Donkey Kong's trusty partner Diddy Kong uses his light weight and agility to get around quickly! For his Final Smash, Diddy takes to the air with his Rocketbarrel while firing his popguns. The final hit is seriously powerful!
Diddy Kong (ディディーコング, Diddy Kong) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He was officially confirmed on June 12th, 2018 alongside Olimar and the rest of the returning roster. Unlike his previous appearances in the Super Smash Bros. series, Diddy Kong is now an unlockable character instead of a starter character. Diddy Kong is classified as fighter #36.
Diddy Kong once again retains his realistic chimpanzee screeches that were used in both Brawl and Smash 4 instead of being voiced by Katsumi Suzuki.
Having been one of the most notorious top tier fighters in early Super Smash Bros. 4 and remaining a dominant top-tier character throughout the game's lifespan, Diddy Kong was considerably nerfed in the transition to Ultimate. His staple moves have all been worsened in various ways, hindering his once excellent neutral game; the most notable example is his Banana Peel, which cannot be grabbed as quickly due to him releasing it at a higher arc, and although it can now be thrown twice at opponents before disappearing, this also gives them more opportunities to use it against him. Among other examples, Monkey Flip has more ending lag, up aerial is harder to hit due to possessing a large blind spot in front of Diddy, and his up tilt and down tilt, the latter having been previously infamous for easily setting up combos and KO setups into his up smash, have shorter range that makes them harder to take advantage of. Additionally, Rocketbarrel Boost travels a drastically shorter distance when fully charged, and the charge time itself was reduced by a third, to the point that the difference in distance between the uncharged and fully charged version is now barely notable, significantly worsening his already vulnerable recovery. Further exacerbating these nerfs, the universal changes hinder Diddy overall, as the more limited out of shield options and increased lag on grabs weaken his approach and defensive game with Banana Peel, while the faster knockback physics reduce his up throw's combo potential, no longer having reliable combos or KO setups at high percents. Lastly, Diddy's weight has been lowered, making him even easier to KO.
Diddy Kong did receive notable buffs, however. His neutral attack no longer has an infinite portion, which decreases its damage potential but allows it to connect much more reliably, improving its overall consistency and utility as a close range option. Some of his moves also have reduced lag that increases their combo ability, namely his dash attack, up tilt, down aerial, and down throw, the latter working better as an alternative to his up throw at lower percents. Game updates have further enhanced various aspects of Diddy's moveset: his up smash, down smash, and up aerial have increased KO power, his neutral aerial (previously his most situational aerial attack) is considerably more useful due to auto-canceling much earlier and having increased range, and Peanut Popgun deals more damage with a faster charge speed. However, these buffs do not fully compensate for the nerfs to more crucial aspects of Diddy's moveset.
Overall, Diddy Kong's nerfs outweigh his buffs, making him worse than his iteration in Smash 4. During Ultimate's early metagame, his overall perception has been negative, since notable Smash 4 Diddy Kong players such as MVD, Zinoto and Nietono have dropped him in favor of other characters, and he has suffered from minimal tournament representation. However, recent game updates (most notably version 3.1.0) have meaningfully buffed Diddy to a more substantial degree; furthermore, Diddy has started to show signs of competitive success thanks to the efforts of Dakpo, who placed 13th at Low Tier City 7 and 25th at GENESIS 7. Other players such as Aaron, Rivers, and Twinkle have also shown that Diddy still has potential to be a strong pick for tournaments. As a result, Diddy Kong is considered to be a mid-tier character overall, however his viability being a subject of debate.
Aesthetics
Due to the aesthetic used in Ultimate, Diddy Kong's model features a more subdued color scheme. Like Donkey Kong, fur is less detailed and appears flatter. The fabric of his hat and shirt have subtle detail, and his eyes are slightly wider apart.
Diddy Kong faces the foreground at an angle, instead of facing directly forward. In addition, most of his animations are mirrored while some are slightly altered.
