For fighter info, seeDiddy Kong (SSBB),Diddy Kong (SSB4), andDiddy Kong (SSBU).

Diddy Kong
Diddy Kong's official render that was used for several games and other promotional purposes before the release ofSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Universe	Donkey Kong
Debut	Donkey Kong Country (1994)
Smash Bros. appearances	Brawl SSB4 Ultimate
Most recent non-Smash appearance	Mario Tennis Fever (2026)
Console/platform of origin	Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Species	Kong
Gender	Male
Place of origin	Donkey Kong Island
Created by	Gregg Mayles
Designed by	Kevin Bayliss
Article on Super Mario Wiki	Diddy Kong

Diddy Kong (ディディーコング,Diddy Kong), often shortened toDiddy, is the deuteragonist of theDonkey Kong series and a recurring character in theMario series. He debuted inDonkey Kong Country for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. He was created byRare and has starred in many other titles, such asDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, also for the SNES. He also has his very own racing games,Diddy Kong Racing for theNintendo 64, and itsNintendo DS remake sequelDiddy Kong Racing DS. He isDonkey Kong's best friend, sidekick and surrogate nephew, and is known for his fast speed, incredible agility, high jumps, great strength and super climbing.

Origin[edit]

Official artwork of Donkey Kong Jr., the character who served as the inspiration for Diddy.

Originally, Diddy Kong was conceived byRare employee Kevin Bayliss as a redesign of Donkey Kong Jr., Donkey Kong's son from the original incarnation of theDonkey Kong franchise who had already starred in his own game, and had proven popular enough to spawn a cereal and segment on the variety cartoon seriesSaturday Supercade; modelled off of Coco the Monkey, the mascot for the British cereal Coco Pops^[1], but Nintendo felt the new design was too different from the original. They advised Rare to either change the design back or make this new design an entirely new character, to which Rare opted for the latter, deciding on the name "Diddy Kong", derived from "diddy", a British slang term meaning either "fool" or "small". Nintendo would continue to use Donkey Kong Jr. in titles such as theGame & Watch Gallery andMario Tennis franchises, and 1994'sDonkey Kong, while Rare used Diddy Kong in theirDonkey Kong titles for the duration of the two companies' partnership.

Official artwork of Diddy fromDK: Jungle Climber, which inspired his design inBrawl.

Diddy Kong is a young monkey who isDonkey Kong's best friend and sidekick (stated by some sources in the late 1990's to be his nephew, likely as a play on the term "I'll be a monkey's uncle") in theDonkey Kong series, although he has held protagonist roles on two occasions. He wears a red cap and a red shirt, with a star pattern being present on his shirt sinceDonkey Kong Country 2, and a Nintendo logo printed on his cap starting inDonkey Kong 64 (though this design element would be absent in games published by other companies, such as theMario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series). He has a girlfriend namedDixie Kong.

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

Prior to the events ofDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, the Kremling Krew, led by Kaptain K. Rool, captured Donkey Kong and took him to Crocodile Isle. Diddy calls uponDixie Kong and they go after the Kremlings, eventually defeating Kaptain K. Rool in his Flying Krock airship and rescuing Donkey Kong. InDonkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble, Donkey Kong and Diddy later get captured again on a fishing trip and get contained within the robotKAOS, ostensibly the new leader of the Kremlings but in reality controlled by K. Rool under his Baron K. Roolenstein persona. Dixie and Kiddy Kong end up rescuing both. Diddy continues to be a valuable partner to Donkey Kong, especially as a member of the DK crew inDonkey Kong 64, and a pseudo-powerup who perches on DK's back inDK: Jungle Climber;Donkey Kong Country Returns; andDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, and inTropical Freeze he can be played as solo once again in hard mode or through multiplayer gameplay. InDonkey Kong Bananza, Diddy plays a minor role running a floor that participates in racing minigames alongside Dixie, while the role of a small sidekick perching on Donkey Kong's back is taken by a child version ofPauline.

