Editing Diddy Kong (SSBU)

'''Diddy Kong''' ({{ja|ディディーコング|Didī Kongu}}, ''Diddy Kong'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'', officially confirmed on June 12th, 2018. 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's voice is once again comprised of his realistic chimpanzee screeches and growls that were used in both ''Brawl'' and ''Smash 4''.

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

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 significantly nerfed from his ''SSB4'' iteration. His Monkey Flip most notably travels a shorter distance, which worsens his overall movement and neutral. Banana also has more startup lag, making it harder for him to instantly grab bananas after he pulls one out. Down tilt was also nerfed which prevents Diddy from being able to combo into up smash and combo off of the move reliably. His up aerial, which was a notorious move in Smash 4, now has a smaller hitbox. His grab game was also toned down, as his grab now has more startup, endlag, and his combo throws have either more endlag or more knockback, which significantly hinders their combo potential. His up special also travels a shorter distance, which nerfs his recovery. Diddy Kong also suffers from having less weight.

He did get some notable buffs, however. Diddy's already impressive mobility was improved as his initial dash, run speed, walk speed, and airspeed are significantly better. Diddy also slightly benefits from the game's mechanics as his aerials have less ending lag.  

Diddy Kong's nerfs seem to outweigh his buffs, making him worse than his iteration in Smash 4, but to what extent is currently unknown due to his below-average results in Ultimate's Early Metagame. His overall perception has been negative, as players such as {{Sm|ZeRo}} consider him way worse than he was in Smash 4, and that he’s on the weaker side of mid tier at best. {{Sm|ZeRo}} only uses him as a counterpick and {{Sm|MVD}}, {{Sm|Zinoto}} and {{Sm|Nietono}} have dropped him in favor of other characters.

*{{change|As with all [[veteran]]s returning from ''SSB4'', Diddy Kong's model features a more subdued color scheme. Like {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}}, his fur is less detailed than the previous installment.}}

*{{change|Diddy Kong is more expressive. His hat also appears to be "looser" around his head, popping off slightly while performing many actions.}}

*{{change|Diddy Kong's chest now faces the screen, regardless of whether it is facing left or right.}}

*{{change|Up taunt has an altered ending animation. Diddy Kong now fixes his hat as it lands crooked on his head.}}

*{{buff|Like all characters, Diddy Kong's [[jumpsquat]] animation now takes three frames to complete (down from 4).}}

*{{buff|Diddy Kong [[run]]s faster (1.824 → 2.006).}}

**{{buff|Diddy Kong's initial [[dash]] is significantly faster (1.7 → 2.09).}}

*{{buff|Diddy Kong [[walk]]s faster (1.25 → 1.313).}}

*{{buff|Diddy Kong's [[air speed]] is higher (0.88 → 0.924).}}

*{{change|Diddy Kong is [[weight|lighter]] (93 → 90). This makes him less susceptible to combos at the expense of worse endurance.}}

*[[Neutral attack]]:

**{{buff|Neutral attack no longer has a multi-jab and instead finishes with a quick side kick. This makes the move much more consistent.}}

***{{nerf|The loss of the multi-jab hurts its overall damage potential.}}

**{{buff|The first hit can now be held for a consecutive jab.}}

**{{buff|The third hit of neutral attack has less startup (frame 9 → 5).}}

***{{nerf|However, its duration remains unchanged, increasing its endlag overall.}}

*[[Forward tilt]]

**{{nerf|Forward tilt deals less knockback, diminishing its KO potential.}}

*[[Up tilt]]

*[[Down tilt]]:

**{{nerf|Down tilt has greater knockback, reducing its combo potential at higher percents while still failing to KO at realistic percentages.}}

**{{buff|Dash attack has less ending lag (FAF 46 → 43).}}

<!--*{{buff|Dash attack's hitboxes have a longer active window}} (confirmation needed)-->

**{{buff|Since opponents can no longer run each other, dash attack can no longer accidentally whiff at extremely close ranges.}}

*[[Down smash]]:

**{{nerf|Down smash has more startup lag (frame 6 → 9).}}

**{{buff|The first hit deals more knockback.}}

*{{buff|All aerials have less landing lag (Neutral: 13 frames → 8, Forward: 26 → 16, Back: 12 → 7, Up: 21 → 13, Down: 30 → 17).}}