Diddy Kong is more expressive, he appears angry during his up and down throw as well as grabbing onto a ledge. His hat also appears to be "looser" around his head, popping off slightly while performing many actions.
Up taunt has an altered ending animation. Diddy Kong now fixes his hat as it lands crooked on his head.
Attributes
Like all characters, Diddy Kong's jumpsquat animation takes 3 frames to complete (down from 4).
The first and second hits have significantly less ending lag (FAF 34 → 20 (hit 1), 37 → 21 (hit 2)), no longer being among the slowest to interrupt.
The first and second hits have altered angles (105°/78°/45° (hit 1), 100°/78°/45° (hit 2) → 361°/180°) and knockback (16/18/24 set/100 scaling → 25/20 base/25/15 scaling (hit 1), 20 base/25/15 scaling (hit 2)) to keep opponents on the ground and closer to Diddy Kong, akin to other neutral attacks. This allows them to connect better and jab lock.
The first hit transitions into the second hit faster (frame 9 → 6), which transitions into the third hit faster (frame 9 → 7). The third hit also has less startup lag (frame 9 → 5).
The first hit can be held for a consecutive jab.
The infinite portion has been removed; the third hit instead launches at a different angle (90°/85°/60° → 361°) and no longer deals set knockback (25/37 set/100 scaling → 60 base/80 scaling).
This makes the neutral attack much more consistent, no longer risking opponents escaping it before the final hit and punishing Diddy Kong. The third hit also has less ending lag compared to the previous neutral infinite's finisher (FAF 39 → 35).
However, the move deals much less damage overall as a result, despite all three hits having their damage values increased (1.2% → 2% (hit 1), 1.2% → 1.5% (hit 2), 2% → 4% (hit 3)). The third hit is also weaker compared to the previous neutral infinite's finisher, no longer KOing under 300% from the center of Final Destination.
All hits have a shorter hitbox duration (2 frames → 1 frame).
All hits have a higher hitlag multiplier (1× → 1.6× (hit 1), 1.2× (hit 2), 2× (hit 3)).
The third hit has an altered animation, being a side kick rather than a back kick.
Forward tilt's arm hitboxes have a longer duration (1 frame → 2 frames), and the hand hitboxes retain full damage for longer before transitioning to sourspots (1 frame → 3 frames), improving the consistency of both the range and damage output of the move.
Forward tilt has more base knockback (10 → 60), but less knockback scaling (100 → 60), and launches at a higher angle (361° → 45°). This increases it safety on hit at low percents, but more drastically reduces its KO potential, and removes its ability to lock.
Up tilt has less ending lag (FAF 33 → 30), improving its combo potential.
It has an altered animation where Diddy Kong does not leap as high, decreasing its vertical range. It can no longer hit opponents on the middle platforms in Battlefield.
Dash attack has less startup (frame 9/18/24 → 8/16/22) and ending lag (FAF 46 → 41), improving its combo potential.
Due to the changes to jostle mechanics, it can no longer whiff if initiated too close to an opponent.
The first and second hits have lower hitlag multipliers (1× → 0.5× (hit 1), 0.8× (hit 2)) and an additional hitbox, as well as different launch angles for aerial opponents, with the second hit's also being larger (3.5u → 4u), allowing the move to connect more reliably.
The second and third hits have a longer hitbox duration (1 frame → 2 frames).
The third hit launches at a slightly higher angle (78° → 83°).
Diddy Kong sports an angry expression at the third hit.
The first hit uses different angles (90°/60°/30° → 10°/45°/80°/22° (clean), 0° (late)) and set knockback values (28/35/42 → 20/35/25/42 (clean), 20 (late)), as well as weight-independent knockback, allowing it to connect more reliably into the second hit.
The second hit has one frame less startup (frame 22 → 21).
However, its total duration remains unchanged, giving it one frame more ending lag.
The first and second hits have received various changes to their angles and set knockback, and the second hit uses weight-independent knockback like the first, allowing the move to connect more reliably.
The third hit deals more knockback (50 base/129 scaling → 55/131).
