Donkey Kong

"Ahhh... delicious bananas..."

- Donkey Kong

Donkey Kong, also known as DK, is a powerful hero Kong from Donkey Kong Island. In fact, there have been two separate Donkey Kongs. The original Donkey Kong from the Donkey Kong arcade game eventually became Cranky Kong, while his son (Donkey Kong Jr.) or grandson became the current Donkey Kong. (Nintendo frequently back-pedals on this issue, however. Since the end of the Donkey Kong Country series, most of Nintendo's official materials [strategy guides, Smash Bros. trophies, etc.] describe the hero of "Donkey Kong Country" as being the same character who clashed with Mario in the 1981 game). The current Donkey Kong, designed by Rare, is a carefree simian who spends his days collecting Bananas and spending time with his friends, particularly his buddy Diddy Kong. However, when trouble arises, Donkey Kong jumps headfirst into the action to help his friends and protect his island. Donkey Kong's character design was created by Shigeru Miyamoto for the Donkey Kong arcade game. He is voiced by Takashi Nagasako in most of the games as of 2004.

Background
When Donkey Kong was a baby, he was stolen from his treetop home by Kamek and his Toady army during their massive kidnapping spree. However, DK met the Yoshis and greatly helped them in their quest to defeat the Koopa Troop. When riding on a Yoshi's back, Donkey Kong helped them perform many special moves such as the Vine Climb and Shoulder Charge. Whether this Baby Donkey Kong is a younger Cranky Kong or the current Donkey Kong is not stated. However, it is implied that he is the current Donkey Kong given the fact that his bib shares the same "DK" logo and color scheme with the current Donkey Kong's tie.

''Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong's first appearance was in the Arcade game of the same name, where he was the main villain. In the game Donkey Kong made off with Mario's girlfriend Pauline, and carried her to the top of a high construction site. He was pursued by Mario, and attacked him by throwing Barrels and creating living Fireballs. He was eventually pursued to the top of the construction site, where Mario caused the bars supporting him to crash, sending him to the ground.

Donkey Kong tried to kidnap Pauline yet again in the Game Boy game Donkey Kong, this time accompanied by his son Donkey Kong Jr.. Donkey Kong's tactics in this game remained virtually the same, he attacked mainly by throwing a variety of objects at the hero.

''Donkey Kong Jr.
Donkey Kong took the role of damsel-in-distress during Donkey Kong Jr.. In this game, Mario actually kidnapped Donkey Kong and stood guard next to his cage with a whip, sending various animals like klaptraps and egg-laying birds to attack Junior. In the end Donkey Kong Jr. arrived and defeated Mario to free Donkey Kong.

''Donkey Kong 3
In Donkey Kong 3 Donkey Kong was a main villain once again, although this time he did not fight Mario (who had gone on to star in his own series, and would not meet with Donkey Kong again until much later). In this game, Donkey Kong has gone on a rampage inside a greenhouse and a local exterminator called Stanley the Bugman was called in to defeat him (along with other bugs destroying plants in the greenhouse). Donkey Kong would use a system of ropes to lower himself to the greenhouse floor. When he reaches the floor, the game ends and Donkey Kong is able to destroy the rest of the greenhouse. After Stanley sprays Donkey Kong with insecticide three times to keep him off the greenhouse floor, he runs away.

Donkey Kong Country series
After the battles between Donkey Kong and Mario played out, Donkey Kong Jr.'s life became much calmer. During this time, Donkey Kong Jr. forged lasting friendships with many of the Kongs, including his eager friend, Diddy Kong, Funky Kong, and his current girlfriend Candy Kong. During this point in time, Donkey Kong Jr. was renamed Donkey Kong, and his father took the name Cranky Kong. He eventually moved out and began his reign over the jungle. Much of the monkey’s time was spent collecting Bananas to add to his Banana Hoard, and he lived a relatively laid back lifestyle as compared to his father, Cranky.

However, a band of Kremlings known as the Kremling Krew formed during this time. Their acts of violence and thievery put them at odds with Donkey Kong constantly, forcing him to guard his Banana Hoard every night.

''Donkey Kong Country
One night, Diddy Kong offered to guard the Banana Hoard for a night so Donkey Kong could sleep. However, during the night, several Kremlings attacked and overpowered the young Kong and stole the entire stash.

