Editing Diddy Kong

{{Character
|image=[[Image:Diddy.jpg|250px]]
|caption=Diddy Kong in ''[[DK: Jungle Climber]]''
|bgcolor=#FF9900
|fgcolor=#FFFFFF
|name=Diddy Kong
|eyes=Blue
|species=Kong
|voiced by=[[Kevin Bayliss]] (1994-1999)<br>Unknown (2000-2005)<br>[[Charles Adler]] (2005)<br>[[Katsumi Suzuki]] (2007-Present)
|debut=''[[Donkey Kong Country]]''
|}}

'''Diddy Kong''' is a supporting character and occasional protagonist of games in the ''[[Portal: Donkey Kong|Donkey Kong]]'' series, as well as being an occasional guest character in spin-offs of the ''[[Portal: Mario|Super Mario]]'' series. He is a small Kong who serves as the loyal sidekick of [[Donkey Kong]] and has proven himself as a hero in his own right. As a contrast to Donkey Kong, Diddy is smaller and nimbler, with a number of acrobatic moves and a long tail at his disposal.

=Background=

==Donkey Kong Country==

In ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'', Diddy Kong first appeared as a hero-in-training who was taking lessons from Donkey Kong. For his first task, he had to watch over Donkey Kong's legendary [[banana horde]] on a dark and stormy night. But when the [[Kremlings]] attacked, Diddy could not defend himself and was trapped in a DK Barrel. He made up for this blunder by aiding Donkey Kong in retrieving the banana horde. Diddy was shown to bemore agile and acrobatic than Donkey Kong, but he was not strong enough to take some of the larger foes. Together they chased the Kremlings out of [[Donkey Kong Island]] and then fought them again in a similar manner in ''[[Donkey Kong Land]]''.

However, Diddy Kong did not truly get his chance to shine until Donkey Kong was apenapped and held for ransom by [[King K. Rool|Kaptain K. Rool]] in ''[[Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest]]'' and ''[[Donkey Kong Land 2]]''. Diddy set out to prove himself a true hero and defeat K. Rool with [[Dixie Kong]] at his side. They traveled to [[Crocodile Isle]] and defeated K. Rool in his new guise as a pirate captain. They successfully rescued Donkey Kong and set off a chain reaction that destroyed the entire Crocodile Isle. Diddy had become a true hero, and it was also possible for him to earn [[Cranky Kong]]'s respect by completing his [[DK Coin|Hero Coin]] Challenge.

His time as the hero did not last long. First, he and Donkey Kong were apenapped by [[King K. Rool|Baron K. Roolenstein]] during ''[[Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble]]''. The two of them were locked up within [[KAOS]] until Dixie and [[Kiddy Kong]] saved them at the end of the game. Afterwards, in ''[[Donkey Kong Land III]]'', Diddy and Donkey Kong were among the many who left Donkey Kong Island to search for the mysterious [[Lost World]]. The details of their journey are unknown, as they did not appear at all within the game.

[[Image:DiddyKart.jpg|right|150px]]
Diddy Kong later received his own starring adventure independent of the other Kongs in ''[[Diddy Kong Racing]]'' (and its remake, ''[[Diddy Kong Racing DS]]''). In this game, Diddy rushed to the aid of his friend [[Timber the Tiger]], whose island had been conquered by the alien [[Wizpig]]. Diddy also called for fellow adventuring friends [[Third Party Characters in Nintendo Games#Banjo|Banjo]] and [[Third Party Characters in Nintendo Games#Conker|Conker]] to aid him and the growing roster of racers who competed to challenge Wizpig. Through their efforts, Wizpig was ultimately defeated.

Diddy Kong returned to being Donkey Kong's sidekick in ''[[Donkey Kong 64]]''. He was initially captured by the Kremlings and held within a makeshift prison in the Jungle Japes. But he was soon rescued by Donkey Kong and helped him, [[Tiny Kong]], [[Chunky Kong]] and [[Lanky Kong]] in the ensuing adventure that ended in K. Rool's latest defeat. 

==Post-Rareware Adentures==

In ''[[DK: King of Swing]]'', he was playable in the Jungle Jam mode, and the unlockable Diddy Mode which made it possible to play through the entire game as Diddy Kong. In ''[[DK: Jungle Climber]]'', Diddy joined up with Donkey Kong after the two met an alien named [[Xananab]], whose crystal bananas had been stolen by King K. Rool. Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong worked together again to help Xananab collect his Crystal Bananas, this time with Diddy riding along on Donkey's back. Donkey was able to throw Diddy to far off spots, and Diddy could also use special items like mallets and blowtorches. Eventually, they caught up to K. Rool and defeated him. They were then treated to a banana feast before they returned home.

