Diddy Kong (SSBU): Difference between revisions

*Play [[VS. match]]es, with Diddy Kong being the 37th character to be unlocked.

*Clear {{SSBU|Classic Mode}} with {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}} or any character in his unlock tree, being the 7th character unlocked after {{SSBU|Greninja}}.

*Have Diddy Kong join the player's party in [[World of Light]].

With the exception of the third method, Diddy Kong must then be defeated on [[Kongo Falls]].

Diddy Kong is a small low-middleweight with typical attributes for his weight class; he has very fast [[dash]],  [[run]], and [[walk]] speeds, which allows him to move on the ground very well. In contrast, his air mobility is rather lacking, as his [[air speed]] and [[air acceleration]] are both below average. Overall, while Diddy outspeeds many characters on the ground, his air game is rather clunky due to his lackluster air attributes.

Similar to other characters of his weight and size, Diddy Kong has very fast frame data, which allows him to throw out a flurry of moves at his opponent while still being able to chase them with his strong grounded mobility. In fact, nearly all of his moves, with the exception of his forward smash, down aerial, and special moves, come out before frame 10, with many of them also having low endlag. Thanks to these attributes, Diddy has a strong, flexible combo game, allowing him to use multiple different moves to string into each other and continually pressure his opponent even if they escape his combos, as he has multiple ways to keep them in a disadvantageous position.

Another important aspect of Diddy's combo game is his excellent selection of combo starters, which lets him start combos reliably both in the air and on the ground and also lets him create mix-ups and play unpredictably. One of his main combo starters is from a grab, as both his down and up throws have low endlag and send at great angles for immediate follow-ups, as down throw can lead into a forward or back aerial and up throw can lead into any of his aerials except for down aerial. Up throw also has potential KO setups into up aerial, although these are inconsistent and unreliable. His dash attack has a long duration and extremely low endlag and sends the opponent upwards, which lets Diddy follow up with an up, back or forward aerial. His neutral aerial has a long lasting hitbox and can lead into another aerial from low to high percents, with the late hit being particularly useful at high percents due to its lower knockback. Diddy's up and down tilts are both excellent combo starters themselves, with the latter having the ability to KO confirm into an up-smash at high percents. Additionally, all of Diddy's aerials except for neutral and up aerial can lead into a grab when landed on grounded opponents thanks to their low knockback and landing lag.

Diddy's special moveset also comes with several unique options. His neutral special, [[Peanut Popgun]], is a small projectile with low range and knockback when uncharged. It is useful for pestering the opponent in the neutral game and can be charged, giving it extreme power when fully charged, although it has extremely high lag, doesn't shoot at a distance, and its charge cannot be saved like other chargeable projectiles(such as Samus' [[Charge Shot]]). He can also cancel charging the move by shielding, dodging, or spotdodging. His side special, [[Monkey Flip]], has Diddy leap forward and will act as a command grab when landed on the opponent or will be a fast kick if the player presses the attack button again during the duration of the move. Due to its fast speed and decent distance, low endlag, and ability to edge-cancel off platforms or the ledge of the stage, it can be used as both a movement option and a way to approach, as its speed can compensate for his poor air mobility. It can also be used for horizontal recovery. His up special, [[Rocketbarrel Boost]], is Diddy's main vertical recovery option. Uncharged, the move has unremarkable distance, but when fully charged, it moves much faster and travels much further. However, this requires Diddy to stay in place while charging the move in the air, leaving him highly vulnerable to gimps or edgeguards. The move also has a unique property in that if the opponent hits Diddy while using the move, the barrels will fly off and will irregularly move around, with the player having a small amount of control over their trajectory before they lose control. This gives him a useful, although niche stage-controlling option and the barrels will deal high damage and knockback when landed on an opponent. Lastly, Diddy's down special, [[Banana Peel]] is his most useful special and one of his best moves. It has him pull out a Banana Peel over himself, which can be picked up and thrown by both Diddy and his opponent. If Diddy places it down before the opponent could grab it, then they will be tripped by it if they attempt to pick it up. This lets Diddy land almost any attack he wants on his opponent if he times it before the tripping animation is done and allows for a plethora of combo options and even KO confirms into his smash attacks. Thanks to its ease of use and low commitment due to him only having to throw it at the opponent for it to work, it is integral to his kit and lets him punish missed attacks, have a strong advantage in the neutral game, create extremely long combos, and take control of the stage. He can also use a held banana as an excellent out-of-shield option when thrown. The only true downside to his Banana Peel is that the opponent can also catch and throw it just like he can, which allows them to use it against Diddy and take away one of his most important tools. Additionally, only one Banana Peel can be used at a time and it disappears when hit by an opponent or thrown twice.

