Rate Their Chances - Smash Ultimate Edition! Day 672: Five Most Likely First and Third Parties for Smash 6, and Final Goodbyes

[Royalty1702]

In most games of the series you fight Dedede as one of the final bosses and he plays a major role in the story.

This is a anatagonist/villain role. I'm referring to protagonist role. There is no "main trio" in Kirby because Kirby, MK and DDD have never been together never in a group with BWD.

He's not even called "Bandana" most of the times, in some games he doesn't appear in the cutscenes when he should (waddle dees defending Dedede from Taranza, the waddle dee playing chess with Dedede, etc... why it's never Bandana?) In Battle Royale when you play as him, you can't wear a bandana, making him in fact not playable (it's not Bandana if he doesn't wear it).

1. It's been explained that part of BWD's role in the series is increase the popularity of Waddle Dees. This can explain why "Bandana Waddle Dee" isn't always referred to as such. Also, why does he need to be called "Bandana Waddle Dee" when it's been made clear the even when the name is just "Waddle Dee" but looks likes "Bandana Waddle Dee" that it's still the same character as "Bandana Waddle Dee"?
2. Meta Knight should've appeared in Triple Deluxe's story. Where was he? I don't know. Blame the writers.
3. No one is arguing BWD is playable in Battle Royale, just that he had a major role in the story.

He appeared in a lot of games, but he's been lucky in that regard, he existed in a time when countless spin-offs and downloadable small games were released, and he had a chance to appear in all of them. Magolor is the same... he appeared a bit less, but a lot of those spin-offs and subgames feature him, not as a cameo but as an active character. Bandana Waddle Dee gives you Gem Apples in the Clash series, but look at who got the Gem Apples in his moveset in Star Allies? Magolor, because he owns the shop in that game, he became the Gem Apples guy.

1. I don't think his extremely minor Mass Attack appearance helped him all that much but to each their own.
2. Magolor was an active character but never depicted as a group with Kirby, MK and DDD.
3. Magolor is more of a mascot for Team Kirby Clash like BWD is for Battle Royale, so it doesn't surprise me. The only difference is that Magolor gets to use Gem Apples in Star Allies, while BWD doesn't get his parasol.

So far, until he actually gets a deeper involvement in the series, I won't consider him more important than Magolor, the animals, Gooey and others just because he appeared more often. As I said last time, Rick Kine and Coo appeared in almost as many games as him and got a major role in 2 main series games as opposed to just 1 of Bandana Dee, so what makes them less important than him? Being less recent? I'm sorry but unless the next game features Bandana Waddle Dee with a bigger involvement like what happend with Metaknight from since Amazing Mirror/the anime onward, I won't consider him any more important than the other side characters.

1. I think it's pretty sad that you need more evidence that BWD is apart of the main cast even after all his prominence in the games and in the main RTDL group. I think you're letting your biases cloud your mind.
2. Show me a game (or even official artwork) with Kirby, MK, DDD, and the Animal Friends are portrayed as a group together. I'll wait.
3. Why don't Rainbow Curse and Battle Royale count though as the roles you are asking for?

A collectable sticker set in a game as a proof of it being a main character is even more ridicolous as a proof than the official site of the series having a page dedicated to the main characters where he doesn't appear

Agreed but no one's arguing that the stickers are the ONLY proof there is.

 

[JCKirbs]

In most games of the series you fight Dedede as one of the final bosses and he plays a major role in the story. Metaknight since Amazing Mirror became a main character with story arcs dedicated to him and involvement with the main plot. Before Amazing Mirror he was just one of the many supporting characters, I agree, but after that game things have changed.
Bandana Dee appeared a lot, but he still lacks this type of involvement... he didn't make the jump yet; he's... playable at best? He's not even called "Bandana" most of the times, in some games he doesn't appear in the cutscenes when he should (waddle dees defending Dedede from Taranza, the waddle dee playing chess with Dedede, etc... why it's never Bandana?) In Battle Royale when you play as him, you can't wear a bandana, making him in fact not playable (it's not Bandana if he doesn't wear it).

He appeared in a lot of games, but he's been lucky in that regard, he existed in a time when countless spin-offs and downloadable small games were released, and he had a chance to appear in all of them. Magolor is the same... he appeared a bit less, but a lot of those spin-offs and subgames feature him, not as a cameo but as an active character. Bandana Waddle Dee gives you Gem Apples in the Clash series, but look at who got the Gem Apples in his moveset in Star Allies? Magolor, because he owns the shop in that game, he became the Gem Apples guy.

So far, until he actually gets a deeper involvement in the series, I won't consider him more important than Magolor, the animals, Gooey and others just because he appeared more often. As I said last time, Rick Kine and Coo appeared in almost as many games as him and got a major role in 2 main series games as opposed to just 1 of Bandana Dee, so what makes them less important than him? Being less recent? I'm sorry but unless the next game features Bandana Waddle Dee with a bigger involvement like what happend with Metaknight from since Amazing Mirror/the anime onward, I won't consider him any more important than the other side characters.

A collectable sticker set in a game as a proof of it being a main character is even more ridicolous as a proof than the official site of the series having a page dedicated to the main characters where he doesn't appear.

So, what about Waddle Dee?

You said that he was apparently the 4th main character, yet I don't see you saying anything remarkable about him along the lines of Dedede or Meta Knight. Unless playing chess and failing to defend Dedede are crucial plot points in Kirby games, all they've ever done is frolic around Dream Land, assist their King, and occasionally get in Kirby's way. You say that Bandana Dee doesn't get any credentials for simply appearing, yet that's just what Waddle Dees do and have continued to do since Kirby's Dream Land. They never banded singularly or together to do something grand like saving Dream Land, cause they're merely just the most common, care-free inhabitants of the land.

Bandana Dee has been front and center since the beginning of the Modern Kirby era, helping Kirby in any way that he can; including saving their home from outwardly terrors.

Heck, if Star Allies turned out a little differently, I think that he would have even had a more significant role/appearance within the game, akin to Dedede and Meta Knight's roles in Triple Deluxe and Robobot respectively.

(In fact, he was originally supposed to get his own side mode (like Dedede Tour and Meta Knightmare) according to the developers, but they eventually modified the plans so then every playable character could get a spotlight (Guest Star), which is fair since it basically resembles Helper to Hero from KSSU).

Either way, it certainly seems like the devs would rather work thoroughly with Bandana Dee rather than a regular old Waddle Dee, and I hope this continues to show in the future since there's still more potential to be unlocked from a character like Bandana Dee as opposed to the static, basic, and simple Waddle Dee.

 

[SharkLord]

If you are going to exclude BWD from the "4th main character spot", there is no 2nd or 3rd main characters either, as Meta Knight and Dedede have never been portrayed in a group with Kirby pre-RTDL.

