So Bandana Dee wound up winning. Glad K. Rool, Rayman and Dixie were in the top 5, but whoever posted the link in Wolf's thread really helped him out.
Onto more moveset ideas. I'm not sure how much these posts will affect her chances with the ballot with just 12 days left, but I want to finish these ideas since I'm so close. I have a few concepts here in the hope that at least one appeals to people's imagination if the other(s) don't. Another massive post is here, brace yourselves, if the post is annoyingly long I'll wrap spoiler tags on it.
Down Smash: Quick Split
As she charges her Down Smash, Dixie strikes a pose. Her hand seems poised to shoot up while her hair curls too. With each passing second she becomes more determined to unleash the attack. And then...
ssSSWOOOM!! She performs a split! This Smash attack is a quick maneuver in which Dixie uses her feet to do damage. The attack is the fastest of her smashes, but also the weakest. While her Forward Smash has huge KO potential--the most actually--and her Up Smash isn't bad at killing either, her Down Smash isn't reliable for KO's off the bat. Higher percentages notwithstanding. Her hair deals no damage, but it does smack foes while it unravels just before she splits. The chance of getting hit by it is remote and just disrupts you in that split second before she splits.
And that's the default idea for a down smash. It fits the dynamic I have with the other 2; while the Forward Smash has her rely strictly on her hair, and her Up allows her to use her hair and feet, her Down Smash has no real reliance on it and instead the damage comes from her feet. There's barely any ending lag and almost none on the startup side. It's a simple yet practical attack, one that many fighters can do, and because of that I feel the need to show ideas that could be more unique and specialized:
Alternate Down Smash 1: Sit Spin Sweep
The cute Kong wraps her hair around her and crouches while doing so, letting her hair wrap tightly but still maintaining her balance. Sound familiar? Well it is but--
sSSSSHHHoooWOOOMSSH! She unleashes the attack and performs a figureskating move called a Sit Spin, and in the process uncurls her hair to smack foes while she spins! It's essentially her Forward Smash at a lower height, the only differences here is that you control how much she spins. Do a quick Smash and she'll spin
once, charge it halfway and she'll spin
twice, but charge it fully and you'll get
three spins! The hair smacks foes away throughout either spin, and the one before the last is the strongest (ie: 2 spins means the first will be the strongest and 3 spins means the 2nd will be the strongest) as Dixie will be winding down momentum to finish the attack.
And here's the finisher. No matter how long the Smash is charged, the final spin will end with her making this pose. Anyone hit by the hair will be knocked away, but what's most important about this part is that the amount of spins determine how much ending lag you'll get. She'll be holding that pose for a bit to regain balance; how long exactly is up to you, so keep that in mind when charging the attack.
Like the Whiplash Smash the Sit Spin Sweep is powerful; not AS powerful but can be slightly stronger than the Up Smash, if we're talking about the strongest spin in the set when fully charged. A graceful and strong spin, and a good idea IMO, but as it is her Whiplash Smash re-purposed--which isn't necessarily bad, I have yet another idea:
Alternate Down Smash 2: Spinning Kong
Dixie balances on one hand while the rest of her limbs and her hair seem poised to strike. What could she be getting ready to do while keeping most of herself in the air?
SWOOOM-SWOOOM-SWOOOM-SWOOOM!!!!
...A Spinning Kong of course! Like DK, Dixie can pull off that Kong tornado move, but she uses it differently. She performs the attack while upside-down and stays in one place, and spins twice, but if you charge it longer she'll spin three times and four if fully charged. Like the 1st alternate Down Smash the ending lag depends on how much you charge the move, but it's not exactly powerful, and the final spin is the strongest. While the other spins rack up damage and keep you in the cyclone like Peach's Down Smash, the final spin knocks you away with good knockback if fully charged, and decent if not. It's a wild attack that highlights her savage side.
...
Those are the Down Smash ideas. While I'm going with the first one, I can't deny the other two are cooler and more unique. I felt the need to have her use a quick and reliable attack at the cost of raw power, and complete the dynamic I have with the Up and Forward as well as show that she's not 100% hair. Each of the three smashes in this post have their strengths and flaws, so it's best to pick your favorite of the bunch.
All that's left are the Specials and her "Glide". Stay tuned for it.