Donkey Kong: Difference between revisions

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{{quote|My [[banana]]s and my buddy, [[Diddy Kong]], they are gone! The [[Kremling]]s will pay! I'll hunt them down through every corner of my island, until I have every last banana from [[banana hoard|my hoard]] back!|Donkey Kong|Donkey Kong Country}}

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'''Donkey Kong''', also known simply as '''DK''', '''D.K.''', or '''D. Kong''',<ref>[https://themushroomkingdom.net/mk64_j-e.shtml#pselect ''Mario Kart 64'' (From Japanese to English)] The Mushroom Kingdom (Retrieved August 15, 2018)</ref><ref>[http://www.themushroomkingdom.net/ssbm_j2e.shtml#cselect ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' (From Japanese to English)] The Mushroom Kingdom (Retrieved May 29, 2010)</ref> is a major character in the [[Mario (franchise)|''Mario'' franchise]] and the main protagonist of the [[Donkey Kong (franchise)|''Donkey Kong'' franchise]]. He is a powerful and carefree [[Kong]] that lives in [[Donkey Kong Island]], and he likes to collect [[banana]]s and spend time with his friends, particularly his best friend and sidekick [[Diddy Kong]]. However, he has also been portrayed as an antagonist on multiple occasions, mainly in the [[Mario vs. Donkey Kong (series)|''Mario vs. Donkey Kong'' series]].  

The [[Donkey Kong Country (series)|''Donkey Kong Country'' series]] establishes that Donkey Kong is a "title" rather than a singular character, and that two separate Kongs have bore it. This includes [[Cranky Kong]] and the current Donkey Kong, who was originally written to be a grown up [[Donkey Kong Jr.]]<ref>Scribes - April 25, 1999. [https://web.archive.org/web/20020805184158/rareware.com/the_site/talk_to_us/scribes/aug25_99/aug25_99.html Rareware Website Archive]. ''Rareware.com''. Retrieved April 13, 2017.</ref><ref>[http://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Game-Boy-Advance/Donkey-Kong-Country-266551.html ''Donkey Kong Country'' web page.] (April 13, 2017). ''Nintendo.co.uk''. Retrieved April 13, 2017.</ref> After the 1994 [[Game Boy]] ''[[Donkey Kong (Game Boy)|Donkey Kong]]'', Cranky Kong retired the usage of the name, passing it on to his grandson, Donkey Kong to use in ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'' and onward.<ref>「1994年に発売された『ドンキーコング』（ゲームボーイ）を最後に、孫に“ドンキーコング”の名を譲り渡す。」 ("''After the release of 'Donkey Kong' (Game Boy), he turned over the Donkey Kong name to his grandchild.''") - Nintendo Online Magazine</ref> [[Cranky Kong#Identity confusion|This has caused confusion and continuity issues]], with certain games or miscellaneous pieces of media contradicting the identity of Donkey Kong in early titles.

==Creation==

Donkey Kong's character design was created by [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] for the ''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]'' arcade game, in which the big ape kidnaps [[Mario]]'s original girlfriend, [[Pauline]]. Miyamoto says that he chose the name "Donkey" to reflect the character's stupidity.<ref name="Wired">Kohler, Chris (October 14, 2016). "[https://www.wired.com/2016/10/miyamoto-donkey-kong-secrets/ Miyamoto Spills Donkey Kong’s Darkest Secrets, 35 Years Later] ''Wired''. Retrieved October 14, 2016</ref>, while "Kong" was considered a generic term for large apes in Japan<ref>[http://www.snopes.com/business/misxlate/donkeykong.asp "Donkey Wrong" - An article about the origin of Donkey Kong's name]. Snopes.com. 2011. (Retrieved June 28, 2012)</ref>. Miyamoto was later informed by [[Nintendo]] of America staff that the word "donkey" is not a synonym for "idiot" in English, but he decided to ignore this because he liked the name "Donkey Kong".<ref name="Wired"/> However, this is contradicted by the deposition he gave during {{wp|Universal Studio}}'s lawsuit against Nintendo. He stated that his proposals for Kong's first name were rejected and that he was unaware of who came up with it. Export manager Shinichi Todori's deposition revealed that he came up with the first name after trying to translate 「頓馬」  (''tonma'') into English. It was either [[Gunpei Yokoi]] or [[Hiroshi Yamauchi]] who gave the final approval for the name.<ref>[https://youtu.be/aTyxQfpOEbE?t=749 How the Mario Characters Got Their Names | Gaming Historian]. YouTube. Retrieved November 28, 2021.</ref><ref name=GHTwitter>[https://twitter.com/GamingHistorian/status/1220101899455692801?s=20 Gunpei Yokoi deposition, 1983]</ref>  

