Diddy Kong (SSBU)

Diddy Kong in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Universe	Donkey Kong
Other playable appearances	in Brawl in SSB4
Availability	Unlockable
Final Smash	Hyper Rocketbarrel

“	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!	”
—Super Smash Blog, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Official Site

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.

How to unlock

Complete one of the following:

• Play VS. matches, with Diddy Kong being the 37th character to be unlocked.
• Clear Classic Mode with Donkey Kong or any character in his unlock tree, being the 7th character unlocked after 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.

Changes from Super Smash Bros. 4

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, his fur is less detailed and appears flatter. The fabric of his hat and shirt has subtle detail, and his facial proportions have been tweaked.
• 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. However, he reverts to his previous idle animation while holding a small item.
• Diddy Kong is more expressive, he appears angry during his up and down throw as well as grabbing onto a ledge.
• Diddy Kong's hat has greater independent physics; it 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).
• Diddy Kong runs faster (1.824 → 2.006).
  • His initial dash is significantly faster (1.7 → 2.09).
• Diddy Kong walks faster (1.25 → 1.313).
• Diddy Kong's air speed is higher (0.88 → 0.924).
• Diddy Kong's traction is much higher (0.0484 → 0.093).
• Diddy Kong is lighter (93 → 90), worsening his endurance.
• Forward roll grants less intangibility (frames 4-15 → 4-14) and has more ending lag (FAF 28 → 29).
• Back roll has more ending lag (FAF 28 → 34).
• Spot dodge has less ending lag (FAF 26 → 24).
• Spot dodge has more startup and grants less intangibility (frame 2-16 → 3-14).
• Air dodge grants more intangibility (frames 2-26 → 2-27).
• Air dodge has significantly more ending lag (FAF 32 → 45).

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack:
  • 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:
  • 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.
  • The late hit has a longer duration (11-13 → 13-16).
  • The hitboxes on Diddy Kong's fists are larger (2.7u → 3.8u).
  • It sends opponents at a lower angle (361° → 35°), improving its ability to set up tech chases and edgeguards, and improving its KO potential.
  • Forward tilt has more base knockback (10 → 60), but less knockback scaling (100 → 60). This increases its safety on hit at low percents, but reduces its KO potential at high percents, and removes its ability to lock.
• Up tilt:
  • 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.
• Down tilt:
  • Down tilt's farthest hitbox is noticeably smaller (4.2u → 3u), reducing its range.
    • It is also lower down (Y offset: 2.25 → 1.8).
• Dash attack:
  • 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 and hit's also being larger (3.5u → 4u). The second hit also uses different set knockback values (55/40/70 → 45/45/70) and the third hit has a larger hitbox (4.5u → 5.5u), 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.
• Forward smash:
  • 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.
• Up smash:
  • 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).
• Down smash:
  • Down smash deals more knockback (40 base/72 scaling → 46/77 (hit 1), 35 base → 38 (hit 2)).
  • The second hit has less startup (frame 16 → 12).
    • However, it has a shorter hitbox duration (frames 16-18 → frame 12), with its total duration not fully compensated, giving it more ending lag (FAF 53 → 51).
  • Both hits have two hitboxes instead of three, which are smaller, significantly reducing its range (4u/4u/5u → 3.9u/3.3u).
  • The first hit has slightly more startup (frame 6 → 7).

Aerial attacks

• All aerials have less landing lag (13 frames → 8 (neutral), 26 → 16 (forward), 12 → 7 (back), 21 → 9 (up), 28 → 17 (down)).
• Neutral aerial:
  • Neutral aerial has regained its much faster auto-cancel window from Brawl (frame 59 → 27), allowing it to auto-cancel in a short hop fast fall once again.
  • It has noticeably larger hitboxes (2u → 3.5u).
• Forward aerial:
  • Forward aerial's early hit has noticeably larger hitboxes (4u → 5u).
  • Forward aerial's late hit has much smaller hitboxes (5u → 2.7u).
  • It has an altered animation where Diddy Kong does not spin as much.
• Up aerial:
  • Up aerial has less ending lag (FAF 39 → 36), matching its ending lag from SSB4 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.
  • Up aerial has an altered animation where Diddy's attacking foot is positioned higher up on frame 4 (with the move's hitbox timing and duration unchanged), noticeably reducing the move's horizontal range in front of Diddy Kong, especially against grounded opponents.
• Down aerial:
  • Down aerial has less startup (frame 17 → 15), with its total duration reduced as well (FAF 49 → 47).
  • The removal of teching for grounded meteor smashes improves down aerial's combo potential onstage, compounded further by its reduced landing lag.

