This is why it bothers me when people call Bandana Dee "a Goomba with a hat." He's basically the Luigi of the Kirby franchise.

It will forever break my heart Bandana Dee didn’t get to join his friends in Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Bandee’s arc is one of the best in the series especially if you consider the Kirby 64 Dee as the same character, going from a nervous Waddle Dee who seemed to idolize Kirby to one of the main protagonists in the series he’s arguably the biggest break out character in the series aside from Magolor who debuted in the same game as when Bandee became a full on hero.

18:26 sure, Bandee has the Waddle Copter, but you missed the most important part: the hops "Kirby and Dedede can fly because they have mastered the power of inhalation. Meta Knight can fly because he has wings. Waddle Dee can fly because he really wants it. He just wants it more, so he just jumps off of nothing." - medibot

I had no idea the Kirby Café seats you with a waddle dee if you dine alone, oml mah heart.

Only in Kirby could the defacto worst basic enemy creature in video games also be the best bar none. Love these little beans, can't wait to see how they show up in the next game!

Thank you for putting the respect on Waddle Dee that they deserve! I love these guys so much, and always get so frustrated by people that try to put them down for being "generic enemies" (mostly because of Smash discourse). They are legitimately the most important asset to any Kirby game, second only to Kirby himself, and this video highlights why perfectly!

If only bandana dee could have been in smash. Complete the quartet!

10:05 Sailor Waddle Dee makes cameos in other games like Super Kirby Clash. The boy is alive!

Waddle Dees are probably my favorite enemy creature in any video game ever in terms of design. They are so cute but can be put in so many situations and just work. I love them in Triple Deluxe because they are in the background so often doing stuff like chopping down trees and shooting you in tanks. The developers said this was to make the player feel more comfortable at these obstacles which later are replaced with versions that are by either natural objects or Sectonians. I love them so much!!!

Bandee was the first Kirby character ive ever played as, (my first game was Forgotten land and even then I was player 2), so the little boy is very VERY important to me. So im proud to admit this video made me scream when it showed up in my recommended :D

Bandana Waddle Dee truly is an anomoly. A Waddle Dee willing to go out into perilous danger even with the knowledge of his general species skills (or lack there of) he's even proved better than Dedede and Meta Knight in some aspects avoiding getting taken out of commision and getting possessed. The fact he even gets to be a main character is astonishing. Almost no Kirby characters are reocurring, with it mostly being the main 3 making appearances in everything. Bandee sliding his way into games where one of the two isn't like in the case of Triple Deluxe with Meta Knight is a true feat. This little guy has gone from being a slightly more important Waddle Dee to a true hero who has followed and even helped Kirby defeat some incredible foes because of his desire to get stronger (and some spear training that allows him to occasionally turn it into a helicopter). A salute to you "Goomba with a hat", you waddled right into my heart.

Waddle dees are both the Goombas and the Toads of Kirby. And they nail both.

Bandana Dee is the best Smash Bros DLC fighter _in my heart._ He has no dramatic magic backstory, he has no interdimensional powers. He has nothing but bravery and determination. And a spear. And a best friend he babysits who slays gods. I love him.

Bandanas = Cool. Dragoons = Cool. Loyalty = Cool. SQWOOSHABLE CHEEKS = Priceless. Yeah he's sick dude.

You are very good at taking something I don't know much about but everyone else seems to love, and at the end of the video getting me to say, "I get it, now."

I genuinely felt my heart strings rip straight out of my body when I found out that the Kirby Cafe staff will send a Waddle Dee over to eat with you if you go by yourself

All Kirby lore falls under 2 categories. A. Daww that's adorable that is a certified little duder. Maybe there is hope for humanity after all ^-^. B. YOGSATHOTH HAS COME FOR YOUR SOUL HE EATS 90 BILLIONS SOULS A DAY AND WAS SPAWNED BY MORTAL SINS THE END IS NIGH And I love every fucking jnch of this series

I have a Headcanon that the Waddle Dee who helped Kirby in Crystal Shards is Bandana Dee, who after all that adventure, became confident and enlisted in DeDeDe's army and trained a lot until obtaining a prominent position

Waddle Dee: Shaped like a friend

The Kirby franchise gets better with the character development over the years, especially with King Dedede. If the penguin went from a Bowser wannabe to one of the allies and a best friend to Kirby, then the Waddle Dees are equivalent to the Goombas in the Kirby universe, but they went on to become the Toads in terms of loyalty. Bandana Dee is the best boy. Period.