Neutral aerial has regained its much faster auto-cancel window from Brawl (frame 59 → 27), allowing it to autocancel in a short hop fast fall once again.
Up aerial has less ending lag (FAF 39 → 36), matching its ending lag from Smash 4 prior to update 1.0.8. This allows it to combo slightly better into itself.
It deals more damage (6% → 7%) with only base knockback compensated (64 → 57), slightly improving its KO potential.
The animation at the beginning of the move has been sped up with its hitbox duration unchanged, creating a blind spot in front of Diddy Kong.
Pummel deals more hitlag (4 frames → 11), but has less startup (frame 2 → 1) and significantly less ending lag (FAF 17 → 7), shortening its effective duration.
It deals less damage (2% → 1%).
It has an altered animation where Diddy Kong no longer hops off the ground while pummeling.
The faster knockback physics hinder up throw's combo potential at high percents, no longer having a KO setup into up aerial unless initiated at the top platform of Battlefield.
Peanut Popgun has less startup lag (frame 18 → 16) and charges much faster (frame 120 → 94 (full charge), 123 → 97 (explosion)).
However, its total duration remains unchanged, giving it more ending lag.
It has gained a melee hitbox that deals 3%, increasing its utility at point blank range by allowing it to rack up more damage and negate reflectors.
The peanuts deal more damage (3.6%-12% → 4.8%-13.8%).
Diddy Kong's animation for Peanut Popgun is mirrored, and he can fire with either his left or right hand.
Peanuts bounce once upon hitting the ground, and float upwards before exploding upon hitting an opponent, although these animations are only aesthetic.
The grab has more horizontal range (Z offset: 3u/2u → 4.5u/4u).
The jump attack now immobilises the opponent for a minimum of 20 frames if the hitstun is less than 20 frames, improving its gimping potential and its safety when used onstage.
It has more ending lag (FAF 44 → 48).
The grab's automatic pummel has Diddy Kong repeatedly scratch the opponent instead of simply latching onto them.
Rocketbarrel Boost's clean hit has larger hitboxes (3.5u → 4u).
It grants slightly more distance when uncharged.
Its maximum charge time has been significantly reduced (90 frames → 60), to the point the fully charged version barely grants more distance than the uncharged version if used while falling, greatly hindering Diddy Kong's recovery.
Diddy Kong throws the Banana Peel in a higher arc, causing it to take longer to pick up afterwards.
The Banana Peel can hit opponents twice before disappearing rather than only once, bouncing off in a high arc on the first hit. This allows Diddy Kong to pick it up and throw it again, but shielding opponents can likewise punish Diddy Kong and steal the Banana Peel, leaving him more disadvantaged.
Diddy Kong has a new Final Smash, Hyper Rocketbarrel, which functions differently from Rocketbarrel Barrage. Diddy Kong flies through the stage in an erratic fashion to punch his trapped opponents. The final hit is where Diddy Kong does a delayed, aimed punch, dealing heavy knockback. Diddy Kong then lands and deactivates his Rocketbarrel Pack at the spot where he first used the move.
However, they deal less damage at full charge (15% → 13.8%).
Diddy Kong falls slower while charging Rocketbarrel Boost. This only applies for the first charge, Diddy will not stall using it repeatedly without landing.
Rocketbarrel Boost travels more vertical distance when charged.
The glitch that resulted Rocketbarrel Boost to disappear instantaneous when hit by a certain move (ex. Palutena's neutral aerial) during the release has been fixed.
Diddy Kong does two alternating inward slaps, followed by an outward sidekick. Holding the attack button will have Diddy Kong repeat the first hit. The first 2 hits can lock.
Diddy Kong swats in the air above him with a slap in a similar fashion to an uppercut. Hits quite quickly and can combo into most of Diddy Kong's aerial attacks at low to mid percent ranges.
Diddy Kong claps in front of himself while crouching. An extremely versatile combo starter, as it can combo into a variety of moves at nearly any percentage, including down tilt to up smash as a notorious KO confirm.
