Editing Donkey Kong (SSBU)

'''Donkey Kong''' ({{ja|ドンキーコング|Donkī Kongu}}, ''Donkey Kong'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. Initially teased in the then-unnamed ''Ultimate''{{'}}s announcement trailer, Donkey Kong was, like all veterans, confirmed on June 12th, 2018. He is classified as [[Fighter number|Fighter #02]].

Donkey Kong retains his gorilla-like grunts and roars from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'', instead of using his voice actor, Takashi Nagasako.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

However, despite his versatile moveset and high power, Donkey Kong falls into a plethora of problems. His defensive game is very poor, a common issue for characters of his size. While his massive weight gives him very high endurance, and his large frame is the reason his range is better than characters like {{SSBU|Mario}} and {{SSBU|Squirtle}}, it becomes a problem when having to dodge attacks which is hard for him because he is a very large target. His tie hurtbox is also extremely large, further exacerbating the issue. Coincidentally, just like those two previously mentioned fighters, he has frequent trouble dealing with characters that have disjoints due to his lack of projectiles, primarily against swordfighters such as {{SSBU|Shulk}} and {{SSBU|Ike}}, hitboxes on moves such as {{SSBU|Mewtwo}}'s up and back aerials, or fast multi-hits such as {{SSBU|Palutena}}'s neutral air. Donkey Kong's size also makes him vulnerable to combos and [[juggling]], which is worsened by his lack of combo breakers (outside of his neutral aerial and up special). The reintroduction of directional air dodges makes his aerial defense even more linear, and the new air dodge's increased ending lag hurts all characters; it debatably hurts a character such as Donkey Kong the most. Moreover, his otherwise great forward throw (cargo throw) also has certain drawbacks - notably, the risk of trying to slam the opponent into the ledge with a backward cargo throw. Due to Donkey Kong's horrid vertical recovery, if the opponent either DIs fast enough, squat jumps on him or simply has better air reach, this attempt for an easy KO may backfire. The trajectory of both the forward and back cargo throws also possesses a minor challenge. Unlike traditional forward and back throws, Donkey Kong sends the opponent at a high vertical angle instead of horizontal. This makes it more situational if they will KO or not, especially the cargo forward throw. The cargo back throw ironically has more vertical range than his cargo up throw, and therefore has more usage KOing at the top of the screen than the side. Thus, the player may find more reliability in a normal back throw near the edge.

 

Despite many of his moves having fast startup, Donkey Kong's moveset is made much slower by its ending lag, and most of his moves are not safe on hit at low percents. This forces him to be more careful with the moves he uses, as he can be heavily punished just for putting out one attack (a situation that can rapidly snowball due to his poor defensive options). Unlike the all-around heavyweight Bowser, perhaps Donkey Kong's most glaring weakness is his lack of out-of-shield options. Neither his neutral attack nor his tilts are enough to distance himself from an aggressive opponent if the player forces him to remain in shield. His forward tilt has good range, but lacks the power or perks of other super heavyweights, like Bowser's Tough Guy or King K. Rool's Belly Armour. A lot of his moves are also limited in some way despite their strengths: his smash attacks are slow and have very linear hitboxes; a chunk of his throws, despite their variety, have little utility; Giant Punch forces Donkey Kong to get up-close to the opponent to land the attack and needs to be charged for it to be effective; Headbutt and Hand Slap are both slow, causing them to be difficult to use for their intended purposes; and Spinning Kong, while it has decently long horizontal recovery distance, offers almost no vertical recovery and is prone to edgeguarding against meteor smashes, like {{SSBU|Captain Falcon}} and {{SSBU|Falco}}'s down aerials.

 

All in all, Donkey Kong's mixture of fast mobility, fairly long range, high weight, decent combo potential, and excellent kill power make him adept and flexible in many different situations, but KOing and pressuring opponents stand out as his biggest strengths. Despite this, DK's high weight, large hurtbox, and lack of good escape tools make him vulnerable to many combos. In addition, his recovery is extremely poor, and his moveset is frequently punishable due to the end lag on many of his moves. As such, Donkey Kong has to capitalize on his power and range to limit opponents' approaches in order to win matches.

Donkey Kong received a mix of buffs and nerfs in his transition from ''SSB4'' to ''Ultimate''. Though he received more buffs than nerfs, the latter are more prominent than the former, as they either weakened or removed some of his best traits from ''SSB4''. Because of this, Donkey Kong has been nerfed overall.

