Kaptain Skurvy

Kaptain Skurvy
Species	Klump
First appearance	Donkey Kong Country – "Booty and the Beast" (1996)
Latest appearance	Uho'uho Daishizen Gag: Donkey Kong (volume 2) (2001)
Portrayed by	Ron Rubin
Member of	Pirates (leader)

“I was run outta the swamps faster than you could say, 'Get outta here, ya little arson dirtbag.' Why d'ya think I went off to sea to become a pirate? Ya silly seadog.”

—Kaptain Skurvy, "The Kongo Bongo Festival of Lights"

Kaptain Skurvy is a recurring character and villain on the Donkey Kong Country animated series. Skurvy's model is a recolor of General Klump's, as the two are identical besides their scale color and clothes. Kaptain Skurvy resembles a Kannon, a type of Kremling from the games Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest and Donkey Kong Land 2; Kannons are simply Klumps in pirate garb, thus explaining General Klump and Kaptain Skurvy's similar appearance.

History[edit]

Backstory[edit]

Kaptain Skurvy from Donkey Kong Country (television series)

Skurvy is the great-great-great grandson of a notorious pirate, Quint Skurvy, whom he learned about from his father at a young age, and learned that he stole the Crystal Coconut before hiding it in the eye of Inka Dinka Doo. Skurvy vowed to retrieve it after the Kong family obtained it.^[2] Skurvy's younger brother was Klump, who would go on to become King K. Rool's general. As a young Kremling, Klump set off some holiday fireworks, causing a large fire that devastated his and Klump's family swamp.^[3] Skurvy, in a show of brotherly love, took the blame for the accident and was banished from the swamp.^[4] However, when he left, he also robbed his family of all their valuables.^[5] He then ran off and became a pirate like his ancestor Quint.

Some time before the events of the show, it seems that he and Cranky Kong had some sort of encounter, which ended with Skurvy stranded on a desert island, getting lost at sea, and getting chomped by sharks. However, Skurvy managed to escape no worse for wear, and considers those events to be "fun and games."^[6]

"Booty and the Beast"[edit]

Skurvy's first appearance on the show was in the episode "Booty and the Beast". In this episode, Skurvy, along with his shipmates, Kutlass, Green Kroc, and Polly Roger, attempt to steal the legendary Crystal Coconut; which Skurvy believes to be his birthright, as his great-great-great-grandpappy was the one who first discovered it and was the one who brought it to Kongo Bongo Island.

Capturing Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong, Skurvy's theft seemed to have gone on without a hitch. Unfortunately for Skurvy, interference came in the form of an abnormally large Klaptrap. Jr. Klap Trap managed to free Donkey and Diddy and during the fight between the Kongs and Skurvy's crew, Jr. Klap Trap actually ate Skurvy's ship. After this disaster, Skurvy was sent packing along with his crew (minus Polly Roger, who had seemingly joined the Kremling Krew).

"Legend of the Crystal Coconut"[edit]

Kaptain Skurvy's ship.

Skurvy and his minions returned in the episode "Legend of the Crystal Coconut". Here, Skurvy once again attempted to steal the Crystal Coconut, but was unfortunately hindered in his plan due to the fact that the Crystal Coconut kept switching hands between the Kremling Krew and the Kongs.

At the end of the episode Skurvy does manage to gain the Crystal Coconut, only to lose it seconds later. It seems Donkey Kong had thrown the Crystal Coconut at Skurvy a little too hard as it ended up knocking out Skurvy's sore tooth out. Due to this, Skurvy had to give the coconut back to Donkey, as he had sworn on the Great Great Great Pirate Oath that he would grant a favor to anyone who knocked out his tooth, and the favor Donkey asked for was that Skurvy give the Crystal Coconut back.

"Bug a Boogie"[edit]

Kaptain Skurvy singing in "Bug a Boogie".

In the episode "Bug a Boogie", Skurvy tries to steal the Crystal Coconut once again, and this time succeeds and even manages to steal everything in Cranky's Cabin along with it. Unfortunately, Skurvy loses the coconut once again after he is tricked by King K. Rool into giving it back.

"Ape-Nesia"[edit]

Skurvy's next appearance was in the episode "Ape-Nesia". Here he tricks an amnesia-stricken Donkey Kong into thinking he was Skurvy's first-mate, "Donkey Croc". Skurvy manipulates Donkey into stealing various objects, including the Crystal Coconut. Eventually, Donkey regains his memory and tricks Skurvy, along with K. Rool, into falling into a banana peel ridden trap. The end of the episode shows that both Skurvy and K. Rool both gained amnesia.

"The Kongo Bongo Festival of Lights"[edit]

Kaptain Skurvy and his crew mates, Green Kroc (left) and Kutlass (right).

The last appearance of Skurvy was in the Christmas-themed episode, "The Kongo Bongo Festival of Lights". In this episode revealed much of Skurvy's origin, including his relation to Klump. The end of the episode reveals that Klump had planned on leaving the Kremling Krew and joining Skurvy's crew, much to the protests of K. Rool.

"The Kongo Bongo Festival of Lights" seems to reveal why Skurvy was so cold-hearted as to do something as bad as break the Kongo Bongo Festival truce between the Kongs and the Kremlings (something even K. Rool wouldn't do). It seems that losing Klump gave Skurvy the philosophy that if he couldn't "steal back what was lost", he could "steal everything else".