Anyway going by Kumazaki's Star Allies interview, BWD's main purpose in the series is to be the part of the main group that started with RTDL and increase the recognition of Waddle Dees as a whole. Given that BWD was originally going to be given a sub-game similar to Meta Knightmare and Dedede's Drum Dash before Dream Friends were even thought of, I think it's safe to say BWD is apart of the main cast.
Source: https://www.ndw.jp/kirby_02/

Smash debates aside, this is actually pretty interesting. If Star Allies wasn't a big celebration of all things Kirby, we could've gotten a Bandana Dee extra mode. I wonder how that would've worked out.
The note about how they wanted Bandana Dee to be a representative of Waddle Dees as a whole also fits in with the official websites; Assuming Waddle Dees are the fourth pillar in the Kirby series, they'd need a specific representative because they're a species and not a character. Therefore, Bandana Dee.

 

[Perkilator]

Smash debates aside, this is actually pretty interesting. If Star Allies wasn't a big celebration of all things Kirby, we could've gotten a Bandana Dee extra mode. I wonder how that would've worked out.
The note about how they wanted Bandana Dee to be a representative of Waddle Dees as a whole also fits in with the official websites; Assuming Waddle Dees are the fourth pillar in the Kirby series, they'd need a specific representative because they're a species and not a character. Therefore, Bandana Dee.

You know, I’d love to see an extra mode with Bandana Dee!

 

[Ridrool64]

Tiny helpers

Chance (Dixie): 45%. Her support seems like it was much stronger a game ago, back when DK representation was outright abhorrent and embarassing, and when K. Rool hadn't happened first. But aside from that, Dixie's got almost everything you could ask for in a newcomer. She's got a lot of demand, she's relevant through Mario Kart Tour, and has something unique that sets her apart. While her superficial similarities to Diddy Kong might make her a tough sell to Sakurai if she can't be a part of a tag-team, overall I think she's got a serious shot. But she's not too likely.

Chance (Dee): 45%. He's the fifth to third likeliest Nintendo character and probably the likeliest if Assists and Mii Costumes are out. I'd love to go higher, but that's what repeated rejections despite being the leading Kirby newcomer by far will do to you. But, the Dee's great claim to fame is... well, the only thing he doesn't have is a game of his own. Except for that, he's got it pretty much all: a level of hype comparable to third parties (he's around, say, 2B or Lloyd's area though, while Rex is a little higher and Waluigi sits comfortably with Master Chief, Crash and Geno), being much easier to make since he has no voice and his body shape is pretty much identical to Kirby and Meta Knight, no real chance of losing relevance, there's not much that I'd say keeps Dee out.

Want (Both): 50%, more or less they're the same in my eyes when it comes to want. Dixie Kong is from an individual game I care more about (my first DKC game was 3 on the Wii), and that game has a bit of Spirits but literally nothing else, come on. Bandana Waddle Dee primarily represents modern Kirby, but he could also bring in content from the Dark Matter trilogy, both major blind spots in the Kirby representation. I know it's a meme, but DKC1 and Kirby up to Super Star (+ Air Ride) being the only games as far as major Smash content is concerned is disheartening. But I am not going to say I care about them as individuals that hard. I'd take a Donkey Kong revamp over Dixie Kong, though only one of them is gonna happen in Ultimate, and while I don't think the same of Bandana Dee I have other Kirby characters I'd like more like Gooey or Adeleine. But people want them for a reason.

Red x 5. If Heihachi couldn't make it, to many people that's bad news for Nightmare. 14.20%. Sol Badguy might be helped, or hurt, by the ArcSys spirits a while ago. I'm leaning towards helped in this case. 27.04%.

 

[SharkLord]

You know, I’d love to see an extra mode with Bandana Dee!

I'm actually planning out a concept for a full Bandana Dee spinoff title of Fantendo. The idea is that it's more tactical and strategic, with him commanding a small army.
Shameless self-advertising aside, do you think we might finally get a Bandana Dee extra mode next Kirby game? We got one for Kirby in RtDL, one for Dedede in Triple Deluxe, Meta Knight got a third one in Planet Robobot, and everyone got one in Star Allies (Or two, depending on if we count Heroes in Another Dimension as an extra mode or another level). There shouldn't be anything holding them back for giving Bandana Dee some of the spotlight this time around.

 

[NeonBurrito]

Hat Goomba
Chance: 20%

It's kind of hard to judge how likely this character is. If the Fighter's Pass is going to primarily follow Min Min's example and mainly involve first parties and spirit upgrades, then I think he's extremely high up on the list of characters next in line. Super popular, super relevant, prominent in his series, he really has it all.

The main problem is that I can very easily see Sakurai shooting him down on the sole basis of his role in the series has developed in Kirby games that aren't Sakurai developed and he would come with additional Kirby content that comes from Kirby games that aren't Sakurai developed. Honestly, if any other single person on the planet was the main director behind Smash, I'd rate him much higher. But because Masahiro "If It's Kirby I Didn't Have A Hand In, Then Throw It Deep In The Garbage Bin" is in charge and we still don't have a perfect grasp on how the Fighter Pass is going to play out, it's too soon to say anything major. I do believe that he's one of the most likely spirit upgrades regardless.

Want: 90%

I have reformed my ways. While I was previously a rather staunch member of the "He's just a Goomba with a hat!" community, a recent playthrough of a whole bunch of Kirby games and really just following the Kirby community in general has really made me like the little guy. Plus, the fact that I'm pretty sure he's shown up in more Kirby games then Meta Knight within the past decade makes me genuinely want to go as far to say that he's probably the "most deserving" first party character that still isn't in the game.

His moveset is practically already built for him, being able to pull from the Spear ability from Return to Dream Land, his own moveset in Star Allies, his parasol moveset in Battle Royale, and if they really wanted to get crafty, they could easily pull from other Waddle Dee abilities, the Staff ability from Star Allies, and any transformations he had in Rainbow Curse. I've always been a fan of the more cartoonish characters of the cast, and Bandana Waddle Dee would certainly fill that bill for me. I think a "short stature, large range" character is something Smash Bros. could really use that it doesn't already have.

Nothing much has changed. He's a cool fella and still one of my most wanted. Easily my second most wanted first party character, behind Karate Joe of Rhythm Heaven fame.

Dixie Kong
Chance: 20%

Exact same score as BWD, because she's in a very similar position. She's not as popular on a worldwide scale and Donkey Kong as a series doesn't have as much to promote as Kirby (Tropical Freeze port and Mario Kart Tour vs. Star Allies, Super Kirby Clash, and the upcoming Kirby game), but she has more legacy to her name and doesn't have to deal with Sakurai's weird representation problems like any potential Kirby character would have to.

She's without a doubt at the top of the spirit promotions list (just like BWD) in my book, but there's just not much to go off of as of right now because no one's entirely sure just how representative of the Fighter's Pass Min Min is.

Want: 75%

Her debut game, Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, is actually my favorite game of all time, so there's no way I can't support her. With the Donkey Kong Country series being one of my favorite video game series of all time, I'd definitely be down to see her as a fighter and bring some more DKC content with her.