 

Donkey Kong has received several useful buffs, with those to his special moves being among the most notable. [[Giant Punch]] charges faster and no longer leaves him helpless when used in the air, giving him a new edgeguarding option. [[Headbutt]] now grants him [[super armor]] before the hit comes, and moves also deal their full knockback when opponents are buried, both changes of which improve the moves' versatility. Grounded [[Spinning Kong]] has less difficulty linking its multi-hits and has faster super armor, while the aerial version is now a proper multi-hitting move with a finishing hit, making it safer. [[Hand Slap]] is generally faster and the aerial version has reduced landing lag, which gives Donkey Kong a useful combo starter and allows it to confirm into KOs at high percentages. Particularly, both it and Headbutt alleviate some of DK's difficulty with landing safely.

 

His biggest buff, however, comes from a vastly improved forward throw (cargo throw), which is much harder to mash out of and has had its cargo throws' properties improved; this grants him much more options and turns it into his most versatile throw, and arguably the best throw in the game overall. His [[dash attack]] also has less ending lag, giving him another combo starter if the late hit is landed and making it much safer if shielded. Donkey Kong's already impressive KO power has been further increased as well, as most of his moves deal more knockback. Further miscellaneous buffs include his [[up smash]]'s previously infamous hitboxes being larger, making the move much easier to land.

 

Finally, Donkey Kong also benefits from some of the universal changes, as his already great mobility has improved from faster walking and dashing speeds, the universal 3-frame jumpsquat change improves his ground-to-air [[out of shield]] game and allows him for with combo opportunities, and the increased [[shieldstun]] and reduced [[landing lag]] on aerial attacks makes his attacks even safer on shield (despite the reduced shieldstun on aerials).

 

However, the few direct nerfs Donkey Kong received were severe enough to eclipse his buffs. Like {{SSBU|Bowser}}, his biggest nerf is to his previously infamous combo throw — his cargo up throw now has more knockback, which makes its combo potential more strict and noticeably neuters the effectiveness of its infamous "Ding Dong" KO confirm at high percentages unless it's initiated on a platform, often requiring a specific amount of [[rage]] to work. Although his grab game was overall buffed, Donkey Kong is one of the characters who suffers the most from the universal nerfing of grabs, making them less safe for him to use. His pummel was nerfed as well, making it less reliable for racking up damage. Thus, this makes it less feasible for Donkey Kong to rely on his grab as his main way to rack up damage, forcing him to use other methods to do so.

Among his other direct nerfs, Donkey Kong's up aerial has had its animation altered, which shortens its range and hinders its versatility. Spinning Kong now gains less horizontal distance and no longer grants intangibility on startup, worsening his already poor recovery. Many of Donkey Kong's attacks, such as his tilts and his up aerial, no longer have disproportionately long intangibility, now only matching their hitbox duration.

Although he has gained some notable benefits from them, the universal changes to gameplay mechanics hamper Donkey Kong more than they help him. While the universal increase in mobility, faster jumpsquat, and reduced landing lag on aerials improve his own mobility and combo game, it also means opponents are more likely to close the distance on him, giving them more combo opportunities. The increased shieldstun, reduced landing lag, and the universal nerfing of grabs also make it harder for Donkey Kong to react to a shielded attack; the universal nerfing of grabs is especially harmful, as it's one of the key points to his gameplan. Altogether, this hinders his grounded out-of-shield game, limiting him to directly contesting them by making use of his moves' super armor to muscle through them, which can be risky despite his large weight. Lastly, the changes to [[air dodging]] worsen Donkey Kong's recovery, as they give him less protection and make him easier to edgeguard. All of these changes worsen Donkey Kong's defensive game, which is further notable since the game's engine prioritizes more aggressive playstyles than defensive ones. This forces him not only to [[approach]] more, but to be more unpredictable at doing so.

In the end, Donkey Kong has potentially received many more options for racking up damage and being less predictable, but the neutering of his KO confirm and grabs means he can no longer close out stocks as reliably as before. Though his strengths and weaknesses are more defined, the gameplay mechanics accentuate his weaknesses more when compared to his strengths, causing his nerfs to overshadow his buffs even despite the numerous buffs he received in game updates. As a result, Donkey Kong fares worse in ''Ultimate'' than he did in ''Smash 4''.

{{SSB4 to SSBU changelist|char=Donkey Kong}}

==Update history==

Donkey Kong has been buffed via game updates. Initially, his most noteworthy buffs were to inconsistencies of two moves: his forward aerial now autocancels properly (an issue that had been present since ''Melee''), and [[Giant Punch]]'s hitbox no longer shifts into the Z-axis, which would result in it missing opponents at point-blank range. Donkey Kong also benefits from the universal nerf on projectiles dealing less shield damage in update 3.0.0.

After only receiving minor buffs for the first few game patches, update 6.0.0 gave Donkey Kong more noticeable buffs. His forward tilt deals significantly more knockback to the point of becoming a viable KO move, his neutral aerial deals more damage and knockback and has more range, and his Giant Punch reaches the maximum charge even faster than before and deals slightly more knockback. [[Spinning Kong]] was also improved, as the move's super armor starts three frames faster, it connects more reliably against airborne opponents, and the last hit deals more knockback. Finally, [[Hand Slap]] on the ground has less startup and less ending lag.