5:30 Seriously tho This is why I consider Kirby to hardly even need the gimmick of the game to defeat the final boss. Kirby is doing this for FUN. He wants to bring his world back to peace, but this is something new, and Kirby is there for every second of it. Obviously, in game, we need the gimmick to progress sometimes, but Kirby just wants to ride a mech, or eat a weird berry. It's all about the experience.

The Waddle Dees need their own minigame collection. They're fun to watch and play as.

Waddle Dees embody what I love about this series almost as much as the pink marshmallow. They aren't deep or intricate, but they are massively charming "enemies" with a lot to like about them in spite of how simple they are. Plus if you peel back the layers just a bit, there's more than you would've ever thought about them.

First the kirby lore video, than the dedede one, now we even get one for bandee and the dees, you never ever miss, thank you so so much for these essays

“A king is no match for the boy who slays gods.”

I unironically have celebrated Waddle Dee Wednesday for like a year now. My favourite holiday, it's every week! (In all seriousness, a weekly dose of serotonin in the form of exchanging Waddle Dee gifs with friends is very healthy for you.)

Finally the best Nintendo character himself. Also awesome video.

It's weird how charming characters are without mouths.

I hope we get a Waddle Dee Week

This is truly a certified Waddle Dee Moment. Okay, in all seriousness, it's nice to have yet another video where these guys get the appreciation they deserve. Bandana Waddle Dee included, of course.

Funny story, Waddle Dee is actually the source of my fear of weird stuff happening with eyes. My first Kirby game as a kid was Kirby 64, and when Dee turned into Doo I had no damn prior context for any of this so I freaked out! ... and then both the anime and the GBA remake of Adventure happened and not only did I learn there were Way More of these lil guys, but Waddle Doo wasn't even as freaky as I thought from that cutscene jumpscare (and dw I wasn't too freaked out at that time to beat the really easy Waddle Doo """boss""" fight even as a smol child hehe)

This is probably one of my favorite videos on the channel- it perfectly captures everything I love about Waddle Dees as a species and Bandana Dee as a character to the point where I genuinely started tearing up watching it. Thank you for showing the heart that's at the core of the Kirby series once again, and helping to show the purity of its nature.

I'm so happy youre giving waddle dee the love he deserves I know hes been gaining popularity in the last couple of years but waddle dee (bandanna dee included) has always been a cute and fun character. So thanks for the proper retrospective that he deserves!

Waddle Dees are the unsung heroes of gaming history! They're so inept you can't even fault them for getting in your way, but they do get clever in later stages. And Bandana Dee is honesty a good mascot for the Dees as a whole. A stout warrior among a species of beings who seem pretty passive is a pretty solid character origin, in my opinion

21:23 Bandana waddle dee is a shonen protagonist with a cute exterior, Change my mind.

I'm crying. 😢 That little guy has the heart of a champio

Its important to remember that Waddle Dees and many of the other enemies common in the Kirby games are not the always chaotic evil mooks you see in other games sure you fight members of a lot of species but their are just as many who want to live in piece.... that said now you've got me really hoping for a designing entry on Dark Matter... it's always been such a sinister presence in the games and is a great foil for Kirby in many ways.

Star Allies even implies Bandana Dee is the same Waddle Dee from Crystal Shards- including him on the menu screen with Adeline/Ribbon and Dedede

I like to think that Sailor Waddle Dee retired after the ship crashed and became a normal waddle dee again, helped in Kirby 64 and then became Bandana Dee

Yes! A well deserved character analysis of our precious little Bandanna Dee! Say, I’d think it’d be a great idea if you could do a video like this on Magolor sometime. He legit has some of the best character development in this series since RTDL Deluxe came out, he’s perfect 💕

Incredible video. I've been following the Kirby series for over a decade, and as the years passed by, Bandee just grew on my so much. I think what I like the most is basically what you outlined, that he tries anyway despite being a Waddle Dee, which is such an inspirational thing. I think Waddle Dees in general represent that: if you try hard enough, you really can do anything.