Throws and other attacks

• Grabs:
  • All grabs have more startup (frame 6 → 7 (standing), 8 → 10 (dash), 9 → 11 (pivot)) and ending lag (FAF 32 → 37 (standing), 39 → 45 (dash), 37 → 40 (pivot)).
  • All grabs have less range (Z2 offset: 8.3u → 7.8u (standing), 9.9u → 9.5u (dash), 13.9u → 13.6u (pivot)).
  • Diddy Kong uses one hand to grab instead of both. He also has a surprised expression if he misses his grab.
• Pummel:
  • 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.
• Up throw:
  • Up throw has less ending lag (FAF 28 → 27).
    • However, the faster knockback physics hinder up throw's combo potential at high percents despite this, no longer having a KO setup into up aerial unless initiated at the top platform of Battlefield.
• Down throw:
  • Diddy Kong releases opponents from down throw later (frame 19 → 22). While this does make it easier to DI, this also improves its combo potential, as its total duration was unchanged.
• Edge attack:
  • Edge attack deals more damage (7% → 9%).

Special moves

• Peanut Popgun:
  • 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.
• Monkey Flip:
  • Monkey Flip has less startup lag (frame 20 → 18).
  • The grab has more horizontal range (Z offset: 3u/2u → 4.5u/4u).
  • The jump attack now immobilises the opponent for exactly 20 frames if the move does not cause tumble, regardless of hitstun, increasing the stun time if hitstun is lower than 20 frames, but lowering it if hitstun is between 20 and 32 frames.
  • 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:
  • Rocketbarrel Boost's clean hit has larger hitboxes (3.5u → 4u).
  • The uncharged boost is larger (initial speed: 2.2 → 3.1).
  • The additional boost per frame of charge is smaller (0.031 → 0.019).
  • Its maximum charge time has been significantly reduced (90 frames → 60), combined with the previous change, this significantly reduces the height of the fully charged version to the point where it barely grants more distance than the uncharged version if used while falling, hindering Diddy Kong's recovery.
  • The boost multiplier when used in the air is lower (1.12× → 1.05×), and thus the height gained when using the move in the air isn't increased as much compared to when used on the ground, further reducing the distance it travels in the air.
• Banana Peel:
  • 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. However, it drastically improves the moves combo potential.
  • The Banana Peel now has transcendent priority making it phase through other hitboxes. This allows it to be used much more effectively for spacing and edgeguarding, as it can combo into down air when z dropped at the ledge.
  • Diddy Kong throws the banana in a higher arc, causing it to take longer for him to pick up.
  • The amount of time that must pass before Diddy Kong can generate another banana peel is much higher (12 frames → 85). This makes the move more restrictive, and more importantly prevents Diddy Kong from exploiting the new Banana Peel properties to perform an infinite.
  • The move has a snappier animation.
• Final Smash:
  • Diddy Kong has a new Final Smash, Hyper Rocketbarrel, which functions differently from Rocketbarrel Barrage. Diddy Kong generates a Special Rocketbarrel Pack, multiplys himself, and flies across the stage in all directions, attacking his trapped opponents. The final hit is where Diddy Kong does a delayed, aimed attack, dealing heavy knockback to opponents he attacked the most. Diddy Kong then lands at the spot he blasted off from.

Update history

Diddy Kong has been significantly buffed in game updates.

2.0.0

• Neutral aerial autocancels earlier (frame 50 → 27). It is now early enough to buffer short hop and fastfall with no landing lag.
• Monkey Flip release glitch has been fixed.

3.0.0

• Dash attack has less startup lag (frame 9/18/24 → 8/16/22) with identical ending lag, shortening its duration (FAF 43 → 41).
• Forward tilt has a new late hit on frames 13-14 that deals less damage (10% → 7%) but increases its duration overall.
• Down smash deals more knockback (Hit 1: 40 base/72 scaling → 46/77; hit 2: 35 base → 38).
• Neutral aerial has more range (2u/2u/2u/2u → 3.5u/3.5u/3.5u/3.5u).
• Up aerial deals more damage (6% → 7%) with base knockback not fully compensated (64 → 57).