 

After receiving some minor buffs, patch 13.0.1 buffed Donkey Kong yet again. The second hit of Donkey Kong’s neutral attack was given more active frames and had its ending lag reduced. [[Giant Punch]] was given more super armor on both the ground and in the air. Most notably, Donkey Kong’s down tilt was given 5 additional frames of hitstun; this allows him to follow up with another attack in certain situations.

 

Overall, Donkey Kong has improved by a decent margin compared to how he fared during ''Ultimate''{{'}}s initial release. However, in comparison to the buffs gained by other lukewarmly received characters, Donkey Kong's buffs are fairly minor, so how much he has benefited from these changes is debatable.

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/1.2.0|char=Donkey Kong}}

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/2.0.0|char=Donkey Kong}}

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/3.0.0|char=Donkey Kong}}

 

 

 

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|6.0.0}}'''

 

 

 

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/13.0.1|char=Donkey Kong}}

|neutralname=Jab ({{ja|ジャブ|Jyabu}}) / Upper ({{ja|アッパー|Appā}})

|neutraldesc=A hook followed by an uppercut. The second hit has above average power for a neutral attack, although generally speaking, its KO potential is unimpressive. It can chain into itself fairly reliably at low percentages, however.

|ftiltname=Kongo Backhand ({{ja|コンゴバックハンド|Kongo Bakkuhando}})

|ftiltdesc=A backhanded slap. Can be angled to deal more damage. It grants intangibility to his attacking arm on frames 6-9.

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

|utiltdmg=10% (hand), 9% (arm), 8% (elbow)

|utiltdesc=An overhead arcing swipe. It deals more damage and knockback if the target is hit near DK's hand. It grants intangibility to his attacking arm on frames 5-11 and is one of the strongest up tilts in the game when sweetspotted.

|dtiltname=Slouch Slap ({{ja|ロースラップ|Rō Surappu}}, ''Low Slap'')

|dtiltdesc=A crouching swat. It has a 40% chance to [[Tripping|trip]] opponents, making it one of his best combo starters. Grants intangibility to his attacking arm (frames 5-7).

|dashname=Rolling Attack ({{ja|ローリングアタック|Rōringu Atakku}})

|dashdesc=The {{s|mariowiki|Roll Attack}}, his signature attack from ''{{s|mariowiki|Donkey Kong Country}}''. It deals less damage towards its end, granting it combo potential.

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

|fsmashdesc=A lunging {{s|mariowiki|clap}}. It deals slightly less damage and knockback if it hits with Donkey Kong's arms. It additionally grants intangibility to his head and arms on frames 20-26, effectively giving it disjointed hitboxes, and its ending lag is rather low for a smash attack with 31-32 frames, but its startup is slow, with its hitboxes coming out on frame 22. It’s also one of the more powerful forward smashes, with the uncharged sweetspot KOing Mario at 98% from the center of Final Destination with optimal DI and no rage.

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

|usmashdesc=An overhead clap. It grants intangibility to his head and arms (frames 12-15), effectively giving it disjointed hitboxes. It has immense power, being one of the strongest up smashes in the game, with it KOing Mario from the ground level of FD at 92% with optimal DI and no rage. In practice it will KO a bit sooner as it typically hits opponents in the air. Its startup is additionally rather fast for a move of its power (coming out in 14 frames), though it has a lengthy enough duration to be quite punishable (with the move's lasting 49 frames total). However, it is hard to hit, as its hitboxes are situated straight vertically above DK and are not large in size, while it lacks grounded launching hitboxes to launch grounded opponents into it like other vertically-placed up smashes have (e.g. Marcina's and R.O.B.'s up smashes).

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

|dsmashdesc=Raises his arms overhead and then quickly swings them downward to perform [[Wikipedia:Professional wrestling attacks#Forearm club|forearm clubs]]. It grants intangibility to his arms (frames 11-14), effectively giving the move disjointed hitboxes, and is his fastest smash attack startup-wise (frame 11), though it has the highest amount of endlag out of all his smash attacks (with 41 frames of endlag after hitboxes cease, and lasting 55 frames total). Without DI, it is very powerful for a down smash, with the sweetspot KOing Mario from ground level on FD at 109% with no rage, but the move launches at a 70 degree and is thus very susceptible to LSI, where with optimal DI Mario can survive up to 129%, making its KO power underwhelming for a heavily punishable smash attack.

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

|nairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|12}} (clean), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|9}} (late)

|nairdesc=Quickly spins around to perform [[Wikipedia:Professional wrestling attacks#Clothesline|discus clotheslines]] with both arms, similarly to [[Spinning Kong]]. While it isn't DK's fastest aerial in terms of startup, it does have the longest-lasting hitbox duration and is one of the strongest neutral aerials in the game when hit clean.