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Donkey Kong debuts in the arcade game of the same name, where he is the main antagonist. In the game, Donkey Kong was the pet gorilla of [[Mario]],<ref>[http://themushroomkingdom.net/interview_miyamoto_nom18_feb2000.shtml Shigeru Miyamoto Interview]. The Mushroom Kingdom. (Retrieved July 1, 2012)</ref><ref>https://www.nintendo.com/nes-classic/donkey-kong-developer-interview</ref> but he escapes and angrily carries Mario's girlfriend, [[Pauline|Lady]], to the top of a construction site. He is pursued by Mario and attacks him by throwing [[barrel]]s and creating living [[Fireball (Donkey Kong)|Fireball]]s. He is eventually chased to the top of the construction site, where Mario causes the girders supporting him to collapse, sending him plummeting to the ground. Later games, starting with ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'', [[Cranky Kong#Identity confusion|retcon the identity of Donkey Kong]] in his first arcade appearances as actually being [[Cranky Kong]], with the title of "Donkey Kong" being later passed down to his grandson.

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Eventually, he is cornered at the [[Tower (world)|Tower]] and falls off upon defeat; however, he is then enlarged by several [[Super Mushroom]]s, forcing Mario to defeat him by throwing barrels at his face. Donkey Kong then begs for help, with Donkey Kong Jr. rushing to his father's aid. The final credits photograph shows Pauline, Mario, Donkey Kong, and Donkey Kong Jr. at [[Rocky-Valley]], indicating that they had become friends.  

===Game & Watch series===

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====''Donkey Kong''====

In the ''[[Donkey Kong (Game & Watch)|Donkey Kong]]'' game, Donkey Kong attempts to stop Mario from releasing Pauline by throwing barrels at him. He falls down when the four wires that are supporting Donkey Kong's platform are loosened.  

===''Donkey Kong Country'' television series===

{{Appeared|Donkey Kong Country}}

[[File:DKCTVDonkeyKong.png|thumb|Donkey Kong in the ''Donkey Kong Country'' television series]]

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.

Even though Donkey Kong is a [[Mario (franchise)|''Mario'' franchise]] character, his emblem is the DK symbol, which represents his [[Donkey Kong (franchise)|own franchise]]. Unlike in the ''Mario series'' titles, Donkey Kong is given a gorilla voice for the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series. This is even more noticeable in ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl''.

====''Super Smash Bros.''====

[[File:SSB_Giant_DK.png|thumb|left|upright=0.85|Giant Donkey Kong]]

*In Event 22: "Monkeys Unite", Giant Donkey Kong is Diddy Kong's partner in a fight against [[Sheik]] and [[Lucario]].  

*In Event 27: "Three-Beast Carnage", Giant Donkey Kong is among the three giant opponents fought by [[R.O.B.]], along with [[Bowser#Size|Giant Bowser]] and Giant Charizard.

Like ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'', Donkey Kong briefly turns larger from using a Super Mushroom. In Giant Brawl, the successor to Giant Melee, the player can either play as Giant Donkey Kong or fight against one.

Ironically, despite his common appearances in ''Super Smash Bros.''{{'}}s 1P Game as well as ''Super Smash Bros. Melee''{{'}}s Classic Mode, Donkey Kong does not appear in Classic Mode as a giant opponent. He shares this trait with the ''Zelda'' characters and Diddy Kong.

=====The Subspace Emissary=====

[[File:SubspaceIntro-DonkeyKong.png|thumb|upright=1.1|Donkey Kong's snapshot in The Subspace Emissary]]

A giant Donkey Kong based on the one from the original ''Super Smash Bros.'' also appears as the final opponent of [[Jigglypuff]]'s route, due to its route being a callback to the original game.

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=====Classic Mode route=====

By completing Donkey Kong's Classic Mode route, it is possible to unlock Bowser, [[Pokémon Trainer]], [[Rosalina]] & [[Luma]], King Dedede, [[Sheik]], [[Greninja]], Diddy Kong, and [[Duck Hunt (character)|Duck Hunt]].