In ''[[Donkey Kong Country Returns]]'', Diddy once more helped Donkey Kong when his banana horde was stolen by the brainwashing [[Tiki Tak Tribe]]. Together, they were able to defeat [[Tiki Tong]], and Diddy flew on his jetpack to catch Donkey Kong when he fell down to the island. Alternately, it was possible for Diddy to be the one to deliver the final blow to Tiki Tong. In this case, the ensuing explosion would propel Diddy to the moon, and hitting with his jetpack would cause the moon to fall and land on the volcano, destroying Tiki Tong's tower and presumably his remains. The following eruption returned the moon to the sky and scattered the bananas across the island. Diddy fell helplessly back to the earth, but Donkey Kong was able to catch him safely. Diddy later played a similar supporting role in ''[[Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze]]'', where he worked together with Donkey Kong, Dixie and Cranky to defeat new invaders known as the [[Snowmads]]. At the end of the adventure, the four of them celebrated their victory by playing music together, with Diddy playing a set of bongo drums.

In ''[[Dr. Mario World]]''. a medical version of Diddy called Dr. Diddy Kong became available through the game's Staffing feature starting at the end of October 2019.

=In Other Mario/Donkey Kong-Related Games=

==Sports, Racing and Party Spin-Offs==

Eventually, Diddy started appearing with Donkey Kong in some of the sports and other spin-off games of the ''[[Portal: Mario Brothers|Mario]]'' series, starting with his appearance in ''[[Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour]]''.

*'''Golf:''' Diddy was playable in ''[[Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour]]'' and ''[[Mario Golf: World Tour]]''.
*'''Kart Racing:''' Diddy appeared as a playable racer in ''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]'' (as Donkey Kong's racing partner), ''[[Mario Kart Wii]]'' (unlocked by completing all 50cc cups), ''[[Mario Kart Tour]]'' (unlocked through the game's gacha feature) and ''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe]]'' (as part of the Booster Pass DLC in November 2023). He also made cameo appearances within crowds in ''[[Mario Kart Arcade GP]]'' and ''[[Mario Kart Arcade GP 2]]''.
*'''Tennis:''' Diddy was playable in ''[[Mario Power Tennis]]'', ''[[Mario Tennis Open]]'' and ''[[Mario Tennis Aces]]'' (unlocked by participating in a September 2018 online tournament or through a free update the following month).
*'''Baseball:''' He was playable in ''[[Mario Superstar Baseball]]'' and ''[[Mario Super Sluggers]]''.
**Within the Challenge mode of ''Mario Super Sluggers'', Diddy was found in the DK Jungle area, where he helped Mario and Donkey Kong to rebuild the stone idol. Afterwards, he joined the baseball team in order to help save Tiny Kong from [[Bowser Jr.]].
*'''Soccer:''' Diddy appeared as a playable captain in ''[[Mario Strikers Charged]]'' (unlocked by defeating him in the Crystal Cup) and ''[[Mario Strikers: Battle League]]'' (through a free update in September 2022).
*'''Olympics:''' In ''[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games]]'' and its initial sequels, Diddy did not appear, but there was an unlockable [[Mii]] costume based on him. Diddy eventually appeared as a playable guest character for Rugby events in ''[[Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games]]'' and ''[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020]]''.
*'''Other Sports:''' Diddy Kong was playable in ''[[Mario Hoops 3-on-3]]'', ''[[Mario Sports Mix]]'' and ''[[Mario Sports Superstars]]''.

Diddy also appeared in several spin-off games of the ''Donkey Kong'' series. He was featured in all three of the ''[[Donkey Konga]]'' games, where he worked with Donkey Kong (as well as Dixie and Funky in later games) on building a bongo drum-playing career. In addition to his aforementioned starring role in ''Diddy Kong Racing'', he was also one of the three starting playable Kong characters in ''[[Donkey Kong Barrel Blast]]'', with his Kremling rival being [[Kip]].

===Mario Party===

Diddy has made nonplayable appearances in ''[[Mario Party DS]]'' and ''[[Mario Party 9]]'', followed by his first playable ''Party'' appearance in ''[[Mario Party: Star Rush]]''. In ''Mario Party DS'', Diddy appeared in the third stage of the Story Mode, where he sought the help of Mario and the others after Donkey Kong had been turned into a statue by a [[Dry Bones]]. After Donkey Kong was saved, Diddy thanked them by giving them the third Sky Crystal. Diddy was later playable again in ''[[Super Mario Party]]''.