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

Following Microsoft's acquisition of Rare, Diddy has also become a recurring cast member in many pieces ofMario spin-off media, starting inMario Golf: Toadstool Tour, replacing Donkey Kong Jr., including various entries in theMario Kart,Mario Party, and sports series, as well asThe Super Mario Bros. Movie, and has been featured in a variety of snack food and toy merchandise lines alongsideMario characters.

InSuper Smash Bros.[edit]

Diddy Kong is briefly mentioned inDonkey Kong's biography.

In an officialpoll held onSmabura-Ken (the game's official Japanese website) regarding characters for a potential sequel to the first game, Diddy Kong placed 16th with 15 votes, tied withSukapon while being placed 3rd after Banjo & Kazooie in the "Rare company related" category.^[2]

InSuper Smash Bros. Melee[edit]

Diddy Kong is briefly mentioned in Dixie Kong's trophy description. Also, he is mentioned in the DK Rap, which plays on theKongo Jungle stage. However, despite his prominence within theDonkey Kong series as the secondary main protagonist, he lacks a trophy of his own.

InSuper Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]

As a playable character[edit]

Diddy Kong, as he appears inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl.

Diddy Kong debuts as a playable character inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, available to play as from the beginning, accompanying Donkey Kong as representatives of theDonkey Kong franchise. He uses many unique special attacks, such as hisRocketbarrel Boost, andPeanut Popgun attacks, both of which are used in hisFinal Smash, theRocketbarrel Barrage. His small size and power combined with the use of weaponry offer a completely different fighting style thanDonkey Kong. Due to the strategic use ofhis banana peels, great combo potential, great speed, great agility, great acrobatics, great jump, great strength, and an overall impressive amount of tournament wins, he is currently 4th on the communitytier list.

According toMasahiro Sakurai, Diddy Kong was initially planned to be teamed withDixie Kong, where the two could swap out with each other in the midst of battle, emulating their tagging out mechanic inDonkey Kong Country 2. However, when Sakurai ran into technical difficulties in implementing the idea, he scrapped it, as well as scrapping Dixie Kong as a playable fighter, leaving Diddy Kong as a solo fighter and the lone new playableDonkey Kong fighter.^[3]

Trophy[edit]

Diddy Kong has a trophy that is awarded each timeClassic Mode is completed with Diddy Kong on any difficulty.

Diddy Kong's trophy inBrawl

Diddy Kong

Donkey Kong's little buddy. He's famous for his quickness and his long tail. He usually plays second banana to DK, but he teamed up with his girlfriend, Dixie, to rescue DK when he got captured. He's spent some time playing music and competing in races, and he's also an expert at using barrels.

:Donkey Kong Country

:Donkey Kong 64

Stickers[edit]

Name	Game	Effect	Fighter(s)
Diddy Kong	Donkey Kong 64	SpecialLaunchPower+020 +20	Donkey Kong Diddy Kong
Diddy Kong	Donkey Kong Country	AttackTail+028 Attack +28	Diddy
Diddy Kong	Mario Hoops 3-on-3	AttackLeg+028 Attack +28	Donkey Kong Diddy Kong
Diddy Kong	Mario Superstar Baseball	AttackLeg+012 Attack +12	Donkey Kong Diddy Kong

Diddy Kong (DK64)

Diddy Kong (Donkey Kong Country)

Diddy Kong (Mario Hoops 3-on-3)

Diddy Kong (Mario Superstar Baseball)

InSuper Smash Bros. 4[edit]

As a playable character[edit]

Diddy Kong as he appears inSuper Smash Bros 4.

Diddy Kong returns as a playable character inSuper Smash Bros. 4, once again available from the start. His reveal corresponded with the US release ofDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. His design is based on his appearances inDonkey Kong Country Returns andDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. His limbs stretch farther in his attacks, significantly improving his reach. Although he was already a top tier character inBrawl, he was heavily buffed with his KOing moves being strengthened and has gained many options to deal with his opponents, but at the cost of hisBanana Peel move being significantly nerfed.