On a stormy night, the Kremling Krew arrived at Donkey Kong Island and stole the Banana Hoard. When Diddy attempted to guard it, the Kremling soldiers trapped him in a barrel. The events enraged Donkey Kong upon his return to the Hoard, and he set out to reclaim his stash. Rescuing Diddy from his barrel prison along the way, the two of them slowly defeated the enormous Kremling forces as they traveled throughout Donkey Kong Island with the aid of Candy Kong, and Cranky Kong.

Eventually, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong found King K. Rool, the leader of the Kremlings. After defeating the slightly deranged king, the Kongs reclaimed the Banana Hoard and returned home.

''Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
After his long adventures Donkey Kong decided to rest on the beach. During the night, the Kremlings kidnapped the ape, leaving their footprints and a smashed chair behind them. Donkey Kong was locked in a cage on Crocodile Isle, the latest Kremling hideout. Using DK as a bargaining chip, Kaptain K. Rool, the new identity of King K. Rool offered to return him in exchange for the Banana Hoard. However, instead of giving in, Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong defeated the Kremlings and rescued Donkey Kong. Crocodile Isle sank into the ocean afterward.

''Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
One day, DK decided to take his friend Diddy Kong on a fishing trip in the Northern Kremisphere. While there, they were overpowered and captured by the Kremlings, who claimed to now be ruled by an unusual mechanical being named KAOS. Back home, Dixie Kong grew suspicious when the Kongs did not return. She and her cousin Kiddy Kong set out to investigate, eventually discovering that Baron K. Roolenstein, another identity of King K. Rool, was behind the entire plot. Defeating him, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong were released.

''Donkey Kong Land
Cranky Kong approached Donkey Kong with a bet. Cranky believed that video games had become easier the more technology progressed. Therefore, he argued, Donkey Kong would not be able to defeat K. Rool had the events been chronicled on an 8-bit system instead of the 16-bit Super Nintendo. Cranky challenged Donkey Kong to defeat K. Rool on the Game Boy.

After Donkey Kong agreed, Cranky Kong contacted K. Rool and arranged for the adventure to be repeated. Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong defeated the Kremlings again, proving that they were heroes.

''Donkey Kong Land III
Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong heard of a contest to discover the Lost World of the Northern Kremisphere. Once there, they set out to find the special area. Under their noses, the Kremlings began anew the KAOS plot. However, Dixie and Kiddy, who also entered the contest, were able to defeat them.

''Donkey Kong 64
His plots to kidnap DK continuously coming short, King K. Rool ditched all traces of pretense and developed a machine, the Blast-O-Matic, capable of completely destroying Donkey Kong Isle. However, due to the incompetence of his underlings, K. Rool's Ship crashed into rocks offshore and delayed the blast. Squawks, a friend of Donkey Kong, witnessed these events and reported to DK. Donkey Kong discovered that all 201 of his Golden Bananas had been stolen and four of his friends kidnapped. Diddy Kong, Lanky Kong, Tiny Kong, and Chunky Kong were locked behind cages throughout the island.

Donkey Kong discovered a floating isle attached to the main mechanical island. Inside, K. Lumsy, an enormous, disobedient Kremling, had been locked up for not destroying the island. When DK promised to get him out of the cage, K. Lumsy jumped for joy, opening up a pathway to Jungle Japes. Once there, DK found Diddy Kong and freed him. Many other friendly faces were found among the Kremling armies, including Funky Kong, Cranky Kong, Snide, Troff, and Scoff. In a later area, Candy Kong also joined the fight. One of her gifts to Donkey Kong was a set of Bongos, which affected Donkey Kong's later life.

As Donkey Kong freed his buddies, they in turn helped him find his Golden Bananas and the keys to K. Lumsy’s cage. Eventually, the team was able to take on K. Rool in a boxing match. After his defeat, K. Rool fled the island.

''Donkey Konga
Donkey Kong discovered a magical set of Bongos on a beach. Once Cranky Kong realized his son’s potential for being a professional, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong set out to become famous. On their travels, they revisited many locales and played popular songs through cooperative performances and musical face-offs.

Donkey Konga 2
When Dixie Kong joined Donkey and Diddy for a practice session, the trio realized their potential for musical chemistry. Shortly after, they set out on another tour which was very similar to Donkey and Diddy Kong's first one. However, they changed up their song list to include current popular songs of the time.

''Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong saw a television commercial for the new Mini Mario toys. Infatuated with the new fad, he rushed to the nearest toy store, only to find that other ravenous fans of the products had bought every last one. In frustration, Donkey Kong succumbed to his violent nature and broke into the Mario Toy Company where he made off with a sack full of Mini-Marios. However, Mario was hot on his trail, and followed hotly on his trail, using the toys dropped by the ape as allies. Eventually, Mario caught Donkey Kong and destroyed his robot, but rather than make the same mistake as was made with Cranky Kong, Mario forgave his old friend and they continued their lives.

''Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
In the sequel, Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, he now works in the Mario Toy Company. Donkey Kong then kidnaps Pauline, the V.I.P. guest, when she chooses Mario's Mini-Mario toy over his Mini-DK toy. It is likely that he made the Mini-Donkey Kong toys, and perhaps he created the monkey-like enemies that appear in the game.

''Donkey Kong Jungle Beat
In Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, it was never clear what compelled Donkey Kong to travel to the Banana Kingdom and its sister lands. Nevertheless, the ape set out on a mission to take down the possessed Dread Kong who ruled it. Upon doing so, he set out to the other nearby kingdoms. Utilizing his great strength, DK hoofed it alone through sixteen such kingdoms, eventually conquering the evil Cactus King. After the fight, the other kings met Donkey Kong, now free of Sumo Kong’s curse. Presumably, DK allowed them to resume their duties. Donkey Kong may not have had honorable intentions for entering the kingdoms, but rather may have been searching for more Bananas and an improved reputation.

''DK: King of Swing
Donkey Kong had more work to do during DK: King of Swing. It was time for the annual Jungle Jam, a festival for the Kongs. However King. K. Rool returns and steals all of the medals needed to have the festival. Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong go after him to get their tokens back. In the end, they defeat K. Rool, and the festival is celebrated.

''DK: Jungle Climber
In DK: Jungle Climber, Donkey Kong, along with Diddy, Dixie, Cranky, Wrinkly, Funky, and Candy, were resting on the beach, when Diddy noticed a giant Banana. DK, Diddy, and Cranky went up to the top to find a Banana Spaceship. DK fought this spaceship, and found Xananab. They found that K. Rool and the Kremlings escaped with his five Crystal Bananas and he needs them back. DK and friends agree, and the four traveled through the islands, going through wormholes and other lands, such as Glass Labyrinth, Toybox, and Veggie Patch. At the end of each island, DK fought one of K. Rool's assistant Kremlings, and eventually when DK defeated the third Kremling, K. Rool fled to the King Kruiser IV. DK chased them, and eventually reached K. Rool's spaceship. There, they defeated the fourth Kremling, K. Rool went through a wormhole. DK followed, and they landed on Xananab's homeplanet. There they fought K. Rool, which was a tough battle. Eventually, though, the DK Crew once again won, and DK, Diddy, and Cranky got to eat all the bananas they could eat.

''Donkey Kong Barrel Blast
DK and his friends then decided to go on a new adventure, this time a race with a lot of Kremlings and K. Rool. He and his friends and foes alike compete in the Jungle Grand Prix in Donkey Kong Barrel Blast, where everyone rides on jet powered bongos. His rival in this game is a Kritter, and his stats are all averaged.

Other Appearances
Donkey Kong appears in various Mario sub-series. In NES Open Tournament Golf, a monkey looking exactly like Donkey Kong, except for the fact that it was wearing white clothes, appeared. It is presumed this monkey is Donkey Kong. Donkey Kong, tells the player, how much money he or she has. In later golf games, he would appear as a playable character.

Donkey Kong was playable in all of the the Mario Kart games, except Super Mario Kart (this game instead had Donkey Kong Jr. as a playable character). In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Donkey Kong was partners with Diddy Kong. His special item was the Giant Banana and his kart was the DK Jumbo. He also got his own course, DK Mountain. In Mario Kart DS he had two of his own karts: the Rambi Rider and the Wildlife. Ironically, Richard Yearwood, who voiced DK in the animated series, voiced him in Double Dash!!. He was also playable in Mario Kart Super Circuit, Mario Kart Arcade GP and Mario Kart Wii, the latter also featured Diddy Kong. He was also playable in Mario Kart Arcade GP 2. In all of these games, he was a heavyweight driver (in Mario Kart Wii, he was a "large" racer).

