Bandana Waddle Dee

Bandana Waddle Dee Artwork of Bandana Waddle Dee from Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe Details First appearance Kirby Super Star (1996) Latest appearance Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe (2023) Other appearance(s) (click to navigate) Similar Waddle Dee Waddle Dee (from Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards) Voice actor(s) Ayaka Saito (Kirby Battle Royale web video)[1]

Theme music "Bandana Waddle Dee's Here!" Bandana Waddle Dee's Dream Friend jingle in Kirby Star Allies

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Bandana Waddle Dee, originally known as Waddle Dee prior to Kirby: Triple Deluxe, is a recurring deuteragonist and major supporting character in the Kirby series. As his name implies, he is a Waddle Dee wearing a blue bandana on his head. His weapon of choice is usually a spear, but in some games, such as Kirby Battle Royale, he wields a parasol instead. Originally shown to be King Dedede's most loyal subject, later games portray him as Kirby's closest friend, and he sometimes even assists Kirby in battling the king.

Bandana Waddle Dee debuted in Kirby Super Star as the first opponent in Megaton Punch. His first major role was in Kirby Super Star Ultra, as the secondary antagonist of Revenge of the King. After this, he appeared as one of the four playable protagonists of Kirby's Return to Dream Land, and has starred in nearly every game in the Kirby series since.

Additionally, a similar Waddle Dee character appeared as a supporting character in Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. While several hints have been made that might suggest the two are the same character, this has not been confirmed.

Physical appearance[edit]

Bandana Waddle Dee, just like other Waddle Dees, is a round, orange creature with a peach-colored face, where his eyes and most of the rest of his body are located, though his body is typically of a much redder shade of orange when compared to other members of his species. He has also two yellow feet and small stubby arms. His blue bandana differentiates him from others of his kind. In most of his appearances, he also wields a spear to further differentiate himself; the design of the spear is near-identical to that of the Spear Copy Ability, but starting in Kirby Fighters 2, the ribbon tied around it has been orange rather than red. In Kirby Battle Royale, he uses a blue parasol with a star on top of it instead of his usual spear.

Personality[edit]

Bandana Waddle Dee is most often portrayed as adventurous and energetic, contrasting with the lackadaisical nature of his kind. In Kirby's Return to Dream Land and Kirby Star Allies, his pause screen descriptions emphasize his courage compared to the other Waddle Dees, going as far as to call him "everyone's idol". Even when not in battle, he still does his best to support Kirby and his friends, as shown by how he provides Assist Stars in both Kirby: Triple Deluxe and Kirby: Planet Robobot.

He is also shown to be very determined, but somewhat fearful, in games such as Kirby Super Star and its remake. In the sub-game Revenge of the King, he became more and more afraid every time Kirby defeated one of King Dedede's minions, but even after being spared from fighting Kirby by Dedede, he went into battle anyway. This shows his bravery and strong sense of loyalty to his King. In Kirby Battle Royale, Bandana Waddle Dee showed an intense fear before battling Meta Knight and King Dedede, but still defeated both, thanks to his determination and faith in Kirby.

Game appearances[edit]

Kirby Super Star[edit]

Kirby facing the bandanna-wearing Waddle Dee.

In Kirby Super Star, Waddle Dee made his debut as the first opponent Kirby faces in the Megaton Punch Sub-Game. He starts the battle by winking, waving if he wins, and fainting if he loses.

Kirby Super Star Ultra[edit]

Kirby Super Star Ultra was Bandana Waddle Dee's first major appearance. He appears only in three modes: The Arena, Revenge of the King, and Megaton Punch.

In The Arena, he replaces the regular Waddle Dee that appears as a joke Mid-Boss in the original Kirby Super Star. He fills a similar role as the original "mid-boss", but, unlike the latter, can move around slowly and jump. He has more HP than regular Waddle Dees, but can be inhaled. Much like most other Waddle Dees, he provides no Copy Ability upon getting swallowed.

