Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Donkey Kong uses high mobility to force back air and grab, then snowballs damage on big bodies with up tilt and up air, but Dedede can preempt those entries with Gordo and long walling normals. If Dedede accepts too many close-range scrambles, however, DK’s back air pressure and grab starters carry him to the ledge and turn Dedede’s huge hurtbox into a real liability. The winning flow is to make Gordo hit shield or jump, then stop his advance with fair, nair, and up tilt, and convert ledge control into edgeguards on DK’s vulnerable upward recovery. Dedede has enough kill power from ledge Gordo resets, bair, up tilt, and up smash, so he should not rush into center-stage slugfests or reckless overextensions.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | King Dedede OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 5 | -14 |
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| Jab 2 | 4 | -20 |
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| Forward Tilt | 7 | -19/-18 |
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| Up Tilt | 5 | -24 |
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| Down Tilt | 6 | -11 |
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| Dash Attack | 9 | -13 |
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| Forward Smash | 22 | -17/-18 |
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| Up Smash | 14 | -22 |
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| Down Smash | 11 | -32 |
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| Neutral Air | 10 | -5/-6 |
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| Forward Air | 18 | -12/-11/-12 |
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| Back Air | 7 | -6/-7 |
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| Up Air | 6 | -10 |
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| Down Air | 14 | -8/-9 |
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| Neutral B | 19(+7) | -33 to -19 |
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| Side B | 20 | -32 |
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| Up B | 19/25/32/40/49/55/62 | -37 |
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| Down B | 12/23 | -15 |
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| Grab | 8 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 11 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 12 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Do not toss Gordo straight ahead without a purpose; place it on the lanes where DK’s short-hop bair and ground dash travel so he must commit to shield or jump first
- After stopping him with fair, nair, up tilt, or grab, do not chase too hard in center; take him to the ledge and aim at the apex of up B and the ledge grab itself
- On shield, do not miss punishes on jab 1, jab 2, forward tilt, up tilt, down tilt, dash attack, every smash attack, forward air, up air, neutral B, side B, up B, and down B
- When trapping DK’s landing, confirm whether he has already spent his double jump before worrying about dair or air dodge, then narrow his descent with preemptive up tilt and bair
- At kill percent, build around ledge Gordo, bair, and up tilt, and only swing up smash when his landing or air-dodge finish point is already fixed
Actions to Avoid
- Do not spam Gordo from directly in front of him. DK can swat it back with bair or forward tilt, and the reflected hit often reaches Dedede’s huge body immediately.
- Do not brawl at point-blank range. Once DK gets his bair and grab mix started, the damage and ledge carry swing sharply in his favor.
- Do not rush straight into the spinning hitbox of up B while edgeguarding. DK’s recovery is exploitable, but lazy overextensions can still hand the landing phase back.
- Do not stand directly underneath him during landing traps. If he reverses the spot with dair or air-dodge landings, you give up the stage control you already earned.