He is also playable in all of the golf, tennis and other sports titles. He is usually portrayed as a slow but powerful character. He often takes unconventional approaches to certain sports, like swinging a Golf Club one-handed or using a Boxing Glove for a Baseball Bat. The most interesting of these is the fact that he regularly uses his hands when playing soccer, to the point of holding the ball in one hand as he prepares to punch it with the other.

He was playable in all of the Mario Party games, up until Mario Party 5, here he leaves and starts hosting his own space. He is basically the opposite of Bowser, since when a character lands on his space, something good happens. He also is the third party board in Mario Party DS. Poor DK has been turned to stone by a Dry Bones while he and Diddy were running to Bowser's Castle in search of food. The player had to win the game and beat the Dry Bones to free Donkey Kong. The ape then runs away to the castle. At the end, he is seen with Diddy enjoying the meals Bowser had prepared as traps for the 8 "partyers". Additionally, the Mario Party 3 instruction booklet, claims that Donkey Kong's favorite item is the Reverse Mushroom.

In Punch-Out!! for the Wii, an updated sequel of the classic NES game, Donkey Kong appears as a hidden bonus opponent, found initially in the game's Last Stand mode. He can then be fought anytime in the Exhibition mode.

He will appear in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games as a playable character.

He was going to appear in the now-canceled Diddy Kong Pilot, Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers and Donkey Kong Racing.

Super Smash Bros. Games
Donkey Kong is playable in all of the Super Smash Bros. games. In Super Smash Bros. he is a default character. In one-player mode, the player must fight Giant Donkey Kong. This is the only fight where the player is given two partners to help him, instead of one. Giant DK can stand about 350 damage before being knocked off the stage.

DK was also a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Once again, he was a default character. In the new one-player mode Adventure the player must first fight two Tiny Donkey Kongs, and then fight Giant Donkey Kong at Jungle Japes. By picking up a Super Mushroom, Donkey Kong can transform into Giant Donkey Kong for a few moments.

Donkey Kong is always one of the strongest characters in the game. When he picks up a character, he also has the power to carry them a short distance, which is something that none of the other characters could do. He can also carry large objects, such as barrels and crates without having his speed get hindered.

Donkey Kong reappears as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. His moves are all the same from Melee, and his Final Smash is the Konga Beat, probably inspired from the game Donkey Konga and Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat. Some even go as far to say DK's Final Smash is based on his instrumental attack from Donkey Kong 64 in which he used a pair of Bongos to create a shockwave that could defeat any enemy it was used on, except bosses (mainly because they couldn't be used in any boss battles). Donkey Kong also gets a new white recolor.

Unlike in the Mario series titles, Donkey Kong was given a more realistic gorilla voice for the Super Smash Bros. series. This is even more noticeable in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Also, an 8-bit Donkey Kong appears on the 75M stage (which is based on the 2nd level in the original Donkey Kong).

Even though Donkey Kong is a Mario series character, his emblem is the DK symbol, which represents his own series.

Solid Snake Codec Conversation

 * Snake: Otacon, there's a gorilla wearing a tie here. He's huge.
 * Otacon: That's Donkey Kong. As you can tell, he's got strength to spare. He may be king of the jungle, but he lives in a house just like you or me. And he seems pretty smart--well, for an ape, anyway. The Donkey Kong who fought that epic battle with Mario was this guy's grandfather.
 * Snake: That was a long time ago. What about this Donkey Kong? Does he get along with Mario?
 * Otacon: Nope, they're still at it. Seems like they're always competing in something--kart racing, sports, you name it.
 * Snake: A chip off the old block...

