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often shortened to DK, is a character created by the Japanese game designer
Shigeru Miyamoto is a Japanese video game designer, video game producer, producer and Creative director#Video games, game director at Nintendo, where he has served as one of its representative directors as an executive since 2002. Widely regarded as one o ...
. One of the flagship characters of the Japanese
video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
company
Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles. The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...
, he is the star of the ''
Donkey Kong is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo. It follows the adventures of Donkey Kong (character), Donkey Kong, a large, powerful gorilla, and other members of the List of Don ...
'' franchise and also features in the ''
Mario Mario (; ) is a Character (arts), character created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the star of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise, a recurring character in the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise, and the mascot of the Ja ...
'' franchise. Donkey Kong is a large, powerful
gorilla Gorillas are primarily herbivorous, terrestrial great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four or five su ...
who leads the Kongs, a family of various
primate Primates is an order (biology), order of mammals, which is further divided into the Strepsirrhini, strepsirrhines, which include lemurs, galagos, and Lorisidae, lorisids; and the Haplorhini, haplorhines, which include Tarsiiformes, tarsiers a ...
s. He is stubborn and buffoonish, and attacks using barrels. He wears a red necktie bearing his initials and is accompanied by supporting characters such as his sidekick Diddy Kong, girlfriend Candy Kong, and foes such as
Mario Mario (; ) is a Character (arts), character created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the star of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise, a recurring character in the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise, and the mascot of the Ja ...
, the Tiki Tak Tribe, and his archenemy King K. Rool. Donkey Kong debuted as the antagonist of ''
Donkey Kong is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo. It follows the adventures of Donkey Kong (character), Donkey Kong, a large, powerful gorilla, and other members of the List of Don ...
'', a 1981
platform game A platformer (also called a platform game, and sometimes a jump 'n' run game) is a subgenre of action game in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform games are characterized by levels wi ...
. He has appeared in many video games, including the original ''Donkey Kong''
arcade game An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are presented as primarily game of skill, games of skill and in ...
s, the ''
Country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
'' series of side-scrolling platform games, ''Mario'' games such as ''
Mario Kart is a series of kart racing games based on the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise developed and published by Nintendo. Players compete in go-kart races while using various power-up item (game terminology), items. It features Characters in ...
'' and ''
Mario Party is a series of party video games created by Hudson Soft and owned by Nintendo. It features List of Mario franchise characters, characters from the Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' franchise in which up to four local players or Artificial inte ...
'', and the '' Super Smash Bros.'' series of crossover
fighting game The fighting game video game genre, genre involves combat between multiple characters, often (but not limited to) one-on-one battles. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as Blocking (martial arts), blocking, grappling, counter- ...
s. The original game characterized Donkey Kong as Mario's rebellious pet ape, while games since ''Country'' feature him as a protagonist and
player character A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional Character (arts), character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters tha ...
who seeks to protect his stash of bananas. Outside of games, Donkey Kong has appeared in animation, comics,
children's book Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. In addition to conventional literary genres, modern children's literature is classified by the intended age of the reade ...
s,
Super Nintendo World (stylized in all caps) is a themed area at Universal Studios Japan, Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Epic Universe, with a future area under construction at Universal Studios Singapore. A result of a partnership between Nintendo and Un ...
theme park attractions, and merchandise such as
Lego Lego (, ; ; stylised as LEGO) is a line of plastic construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. Lego consists of variously coloured interlocking plastic bricks made of acrylonitri ...
construction toys. Miyamoto created Donkey Kong to replace the ''
Popeye Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by E. C. Segar, Elzie Crisler Segar.Bluto after Nintendo was unable to obtain the license. He designed him as a dumb, humorous antagonist, named ''donkey'' to convey ''stubborn'' and ''kong'' to imply ''gorilla'', and drew inspiration from the fairy tale "
Beauty and the Beast "Beauty and the Beast" is a fairy tale written by the French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in (''The Young American and Marine Tales''). Villeneuve's lengthy version was abridged, rewritten, and publish ...
