Fans were given another sneak peek at Nintendo's recent Diddy Kong redesign. Shock spread among gamers earlier this year when several iconic Nintendo characters underwent changes to their looks ahead of the new Nintendo Switch 2 generation. These included a shorter, stouter Mario and a significantly redesigned Donkey Kong (DK) that added smaller, more expressive eyes reminiscent of the classic arcade DK look and his appearance in The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Yet another character underwent a similar treatment in 2025, as Donkey's plucky sidekick, Diddy, was also redesigned. The new Diddy Kong design rolled out on Nintendo's official channels over the last few months, including on its official Play Nintendo website.
The new design is not as drastic a change as Donkey's, but it does have some notable differences. Like Donkey, the new Diddy is slightly more expressive, thanks to a minute change in his eyes, allowing for more eyebrow movement.
The character also now seems to have teeth, something that (outside of King K. Rool's Super Smash Bros. reveal trailer) has not been an anchor of the character.
Other notable changes include more defined fur and a split of skin between his eyes, as opposed to the connected white mass of his classic design.
Donkey Kong's recent redesign appears to have largely brought the character into line with his design in the Super Mario Bros. Movie, and Diddy's does the same. The cap-wearing Kong appeared in a blink-and-you-will-miss-it cameo in the Mario movie, looking just a bit different than his video game character model.
This included the character wearing a looser-fitting shirt. It seems the new Diddy look also features a similar pin attached to his cap, potentially signaling some influence from the Mario Movie.
Over the last few months, rumors circulated about a potential Donkey Kong spin-off from the Mario Movie; however, no official announcement has been made.
Fans can get a taste of this new Diddy Kong design as a part of the recently released Donkey Kong Bananza. He was notably absent from Mario Kart World (where Donkey Kong's redesign made its in-game debut).
When Will Fans See This New Diddy Kong Design in Action?
It is bizarre that Nintendo added Diddy Kong to its long list of characters receiving a redesign in 2025, seemingly without any significant plans for the character in the near future.
Of course, fans got a taste of the new Diddy in Donkey Kong Bananza this past summer, but he was by no means a big part of that game, popping up for a single level before disappearing from the rest of DK's quest to the center of the Earth.
The character is also still missing from another Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, Mario Kart World, which features Donkey but no Diddy, despite the character being a mainstay of the Kart franchise.
The only explanation is that Nintendo is hiding some big Diddy-based plans for the next couple of years, which is why the Japanese gaming giant had to debut his new look when it did.
Perhaps the rumors of a Donkey Kong movie are true, and Diddy will play a big part in the project. If the Donkey Kong movie is real, one can assume it will adapt elements of the beloved Donkey Kong Country series, games of which Diddy plays a key role.
It may also be related to Nintendo's ongoing theme park-based ventures. The Switch maker partnered with Universal Studios for several video game-themed lands around the globe. While Mario has been the focus of these parks so far, they have begun to expand into the world of Donkey Kong.
If DK and his banana-loving buddies are going to continue expanding their footprint in the parks, then Nintendo would almost surely want its characters lined up between the games, movies, and their presence at Universal Studios. So, even if Nintendo does not have any immediate game plans for Diddy Kong, now is the time to make the change.
