Editing Donkey Kong (SSBM)

|tier = C-

|ranking = 16

|rankingPAL = 17

Donkey Kong's voice consists of modified stock animal grunts and roars, similar to his sounds in ''Super Smash Bros.'' newcomer {{SSBM|Bowser}} also uses stock sounds, but they are different from Donkey Kong's.

He is currently 16th out of 26 on the tier list, placing him in the C- tier. This is a moderate improvement to his previous placement in ''Smash 64'', where he was ranked 9th out of 12. Donkey Kong, true to being a heavyweight, is difficult to KO, and this is aided by his fast [[falling speed]]. Donkey Kong also has powerful attacks, and he has excellent range to boot. For a heavyweight, Donkey Kong is unusually agile; most of his attacks are executed swiftly, he has high [[air speed]], and his jumping prowess is solid. His mobility facilitates combos, and this is further aided by his remarkable [[grab]] range. However, Donkey Kong himself is vulnerable to combos due to his large size and high falling speed, and his recovery, while covering a significant amount of horizontal distance, fails to cover much height.

Contrary to what his archetype might suggest, Donkey Kong has surprisingly high speed for a character of his power and weight class. In raw characteristics, Donkey Kong boasts a fast walking speed, above-average running speed, high air speed, and high falling speed (though unlike other high-fallers, Donkey Kong's gravity is average as opposed to above-average, with him having the lowest gravity value amongst the high-fallers; he shares the same fall speed as the significantly lighter {{SSBM|Roy}}), aspects that lead to a short wavedash, but an average SHFFL, and long, safe dash dance.

Owing to his relatively high speed, Donkey Kong possesses a decently versatile comboing game. On the ground, Donkey Kong's various tilts are all fast and can be used to start aerial combos, and in the air, Donkey Kong's fast, low-lag neutral, up, and back aerial attacks can allow him to continue attacking enemies with little penalty against him; adding to this, his high air speed can allow him to pursue enemies that have been popped up into the air. Arguably his most important combo tool, however, consists of his throwing game; despite a below-average grab range, Donkey Kong's various throws have low-knockback and low ending lag, making them excellent combo starting tools. His forward throw, known as the "cargo throw" or "cradle", is especially useful, due to its ability to easily combo into his practical air options. While carrying his opponent, Donkey Kong is free to move around the stage, allowing him to move to areas where he can more easily combo his opponents without interference from platforms or other hazards. He can also use this feature of the cargo throw to either perform a [[sacrificial KO]] by walking off the edge of the stage after cradling an enemy or throwing the enemy underneath the stage to [[stage spike]] them.

Due to being a heavyweight with a high falling speed, Donkey Kong owns a below-average recovery. While these traits make Donkey Kong highly resilient to the upper blast line, Donkey Kong's survivability on all other blast lines is poor. [[Spinning Kong]] grants above average horizontal distance, but poor height, making [[meteor smash]]es and [[spike]]s extremely powerful against him. Owing to a lack of other options concerning his recovery, this also means that he has very poor recovery options compared to other characters; none of his specials can reduce his falling speed, and he cannot wall-jump or use any other tactics in conjunction with Spinning Kong, and as such, he  is simple to edgeguard.

Much like fellow heavyweight Bowser, Donkey Kong's various attributes also make him very easy to combo. In addition to having among the largest raw hurtbox sizes in the game, Donkey Kong's high falling speed and weight make it easy for characters to [[chain throw]] him, as well as combo him in the air. Compounding this is Donkey Kong's poor defensive game; a large hurtbox (including a tie hurtbox) causes him to have a small [[shield]] that can easily make him vulnerable to [[shield stabbing]], and his lack of a projectile can discourage him from approaching enemies that own one.

==Changes from ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]''==

Donkey Kong has received a large mix of buffs and nerfs in his transition from ''Smash 64'' to ''Melee''. However, whether he was buffed or nerfed overall is debatable since the nerfs and buffs he received were both significant. While he has lost his previously abusable grab release, the generally faster falling speeds have given DK a new type of chaingrab against fast-falling opponents, particularly with his newly buffed cargo throw, and his new up and down throws. However, his reach has been reduced (though it remains among the best) and his power is lower as well, but many of his attacks are faster to execute. He is also more vulnerable to combos due to his faster falling speed and his overall endurance is much worse due to him being much lighter.