3.1.0

• Neutral attack 2 has more range and connects more reliably from neutral attack 1.
• Dash attack's final hit sends at a slightly more vertical angle (78° → 83°).
• Up smash's hits connect more reliably.
• Up smash's final hit deals more knockback (50 base/129 scaling → 55/131).
• Up aerial has less ending (FAF 37 → 36) and landing lag (13 frames → 9).
• Down aerial has less startup lag (frame 17 → 15) with identical ending lag, shortening its duration (FAF 49 → 47).
• Peanut Popgun's peanut projectile deals more damage (with shield damage compensated: 0 → -1) (3.3%-15% → 4.3%-13.8%) and charges faster (max charge: frame 121 → 94, explosion startup: 123 → 97).
  • 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.
• Hyper Rocketbarrel's explosion and jet at the start deal more damage (total: 7% → 16%).
• Hyper Rocketbarrel's tackle deals less damage (2.5% → 2%).
• Hyper Rocketbarrel's final tackle deals slightly less overall knockback (135 base/47 scaling → 115/58).

4.0.0

• 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.

7.0.0

• Diddy Kong's right arm is briefly intangible when activating his shield.

Moveset

• Diddy Kong can crawl, wall cling, and wall jump.

For a gallery of Diddy Kong's hitboxes, see here.

Note: All numbers are listed as base damage, without the 1v1 multiplier.

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			2%	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.
			1.5%
			4%
Forward tilt			10% (clean), 7% (late)	Diddy Kong leans to the side and thrusts both of his arms forward in a double punch. It can be angled upwards or downwards.
Up tilt			6%	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.
Down tilt		Hand Clap	5.5%	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.
Dash attack			2% (hits 1 and 2), 3% (hit 3)	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.
Forward smash			5% (hit 1), 11%/9% (hit 2)	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.
Up smash			2.5% (hits 1 and 2), 6% (hit 3)	Diddy Kong leaps upward and performs a stationary cartwheel, attacking upwards with an open-handed slap, a reverse heel kick, and an uppercut.
Down smash			12% (hit 1), 15% (hit 2)	Diddy Kong performs a flare, kicking in front and then behind himself.
Neutral aerial			6%	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.
Forward aerial		Screw Kick	10% (clean), 8% (late)	Diddy Kong does a dropkick while spinning.
Back aerial			9%	Diddy Kong does a reverse spin kick behind himself.
Up aerial			7%	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.
Down aerial			13% (fists), 10% (arms)	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.
Grab			—	Diddy Kong reaches out in front of himself.
Pummel			1%	A headbutt.
Forward throw			9%	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.
Back throw			12%	Diddy Kong tosses his opponent backward. Diddy Kong's strongest and most damaging throw, KOing middleweights around 130%.
Up throw			1% (hit), 4% (throw)	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.
Down throw			7%	Diddy Kong throws the opponent onto the ground and hops over them. Can lead into aerial attacks from low to mid percent ranges
Floor attack (front)			7%	Diddy Kong gets up and kicks on both sides.
Floor attack (back)			7%	Diddy Kong gets up and kicks on both sides.
Floor attack (trip)			5%	Diddy Kong gets up and kicks on both sides.
Edge attack			9%	A spinning tail slap.
Neutral special		Peanut Popgun	4.8%-13.8% (peanuts), 3% (close range), 23% (explosion)	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.
Side special		Monkey Flip	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.
Up special		Rocketbarrel Boost	10% (launch explosion), 8% (early collision), 6% (late collision), 18% (collision explosion; detached Rocketbarrel Pack) 3.75%~4.33% (flying Rocketbarrel Pack); 5% (crash recoil)	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.
Down special		Banana Peel	3.8%~5.3%	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.
Final Smash		Hyper Rocketbarrel	0.5% (startup loop), 2.5% (per collision), 20% (final hit), 15% (collateral final hit), 10% (explosion)	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.

On-screen appearance

Bursts out of a DK Barrel and claps his hands above his head.

Taunts

• 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.