Aww 🤎 I do think Bandee is my favorite character. I absolutely understand getting "hat Goomba" vibes from him (my favorite analogy I've read compared him to playing an Avengers game as an Iron Legion drone). But I dunno, that he's so understated is part of the charm for me. I just get this sense out of him that I do from a really good neighbor, one you're always happy to run into and spend 10 minutes catching up with. Modern Kirby's adventures always make it feel like he's randomly intersecting with Bandee's life, but Bandee's such a kind soul that he'll drop whatever he's doing to be Kirby's Player 2. Plus, while I don't love Spear overall as an ability, some of the specific tweaks to the ability in Bandee's kit make his moveset one of my absolute favorites in the series. Love love love being able to lob spears midair while gliding backwards. I think the essence of Kirby as a series is in how the Waddle Dees are used. The highlights always comes from the deep lore, but the minute to minute is seeing the friendly, playful characters of Dream Land living their idyllic lives. Waddle Dee Town is a big part of why I loved Forgotten Land. Usher Waddle Dee absolutely insisted that they set up a movie theater in town right away, even before establishing basic residential, economic, and social infrastructures, and all the other Waddle Dees couldn't find any reason to disagree. I love all the silly little people working their silly little jobs.

it's so sad that bandan is the only of the core 4 kirby friends to not be in smash, but even despite that, i desperately hope that the next time we get a kirby game, we have another bandana dee boss fight.

I love Waddle Dees so much they are everything and I love this video too!!

You know, it's funny. Growing up, I didn't play as much Kirby as I'd liked. Now, as an adult, I see his games for what they are: kindness simulators that remind you that you're not alone, and there are reasons to smile. Huh. Maybe I should have played more of these when I was a kid.

This 24:32 😢 This right here is what we need more of. Just a real moment to reflect on the morals of all these characters and stories we hold dear. We love video games simply because they're relatable.

Alright! Bandana Waddle Dee is born. More importantly out of all of the Waddle Dees Bandana Waddle Dee is a recurring character and hero and he's a token good teammate. Best of all Bandana Waddle Dee may not be as iconic as Kirby, Meta Knight, and King Dedede but he's iconic in his own right and he appeared in 12 games.

There should be a boss called Demon Dee that is just a waddle dee but super fast and with a lot of heath and the ability to get Kirby to spit him out. And give him angy eyes for good measure.

I’m telling you, you never *ever* miss with these Kirby videos. It’s always your platinum work. One day, BWD will have the privilege of fighting alongside his best buddies in the smash bros roster. Or…right now, if you’re into Super Smash Flash 2.

I somehow feel like there's more energy than usual in this vid and I'm all for it!

OMG FINALLY, THE WADDLE DEES

I'm crying, they are just so cute and nice!!

This was precious. Thank you for this.

Bandana Waddle Dee enabled 4 player Kirby. And the channel is De(e)signing *Four*. Coincideence? I deeclare deeoubtful!

I legitimately cried when I saw this the first time. You really do capture the wonderful things Waddle Dees bring to the Kirby franchise, and more than that, you show that these adorable little round bois have a personality that we all should aspire to have. This video inspired me to write a poem about what it's like to be a Waddle Dee for someone else. It's too long for a comment, so I'll summarize: A Waddle Dee is a fiercely loyal friend who will never leave your side. A Waddle Dee is someone who is always willing to cheer you up. Everyone needs a Waddle Dee in their life, so we should be Waddle Dees for those we love.

Waddle dee is my favorite character so whenever there is a video completely focus on them I would feel so happy!

I just saw someone who had posted on the Kirby subreddit asking why people love Waddle Dee. I will be linking this video in the comments shortly because this man needs to *learn*

Minions:*Random gibberish* Waddle Dee: I'm you but better!😎

Thank you very much for to making this video you are a real one pal Keep going "But take a rest first, you deserve it" -King Dedede

Clearly the best character in all of kirby lore.

I didn't think I would ever need an essay about Waddle Dees, but here I am.

Love these little guys. Any game I play where the Waddle Dees are enemies, I always go out of my way to avoid KOing them if I can help it. Ends up making the games a bit more challenging!

Except those waddle dees that stalk you in DL2. Jesus, those ones are out for *BLOOD.*

I'm crying so bad for the waddle dee's 😭I LOVE THEM

When I got Forgotten Land... one of the things I started doing the more Waddle Dees with tasks showed up??? I Started Naming Them. Individualizing them into characters of their own, even giving names to past notable Waddle Dees I knew of! Sailor Waddle Dee became Verne, The one running the copy shop became Gadget! I nicknamed Bandana to Benny/Bandee! And many more. I have a list of names on my phone that I continue to update ^^

Bandana Waddle Dee is the essence of dedication and devotion

As a long time Bandee fan, this video's given me so much happiness and joy. The editing is top notch, and you really did your research on the character and his species. Thank you so much.