Regardless, Donkey Kong ranks better relative to the cast in ''Melee'' than he does in ''SSB64'', now ranking 16th out of 26 characters rather than 9th out of 12. Due to the faster mechanics, however, other characters have been given buffs in varying degrees, which results in Donkey Kong still struggling to make a presence in high-level tournaments.

*{{change|The voice clips when Donkey Kong taunts and is KO'd in ''Smash 64'' are switched in ''Melee''. His voice clips are also retained from the previous game, though with better quality.}}

*{{change|Donkey Kong's green alternate costume is now available for Free-for-all, instead of being exclusive to Team Battle. The costume also uses his normal skin color, as opposed to being green like in ''Smash 64''.}}

*{{buff|Donkey Kong's [[air speed]] has been unchanged (1 (30) → 1). Compared with the returning veterans, however, his air speed is faster, going from the 5th slowest (JPN/US/EUR) / median (AUS) out of 12 characters to the 6th fastest out of 26.}}

*{{nerf|Donkey Kong's [[air acceleration]] is lower (0.0667 (2) → 0.04), although no longer being the slowest.}}

*{{nerf|Donkey Kong [[jump]]s significantly lower (46.1 (1383) → 37.8), although going from the 5th highest out of 12 characters to the 4th highest out of 26.}}

**{{nerf|However, Donkey Kong's [[fast fall]]ing speed has been unchanged (2.967 (89) → 2.96). The difference between his falling speed and fast falling speed is much lower (increase: 58.9% → 23.3%), which makes it more predictable when landing and gives him fewer options in the air.}}

**{{nerf|Considering that Donkey Kong's vertical endurance hasn't significantly improved from ''Smash 64'' due to his significantly lighter weight in ''Melee'', this falling speed increase hurts him overall.}}

*{{nerf|Donkey Kong's landing animation is longer (4 frames → 5).}}

**{{buff|However, his hard landing animation is shorter (8 frames → 5).}}

*{{nerf|Donkey Kong is catastrophically [[weight|lighter]] (138.095238 (0.84, JPN) / 140.963855 (0.83, NA/AUS/EUR) → 114), which drastically hinders his endurance, while still being just as vulnerable to combos as before due to his increased falling speed.}}

*{{buff|Donkey Kong's new [[ground release]] animation is 10 frames shorter compared to the rest of the cast giving him a 10 frame advantage when being grab released on the ground.}}

**{{buff|Both hits of neutral attack have gained an additional hitbox; increasing their range.}}

**{{buff|The second hit has less startup lag with a longer duration (frames 6-11 → 5-11).}}

**{{buff|The second hit deals more damage (4% → 6%).}}

**{{nerf|The first hit of neutral attack has a shorter duration (frames 5-8 → 5-7).}}

**{{nerf|The second hit has slightly higher ending lag (FAF 34 → 35).}}

**{{buff|Donkey Kong has a new forward tilt: an open outward hand swat. It has less startup (frame 12 → 8) and ending lag (FAF 43 → 34) compared to the previous forward tilt.}}

**{{nerf|Forward tilt deals less damage (13% (up)/12% (forward)/11% (down) → 11%/10%/9%) without full compensation on its base knockback (0 → 10) hindering its KO potential.}}

**{{nerf|Forward tilt has a shorter duration (frames 12-17 → 8-11).}}

**{{buff|Up tilt has significantly reduced ending lag (FAF 60 → 40).}}

**{{nerf|Up tilt has more startup lag with a much shorter duration (frames 4-23 → 6-11).}}

**{{buff|Down tilt has less startup lag (frame 11 → 6).}}

**{{nerf|Down tilt has a shorter duration (frames 11-16 → 6-9).}}

**{{nerf|Down tilt has more ending lag (FAF 22 → 23) now having 13 frames of cooldown (as opposed to 5).}}

**{{nerf|Down tilt deals less damage (8% → 7%) and has decreased base knockback (30 → 10).}}

***{{nerf|When combined with its increased ending lag (and the changes to shields), this means that the move no longer gives DK frame advantage on shield or even on hit at lower percents; making it more punishable and greatly hindering its setup potential.}}

**{{buff|Dash attack has less ending lag (FAF 71 → 55).}}

**{{nerf|Dash attack has more startup lag with a shorter duration (frames 3-26 → 9-12 (clean)/13-20 (late)).}}

**{{nerf|Dash attack deals less damage (12% → 11% (clean), 9% (late).}}

**{{buff|Donkey Kong has a new forward smash: Donkey Kong performs a powerful clap in front of him. It has less startup (frame 27 → 22) and a shorter total duration (FAF 60 → 55) compared to the previous forward smash.}}

