Editing Diddy Kong

|caption = [[File:DKSymbol.svg|50px|class=invert-dark]]

|lastappearance = ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario Party Jamboree}}'' (2024, cameo)

In ''Donkey Kong Country'', Donkey Kong hires Diddy to guard the Kongs' banana hoard from the Kremlings who might want to steal it. Overhearing this, [[King K. Rool]] sends an attack on Diddy, who is tossed in a [[barrel]] and thrown into the bushes. Donkey Kong soon finds and frees him, and the two set out on an adventure to get their bananas back. In the game, the player could switch between Diddy Kong or Donkey Kong. As long as either Donkey Kong or Diddy Kong were alive, a life would not be lost when hit, though the player character would run off, forcing the player to switch to the other Kong (or in the case of 2-player modes, forcing the other player to tag in as the other Kong). The missing teammate could then be retrieved by breaking open a [[DK Barrel]], similar to the one Diddy was initially trapped in. Compared to Donkey Kong, Diddy was more agile, but in return was not able to defeat certain large enemies like Krusha.  At some point, Donkey Kong and Diddy make a bet with Cranky Kong that they can't do their original adventure again on weaker hardware, which leads the events of ''Donkey Kong Land''.  

Prior to the events of ''Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest'', the Kremling Krew, led by Kaptain K. Rool, captured Donkey Kong and took him to Crocodile Isle. Diddy calls upon [[Dixie Kong]] and they go after the Kremlings, eventually defeating Kaptain K. Rool in his Flying Krock airship and rescuing Donkey Kong. In ''Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble'', Donkey Kong and Diddy later get captured again on a fishing trip and get contained within the robot {{s|supermariowiki|KAOS}}, ostensibly the new leader of the Kremlings but in reality controlled by K. Rool under his Baron K. Roolenstein persona. Dixie and Kiddy Kong end up rescuing both. Diddy continues to be a valuable partner to Donkey Kong, especially as a member of the DK crew in ''Donkey Kong 64'', and a pseudo-powerup who perches on DK's back in ''DK: Jungle Climber''; ''Donkey Kong Country Returns''; and ''Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze'', and in ''Tropical Freeze'' he can be played as solo once again in hard mode or through multiplayer gameplay.

In ''Diddy Kong Racing'', Diddy Kong would go on another adventure without Donkey Kong; rather than established characters from the ''Donkey Kong Country'' series, this game used an original cast of characters created by Rare, notably including the guest characters [[Banjo]] and {{iw|wikipedia|Conker the Squirrel}}, who had their own games in development at the same time. In the story of the game, Diddy is called to help by his friend Timber in order to defeat the evil alien Wizpig in a series of racing competitions and prevent him from taking over his island. A remake was released for the Nintendo DS, once again developed by Rare, but Conker and Banjo were replaced by Dixie Kong and Tiny Kong respectively due to [[Microsoft]]'s acquisition of Rare from a few years earlier, as well as Conker's transition into an adult-themed character.

Yet, regardless of the above, Diddy Kong ranks 2nd/3rd on the current [[tier list]], placing him in the S tier and tying him with {{SSB4|Cloud}}. He still retains his fantastic mobility, and a strong combo game thanks to his generally low knockback, quick frame data, and long reach despite his small size. He also has a few usable finishers, such as his smash attacks and [[Monkey Flip]]. His biggest flaw, however, is his recovery: [[Rocketbarrel Blast]]. He is required to charge it up to gain any decent distance, leaving him incredibly open to [[edge-guarding]], and the rocket barrels themselves can be detached by any attack, leaving him [[helpless]]. Despite his heavy nerfs in updates, Diddy Kong's positives still remain notable, still allowing for excellent tournament representation and results, with his current tier placement possibly being a result of nerfs to other top-tier characters after he himself had been nerfed, such as {{SSB4|Sheik}} and {{SSB4|Zero Suit Samus}}, allowing him to rise above them.

*Diddy Kong is the first fighter to wear a piece of clothing that has a real-life brand on it, preceding [[Banjo]] and [[Terry]].