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  Diddy Kong's up taunt.

• 

  Diddy Kong's side taunt.

• 

  Diddy Kong's down taunt.

Idle poses

• Scratches his rump, gets down on all fours, and shakes his fur.
• Jumps in place twice.

• 

  Diddy Kong's first idle pose

• 

  Diddy Kong's second idle pose

Victory poses

• Left: Shoots the air with his Peanut Popguns, rolls towards the camera, and fires one more shot.
• Up: Spins with his Rocket Barrels then faces the screen, dancing with hands on his head and chin.
• Right: Does a small dance, then holds still in a breakdance-like pose, clapping his feet together.

A cover of the short track that plays in Donkey Kong Country and subsequent games whenever a playable Kong defeated a boss or completed a bonus game.

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In competitive play

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.

Notable players

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.

Active

•  Aaron - One of the best Diddy Kong players in the world. Placed 1st at Ursa Minor 4, 5th at both Shell Shock and CEO Dreamland 2020, 49th at Frostbite 2020. Has wins over Kome, Raffi-X, Goblin, Puppeh, Fatality, and Zinoto.
•  cyve - The best Inkling in Germany with a strong Diddy Kong secondary. Placed 5th at Valhalla II, 7th at VCA 2019, and 25th at Albion 4. Ranked 5th in the German Ultimate Power Rankings.
•  Dakpo - One of the best Diddy Kong players in the world. Placed 2nd at DreamHack Anaheim 2020, 13th at Low Tier City 7, 17th at Ultimatum, and 25th at both Mainstage and GENESIS 7. Defeated Glutonny, Lui$, and ANTi and is ranked 4th in the Las Vegas Power Rankings.
•  Firehao - The best Diddy Kong player in Chile. Placed 5th at Smash Chile - Civil War and 49th at 2GG: Kongo Saga. Has wins over Lui$ and VinS.
•  JJROCKETS - The best Diddy Kong player in South Korea. Placed 1st at both Gamebookr's Mid-Year Smash Tournament and REV Major 2019, and 9th at Uprising 2019.
•  Legit - One of the best Diddy Kong players in the world. Placed 3rd at Pre-Genesix, 13th at Super Splat Bros, 25th at GENESIS 7, 33rd at 2GG: Prime Saga, and 49th at GENESIS 6. Has defeated Goblin and Joker.
•  LightningCam - Placed 17th at both Ultimatum and Midwest Arena 2: Doubles Masters, 25th at DreamHack Dallas 2019, and 97th at EVO 2019.
•  Manda - Placed 17th at Valhalla III and 49th at Ultimate Fighting Arena 2019. Has wins over Ogey and Griffith.
•  NameLess - Placed 4th at Be Mine? and 9th at Overextend. Ranked 6th on the Minnesota Ultimate Power Rankings.
•  Player-1 - Placed 17th at CEO Dreamland 2020, and 65th at both CEO 2019 and The Big House 9. Has defeated Marss and SuperGirlKels.
•  Rivers - Has a strong Diddy Kong secondary and is considered one of the best Diddy Kong players in the world. Placed 2nd at Play With Heart and 13th at 2GG: SwitchFest 2019, and 17th at 2GG: Kongo Saga. Defeated HIKARU and Lemmon with the character.
•  Twinkle - The best Diddy Kong player in Japan. Placed 33rd at both 2GG: Kongo Saga and Umebura SP 6. He has wins over Razo and Charliedaking.
•  Z - Placed 9th at Polybash 2019 with solo Diddy Kong, 9th at both DreamHack Montreal 2019 and Summer Shieldbreak with both Palutena and Diddy Kong.
•  Zinoto - Placed 2nd at Guardian I, 3rd at Climax 3, and 25th at Frostbite 2019 using Diddy Kong as one of his characters.

Inactive

•  Tweek (#3) - Placed 2nd at 2GG: Kongo Saga using Diddy Kong as one of his characters and 3rd at 2GG: Kickoff - Kongo Saga using solo Diddy Kong.

Classic Mode: Hey, Little Buddy!

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 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.