**{{buff|Neutral aerial [[auto-cancel]]s significantly earlier (frame 59 → 27).}}

**{{change|[[Forward aerial]] has an altered animation where Diddy Kong does not spin as much.}}

*[[Up aerial]]:

**{{nerf|Up aerial has less range in front of Diddy Kong.}}

**{{buff|Up aerial has less ending lag (FAF 39 → 37).}}

*{{change|Diddy Kong now has a surprised/shocked expression if he misses his grab.}}

*{{change|[[Pummel]] has an altered animation. Diddy Kong no longer hops off the ground while pummeling.}}

*{{nerf|Pummel deals less damage (2% → 1%).}}

*{{nerf|All grabs have increased start-up (6 → 7 frames (standing), 8 → 10 frames (dash), 9 → 11 frames (pivot)) and increased endlag (FAF 32 → 37 (standing), FAF 39 → 45 (dash), FAF 37 → 40 (pivot)).}}

*{{nerf|Up throw deals slightly more knockback, which reduces its combo potential.}}

*{{buff|Down throw has less endlag (12 frames → 9).}}

**{{change|If the Banana Peel is thrown at an opponent once with the respective peel, it no longer disappears until thrown at again, allowing Diddy Kong to quickly pick it up again and reuse it. However, this also means his opponents can do the same when it is out.}}

***{{buff|This change indirectly allows Diddy Kong to setup infinite combos on most characters on platforms.}}

**{{buff|[[Hyper Rocketbarrel]], Diddy Kong's new Final Smash, functions differently from [[Rocketbarrel Barrage]]. Diddy Kong now 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.}}

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} 2.0.0'''

*{{buff|Neutral air autocancels earlier (frame 50 → 27). It is now early enough to buffer short hop and fastfall with no landing lag.}}

*{{bugfix|Monkey Flip release glitch has been fixed.}}

|neutralname=&nbsp;

|neutraldesc=Diddy Kong does two alternating inward slaps, followed by an outward side kick. Holding the attack button will have Diddy Kong repeat the first hit. The first 2 hits can [[lock]].

|ftiltname=&nbsp;

|ftiltdmg=10%

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

|utiltname=&nbsp;

|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.

|dtiltname=Hand Clap

|dtiltdesc=Diddy Kong claps in front of himself while crouching.

|dashname=&nbsp;

|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.

|fsmashname=&nbsp;

|fsmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|5}} (hit 1), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|11}} (hit 2)

|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 killing power. However, it is easily punished if missed. Often only used in combination with his [[Banana Peel (move)|banana peel]].

|usmashname=&nbsp;

|usmashdesc=Diddy Kong leaps upward and performs a stationary cartwheel, attacking upwards with an open-handed slap, a reverse heel kick, and an uppercut.

|dsmashname=&nbsp;

|dsmashdesc=Diddy Kong performs a [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flare_(acrobatic_move) flare], kicking in front and then behind himself.

|nairname=&nbsp;

|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 deals a low amount of vertical knockback, which can lead to potential [[footstool_jump|footstools]] or aerial follow ups (though due to changes regarding footstooling, it is no longer an always-guaranteed option), giving it usage as a combo extender.

|fairname=Screw Kick

|fairdesc=Diddy Kong does a dropkick while spinning.

|bairname=&nbsp;

|bairdesc=Diddy Kong does a reverse spin kick behind himself.

|uairname=&nbsp;

|uairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|6}}

|uairdesc=Diddy Kong performs an overhead kick in an arc.

|dairname=&nbsp;

|dairdesc=Diddy Kong swings both arms downward in a double axe-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.

|grabname=&nbsp;

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

|pummelname=&nbsp;

|pummeldesc=A headbutt.

|fthrowname=

|fthrowdesc=Diddy Kong tosses his opponent forwards. The throw is based on Diddy Kong's barrel toss animation from ''Donkey Kong Country''.

|bthrowname=

|bthrowdesc=Diddy Kong tosses his opponent backwards. Diddy Kong's strongest and most damaging throw, KOing middleweights around 130%.

|uthrowname=

|uthrowdesc=Diddy Kong throws his opponent up and handstand kicks them.

|dthrowname=

|dthrowdesc=Diddy Kong throws the opponent onto the ground and hops over them. Can lead into aerial attacks from low to mid percent ranges

|floorfdesc=Diddy Kong gets up and kicks on both sides.

|floorbdesc=Diddy Kong gets up and kicks on both sides.

|floortdesc=Diddy Kong gets up and kicks on both sides.

|nsdmg=2~14.9% (peanuts), 23% (explosion)

|nsdesc=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 afterwards.

