Donkey Kong (character) facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong and Mario character
Donkey Kong from Donkey Kong Country Returns
First appearance	Donkey Kong (1981)
Created by	Shigeru Miyamoto
Designed by	Shigeru Miyamoto (1981–1994) Kevin Bayliss (1994–present)
Voiced by	Language-neutral Mark Betteridge (1994–1996) Chris Sutherland (1994; when failing a Bonus Level) Grant Kirkhope (1999–2013) Takashi Nagasako (2004–present) English Soupy Sales (1983–1984; Saturday Supercade) Garry Chalk (1989–1991; Captain N: The Game Master) Charles Martinet (1994) Richard Yearwood (1997–2000; Donkey Kong Country animated series) Sterling Jarvis (1997–2000; Donkey Kong Country animated series, singing voice) Seth Rogen (The Super Mario Bros. Movie) Other languages Kōichi Yamadera (Japanese dub of Donkey Kong Country animated series, 1999–2000) Koji Takeda (Japanese dub of The Super Mario Bros. Movie) Franck Capillery (French dub of Donkey Kong Country animated series, 1996–2000) Christophe Albertini/Nicolas Bienvenu (1996–2001; The Planet of Donkey Kong)
Information
Nickname(s)	DK
Species	Gorilla

Donkey Kong, often called DK, is a famous gorilla character. He stars in the Donkey Kong and Mario video game series. Shigeru Miyamoto created him.

The first Donkey Kong appeared in the 1981 game Donkey Kong. In this game, he was the main bad guy. This game started the Donkey Kong series.

A new Donkey Kong became the hero in 1994 with the Donkey Kong Country series. This is the version of DK we know today. The original Donkey Kong from the 1980s games is now known as Cranky Kong. He is the modern Donkey Kong's grandfather. Donkey Kong is one of the most popular video game characters ever.

Mario, the hero of the 1981 game, became the star of the Mario games. The modern Donkey Kong often appears in Mario games. He is also a playable character in every Super Smash Bros. crossover fighting series. From 2004 to 2015, he was the main bad guy in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series.

Creating Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong's Personality
- His Family Tree
Donkey Kong's Game Appearances
Images for kids
See also

Creating Donkey Kong

How the Idea Started

In 1981, Nintendo wanted to make a game based on the old Popeye comic strip. When that plan didn't work out, Nintendo decided to create their own characters. Shigeru Miyamoto came up with many ideas. He finally chose a story about a gorilla, a carpenter, and a girlfriend. This was like the Popeye story with Bluto and Olive Oyl.

Bluto was replaced by a big, angry ape. Miyamoto said the ape was "nothing too evil." He also got ideas from the 1933 movie King Kong. Miyamoto also mentioned the story of "Beauty and the Beast" as an influence.

Choosing the Name

Miyamoto used the word "donkey" to mean "stubborn" in English. "Kong" just meant he was a "large ape." So, the name Donkey Kong was meant to mean "stubborn ape." When he told Nintendo of America the name, people laughed. But the name stuck!

Changing His Look

Donkey Kong's look changed for the Super NES in 1994. Kevin Bayliss, an artist from Rare, redesigned him. Miyamoto helped, suggesting Donkey Kong wear a red tie. Bayliss showed the new look to Nintendo, and they loved it. Even today, Donkey Kong looks much like Bayliss's design.

Today it makes me smile to see so many products with DK on the front, and that he's pretty much still the same as he looked when I gave him a once-over. So that's good enough for me – I must have done something right!

– Kevin Bayliss (2015)

Donkey Kong's Personality

The Donkey Kong Country games introduced Donkey Kong Island. They also gave Donkey Kong a backstory. Diddy Kong became DK's best friend and sidekick. K. Rool, the King of the Kremlings, became his enemy. K. Rool often tries to steal DK's banana hoard.

Donkey Kong kept his red necktie from the Game Boy game, Donkey Kong. He also got a new look with thick eyebrows and a tuft of hair. This look became his standard appearance. The modern Donkey Kong is strong but also relaxed. He mostly cares about his bananas and his girlfriend, Candy Kong.

He is also a great fighter. He appears as a secret boss in Punch-Out!!. He uses powerful punches in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. In Donkey Kong 64, his weight is given as 800 pounds.

His Family Tree

The new Donkey Kong in Donkey Kong Country was first said to be the grandson of the original Donkey Kong. The original ape appears in the game as an old ape named Cranky Kong. This is the most common story. It was stated in Donkey Kong Land and Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest.

