Donkey Kong: Difference between revisions

|first_appearance=''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]'' ([[Cranky Kong|as the original Donkey Kong]]) ([[List of games by date#1981|1981]])<br>''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'' (as the current Donkey Kong) ([[List of games by date#1994|1994]])

Donkey Kong's exact role in the [[Mario (franchise)|''Mario'' franchise]] is somewhat hazy. His original appearance portrayed him as a villainous or confused ape with unequaled strength. In these games, Donkey Kong did not wear a tie. The 1994 [[Game Boy]] ''[[Donkey Kong (Game Boy)|Donkey Kong]]'' was the first game to feature the tie (a red tie with the letters "DK" printed in white, later changed to yellow), but otherwise Donkey Kong is the same as he was in the original.

During Donkey Kong's infancy, he is stolen from his treetop home by [[Kamek]] and his [[Toady]] army during their massive kidnapping spree. However, Baby DK meets the Yoshis and helps them in their quest to defeat the [[Koopa Troop]]. When riding on a Yoshi's back, Baby Donkey Kong helps the Yoshis perform many special moves, such as climbing vines and charging. Baby Donkey Kong is one of the seven [[star children]].

Donkey Kong makes occasional appearances on ''[[Captain N: The Game Master]]''. Here, he is a giant, bestial monster, with some more "civilized" behaviors mixed in, such as showering and wearing clothes. He likes to be left alone, and seeing people in his part of the jungle of Kongoland makes him violently angry. Oftentimes on the show, Donkey Kong is manipulated by Mother Brain and her minions to do their bidding, though he will occasionally help the heroes fight a shared enemy before demanding they leave. It is of note that in the episode "The Lost City of Kongoland," he is shown living in a tree house and sometimes wears a tie, something his video game counterpart would not be shown doing until four years after the episode aired. Donkey Kong also appears in the ''Captain N'' comics.

Donkey Kong appears in the sixth ''Nintendo Adventure Book'', ''[[Doors to Doom]]'', in a recreation of the original game where Mario and Luigi are trying to rescue [[Princess Peach]] instead of [[Pauline]]. Assuming the Mario Bros. 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 also appears in the 102% ending, after Diddy and Dixie defeat Kaptain K. Rool in the [[Lost World (Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest)|Lost World]]. He, Diddy, and Dixie witness as Crocodile Isle sinks underwater.

As the other Kongs are rescued, they help Donkey Kong find his Golden Bananas and the [[Boss Key]]s to unlocking K. Lumsy's cage. At the end of their adventure, the five Kongs get in a final boss battle against K. Rool, set within a boxing arena.

Like ''Donkey Kong Country'', the story also centers around Donkey Kong's banana hoard being stolen, this time by a different group of villains, the [[Tiki Tak Tribe]]. After being released from the [[Volcano]], the tikis hypnotize the animals of [[Donkey Kong Island]] to steal the [[banana]]s. Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong witness from [[DK's Tree House|their treehouse]] as the banana hoard gets taken away, and [[Tiki Tak Tribe#Kalimba|Kalimba]] suddenly appears and knocks Donkey Kong back into his treehouse. Kalimba unsuccessfully attempts to hypnotize Donkey Kong, who is somehow immune to its hypnosis.

The first level, [[Jungle Hijinxs (Donkey Kong Country Returns)|Jungle Hijinxs]], is followed right after the cutscene. In the start of the level, Donkey Kong repeatedly beats Kalimba, kicks it out of his tree house, and starts his adventure.

Donkey Kong also returns as the main protagonist of ''[[Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze]]'' and its Nintendo Switch [[Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Nintendo Switch)|port of the same name]]. In the introduction cutscene, the Kongs are in the treehouse celebrating Donkey Kong's birthday. Meanwhile, an arctic group of vikings, the [[Snowmads]], make their way to conquer Donkey Kong Island. Just as Donkey Kong is about to blow out his candle, a cold wind comes in and blows it out. The Kongs go outside the treehouse to investigate and get blown away by the [[ice dragon]] to the [[Lost Mangroves]]. The ice dragon covers Donkey Kong Island in a freeze, and the Snowmads conquer it for their own. The four Kongs go on an adventure to return to Donkey Kong Island and reclaim it from the Snowmads.