I've always thought that a stage based on the Tropical Freeze level, Frosty Fruits, would be super fun and I think it'd be interesting to turn her into somewhat of a grappler who makes a lot of use of her ponytail. That ponytail is insanely strong. She's just a little chimp lady, but she can do some crazy heavy lifting with that thing. Whatever shampoo she uses, I'm interested. Plus, there's so much fantastic DKC music yet to appear in Smash. Bayou Boogie, Hot Head Bop, Forest Interlude, Disco Train, Mining Melancholy, Dixie Beat, Treetop Tumble, Water World, Nuts and Bolts, Rockface Rumble, good gracious, DKC has so much great music, and even then, that's only including tracks from DKC2 and DKC3 that aren't in Smash. Eveline Fischer's works are fantastic and David Wise is my favorite video game composer, period. A lot of songs would definitely need some remixes to be battle-appropriate, but there's so much fantastic music to work with.

 

[fogbadge]

People just post troll gifs at you and you report them, their post don't get any warning.
Yeah, I said it in the other thread but I will repeat, discussing of Kirby in the Smash community is disgusting.
Thank you Smashboards.



In most games of the series you fight Dedede as one of the final bosses and he plays a major role in the story. Metaknight since Amazing Mirror became a main character with story arcs dedicated to him and involvement with the main plot. Before Amazing Mirror he was just one of the many supporting characters, I agree, but after that game things have changed.
Bandana Dee appeared a lot, but he still lacks this type of involvement... he didn't make the jump yet; he's... playable at best? He's not even called "Bandana" most of the times, in some games he doesn't appear in the cutscenes when he should (waddle dees defending Dedede from Taranza, the waddle dee playing chess with Dedede, etc... why it's never Bandana?) In Battle Royale when you play as him, you can't wear a bandana, making him in fact not playable (it's not Bandana if he doesn't wear it).

He appeared in a lot of games, but he's been lucky in that regard, he existed in a time when countless spin-offs and downloadable small games were released, and he had a chance to appear in all of them. Magolor is the same... he appeared a bit less, but a lot of those spin-offs and subgames feature him, not as a cameo but as an active character. Bandana Waddle Dee gives you Gem Apples in the Clash series, but look at who got the Gem Apples in his moveset in Star Allies? Magolor, because he owns the shop in that game, he became the Gem Apples guy.

So far, until he actually gets a deeper involvement in the series, I won't consider him more important than Magolor, the animals, Gooey and others just because he appeared more often. As I said last time, Rick Kine and Coo appeared in almost as many games as him and got a major role in 2 main series games as opposed to just 1 of Bandana Dee, so what makes them less important than him? Being less recent? I'm sorry but unless the next game features Bandana Waddle Dee with a bigger involvement like what happend with Metaknight from since Amazing Mirror/the anime onward, I won't consider him any more important than the other side characters.

A collectable sticker set in a game as a proof of it being a main character is even more ridicolous as a proof than the official site of the series having a page dedicated to the main characters where he doesn't appear.

well no, dedede and metaknight are main characters cause sakurai made them to be main characters

 

[InASnowBoundLand]

Dixie Kong

Chance: 90%
There is a reason Dixie Kong is referred to as "The Last Nintendo AllStar". 25 years after her debut (in a 5M+ seller), she remains an iconic character with dozens of appearances, including recent major appearances on DKC Tropical Freeze for Switch (2018) and Mario Kart Tour (2020). Mario Kart Tour is a game that has been downloaded more than 120M times, potentially exposing her to far more people than many of the characters that are rated here. She even had a video created for her by Nintendo in celebration of her joining Mario Kart's roster.

With Min Min tearing down the spirits deconfirmation, a potentially looming major DK game on the Switch, and the continuing development of the DK theme park, I think the has a great shot for the DLC. She has also risen in demand since the base game, recently playing 16th overall and 4th among first party characters in Source Gaming's DLC poll.

Anything can happen, and the fighters pass might still lean toward more third party characters, but she is looking stronger and stronger. It's no wonder that she was considered in some form back in Brawl and that her status was acknowledged with a mii hat depicting her iconic beret and ponytail in Smash Ultimate's base game.


Want: 100%

Dixie Kong is one of the first characters I played as. She is one of the main characters in my favorite game (DKC2) and I believe she would bring a lot of personality to Smash Bros as well as an interesting moveset. I believe she is an integral character to the Donkey Kong franchise -- playable in more SNES DKC games than DK -- and her absence is definitely noticed. I like her combination of spunk and cute, and I would be really happy to see her in the game finally.

 

[Perkilator]

Not sure we should keep arguing this. We’re on page 666, so how about we don’t awaken Dark Matter?

 

[SharkLord]

Not sure we should keep arguing this. We’re on page 666, so how about we don’t awaken Dark Matter?

Well yes, but actually no. As far as we know, Dark Matter doesn't seem to feed off of negative emotion. It's content to use people as puppets. If anything, the demon most likely to be summoned is Void TerminOH GOD YOU'RE RIGHT **** **** **** IT'S TIME TO STOP

 

[Speed Weed]

Not sure we should keep arguing this. We’re on page 666, so how about we don’t awaken Dark Matter?

page 666 bois, let's do a triple rating of tamagon, cuphead and the boy from time twist since they've all met satan

 

[Lyncario]

page 666 bois, let's do a triple rating of tamagon, cuphead and the boy from time twist since they've all met satan

Please, don't leave Aleph out of this. He met with and defeated Satan too, even if he's mostly known for owning God and then getting owned by God the following second.

 

[SharkLord]

page 666 bois, let's do a triple rating of tamagon, cuphead and the boy from time twist since they've all met satan

Forgetting someone?

Spoiler

 

[Speed Weed]

Please, don't leave Aleph out of this. He met with and defeated Satan too, even if he's mostly known for owning God and then getting owned by God the following second.

FOUR-WAY RATING PEOPLE, LET'S GO

 

[Iko MattOrr]

This is a anatagonist/villain role. I'm referring to protagonist role. There is no "main trio" in Kirby because Kirby, MK and DDD have never been together never in a group with BWD.

1. It's been explained that part of BWD's role in the series is increase the popularity of Waddle Dees. This can explain why "Bandana Waddle Dee" isn't always referred to as such. Also, why does he need to be called "Bandana Waddle Dee" when it's been made clear the even when the name is just "Waddle Dee" but looks likes "Bandana Waddle Dee" that it's still the same character as "Bandana Waddle Dee"?
2. Meta Knight should've appeared in Triple Deluxe's story. Where was he? I don't know. Blame the writers.
3. No one is arguing BWD is playable in Battle Royale, just that he had a major role in the story.

1. ok, that's fine
2. No he shouldn't because he's not involved in the story of that game. Metaknight not being in TDX is not a sign of him being less important, he just skipped that game because he had no place in it but he's still a main character. In the same way, appearing in every game in the series means nothing if those appearances don't leave any impact in the games. When Metaknight appears in a game he's usually a major character.
3. Ok, but that's my point. If he's a main character why they replaced him with a regular waddle dee in playable mode? Maybe because waddle dee as a species gets the priority over the specific version that's Bandana? Bandana himself exists to make waddle dees as a speices more popular right? So it makes sense that when he's getting "too major" they instantly replace him with a waddle dee without a bandana.