**{{change|Forward smash no longer deals consistent damage (20% → 20%/21% (hands/arms), 19%/18% (body)).}}

***{{buff|This makes the sweetspot on his arms slightly stronger.}}

***{{nerf|However, this makes the near hitboxes weaker.}}

**{{nerf|New forward smash has less range.}}

**{{nerf|Forward smash deals less knockback (20 (base), 100 (scaling) → 22/94 (hands/arms), 18/100 (body)).}}

**{{nerf|Forward smash has a shorter duration (frames 27-32 → 22-23) giving it more ending lag.}}

**{{buff|Up smash has less startup lag (frame 16 → 14), ending lag (FAF 60 → 54) and DK's hands gain intangibility sooner (frame 14 → 12).}}

**{{nerf|Up smash deals less damage (21% → 18%) and has decreased knockback scaling (100 → 93) hindering its KO potential.}}

**{{nerf|Down smash deals less damage (19% → 16% (hands)/14% (arms) with only a slight increase to its base knockback (30 → 35).}}

*{{nerf|Neutral, forward and down aerials all [[auto-cancel]] later (frame 30 → 39 (neutral), frame 36 → 60 (forward), frame 30 → 50 (down)) and can no longer auto-cancel in a short hop.}}

**{{nerf|When combined with the weakening of [[L-canceling]] and the changes to shields, this considerably hinders the combo and shield pressuring potential of all of DK's aerials.}}

*{{buff|Back and up aerials auto-cancel earlier (frame 36 → 20 (back), frame 21 → 13 (up)).}}

**{{buff|Neutral aerial has less ending lag (FAF 60 → 39).}}

**{{nerf|Neutral aerial has more startup lag with a shorter duration (frames 4-29 → 10-26).}}

**{{nerf|Neutral aerial deals less damage (15% → 12% (clean), 12% → 10% (late)) hindering its KO potential.}}

**{{change|Forward aerial now has an early hit and a late hit. The early hit functions identically to the previous arm hitboxes while the late hit is a meteor smash like the previous hand hitbox albeit with some changes.}}

**{{buff|The late hit has altered knockback compared to the previous meteor smash hitbox (0 (base), 100 (scaling) → 50/80) making it stronger overall especially at lower percents.}}

**{{nerf|Forward aerial has significantly increased startup lag with a shorter duration (frames 8-15 → 25-26 (clean)/27-29 (late)).}}

**{{nerf|Forward aerial has a new animation which is longer than the previous one (49 frames → 59). This increases the move's total duration (FAF 50 → 60) as well as the amount of time the move cannot auto-cancel and the amount of time DK cannot grab the ledge after using the move.}}

***{{buff|However, the move has less ending lag overall due to its increased startup lag (now having 30 frames of cooldown instead of 34).}}

**{{nerf|Forward aerial has double the amount of landing lag (15 frames → 30).}}

**{{nerf|Forward aerial no longer has an initial or a late auto-cancel window. As a result, the move will not auto-cancel until its animation has finished which removes the move's ability to auto-cancel while the hitboxes are out and generally makes the move much worse upon landing when combined with its higher landing lag.}}

**{{nerf|The late hit's angle has been altered, now sending opponents straight down (-70° → 270°). When combined with the aforementioned changes to its landing lag as well as the weakening of L-canceling and the introduction of [[meteor canceling]]; this significantly hinders the move's utility on stage as well as its reliability off stage.}}

**{{buff|Donkey Kong has a new back aerial, he kicks backwards with his right foot. It has slightly reduced startup lag (frame 8 → 7), and much less ending lag (FAF 60 → 32).}}

**{{nerf|Back aerial has a much shorter duration (frames 8-13 (clean)/14-35 (late) → 7-8/9-15).}}

**{{nerf|Back aerial deals less damage (15% → 13% (clean), 10% → 9% (late)).}}

**{{buff|Donkey Kong has a new up aerial: a swinging headbutt. This new up aerial has less ending lag (FAF 60 → 38).}}

**{{buff|Up aerial has less landing lag (41 frames → 25).}}

**{{buff|Up aerial hits above DK sooner.}}

**{{buff|Up aerial deals more damage (12% → 14%) and has increased knockback (0 (base), 100 (scaling) → 32/90), making it much more useful at lower percents as well as improving its KO potential.}}