After traveling through a chain of islands, the Kongs eventually return to Donkey Kong Island. They engage in a final boss battle against [[Lord Fredrik]], set inside a volcano. The Kongs manage to defeat Lord Fredrik, and afterwards Donkey Kong blows a horn to melt away all the snow on the island.

During the events of the comic "[[Super Mario in Die Nacht des Grauens]]," published in the same magazine, he lives in a [[Nintendo Skyscraper|skyscraper]] in [[Brooklyn]] 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, Donkey claims that had he and Diddy defeated the monsters, they would have taken only "half of the time."

Donkey Kong reappears in ''[[Donkey Kong Land]]'', which takes place after the events of ''Donkey Kong Country''. In the backstory, which is told in the game's instruction manual, [[Cranky Kong]] admits that Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong's previous adventure was more successful than he expected. Cranky, breaking the [[fourth wall]], believes it was due to the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]'s graphical capabilities, so he bets with Donkey Kong and Diddy that they cannot finish an adventure on an 8-bit handheld, the [[Game Boy]]. The Kongs accept the bet, so Cranky arranges for the [[Kremling Krew]] to steal the Kongs' bananas again.

Donkey Kong does not appear in ''[[Donkey Kong Land III]]'' itself, making it the only ''[[Donkey Kong (franchise)|Donkey Kong]]'' title that he does not appear in. However, he and Diddy are mentioned during the game's backstory, where they join a contest to find the [[Lost World (Donkey Kong Land III)|Lost World]]. Dixie and Kiddy also hear about of the contest and decide to enter as well.

In the 1995 novel ''[[Donkey Kong Country: Rumble in the Jungle]]'', Donkey Kong leaves his treehouse in the jungle with his friend [[Diddy Kong]] and grandfather [[Cranky Kong]], after discovering that [[Funky Kong]]'s plane has mysteriously crashed near [[Big Ape City]]. They traverse through the [[Tree Top Town]] on the edge of the forest, and Donkey Kong takes the lead in confronting and defeating a large group of [[Kremling]]s. Later, Donkey Kong uses his "extraordinary lung power" to cry for help from [[Squawks the Parrot]] when they find themselves trapped within a mountain cave. After reaching Big Ape City, Donkey Kong is angered to discover that the Kremlings are rebuilding a large factory which is releasing large amounts of pollution into the air. He finds a way for the Kongs to enter the factory by hiding in a [[Mine Cart]], and they locate Funky within a cell. Donkey Kong uses a mini [[TNT Barrel]] to break open the cell door, and later uses a powerful shoulder charge to break open the door to the factory's cargo room.

Just like "climbing vines back in the jungle", Donkey Kong climbs a cable within an elevator shaft to reach the factory's defensive system. He encounters the most powerful Kremling, [[Krusha]], who threatens to bring him to King K. Rool. Knowing that he is unable to defeat Krusha using strength alone, Donkey Kong tricks him into thinking that inside his backpack is a list of where to find all the [[Kong]]s on Donkey Kong Island. This gives him the chance to knock out Krusha using a barrel, and he proceeds to destroy the defense system. While escaping the factory in Funky's repaired plane, he and Diddy Kong decide to enter King K. Rool's zeppelin from the air and plant it with time-delayed TNT Barrels. After choosing to allow the "coward" King K. Rool to escape, Donkey Kong and Diddy re-enter the plane, and celebrate a victory as they watch the zeppelin fall and land on the factory, destroying it with an explosion.