Despite very strong strengths, Diddy isn't without his weaknesses. His two main flaws are his inconsistent KO power and unimpressive recovery. Despite having multiple ways to confirm into his smash attacks (which are all respectably strong), he often struggles to end the opponent's stock even at high percents if these options are unavailable to him (such as when the opponent takes away his Banana Peel). While his back and up aerials boast above average knockback, they are still relatively weak unless used close to the blast lines. Additionally, while his down tilt can set up into his up smash somewhat reliably, the former move has short range and must be used close to the opponent for it to work. Diddy's other main weakness, his recovery, is arguably worse however. Monkey Flip has respectable distance and safety when the kick version is used, but has some endlag and also doesn't allow him to use Rocketbarrel Boost afterwards, while the non-kick version risks Diddy latching onto his opponent and being pushed back afterwards, which leaves him open even longer. Rocketbarrel Boost is also subpar as a recovery move by itself, as it leaves Diddy very vulnerable when being charged, which leaves him to rely on using the uncharged version sometimes, which has much less distance. Also, if Diddy accidentally hits the side of the stage after using it, he will crash and not be able to make it back to stage. Lastly, Diddy still has some other smaller issues, such as his up aerial failing to hit much of the time due to having blindspots in front of him, his aforementioned lacking air attributes, and being slightly easier to combo than some other characters of his weight class due to a lack of combo breaking moves and an above-average fall speed (although his small size still gives him an edge over many other characters).

Diddy Kong falls into a quick, rushdown oriented playstyle. He must utilize his fast movement speed and frame data to overwhelm his opponent while also heavily utilizing his Banana Peel to put his strengths to good use while also maintaining stage control and capitalizing on his great neutral game. However, players must be smart in how they use his Banana Peel, as the opponent could potentially hinder his options by taking it away from him and also exploiting his linear recovery. Overall, his strengths outweigh his weaknesses and is generally considered to be at least an upper mid-tier character, with many thinking of him as a solid high-tier character. Diddy has also seen great results and representation in competitive play, indicating that he is still a very viable character, although not to the same extent as in ''Smash 4.''

Likely due to his top tier status in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' (3rd out of 58), Diddy Kong has received a mix of buffs and nerfs in the transition to ''Ultimate'' but he was nerfed overall. His staple moves have all been worsened in various ways, hindering his once excellent neutral game; the most notable example is his {{b|Banana Peel|move}}, 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. Some of his moves also have reduced range, most notably [[down tilt]], [[up tilt]], [[up aerial]], [[forward aerial]]'s late hit, and [[down smash]] all of which were a staple part of Diddy's gameplay making it harder for him to take advantage of them. Additionally, [[Rocketbarrel Boost]] travels a drastically shorter distance when fully charged, and the charge time itself was reduced by a third worsening his already vulnerable recovery when hit very far offstage. Further exacerbating these nerfs, the universal changes hinder Diddy overall, as the reduced [[shieldstun]] for items and increased lag on [[grab]]s 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. He also suffers from the universal increase in jump speed, as he can no longer reliably hit small characters with his [[back aerial]] from a rising [[short hop]]. 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 more range and/or reduced lag that increases their combo ability, namely forward aerial's clean hit, [[dash attack]], up tilt, [[down aerial]], and [[down throw]], the latter working better as an alternative to his up throw at lower percents. His special moveset has also been improved in a number of ways, namely [[Monkey Flip]] has reduced startup lag and much more range, which when coupled with the changes to jostle mechanics greatly improve its utility as an offensive tool, [[Peanut Popgun]] has less startup lag, deals more damage and charges significantly faster and [[Rocketbarrel Boost]] goes further when uncharged and makes Diddy Kong fall much slower during the charge period, slightly improving his recovery overall. 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-cancel]]ing much earlier and having increased range. 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 was negative, since notable ''Smash 4'' Diddy Kong players such as {{Sm|MVD}}, {{Sm|Zinoto}} and {{Sm|Nietono}} dropped him in favor of other characters, and he suffered from minimal tournament representation at the time. However, game updates (most notably patch {{SSBU|3.1.0}} and {{SSBU|8.0.0}}) have meaningfully buffed Diddy to a more substantial degree; furthermore, Diddy has started to show signs of competitive success thanks to the efforts of {{sm|Dakpo}}, who placed 13th at {{Trn|Low Tier City 7}} and 25th at {{Trn|GENESIS 7}}. Other players such as {{Sm|Tweek}}, {{Sm|Aaron}}, {{Sm|Rivers}}, and {{Sm|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 high or even top-tier character.