***{{buff|This improves its KO potential as well as its ability to lead into itself.}}

***{{nerf|However, this hinders its combo potential into DK's horizontal moves as well as its set up potential.}}

**{{nerf|Up aerial has more startup lag with a much shorter duration (frames 3-20 → 6-8).}}

**{{change|Donkey Kong has a new down aerial: he slams down his right foot.}}

**{{buff|Down aerial deals more damage (13% (clean), 10% (late) → 16% (foot), 13% (body)) and has increased base knockback (15 → 38/20).}}

**{{buff|Down aerial has less ending lag (FAF 60 → 55) and landing lag (41 frames → 31).}}

**{{nerf|Down aerial has significantly increased startup lag (frame 6 → 18).}}

***{{nerf|Down aerial has a much shorter duration due to no longer having a late hit (frames 6-29 → 18-23).}}

***{{nerf|Despite the removal of the late hit, down aerial still has a weaker sourspot which is situated on Donkey Kong's body.}}

**{{nerf|Down aerial has less range.}}

**{{buff|As with all returning veterans, DK now has a pummel, up throw and down throw giving him more options out of a grab.}}

**{{nerf|DK's grab range was reduced, going from the longest non-tether grab in ''Smash 64'' to below average in ''Melee''. His grabs also have more startup lag (frame 6 → 8 (standing), 10 (dash)) and ending lag (FAF 16 → 31 (standing), 41 (dash)).}}

**{{nerf|DK's opponent will no longer take damage when he picks them up with forward throw (6% → 0%).}}

**{{buff|DK's opponent will now take 10% if they escape from his forward throw.}}

***{{nerf|However, Donkey Kong himself will also take 10% damage if the opponent escapes from his forward throw.}}

**{{nerf|Due to DK's worse grab combined with the universally increased falling speeds, DK's [[Infinite throw trap]] has effectively been removed.}}

**{{buff|DK has received a (separate) back throw, an up throw and a down throw from his forward throw, giving DK more options to combo or KO.}}

**{{nerf|The introduction of wall [[tech]]ing has significantly hindered forward throw's stage spiking capabilities.}}

***{{nerf|Additionally due to DK's increased falling speed and worse vertical recovery, he can no longer recover from stage spiking his opponent unless they hit him.}}

**Cargo forward throw:

***{{change|DK releases opponents earlier from Cargo forward throw (frame 18 → 15).}}

***{{nerf|Cargo forward throw deals less knockback (70 (base), 80 (scaling) → 80/50) and sends opponents at a less favorable angle (45° → 55°).}}

**{{nerf|Back throw deals less damage (18% → 10%) and knockback (80 (base), 70 (scaling) → 60/65) drastically hindering its KO potential (no longer being the strongest back throw).}}

**{{nerf|DK releases opponents later from back throw (frame 9 → 14) and it has much more ending lag (FAF 22 → 40).}}

*[[Edge attack]]s:

**{{buff|Under 100% edge attack has a new animation. This animation decreases its ending lag (FAF 60 → 55) and allows the move to hit opponents that are standing directly near the ledge.}}

**{{buff|Under 100% edge attack deals 2% more damage (6% → 8%).}}

**{{nerf|Under 100% edge attack has less intangibility (frames 1-10 → 1-5), a shorter duration (frames 9-18 → 9-16) and slightly less range.}}

**{{buff|Over 100% edge attack has less startup lag with a longer duration (frames 49-54 → 37-50), less ending lag (FAF 90 → 70), more range and deals 4% more damage (6% → 10%).}}

**{{nerf|Edge attacks have less set knockback (100 → 90).}}

*[[Giant Punch]]:

**{{buff|Giant Punch charges faster (139 frames → 127) as DK reaches full charge with one less wind.}}

**{{change|Uncharged Giant Punch has a new hitbox behind DK's arm which deals vertical knockback (361° → 80°).}}

**{{buff|Giant Punch has much less ending lag regardless of charge (FAF 81 → 45).}}

**{{buff|DK no longer has to windup his fully charged Giant Punch decreasing its startup lag (frame 23 → 17).}}

***{{nerf|However, this means that DK can no longer shield before using his fully charged Giant Punch to protect himself and still maintain the charge.}}

**{{nerf|Giant Punch has less range.}}

**{{nerf|Giant Punch deals less damage when uncharged (14%-32% → 10%-30%) without full compensation on its base knockback (0 → 15).}}