Waddle Dee: I'm weaker than the goombas! The Badnicks in Sonic Forces: Hold my "I couldn't even hurt Sonic at all"!

And the saga continues

Hey! It's the Waddle Dee episode you were talking about on the Design Dorks podcast! Glad to see it! Bandanna Dee and the Waddle Dees in general are some of THE MOST underrated and wholesome characters in the Kirby franchise - glad to see them get their own episode!

I had a big smile on my face throughout the entire video. Bandana Dee is one of my favorite Kirby characters (please put him in Smash 6), and the games would feel incomplete without some representative there (which is why every game to date has had at least one). It did an excellent job accentuating what makes species and its standout members so special.

Phenomenal video as always, D4! These Kirby videos are always a highlight of this channel and each on ends up putting a giant grin on my face. Also, I’ve been playing RtDL for over a decade, and yet had no idea that Bandee had more health than Meta Knight. That was an interesting new thing to learn.

It seems I’ve wandered into another well made video!

Vídeos about the friends of Kirby always makes me cry

I've seen your Kirby video, your King Dedede video, and this one, and I love them all! I randomly happened upon Team Kirby Clash Deluxe years ago and I slowly but surely fell in love with the characters and the lore and have played more of the games, and these videos are just so good! I'd love to see one on Meta Knight!! 💙

Waddle dees can’t be in smash, they’re too sweet and loyal to hurt a friend

This video is the best 25 minutes I had in a really long time

Bandee is adorable!! I love him so much!!!

Waddle Dee, what an incredibly in depth enemy

The way you talk about Kirby and the characters within is so loving and infectious! It absolutely warms my heart :’) thank you so much for these videos, I cherish them

This video gave me a heart palpitation…….. thanks.

Okay, so now we've had videos on Kirby, King Dedede, and good ol' Waldie, also Karl for some reason, so I'm guessing the next Kirby-related video will be on Have You Ever

Love your videos, can’t wait to see what other Kirby characters you will cover next. Also just learned about the apple juice song from here and it is so cute 🥰

Talking about the "Waddlecopter"... "That's fucking bullshit! I love it"

8:00 Waddle Doug is the most cursed thing I’ve seen in a while, thank you Edit: 12:44 I take it back, Waddle Dee eating is way worse

Your videos are so well written! I already liked waddle dees but now I have a new appreciation for the little guys.

Hey man, I’ve been watching your videos for quite a while and I just wanna say you are hands-down my favorite video game commentary channel out there. I love your videos and the enthusiasm you have about them - even for topics or games I’ve never heard of before. Keep up the amazing work ❤

Dude your videeos make me wanna cheer for these characters when they come on screen.

HECK YEAH IT'S THE BEST NINTENDO CHARACTER HIMSELF!!!!!!

Bandana Waddle Dee is one of my favorite characters of Kirby. The first thing that I did when I saw him, I started to draw him. Hooray for the Waddle Dee!

The nova explosion music is always funny to me

A Waddle Dee would be the best pet ever SO ADORABLE And loyal!

Honestly the way they're characterized I'd consider Waddle Dees more of the Toads of the Kirby universe rather than the Goombas. Kirby is just a menace who isn't afraid to disturb the peace.

Fell in love with dees during my youngest years watching kirby right back at ya Didnt have a console till the 64. And we only owned a couple games. Then gamecube a few games. When the Wii came out we started getting more games. But Dees are my favorite creatures in kirby universe

14:54 this actually made me cry

Bandanna Waddle Dee is my favorite Kirby character!

People sometimes rag on Bandanna Dee for being just the equivalent of a "goomba with a hat", but I think part of that is what makes his character so special. Unlike the rest of the main cast, there is nothing really special about Bandanna Dee. He's not the incarnation of his verse's supreme being like Kirby, he isn't as naturally powerful as Dedede, and he isn't a powerful galactic swordsman like Meta Knight. He's just a run of the mill Waddle Dee who can wield a spear very well....AND YET, he's still able to keep up with all of them with no trouble at all whenever they team up. He goes up against the same eldritch horrors and power mad individuals as Kirby and the rest, and all with just his trusty spear and grit. Hell, he even manages to avoid getting mind controlled or possessed everytime a new crisis shows up. Bandanna Dee isn't a "goomba with a hat". He's a "Goomba with a hat" that became almost as strong as the main character with just his guts. It goes to show that the will of a hero can be found anywhere, even in "just another basic enemy".

Bandana blue like the king dededede he follows

I LOVE Waddle Dees! They’re probably my favorite fictional species EVER.