Round	Opponent	Stage	Music	Notes
1	Bowser and Bowser Jr.	Princess Peach's Castle	King Bowser - Super Mario Bros. 3	Mario is a CPU ally.
2	Ridley and Dark Samus	Norfair	Nemesis Ridley	Zero Suit Samus is a CPU ally.
3	Ganondorf	Unova Pokémon League (Battlefield form)	Death Mountain	Zelda is a CPU ally.
4	Mewtwo	Spear Pillar	Battle! (Dialga/Palkia) / Spear Pillar	Pokémon Trainer is a CPU ally.
5	King Dedede and Meta Knight	Fountain of Dreams	King Dedede's Theme (Brawl)	Kirby is a CPU ally.
6	King K. Rool	Jungle Japes	King K. Rool / Ship Deck 2	Donkey Kong is a CPU ally.
Bonus Stage
Final	Master Hand and Crazy Hand	Final Destination	Master Hand / Crazy Hand	Donkey Kong is a CPU ally.

Credits roll after completing Classic Mode. Completing it as Diddy Kong has Stickerbush Symphony accompany the credits.

Role in World of Light

Finding Diddy Kong in World of Light

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.

Fighter Battle

No.	Image	Name	Type	Power	Stage	Music
36		Diddy Kong	Grab	9,000	Kongo Jungle (Ω form)	Stickerbush Symphony

Spirit

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.

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  135. Diddy Kong

In Spirit battles

As the main opponent

Spirit				Battle parameters							Inspiration
No.	Image	Name	Series	Enemy Fighter(s)	Type	Power	Stage	Rules	Conditions	Music	Character
147		Lanky Kong	Donkey Kong series	•Diddy Kong Team (x6)		3,900	Kongo Falls	•Item: Bananas	•The enemy is easily distracted by items •Defeat an army of fighters	DK Rap
148		Tiny Kong	Donkey Kong series	•Diddy Kong		9,500	Jungle Japes	•Tiny •Hazard: Low Gravity •Hazard: Heavy Wind	•Dangerously high winds are in effect •Timed battle •Gravity is reduced	DK Rap
155		Squitter	Donkey Kong series	•Diddy Kong		3,600	Jungle Japes	•Move Speed ↓	•You have reduced move speed	Ice Cave Chant
165		Tiki Tak Tribe	Donkey Kong series	•Diddy Kong Team (x4) (		1,700	Kongo Falls	N/A	•Take your strongest team into this no-frills battle	Jungle Hijinxs
179		Octorok	The Legend of Zelda series	•Diddy Kong Team (×4)		1,800	Great Bay	N/A	•The enemy's neutral special has increased power •The enemy favors neutral specials	Termina Field
207	File:Deku Link.png	Deku Link	The Legend of Zelda series	•Diddy Kong		3,700	Distant Planet (Battlefield form)	•Item Tidal Wave •Item: Lip's Stick	•The enemy favors neutral specials •Certain items will appear in large numbers after a little while •The enemy is easily distracted by items	Saria's Theme
320		Ukiki	Yoshi series	•Diddy Kong Team (×4)		2,000	Yoshi's Story	•Item: Food	•The enemy becomes more powerful after eating	Obstacle Course - Yoshi's Island
397	File:Andrew Oikonny spirit.png	Andrew Oikonny	Star Fox series	•Diddy Kong		1,700	Corneria	•Attack Power ↑	•The enemy has increased attack power when the enemy's at high damage	Star Wolf (Brawl)
406	File:DashBowman.png	Dash Bowman	Star Fox series	•Diddy Kong •Fox		1,500	Corneria (Battlefield form)	N/A	•Defeat the main fighter to win •Reinforcements will appear during the battle	Return to Corneria - Star Fox Zero
586		Salsa	Earthbound series	•Diddy Kong •Wario		1,700	Gerudo Valley (Battlefield form)	•Item: Banana Peel	•The enemy favors special moves	Mother 3 Love Theme
861		Leif (Animal Crossing)	Animal Crossing series	•Diddy Kong		3,500	Yoshi's Island	•Item: Timer	•The enemy is easily distracted by items	Title Theme - Animal Crossing
992	File:Dee Jay Spirit.png	Dee Jay	Street Fighter series	•Diddy Kong (x3)		1,600	Wuhu Island (Frisbee Dog Park)	•Jump Power ↓	•Stamina battle •The enemy favors side specials •All fighters have reduced jump power	Dee Jay Stage Type B
1,139	File:Goku & Chao.png	Goku & Chao	Famicom Mukashibanashi series	•Diddy Kong •Villager		1,600	Town and City	•Item: Golden Hammer	•Reinforcements will appear during the battle •The enemy is easily distracted by items	Yūyūki Medley	Goku
1,239		Prince Saruno	Tsukutte Utau: Saru Band	•Diddy Kong Team (×4)		2,000	New Donk City Hall	•Defense ↑ •Item: Banana Peel	•The enemy has increased defense after a little while	PERFORMANCE
1,338		Tooty	Banjo-Kazooie series	•Diddy Kong •Banjo & Kazooie		3,500	Spiral Mountain	N/A	•Defeat the main fighter to win •The enemy shields often •Magic attacks aren't as effective against the enemy	Main Theme - Banjo-Kazooie
1,369	File:Grookey, Scorbunny, Sobble.png	Grookey, Scorbunny, & Sobble	Pokémon series	•Diddy Kong •Bunny Incineroar •Squirtle		9,600	Onett (Battlefield form)	N/A	•The enemy has increased attack power when damaged •Reinforcements will appear during the battle •The enemy starts the battle with a Lip's Stick	Road to Viridian City - Pokémon Red / Pokémon Blue	Grookey