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

|fairdesc=A [[Wikipedia:Professional wrestling attacks#Double axe handle|double axe handle]]. If [[sweetspot]]ted, the opponent is [[meteor smash]]ed. One of the strongest meteor smashes in the game, killing at around 35% offstage. It appears similar to his midair attack from ''{{s|mariowiki|Donkey Kong 64}}'', which itself was inspired by this attack due to ''Smash 64'' debuting before ''Donkey Kong 64''.

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

|bairdesc=A back kick. DK's strongest aerial when hit clean, killing Mario at around 130% from center stage. It is an extremely useful move as a whole due to its speed and power, and if used correctly, it can act as a Wall of Pain. One of the best back aerials in the game.

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

|uairdesc=An upwards arcing headbutt that appears visually similar to his side special, Headbutt. It grants intangibility to his head on frames 5-10 and is one of the more powerful up aerials, KOing Mario at around 140% from ground level. Those features, along with its fast startup and fairly low ending lag, make it a good move for juggling.

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

|dairdesc=A stomp. Its sweetspot is a strong [[meteor smash]], while its sourspot, which is close to Donkey Kong's chest, deals diagonal knockback. Slightly weaker than his forward aerial, but it has faster startup.

|grabname=Grab ({{ja|つかみ|Tsukami}})

|grabdesc=Reaches out with one hand. Donkey Kong's grab range is above average.

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

|pummeldesc=Chops the opponent's body. Slow but strong.

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

|fthrowdesc=Hauls the opponent on his shoulder, allowing him to move and jump around while still holding the opponent. Appears to be based off of when DK holds an item in ''Donkey Kong Country'', such as a Steel Keg. This gives him access to forward, back, up, and down throws that are distinct from his normal grabs. He also gains Knockback-based Armor when he starts a throw instead of gaining Throw Invulnerability, of which allows him to resist up to 16 Units of Knockback, akin to {{SSBU|Bowser}}'s [[Tough Guy]].

''Forward'': Rears back and violently throws the opponent forward at a high angle. Able to stage spike if Donkey Kong faces the stage center.

''Back'': Heaves the opponent backwards using both hands, launching them at a slightly higher trajectory than the forwards variant. This is his most damaging cargo throw and possesses the best kill power as well.

''Up'': Heaves the opponent upwards. It can be used to start combos. It also has decent KO potential, with Donkey Kong able to jump on platforms for extra height.

''Down'': A {{iw|wikipedia|bear hug}}. Donkey Kong gets a small boost upwards when using this move in the air, making it his safest throw offstage.

 

|bthrowname=Reverse Throw ({{ja|反転投げ|Hanten Nage}})

|bthrowdesc=Flings the opponent backward. DK's most damaging throw and one of the strongest back throws in the game, it KOs even the heaviest of characters below 170% near the edge without [[rage]].

|uthrowname=Coconut Toss ({{ja|ココナッツトス|Kokonattsu Tosu}})

|dthrowname=Bottom Shoot ({{ja|ボトムシュート|Botomu Shūto}})

|dthrowdesc=Shoves the opponent into the ground with one arm. It launches opponents horizontally in front of DK. Due to its high ending lag, it has little to no followups and is thus practically useless, despite having low knockback.

|nsdesc=A wind-up punch which fully charges after ten wind-ups. When fully charged, the punch deals excellent damage, grants super armor, and is overall faster than if used uncharged. Its charge can be [[charge cancel]]ed and saved, and chosen when to be released after being fully charged. Unlike in ''Melee'', ''Brawl'', and ''Smash 4'', Giant Punch does not induce helplessness in the air, much like in ''Smash 64''.

|ssdesc=A headbutt. The move [[Bury|buries]] the opponent, who will remain trapped longer if the opponent has already been dealt a fair amount of damage. The aerial version will [[meteor smash]] the opponent if they are hit by its [[sweetspot]]. The move has [[super armor]] during startup, but only in the middle of the animation, providing no protection at the very beginning or the end. It has a deceptively large range and tremendous shield damage, so full power shields will barely manage to avoid breaking against this move.

|usdesc=Rapidly spins around, trapping opponents and damaging them with a series of [[Wikipedia:Professional wrestling attacks#Clothesline|discus clotheslines]] and [[Wikipedia:Professional wrestling attacks#Spinning back fist|spinning backfists]] before launching them. It has good horizontal distance, but very little vertical distance. The grounded version grants Donkey Kong super armor on frame 5, making it a reliable tool for powering through many moves. The grounded version is also a potent KO option, especially at ledge, being able to even KO [[Weight|heavy characters]] around 70%-80% when used on Battlefield's ledge. Donkey Kong is immune to most windboxes during the move.

|dsdesc=[[mariowiki:Hand Slap|Slaps the ground to cause earth-shaking vibrations]]. When grounded, Donkey Kong can keep pounding by repeatedly pressing the special button. The attack gives him some protection from opponents while grounded and has good range, but is unable to KO until extreme percentages due to its very low knockback growth. In midair, Donkey Kong will perform two midair slaps, the second hit being a powerful meteor smash that combos from the first slap. Can combo into a KO confirm with up smash at 60%-80%. Originates from ''Donkey Kong Country''.

|fsdesc=Punches forward. If the initial hit connects, Donkey Kong will then perform a long series of rapid punches. Has about the same range as his forward smash, but extremely powerful, KOing Mario as low as 24% on Final Destination.