Donkey Kong is the main protagonist in the 1998 TV series ''[[Donkey Kong Country (television series)|Donkey Kong Country]]''. In it, Donkey Kong is an anthropomorphic ape who, due to finding the Crystal Coconut in [[Inka Dinka Doo]]'s temple, is predicted to be the future ruler of [[Donkey Kong Island|Kongo Bongo Island]]. Ever since, it has been made Donkey Kong's duty to guard the Crystal Coconut until the day it officially proclaims him ruler of the island. However, [[King K. Rool]] wants to steal the Crystal Coconut so that he can rule the island, and DK and his pals have to stop him and the [[Kremling Krew]], as well as another villain, [[Kaptain Skurvy]]. On this show, Donkey Kong is depicted as somewhat of a slacker who loves bananas above all else, much like his portrayal in recent games. On this show, he is also bipedal as opposed to walking on all fours like he normally does (although he sometimes goes on all fours when running). This would carry over to ''[[Donkey Kong 64]]'', though in that game, he stands on all fours when idle.

Donkey Kong appears as a racer again in the [[Nintendo 3DS]] title, ''[[Mario Kart 7]]'', and has his own personal course, [[3DS DK Jungle|DK Jungle]].  He is classified as a Cruiser-type character in this game, and his speed, weight, and off-road stats are given a slightly above average boost.

Donkey Kong also owns a brand of sports drink which appears as a sponsor in the game, called [[Burning DK]].

Starting in ''[[Mario Party 5]]'', he leaves the playable character roster but gains his own [[DK Space|space]]. He is basically the opposite of Bowser, since when a character lands on his space, something good happens. But when a [[Koopa Kid]] lands on his space in story mode, he acts surprised and DK punches him, making the Koopa Kid lose half of his coins. He is playable in [[Super Duel Mode]] only, where he must be unlocked.

In ''[[Mario Party DS]]'', Donkey Kong is the primary feature of his own board, [[DK's Stone Statue]]. During story mode, Donkey Kong is turned to stone by a [[Dry Bones]] while he and Diddy run to [[Bowser's Castle]] after being invited to a banquet hosted by him. The player has 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 "party characters".

In ''[[Mario Tennis (Nintendo 64)|Mario Tennis]]'' for the [[Nintendo 64]]'s intro, Donkey Kong participates in the tournament, where he loses to [[Mario]] (allowing the latter to advance to a semi-finals match against [[Yoshi]]). His doubles partner is Donkey Kong Jr., but if he isn't unlocked yet, Donkey Kong's doubles partner is Yoshi instead.

Donkey Kong's special moves are [[Giant Punch]], a punch that can be charged to increase its power, [[Headbutt]], which has him headbutt his opponents into the ground, [[Spinning Kong]], which has him spin and lets him momentarily float, and [[Hand Slap]], which has him repeatedly stamp on the ground. For his [[Final Smash]], he uses [[Konga Beat]], pulling out two [[bongo]]s and tapping them in time to the beat of ''Donkey Kong Country''{{'}}s first level, with each tap sending shockwaves that deal damage to opponents.

Donkey Kong is unique from other heavyweights; though he is unsurprisingly strong, he is also fast for a character of his weight. His combination of power, speed, and good range from his size and long arms contributes to making him arguably a versatile character to use throughout the ''Smash'' games.  

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 become larger briefly, before reverting to normal. In Giant Melee, the player can play as Giant Donkey Kong or fight against him. Similar to ''Super Smash Bros.'', Donkey Kong is one of the possible giant opponents who appears in stage 5 of Classic Mode, and is fought at Jungle Japes.

The [[Koopa Troop]] and [[Bowser]] steal Donkey Kong's banana hoard. As a [[Hammer Bro]] drives a car which contains all the bananas of Donkey Kong's, Donkey Kong watches it from a cliff. Hammer Bro and the [[Goomba]]s aboard the car spot Donkey Kong and shoot [[Bullet Bill]]s at him. However, Diddy Kong comes out from a bush, and, with his [[Peanut Popgun]]s, shoots the Bullet Bills. Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong then follow the Hammer Bro to retrieve the banana hoard. After finding their bananas, Bowser appears from behind with a [[Dark Cannon]]. As Bowser charges the cannon, Donkey Kong, realizing the danger, charges his Giant Punch. He then launches Diddy to the sky and out of harm's way, sacrificing himself in the process as Bowser shoots him with the Dark Cannon and turns him into a [[Trophy (Super Smash Bros. series)|trophy]]. Later, [[Diddy Kong]], who (forcefully) enlisted the help of [[Fox McCloud]] and [[Falco Lombardi]], sees a [[Smash Skiff|ship]] carrying Donkey Kong's trophy form to a mysterious floating island. Falco then follows it with his Arwing and takes the little Kong with him. He then drops him, and Diddy gets on his [[Rocket Barrel]], takes out his Popguns, and shoots the ship. After seeing this, [[Captain Falcon]] and [[Captain Olimar]] decide to help him and jump to the ship. Diddy frees Donkey Kong, and all four fight the Primids and other enemies.