Due to the engine changes and the direct nerfs to his most useful tools in the transition from ''Smash 4'' to ''Ultimate'', which overall significantly hindered his viability, Diddy Kong has been buffed significantly via game updates. However, he has also received a major nerf to his Banana Peel that extends the time he can respawn another Banana, increasing the difficulty of his infamous "pyramid scheme" infinite combo.

*Diddy Kong can [[Crawling|crawl]], [[wall cling]], and [[wall jump]].

''For a gallery of Diddy Kong's hitboxes, see [[Diddy Kong (SSBU)/Hitboxes|here]].''

|neutraldesc=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]].

|ftiltdesc=Diddy Kong leans to the side and thrusts both of his arms forward in a double punch. It can be angled upwards or downwards.

|utiltdesc=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. It can also kill at around 160%.

|dtiltdesc=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 realistic percentage, including down tilt to up smash as a KO confirm.

|dashdesc=Diddy Kong performs his signature {{s|mariowiki|Cartwheel}} attack from ''{{s|mariowiki|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.

|fsmashdesc=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 KO power. However, it is easily punishable if whiffed or on shield. Often only used in combination with his [[Banana Peel (move)|banana peel]].

|usmashdesc=Diddy Kong leaps upward and performs a stationary cartwheel, attacking upwards with an open-handed slap, a reverse heel kick, and an uppercut. It is the fastest up smash in the game, coming out on frame 5. However, it is somewhat weak, not KOing until around 130%. It is mostly used as a follow-up from down tilt or as a close-range out-of-shield option.

|dsmashdesc=Diddy Kong performs a {{iw|wikipedia|flare|acrobatic move}}, kicking in front and then behind himself. A fast smash attack with respectable power, KOing opponents at around 110% at the ledge. The back hit is stronger than the front hit KOing around 10% sooner.

|nairdesc=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 makes it an excellent combo starter on landing. It can combo into all of Diddy's aerials (even down aerial, which can KO at around 50% if done by the ledge). Additionally, it has a very generous autocancel window, being able to do so in a short hop fast fall.

|fairdesc=Diddy Kong does a dropkick while spinning. Comes out very fast with a long hitbox duration, generous autocancel window and great range, making it one of Diddy's core spacing tools. It is moderately powerful, KOing at around 145% at the edge. However, it has a bit of ending lag, making it unable to combo into itself unless landing with it. It is often considered one of the best forward aerials in the game due to its combination of speed, range, power and safety.

|bairdesc=Diddy Kong does a reverse spin kick behind himself. Has very low start-up and ending lag, allowing it to be used twice in one short hop and combo into itself at low to mid percents. It also has decent range and KO power killing at around 130% at the edge, although it is somewhat weak compared to other moves of its type.

|uairdesc=Diddy Kong performs an overhead kick in an arc. Tied for the fastest in the game (frame 4 startup) with good coverage above and behind Diddy. However, it posseses a blindspot in front of Diddy, making it unable to hit most characters in a rising up air. Despite its hitbox issues, it is a great juggling tool, as it has above average base knockback, giving it strong combo potential at low percents and KO Potential at higher percents.

|dairdesc=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 the move is inputted shortly before touching the ground. It can also jab lock opponents at low percent ranges. It also combos into his other aerials on landing.

|grabdesc=Diddy Kong reaches out in front of himself.

|fthrowdesc=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]]. It also has low ending lag, which allows it to combo into dash attack, forward- and back aerial at very low percentages.

|uthrowdesc=Diddy Kong throws his opponent up and handstand kicks them. It works as a good combo starter at a wide range of percents and can even potentially set up KO confirms into up aerial in specific circumstances. However, it deals low damage and knockback, being unable to kill even at very high percent.

|ssdesc=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 Boost|rocketbarrel pack]] unless he touches the ground first, making it a risky option offstage. This move is very useful in the neutral to pressure shielding opponents alongside the Banana Peel.

|usdesc=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. It travels significantly more horizontal/diagonal distance than it does vertically.

|dsdesc=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 KOs, 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.

|fsdesc=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.

Diddy Kong's role in ''Ultimate'' competitive play has fluctuated over its lifetime. On release, top professionals immediately noticed his weaknesses, which include inconsistent KO'ing at higher percent and his greatly nerfed recovery. Many of Diddy Kong's top players either dropped him in favor of other characters ({{Sm|MVD}} and {{Sm|Zinoto}}) or quit competitive play altogether ({{Sm|ZeRo}}). In the early months of ''Ultimate'', Diddy was perceived as a mid-tier character.

