But he didn’t really come into his own until the Ultra remake, where he served a small role in the “Revenge of the King” mode. What makes a minion a minion, and a minion with a hat… a character? Bandana beginningsīandana Waddle Dee (generally shortened to just “Bandana Dee” despite the fact that’s never been used as official nomenclature) technically first appeared way back in the original version of Kirby Super Star in the Megaton Punch minigame. I’m more interested in dissecting why this became the main criticism of Bandana Waddle Dee’s “chances” of becoming a Smash newcomer when any Kirby fan worth their salt knows him to have a presence beyond just a mildly special minion. How could you hate such purity, you vile demons?!īut today, I’m not merely concerned with defending BWD’s dignity from salty Smash speculators.

He was slandered as “just a goomba with a hat,” with detractors claiming that the precious being was lacking in identity and personality. Well, because the internet thrives on dissent, accusations of Bandana Waddle Dee being a bad fit sprung forth, primarily based around a perceived lack of distinguishment from his fellow Waddle Dees. And for a while, he was a pretty uncontroversial pick - Kirby’s popular, he’s popular in Kirby, he’s been playable in several games at this point, where was the issue? Ultimate, he’s been one of the most oft-requested characters among the fanbase, being widely considered the obvious choice for a fourth Kirby request. And I’m not alone in my adoration for the little fella - he’s been slowly climbing in popularity for over a decade now after his official first appearance in the revamped Kirby Super Star Ultra, going on to adopt a prestigious playable character role in Kirby’s Return to Dream Land, where he was solidified into a more concrete identity.īandana Waddle Dee is so popular (especially in Japan) that in the lead up to Super Smash Bros.

It is a well known fact among my peers that I personally believe Bandana Waddle Dee to be the bestest boy who ever did live, to the point where the little red-orange ball of optimism is my Twitter avatar ( shameless plug! ). I want to protect this nonexistent smile.

Smash hat goomba