Diddy Kong performs his signature Cartwheel attack from Donkey Kong Country, concluding with a double-handed ground-slap. The final hit has largely vertical knockback and can combo into aerials at low to mid percent ranges.
Diddy Kong jumps forward while spinning, and performs an open-handed slap followed by a spinning back fist with his opposite arm. The first hit combos into the second, which has good knockback and killing power. However, it is easily punished if missed. Often only used in combination with his banana peel.
Diddy Kong does an aerial cartwheel similar to his dash attack. Very high ending lag, so much so that Diddy Kong should avoid using this move offstage. However, it does a low amount of vertical knockback, which can lead to potential footstools or aerial follow-ups (though due to changes regarding footstools, it is no longer an always-guaranteed option), giving it some usage as a combo extender.
Diddy Kong performs an overhead kick in an arc. Tied for the fastest in the game (frame 4 startup) but the animation is faster with its duration unchanged, causing it to have a blind spot in front of Diddy.
Diddy Kong swings both arms downward in a double ax-handle punch. A strong meteor smash and Diddy Kong's strongest aerial overall, though it is also his slowest. It has a large auto-cancel window at the beginning of the attack before the hitbox starts, which makes it a good tool for landing provided that you input the move shortly before touching the ground. It can also jab lock opponents at low percent ranges.
Diddy Kong tosses his opponent forwards. The throw is based on Diddy Kong's barrel toss animation from Donkey Kong Country. Diddy Kong's second strongest throw, KOing middleweights around 156% at the edge of Final Destination.
Diddy Kong throws his opponent up and handstand kicks them. Is a great combo starter at a wide range of percents and can even potentially set up KO confirms into up aerial in specific circumstances.
Diddy Kong shoots a peanut from his Popgun. A safe projectile attack that is rather useful in neutral. It can also be canceled in the air if the shield button is held before inputting the special button, which is useful for B-reversing to make Diddy Kong's movement harder to predict. The peanuts have the property of items and can be caught and thrown. The peanuts also bounce off of opponents and solid surfaces, but they lose their hitbox afterward.
The longer Diddy Kong charges the attack, the farther and quicker the peanut will fly. If Diddy Kong overcharges the attack, however, it will cause a very powerful explosion that leaves him vulnerable but possesses massive knockback.
14% (clean mid-air kick), 12% (mid midair kick), 10% (late midair kick), 1% (grab loop), 3% (grab attack, hit 1), 7% (grab attack, hit 2), 3% (jump attack, hit 1), 8% (jump attack, hit 2)
Diddy Kong performs a back-flipping forward leap that has him cling onto an opponent. Inputting the move as a smash attack increases the distance of the jump. Once he has clung onto the opponent, he will continuously scratch them. During this time, he can perform an action depending on what button is pressed: pressing the attack or special move button will cause Diddy Kong to attack them with a double-handed chop them and then leap away while pressing the jump button will cause him to perform a pseudo footstool jump, which can meteor smash at high percentages. If the attack or special button is pressed during the jump, Diddy Kong will attack with a flying kick instead of latching on to his opponent. However, if Diddy Kong chooses to use the flying kick he will not be able to use his rocketbarrel pack unless he touches the ground first, making it a risky option offstage.
Diddy Kong charges his rocket barrel pack from Donkey Kong 64 in a powerful attack. Can potentially fly very far and very fast when charged, however hitting a surface, or being hit, will make Diddy Kong lose his rocket barrels before falling a huge distance while being unable to perform any action, often falling too far to survive. Diddy Kong will also take recoil damage for hitting a surface.
Diddy Kong tosses a Banana Peel over his shoulder and into the air to have it fall onto the ground. Grounded opponents who touch the peel while on the ground or are hit by the peel when thrown will slip and trip on the floor. An integral part of Diddy Kong’s kit, as it allows him to take control of the stage, extend and create combos, set up kills, easily punish missed attacks from his opponents even if they are spaced properly, and otherwise dominate the neutral game. A held banana also serves as one of the best out of shield options in the game when thrown. Only one banana peel can exist at one time, and it disappears when hit by an opponent or when thrown twice.