*Bursts out of a DK Barrel, frontflips thrice, lands and strikes a flexing pose.

 

===[[Idle pose]]s===

*Leans forward slightly and assumes a cross-eyed expression, as if trying to stare at his own nose.

*Lightly punches his open hand and then does a rotational shoulder stretch.

SSBUDonkeyKongIdle1.gif|Donkey Kong's first idle pose.

SSBUDonkeyKongIdle2.gif|Donkey Kong's second idle pose.

===[[Crowd cheer]]===

<div class="tabbertab" title="English, Japanese/Chinese, Italian, Dutch, French">

|[[File:Donkey Kong Cheer English SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Donkey Kong Cheer Japanese SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Donkey Kong Cheer Italian SSB4 SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Donkey Kong Cheer Dutch SSBU.ogg|center]]||{{NTSC}} [[File:Donkey Kong Cheer French NTSC SSBU.ogg|center]] <br> {{PAL}} [[File:Donkey Kong Cheer French PAL SSBU.ogg|center]]

<div class="tabbertab" title="German, Spanish, Russian, Korean">

|[[File:Donkey Kong Cheer German SSBU.ogg|center]]||{{NTSC}} [[File:Donkey Kong Cheer Spanish NTSC SSB4 SSBU.ogg|center]] <br> {{PAL}} [[File:Donkey Kong Cheer Spanish PAL SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Donkey Kong Cheer Russian SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Donkey Kong Cheer Korean SSBU.ogg|center]]

*'''Left:''' Does a backflip and flexes his arms (his "character chosen" animation in ''Super Smash Bros.'').

*'''Right:''' Angrily beats his chest with a scowl and then looks at the camera.

==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 -->

 

 

*{{Sm|ChunkyKong|USA}} - One of the best Donkey Kong players of all-time, and the best Donkey Kong player who solo-mains the character. Initially a Wi-Fi Warrior, he later became known for his performances in the second half of 2022, including placing 17th at {{Trn|Super Smash Con 2022}} over {{Sm|SHADIC}} and 13th at {{Trn|Let's Make Moves Miami}} over {{Sm|Kola}} and {{Sm|Aaron|p=Florida}}. Since then, he remains Donkey Kong's primary representative in North America, having defeated {{Sm|MuteAce}} at {{Trn|CEO 2023}} and {{Sm|Light|p=Connecticut}} at {{Trn|MomoCon 2024}}.

*{{Sm|HIKARU|Japan}} - Although known for using many characters, he has used Donkey Kong extensively in early-''Ultimate'' and as a secondary or co-main from 2022 onward, and is considered one of the best Donkey Kong players of all-time. He is best known for using Donkey Kong for most of {{Trn|Ultimate Fighting Arena 2022}}, placing 3rd while defeating {{Sm|Glutonny}} and {{Sm|Bloom4Eva}} along the way, marking the best performance for the character at a major. He retired in mid-2023, and has attended few events since.

*{{Sm|Rarikkusu|Japan}} - One of the best Donkey Kong players in the world since 2023, playing the character alongside {{SSBU|Falco}}. He is best known for defeating {{Sm|Sparg0}} at {{Trn|DELTA 8}}, placing 13th overall, and has also placed 5th at {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 13.5 "U-22"}}, using Donkey Kong to defeat {{Sm|Asimo}} and 9th at {{Trn|Maesuma'U22}}.

 

There was some optimism on Donkey Kong prior to the game's release: although he could no longer easily perform most of his throw-based kill confirms from ''Smash 4'', including his infamous "Ding-Dong" combo, many players noted how he received better frame data, speed, damage, and hitboxes in the E3 demo build. However, the optimism faded very quickly upon the game's release. Players pointed out how many of Donkey Kong's moves were punishable on hit at early percents, making his neutral game rather egregious in the early metagame, which favored speed and punish games. In addition, his already poor disadvantage state was also made even worse due to his larger hurtbox and his out of shield options remaining poor. Finally, although Donkey Kong saw some early success from {{Sm|HIKARU}}, he eventually dropped Donkey Kong for other characters, and no other Donkey Kong player was able to match HIKARU's success, leaving him with below-average representation. As such, although Donkey Kong received a few buffs in subsequent patches, he was widely considered unviable, with a few even calling him one of the worst characters in the game.