As a minion

Spirit				Battle parameters							Inspiration
No.	Image	Name	Series	Enemy Fighter(s)	Type	Power	Stage	Rules	Conditions	Music	Character
82	File:Barrel Train Spirit.png	Barrel Train	Mario Kart series	•Donkey Kong •Diddy Kong		3,500	Spirit Train	•Item: Bullet Bill	•The enemy can deal damage by dashing into you •The enemy has increased attack power •The enemy has increased move speed	Rainbow Road - Mario Kart: Double Dash!!	Diddy Kong
141	File:Funky Kong Spirit.png	Funky Kong	Donkey Kong series	•Captain Falcon •Diddy Kong •Donkey Kong		9,000	Kongo Jungle	•Item: Bullet Bill	•The enemy is easily distracted by items	Funky's Fugue	Diddy Kong
145	File:Dixiekong.png	Dixie Kong	Donkey Kong series	•Isabelle •Diddy Kong		9,100	Jungle Japes	•Item: Banana Peel	•The enemy is easily distracted by items	Stickerbush Symphony	Diddy Kong
912		Roll Caskett	Mega Man Legends series	•Isabelle •Diddy Kong		3,700	Pilotwings	•Item: Hocotate Bomb	•Take your strongest team into this no-frills battle	Light Plane (for 3DS / Wii U)	Data
1,070	File:Fleature.png	The Creature & Flea Man	Castlevania series	•Giant Mii Brawler (Moveset 1333, Hockey Mask, Business Outfit, Low Voice Type 11) •Diddy Kong		4,500	Dracula's Castle (Battlefield form)	•Hazard: Zap Floor	•The floor is electrified •The enemy is giant	Out of Time	Flea Man
1,130	File:Donbe hikari.png	Donbe & Hikari	Famicom Mukashibanashi series	•Young Link •Villager •Falco •Diddy Kong •Duck Hunt		3,500	Duck Hunt (hazards off)	N/A	•Defeat an army of fighters	Shin Onigashima Medley	Matsunosuke
1,396	File:Goda.png	Goda	River City series	•Donkey Kong •Diddy Kong		2,000	Onett	•Item: Battering Types	•Defeat the main fighter to win •The enemy's side special has increased power •The enemy favors side specials	Golden Forest	Godai

Alternate costumes

Gallery

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  Diddy Kong's fighter card.

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  Diddy Kong taunting on Kongo Falls.

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  Striking Kirby with Monkey Flip on The Great Cave Offensive.

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  Grabbing towards Ness on Moray Towers.

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  Charging his Peanut Popgun on Saffron City.

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  The Peanut Popgun exploding on Spear Pillar.

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  Tossing a Banana Peel on Great Bay.

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  Taunting with Donkey Kong on Distant Planet.

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  With D.K. on Great Bay.

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  Wall clinging onto Alolan Exeggutor with Bayonetta on Big Blue.

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  Diddy Kong and Lucas being attacked by Marshadow on the Bridge of Eldin.

Trivia

• 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.