" and the 1933 film ''
King Kong King Kong, also referred to simply as Kong, is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. The character has since become an international pop culture icon,Erb, Cynthia, 1998, ''Tracking Kin ...
''. The Rare developer Kevin Bayliss redesigned Donkey Kong as a
3D model In 3D computer graphics, 3D modeling is the process of developing a mathematical coordinate-based representation of a surface of an object (inanimate or living) in three dimensions via specialized software by manipulating edges, vertices, and ...
for '' Donkey Kong Country'' (1994), which served as the basis for his appearance until 2025. Donkey Kong has been voiced by Takashi Nagasako and Koji Takeda in games, and was voiced by Richard Yearwood in the television series '' Donkey Kong Country'' (1997–2000) and by
Seth Rogen Seth Aaron Rogen (; born April 15, 1982) is a Canadian actor, comedian, and filmmaker. Known primarily for his comedic Leading actor, leading man roles in films, the accolades he has received include nominations for three Golden Globe Awards, ...
in '' The Super Mario Bros. Movie'' (2023). Donkey Kong is a
pop culture Popular culture (also called pop culture or mass culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as popular art pop_art.html" ;"title="f. pop art">f. pop artor mass art, some ...
icon and has been listed among the greatest video game characters. He is one of Nintendo's most enduring characters; the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise was Nintendo's first major international success, established it as a prominent force in the
video game industry The video game industry is the tertiary industry, tertiary and quaternary industry, quaternary sectors of the entertainment industry that specialize in the video game development, development, marketing, distribution (marketing), distribution, ...
, and remains one of Nintendo's bestselling franchises. Donkey Kong has also been the subject of analysis regarding his similarities to
King Kong King Kong, also referred to simply as Kong, is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. The character has since become an international pop culture icon,Erb, Cynthia, 1998, ''Tracking Kin ...
(which sparked the 1983 ''
Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Nintendo Co., Ltd. ''Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Nintendo Co., Ltd.'' was a 1983 legal case heard by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York by Judge Robert W. Sweet. In their complaint, Universal Studios alleged that Nintendo's ...
'' lawsuit), his gender role, and his transition from villain to hero.


Character

Donkey Kong, also known by his initials DK, is the star of ''
Donkey Kong is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo. It follows the adventures of Donkey Kong (character), Donkey Kong, a large, powerful gorilla, and other members of the List of Don ...
'', a
video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
series and
media franchise A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program, o ...
owned by the Japanese video game company
Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles. The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...
. One of Nintendo's flagship characters, he also appears in the ''
Mario Mario (; ) is a Character (arts), character created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the star of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise, a recurring character in the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise, and the mascot of the Ja ...
'' franchise as a playable character in most ''
Mario Kart is a series of kart racing games based on the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise developed and published by Nintendo. Players compete in go-kart races while using various power-up item (game terminology), items. It features Characters in ...
'' and ''
Mario Party is a series of party video games created by Hudson Soft and owned by Nintendo. It features List of Mario franchise characters, characters from the Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' franchise in which up to four local players or Artificial inte ...
'' games. He is playable in the '' Super Smash Bros.'' series of crossover
fighting game The fighting game video game genre, genre involves combat between multiple characters, often (but not limited to) one-on-one battles. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as Blocking (martial arts), blocking, grappling, counter- ...
s and makes cameos in other Nintendo franchises, such as ''
Punch-Out!! is a boxing video game series created by Genyo Takeda, and published by Nintendo. The player controls Little Mac, a boxer who aims to become the World Video Boxing Association (W.V.B.A.) champion. The original '' Punch-Out!!'' arcade game w ...
''. Donkey Kong first appeared as the antagonist of ''
Donkey Kong is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo. It follows the adventures of Donkey Kong (character), Donkey Kong, a large, powerful gorilla, and other members of the List of Don ...
'', a 1981
arcade game An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are presented as primarily game of skill, games of skill and in ...
; he is
Mario Mario (; ) is a Character (arts), character created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the star of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise, a recurring character in the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise, and the mascot of the Ja ...