When Patch 3.1.0. dropped, Diddy received a multitude of buffs to his kit to compensate for his main problem of KOing. Some players further optimized Diddy's moveset, such as an infinite being discovered on platforms, which was named the Pyramid Scheme. Many of Diddy's current players have consistently done better in larger tournaments in comparison to the past. {{Sm|Aaron|p=Florida}}, {{Sm|Dakpo}}, {{Sm|Rivers}}, and {{Sm|Legit}} have attained respectable placements. In addition, Dakpo notably upset {{Sm|Glutonny}} while utilizing the infamous pyramid scheme infinite in {{Trn|GENESIS 7}}, and {{Sm|Player-1}} upset {{Sm|Marss}} in {{Trn|CEO Dreamland 2020}}. Because of this, the general opinion of Diddy Kong has been on a noticeable rise lately, with some players, such as {{Sm|Samsora}}, {{Sm|Maister}}, {{Sm|ZeRo}}, and {{Sm|Dabuz}} viewing him as a solid high-tier character.

Patch 8.0.0 brought multiple changes to Diddy Kong; with Dash Attack and Forward Aerial being the most notable changes to Diddy Kong's move set. The one and rather notorious nerf Diddy received was to the Banana Peel, extending the time needed to wait to be thrown again. This greatly hurt his infinite (Pyramid Scheme) making it much more difficult to perform. Even after this patch, Diddy Kong is commonly viewed as an high or even top-tier character.

Diddy Kong fares very well in online tournaments due to his buffs in Patch 8.0.0, and players like {{Sm|Tweek}} and {{Sm|Aaron|p=Florida}} have been doing quite well with him. Tweek has notably been using Diddy Kong for the majority of his sets in online tournaments, winning both {{Trn|Get On My Line 2020}} and {{Trn|TNS: Pandemic Monthly 5.5}}, and achieving other high placements such as 9th at {{Trn|The Cosmic Kerfuffle}}.

*{{Sm|Aaron|USA|p=Florida}} - One of the best Diddy Kong players in the world. Placed 1st at {{Trn|Ursa Minor 4}}, 5th at both {{Trn|Shell Shock}} and {{Trn|CEO Dreamland 2020}}, 49th at {{Trn|Frostbite 2020}}. Has wins over {{Sm|Kome}}, {{Sm|Raffi-X}}, {{Sm|Goblin}}, {{Sm|Puppeh}}, {{Sm|Fatality}}, and {{Sm|Zinoto}}.

*{{Sm|CruxisPhantom|Chile}} - One of the three best Diddy Kong players in Chile. Placed 3rd in {{Trn|Royalty 3}}. Has  wins over {{Sm|Rody}}, {{Sm|Sekai Doggo}} and {{Sm|Blas}}. He is ranked 6th in the [[Chilean Power Rankings]].

*{{Sm|cyve|Germany}} - The best {{SSBU|Inkling}} in Germany with a strong Diddy Kong secondary. Placed 5th at {{Trn|Valhalla II}}, 7th at {{Trn|VCA 2019}}, and 25th at {{Trn|Albion 4}}. Ranked 5th in the [[German Power Rankings|German Ultimate Power Rankings]].

*{{Sm|Dakpo|USA}} - One of the best Diddy Kong players in the world. Placed 2nd at {{Trn|DreamHack Anaheim 2020}}, 13th at {{Trn|Low Tier City 7}}, 17th at {{Trn|Ultimatum}}, and 25th at both {{Trn|Mainstage}} and {{Trn|GENESIS 7}}. Defeated {{Sm|Glutonny}}, {{Sm|Lui$}}, and {{Sm|ANTi}} and is ranked 4th in the [[Las Vegas Power Rankings]].

*{{Sm|Dertolo|Chile}} - One of the three best Diddy Kong players in Chile. Co-mains Diddy along with {{SSBU|Chrom}}. Placed 2nd at {{Trn|Smash Chile - Civil War}} and {{Trn|Royalty 3}}. Has  wins over {{Sm|Frido}}, {{Sm|Harlonga}}, {{Sm|Keen}} and {{Sm|Rody}} and is ranked 4th in the [[Chilean Power Rankings]].

*{{Sm|Firehao|Chile}} - One of the three best Diddy Kong players in Chile. Co-mains Diddy along with {{SSBU|Snake}}. Placed 49th at {{Trn|2GG: Kongo Saga}}, 1st at {{Trn|Iwanna Torneo Nacional!}} and 5th at {{Trn|Smash Chile - Civil War}}. Has  wins over {{Sm|Lui$}}, {{Sm|VinS}}, {{Sm|Frido}} and {{Sm|Harlonga}} and is ranked 2nd in the [[Chilean Power Rankings]].