1. I don't think his extremely minor Mass Attack appearance helped him all that much but to each their own.
2. Magolor was an active character but never depicted as a group with Kirby, MK and DDD.
3. Magolor is more of a mascot for Team Kirby Clash like BWD is for Battle Royale, so it doesn't surprise me. The only difference is that Magolor gets to use Gem Apples in Star Allies, while BWD doesn't get his parasol.

1. ...ok?
2. And does it change anything? He's depicted as an important character, that's what counts.
3. And that's still part of my point. Bandana Waddle Dee could have got the parasol and references to Battle Royale in the moveset, though they didn't do it with him, they did it with Magolor instead.

1. I think it's pretty sad that you need more evidence that BWD is apart of the main cast even after all his prominence in the games and in the main RTDL group. I think you're letting your biases cloud your mind.
2. Show me a game (or even official artwork) with Kirby, MK, DDD, and the Animal Friends are portrayed as a group together. I'll wait.
3. Why don't Rainbow Curse and Battle Royale count though as the roles you are asking for?

1. Don't talk about bias please.
2. The animals are depicted as a group with Kirby, and occasionally and Gooey, in two main series games. Dedede is possessed and Metaknight was still not a main character in those games, so it's natural they aren't depicted as a group together. But if you really want it I can do it in Star Allies, nothing is preventing me from making such a group, in fact that's the point of the Dream Friends feature. Does it not count because there are other possible combinations? If you want an official artwork with Kirby, Metaknight, Dedede and the animals depicted as a group, then look near the end of this video https://twitter.com/KirbyCafeJP/status/1236848284838162433 there are a bunch of waddle dees and a couple of random enemies too but it seems that those characters are used for the main campaing of Kirby Cafe this year. Bandana Dee is nowhere to be seen, there's Kawasaki though.
3. Because they are not main series titles, they are spin-offs, and not even particularily successful. If you count those, you also have to count Kirby Star Stacker and Super Star Stacker.

And BTW

Spoiler

There are more pictures from Super Star Stacker, Dream Land 2 and 3 but I don't want to post them because Internet is slow. If you have some basic knownledge of Kirby you know that they are the main group of friends in those games, no need to prove it.

Agreed but no one's arguing that the stickers are the ONLY proof there is.View attachment 277174

Ok but remember that Springman being in the front of all the promotional material of ARMS meant nothing for him.

 

[DanganZilla5]

These reratings have definitely sparked a lot of conversations which is great after so many days where everyone posts their ratings and most people move on, which is perfectly ok but it's more interesting scrolling here when there are debates going on.

 

[DanganZilla5]

double post. delete

 

[TCT~Phantom]

Not sure we should keep arguing this. We’re on page 666, so how about we don’t awaken Dark Matter?

Too Late. You revealed my true form.

 

[WeirdChillFever]

Okay I’ve finally done the research and I have come to the conclusion that Iko MattOrr ....has a point to make.

Or at least, I understand where they’re coming from.

Spoilers for the Kirby series below.

If you look at most Dream Friends, they tend to follow a pattern: They appear in their main game, scoop up a return in another game and the rest gets padded with Stone cameos before Star Allies came around.
Marx? Super Star as main game, returns in Mass Attack, disappears in cameos before Star Allies rolls around.
Gooey? Appears in Dream Land 2, gets a bigger role in 3...then disappears until Star Allies.
Animal Buddies, same deal, except they’re cameo kings.
Magolor? Big debut in Return to Dream Land, lands a role in Dream Collection and then entirely disappears until Star Allies.
Dark Meta Knight? Big debut in Amazing Mirror, sneak return in Triple Deluxe. Then nothing. Then Star Allies.

Etcetera etcetera. One big debut game, a return and a Star Allies.

Bandana Dee adds something to that pattern. (Which for him is: Big Hit in Return to Dream Land, return in Rainbow Curse, then Star Allies.)
Bandana Dee, instead of disappearing off the face of the earth, appears in ”helper roles”. It‘s a step up from a Stone cameo, but you could argue they aren’t full roles and not the insane difference between life and death. Bandana Dee appears in most modern Kirby games in these roles, whose importance can be debated. I’m not an expert on Kirby, just a pencil-pusher who stared at the Kirby wiki out of spite.

But I see a point. Do I think anyone is more important than Dee? (At least out of the featured Dream Friends?) No. Too many of these simply disappeared for ten years or so and are practically one-hit wonders. But so far, Bandana Dee could be argued to be a few apple throws away from the same pattern.

 

[Troykv]

I remember Kirby and Dedede were originally the characters that were given "major roles" originally, and in fact, prior to Amazing Mirror, Dedede appeared in every single Kirby game, even the ones where he's presence was kind of unneeded.

I think the problem with Bandana Dee, who while is clear he's treated differently from the other "secondary characters", he really needs something to set himself apart completely of the secondary characters to make even Iko see him as a main character.

And well, the way to do so, it's create a Metaknightmare for Bandana Dee, or another other kind of sub-game specifically Bandana Dee themed.

(The other idea I have is make him a more active member in the story, and of course, get access to him early for the sake of having more cutscenes with him xD)

page 666 bois, let's do a triple rating of tamagon, cuphead and the boy from time twist since they've all met satan

THE NATAS IS COMING

 

[SharkLord]

1. ok, that's fine
2. No he shouldn't because he's not involved in the story of that game. Metaknight not being in TDX is not a sign of him being less important, he just skipped that game because he had no place in it but he's still a main character. In the same way, appearing in every game in the series means nothing if those appearances don't leave any impact in the games. When Metaknight appears in a game he's usually a major character.
3. Ok, but that's my point. If he's a main character why they replaced him with a regular waddle dee in playable mode? Maybe because waddle dee as a species gets the priority over the specific version that's Bandana? Bandana himself exists to make waddle dees as a speices more popular right? So it makes sense that when he's getting "too major" they instantly replace him with a waddle dee without a bandana.

That... Doesn't make sense at all. Why would you introduce a character, push him a decent amount, then get rid of him when he gets popular because you pushed him in the first place? Besides, a Dee is a Dee; Bandana Dee counts a Dee and logically could be used as a way to represent the Dees. Can't answer why he's story mode exclusive, but he still plays a decent role in the story mode.
The Meta Knight bit, Bandana Dee's still makes some degree of an impact. He gives aids Kirby on his quest, either by fighting alongside him or by giving him food. If we're basing this off of modern titles, Meta plays the same role as BWD in RtDL, and in Star Allies he's the same, just with a boss fight. The only time he could be considered a full-on secondary protagonist is in Robobot.

1. ...ok?
2. And does it change anything? He's depicted as an important character, that's what counts.
3. And that's still part of my point. Bandana Waddle Dee could have got the parasol and references to Battle Royale in the moveset, though they didn't do it with him, they did it with Magolor instead.