Notably and infamously, Diddy Kong dominated the competitive play ofSSB4 for the first six months following the game's release. Diddy Kong was easy to use and had quick and powerful attacks, alongside effective combos to rack up damage and KOs, including his infamous down throw to up air combo (christened the name "Hoo-Hah" by competitive players). However, as of patch 1.0.6 that was released on April 15, 2015, Diddy Kong received major nerfs to the damage and knockback of several of his most frequently used moves, causing his overall tournament usage to decline.

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

Trophies[edit]

Diddy Kong's trophy inSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Diddy Kong's trophy inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U

Diddy Kong

Donkey Kong's trusty partner. He sports his signature look: red hat, red shirt, Rocketbarrel Pack. In Smash Bros., he's incredibly agile. Charge the Rocketbarrel Pack by holding down the button before launch, and you can steer with left and right. Don't forget to drop banana peels—enemies love it!

Donkey Kong's trusty partner. He sports his signature look: red hat, red shirt, Rocketbarrel Pack. In Smash Bros., he's incredibly agile. Charge the Rocketbarrel Pack by holding down the button before launch; you can steer with left and right. Don't forget to drop banana peels—enemies love it!

:Donkey Kong Country (11/1994)

:Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (11/1995)

Red cap? Red T-shirt? Rocketbarrel Pack? Yep, it's Diddy Kong. His agility lets him get attacks in quickly in this game. Fire up his Rocketbarrel Pack and keep the button held down to fly further. You can even steer him in the air! Tip: If you don't mind fighting dirty, make your opponent slip on a Banana Peel, then hit 'em while they're down.

:Donkey Kong Country (11/1994)

:Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (12/1995)

Diddy Kong (Alt.)'s trophy inSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Diddy Kong (Alt.)'s trophy inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U

Diddy Kong (Alt.)

The Banana Peel Diddy throws when you use his down special can be picked up and used against you, so be careful. His Monkey Flip side special is a rolling leap followed by a grab (or a kick if you press the button again midjump). If you grab someone, press the button again to attack or jump off them to go high into the air.

The banana peel Diddy throws when you use his down special can be picked up and used against you, so be careful. His Monkey Flip side special is a rolling leap followed by a grab (or a kick if you press the button again midjump). If you grab foes, press the button again to attack or jump off them to go high into the air.

:Donkey Kong Country (11/1994)

:Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (11/1995)

The Banana Peel Diddy throws when you use his down special can be picked up and used against you, so be careful. His Monkey Flip side special is a rolling leap followed by a grab (or a kick if you press the button again mid-jump). If you grab someone, press the button again to attack, or jump off them to go high into the air.

:Donkey Kong Country (11/1994)

:Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (12/1995)

InSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]

As a playable character[edit]

Diddy Kong, as he appears inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Diddy Kong returns as a playable character inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, though he is unlockable for the first time in the series. He has a newFinal Smash,Hyper Rocketbarrel.

Significant changes to Diddy Kong's moveset in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate altered his gameplay dynamics, particularly impacting his neutral game strategy. Key moves, such as his tilts and aerial attacks, experienced reduced range, diminishing his overall zoning capabilities. The alterations to Rocketbarrel Boost impeded his recovery potential, making him more susceptible to KOs. Additionally, universal alterations in game mechanics further challenged Diddy's playstyle, limiting his grab game and combo potential, while adjustments to shield mechanics and jump speeds impacted his overall combat efficacy.

On a positive note, compensatory buffs were introduced to enhance Diddy Kong's combat prowess. Improvements to his neutral attack and various moves increased their viability and combo potential, providing him with more versatile offensive options. Enhanced properties in his special moves, such as Monkey Flip and Peanut Popgun, enriched his offensive capabilities and recovery options. Moreover, adjustments to Banana Peel mechanics and Diddy's mobility allowed for strategic advantages in the competitive arena, reinforcing his position as a formidable contender in the fighting scene.

