The latest trailer forKirby and the Forgotten Landsheds a lot of light on the game. Not only did fans learn about upgrades for Kirby’s copy abilities and the new “Mouthful Mode” mechanic, the trailer also offered glimpses at a couple ofKirby and the Forgotten Land’s bosses which hadn’t been seen before. It seems that the newestKirbygame will pit players against all kinds of oversized animals who pledge their allegiance to the Beast Pack and work to capture the Waddle Dees. Perhaps most importantly, however, the newForgotten Landtrailer may have revealed what role King Dedede plays.
King Dedede is a longtime rival of Kirby and generally a central character in the franchise, so it’s not surprising that he’s inKirby and the Forgotten Land.Notably though, he seems to be taking a villainous role in the new game, even though he’s often beenan ally to Kirby in recent games. Based on his appearance in the new trailer, Dedede may be working with the Beast Pack inKirby and the Forgotten Land,but it’s possible that he’s doing so against his will. Dedede has played a false villain many times inKirbyhistory, and it looks like he might do so again.
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King Dedede’s History of Villainy
Inthe latestForgotten Landtrailer, Dedede can be spotted with his back turned, wearing a heavy fur coat alongside some Beast Pack minions. His logo can be seen on the back of the coat, and his hat becomes visible as he starts to turn. Viewers don’t get a very good look at him, but based on details and proportions, it’s clearly Dedede. The implication, therefore, is that he’ll be a major antagonist inForgotten Land, possibly even putting up a fight as one of the game’s bosses. That’s not particularly strange, sinceKirbyplayers have been duking it out with Dedede since the beginning of the franchise.
While King Dedede was the main antagonist of the originalKirby’s Dream Land,he’s served as a red herring or only a minor villain in a lot of games since. Sometimes Kirby misunderstands Dedede’s intentions, like inKirby’s Adventurewhere Dedede breaks the Star Rod to protect Dream Land’s citizens. In other games, he falls under the control of a greater villain, like when Dark Matter takes control of him inKirby 64: The Crystal Shards.It’s possible that the latter fate has befallen Dedede inKirby and the Forgotten Land,with the Beast Pack finding some way to take control.
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King Dedede’s Potential Role
King Dedede doesn’t have any clear reason tohelp the Beast Pack kidnap Waddle Dees, since Waddle Dees are usually on his side. While it’s possible that the Beast Pack has played to Dedede’s greed and gluttony by bribing him, it seems more likely that some greater threat has taken control of Dedede and turned him into an asset of the Beast Pack. He’s been a friend to Kirby in recent games, so it’s hard to imagine Dedede willfully betraying Kirby at this point.
Although Nintendo has revealed a lot of information aboutKirby and the Forgotten Land’s mechanics, the game’s overarching plot is largely a mystery. Nintendo hasn’t revealed what the Beast Pack aims to achieve by capturing Waddle Dees, nor has it revealedthe true roles of Elfilin and Meta Knight. For a while, it wasn’t clear if King Dedede would be inForgotten Landat all, but now it’s clear that he has some major part to play - likely as a temporary antagonist. It should be interesting to see howKirbyand the Forgotten Landputs a twist on Dedede’s role.
Kirby and the Forgotten Landreleases June 20, 2025 for Nintendo Switch.