The ship takes them inside a factory producing Subspace Bombs, and they encounter various R.O.B.s that live on the island. They later meet up with [[Pikachu]] and [[Samus Aran]] and see the [[Ancient Minister]] and a plethora of R.O.B.s. After Ganondorf manipulates 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 alongside the others. Donkey Kong carries R.O.B., who refuses to leave his kind behind to perish, as they all flee to escape the doomed island on Captain Falcon's summoned [[Falcon Flyer]]. [[Meta Ridley]] then appears and follows behind to impede group's escape, forcing DK and his group to fight him. After that, they all meet up with the other heroes.

Donkey Kong returns as a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Wii U]]''. His moveset has remained largely intact, but has nevertheless received a few noticeable changes, most notably his unique forward throw and Final Smash; Donkey Kong's weight is also increased from 116 units to 122. Like the majority of the cast (DLC fighters notwithstanding), each of Donkey Kong's special moves now possess two variants. Giant Punch has Lightning Punch and Storm Punch; Headbutt has Jumping Headbutt and Stubborn Headbutt; Spinning Kong has Chopper Kong and Kong Cyclone; and Hand Slap has Focused Slap and Hot Slap.

Donkey Kong appears as a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. He has a new Final Smash, [[Jungle Rush]], which involves him rapidly punching an opponent, as a reference to his attack method in ''[[Donkey Kong Jungle Beat]]''. Donkey Kong is more expressive; when he charges his Giant Punch, he starts scowling, and using it in the air no longer makes him helpless. He is heavier, tying with [[King Dedede]] in weight, and Headbutt now gives Donkey Kong super armor for a short time. His recovery is also extended by the reintroduction of directional air dodge, can use any ground attack out of a run, and use any aerial attack while holding on the ladders officially called a "ladder attack". However, Giant Punch has more ending lag and Aerial Spinning Kong is weaker. His Classic Mode is titled "Journey to [[New Donk City]]". Donkey Kong's down tilt is officially nicknamed the Slouch Slap while his forward throw is referred to as Kong Carry. His weight has been further increased; however, he is no longer the second heaviest fighter in the game, instead giving up that title to his arch-nemesis, [[King K. Rool]]. Donkey Kong is tied with King Dedede for the third heaviest fighter.

Owing to King K. Rool's ties to Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong appears alongside Diddy Kong in K. Rool's debut trailer for ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''. Specifically, Donkey Kong lounges lazily in his tree house after eating some bananas while watching various video game heroes confronting their respective nemeses on his TV, only to be startled by quakes before looking outside with Diddy to investigate. They then see an ominous and familiar shadow, only for it to be revealed to be King Dedede wearing a cape and King K. Rool's mask, to their surprise. King Dedede then proceeds to laugh at the practical joke he played on them, only for him to be smacked upside the head and knocked away by the actual King K. Rool, much to Donkey and Diddy Kong's horror, with King K. Rool roaring. In the ending of the trailer, Donkey Kong is knocked backwards, only to proceed to charge at his arch-nemesis on all fours, with King K. Rool doing the same in kind before proceeding to have their fists make contact with each other with enough force as to cause a shockwave to be emitted throughout the jungle.

