Kleever

Kleever (alternately known as Kleaver) is a living sword that is a boss in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest and Donkey Kong Land 2. Kleever is a living cutlass with a green glowing pommel and a skeletal guard shaped like a Kremling skull. Kleever is the boss of Crocodile Cauldron, the second area of Crocodile Isle. Kleever's domain is the level Kleever's Kiln.

In Donkey Kong Country 2 there are two different phases when fighting Kleever. During phase one, Kleever will come out of the lava being held by a arm made out of lava (this is based on King Arthur's sword Excalibur, which was held above the water by the Lady of the Lake when she presented it to the legendary king and this isn't the first time that was referenced in any Mario related game,it happend during King Mario of Cramalot). Diddy and Dixie Kong must jump from one side of the battlefield to the other using several hooks while avoiding several fireballs thrown by Kleever. Once there the Kongs must grab a nearby kannonball and throw it at Kleever; after being hit several times by kannonballs phase two of the battle will begin. During phase two, Kleever will break away from the lava arm wielding it and it will fly around on its own. More hooks will fall during this phase, but once again, the Kongs can use them to get to the opposite side of the arena and throw a kannonball that drops there at Kleever.

After being smashed several more times with kannonballs Kleever will explode violently, spewing lava and bones everywhere and then fall into the surrounding magma.

In Donkey Kong Land 2, Kleever (or perhaps another sword) (here known as Kleaver) appears as the boss of the area Krem Cauldron. Kleever is fought the same way in Donkey Kong Land 2 as he is in Donkey Kong Country 2.

In the Game Boy Advance version of Donkey Kong Country 2 the boss Kerozene will start the battle by sending Kleever doppelgangers after Diddy and Dixie. These Kleevers are much weaker than the Kleever as they lack Kleever's ability to shoot fireballs and they can be defeated by being hit with just one Kannonball.

Trivia

 * Kleever is similar to the boss Exor, from Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.
 * His name is a pun on the word "cleaver".