Role in the Subspace Emissary
The Koopa Troop and Bowser steal Donkey Kong's Banana Hoard-as Hammer Bro. drives a car which contains all the bananas of Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong watches him from a cliff. Hammer Bro. and the Goombas aboard the car spot Donkey Kong and shoot Bullet Bills at him. However, Diddy Kong comes out from a bush and with his Peanut Popguns, he shoots the Bullet Bills. Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong then follow the Hammer Bro. to retrieve the Banana Hoard. After following him, they see Bowser with a Dark Cannon, revealing that he is working for the Subspace Army. When Bowser charged the cannon, Donkey Kong charges his Giant Punch. He then launches Diddy to the sky and out of the way, sacrificing himself. Bowser shoots him with the Dark Cannon, which turns him into a trophy. Later Diddy Kong, Fox McCloud and Falco Lombardi met up with a ship which was carrying Donkey Kong as a trophy, taken to a mysterious floating island. Falco then helps Diddy by following it with his Arwing and having the little Kong with him. He then drops him and Diddy gets on his Rocket Barrel and takes out his Popguns and shoots the ship. After seeing this Captain Falcon and Olimar decide to help him and jump to the ship where Diddy frees Donkey Kong then all four fight the Primids and other enemies.

The ship takes them inside a factory producing Subspace Bombs, and encounter various R.O.B.s that live on the island. They later meet up with Pikachu and Samus Aran where they see the Ancient Minister and a whole lot of R.O.B.s. After Ganondorf controls the R.O.B.s into activating all of the Subspace Bombs, the Ancient Minister is shown to be R.O.B., the leader of all the lesser R.O.B.s who were forced to work for the Subspace Army. R.O.B. then fights with the others. When trying to escape Captain Falcon calls for his Falcon Flyer and tries to leave the cave when Meta-Ridley appears and they must fight him. After that they all meet up with the others.

Donkey Kong and the other heroes enter Subspace and meet Tabuu, who turns everyone into trophies with his Off Waves. However, King Dedede had anticipated this and created badges that revived certain fighters back into their original form. With his team consisting of Luigi and Ness, Dedede rescues Donkey Kong and most of the others, although some of them were rescued by Kirby. They also recruit Bowser, Ganondorf, and Wario when they learned about Tabuu. At the end of the Great Maze, Sonic the Hedgehog shows up and helps weaken Tabuu's Off Waves so Donkey Kong and the others would be able to beat him.

Giant Punch
Giant Punch is a move used by Donkey Kong in all three Super Smash Bros. games. It is used by just simply pressing the B button. DK will swing his arms back and forth, getting faster with each swing. The more time the player spends winding up DK's arm, the stronger the punch will be. DK can walk with his punch loaded (much like Samus can). However, when the B button is pressed again, the move will be released, sending a strong punch to whoever is in front of DK. When charged to its most, it will sometimes have enough energy to result in an instant KO. Giant Punch can also be used by Kirby if he copies DK's powers.

Headbutt
Headbutt is a move used by Donkey Kong in the games Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl. It is performed by pressing Side and B. When executed, DK will swing his head forward dealing minor damage to enemies. This move will also plow a character into the ground. The foe will be unable to move once caught, leaving him open for a barrage. The grounded player can get up by rotating the Control Stick (or by just waiting). A good strategy is to plow the foe in the ground with Head butt, and then using Hand Slap.

Spinning Kong
Spinning Kong is one of Donkey Kong's special moves seen in all three games in the Super Smash Bros. series. It is executed by pressing Up plus B. As the name suggests, Donkey Kong will spin using this attack. He can use this when falling off a ledge, or use it to attack players. As a lot of Donkey Kong's moves take a while to use, and usually hit one player, Spinning Kong can be used as a last minute resort when Donkey Kong is surrounded by foes.

Hand Slap
Hand Slap is one of Donkey Kong's special moves in all games from the Super Smash Bros. series. It is executed by the buttons Down + B. Donkey Kong will slap the ground, severely damaging any characters near him. The attack is very useful in the event of when Donkey Kong is surrounded by opponents. However, the attack takes a while to get put into action, but once used, all the player must do, is hold control stick down and continuously tap the B Button. DK will keep using the attack over-and-over, and will not stop until the player stops tapping B, or an opponent hits him. Hand Slap is very useful to use in the Multi-Man Melee challenges. However, the move cannot be executed in mid-air.

The attack originated from Donkey Kong Country, in which Donkey Kong was capable of pounding the ground (originally to get items hidden in the ground) just as he can here.

Konga Beat
The Konga Beat is Donkey Kong's Final Smash in the game Super Smash Bros. Brawl. When using it, Donkey Kong will put out two Bongos and start jamming. The player can make the attack stronger by pressing the buttons with each beat of the song.