Similarly, Donkey Kong also appears in [[Banjo]] & [[Kazooie]]'s reveal trailer. Much like the King K. Rool trailer, Donkey Kong lounges around in his tree house eating bananas and watching TV, with Diddy Kong and a sleeping King K. Rool also present. A Jiggy bounces past the three, catching the Kongs' attention. After Diddy wakes King K. Rool up, the three look outside and see what appear to be the silhouettes of Banjo and Kazooie, but turn out to be [[Duck Hunt (character)|Duck Hunt]] playing a prank on them, to their surprise. Duck Hunt proceed to laugh at this joke played on the Kongs and Kremling, only for the dog and duck to be knocked away from above by the real Banjo and Kazooie, holding their respective namesake instruments. This causes the Kongs and King K. Rool to celebrate. Near the end of the trailer, Donkey Kong can be seen in the background as Banjo and Kazooie perform a victory pose.

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 Mario had for the opening of Super Mini Mario World, when she chooses Mario's Mini-Mario toy over his [[Mini Donkey Kong|Mini-DK]] toy. It is likely that he is the manufacturer of the Kong toys (besides Mini DK) that appear in the game. In the end, Pauline is safe as DK treated her to gifts and food. She then shows her appreciation by kissing the DK toy he gave her.

In ''[[Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem]]'', Donkey Kong arrives at the newly-opened Mini-Land to desperately get a [[Mini Pauline]], only to find out that he is the 101st guest to arrive and it sold out after 100. Donkey Kong gets incredibly mad and, in his rage, kidnaps the real Pauline, forcing Mario and his force of Mini Marios to rescue her. After Donkey Kong is defeated in [[Final Ferris Wheel]], Pauline welcomes Mario and is ready to give him a hug, but Donkey Kong suddenly appears and kidnaps her again. After defeating him for a second time in Plus Mode, it is shown Donkey Kong is given a Pauline doll by Mario and the trio rides the Ferris wheel together.

In the intro of ''[[Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars]]'', Donkey Kong is shown kidnapping Pauline, which causes Mario and the Mini Marios to chase him. In the end, the kidnapping was revealed to be a plan to lure Mario to a surprise party that is hosted by Donkey Kong, Pauline and a few [[Toad (species)|Toads]].

In ''[[Donkey Kong Jungle Beat]]'', Donkey Kong travels to the [[Banana Kingdom]] to take down the possessed [[Dread Kong]] who ruled it, and then does the same for the other sixteen kingdoms nearby. Eventually, he fight and defeats the evil [[Ghastly King|Cactus King]], freeing the other Kongs of his curse and presumably allowing them to resume their duties.

Donkey Kong appears as a fully playable default character in ''[[Mario Superstar Baseball]]'' and ''[[Mario Super Sluggers]]'' as the team captain of the [[DK Wilds]] with [[Diddy Kong]] as subcaptain and his home stadium is the [[Donkey Kong Jungle (baseball stadium)|Donkey Kong Jungle]]. Unlike most batters, Donkey Kong uses a boxing glove to punch the ball. There is a small contact point between the ball and the glove, making it more difficult for Donkey Kong to land a hit, but Donkey Kong has great hitting power. Donkey Kong has also above-average pitching. Donkey Kong has below average running and fielding stats, however. In this game, DK has good chemistry with Diddy Kong, [[Dixie Kong]], and [[Petey Piranha]].

Donkey Kong's special ball and bat is called the [[Banana Ball]]. This makes the pitched or hit ball have a banana-like trajectory. Donkey Kong's player abilities include [[Clamber]], which allows him to climb walls and catch high-flying balls that would otherwise be fair or home-runs. He also has [[Laser Beam]], which makes his throws from outfield to home quick, potentially preventing runners from scoring a point.

In ''[[Mario Super Sluggers]]'', Donkey Kong is mostly unchanged. He still uses a boxing glove to bat. His Star Pitch and Star Swing are also altered to [[Barrel Ball]] and [[Barrel Swing]], which involve him throwing a barrel. He has also lost his Laser Ball ability. As for his stats, Donkey Kong has better batting, but with worse fielding and even worse running. His pitching also lost one point, but it remains above-average. In this game, DK has good chemistry with Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, [[Tiny Kong]], [[Funky Kong]] and [[Baby Donkey Kong]], and his chemistry with [[Kritter]] and [[King K. Rool]] is bad, which is odd considering that they are on DK's team. Donkey Kong has the second highest batting stat in this game, only surpassed by [[Bowser]], King K. Rool, and Petey Piranha.

