There’s always a thrill of unlocking new characters, and Kirby Air Riders features plenty of playable characters from the start. However, acquiring a special Rider like Noir Dedede demands a little more. Unlocking him is a real show of dedication and skill in flying through everything the game has to offer. It’s the ultimate flex symbol for players who complete 100% progress and collect every hidden machine.
In this guide, I’ll be walking you through all the steps to unlocking Noir Dedede and making sure you’ve got all the secret tips covered.
The Path To Noir Dedede
The obvious requirement is to complete the Road Trip mode once. Nothing special unlocks until you’ve done that, and after your first playthrough from Stage 1 to the Final stage, you’ll unlock New Game Plus (NG+). This mode slaps a few extra challenges to the mix and revisits the game, but the real mission is to collect all 22 standard machines scattered in NG+. At least the stages are tagged to show which machines are missing and where you can obtain them.
Once you’ve collected all 22 machines, the game’s true ending will be revealed. To unlock Noir Dedede, make sure you’ve beaten the true final boss in Stage 12, Journey’s End — a hidden final stage within Road Trip. After finishing the stage, Noir Dedede gets introduced in a cutscene as a playable rider.
This takes grind, and it’s more like a medal of honor for players who put in real effort into 100% completion. You really have to dig in and explore, especially in NG+ and those last stages. But hey, that’s what makes unlocking this shadow monarch feel earned.
Unlock Him Faster
While the grind can be intense, there are still a few ways to unlock Noir Dedede more efficiently. You should always pick your best Air Ride Machines, as some of them make collecting other machines or defeating bosses easier.
On top of that, getting a decent grasp of the game’s controls and figuring out a few fastest routes in Road Trip or City Trial will get you to the end quicker.
Is Noir Dedede Worth The Effort?
Noir Dedede is a powerful, game-changing character that will only redefine your playing style once unlocked. He shakes up how you approach the game, especially in City Trial, where you’ve got new moves and strategies to mess around with.
If you’re looking to put in the time and commit to unlocking Noir Dedede, you’ll not only gain a supreme flex but also end up understanding the game inside out. When you chase 100% completion, you witness all those little details you’d miss otherwise. It’s a satisfying reward and achievement for anyone curious enough to follow through and become the master Rider himself.