's rebellious pet gorilla who kidnaps his girlfriend Pauline and climbs a construction site. He appears as Mario's captive in the sequel '' Donkey Kong Jr.'' (1982), in which he must be rescued by his son Donkey Kong Jr., and returns as the antagonist in ''
Donkey Kong 3 is a 1983 shoot 'em up game developed and published by Nintendo. It is the third installment in the ''Donkey Kong'' series and was released for arcades worldwide in 1983, the Family Computer in 1984, then in North America for the Nintendo Ent ...
'' (1983) and ''
Donkey Kong is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo. It follows the adventures of Donkey Kong (character), Donkey Kong, a large, powerful gorilla, and other members of the List of Don ...
'' (1994). Beginning with '' Donkey Kong Country'' (1994), ''Donkey Kong'' games were developed by the British studio Rare until its acquisition by the Nintendo competitor
Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...
in 2002. ''Country'' recast Donkey Kong as the protagonist. He has largely been portrayed as heroic since, though he occasionally appears as a villain, such as in '' Mario vs. Donkey Kong'' (2004). Donkey Kong is a large and powerful gorilla who leads the Kongs, a family of various primates. He resides in a city in early ''Donkey Kong'' games, but the Rare games moved his residence to Donkey Kong Island, an idyllic isle. Donkey Kong weighs 800 pounds, and since 1994, has been depicted wearing a red necktie bearing his initials. Although Donkey Kong was introduced as an antagonist, he is not evil. ''Nintendo World Report'' Pedro Hernandez wrote that, unlike the ''Mario'' villains
Bowser , also known as King Bowser or King Koopa, is a Character (arts), fictional character and the Antagonist, main antagonist of Nintendo's ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise."The Top 100 Videogame Villains". IGN. Retrieved October 8, 2010. ...
and
Wario is a character in Nintendo's Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' franchise that was designed as an Archenemy, archnemesis to Mario. Wario first appeared as the main antagonist and final Boss (video games), boss in the 1992 Game Boy game ''Super Mar ...
, Donkey Kong's villainous acts are the result of jealous temper tantrums rather than malice. He is stubborn, buffoonish, and innocent, and strives to help others and be accepted. He protects his stash of bananas from enemies such as the Kremlings, a crocodile army led by his archenemy King K. Rool, and the Tiki Tak Tribe, a race of floating masks. Donkey Kong is frequently accompanied by his nephew and sidekick Diddy Kong, and his girlfriend, Candy Kong. In his playable appearances, Donkey Kong is a
heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Male boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 2 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation an ...
. He throws barrels to impede the player's progress in the original game. This trait is retained in his playable appearances, whereby he uses barrels as weapons or to uncover
power-up In video games, a power-up is an object that adds temporary benefits or extra abilities to the player character as a Game mechanics, game mechanic. This is in contrast to an Item (game), item, which may or may not have a permanent benefit that ca ...
s. Donkey Kong's other abilities include slapping the ground, rolling, clinging onto and climbing surfaces, and swinging on vines. He rides vehicles such as minecarts and barrel-shaped rockets, and animals such as Rambi the Rhino and Enguarde the Swordfish. In ''Super Smash Bros.'', Donkey Kong has slow but powerful attacks such as a chargeable punch and a
headbutt A headbutt or butt is a targeted strike (attack), strike with the head, typically involving the use of robust parts of the headbutter's Skull#Humans, cranium as the area of impact. The most effective headbutts strike the most sensitive areas of ...
, with ''
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
'' staff likening him to ''
Street Fighter is a Media mix, Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fighting games developed and published by Capcom. Street Fighter 1, The first game in the series was released in 1987, followed by List of Street Fighter video games, six other ma ...
'' Zangief.


In other media

A ''Donkey Kong'' cartoon produced by
Ruby-Spears Ruby-Spears Productions (also known as Ruby-Spears Enterprises) was an American entertainment production company founded by veteran writers and '' Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!'' creators, Joe Ruby and Ken Spears, in 1977, before closing in 1996. S ...
aired as part of CBS's hour-long '' Saturday Supercade'' programming block in 1983. It follows Mario and Pauline as they attempt to capture Donkey Kong after he escapes from a circus. Donkey Kong also featured in '' Captain N: The Game Master'', a
DIC Entertainment DIC Entertainment Corporation (; also known as DIC Audiovisuel, DIC Enterprises, DIC Animation City, DIC Entertainment, L.P., and DIC Productions, sometimes stylized as DİC) was a French American film and television production company that ...
series that ran on NBC for 34 episodes between 1989 and 1991. He interacts with other
Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...