 

2022 became a turning point for Donkey Kong. First, HIKARU began playing Donkey Kong again, and although often only used as a secondary or co-main alongside other characters, it nevertheless gave him some of the best results since the early metagame. Most notable among these results was HIKARU's run at {{Trn|Ultimate Fighting Arena 2022}}, which saw him use Donkey Kong extensively in top 64, defeating several of Europe's best players including {{Sm|Glutonny}} and {{Sm|Bloom4Eva}}, before ultimately placing 3rd. In addition, {{Sm|ChunkyKong}}, initially known for his online performances, began having a bigger impact on the offline metagame with his strong performances at majors, most notably 13th at {{Trn|Let's Make Moves Miami}} defeating {{Sm|Kola}} along the way. With both players ranking in [[OrionRank 2022]]'s top 100, among a few others also ranked with Donkey Kong despite minimal usage, many players began seeing Donkey Kong in a more positive light, and he was no longer considered a candidate for one of the worst characters. However, he is still considered to fall short when in comparison to the rest of the cast, and is regarded to be a character that falls on the lower end of the tier list. This was reflected on his placement on the first tier list, where he was ranked 70th as a lower-mid tier character. His results would remain around the same in the following year: although HIKARU eventually retired and ChunkyKong's results saw a dip, {{Sm|Rarikkusu}} would break out onto the Japanese scene and begin placing well at events. As such, Donkey Kong remained around the same on the second tier list, rising slightly to 68th and ranking in the D+ tier.

 

After the release of the second tier list, Donkey Kong experienced a "Donkey Kong renaissance" similar to what was happening to [[Donkey Kong (SSBM)|his ''Melee'' incarnation]] at that time. This renaissance not only saw many Donkey Kong players succeed at majors, but also saw many top players lose to Donkey Kong players, with notable examples being Rarikkusu defeating {{Sm|Sparg0}} at {{Trn|DELTA 8}}, ChunkyKong defeating {{Sm|Light|p=Connecticut}} at {{Trn|MomoCon 2024}}, {{Sm|MairudonaH.O}} defeating {{Sm|Hurt}} at {{Trn|Seibugeki 17}}, {{Sm|Duplex}} defeating {{Sm|MuteAce}} at {{Trn|S Factor 11}}, and {{Sm|Kuhaku}} defeating {{Sm|Doramigi}} at {{Trn|Maesuma'JAPAN West 24}}. This sudden rise in Donkey Kong's representation improved his standing in the metagame, and many believe that he will rise in the next tier list.

Donkey Kong's path chronicles Donkey Kong traveling via plane (Pilotwings) from the jungle (his home stages) to New Donk City (through urban stages, Onett and Moray Towers). After defeating Diddy Kong, he becomes Donkey Kong's partner for the rest of the mode, referencing the original ''Donkey Kong Country''.

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

!Round!!Opponent!!Stage!!Music!!Notes

|1||{{CharHead|Diddy Kong|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Kongo Jungle]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Donkey Kong|Jungle Level (64)}}''||

|2||{{CharHead|King K. Rool|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Kongo Falls]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Donkey Kong|Gang-Plank Galleon}}''||rowspan="5"|{{Head|Diddy Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px}} Diddy Kong is a CPU ally.

|3||{{CharHead|Wario|SSBU|hsize=20px}} and {{CharHead|Captain Falcon|SSBU|hsize=20px}} ||[[Pilotwings]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Donkey Kong|Gear Getaway}}''

|4||{{CharHead|Ness|SSBU|hsize=20px}} and {{CharHead|Lucas|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Onett]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Donkey Kong|The Map Page / Bonus Level (Remix)}}''

 

|5||{{Head|Inkling|g=SSBU|s=24px}}{{Head|Inkling|g=SSBU|s=24px|cl=Blue}} {{SSBU|Inkling}} (x2)||[[Moray Towers]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Donkey Kong|Donkey Kong / Donkey Kong Jr. Medley}}''

|6||{{CharHead|Mario|SSBU|hsize=20px}} and {{CharHead|Luigi|SSBU|hsize=20px}} ||[[New Donk City Hall]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Mario Bros.|New Donk City}}''

|colspan="5"|[[Bonus Stage]]

|Final||{{SSBU|Master Hand}}||New Donk City Hall ([[Ω form]])||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Smash Bros.|Master Hand}}'' <small>(Less than 7.0 intensity)</small><br>''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Smash Bros.|Master Hand / Crazy Hand}}'' <small>(Intensity 7.0 or higher)</small>|| {{Head|Diddy Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px}} Diddy Kong is a CPU ally.<br>On intensity 7.0 and higher, {{SSBU|Crazy Hand}} fights alongside Master Hand.

