Bowser and Bowser Jr. vs Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong

Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong

Unlike most characters, who have some kind of special power, Donkey Kong relies mainly on his brute strength to get his way through. He sometimes has the title of being 'the strongest of the Kongs', though this claim may refer to his combat abilities instead of strength alone as some Kongs like Chunky Kong and Sumo Kong are clearly larger and stronger than DK. In the original Donkey Kong he had a seemingly unlimited supply of Barrels, and could throw them easily. This carried on to the Donkey Kong Country games, where he can pick up and throw Barrels with ease. Also in Donkey Kong Country, he can destroy certain enemies that Diddy Kong cannot hurt with a single jump. In Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat, his strength is shown yet again, it makes him so strong that when he claps, a sound-wave is produced. This is his main attack throughout the game. In the ending of Donkey Kong Country Returns, DK is shown to be strong enough to knock the moon out of its orbit and into the planet's atmosphere with a single punch (though the fact he was falling towards it at an alarming speed may have helped with it). He also appears to either immune or highly resistant to hypnosis since the Kalimba Tiki was unable to hypnotize him when it was easily able to do so to other animals on the island. In Donkey Kong 64, he has a personal weapon, the Coconut Shooter, and has a special ability called Strong Kong which allows him to become invincible and use up more Crystal Coconuts the longer he maintains the form. Donkey Kong is also talented in playing bongos, demonstrated in Donkey Kong 64, where he uses it to solve puzzles and attack surrounding enemies; the ability of playing bongos is also shown in the Donkey Konga games.

Though his size and weight may suggest otherwise, DK is deceptively fast and agile. In Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat he's shown to very proficient in hand to hand combat, delivering a vast amount of fast punches and kicks in a few seconds and is quick in countering the attacks he dodges. Donkey Kong also has some skill with musical instruments and occasionally can weaponize music and song in combat, most noticeably in his Final Smash from the Smash Bros series.

In almost every appearance he makes, Diddy Kong has been shown to be very quick and nimble to offset Donkey Kong's great strength. As a result, Diddy has more trouble defeating larger enemies. In many games he has appeared, such as in Donkey Kong Country and Donkey Kong 64, he is able to use his cartwheel to attack opponents but also to jump farther in Donkey Kong Country. Diddy is shown to have a strong skull; he has a special dashing ability in Donkey Kong 64 called Chimpy Charge where he ram into switches, walls, and gongs with a head-first charge and in Donkey Kong Country Returns, after defeating Tiki Tong, he brings the moon down with just his head.

While teamed up with Dixie Kong during the events of Donkey Kong Country 2, Diddy is able to pick up his partner and throw her to high areas or enemies. He can also throw her at collectibles that float above pits.

In some games, Diddy Kong can also use his Jetpack to fly to hard-to-reach areas. However, in Donkey Kong 64, this Jetpack is only given to him after entering one of Cranky's Kong Barrels, and it can only be used in certain areas. During the time Diddy Kong uses his Jetpack, he is also equipped with Peanut Popguns, which allow him to defeat or stun distant enemies and activate switches. During Donkey Kong Country Returns, Diddy can use his Jetpack in order to carry Donkey Kong over pits. It's revealed in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, that Diddy has a prehensile tail due to the fact he can hang onto hooks with it. Additionally, in Donkey Kong 64 he is able to use his tail to attack enemies or use it as a spring to reach higher areas. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, he is able to combine his Jetpack and Peanut Popgun for his final smash. He can also perform Wild Moves in Donkey Kong Barrel Blast.



In Mario Superstar Baseball, Diddy Kong, with his good running stat, also possess the ability to climb on walls and catch balls that are otherwise fair. He also has Super Catch ensuring that he does not fumble any routine fly balls. His pitches and batting involve curving the ball in the shape of a banana. This ability is also present in Mario Power Tennis. In Mario Striker Charged, Diddy displays some natural abilities such as summoning a beam of light that subdue his opponents into the sky and psychic abilities during his Mega Strike. In Mario Sport Mix, his special move is throwing a banana like a boomerang which stuns opponents after being hit by it.

Diddy Kong is capable of juggling, which he does in Donkey Kong Country 2 if he does not move for a while. Also, his artwork for Mario Super Sluggers portrays him juggling three baseballs. Just like Dixie in Donkey Kong Country 2, he is also capable of playing an electric guitar in Donkey Kong 64, which he uses to solve puzzles and destroy surrounding enemies.