In [[Icepeak]], Mario, Sonic, and Toad find Donkey Kong crying due to one of his bananas fell in a deep ledge which he can't reach. [[Silver the Hedgehog|Silver]] then comes uses his psychic powers to bring the banana back to him. Donkey Kong thanks Silver and challenge him to [[Moguls (Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games for Nintendo DS)|Moguls]]. When Silver finally defeats him, Donkey Kong joins the group.  

Toad tells him that there's a pole back in Polastraits. There are also obstacles on the pole, such as ice and bombs. When the ape presses the button on the pole, a bridge forms. Later in Icepeak, Donkey Kong who meets [[Vector the Crocodile|Vector]] challenge him a match of Short Track 500m.  After beating Vector, Donkey Kong wants him to join the group which Vector agrees.

In the Nintendo 3DS [[Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (Nintendo 3DS)|version]], Donkey Kong is included in the Wild Ones group, meaning that he is only playable in certain [[Event]]s. In the story mode, Donkey Kong challenges [[E-123 Omega|Omega]] after he ruins his banana, and in the process manages to remove the chip from him that was causing him to rampage. [[Miles "Tails" Prower|Tails]] and [[Espio the Chameleon|Espio]] then explain to Donkey Kong about Bowser and [[Dr. Eggman]]'s plan to use the [[Phantasmal Fog]] to stop the Olympic Games, and Donkey Kong tells Omega that he will forgive him if he helps stop Dr. Eggman. Omega agrees and heads off with Tails and Espio while Donkey Kong stays behind to keep an eye on [[ExCeL London]]. Donkey Kong later appears to support Mario, Luigi, Sonic and Tails when they face Bowser and Dr. Eggman, having helped [[Knuckles the Echidna|Knuckles]] and Vector clear the fog from [[Horse Guards Parade]], and later appears at the opening ceremony. Donkey Kong also appears in the bonus episode [[Bowser's Blues]], where [[Magikoopa]] tricks Donkey Kong into setting up a match for Bowser using some bananas and a [[Thwomp]]. After Bowser wins the match, Magikoopa takes Donkey Kong to find some real bananas. A [[List of badges in Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (Nintendo 3DS)|badge]] of Donkey Kong can also be obtained from the badge machine.

Donkey Kong returns in the fourth installment as a power type athlete once again.

Donkey Kong appears as an opponent in single player mode in ''[[Fortune Street]]'', but he is playable in multiplayer. He is a Rank D opponent, which means he spends less investing in his property than most characters spend on their properties.

In stage mode, Dr. Donkey Kong's skill is to eliminate objects in a 3x3 range. The way the skill works is that after it is activated, Dr. Donkey Kong will pound his chest and then a target will move around the stage. By tapping the screen, the targeted objects within range will be eliminated with a [[DK Barrel]]. Prior to version 2.3.0, the target moves in a predetermined direction in a cycle, but since that version, the target moves slower and in random directions orthogonally. It is possible to hit a target that do not contain any objects. In versus mode, Dr. Donkey Kong's skill is to instead send a row (level 1 and 2) or two rows (level 3 to 5) of viruses to the opponent's play area, in which the current stage objects are pushed down (red arrows act as a warning when this skill is activated by the opponent). This skill is not affected by the opponent's innate defenses, but it has a chance of being blocked by [[Ant Trooper]]'s effect should the opponent have it equipped.

Donkey Kong also makes an appearance in the film ''[[Pixels]]''. Aside from appearing in gameplay of the ''Donkey Kong'' arcade game, he appears on [[Earth]] as a clone created by aliens. In the film, the clone throws pixelated barrels at protagonist Sam Brenner (played by [[wikipedia:Adam Sandler|Adam Sandler]]) in a location very much like [[25m]]. Brenner manages to avoid the barrels, defeat Donkey Kong, and rescue the Kong's hostages (who were positioned in the same location that Pauline was in ''Donkey Kong'').