**{{nerf|Fully charged Giant Punch now has a vertical hitting sourspot (361° → 80°) behind DK's arm which deals drastically lower damage (36% → 18% (grounded), 16% (aerial), and its knockback was barely increased (0 (base), 100 (scaling) → 40/90). This drastically hinders its KO potential.}}

**{{nerf|Fully charged Giant Punch deals much less damage (36% → 30% (grounded), 27% (aerial), and knockback (0 (base), 100 (scaling) → 10/90) hindering its KO potential to the point where DK's nine wind Punch is now stronger than the fully charged variant.}}

**{{nerf|Fully charged Giant Punch no longer deals extra shield damage (12 → 0).}}

**{{nerf|Fully charged Giant Punch has a shorter duration (frames 23-30 → 17 (early)/18-21 (clean)).}}

**{{nerf|Giant Punch now leaves DK [[helpless]] when used in the air making it much riskier to use off stage despite its decreased ending lag.}}

**{{change|Donkey Kong now has a side special: Headbutt. It can [[bury]] grounded opponents, meteor smash aerial opponents and also does very high amounts of [[shield damage]].}}

*[[Spinning Kong]]:

**{{buff|Spinning Kong's grounded clean hit no longer has set knockback (100 (set), 120 (scaling) → 60 (base)/100) now being an effective KO move.}}

**{{buff|Spinning Kong has less ending lag (FAF 100 → 85).}}

**{{buff|Donkey Kong can now grab ledges from behind after using Spinning Kong in the air.}}

***{{nerf|However, this significantly hinders its edgeguarding potential unless at high percents and generally makes the move much more punishable if it connects.}}

***{{buff|This improves its ability to lead into the late hit.}}

***{{nerf|However, this significantly hinders its edgeguarding potential at lower percents and generally makes the move much more punishable if it connects.}}

**{{change|Aerial Spinning Kong's mid hits deals much less knockback (100 (set), 120 (scaling) → 20 (base)/70) and it has received late hits which deals extremely low damage and knockback.}}

***{{buff|This significantly increases aerial Spinning Kong's maximum damage potential (20% → 33%).}}

***{{nerf|However, this significantly hinders its edgeguarding potential and the late hits can be escaped and punished very easily.}}

**{{nerf|Spinning Kong travels less distance both horizontally and vertically.}}

**{{nerf|Spinning Kong has less intangibility (frames 1-5 (both) → 3-5 (grounded), 2-5 (aerial)) and aerial Spinning Kong grants less intangibility to DK's arms (frames 9-48 → 11-42).}}

**{{nerf|Aerial Spinning Kong deals less damage (12% (clean), 8% (late) → 10%/5%/2%).}}

**{{nerf|Mid Spinning Kong has more startup lag (frame 9 → 19 (grounded), 11 (aerial)).}}

**{{nerf|If DK is hit out of Spinning Kong, he will now lose the charge for his Giant Punch. This only applies in NTSC versions of the game.}}

**{{change|Hand Slap has a new animation: Donkey Kong now alternates slapping the ground with each hand without hopping, instead of slightly hopping and successively slapping both hands onto the ground as he did in ''Smash 64''.}}

**{{change|Hand Slap's angle has been altered (90° → 84°).}}

***{{nerf|When combined with the introduction of [[DI]] and the universal decrease to hitstun, this significantly hinders Hand Slap's combo potential, removing its ability to set up for easy and consistent KO confirms.}}

==Version history==

*{{buff|If Donkey Kong is hit out of Spinning Kong, he will no longer lose the charge for his Giant Punch.}}

|neutralname=Swipe ({{ja|ジャブ|Jabu}}, ''Jab'') / Uppercut ({{ja|アッパー|Appā}}, ''Upper'')

|ftiltname=Backhand Slap ({{ja| コングアックス|Kongu Akkusu}}, ''Kong Axe'')

|utiltname=Spider Web Swipe ({{ja|くもの巣はらい|Kumo no Su Harai}}, ''Spiderweb Sweep'')

|dtiltname=Slouch Slap ({{ja|足もとビンタ|Ashimoto Binta}}, ''Foot Slap'')

|dashname=Konga Kick ({{ja|アイアンキック|Aian Kikku}}, ''Iron Kick'')

|fsmashname=Kong Klap ({{ja|ダイナクラップ|Daina Kurappu}}, ''Dyna Clap'')

|usmashname=Ape Applause ({{ja|ジャンボプレス|Janbo Puresu}}, ''Jumbo Press'')

|usmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|18}}

|dsmashname=Twin Beat ({{ja|ツインビート|Tsuin Bīto}})

|nairname=Kong Whirl ({{ja|ドンキーラリアット|Donkī Rariatto}}, ''Donkey Lariat'')

|fairname=Hammer Knuckle ({{ja|ハンマーナックル|Hanmā Nakkuru}})

|fairdesc=Puts his fists together above his head, then does a powerful ax-handle swing downwards. This move can [[meteor smash]] opponents the moment Donkey Kong swings his hands in front of his face. Resembles his midair attack from ''Donkey Kong 64''.