Point 2 does mean something. If Magolor is the fourth main character, why is he not regularly depicted with the other three when someone else is? Just because he's an important character doesn't mean he's part of the most important characters.
As for point three, we already have a Parasol Dee. Bandana Dee is the only one who uses the Spear ability because Spear Waddle Dees are the ones who give that ability, which would make Bandana redundant. Bandana Dee is considered more important than the Spear ability, and so he is added over the Spear Dees.

1. Don't talk about bias please.
2. The animals are depicted as a group with Kirby, and occasionally and Gooey, in two main series games. Dedede is possessed and Metaknight was still not a main character in those games, so it's natural they aren't depicted as a group together. But if you really want it I can do it in Star Allies, nothing is preventing me from making such a group, in fact that's the point of the Dream Friends feature. Does it not count because there are other possible combinations? If you want an official artwork with Kirby, Metaknight, Dedede and the animals depicted as a group, then look near the end of this video https://twitter.com/KirbyCafeJP/status/1236848284838162433 there are a bunch of waddle dees and a couple of random enemies too but it seems that those characters are used for the main campaing of Kirby Cafe this year. Bandana Dee is nowhere to be seen, there's Kawasaki though.
3. Because they are not main series titles, they are spin-offs, and not even particularily successful. If you count those, you also have to count Kirby Star Stacker and Super Star Stacker.

And BTW

Spoiler

There are more pictures from Super Star Stacker, Dream Land 2 and 3 but I don't want to post them because Internet is slow. If you have some basic knownledge of Kirby you know that they are the main group of friends in those games, no need to prove it.

1. I don't mean to be rude, but are pretty biased. You just waltz in, try to discredit the Dee, and then deny any evidence we give you. We get it, you don't like him and you're allowed to do that, but your opinion doesn't apply to the developers of Smash OR Kirby.
2. Bandana Dee is depicted as a group with Kirby, Meta Knigh, and King Dedede in two main series games as well, plus multiple supplementary materials and collectables. Keep in mind that these sources are from the 2010's, while the Animal Friends and Gooey fell out of relevance after the Dark Matter Trilogy.
3. Star Stacker was from the SNES era while Rainbow Curse and Battle Royale are modern titles, and so they reflect who is considered relevant at the time. Super Star Stacker is a remake that didn't even get a localization. As for the success bit, as far as I know none of the spinoffs discussed have had their sales made public, so we can't really say anything about that.

Ok but remember that Springman being in the front of all the promotional material of ARMS meant nothing for him.

You're right, Bandana Dee isn't pushed as the face of the series-Kirby is. Kirby's already in Smash, and so are the next most important characters, Meta Knight and Dedede. That roadblock is gone.
Plus, ARMS is a new IP with only a single game. Kirby is a decades-old franchise with many mainline and spinoff titles. It's not a one-to-one comparison.

Too Late. You revealed my true form.

 

[WeirdChillFever]

I think...the point is that there is no “fourth Kirby main character” and that we’re in a Star Fox/DK if Dixie is added situation where there’s multiple options of characters who all have a decent resume.

Or at the very least a Mario situation where Toad is the important choice but he’s getting so interchanged with his regular/generic form that other characters are also on the table. Magolor isn’t ”the fourth” in the same way Bowser Jr. and Rosalina weren’t “the fifth”. Toad comparison is risky since they’re different series and different characters but it’s the best I can think of.

The legendary ARMS argument then becomes that stickers, artworks etc. are all what puts Bandana Dee in that position of main character...

if you take away helping roles.

Like, it’s not the soundest of logics but there’s a point

 

[3BitSaurus]

Bandana Dee adds something to that pattern. (Which for him is: Big Hit in Return to Dream Land, return in Rainbow Curse, then Star Allies.)
Bandana Dee, instead of disappearing off the face of the earth, appears in ”helper roles”. It‘s a step up from a Stone cameo, but you could argue they aren’t full roles and not the insane difference between life and death. Bandana Dee appears in most modern Kirby games in these roles, whose importance can be debated. I’m not an expert on Kirby, just a pencil-pusher who stared at the Kirby wiki out of spite.

But I see a point. Do I think anyone is more important than Dee? (At least out of the featured Dream Friends?) No. Too many of these simply disappeared for ten years or so and are practically one-hit wonders. But so far, Bandana Dee could be argued to be a few apple throws away from the same pattern.

True, but at the same time, it's already way more than other Kirby characters (aside from the ones already in Smash) have.

Right now, I really don't see the Animal Friends or Magolor getting a spotlight in favor of BWD. Because whether or not the latter disappears for a few games from now on, it doesn't change the fact that BWD is still one of the main playable characters currently.

 

[WeirdChillFever]

True, but at the same time, it's already way more than other Kirby characters (aside from the ones already in Smash) have.

Right now, I really don't see the Animal Friends or Magolor getting a spotlight in favor of BWD. Because whether or not the latter disappears for a few games from now on, it doesn't change the fact that BWD is still one of the main playable characters currently.

Well that’s the thing, aside from Rainbow Curse and Star Allies, his biggest role yet in Kirby‘s Return to Dreamland was a while ago. Bandana Dee just bridged the gap with relentless helping-handiness instead of dropping into obscure Stone-cameos like the rest of em.

Again, other Dream Friends might not surpass or match him in importance, but there’s arguments to be made for Bandana Dee’s “number four status” to be more akin to Slippy’s than Dixie‘s

 

[Royalty1702]

Ok but remember that Springman being in the front of all the promotional material of ARMS meant nothing for him.

Okay but remember the director of ARMS isn't the director of Kirby.

1. Don't talk about bias please.
2. The animals are depicted as a group with Kirby, and occasionally and Gooey, in two main series games. Dedede is possessed and Metaknight was still not a main character in those games, so it's natural they aren't depicted as a group together. But if you really want it I can do it in Star Allies, nothing is preventing me from making such a group, in fact that's the point of the Dream Friends feature. Does it not count because there are other possible combinations? If you want an official artwork with Kirby, Metaknight, Dedede and the animals depicted as a group, then look near the end of this video https://twitter.com/KirbyCafeJP/status/1236848284838162433 there are a bunch of waddle dees and a couple of random enemies too but it seems that those characters are used for the main campaing of Kirby Cafe this year. Bandana Dee is nowhere to be seen, there's Kawasaki though.
3. Because they are not main series titles, they are spin-offs, and not even particularily successful. If you count those, you also have to count Kirby Star Stacker and Super Star Stacker.

1. Nah, I know bias when I see it.
>inb4 no u
2a. So, DDD and MK weren't a group before then? The reason is completely irrelevant because at the end of the day it's the developers decision to make a character a main character.
2b. As for your Star Allies point, yeah go for it, make your own group but try to find a painting with Kirby, MK, and the Animal Friends as a group. Go for it.
2c. As for your Kirby Cafe vid, yeah because a video of a get-together made to promote merch totally debunks my point.
3a. Okay...?
3b. What about RTDL?