==Cameos and Non-Storyline Roles==

*Within the ''[[Portal: Wario|WarioWare]]'' series, Diddy has made appearances in some microgames based on ''Donkey Kong Country]]'' in ''[[WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase]]'' and ''[[WarioWare: Get It Together!]]''.
*In ''[[Yoshi's Woolly World]]'', a [[Yoshi]] pattern based on Diddy Kong's appearance could be unlocked by scanning an [[amiibo]] of Diddy.
*In ''[[Super Mario Maker]]'', an 8-bit version of Diddy Kong's appearance can appear as one of [[Mario]]'s potential [[Mystery Mushroom]] costumes. The costume is unlocked as a random prize for completing a 100 Mario Challenge on Normal or harder, or by scanning his amiibo.
*In ''[[Mini Mario and Friends: amiibo Challenge]]'', a [[Mini Toy]] counterpart of Diddy appeared. Known as Mini Diddy, this toy's special ability was Ledge Grab, which allowed him to pull himself up from ledges that he starts to fall from.
*In ''[[Super Mario Odyssey]]'', a Diddy Kong costume can be purchased for Mario, and there are also advertisements for a store called Diddy's Mart in [[Metro Kingdom|New Donk City]], which is said to be located on Dixie Street.

=Abilities=
[[image:DiddyKong2.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Diddy Kong in action.]]

Diddy is a small and nimble character. He is faster and more acrobatic than Donkey Kong, with his trademark move being his cartwheel. His main downside is that he is weaker than Donkey Kong, and in most games there are enemies that he is not strong enough to hurt. Later games have introduced the [[Peanut Popguns]] as his personal weapon and he has also been shown with his own jetbarrels (usually referred to as the Rocketbarrel despite a different barrel of the same name appearing in '"Returns'') which boost him in the air. Both were introduced in ''Donkey Kong 64'', and after being further associated him through the ''Super Smash Bros.'' games, have been used during Retro's ''Donkey Kong Country'' games.

His full moveset from ''Donkey Kong 64'' consists of:

*'''Chimpy Charge -''' A headbutting attack. 
*'''Simian Spring -''' Allows him to leap high into the air from special Diddy pads. 
*'''Rocketbarrel Boost -''' A special jetpack, powered by Crystal Coconuts, and activated by special Diddy barrels.

His special musical instrument in ''Donkey Kong 64'' was a guitar, and he also played bongo drums in the ''Donkey Konga'' games.

=Other Appearances=

==Video Games==

*Diddy Kong appeared in ''[[Yakuman DS]]'' as one of the nonplayable computer-controlled opponents.
*He was included as a playable character in the crossover game ''[[Fortune Street]]''.
*In ''Skylanders Supercharged'', Diddy Kong makes an appearance riding with Donkey Kong in the Supercharged version of his vehicle, and one of Donkey Kong's Soul Gem abilities involves summoning Diddy to fly around with his Rocketbarrel Pack and attack with his Peanut Popguns.
*Diddy Kong was made available as a playable skin for the Nintendo releases of ''Minecraft'' as part of the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack.

===Super Smash Bros.===

Diddy Kong appears as a playable fighter in the ''[[Portal: Super Smash Bros.|Super Smash Bros.]]'' series, appearing in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. He uses his rocket jetpack and peanut popguns from ''Donkey Kong 64'' as part of his moveset. He is an unlockable character within ''Ultimate'', where he must be unlocked either by awakening him within Adventure Mode or through the game's variable-based system of unlocking characters.

He has two trophies in ''Brawl'', one being a normal trophy while the second depicts his Final Smash. There are also four stickers of Diddy Kong using artwork of him from ''Donkey Kong Country'', ''Donkey Kong 64'', ''Mario Superstar Baseball'' and ''Mario Hoops 3-on-3''. For the 3DS/Wii U installment, he has two trophies in both versions, and the Wii U version has a trophy for his Final Smash. In ''Ultimate'', he has a Fighter [[Spirit]] that is unlocked through his completion of Classic Mode.

====Abilities====

His moveset, mostly based on his special ''Donkey Kong 64'' moves, are the following:

*'''Standard Special Move: Peanut Popgun-''' Diddy fires peanuts from his popgun. Holding down the button increases the speed of the shots but also increases the chances of the pogun exploding. The peanuts can also be eaten for health.
*'''Side Special Move: Monkey Flip-''' With this move, Diddy leaps onto an opponent and thrashes them wildly.
*'''Up Special Move: Rocketbarrel Boost-''' Diddy rockets into the air with his Rocketbarrels from ''Donkey Kong 64''. However, they stand a chance of malfunctioning or falling apart, and they will if Diddy is hit by another player while using them.
*'''Down Special Move: Banana Peel-''' Diddy Kong tosses a Banana Peel onto the ground that can slip up other players just as in the ''Mario Kart'' games.
*'''Final Smash: Rocketbarrel Charge-''' This move combines Diddy's Peanut Popgun and the Rocketbarrel, as he wields both Peanut Popguns while rocketing around above the arena shooting the peanuts straight down. The rocketbarrels explode after time of the Final Smash expires, leaving behind more peanuts that can be eaten.