Diddy Kong activates his Rocketbarrel Pack and flies up. He then dashes across the screen in multiple directions, doing damage to whoever he touches. After a while, he will lock on to whatever opponent has taken the most damage and unleash one final dash attack that launches the targeted opponent, as well as any other nearby opponents. After this last attack, Diddy Kong descends back to his original position. His Rocketbarrel Pack explodes before he lands, which damages nearby opponents.
Up taunt: Tosses his cap in the air and has it land on his head. This is a reference to his victory pose in Donkey Kong Country after he defeats a boss or wins in a Bonus Area.
Side taunt: Angrily does a playful fighter's stance, trying to assert his dominance.
Down taunt: Claps his hands above his head four times, switching feet in the process.
Diddy Kong's role in Ultimate competitive play has fluctuated over its lifetime. Top professionals immediately noticed his weaknesses. They include inconsistent KO'ing at higher percents, banana having a higher startup, and Monkey Flip dealing less knockback. Many of Diddy Kong's top players either dropped him in favor of other characters (MVD and Zinoto) or quit competitive play altogether (ZeRo). In the early months of Ultimate, Diddy was perceived as a mid tier.
When Patch 3.1.0. dropped, Diddy received a multitude of buffs to kit to compensate for his main problem of KOing. Some players further optimized Diddy's moveset, such as an infinite being discovered on platforms, namely the Pyramid Scheme. In recent times, many of Diddy's players have consistently done well in larger tournaments compared to the past. Aaron, Dakpo, Rivers, and Legit have attained respectable placements. In addition, Dakpo has notably upset Glutonny while even utilizing the infamous pyramid scheme infinite in GENESIS 7, and Player-1 has upset Marss in CEO Dreamland 2020. Because of this, the general opinion of Diddy Kong has been on a noticeable rise lately, with some players, such as Samsora, Maister, and ZeRo, viewing him as a solid high tier, with Dabuz going as far to say that he is top tier.
Any number following the Smasher name indicates placement on the Fall 2019 PGRU, which recognizes the official top 50 players in the world in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate from July 13th, 2019 to December 15th, 2019.
In Diddy Kong's path, he serves as the "little buddy" to the hero of various Nintendo franchises and fights the respective villains or final bosses. In the penultimate stage he finally teams up with his true partner, Donkey Kong, to defeat their nemesis King K. Rool. Donkey Kong is also Diddy Kong's partner for the final fight against Master Hand and Crazy Hand. The title originated from the manual of Donkey Kong Country and was popularized by the Donkey Kong Country TV series; Diddy Kong is also referred to as Donkey Kong's "little buddy" in games such as Brawl and Donkey Kong Country Returns.
Diddy Kong was among the fighters that were summoned to fight the army of Master Hands.
Diddy Kong was present on the cliffside when Galeem unleashed its beams of light. He attempted to fly away with Rosalina & Luma using his activated Rocketbarrel Pack, but a beam of light hit him and he was vaporized and placed under Galeem's imprisonment along with the other fighters, excluding Kirby.
To find Diddy Kong, the player must access the Kongo Jungle sub-area reminiscent of the first Donkey Kong Country game, where he's found right at the end.
Diddy Kong's Fighter Spirit can be obtained by completing Classic Mode. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 500 coins. Unlocking Diddy Kong in World of Light allows the player to preview the spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As a Fighter Spirit, it cannot be used in Spirit Battles and is purely aesthetic. Each Fighter Spirit has an alternate version that replaces them with their artwork in Ultimate.
Diddy Kong's blog mentions his Final Smash utilizing his popguns. However, his new Final Smash, Hyper Rocketbarrel, no longer utilizes the popguns he wielded like in Rocketbarrel Barrage.
Due to the aesthetic used in Ultimate, Diddy Kong's model features a more subdued color scheme. Like 
Like all characters, Diddy Kong's 
Diddy Kong is 
Monkey Flip release glitch has been fixed.