1. ...ok?
2. And does it change anything? He's depicted as an important character, that's what counts.
3. And that's still part of my point. Bandana Waddle Dee could have got the parasol and references to Battle Royale in the moveset, though they didn't do it with him, they did it with Magolor instead.

2. No, the main reason BWD is recognized as a main character is because of his prominence with Kirby, MK, and DDD. It definitely matters if Magolor isn't in the same boat.
3. You're right on this point. I still don't know why the developers didn't do that.
>inb4 you try to give a very reasonable, unbiased (*sarcasm*) explanation

1. No he shouldn't because he's not involved in the story of that game. Metaknight not being in TDX is not a sign of him being less important, he just skipped that game because he had no place in it but he's still a main character. In the same way, appearing in every game in the series means nothing if those appearances don't leave any impact in the games. When Metaknight appears in a game he's usually a major character.
2. Ok, but that's my point. If he's a main character why they replaced him with a regular waddle dee in playable mode? Maybe because waddle dee as a species gets the priority over the specific version that's Bandana? Bandana himself exists to make waddle dees as a speices more popular right? So it makes sense that when he's getting "too major" they instantly replace him with a waddle dee without a bandana.

1. I disagree. If a character appears in many (by which I mean 5+) games (mainline or spin-off), with either supporting or major roles, that character has an impact on the franchise and is important to it.
2a. Hot take: Non-playable doesn't mean non-main character.
2b. What are you on about? I never argued that BWD was more important to the franchise than Waddle Dee. I simply said that he was apart of the main cast. Waddle Dee is the Dragon Quest Slime of Kirby. I also don't think BWD is as important as Whispy Woods but I don't think Whispy Woods is a main character either.

 

[3BitSaurus]

Well that’s the thing, aside from Rainbow Curse and Star Allies, his biggest role yet in Kirby‘s Return to Dreamland was a while ago. Bandana Dee just bridged the gap with relentless helping-handiness instead of dropping into obscure Stone-cameos like the rest of em.

Again, other Dream Friends might not surpass or match him in importance, but there’s arguments to be made for Bandana Dee’s “number four status” to be more akin to Slippy’s than Dixie‘s

I mean... yeah, of course they're not the same, Dixie is basically the protagonist of a mainline DKC game (along with Kiddy).

But even so, if there ever was a "number four" to be chosen at this moment in time... you'd have to work a lot to convince me it wouldn't be Dee.

The Animal Friends/Gooey? They were gone for so long, I doubt they'll be reintroduced to the mainline outside of Star Allies anytime soon.

Marx? He's a boss in Smash already. Not a Spirit, not an AT - a full-on boss.

Magolor? Had the spotlight for just one game, and didn't become playable until Star Allies, despite his popularity.

BWD is not the same as Dixie in DKC, for sure... but he's had playable roles, he's often depicted with the rest of the crew and the last few years were better to him than any other character mentioned before. Could that change? Yes, but as of now, I think a fourth Kirby character would be Dee.

Only thing I see going against him is the lack of modern Kirby elements in Smash. Which technically also goes against most other popular Kirby character aside from, like, the Animal Friends and Gooey.

 

[WeirdChillFever]

I mean... yeah, of course they're not the same, Dixie is basically the protagonist of a mainline DKC game (along with Kiddy).

But even so, if there ever was a "number four" to be chosen at this moment in time... you'd have to work a lot to convince me it wouldn't be Dee.

The Animal Friends/Gooey? They were gone for so long, I doubt they'll be reintroduced to the mainline outside of Star Allies anytime soon.

Marx? He's a boss in Smash already. Not a Spirit, not an AT - a full-on boss.

Magolor? Had the spotlight for just one game, and didn't become playable until Star Allies, despite his popularity.

BWD is not the same as Dixie in DKC, for sure... but he's had playable roles, he's often depicted with the rest of the crew and the last few years were better to him than any other character mentioned before. Could that change? Yes, but as of now, I think a fourth Kirby character would be Dee.

Only thing I see going against him is the lack of modern Kirby elements in Smash. Which technically also goes against most other popular Kirby character aside from, like, the Animal Friends and Gooey.

Right, it would and if we’re going by most speculation ideas, should be Dee, but that’s because other characters are mostly one-offs that enjoy little demand for Smash, not because of Bandana Dee being streets ahead by himself.

It’s semantics, and doesn’t change the situation as far as Smash is confirmed a whole lot (outside of a Rosalina situation where moveset > importance or the possibility of a Skull Kid-like demand arising for one of the one-offs, making Bandee the Tingle or Impa of the bunch) but it does make Iko’s point easier to understand and could shift discussion because of that.
That’s why it seems Iko is arguing against Bandana Dee instead of in favor of someone else: Even if Bandana Dee is not ‘’he fourth”, there’s still no other character that comes to mind to fill the gap (although Marx, if he weren’t a boss, would be closest imo)

 

[JCKirbs]

The way I see it, it could be argued that Bandana Dee needs more growth in the franchise to be truly seen as a main character.

After all, Dedede and Meta Knight had almost three decades worth of appearances and roles within the franchise until the Modern Era of Kirby began with Bandana Dee.

However, I still think that Bandana Dee can still be considered a main character only because HAL hasn't genuienly let go of him since 2011.

Instead of them dropping him in the dirt after RTDL, they kept him around for other roles in practically every other game that came after it.

Essentially, he was "waiting his turn" by starring in spin-offs like Rainbow Curse and Battle Royale while Dedede and Meta Knight had starring roles in the core mainline games, being Triple Deluxe and Planet Robobot respectively. Although, that didn't stop him from assisting Kirby anyway with healing items and such.

Star Allies came around and flipped the system on its head, however, but it still gave Bandana Dee a role early into the game as a Dream Friend.

He was also supposed to get his own special mode akin to Dedede Tour and Meta Knightmare in Star Allies, but it was extended into a "Helper to Hero" situation with all of the playable characters instead.

Even then, it's pretty clear that HAL wants to give Bandana Dee a more bigger spotlight than before, so hopefully even the next Kirby game will do just that.

Overall though, as far as i'm concerned, the same idea couldn't automatically be applied to other characters like the remaining (non-Dedede & Meta Knight) Dream Friends or simple Waddle Dees who have still shown nothing much beyond what they've been doing since 1992. Which is basically why I believe that Bandana Dee as a main character is something that can still be rightfully argued.

 

[chocolatejr9]

Too Late. You revealed my true form.

Alright, where'd I put my exorcism kit?

 

[SharkLord]

The way I see it, it could be argued that Bandana Dee needs more growth in the franchise to be truly seen as a main character.

After all, Dedede and Meta Knight had almost three decades worth of appearances and roles within the franchise until the Modern Era of Kirby began with Bandana Dee.

However, I still think that Bandana Dee can still be considered a main character only because HAL hasn't genuienly let go of him since 2011.