Waddle Dee is also battled in The Revenge stage in Revenge of the King, and also has some dialogue with the Great King concerning Kirby and Mid-Bosses. After all of mid-bosses are defeated, Waddle Dee fights Kirby despite being spared by King Dedede; he fights the same as in The Arena. After his battle, he appears as the only spectator during the fight between Kirby and Masked Dedede, where he cheers to the latter occasionally when he attacks Kirby. He appears midway in the credits of Revenge of the King, where he and a large amount of Waddle Dees accompany him as he sadly walks in a desert.

Finally, he reprises his role in the Megaton Punch sub-game, which is a port of the original version from Kirby Super Star.

Kirby Mass Attack[edit]

Waddle Dee makes a cameo in the Meta Knight battle of the Strato Patrol EOS sub-game. He is seen cheering for him alongside Sailor Waddle Dee from Revenge of Meta Knight.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land[edit]

Artwork of Waddle Dee from Kirby's Return to Dream Land

Waddle Dee got an even bigger role in Kirby's Return to Dream Land, this time as a main character in the story, appearing in various cutscenes, as well as a playable character.

Waddle Dee can use his spear to attack, identically to the way Spear Kirby can. Unlike Kirby, Meta Knight, or King Dedede, Waddle Dee doesn't fly, but he can use Infinity Jumps to keep up.

Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition[edit]

Waddle Dee appears during the intro cinematic for Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition, to present the title screen along with King Dedede, Meta Knight, and Kirby. He also appears in the staff credits of the New Challenge Stages, using his Waddle Copter over White Wafers.

Kirby: Triple Deluxe[edit]

Artwork of Bandana Waddle Dee in Kirby: Triple Deluxe.

Bandana Waddle Dee as he appears in Kirby: Triple Deluxe.

In Kirby: Triple Deluxe, Bandana Waddle Dee appears in many stages to give Kirby (and King Dedede in Dededetour!) healing items in Assist Stars to store on the player's touch screen, mainly before mid-boss fights. He also always appears in boss stages to give items prior to the boss fights. If the player has a StreetPass tag with someone before they meet Bandana Waddle Dee, he will give better items. These include green and red Point Stars as well as more powerful healing items, such as Energy Drinks or Maxim Tomatoes, and even Keychains. If the player has StreetPass tags with the same person multiple times, the quality of the healing items get even better, the value of the Point Stars increases, and Bandana Waddle Dee may even throw a Rare Keychain to Kirby.

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse[edit]

In Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, Bandana Waddle Dee (here referred to as Red Waddle Dee) appears alongside two differently-colored clones, Yellow Waddle Dee and Green Waddle Dee, both of which were painted by Elline.^[2] These three Waddle Dees are controlled by additional players to assist Kirby by carrying him and tossing him, as well as jabbing enemies that get in the way with their spears. They can use Infinity Jumps, but compared to other games they have slight differences such as each subsequent jump gains less height unless they touch the ground or a rainbow rope again. They also have two hit points compared to Kirby. Additionally, they are the only ones that can stop Grab Hands from getting Kirby when they appear in multiplayer gameplay. They also accompany Kirby in his various transformations in various ways. They are controlled normally, unlike Kirby, who remains in ball form and must follow the rainbow ropes.

If Waddle Dee attacks Kirby, he drops a Point Star. This can be repeated until 50 of them are dropped per stage. Additionally, when entering the game and getting hurt as Waddle Dee, their voice clips are played through the Wii Remote's speaker.

Kirby: Planet Robobot[edit]

Bandana Waddle Dee performs the same function in Kirby: Planet Robobot as in Kirby: Triple Deluxe, offering Kirby food items he can store at various points in the stages. Using StreetPass causes similar effects to Kirby: Triple Deluxe, just with stickers instead of keychains.

In Meta Knightmare Returns, instead of giving Meta Knight an Assist Star before bosses, he will instead give him a sphere containing 8 Meta Points.

If the Waddle Dee amiibo is scanned, Kirby will gain a custom Parasol ability based on Bandana Waddle Dee. This ability gives Kirby a Waddle Dee's color scheme with a blue bandana, as well as a unique blue spotted parasol, which would later appear as Bandana Waddle Dee's weapon in Kirby Battle Royale.