In the games, despite his carefree lifestyle, Donkey Kong is a brave and friendly hero who highly cares for his friends and [[banana hoard]], and becomes enraged if either are threatened. He is always keen to be helpful and use his strength whenever possible. The [[Mario vs. Donkey Kong (series)|''Mario vs. Donkey Kong'' series]] portray him as prone to temper tantrums if he doesn't get what he wants, which leads to him and Mario clashing when he steals the Mini Mario Toys and even kidnaps Pauline, though he does show remorse once Mario resolves the matter. Donkey Kong is also shown as more aggressive and willing to fight in ''Donkey Kong Jungle Beat''.

In the TV series, Donkey Kong's personality is largely the same, albeit depicting him as lazy instead of carefree. Donkey Kong is shown to have a somewhat stronger moral back bone, as shown in [[I Spy with My Hairy Eye]] with his reluctance to use the [[Crystal Coconut]] to wish for more bananas until Diddy manipulated him into doing it. Donkey Kong also seems easier to startle and more sensitive overall, but maintains an aggressive wariness of King K. Rool, Kaptain Skurvy and their goons.

Unlike most characters, who have some kind of special power, Donkey Kong relies mainly on his brute strength. He sometimes has the title of "The strongest of the Kongs", though this claim may refer to his combat prowess instead of strength alone, as some Kongs like Chunky Kong and [[Sumo Kong]] are clearly larger and stronger than Donkey Kong. In the original ''[[Donkey Kong (game)|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 defeat 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, which   is his main attack throughout the game. In the ending of ''Donkey Kong Country Returns'', Donkey Kong is shown to be strong enough to knock the moon out of its orbit and into the planet's atmosphere with a single punch (though the fact he was falling towards it at an alarming speed may have helped with it).

Donkey Kong also appears to either immune or highly resistant to hypnosis since the Kalimba Tiki was unable to hypnotize him when it was easily able to do so to other animals on the island. In ''Donkey Kong 64'', he has a personal weapon, the [[Coconut Shooter]], and has a special ability called [[Strong Kong]] which allows him to become invincible and use up more Crystal Coconuts the longer he maintains the form. Donkey Kong also has some skill with musical instruments, to the point that he can even weaponize music and song in combat. This is demonstrated in ''Donkey Kong 64'', where Donkey Kong is talented in playing bongos and uses it to solve puzzles and attack surrounding enemies; the ability of playing bongos is also shown in the [[Donkey Konga (series)|''Donkey Konga'' games]]. In the ''Mario Strikers'' series, Donkey Kong is shown to wield electric powers, exerting bolts of lightning during his [[Super Strike]] and [[Mega Strike]].  

Though his size and weight may suggest otherwise, Donkey Kong is deceptively fast and agile. In ''Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat'' he is shown to be very proficient in hand to hand combat, delivering a vast amount of fast punches and kicks in a few seconds and is quick in countering the attacks he dodges. DK's speed and agility have also been consistently demonstrated throughout his appearances in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' franchise.

[[Dixie Kong]] is one of Donkey Kong's closest friends, sometimes hanging out with him and Diddy Kong. She actively helped rescue him when he's kidnapped and joined him in retaking Donkey Kong Island from the Snowmads. Donkey Kong seems to act like a big brother to Dixie, similar to how he is with Diddy. He was very defensive of her when she was antagonized by a [[Dry Bones]] in ''Mario Super Sluggers''. Dixie does show minor exasperation with DK when he's rash and stubborn, but they nonetheless have a close friendship.

[[Funky Kong]] is another one of Donkey Kong's recurring friends. The two share a good friendship, with Funky referring DK by the nickname "Donkey-Dude". Though he prefers not adventuring, Funky does support Donkey Kong by giving him either transportation or weaponry, or acting as a shopkeeper.

In the TV series, Cranky acts as a direct mentor to Donkey Kong, but still gets angry with him easily. Regardless, the two care about each other as family as shown in [[Message in a Bottle Show]] where the two hugged each other, although they may be loathe to admit it at times. Despite his low patience, Cranky has high faith in DK and views as the best hope for the well-being of Kongo Bongo and admits when Donkey Kong actually has [[A Thin Line Between Love & Ape|a good idea]].