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.

|ssdmg=14% (clean midair 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)

|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.  

|usdmg=10% (launch explosion), 8% (early collision), 6% (late collision), 18% (collision explosion; detached Rocketbarrel Pack) 4.33% (flying Rocketbarrel Pack); 5% (crash recoil)

|usdesc=Diddy Kong charges his rocketbarrel 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 rocketbarrels 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.

|dsdmg=N/A

|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 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.

|fsdmg=0.5% (startup loop), 2.5% (per collision), 20% (final hit), 15% (collateral final hit), 10% (explosion)

|fsdesc=Diddy Kong activates his Rocketbarrel Pack and flies up. He then dashes across the screen in multiple directions, dealing 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.

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

*'''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 {{s|mariowiki|Bonus Area}}.

*'''Side taunt''': 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..

*Scratches his rump, gets down on all fours, and shakes his fur.

*Jumps in place twice.  

*Shoots the air with his Peanut Popguns, roll towards the camera and shoots near it.

*Spins with his Rocket Barrels then faces the screen, dancing with hands on his head and chin.

*Does a small dance, then holds still in a breakdance-like pose, clapping his feet together.

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 ''{{s|mariowiki|Donkey Kong Country Returns}}''.

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"

|1||{{SSBU|Bowser}} and {{SSBU|Bowser Jr.}}||[[Princess Peach's Castle]]||King Bowser - Super Mario Bros. 3||{{SSBU|Mario}} is a CPU ally.

|2||Meta {{SSBU|Ridley}} and {{SSBU|Dark Samus}}||[[Norfair]]||Nemesis Ridley||{{SSBU|Zero Suit Samus}} is a CPU ally.

|3||{{SSBU|Ganondorf}}||[[Unova Pokémon League]]||Death Mountain||{{SSBU|Zelda}} is a CPU ally.

|4||{{SSBU|Mewtwo}}||[[Spear Pillar]]||Battle! (Dialga/Palkia) / Spear Pillar||{{SSBU|Pokémon Trainer}} is a CPU ally.

|5||{{SSBU|King Dedede}} and {{SSBU|Meta Knight}}||[[Fountain of Dreams]]||King Dedede's Theme (Brawl)||{{SSBU|Kirby}} is a CPU ally.

|6||{{SSBU|King K. Rool}}||[[Jungle Japes]]||King K. Rool / Ship Deck 2||{{SSBU|Donkey Kong}} is a CPU ally.

|colspan="5"|Bonus Stage

|Final||{{SSBU|Master Hand}} and {{SSBU|Crazy Hand}}||{{SSBU|Final Destination}}||Master Hand / Crazy Hand||Donkey Kong is a CPU ally.

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 (Adventure Mode)|Kongo Jungle sub-area]] reminiscent of the first ''Donkey Kong Country'' game, where he's found right at the end.

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"

! style="width:5%;"|No.

! style="width:5%;"|Image

! Name

! Type

! Power

! Stage

! Music

| 36

| [[File:Diddy Kong SSBU.png|center|108x108px]]

| {{SSBU|Diddy Kong}}

| {{color|#17ba17|Grab}}

| 9,000

| [[Kongo Jungle]] ([[Ω form]])

| ''{{SSBUMusicLink|Donkey Kong|Stickerbush Symphony}}''

{{-}}

==[[Spirit]]s==

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''.