Note 2: In Round 3, the music and stage also reference the Rocket Barrel levels in ''Donkey Kong Country Returns'', with Gear Getaway being among them.

Donkey Kong's Classic Mode character unlock tree includes the following characters in order:

#{{SSBU|Bowser}}

#{{SSBU|Pokémon Trainer}}

#{{SSBU|Rosalina & Luma}}

#{{SSBU|King Dedede}}

#{{SSBU|Sheik}}

#{{SSBU|Greninja}}

#{{SSBU|Diddy Kong}}

#{{SSBU|Duck Hunt}}

During the opening cutscene, Donkey Kong was present on the cliffside when [[Galeem]] unleashed his beams of light. Galeem's light beams vaporized Donkey Kong offscreen, placing him under Galeem's imprisonment along with all the other fighters, excluding {{SSBU|Kirby}}.

He can be rescued in a jungle segment of [[The Light Realm]], on a space that looks like the treehouse where he lives in his series.

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

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

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

!Name

!Type

!Power

!Stage

!Music

|02

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

|{{SpiritType|Grab}} <center>{{color|#17ba17|Grab}}</center>

|3,300

|{{SSB|Kongo Jungle}} ([[Ω form]])

|''{{SSBUMusicLink|Donkey Kong|Jungle Level (64)}}''

{{clr}}

Donkey Kong's fighter spirit can be obtained by completing {{SSBU|Classic Mode}} as Donkey Kong. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 300 Gold. Unlocking Donkey Kong in World of Light allows the player to preview the first spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As a fighter spirit, it cannot be used in Spirit Battles and is purely aesthetic. His fighter spirit has an alternate version that replaces it with his artwork in ''Ultimate''.

Additionally, Donkey Kong makes an appearance in a few primary (albeit in name only){{ref|a}} and support spirits.

SSBU spirit Donkey Kong.png|134. '''''Donkey Kong'''''

SSBU spirit Donkey Kong & Lady.png|137. Donkey Kong & Lady

SSBU spirit Donkey Kong & Bongos.png|169. Donkey Kong & Bongos

==In Spirit Battles==

|{{SpiritTableName|Goomba|link=y|size=64}}

|''Super Mario'' Series

|•Tiny {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}} Team {{Head|Donkey Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}}×5

|{{SpiritType|Neutral}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Barrel Train|size=64}}

|''Mario Kart'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|•Item: [[Bullet Bill]]

|{{SpiritTableName|Flies & Hand|link=y|size=64}}

|''Mario Paint'' Series

|•Giant {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}} {{Head|Donkey Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}}<br>•Tiny {{SSBU|Dark Pit}} {{Head|Dark Pit|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Brown}}×4

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|•Assist Trophy Enemies (Flies & Hand)<br>•Item: [[Food]]

|•Survive until the timer runs out (1:00)<br>•Hostile assist trophies will appear

|{{SpiritTableName|Rabbid Kong|iw=mariowiki|size=64}}

|''Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle''

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Arcade Bunny's Theme}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Donkey Kong & Lady|size=64}}

|''Donkey Kong'' Series

|•Giant {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}} {{Head|Donkey Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Yellow}} (250 HP)<br>•Ally: {{SSBU|Peach}} {{Head|Peach|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}} (120 HP)

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

|•You lose if your CPU ally is KO'd<br>•The enemy has super armor and is hard to launch or make flinch<br>•Timed [[stamina battle]] (1:30)

|{{SpiritTableName|Donkey Kong Jr.|size=64}}

|''Donkey Kong'' Series

|•{{SSBU|Donkey Kong}} {{Head|Donkey Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Yellow}}<br>•Giant {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}} {{Head|Donkey Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Yellow}}

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

|{{SSB|Kongo Jungle}} (hazards off)

|{{SpiritTableName|Cranky Kong|size=64}}

|''Donkey Kong'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Swanky Kong|size=64}}

|''Donkey Kong'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Wrinkly Kong|size=64}}

|''Donkey Kong'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Chunky Kong|size=64}}

|''Donkey Kong'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Rambi|size=64}}

|''Donkey Kong'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Professor Chops|size=64}}

|''Donkey Kong'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Ninja Kong|size=64}}

|''Donkey Kong Jungle Beat''

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Goron|size=64}}

|''The Legend of Zelda'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Darunia|size=64}}

|''The Legend of Zelda'' Series

|•{{SSBU|Donkey Kong}} {{Head|Donkey Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Yellow}}<br>•{{SSBU|Jigglypuff}} {{Head|Jigglypuff|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}×8

|{{SpiritType|Neutral}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Daruk|size=64}}

|''The Legend of Zelda'' Series

|•{{SSBU|Donkey Kong}} {{Head|Donkey Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Yellow}} (180 HP)