Bandana Waddle Dee also appears as several stickers, including a doodle.

Team Kirby Clash Deluxe / Super Kirby Clash[edit]

In both Team Kirby Clash Deluxe and Super Kirby Clash, Bandana Waddle Dee can be found in the village, overseeing the Gem Apple Tree. He is the first character that Kirby talks to in both games: he explains the basics of the village, as well as the situation. From that point onward, he oversees Gem Apple harvesting, giving Kirby the yield every time it's ready, as well as offering general advice and commentary.

In Super Kirby Clash, Bandana Waddle Dee is also depicted on multiple stickers.

Kirby Battle Royale[edit]

Artwork of Bandana Waddle Dee from Kirby Battle Royale.

A still from the introduction, as Kirby bumps into Bandana Waddle Dee.

In Kirby Battle Royale, Bandana Waddle Dee serves a prominent role in the single-player mode, Dedede's Cake Royale. Kirby meets up with him on the way to the arena, finding him exhausted, having 'walked all night long' to get there. As such, Kirby agrees to carry him for a while down the trail. After Kirby deals with an enemy ambush, including another blue Kirby, the Warp Star appears to take them both to the arena.

From here on, Bandana Waddle Dee serves as an ally to Kirby in team matches. Unlike in previous incarnations, Bandana Waddle Dee uses a parasol modeled after the one Kirby uses when copying the Waddle Dee amiibo in Kirby: Planet Robobot instead of a spear. While the player cannot play as Bandana Waddle Dee, a hatless Waddle Dee can be unlocked for Battle Mode who plays much the same.

Kirby Star Allies[edit]

In Kirby Star Allies, Bandana Waddle Dee appears as one of the first available Dream Friends alongside Rick & Kine & Coo, Marx and Gooey, recruitable from a Dream Palace without the need to unlock him. His moveset is largely the same as it was in Kirby's Return to Dream Land, but with a few tweaks, including the ability to have his spear receive elemental powers from allies, and, since version 4.0.0., gains the Ground Thrust attack. Since Kirby cannot obtain the Spear ability in this title, Bandana Waddle Dee is the only user of this Copy Ability (Zan Partizanne of The Three Mage-Sisters has a different style of spear combat when playable as a Dream Friend). Much like in Kirby's Return to Dream Land, Bandana Waddle Dee has 40 HP in most modes, but has the same health as Kirby in The Ultimate Choice.

Out of all the Dream Friends in this game, Bandana Waddle Dee is the only one that doesn't represent a specific Kirby series game, instead representing the Waddle Dee species as a whole.

In Guest Star ???? Star Allies Go!, Bandana Waddle Dee's title screen since version 2.0.0. features his Megaton Punch sprites from Kirby Super Star, his 3D artworks from modern titles, and his doodle sticker from Kirby: Planet Robobot. Starting with version 2.0.0., his Dream Friend jingle is based on the Wii Channel Logo music from Kirby's Return to Dream Land, which in turn is based on Welcome to Dream Land, the title theme from Kirby's Dream Land.

Moveset[edit]

Cameos[edit]

• A stone plate of Bandana Waddle Dee appears in a Friend Train section of the Sector B stage.
• Bandana Waddle Dee appears in two Celebration Pictures: "FIGHT FOR THE CROWN!" and "Friends' Getaway".
• A sculpture of Bandana Waddle Dee, King Dedede and Meta Knight was added for the Stone ability in Version 4.0.0.

Kirby Fighters 2[edit]

Bandana Waddle Dee as he appears in Kirby Fighters 2.

Bandana Waddle Dee appears as a playable character in Kirby Fighters 2, using his same moveset from Kirby Star Allies and thus acting as a substitute for the Spear ability. He is the only Buddy available from the start. Starting in this game, the ribbon tied around his spear is colored orange, whereas in previous games it was red.

For more precise competitive-oriented information on Bandana Waddle Dee in Kirby Fighters 2, see Mizuumi Wiki's page.

Moveset[edit]

Kirby and the Forgotten Land[edit]

In Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Bandana Waddle Dee serves as the Player 2 character. This screenshot shows him performing an emote with Kirby in Welcome to Wondaria.