Spirits diddy kong.png|135. '''''Diddy Kong'''''

==In Spirit battles==

|{{anchor|Lanky Kong}}Lanky Kong

|''Donkey Kong series''

|•{{SSBU|Diddy Kong}} Team {{Head|Diddy Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}} (x6)

|{{color|#17ba17|Grab}}

|{{anchor|Tiny Kong}}Tiny Kong

|''Donkey Kong series''

|{{color|#17ba17|Grab}}

|•Dangerously high winds are in effect<br>•Timed battle<br>•Gravity is reduced

|{{anchor|Squitter}}Squitter

|''Donkey Kong series''

|{{color|#17ba17|Grab}}

|{{anchor|Tiki Tak Tribe}}Tiki Tak Tribe

|''Donkey Kong series''

|•{{SSBU|Diddy Kong}} Team (x4) ({{Head|Diddy Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}{{Head|Diddy Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}{{Head|Diddy Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Yellow}}{{Head|Diddy Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Cyan}}

|{{color|#796581|Neutral}}

|{{anchor|Octorok}}Octorok

|''The Legend of Zelda series''

|•{{SSBU|Diddy Kong}} Team {{Head|Diddy Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}} (×4)

|{{color|#17ba17|Grab}}

|{{anchor|Deku Link}}Deku Link

|''The Legend of Zelda series''

|{{color|#17ba17|Grab}}

|{{anchor|Ukiki}}Ukiki

|''Yoshi series''

|•{{SSBU|Diddy Kong}} Team {{Head|Diddy Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Pink}} (×4)

|{{color|#17ba17|Grab}}

|{{anchor|Andrew Oikonny}}[[Andrew Oikonny]]

|''Star Fox series''

|{{color|#17ba17|Grab}}

|{{anchor|Dash Bowman}}[[File:DashBowman.png|center|64x64px]]

|{{anchor|Dash Bowman}}{{s|lylatwiki|Dash Bowman}}

|''Star Fox series''

|{{color|#796581|Neutral}}

|[[File:Salsa Spirit.png|center|64x64px]]

|Salsa

|''Earthbound series''

|•{{SSBU|Diddy Kong}} {{Head|Diddy Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}<br>•{{SSBU|Wario}} {{Head|Wario|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=ClassicRed}}

|{{color|#17ba17|Grab}}

|[[File:Leif.png|center|64x64px]]

|Leif (Animal Crossing)

|''Animal Crossing series''

|{{color|#dc1029|Attack}}

|[[File:Dee Jay Spirit.png|center|64x64px]]

|Dee Jay

|''Street Fighter series''

|•{{SSBU|Diddy Kong}} {{Head|Diddy Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}} (x3)

|{{color|#17ba17|Grab}}

|{{anchor|Goku & Chao}}[[File:Goku & Chao.png|center|64x64px]]

|Goku & Chao

|''Famicom Mukashibanashi series''

|{{color|#18aef5|Shield}}

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Nintendo|Yūyūki Medley}}

|{{anchor|Prince Saruno}}[[File:Prince Saruno Spirit.png|center|64x64px]]

|•{{SSBU|Diddy Kong}} Team {{Head|Diddy Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Pink}} (×4)

|{{color|#dc1029|Attack}}

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Nintendo|PERFORMANCE}}

|{{anchor|Barrel Train}}Barrel Train

|''Mario Kart series''

|{{color|#18aef5|Shield}}

|•Item: {{b|Bullet Bill|item}}

|{{anchor|Funky Kong}}Funky Kong

|''Donkey Kong series''

|{{color|#796581|Neutral}}

|•Item: {{b|Bullet Bill|item}}

|{{anchor|Dixie Kong}}[[Dixie Kong]]

|''Donkey Kong series''

|{{color|#17ba17|Grab}}

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Donkey Kong|Stickerbush Symphony}}

|{{anchor|Roll Caskett}}[[File:Roll Caskett Spirit.png|center|64x64px]]

|''Mega Man Legends series''

|{{color|#18aef5|Shield}}

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Nintendo|Light Plane (for 3DS / Wii U)}}

|[[File:Fleature.png|center|64x64px]]

|The Creature & Flea Man

|''Castlevania series''

|{{color|#18aef5|Shield}}

|{{anchor|Donbe & Hikari}}[[File:Donbe hikari.png|center|64x64px]]

|Donbe & Hikari

|''Famicom Mukashibanashi series''

|{{color|#796581|Neutral}}

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Nintendo|Shin Onigashima Medley}}

|colspan=8|[[File:Diddy Kong Palette (SSBU).png|link=Palette swap (SSBU)#Mario|1000px]]

SSBUWebsiteDonkeyKong3.jpg|With D.K. on Great Bay.

===Character Showcase Video===