’ll react much quicker and use that specific tool given to him. One of the best outcomes is Dedede develops a higher awareness during “Wait… Attack!” All of this will lead him to fight better in battle and become a great Dedede Amiibo although it may take some time.