|bairname=Back Kick ({{ja|コングロケット|Kongu Roketto}}, ''Kong Rocket'')

|uairname=Flying Headbutt ({{ja|エアヘッドバット|Ea Heddobatto}}, ''Air Headbutt'')

|dairname=Flying Stomp ({{ja|エアスタンピード|Ea Sutanpīdo}}, ''Air Stampede'')

|dairdesc=Performs a downward stomp whilst holding his arms up in a macho pose. A [[meteor smash]].

|grabname=Grab ({{ja|つかみ|Tsukami}})

|pummelname=Jungle Chop ({{ja|つかみチョップ|Tsukami Choppu}}, ''Grab Chop'')

|fthrowname=Kong Karry ({{ja|リフティング|Rifutingu}}, ''Lifting'')

|fthrowdmg=10% (breakout), 8% (forward/backward), 7% (up), 6% (down)

Up: Tosses opponent upwards. Its low knockback makes it his main combo throw. Can also chain grab fastfallers.<br/>

Down: Tosses opponent like a bowling ball, similar to Kiddy Kong's throwing animation in ''Donkey Kong Country 3''.

|bthrowname=Donkey Fling ({{ja|ダイレクトスルー|Dairekuto Surū}}, ''Direct Throw'')

|uthrowname=Coconut Toss ({{ja|ココナッツリフト|Kokonattsu Rifuto}}, ''Coconut Lift'')

|dthrowname=Simian Slam ({{ja|パイルドロップ|Pairu Doroppu}}, ''Pile Drop'')

|usdesc=Donkey Kong twirls around like a helicopter, hitting multiple times. Has great horizontal coverage, lacking height. DK's arms are intangible during the first half of the move when used in the air.

==In [[competitive play]]==

===Most historically significant players===

<!--This character has a ten player limit for this section. Before adding and/or removing a player, read these guidelines: https://www.ssbwiki.com/SmashWiki:Notability#%22Most_historically_significant_players%22_guidelines -->

:''See also: [[:Category:Donkey Kong players (SSBM)]]''

*{{Sm|Bum|USA}} - Gathered notoriety as one of the first strong Donkey Kong players. His 4th place run at {{Trn|MLG Long Island 2007}} marks the strongest placement for the character during the MLG era. At the same tournament, he also garnered multiple wins over {{Sm|Isai}} and {{Sm|ChuDat}}.

*{{Sm|ckyulmiqnudaetr|USA}} - Formerly a Fox and Ice Climbers player who switched to Donkey Kong, becoming the second best in the world behind Junebug, currently ranking 29th on [[SSBMRank Summer 2024]]. Has maintained consistently strong placements at both majors and regionals, placing 13th at {{Trn|Get On My Level X}} and {{Trn|Supernova 2024}}, 9th at {{Trn|Riptide 2024}}, as well as 1st at {{Trn|BODIED 7}} with wins over {{Sm|KJH}}, {{Sm|Zuppy}}, {{Sm|Ossify}}, {{Sm|Kevin Maples}}, and notably defeating {{Sm|Moky}}

*{{Sm|Green Ranger|USA}} - Previously considered the best Donkey Kong player in the world. He placed 9th at {{Trn|Fight Pitt V}} while making an upset over {{Sm|Duck}}, and made decent placements at other tournaments, such as 25th at {{Trn|Super Nebulous 3}} and 49th at {{Trn|Royal Flush}}.