Ultimately, while Diddy Kong faced notable nerfs in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the combination of revised moveset properties and strategic adjustments have maintained his status as a viable character. Despite some drawbacks compared to previous iterations, Diddy Kong remains a formidable force in competitive play, adapting to the evolving metagame while maintaining his signature strengths in combat.

Spirit[edit]

Names in other languages[edit]

Language	Name
Japanese	ディディーコング,Diddy Kong
English	Diddy Kong
French	Diddy Kong
German	Diddy Kong
Spanish	Diddy Kong
Italian	Diddy Kong
Chinese (Simplified)	迪迪刚,Diddy Kong
Chinese (Traditional)	狄狄剛,Diddy Kong
Korean	디디콩,Diddy Kong
Dutch	Diddy Kong
Russian	Дидди Конг
Portuguese	Diddy Kong

Trivia[edit]

• Unlike in mostDonkey Kong games andMario spin-offs, where Diddy Kong has a cartoonish voice, voiced byKatsumi Suzuki, theSuper Smash Bros. series has Diddy Kong using realistic chimpanzee screeches. He shares this distinction withBowser,Donkey Kong,Petey Piranha, andKing K. Rool, who all use realistic sound effects instead of their respective voice actors, namelyKenneth W. James,Takashi Nagasako,Toru Minegishi, andToshihide Tsuchiya at the time of their relevantSmash game's release.
  • More specifically, Diddy's voice clips in theSmash Bros. series are sampled from the commonly used "Chimpanzee Screeche PE026201" stock sound effect.
  • Also unlike his home series, Diddy Kong's eyes are brown rather than gray. The only time Diddy's eyes have been portrayed as brown outside ofSmash is inMario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
• Being aRare creation, Diddy Kong is the first playable character in theSuper Smash Bros. series who was created outside of Japan; instead, he was created in the United Kingdom.
  • In addition, he is the first playable character hailing from a Nintendo-created universe to have been created by an external company. He would later be joined byDark Pit (created byProject Sora),Dark Samus (created byRetro Studios), andKing K. Rool (also created by Rare).
• Diddy Kong is one of only two characters in theSmash Bros. series to have placed at the very top of the tier list and then later lose that position (the other beingSheik), having been at the top of the secondSSB4 tier list.
• Diddy Kong is the onlyDonkey Kong fighter to never have played an antagonistic role.
• Diddy Kong is the first fighter to wear a piece of clothing that has a real-life brand on it, precedingBanjo andTerry.
• Despite not making a physical appearance untilBrawl, Diddy Kong has at least been mentioned in everySuper Smash Bros. game to date. InSuper Smash Bros. 64, he was mentioned inDonkey Kong's character description, while inMelee he was mentioned inDixie Kong's trophy description.

References[edit]

v • d • e Donkey Kong universe
Fighters	Donkey Kong (SSB ·SSBM ·SSBB ·SSB4 ·SSBU) ·Diddy Kong (SSBB ·SSB4 ·SSBU) ·King K. Rool (SSBU)
Assist Trophy	Klaptrap
Boss	Giant Donkey Kong
Stages	Kongo Jungle ·Kongo Falls ·Jungle Japes ·Rumble Falls ·75m ·Jungle Hijinxs
Items	Hammer ·Barrel Cannon ·Peanut ·Spring
Enemies	Kritter ·Tiki Buzz
Other	Dixie Kong ·DK Barrel ·DK Island ·Pauline ·Stanley ·Zinger
Trophies,Stickers andSpirits	Trophies (SSBM ·SSBB ·SSB4) ·Stickers ·Spirits
Music	Brawl ·SSB4 ·Ultimate
Masterpiece	Donkey Kong
Related content	Mario (universe) ·Banjo ·Barrel

• Characters
• Donkey Kong universe
• Diddy Kong
• Trophies (SSBB)
• Trophies (SSB4-3DS)
• Trophies (SSB4-Wii U)
• Stickers
• Spirits