Donkey Kong is invincible during the move. Unfortunately he is also unable to move, making the move very risky to use on scrolling stages that requires the player to keep on moving (ironically this is a requirement in one of DK's very own stages in Brawl, Rumble Falls).

Mario Tennis Series
Donkey Kong appears in Mario Power Tennis as a playable character and his offensive power shot is the Barrel Cannon Blast and his defensive power shot is the Boomerang Banana Return. When Donkey Kong wins the championship, Toad brings him the trophy and he grabs it with toad still holding on. He waves it around shaking up toad in the process. When he finally stops, Toad faints and DK scratches his head. Donkey Kong's taunt is when DK shows his muscles.

Appearances in Other Media
Donkey Kong, along with Mario and Pauline appeared in several episodes of the Saturday Supercade. Here Donkey Kong was a gorilla who had escaped from the circus and was now traveling the across country, with Mario and Pauline on his tail. Donkey Kong Jr. was also featured in a few of Saturday Supercade's episodes. On the show DK Jr., along with his pal Bones traveled across the globe searching for Donkey Kong.

Donkey Kong appeared in the book Doors to Doom in a recreation of the original game (though Mario and Luigi were trying to reach the top to rescue Princess Peach instead of Pauline). Assuming the Mario Brothers successfully reach the top of the tower, Donkey Kong is ultimately sent plummeting out of sight when Peach jabs him in the backside with her crown.

Donkey Kong made occasional appearances on Captain N: The Game Master. Here he was, more or less, a giant, bestial, monster. Often times on the show Donkey Kong was manipulated by Mother Brain and her minions to do evil. Donkey Kong also appeared in the Captain N comics.

Donkey Kong was also one of the main characters on the Donkey Kong Country animated series. Here he was the future ruler of Kongo Bongo Island and the guardian of the Crystal Coconut, often times Donkey Kong and his pals would need to defend the Crystal Coconut from the Kremling Krew and Kaptain Skurvy and his minions. On this show Donkey Kong was, like in recent games, somewhat of a slacker who loved bananas above all else.

He is also the main character in the Club Nintendo comic "Donkey Kong Country", which tells the story of the game of the same name - together with Diddy Kong, he tries (and manages) to fetch the Banana Hoard back from King K. Rool.

During the events of the comic "Super Mario in Die Nacht des Grauens", published in the same magazine, he lives in a skyscraper in Brooklyn together with many other Nintendo characters. Due to a contract signed by Wario, the skyscraper is invaded by several monsters. One of them, Chuckie, invades the Kongs' room, while Donkey and Diddy are watching TV. They are terrified by the evil doll, but get rescued by Mario, Link and Kirby. Afterwards, however, Donkey claims that Diddy and him defeating the monsters would have taken only "half of the time".

He once again appears as the main character in "Donkey Kong in: Banana Day 24". The Kongs have to save the world from freezing, since a giant ufo is pulling the Earth away from the sun. Together with Diddy, Dixie, Kiddy and Cranky, Donkey enters a space shuttle and flies into space, in order to talk to the aliens. As it turns out, the reason for them pulling away the Earth is that they mistook the planet for a giant coconut. When the Kongs bring them some bananas, they agree to return the Earth to its original position. In the comic, Donkey appears as the bravest of the Kongs, as he is the one to start talking to the aliens.

Who is Donkey Kong?
Donkey Kong's exact role in the Mario series is somewhat sketchy. His original appearance portrayed him as a villainous-or just stupid and confused-ape with unequaled strength. In these games, Donkey Kong didn't wear a tie, like he does now.

However, with the release of Donkey Kong Country, Donkey Kong was given a new personality, a new home, and a single piece of clothing (a tie with the letters DK printed on them). Donkey Kong Country also saw the appearance of Cranky Kong, who claimed to be the original Donkey Kong from the old Arcade games. It was confirmed that the tie wearing DK was a different character from the original DK in Donkey Kong's Mario Superstar Baseball bio, where it makes a reference to "his ancestor (the original Donkey Kong)....". Thus, it is widely believed now that Cranky Kong is an older version of Mario age-old nemesis, while the current Donkey Kong (who inherited his ancestors name) is the older version of Donkey Kong Jr. However, in the Solid Snake's Codec conversation in Brawl, Otocan had said that the original "Donkey Kong" was this Donkey Kong's grandfather, and not his father. This argument still goes on today.