Donkey Kong displays good friendships with characters from the ''Sonic'' franchise. He has a friendly rivalry with [[Knuckles the Echidna]] and [[Vector the Crocodile]]. During the opening of ''[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games]]'', Donkey Kong, as a hockey goalie, thwarts Knuckles' shot. In Adventure Tour, Donkey Kong quickly establishes good rapport with Vector and [[Silver the Hedgehog]]. In [[Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games|London]], Silver and Donkey Kong compete together in Volleyball, while Donkey Kong, Knuckles, and Vector work together clearing out the fog in the wrestling venues, with Vector offering a detective job to DK. In [[Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games|Rio]] games, Donkey Kong and Knuckles accuse each other of cheating after being deceived by two Miis dressed as Mario and Sonic. Following their losses in the Boxing Event, they make peace after realizing their misunderstanding. [[Big the Cat]] also invites Donkey Kong to outing. Donkey Kong has special victory animations with Knuckles and Vector in [[Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games|Sochi]] and Rio, as well as being shown flexing with Vector in ''[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020]]''.

[[Pauline]] was kidnapped by both the [[Cranky Kong|original Donkey Kong]] in the Arcade, Game & Watch, and Game Boy games, and the current Donkey Kong in the ''Mario vs. Donkey Kong'' series. The original Donkey Kong's motive was revenge against Mario for not being a good pet owner, while the current Donkey Kong had two real different variations of the kidnapping. In ''March of the Minis'', it was due to his perceived rejection of his feelings in favor of Mario, and took Pauline away to shower her with gifts. In ''Mini-Land Mayhem!'', Donkey Kong just missed having the free [[Mini Pauline]] that was given to the first 100 guests of the theme park, so he takes the real Pauline instead. Although the current Donkey Kong has ultimately proven to have harmless intentions, Pauline showed constant fear of his temper and anger in ''Mini-Land Mayhem!''. Despite this, they remain on friendly terms, and Pauline is generally key to soothing his anger issues. They are even known to work alongside each other, first in ''Minis March Again!'' where the "kidnapping" was made to test the current model of Mini Marios, and later in ''Tipping Stars'', where Donkey Kong "kidnapped" Pauline to simply to lure Mario to a surprise party.

In the [[Donkey Kong Adventure]] story expansion pack for ''[[Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle]]'', after DK, Rabbid Cranky, and Rabbid Peach manage to defeat [[Rabbid Kong]], he turns over a new leaf after seeing the generosity from Rabbid Peach. When Rabbid Peach and Beep-0 leave for the Mushroom Kingdom, the group take multiple selfies together in honor of their newly formed friendship.

Donkey Kong also has had acquaintance with Wario. In ''[[Mario Party]]'', they are shown doing poses and both specialize in strength. In ''[[Mario Superstar Baseball]]'', they are on the same team. Donkey Kong even tries to give Wario a fist bump for the latter's home run, only to unintentionally pound Wario into the ground. Often, Wario has the same demeanor with Donkey Kong as he does with everyone else, but to some degree sees him as a powerful asset on his side.

Donkey Kong's official profiles often characterize him as the "king of the jungle" and discuss how he is both a heroic adventurer and the laid-back leader of the DK Crew. In spinoffs he is typically a heavyweight power character with decent speed. His emblem in the spin-offs are his initials.

*"''"OK, little buddy," Donkey had said in his patronizing voice. "As part of your hero training, you've got to stand guard tonight over my bananas... I'll relive you at midnight, so try and stay awake until then!"''"

*"''"The Kremlings will pay!" he raged. "I'll hunt them down through every corner of my island, until I have every last banana from my hoard back!"''"

*"''"What do you know about adventuring, you [[Cranky Kong|flee-bitten old ape]]?" yelled Donkey Kong, edging closer and closer, braving Cranky's cane, until he was totally in his face. "I'm sick and tired of hearing about your boring, single screen adventures! Diddy's in trouble, my banana horde is gone, and I'm going to get them all back!"''"