*{{Sm|Junebug|USA}} - The best Donkey Kong player in the world. He has won several regionals with Donkey Kong, including [[Tournament:Xanadu Legends - Xanadu 500 Edition|Xanadu Legends 500]] and {{Trn|Patchwork 2024}}, along with high placements at several majors, including 13th at {{Trn|The Big House 11}} and 17th at {{Trn|Collision 2023}} with wins over top players such as {{Sm|Magi}}, {{Sm|Polish}}, {{Sm|Ginger}}, and {{Sm|Salt}}, and became the first Donkey Kong player to be ranked top 50 in the world, most recently ranking 27th on the [[SSBMRank Summer 2024]], all of which started a major discussion for Donkey Kong's true viability as a character. His 3rd place finish at {{Trn|Supernova 2024}} marked not only the character's first major top 3, but Donkey Kong's best placement and performance of all time, taking sets over {{Sm|Joshman}}, {{Sm|Axe}}, and {{Sm|Zamu}}.

*{{Sm|Moe|Denmark}} - One of the best Donkey Kong players in the world later in the game's lifespan. He has shown the best Donkey Kong placements in Europe, with 9th at {{Trn|Valhalla IV}} and 17th at {{Trn|Fête 3: By the Sea}}, where he notably defeated {{Sm|Frenzy}} 3-0 and went game 5 with {{Sm|Aklo}}. He has been the best player in Denmark for years, being ranked first in the country from 2019 to 2022.

*{{Sm|Phish-It|USA}} - Previously considered the best Donkey Kong player in the world during the early 2010s. He made great major placements such as 9th at {{Trn|Zenith 2014}} and supermajor placements of 33rd at both {{Trn|EVO 2013}} and {{Trn|The Big House 4}}, which were considered some of the best supermajor results of the character at the time.

*{{Sm|Ringler|USA}} - One of the best Donkey Kong players in the world. He came to prominence with his 25th at {{Trn|Mainstage}} with a notable upset over {{Sm|La Luna}} in his bracket. While he is more inactive in the post-Slippi era compared to other Donkey Kong players, he has maintained strong placements at national events he has attended, finishing 25th at both {{Trn|Mainstage 2021}} and {{Trn|Pat's House 4}}, and 33rd at both {{Trn|Super Smash Con 2022}} and {{Trn|Riptide 2023}}. He has beaten players such as {{Sm|KoDoRiN}}, {{Sm|Joshman}}, {{Sm|Westballz}}, and {{Sm|Shroomed}}.

Donkey Kong is currently ranked as 16th on the tier list in the C- tier, making him a situational character in high-level tournament play at first glance. This tier placing, however, is significantly better than his initial tier placings; Donkey Kong was initially viewed as a low-to-bottom tiered character in the early ''Melee'' metagame, placing at 20th/21st with Roy on the first tier list. In the next few tier lists, Donkey Kong would frequently appear at this rank, with his lowest ranking being 22nd on the sixth tier list. Much like Bowser, Donkey Kong was often derided for his large hurtbox and high falling speed, making him an easy target for combos and attacks in general, and despite his superior base speed compared to Bowser, he was regarded as too slow to keep up with many characters that were higher-tiered than him.

However, devoted Donkey Kong mains began to improve the character’s metagame, notably by demonstrating that his supposed speed issues were inaccurate; players have demonstrated Donkey Kong had a surprisingly fast and powerful aerial game, and that his dash-dance was also effective, especially when compounded with his unforgiving punish and throwing game. Thanks to the efforts of players like {{Sm|Phish-It}} and {{Sm|Green Ranger}}, Donkey Kong would jump to 16th on the seventh tier list, formally entering the middle tiers, and would maintain similar rankings on future tier lists.

In 2022 and 2023, another “Donkey Kong renaissance” would occur thanks to a massive upswing in Donkey Kong's usage and a stronger level of consistency at higher level tournaments. 2023 saw the character’s strongest year yet; three Donkey Kong players placed in the top 100 of the [[SSBMRank 2023|2023 SSBMRank]], spearheaded by {{Sm|Junebug}}, who was ranked 40th due to performances such as his 13th-place finish at {{Trn|The Big House 11}}, the best Donkey Kong placement in over a decade. In 2024, all three Donkey Kong players ranked in the previous year were ranked in the top 50 for the first half of the year, with Junebug and {{sm|ckyulmiqnudaetr}} scoring big wins at regionals {{Trn|Patchwork 2024}} and Bodied 7 respectively, the former considered by many as DK's biggest win to date, as well as an impressive 3rd place showing from Junebug at {{Trn|Supernova 2024}} marking the character's first major top 8. As a result of these considerable metagame developments, Donkey Kong has become a more respected presence in high-level play, and many agree his tier list placement is no longer accurate.