====Brawl: The Subspace Emissary====

Within the storyline of ''Brawl'''s "The Subspace Emissary", Diddy was first seen aiding Donkey Kong in his pursuit of the [[Koopa]]s after they took the banana horde. After they reclaimed the bananas, however, [[Bowser]] ambushed them with a Dark Cannon. Donkey Kong then punched Diddy to send him flying to safety, being turned into a trophy by Bowser's Dark Cannon in the process. Diddy searched the jungle for help and arrived by a lake just as [[Rayquaza]] awoke from its slumber in anger. It grabbed Diddy Kong, but [[Fox McCloud]] came to rescue Diddy, and together the two fought off Rayquaza. Diddy then literally dragged Fox into the jungle to help him search for Donkey Kong. They wound up fighting a shadow clone of Bowser, and then the real Bowser attacked them with the Dark Cannon, so Fox grabbed Diddy and retreated. 

Later on, Bowser returned suddenly and caught them by surprise, turning Diddy into a trophy. The shadow bugs then transformed into a giant shadow clone of Diddy Kong, but Fox was able to defeat it with the help of [[Falco Lombardi|Falco]], whom had recently arrived. Diddy was then revived from his trophy state, at which point he dragged Falco into helping him in that same matter he had done to Fox. Together they eventually found Donkey Kong being held on a Smash Skiff that was en route to the Island of the Ancients. Falco gave Diddy a ride there on the [[Arwing]]. Diddy then boarded the skiff alone and restored Donkey Kong. [[Captain Falcon]] then impulsively jumped in with [[Olimar]] and helped them to fight off the Subspace Army minions aboard the skiff, which brought them into the Subspace Bomb Factory. After the misadventure in and the subsequent escape from the bomb factory, they joined up with the main party for the final battles in Subspace.

====Ultimate: Adventure and Classic Modes====

In the Adventure Mode of ''Ultimate'', "World of Light", Diddy Kong first appeared during the opening cutscene, where he tried to flee from [[Galeem]]'s beams of light by flying with his rocketbarrel jetpack, only to ultimately be caught in a beam. He could then be found in an area of the Light Realm's map that was an homage to [[Donkey Kong Island|Kongo Jungle]], the first world from ''Donkey Kong Country''. Diddy was found at the end of the area, where the boss battle would normally be. By defeating him in battle, Diddy would be awakened as his true self and join the playable roster.

In Classic Mode, Diddy Kong's route is called "Hey, Little Buddy!", and the battles within are themed around Diddy Kong acting as sidekicks to protagonists of different series in battles against their respective antagonists. It ends with Diddy working with Donkey Kong in a battle against [[Master Hand]] (and [[Crazy Hand]] as well on higher intensities).

==Other Media==

*Diddy Kong was featured as one of the main characters of the ''Donkey Kong Country'' cartoon, where he was Donkey Kong's witty sidekick and "little buddy". In this incarnation, he was voiced by Andrew Sabastion (who also voiced [[Yoshi]] in the Mario cartoons).
*He appeared in some parts of the ''Super Mario-Kun'' manga that were based on the first two ''Donkey Kong Country'' games.
*In the 2023 CGI film ''The Super Mario Bros. Movie'', Diddy made a small appearance sitting next to Dixie in a stadium full of Kongs, and he was reprimanded by Cranky for excessively cheering on Donkey Kong. He was voiced by Eric Bauza.

==Canceled Appearances==

*There were two different follow-ups to ''Diddy Kong Racing'' that were canceled when Rare was bought by Microsoft. One of those was ''Diddy Kong Pilot'', which would have been a racing game for the Nintendo DS focusing on the plane vehicle from ''Diddy Kong Racing''. The other was ''Donkey Kong Racing'' for the Gamecube, which would have featured the characters racing on animal buddies from the ''Country'' games and the return of various characters from ''Diddy Kong Racing''.

=Trivia=

*Diddy's name comes from English slang that means 'small'.
*The concept of Diddy Kong came from the idea of having a second character with Donkey Kong to act as his second hit (similar to how Mario in his platforming games can take two hits before losing when he has a power-up). Diddy was originally planned as a new version of [[Donkey Kong Junior]], but Nintendo felt that he was too different from the original Junior, so Rare decided to make him a new character.
*Diddy's baseball cap was initially featureless, but starting in ''Donkey Kong Country 2'', it was shown to have a Nintendo logo. Diddy has also been shown to wear a normal blue backpack (possibly concealing his Rocketbarrel) in ''Donkey Kong Country Returns''.
*He is mentioned in the instruction manual for ''[[Donkey Kong Land III]]'', but is absent from the actual game. That also marks the only game of the original ''Country''/''Land'' series in which he does not appear at all.

{{Donkey Kong Characters}}
{{Super Smash Bros. Characters}}

[[Category: Donkey Kong Characters]]
[[Category: Mario Characters]]