Instead of them dropping him in the dirt after RTDL, they kept him around for other roles in practically every other game that came after it.

Essentially, he was "waiting his turn" by starring in spin-offs like Rainbow Curse and Battle Royale while Dedede and Meta Knight had starring roles in the core mainline games, being Triple Deluxe and Planet Robobot respectively. Although, that didn't stop him from assisting Kirby anyway with healing items and such.

Star Allies came around and flipped the system on its head, however, but it still gave Bandana Dee a role early into the game as a Dream Friend.

He was also supposed to get his own special mode akin to Dedede Tour and Meta Knightmare in Star Allies, but it was extended into a "Helper to Hero" situation with all of the playable characters instead.

Even then, it's pretty clear that HAL wants to give Bandana Dee a more bigger spotlight than before, so hopefully even the next Kirby game will do just that.

Overall though, as far as i'm concerned, the same idea couldn't automatically be applied to other characters like the remaining (non-Dedede & Meta Knight) Dream Friends or simple Waddle Dees who have still shown nothing much beyond what they've been doing since 1992. Which is basically why I believe that Bandana Dee as a main character is something that can still be rightfully argued.

Agreed. In the interview a couple posts back, they spoke of BWD alongside Meta Knight, Dedede, and Kirby, and talked about how he was supposed to get an extra mode before it was expanded into Guest Star and covered everyone. There's also the fact that he was considered a representative of Waddle Dees, which are given a fair share of marketing in the series. You could easily have him represent both his own character and Waddle Dees as a whole.

 

[WeirdChillFever]

Right, even if you argue the helper-based roles don’t mean much, I don’t see anyone who then overtakes Bandana Dee in importance. Pessimistic models for Bandana Dee might make it closer, but he’s still left with a similar structure to all the others. Even Magolor, who is the next most relevant, gets his relevance from Gem Apple hijinx in one of those bazillion spin-offs, a bridging role similar to those Bandana Dee has been churning out. Then, for Smash of course, there‘s the fact that Bandana Dee has not only by far the most demand of all Kirby characters, but is a top 5 request for first parties in general.
If you discredit Bandana Dee’s roles, you also discredit his competitors‘. If you argue helper roles don’t make an impact on the story, neither do the times Galacta Knight was a secret boss or Daroach talks to you in Mass Attack or one of the villains return as a secret boss. If he doesn’t represent Waddle Dees as a whole, then it’s hard to argue Marx actually does stand in for all of the ”two-staged creepy dimension buster villains” that also recur throughout the series.

 

[SharkLord]

Right, even if you argue the helper-based roles don’t mean much, I don’t see anyone who then overtakes Bandana Dee in importance. Pessimistic models for Bandana Dee might make it closer, but he’s still left with a similar structure to all the others. Even Magolor, who is the next most relevant, gets his relevance from Gem Apple hijinx in one of those bazillion spin-offs, a bridging role similar to those Bandana Dee has been churning out. Then, for Smash of course, there‘s the fact that Bandana Dee has not only by far the most demand of all Kirby characters, but is a top 5 request for first parties in general.
If you discredit Bandana Dee’s roles, you also discredit his competitors‘. If you argue helper roles don’t make an impact on the story, neither do the times Galacta Knight was a secret boss or Daroach talks to you in Mass Attack or one of the villains return as a secret boss. If he doesn’t represent Waddle Dees as a whole, then it’s hard to argue Marx actually does stand in for all of the ”two-staged creepy dimension buster villains” that also recur throughout the series.

Huh. Never though of it that way, but you have a point. You could argue that he's not a full main character yet, but all the ways you could try to discredit him would discredit him competitors too, leaving us with nobody who could actually challenge his position. And, of course, fan demand; It's not going to decide everything, but paired with everything else going for him, I'd argue the only real obstacle he has left is if Sakurai and Nintendo will actually choose him.

 

[Iko MattOrr]

The way I see it, it could be argued that Bandana Dee needs more growth in the franchise to be truly seen as a main character.

After all, Dedede and Meta Knight had almost three decades worth of appearances and roles within the franchise until the Modern Era of Kirby began with Bandana Dee.

However, I still think that Bandana Dee can still be considered a main character only because HAL hasn't genuienly let go of him since 2011.

Instead of them dropping him in the dirt after RTDL, they kept him around for other roles in practically every other game that came after it.

Essentially, he was "waiting his turn" by starring in spin-offs like Rainbow Curse and Battle Royale while Dedede and Meta Knight had starring roles in the core mainline games, being Triple Deluxe and Planet Robobot respectively. Although, that didn't stop him from assisting Kirby anyway with healing items and such.

Star Allies came around and flipped the system on its head, however, but it still gave Bandana Dee a role early into the game as a Dream Friend.

He was also supposed to get his own special mode akin to Dedede Tour and Meta Knightmare in Star Allies, but it was extended into a "Helper to Hero" situation with all of the playable characters instead.

Even then, it's pretty clear that HAL wants to give Bandana Dee a more bigger spotlight than before, so hopefully even the next Kirby game will do just that.

Overall though, as far as i'm concerned, the same idea couldn't automatically be applied to other characters like the remaining (non-Dedede & Meta Knight) Dream Friends or simple Waddle Dees who have still shown nothing much beyond what they've been doing since 1992. Which is basically why I believe that Bandana Dee as a main character is something that can still be rightfully argued.

I respect this way of thinking and I think it's way better than what happend earlier in the thread.

Anyway, I disagree with that bolded part. I think that it's too early to judge. Clearly, the other characters (Dream Friends and not) were not given much spotlight before the Star Allies DLCs existed, but I'm pretty sure that the DLC cycle of that game has changed the things. Despite selling well enough, the game has got mixed reviews before the DLCs were a thing, it was considered mediocre by many fans. The DLCs brought some hype back to the game, people started to like it more, and I think that nostalgia was not the only reason for that.

Considering the following that they had on the Kirby Twitter page, the Dream Friends were a success. Probably HAL realized that there are people who liked those characters and that leaving them in the dust was a bad idea. I'm expecting to see them again in the future, maybe to be playable again too.

I remember that recently the developers talked about the future of Kirby (can't remember if it was an interview or what), they said that there's gonna be a lot of variety in the future of Kirby, and they're also interested in a non-action spin-off. So, with a new main game and spin offs in the horizon, anything can happen, any character can be given more spotlight, especially if "variety" will be the focus. I think that before reaching conclusions, we should at least wait for the first game/wave of games of the post-Dream-Friends era to see what they are planning to do with them, if it was just an one time nostalgia gimmick or if they are intended to keep them around.

What I mean is that if all those old characters start to appear more often and get roles in new games, they would stop being "one offs" and they would become regular characters... it would change their position a bit and would bring them closer to how people usually see BWD. It all depends on what will happen in the future games. I'm pretty confident that all those side characters will return in a way or another, all together or only a few rotating between games I'm not sure, but it's very likely that they will.

 

[SharkLord]

I respect this way of thinking and I think it's way better than what happend earlier in the thread.