Additional confusion has been caused by the appearance of a character called Donkey Kong Jr. in some recent Mario sports games, who appears to be younger than the present Donkey Kong. This could be disregarded however, since Baby Mario also sometimes appears alongside Mario during spin-offs.

Powers and Abilities
Unlike most characters, who have some kind of special power, DK relies mainly on his brute strength to get his way through. 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.

Physical Appearance
Donkey Kong is an ape with muscular pecs, a slim stomach, and large triceps and biceps; all surrounded in chocolate brown fur. The fur on his head gives off the appearance of a human hairstyle. He wears a single item of clothing, a red necktie with the "DK" logo printed on it in yellow.

Diddy Kong
Diddy Kong is Donkey Kong's "little buddy". Diddy Kong has gone on countless adventures with his more popular friend, and has even rescued Donkey Kong a couple times. Diddy seems to have a more happy-go-lucky personality than his friend, which is probably due to his youthful age. The relationship between Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong seems to be similar to the relationship of Mario and Luigi, only the two Kongs are not brothers.

Cranky Kong
Cranky Kong is the current Donkey Kong's crabby and constantly rambling father. He has usually found a way to help Donkey Kong out in his adventures, though it usually entails giving out advice.

Donkey Kong Jr.
Donkey Kong Jr., is the son of the original Donkey Kong, Cranky Kong. This means that Donkey Kong Jr. is now the current Donkey Kong, as DK Sr. is now known as Cranky Kong. Donkey Kong Jr. saved his father from the clutches of Mario in Donkey Kong Jr.

Candy Kong
Candy Kong is the girlfriend of Donkey Kong. According to Super Smash Bros. Brawl however, she is only his "rumored" girlfriend. Also, Donkey Kong in the Mario series of games, has shown interest in Pauline instead of Candy Kong.

Mario
Donkey Kong and Mario have had quite the rivalry since the Donkey Kong Jr. era. Their rivalry has even taken a new course as witnessed in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series. However, their rivalry sometimes takes a new spin in the sports games and party games. Though Donkey Kong is large in size, he is still quite a bit younger than Mario.

Pauline
Pauline was kidnapped by Donkey Kong Sr. in the original Donkey Kong game and the current DK in Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2, and Mario had to rescue her. The relationship between Pauline and Donkey Kong is unknown, but she was probably kidnapped because the ape thought that she was "pretty".

Super Smash Bros. Profile
''Donkey Kong and Mario started out as arch-rivals, but they've patched things up in recent years. These days DK spends his time searching the jungle for bananas instead of kidnapping beautiful maidens. In the past few years, other members of the Kong family have cashed in on DK's fame as well, including his favorite nephew, Diddy.''

Mario Hoops 3 on 3 info

 * Baller Name: Dunky Monkey
 * Type: Powerful
 * Special Shot: Konga Dunk
 * Letter to Tap: M

Mario Superstar Baseball

 * Team Captain: Yes
 * Player Type: Power
 * Star Swing: Banana Ball
 * Star Pitch: Banana Ball
 * Special Skill: Clamber, Laser Beam

Good Chemistry

 * Diddy Kong
 * Dixie Kong
 * Petey Piranha

Bad Chemistry

 * None

Stats

 * Batting: 8
 * Pitching: 7
 * Fielding: 4
 * Running: 4

Bio
''"A gorilla known for raw power, DK lives a carefree jungle life... unless someone messes with his bananas, in which case he just loses it. His ancestor, Cranky Kong (the original Donkey Kong) wore no necktie. His talents lead in beating on primate foes and kart-racing. Fear his Banana Ball."

''Mario Power Tennis

 * Type: Power
 * Offensive Power Shot: Barrel Cannon Blast
 * Defensive Power Shot: Boomerang Banana Return

''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

 * Partner: Diddy Kong
 * Class: Heavy
 * Personal Kart: DK Jumbo
 * Special Item: Giant Banana
 * Bio: How fast is Donkey Kong? Just look at the size of his feet! When he stomps on the gas with his big, hairy ape-foot, it's go-go-go time!

