Every Single Kong in the Donkey Kong Universe

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With the highly praised Donkey Kong Bananza available now, it’s the best time to keep inventory of the many Kongs that have blessed Nintendo consoles over the past decades. Here’s every noteworthy Kong character and what their (likely complicated or retconned) relationship is to the rest of the cast.

Donkey Kong

He’s the leader of the bunch, you know him well, etc. One of Nintendo’s first iconic mascots, DK has gone through some significant transformations over the years. Donkey Kong Bananza reminds us, though, that DK is just a lovable, singular-minded brute who simply loves bananas. He’s video gaming’s original himbo, if you will.

Donkey Kong Jr.

Imagine a twisted world in which Mario was the bad guy in a video game. Believe it or not, that really happened! Donkey Kong Jr. features the eponymous protagonist climbing vines to save his dad from the evil mustachioed plumber. He hasn’t had a proper appearance since Mario Tennis for Nintendo 64. Depending on what you believe, Donkey Kong Jr. either grew up into the current Donkey Kong we know. Don’t worry, it only gets more complicated and vague from here.

Cranky Kong

Cranky Kong (RIGHT) speaking to Donkey Kong and Pauline (Left)

The beloved curmudgeon of the Donkey Kong Country series is either Donkey Kong’s father or his grandfather. He also may or may not be the original Donkey Kong as seen in the original 1981 arcade game. Who really knows? Nintendo doesn’t care, so we shouldn’t either. Whatever the familiar relationship and history are, he sure is fun as hell to play as with his Scrooge McDuck-like bouncing cane in Tropical Freeze.

Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong

Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong (LEFT) racing Donkey Kong (RIGHT)

Diddy Kong is a star unto himself, even headlining his own popular kart racing game. He’s Donkey Kong’s best friend and sidekick–but maybe also his nephew, depending on what you read. He’s also a total monster in the Super Smash Bros. games. We look forward to seeing which ill-advised celebrity is cast as him in the reported Donkey Kong movie.

In a universe with unclear relationships, Dixie Kong is undisputedly Diddy Kong’s girlfriend. Helping to save DK in Donkey Kong Country 2 and leading DKC3, she hasn’t appeared in as many games as her boyfriend, but she stands out in all of her appearances. Her ponytail helicopter ability in Tropical Freeze probably makes her the best sidekick in that game.

Funky Kong

Is there anyone in the jungle cooler than Funky Kong? With his signature banana and sunglasses, it’s no surprise that Funky Kong is an icon and a meme, even garnering a Saturday Night Live parody from Kenan Thompson. The often joked-about Funky Mode in Tropical Freeze is also super fun, letting players breeze through the difficult platformer courtesy of Funky’s overpowered surfboard.

Kiddy Kong

Kiddy Kong (Left) adventuring with Dixie Kong (right)

If you really wanted to play as a baby in a video game, then Donkey Kong Country 3 is the game for you, I guess. With Dixie having to babysit her child cousin, Kiddy Kong serves as the second character in probably the least memorable DKC game. We haven’t really seen Kiddy Kong since then, but it’s doubtful many miss him.

Chunky Kong, Tiny Kong, and Lanky Kong

Tiny KOng (top Left), Lanky Kong (Top right), and Chunky Kong (center)

If you’ve listened carefully to the objectively awesome DK Rap from Donkey Kong 64, you’re already familiar with the quirky DK Crew from that 3D platformer. Tiny Kong is Dixie’s younger sister and the only Kong who seems to age, since she’s depicted as a teenager in more recent appearances. Chunky Kong is Tiny and Dixie’s cousin and Kiddy Kong’s older brother, and Lanky Kong is just kind of there.

Candy Kong

Candy Kong is the uncomfortably attractive(?) love interest of Donkey Kong, as seen in Donkey Kong Country, Donkey Kong 64, and a few spin-off games. The Donkey Kong Country animated series from the late 1990s, interestingly, has Candy Kong actively dating DK, but in the games, the only love that DK seems to have is for bananas.

Swanky Kong

Move over, Funky Kong: it’s actually Swanky Kong who’s the most stylish primate around. Hosting bonus games in the second and third Donkey Kong Country games, Swanky adds some much-needed flair to those little side activities. His showmanship is something sorely missed in more recent Donkey Kong games.

Bluster Kong

The opposite of a cool Kong is Bluster Kong from the animated television series, a hyper-capitalist who won’t stop being a huge thorn in DK’s side. On top of that, the weirdo regularly hits on Kandy Kong, despite the fact that she’s dating DK in the show’s continuity. That fancy haircut and stache aren’t doing you any favors, Bluster.

Wrinkly Kong

Wrinkly Kong as seen in DKC2 (Left), DKC3 (Center), and DK64 (Right)

Here’s a character that took a dark turn. Wrinkly Kong is the wife of Cranky Kong, and despite being alive and well in the second and third DKC games, she’s dead as a doorknob in Donkey Kong 64. Why Rare decided to kill her off but continue to use her character, now depicted as a ghost, is beyond anyone. It’s pretty hilarious, though, watching her non-corporeal form join the rocket racing fray in Barrel Blast.

Dread Kong, Karate Kong, Ninja Kong, and Sumo Kong

There’s not much to say about these evil Kongs from Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat — they take over territories in the jungle, and all DK has to do is punch the everliving snot out of them. They each have names and designs matching their fighting styles, except Dread Kong, who’s really just called that because he has dreads. Listen, at this point, it’s hard to come up with new Kongs.

Rabbid Kong

This counts, right? The surprise banger of a Switch game Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle features a gigantic Rabbid ripoff of DK as an enemy. He’s also featured in a DLC story in which he faces off against the king of the jungle himself. Despite his hulking size and aggressive demeanor, Rabbid Kong still looks somewhat adorable.

Poppy Kong, Grumpy Kong, and Void Kong

Grumpy Kong (Left), VOid Kong (Center) and Poppy Kong (Right)

The latest additions to the Donkey Kong canon are the Void Company, with Void Kong, Poppy Kong, and Grumpy Kong leading the sinister mining operation. They sport bold and distinct designs compared to the Rare era of Donkey Kong, but the best visual feature has to be the tiny hat on top of Grumpy Kong. Time will tell if these three characters make any impact on the fandom.