Enguarde

Enguarde the Swordfish is the Animal Buddy that has the most playable appearances in the Donkey Kong Country series. Squawks the Parrot has the same number of appearances as Enguarde; however, Squawks is not a playable character in the first Donkey Kong Country game (he merely holds a flashlight in one level).

Enguarde is the greatest swimmer of all the Kongs and Animal Buddies, and his pointed bill can be used to attack underwater enemies. However, he is useless on land. Also, Enguarde is invaluable in areas he appears in since the Kongs are generally helpless against underwater enemies.

In Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest and Donkey Kong Land 2, Enguarde can supercharge his attack. When released, he can use his bill to break through walls or defeat a line of enemies.

Enguarde is one of only three Animal Buddies who get to fight a boss character. Enguarde fights Barbos the sea urchin during the events of Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! and Donkey Kong Land III. Unfortunately, he is incapable of using his Supercharge attack in Donkey Kong Land III.

Enguarde also appears in Donkey Kong 64. However, he is only available in one level, Gloomy Galleon, and can only be accessed by Lanky Kong.

Early screenshots of the now cancelled game, Donkey Kong Racing, showed that Enguarde was going to be one of the many ridable Animal Buddies. These screenshots also showed that other, differently colored swordfish were going to be ride-able; whether these swordfish were simply color swap Enguardes or entirely new characters is unknown.

Enguarde appears in Donkey Kong Barrel Blast as a rideable animal buddy, quite similar to how he would be featured in Donkey Kong Racing. He is only rideable in underwater levels once he is released from his crate.

''Donkey Kong Country

 * Coral Capers
 * Clam City
 * Croctopus Chase
 * Poison Pond

''Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

 * Lockjaw's Locker
 * Lava Lagoon
 * Arctic Abyss
 * Clapper's Cavern
 * Animal Antics

''Donkey Kong Land 2

 * Lockjaw's Locker
 * Lava Lagoon
 * Glimmer's Galleon
 * Arctic Abyss

''Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!

 * Tidal Trouble
 * Bazza's Blockade
 * Floodlit Fish
 * Pot Hole Panic
 * Poisonous Pipeline
 * Barbos's Barrier
 * Dingy Drain-Pipe (GBA)
 * Stormy Seas (GBA)

''Donkey Kong Land III

 * Seabed Shanty
 * Ford Knocks
 * Koco Channel
 * Barbos Bastion
 * Coral Quarrel
 * Deep Reef Grief

Club Nintendo
Enguarde appeared as Donkey and Diddy's Animal Buddy in the third part of Club Nintendo's comic "Donkey Kong Country". Diddy and Donkey Kong ride him through a body of water, while being attacked by several underwater enemies. An exploding TNT Barrel pushes them out of the water and onto King K. Rool's ship Gangplank Galleon, after which Enguarde does not appear again.

Trivia

 * Enguarde gets his name from the French phrase used in fencing, "En garde".
 * While Enguarde is presumably one character, two can be seen on-screen in the Donkey Kong Country level "Coral Capers".