''Mario Kart: Super Circuit

 * Speed: **
 * Weight: ****
 * Bio: Adventurer, rapper and master driver. Is there anything Donkey Kong can't do? DK is heavy enough to avoid being pushed around, but he still has decent speed.

''Mario Strikers Charged Football

 * Type: Power
 * Super Ability: Thunder Wham!
 * Deke: Pounds his chest to hit opponents back.

Stats

 * Movement: 3
 * Shooting: 10
 * Passing: 3
 * Defense: 10

''Mario Kart Wii

 * Size: Large
 * Actual Bonuses
 * Weight: +1
 * Acceleration: +1
 * Handling: +1
 * Mini-Turbo: +1

Notable Screenshots
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Official Artwork
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Trivia

 * The name "Donkey Kong" is an elaborate play on words deemed to mean "stupid monkey." Hence the "donkey" part.
 * Donkey Kong changed his speech and voice acting many times since his debut in 1981, to the point of it being confusing and unpredictable. He started off by speaking in a fluent English (within text bubbles, bare in mind) in Donkey Kong Country. This is contrary to the incorrect English he spoke of in Donkey Kong 64. He would also speak in a third person's perspective (i.e. "Donkey all confused...") in that same game. Even after a long period of using squeamish, monkey-like sounds, Donkey Kong returned to his DK64 voice in Mario Golf Toadstool Tour. As of this generation, Donkey Kong is known for having some much deeper, ape-like sounds.
 * Donkey Kong's white recolor from Super Smash Bros. Brawl, bares a resemblance to the character, Eddie the Mean Old Yeti.
 * Donkey Kong, along with Birdo and a few others, were originally planned to appear as playable characters in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, but were scrapped prior to the end-product for unknown reasons.
 * Surprisingly, Donkey Kong made an appearance in Punch-Out!! Wii, as the final boxer Little Mac had to fight with.
 * Although usually faster than Bowser, Donkey Kong appeared as the slower character in Mario Super Sluggers. Why Bowser had the higher running stat in that game is unknown.
 * Oddly enough, in the DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, Donkey Kong had a higher power stat than Bowser. Usually, Bowser is stronger than Donkey Kong.
 * In Animal Crossing there is a gorilla jock villager called Louie that resembles Donkey Kong from Donkey Kong Country but initially wears little bro shirt which refers to Luigi instead of a tie with the letters DK printed on them.

Quotes
The various quotes of Donkey Kong.

In ''Donkey Kong Country

 * "Ok, little buddy, as part of your hero training, you've got to stand guard tonight over my bananas... I'll relieve you at midnight, so try and stay awake until then!"
 * ''"My bananas and my buddy, Diddy, they are gone! The Kremlings will pay! I'll hunt them down through every corner of my island, until I have every last banana from my hoard back!"

In ''Donkey Kong 64

 * ''"What did Cranky mean about training? Donkey all confused..."
 * ''"Yes, Donkey will help K. Lumsy!"

In the DKC cartoon

 * ''"Banana-slamma!!"
 * ''"I would have called Cranky Kong something else, but you were present."
 * ''"Aye aye, nose nose, throat throat, ablast me hardies, and shiver me tree trunks!"
 * ''"Hmmm, to know everything, I must give up everything... HEY! Little buddy, I'm giving you my tie collection!"
 * ''"Ohh... feels like I got the stuffing knocked out of me... Oh no! I did get the stuffing knocked out of me! Where's my stuffing?!"
 * "Arr, you got me confused with someone else. I'm Donkey Kroc the pirate, arr, and I'm looking for Donkey Kong the (mimics monkey) ape."
 * ''"That's not mine! Look, there's still a piece of banana inside! I never leave a banana bit! Can I have it?"
 * ''"I've never known any problem that couldn't be solved with a little nap."
 * ''"Help, Diddy! I've fallen, and I can't get up! Can you pass me a banana, little buddy?"
 * ''"It's hard to believe anybody this cute could have everybody so mad at him."
 * ''"It's the company's fault for making you want it so much."
 * ''"Back off or I'll have to slam you."
 * ''"It's more fun bein' in one of these biplanes than on top of some skyscraper!"
 * ''"I think HE'S the one with problems"
 * ''"It's the dreaded..daba..blaba..curse of double dabble wa...doo be doo!"
 * ''"Then let's give them something to really listen to."