 

==In 1-P Mode==

===[[Congratulations_screen#Super_Smash_Bros._Melee|Congratulations Screens]]===

DonkeyKongClassicMode.jpg|Classic Mode

DonkeyKongAdventureMode.jpg|Adventure Mode

==[[Trophies]]==

|name=Donkey Kong

|desc=While he now prefers the laid-back jungle lifestyle to construction site mischief, DK is often forced back into action by the Kremling Krew. The great ape is quite fast despite his burly physique, and he keeps his strength up with a steady diet of his favorite food: bananas. His one extravagance (and only piece of clothing) is a monogrammed necktie.

|gamelist={{Trophy games|game1=Donkey Kong|release1=Arcade 1981}}

|game=Melee

|name=Donkey Kong

|image=Donkey Kong Trophy (Smash).png

|desc=Donkey Kong is a huge target in a fight, so he hates crowds. When he's in the fray, his Giant Punch deals serious damage to multiple opponents. The big ape's Headbutt hits so hard that it temporarily buries opponents in the ground. DK is a lot faster than he looks, and he's lethal in the hands of a master.

|gamelist=:B: Giant Punch

:Smash B: Headbutt

|name=Donkey Kong

|image=Donkey Kong Trophy (Smash 2).png

|mode=All Star

|desc=Being the strongest simian around, DK has the upper hand once he grabs an opponent. He can even lift his foe up and make him or her an unwilling traveling companion; if DK grabs you, shake your Control Stick as fast as you can to break his grip. His Spinning Kong covers more lateral distance than vertical, so use it quickly to recover.

|gamelist=:Up & B: Spinning Kong

SSBMWebsiteDonkeyKong1.jpg|[[Jump]]ing on [[Jungle Japes]].

SSBMWebsiteDonkeyKong2.jpg|Using [[Spinning Kong]] on {{SSBM|Fox}} on [[Temple]].

SSBMWebsiteDonkeyKong3.jpg|Using [[Giant Punch]] on {{SSBM|Link}} on [[Brinstar]].

SSBMWebsiteDonkeyKong4.jpg|Carrying [[Ice Climbers (SSBM)|Nana]] off the stage on Temple.

SSBMWebsiteDonkeyKong5.jpg|[[Bury]]ing {{SSBM|Samus}} with [[Headbutt]] on Temple.

SSBMWebsiteDonkeyKong6.jpg|[[Taunt]]ing alongside {{SSBM|Bowser}} and {{SSBM|Captain Falcon}} on [[Yoshi's Story]].

LinkClassicMode.jpg|[[Crouch]]ing on [[Peach's Castle]].

LuigiAdventureMode.jpg|Using his [[up smash]] on [[Great Bay]].

YoshiAllStarMode.jpg|Battling a giant {{SSBM|Yoshi}} on [[Fourside]].

KirbyAllStarMode.jpg|Posing with {{SSBM|Kirby}} on {{SSBM|Kongo Jungle}}.

JigglypuffAllStarMode.jpg|[[Asleep|Sleeping]] next to {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}} on Great Bay.

[[File:DK grab glitch.gif|thumb|Donkey Kong abusing {{SSBM|Pikachu}}'s [[AI]].]]

[[File:DonkeyKongTPoseMelee.png|250px|thumb|Donkey Kong's infamous [[bind pose]] glitch.]]

*Donkey Kong's [[Headbutt]] and the [[Poké Ball]] Pokémon [[Togepi]]'s Magnitude are the only attacks in ''Melee'' that can [[Buried|bury]] opponents.

*Donkey Kong has 3 meteor smashes, tied with {{SSBM|Roy}} and {{SSBM|Falco}} for most spikes and meteors in ''Melee''.

*If the [[Launch rate|damage ratio]] of a match is 0.5, and DK [[grab]]s, [[throw]]s, and quickly re-grabs, and cargo carries a [[Artificial intelligence|computer player]] before they touch the ground, the computer player will never break free by themselves, even if they become [[invincible]]; they can only break free when DK decides to throw them or they are affected by something (getting [[attack]]ed, changing size, and so on).

*''Melee'' is the first game where the Donkey Kong from ''Donkey Kong Country'' has visible teeth in his 3D model in-game.

*In the NTSC versions of the game, Donkey Kong is one of four characters (alongside {{SSBM|Sheik}}, {{SSBM|Samus}}, and {{SSBM|Kirby}}) whose neutral special charge is lost if hit out of at least one specific special move.

**Of these characters, only Donkey Kong received a fix addressing this issue in the PAL version.