Bandana Waddle Dee returns as a playable character in Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Here, he takes the role of the second player character, and takes his spear into battle as usual. Among his new abilities is dropping spear-like projectiles downward on foes while using his Waddle Copter, as well as a new finisher to his Multispear Thrust where he swings his spear above himself and slams it to the ground, sending out a projectile.

When Kirby is using certain Mouthful Mode forms such as Car Mouth, Bandana Waddle Dee can ride on top of him while throwing spears.

Unlike Kirby, Bandana Waddle Dee cannot receive any evolved powers. Instead, whenever Kirby is using such an ability, Bandana Waddle Dee's attacks will be powered-up to a level appropriate to the ability Kirby is using.

Bandana Waddle Dee cannot be played as immediately when starting the game, as he doesn't catch up with Kirby until clearing Point of Arrival, after which he tells Kirby he is there to help at any time. After this point, a second player is free to join in at any time as Bandana Waddle Dee.

When Bandana Waddle Dee is active as Player 2, he will appear in every in-game cutscene. When he is not active, he can be found in Waddle Dee Town, lounging on a reclining chair once Kirby's House is built, and slouching near the Warp Star while Elfilin is kidnapped. Regardless of whether or not Bandana Waddle Dee is active, he still makes appearances in the opening and ending pre-rendered cutscenes for the game.

Moveset[edit]

All attack names are from the Kirby and the Forgotten Land Perfect Support Guide unless otherwise stated.

Kirby's Dream Buffet[edit]

In Kirby's Dream Buffet, Bandana Waddle Dee is represented by a costume that Kirby can wear. Notably, the Waddle Dee CPU racers can also sometimes wear this costume, making the resemblance practically indistinguishable. Bandana Waddle Dee also appears on three Character Treats; one depicts him alone using his artwork from Kirby's Return to Dream Land, another depicts art of him with Kirby, King Dedede, and Meta Knight on a Warp Star, also from that game, and the last depicts him using his art from Kirby and the Forgotten Land.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe[edit]

In Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, Bandana Waddle Dee reprises his role from the original Kirby's Return to Dream Land. He is now referred to as "Bandana Waddle Dee" rather than just "Waddle Dee" like in newer games, and has the orange ribbon around his spear introduced in Kirby Fighters 2. He also has the Ground Thrust move from Kirby Star Allies added to his moveset. However, the ability to instantly charge Waddle Copter by holding the attack button during Ground Thrust has been removed. Many of his other moves were also modified to function as they do in the aforementioned game. For example, when holding the opposite direction while using Waddle Spear Barrage, instead of turning around, he will drift backwards in midair. Additionally, a Dress-Up Mask featuring his likeness can be unlocked by completing card #21 of the Stamp Rally, and wearing it will replace the wearer's voice with Bandana Waddle Dee's.

The Dream Kingdom version of Bandana Waddle Dee makes a cameo in one of the credits pictures in Magolor Epilogue: The Interdimensional Traveler, where he is seen congregating with the others.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]

Bandana Waddle Dee appears as a Primary Spirit in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. which can only be obtained by enhancing Waddle Dee's Spirit.

Bandana Waddle Dee's Spirit is Neutral-type, ranked ★★★ Ace, has 3 slots, and the skill of Battering Items ↑, which refers to his weapon of choice. His level 1 stats are 1,808 attack and 1,230 defense, and his level 99 stats are 5,424 attack and 3,692 defense.

In the Kirby novel series[edit]

Waddle Dee from the novel series

Main article: Waddle Dee (novel character)

Bandana Waddle Dee is one of the main protagonists of the Kirby novel series. Initially, his appearance was that of a normal Waddle Dee, since he was the only one that existed in the Kirby novel series. It wasn't until Kirby's Decisive Battle! Battle Royale!! that he starts wearing his signature bandana after the Kirby Printer made thousands of clones of him, and started being called Bandana Waddle Dee (although characters often still call him simply "Waddle Dee").