On a side note, before the version 3.0.0 update, Donkey Kong was the only character to face [[Master Hand]] and [[Crazy Hand]] as their Classic Mode route's final boss on the Ω form of a stage different from [[Final Destination]]. As of version 3.0.0, however, this trait is now shared with [[Joker]] and [[Sephiroth]], as their final rounds take place in the Ω form of [[Mementos]] and [[Northern Cave]].

!colspan="5"|Journey to New Donk City

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====''Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis''====

[[File:Cutscene - DK is furious.png|thumb|Donkey Kong, furious at Pauline choosing the Mini Mario]]

In the sequel, ''[[Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis]]'', Donkey Kong is an employee of the Mario Toy Company. Pauline, Mario's VIP guest for the opening of [[Super Mini Mario World]], chooses Mario's Mini Mario over Donkey Kong's [[Mini Donkey Kong]]. This enrages Donkey Kong, leading him to kidnap Pauline. Donkey Kong appears as the boss fought at the end of the first eight floors of the game, as well as the final boss fought on the [[Roof|Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis]] and the hidden boss fought in B1 and B2 in [[DK's Hideout]]. In the Ending movie, Donkey Kong appears dejected before Pauline shows Donkey Kong her appreciation by kissing the DK toy he gave her.

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.

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===''Yoshi's Island DS''===

{{main|Baby Donkey Kong}}

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[[File:MSOWG_dksnowboard.png|thumb|Donkey Kong in ''[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games]]'']]

Donkey Kong, along with [[Birdo]], [[Goomba]], 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.<ref>[http://forums.x-cult.org/index.php?showtopic=3891 Ripped character IDs for ''Mario & Sonic'']. (Retrieved on July 12, 2008)</ref> However, Donkey Kong did appear in all 5 sequels.

====''Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games''====

In the [[Wii]] and [[Nintendo DS]] versions of the video game ''[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games]]'', he is a power playable character. His main rival is Knuckles the Echidna.

;Adventure Tours

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

===Identity===

:''Main articles: [[Cranky Kong#Identity confusion]] and [[Donkey Kong Jr.]]''

According to various pieces of official media, starting with ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'', the Donkey Kong that appears in the titles prior to ''Donkey Kong Country'', such as ''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]'', ''[[Donkey Kong Jr.]]'', ''[[Donkey Kong 3]]'' and the [[Game Boy]] ''[[Donkey Kong (Game Boy)|Donkey Kong]]'' goes on to age and become [[Cranky Kong]], while passing down his name to the current and modern Donkey Kong, his grandson. Early pieces of media would go on to imply that the Donkey Kong that appeared in games after ''Donkey Kong Country'' would be a grown up [[Donkey Kong Jr.]]<ref>Scribes - April 25, 1999. [https://web.archive.org/web/20020805184158/rareware.com/the_site/talk_to_us/scribes/aug25_99/aug25_99.html Rareware Website Archive]. ''Rareware.com''. Retrieved April 13, 2017.</ref><ref>[http://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Game-Boy-Advance/Donkey-Kong-Country-266551.html ''Donkey Kong Country'' web page.] (April 13, 2017). ''Nintendo.co.uk''. Retrieved April 13, 2017.</ref>; this was retconned in a 2017 [[Prima Games]] book that establishes Donkey Kong Jr. as a separate character that is father to Donkey Kong, and son to Cranky Kong.<ref>"<i>''Super Mario Kart'' is the only ''Mario Kart'' game to feature Donkey Kong Jr. Due to the success of ''Donkey Kong Country'', all future ''Mario Kart'' entries featured Donkey Kong, who is actually Donkey Kong Jr.’s son, with Cranky Kong, aka Donkey Kong Sr., canonically being the character featured in the original ''Donkey Kong'' game. Makes sense, right?</i>" - ''Playing With Super Power: Nintendo Super NES Classics eGuide'', ''Super Mario Kart'' 16 Bits Tab.</ref> The relationship between Cranky Kong and Donkey Kong has also been contradicted on some occasions, between being his father (as seen in ''[[Donkey Kong 64]]'')<ref>"''That darn Donkey has all the luck! His girl Candy waits around in her hut, always willing to offer her musical help to that undeserving son of mine and his fancy polygonal friends. Pah!''" - ''Donkey Kong 64'' instruction booklet, page 9 (among various in-game lines)</ref> to being his grandfather.<ref>[https://twitter.com/Ghoulyboy/status/859502066225606656 Greg Mayles in a May 2017 Twitter post]. Retrieved May 2, 2017.</ref>

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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.