*{{Sm|JJROCKETS|South Korea}} - The best Diddy Kong player in South Korea. Placed 1st at both {{Trn|Gamebookr's Mid-Year Smash Tournament}} and {{Trn|REV Major 2019}}, and 9th at {{Trn|Uprising 2019}}.

*{{Sm|Legit|USA}} - One of the best Diddy Kong players in the world. Placed 3rd at {{Trn|Pre-Genesix}}, 13th at {{Trn|Super Splat Bros}}, 25th at {{Trn|GENESIS 7}}, 33rd at {{Trn|2GG: Prime Saga}}, and 49th at {{Trn|GENESIS 6}}. Has defeated {{Sm|Goblin}} and {{Sm|Joker}}.

*{{Sm|Rivers|USA}} - Has a strong Diddy Kong secondary and is considered one of the best Diddy Kong players in the world. Placed 2nd at {{Trn|Play With Heart}} and 13th at {{Trn|2GG: SwitchFest 2019}}, and 17th at {{Trn|2GG: Kongo Saga}}. Defeated {{Sm|HIKARU}} and {{Sm|Lemmon}} with the character.

*{{Sm|Tweek|USA}} (#3) - Placed 2nd at {{Trn|2GG: Kongo Saga}} using Diddy Kong as one of his characters and 3rd at {{Trn|2GG: Kickoff - Kongo Saga}} using solo Diddy Kong. Has since switched from {{SSBU|Wario}} to Diddy Kong as his main character and has achieved notable results with him in online tournaments.

*{{Sm|Twinkle|Japan}} - The best Diddy Kong player in Japan. Placed 33rd at both {{Trn|2GG: Kongo Saga}} and {{Trn|Umebura SP 6}}. He has wins over {{Sm|Razo}} and {{Sm|Charliedaking}}.

*{{Sm|Z|p=Canada|Canada}} - Placed 9th at {{Trn|Polybash 2019}} with solo Diddy Kong, 9th at both {{Trn|DreamHack Montreal 2019}} and {{Trn|Summer Shieldbreak}} with both {{SSBU|Palutena}} and Diddy Kong.

*{{Sm|Zinoto|USA}} - Placed 2nd at {{Trn|Guardian I}}, 3rd at {{Trn|Climax 3}}, and 25th at {{Trn|Frostbite 2019}} using Diddy Kong as one of his characters.

[[File:SSBU Congratulations Diddy Kong.png|thumb|right|Diddy Kong's congratulations screen.]]

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 ''{{iw|mariowiki|Donkey Kong Country}}'' and was popularized by the ''{{iw|mariowiki|Donkey Kong Country|television series}}'' TV series; Diddy Kong is also referred to as Donkey Kong's "little buddy" in games such as ''Brawl'' and ''{{iw|mariowiki|Donkey Kong Country Returns}}''.

[[Credits]] roll after completing Classic Mode. Completing it as Diddy Kong has ''{{SSBUMusicLink|Donkey Kong|Stickerbush Symphony}}'' accompany the credits.

[[File:WoL-36DiddyKong.jpg|thumb|Finding Diddy Kong in World of Light|left]]

Diddy Kong was among the fighters that were summoned to fight the army of [[Master Hand]]s.

During the opening cutscene, Diddy Kong was present on the cliffside when [[Galeem]] unleashed its beams of light. He attempted to fly away with {{SSBU|Rosalina & Luma}} using his activated [[Rocketbarrel Boost|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 {{SSBU|Kirby}}.

To find Diddy Kong, the player must access the [[DK Island (World of Light)|DK Island]] sub-area reminiscent of the first ''Donkey Kong Country'' game, where he's found right at the end.

|Diddy Kong

SSBUWebsiteMarshadow1.jpg|Diddy Kong and {{SSBU|Lucas}} being attacked by [[Marshadow]] on the [[Bridge of Eldin]].

*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]].

*Diddy Kong's Classic Mode route is vaguely similar to {{SSBU|Zelda}}'s, as both characters fight villains and/or final bosses of various series for opponents.

*Diddy Kong and {{SSBU|Toon Link}} are the only characters who gain a CPU ally in every round of their Classic Mode (excluding the Bonus Game).

*Barring a few small differences, Diddy Kong's ''Ultimate'' artwork is essentially a mirrored version of his artwork for ''Brawl''.

*Oddly, Diddy Kong's stock icon does not change his fur color to match the costume.