His role is similar to Bandana Waddle Dee from the games, as he's shown as both a subordinate of King Dedede as well as a friend of Kirby, and the leader of the other Waddle Dees. While initially he was portrayed as completely unable to battle, over time he has started to sometimes use a spear or a parasol to fight, although he is still not fond of battling in general.

Profiles[edit]

Flavor text[edit]

Image	Game	Flavor text
	Kirby's Return to Dream Land	Hey, it's everyone's idol! Don't let the cute fool you! He's a brave warrior who may be small, but his spear packs a huge wallop!
	Kirby and the Rainbow Curse	This is Kirby's faithful companion during this adventure. He likes to poke enemies with his trusty spear, and he can even pick up and throw Kirby! To be honest, he's just happy getting his fair share of the spotlight...
	Kirby Star Allies	As a Dream Friend: Is this Dream Friend making a special appearance? This fella was selected to represent the Waddle Dees as they accept their perfect attendance award for the Kirby series. When asked, he said, "Oh, I couldn't!" But he was practicing his spear moves at the time… Guest Star Bandana Waddle Dee: "I'm not just a pretty face!" He's got stellar attendance in the Kirby series and deserves a prize. That bandana! That spear! With his courage, he sets himself apart from carefree parasol holders!
	Kirby and the Forgotten Land	Bandana Waddle Dee was pulled through the vortex along with Kirby. When he heard that his fellow Waddle Dees were being captured by the Beast Pack, he grabbed his trusty spear and ran to help! He can join you as P2 while you explore the new world.
	Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe	I'm Bandana Waddle Dee, everyone's favorite! Sure, I may be small, but I've got a BIG HEART...and a big spear that packs a wallop!

Kirby: Triple Deluxe electronic manual[edit]

• "Appears at certain locations and will throw an Assist Star in your way."

Kirby: Planet Robobot British English electronic manual[edit]

• "Appears at certain locations to throw items such as Assist Stars your way."

Trivia[edit]

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse E3 2014 demo title screen

• In an interview from Nintendo Dream May 2018 Issue, Shinya Kumazaki mentioned that Bandana Waddle Dee was chosen as the fourth playable character of Kirby's Return to Dream Land to represent the Waddle Dees as a whole. Bandana Waddle Dee was planned to be named バンディ (Bandee), but the developers thought he should have a name that represents all of the Waddle Dees, rather than just one individual. Kumazaki also confirmed that Bandana Waddle Dee is the same character in all of his appearances throughout the Kirby series.
• On the Kirby: Triple Deluxe official North American website and in the fifth English Nintendo Switch news post regarding Kirby Fighters 2, Bandana Waddle Dee is referred to as "Bandana Dee".^[3] It is unknown whether this was intended as a nickname or was merely an error, as he is referred to by his full name, Bandana Waddle Dee, elsewhere on the pages.
• It is strongly implied that Bandana Waddle Dee is the singer of "The Apple Juice Song" from the Kirby Memorial Arrangements, which is about his desire to be as strong as Kirby. An official music video also implies that he is the singer of "Green Tree Memories from Kirby" from the credits of Super Kirby Clash.
• Bandana Waddle Dee appeared alongside Susie as the narrator of an overview video for Kirby Battle Royale.^[4] For this video, he was given voiced dialogue by Ayaka Saito.^[1]
• In the Kirby and the Rainbow Curse E3 2014 demo's title screen, a fourth Bandana Waddle Dee colored cyan and with a white bandana appears.^[5] This cyan Bandana Waddle Dee does not appear anywhere in the completed game.

Gallery[edit]

Main article: Bandana Waddle Dee/gallery

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  Dialogue portrait from Kirby Super Star Ultra

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  Artwork from Kirby's Return to Dream Land

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  Artwork from Kirby and the Rainbow Curse

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  Sprite from Team Kirby Clash Deluxe

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  Artwork from Kirby Battle Royale

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  Artwork from Kirby Star Allies

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  Icon from Kirby Star Allies and Kirby Fighters 2

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  Artwork from Kirby and the Forgotten Land

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  Figure from Kirby and the Forgotten Land

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  Bandana Waddle Dee plush, manufactured by San-ei

Quotes[edit]

Names in other languages[edit]

References