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Bonkers|link=y|size=64}}

|''Kirby'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Gengar|size=64}}

|''Pokémon'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Abomasnow|link=y|size=64}}

|''Pokémon'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|•The floor is frozen<br>•The enemy is weak to fire attacks<br>•Only certain Pokémon will emerge from Poké Balls (Abomasnow)

|{{SpiritTableName|Landorus (Therian Forme)|size=64}}

|''Pokémon'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Neutral}}

|[[Gerudo Valley]] (hazards off)

|{{SpiritTableName|Bewear|link=y|size=64}}

|''Pokémon'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|•The enemy has super armor but moves slower<br>•Only certain Pokémon will emerge from Poké Balls (Bewear)

|{{SpiritTableName|Polar Bear|link=y|size=64}}

|''Ice Climber'' Series

|•{{SSBU|Donkey Kong}} {{Head|Donkey Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}} (160 HP)

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Purple Pikmin|customname=[[Pikmin (species)|Purple Pikmin]]|size=64}}

|''Pikmin'' Series

|•Tiny {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}} Team {{Head|Donkey Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}×10 (20 HP)

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Mr. Sandman|size=64}}

|''Punch-Out!!'' Series

|•{{SSBU|Donkey Kong}} {{Head|Donkey Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}} (160 HP)

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Blanka|size=64}}

|''Street Fighter'' Series

|•{{SSBU|Donkey Kong}} {{Head|Donkey Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}} (140 HP)

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Master Giant|link=y|size=64}}

|''Super Smash Bros.'' Series

|•Giant {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}} {{Head|Donkey Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Black}} (160 HP)

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Muddy Mole|size=64}}

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Kirby|Kirby Retro Medley}} (Float Islands)

|{{SpiritTableName|Sumo Brothers|size=64}}

|''Rhythm Heaven'' Series {{Flag|North America}}<br>''Rhythm Paradise'' Series {{Flag|PAL}}

|•Giant {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}} {{Head|Donkey Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}}{{Head|Donkey Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Pauline|link=y|size=64}}

|''Super Mario'' Series

|•{{SSBU|Peach}} {{Head|Peach|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}}<br>•{{SSBU|Mario}} {{Head|Mario|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}}<br>•Giant {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}} {{Head|Donkey Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}}

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|[[75m]] (hazards off)

|•Defeat the main fighter to win<br>•You have reduced jump power<br>•Reinforcements will appear during the battle<br>•''The enemy tends to avoid conflict''

|Original Donkey Kong

|{{SpiritTableName|Funky Kong|size=64}}

|''Donkey Kong'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Neutral}}

|•Item: [[Bullet Bill]]

|{{SpiritTableName|Zelda (Breath of the Wild)|size=64}}

|''The Legend of Zelda'' Series

|•{{SSBU|Zelda}} {{Head|Zelda|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}} (50 HP)<br>•{{SSBU|Link}} {{Head|Link|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}} (60 HP)<br>•{{SSBU|Inkling}} {{Head|Inkling|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Pink}} (30 HP)<br>•{{SSBU|Donkey Kong}} {{Head|Donkey Kong|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Yellow}} (60 HP)<br>•{{SSBU|Falco}} {{Head|Falco|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}} (50 HP)<br>•{{SSBU|Zero Suit Samus}} {{Head|Zero Suit Samus|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=ShortsBlue}} (50 HP)

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Hockey Players|size=64}}

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

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

SSBUWebsiteDonkeyKong1.jpg|Donkey Kong [[grabbing]] on [[Kongo Falls]].

SSBUWebsiteDonkeyKong3.jpg|[[Taunting]] with {{SSBU|Diddy Kong}} holding a [[Banana Gun|banana]] on [[Great Bay]].

SSBUWebsiteDonkeyKong5.jpg|Performing his [[up smash]] on [[Boxing Ring]].

===Fighter Showcase Video===

*Donkey Kong's pose in his official artwork resembles the pose he assumes after using [[Giant Punch]].

*Donkey Kong, {{SSBU|Joker}}, and {{SSBU|Sephiroth}} are the only characters to face Master Hand and Crazy Hand on a stage other than Final Destination, not counting the [[Master Hand glitch]] in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''.

**Donkey Kong is the only one of those three who is not a DLC character.

*Though Donkey Kong's Final Smash has been updated to [[Jungle Rush]], the DK Bongos from his previous Final Smash, [[Konga Beat]], remain within his character files. Despite being unused, the model's textures have been updated.<ref>[https://tcrf.net/Super_Smash_Bros._Ultimate#DK Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - The Cutting Room Floor]</ref>

*The tip of Donkey Kong's second tuft of hair is not closed off, letting players see inside his model with the camera.<ref>[https://youtu.be/B1TAxjEvFxQ?t=454 What if You Play on SMASHVILLE in DIFFERENT TIMEZONES? -- Random Smash Ultimate Facts]</ref>