However, some games like Donkey Kong 64 say the modern Donkey Kong is Cranky Kong's son. But most games and sources, like the Game Boy Advance versions of Donkey Kong Country, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and Donkey Kong Country Returns, say he is Cranky's grandson.

Donkey Kong's Game Appearances

Early Games

Donkey Kong first appeared as the main bad guy in the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong. Mario was the hero, and Pauline was the damsel in distress. As Mario, players had to reach Donkey Kong at the top of each level. Donkey Kong tried to stop Mario by throwing barrels and other things.

He appeared again in the next game, Donkey Kong Jr.. In this game, Mario had captured Donkey Kong. Donkey Kong Junior had to rescue his dad. Donkey Kong was the bad guy again in Donkey Kong 3. This time, Stanley the Bugman fought Donkey Kong.

After these games, Mario became Nintendo's main character. Donkey Kong and his son had smaller roles. But in 1994, the Game Boy game Donkey Kong brought him back. He was redesigned with his famous red necktie.

The Rare Era

Donkey Kong's design changed a lot when Rare developed Donkey Kong Country.

The 1994 Super Nintendo Entertainment System game Donkey Kong Country started a new series. This game was made by the British company Rare. The game's story says the main character is the grandson of the original Donkey Kong. That original ape is now Cranky Kong.

In the next Donkey Kong Country games, Donkey Kong gets captured by K. Rool. Players then control Diddy, Dixie, and Kiddy to rescue him. The Donkey Kong Country series also led to an animated TV show. And Donkey Kong was playable again in Donkey Kong 64.

After Rare

After Rare stopped making Donkey Kong games, Nintendo made new ones. They worked with Namco on the Donkey Konga series for the GameCube. These were rhythm games where you played with bongo controllers.

Donkey Kong Jungle Beat came out in 2005 for the GameCube. It showed DK as more wild. It also used the bongo controllers. In 2007, Donkey Kong Barrel Blast was released for the Wii.

On handheld systems, Donkey Kong met Mario again in the 2004 Game Boy Advance game Mario vs. Donkey Kong. Donkey Kong was the bad guy again. He took over the Mario Toy Company because he couldn't find Mini-Mario toys. He also kidnapped Pauline in Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis. He appeared as the bad guy in other Mario vs. Donkey Kong games too.

Donkey Kong also starred in DK King of Swing on the GBA and DK Jungle Climber for the Nintendo DS. In the 2010 Wii game Donkey Kong Country Returns, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong fought the Tiki Tak Tribe. In the 2014 Wii U game Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Donkey Kong fought evil Vikings called the Snowmads.

Other Game Appearances

Donkey Kong has been a playable character in every Mario Kart game since Mario Kart 64. Before that, Donkey Kong Junior was in Super Mario Kart.

In the Mario Party series, he was playable in the first few games. Then he became an "event character" on the game board. He returned as a playable character in Mario Party 10 and later games like Super Mario Party.

Donkey Kong also plays in many Mario sports games. He's been in Mario Tennis, Mario Golf, Super Mario Strikers, and Mario Super Sluggers. He also appears in almost every Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games game.

He is also playable in every Super Smash Bros. game. He was the first Donkey Kong character in the series. His stage, "Kongo Jungle," was based on Donkey Kong Country. He and his stages have appeared in all later Super Smash Bros. games. His sidekick Diddy Kong joined him in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Donkey Kong is also a guest character in the Nintendo versions of Skylanders: SuperChargers. He appears as a costume in Super Mario Maker. He is also a playable character in the Donkey Kong Adventure part of Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle.

Other Appearances

Donkey Kong has also appeared in cartoons and movies. The 1983 cartoon Saturday Supercade had segments based on the original Donkey Kong arcade game. In these, Donkey Kong was an escaped circus gorilla. Mario and Pauline tried to catch him.

Donkey Kong later appeared in the 1989 cartoon Captain N: The Game Master. He was an angry ruler of Kongoland. He had to be fed to be calm. Donkey Kong was also the main character of the 1996 Donkey Kong Country animated series. He protected Kongo Bongo Island from King K. Rool.

Donkey Kong was voiced by Seth Rogen in The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023). He had a slightly new look in the movie. Seth Rogen said he used his normal voice for Donkey Kong. He explained that Donkey Kong is known for throwing barrels and not liking Mario much, which he used for the character. There are also reports that a Donkey Kong spin-off movie is being made, with Rogen possibly returning.

Images for kids

Donkey Kong from Donkey Kong Country Returns
Donkey Kong's design changed a lot when Rare developed Donkey Kong Country.