Anyway, I disagree with that bolded part. I think that it's too early to judge. Clearly, the other characters (Dream Friends and not) were not given much spotlight before the Star Allies DLCs existed, but I'm pretty sure that the DLC cycle of that game has changed the things. Despite selling well enough, the game has got mixed reviews before the DLCs were a thing, it was considered mediocre by many fans. The DLCs brought some hype back to the game, people started to like it more, and I think that nostalgia was not the only reason for that.

Considering the following that they had on the Kirby Twitter page, the Dream Friends were a success. Probably HAL realized that there are people who liked those characters and that leaving them in the dust was a bad idea. I'm expecting to see them again in the future, maybe to be playable again too.

I remember that recently the developers talked about the future of Kirby (can't remember if it was an interview or what), they said that there's gonna be a lot of variety in the future of Kirby, and they're also interested in a non-action spin-off. So, with a new main game and spin offs in the horizon, anything can happen, any character can be given more spotlight, especially if "variety" will be the focus. I think that before reaching conclusions, we should at least wait for the first game/wave of games of the post-Dream-Friends era to see what they are planning to do with them, if it was just an one time nostalgia gimmick or if they are intended to keep them around.

What I mean is that if all those old characters start to appear more often and get roles in new games, they would stop being "one offs" and they would become regular characters... it would change their position a bit and would bring them closer to how people usually see BWD. It all depends on what will happen in the future games. I'm pretty confident that all those side characters will return in a way or another, all together or only a few rotating between games I'm not sure, but it's very likely that they will.

But they haven't yet, and there's nothing to give extreme credence to either way. Even if they do, Bandana Dee's still the most important character not in Smash at the moment, which would be around the same time DLCs were chosen. Unless Sakurai has a fully-functioning replica of the Monado on hand or something, he can't tell what the next Kirby game will hold, and so he'd be more likely to choose the one with modern importance and popularity.

It should also be noted that from the interview posted, Kumazaki spoke of BWD in fairly high regard, mentioning him alongside the main trio and noting that A: He's a representative of the Dees, and B: He was supposed to get an extra mode like Meta Knight and Dedede. Even if more characters are brought back, I don't see them shoving Bandana Dee off to the side after spending most of the 2010's giving him attention.

 

[Royalty1702]

The DLC Dream Friends will inevitably be in future games. It's hard to argue otherwise when Star Allies was a huge success. The question of whether they are going to replace or catch up to BWD depends on if they decide to drop BWD for Gooey or anyone else who had a history with being Kirby's sidekick.

I think it's unlikely, especially after looking at the HAL's 40th Anniversary artwork, that BWD is going to be dropped anytime soon or that the Dream Friends will catch up to him.

 

[JCKirbs]

I respect this way of thinking and I think it's way better than what happend earlier in the thread.

Anyway, I disagree with that bolded part. I think that it's too early to judge. Clearly, the other characters (Dream Friends and not) were not given much spotlight before the Star Allies DLCs existed, but I'm pretty sure that the DLC cycle of that game has changed the things. Despite selling well enough, the game has got mixed reviews before the DLCs were a thing, it was considered mediocre by many fans. The DLCs brought some hype back to the game, people started to like it more, and I think that nostalgia was not the only reason for that.

Considering the following that they had on the Kirby Twitter page, the Dream Friends were a success. Probably HAL realized that there are people who liked those characters and that leaving them in the dust was a bad idea. I'm expecting to see them again in the future, maybe to be playable again too.

I remember that recently the developers talked about the future of Kirby (can't remember if it was an interview or what), they said that there's gonna be a lot of variety in the future of Kirby, and they're also interested in a non-action spin-off. So, with a new main game and spin offs in the horizon, anything can happen, any character can be given more spotlight, especially if "variety" will be the focus. I think that before reaching conclusions, we should at least wait for the first game/wave of games of the post-Dream-Friends era to see what they are planning to do with them, if it was just an one time nostalgia gimmick or if they are intended to keep them around.

What I mean is that if all those old characters start to appear more often and get roles in new games, they would stop being "one offs" and they would become regular characters... it would change their position a bit and would bring them closer to how people usually see BWD. It all depends on what will happen in the future games. I'm pretty confident that all those side characters will return in a way or another, all together or only a few rotating between games I'm not sure, but it's very likely that they will.

Fair enough, perhaps I was merely jumping the gun with that bolded bit like you mentioned.

I wouldn't necessarily be surprised if HAL realized that they could use the Dream Friends for more than just a get-together in the future.

For now though, I've been holding Bandana Dee to a higher regard for the constant strides (significant or subtle) which he has been making during the Modern Kirby era in order to establish himself as a main character.

That, on top of my personal liking towards the character is why I think he's the best candidate for Smash at the moment, and in his own right (without being compared to other characters).

Whether or not another pre-established Kirby character will follow suit is up to HAL, but perhaps it's not impossible.

 

[Dukemon102]

But they haven't yet, and there's nothing to give extreme credence to either way. Even if they do, Bandana Dee's still the most important character not in Smash at the moment, which would be around the same time DLCs were chosen. Unless Sakurai has a fully-functioning replica of the Monado on hand or something, he can't tell what the next Kirby game will hold, and so he'd be more likely to choose the one with modern importance and popularity.

It should also be noted that from the interview posted, Kumazaki spoke of BWD in fairly high regard, mentioning him alongside the main trio and noting that A: He's a representative of the Dees, and B: He was supposed to get an extra mode like Meta Knight and Dedede. Even if more characters are brought back, I don't see them shoving Bandana Dee off to the side after spending most of the 2010's giving him attention.

Exactly, we are talking about the present here. Whatever might happen in the future is irrelevant because no one knows, I know some characters wouldn't be in the roster if Sakurai had future sight ().

About the main character talk, let's think about the intro / opening of a show. The characters you see presented and showcased there (With credits naming them in live actions) are without a doubt the main characters, because they constantly appear in every episode. They might take an abscence but in a very rare ocassion and the show usually explains why they aren't present (But not always). Those characters can have minor or major roles depending on the episode, but they are still main characters because they always appear.

Back to the video game format. If a character from previous games that had a similar role to Bandana Dee was written off and suddenly returned, that's irrelevant to the current important character, characters sharing roles don't invalidate each other. The animal friends, Adeleine or others that were brought back in Star Allies don't suddenly make Bandana Dee's superior track record null. They haven't been omnipresent in the series since 2008, Bandana Dee has. It's like trying to say professor E. Gadd has the same importance as Captain Toad just because he suddenly returned.
Right now, Bandana Dee is a main character in the Kirby game series and 12 years of Kirby games since Super Star Ultra prove it. Websites and promotional material are not the actual Kirby games.

 

[warpenguin55]

Not sure we should keep arguing this. We’re on page 666, so how about we don’t awaken Dark Matter?

We should be rating Hades on this page

 

[Jomosensual]

We should be rating Hades on this page

We should rate Hades in general. Don't think we've done him yet