(NES) characters such as '' Castlevania'' Simon Belmont. The animated '' Donkey Kong Country'' (1997–2000), a
sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...
, follows Donkey Kong as he attempts to protect a magical artifact, the Crystal Coconut, from King K. Rool. Donkey Kong is a major character in '' The Super Mario Bros. Movie'' (2023), an animated film produced by Nintendo, Illumination, and
Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...
. Mario and
Princess Peach is a character in Nintendo's Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' franchise. She was created by Shigeru Miyamoto and introduced in the 1985 original ''Super Mario Bros.'' game as Princess Toadstool. She is the Queen regnant, princess regnant and hea ...
seek the Kongs' help to stop
Bowser , also known as King Bowser or King Koopa, is a Character (arts), fictional character and the Antagonist, main antagonist of Nintendo's ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise."The Top 100 Videogame Villains". IGN. Retrieved October 8, 2010. ...
from invading the Mushroom Kingdom. The Kongs agree to help after Mario defeats Donkey Kong in an arena fight. Mario and Donkey Kong begin as foes, but learn they both want the respect of their fathers, and Donkey Kong participates in the final battle against Bowser. Appearances in printed media include ''Blip'', a short-lived
American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...
published by
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
in 1983, a ''Donkey Kong Country'' comic published by the British comics publisher Fleetway Publications in 1995, and
children's book Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. In addition to conventional literary genres, modern children's literature is classified by the intended age of the reade ...
adaptations of the ''Country'' games by Michael Teitelbaum. Donkey Kong appears on Nintendo merchandise, including clothing, toys such as plushes and
Amiibo (, ; stylized as amiibo; plural: ''Amiibo'') is a toys-to-life platform by Nintendo, which was launched in November 2014. It consists of a wireless communications and storage protocol for connecting figurines to the Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, Ni ...
figures, and
trading card A trading card (or collectible card) is a small card, usually made out of paperboard or thick paper, which usually contains an image of a certain person, place or thing (fictional or real) and a short description of the picture, along with other t ...
s.
The Lego Group Lego A/S, also known as the Lego Group, is a Danish construction toy production company based in Billund. It manufactures Lego-branded toys, consisting mostly of interlocking ABS plastic and rubber bricks. The Lego Group has also built severa ...
introduced a Donkey Kong Lego figure in a series of ''Country''
Lego Super Mario Lego Super Mario (stylized as start case) is a Lego theme based on the platform game series '' Super Mario'' created by Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. It is licensed from Nintendo. The theme was first introduced on August 1, 2020. Sinc ...
sets in 2023. Donkey Kong also features in the ''Country''-themed area as a
mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, sports team, university society, society, military unit, or brand, brand name. Mascots are als ...
at
Universal Studios Universal Studios may refer to: * Universal Studios, Inc., an American media and entertainment conglomerate ** Universal Pictures, an American film studio ** Universal Studios Lot, a film and television studio complex * Various theme parks operat ...
'
Super Nintendo World (stylized in all caps) is a themed area at Universal Studios Japan, Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Epic Universe, with a future area under construction at Universal Studios Singapore. A result of a partnership between Nintendo and Un ...
, which opened in 2024.


Cranky Kong

''Donkey Kong Country'' establishes that "Donkey Kong" is a
hereditary title Hereditary titles, in a general sense, are nobility titles, positions or styles that are hereditary and thus tend or are bound to remain in particular families. Though both monarchs and nobles usually inherit their titles, the mechanisms often d ...
and that the Donkey Kong introduced in the Rare games is separate from the arcade games. The original Donkey Kong appears as a grumpy, elderly gorilla. Cranky Kong provides scathing,
fourth wall The fourth wall is a performance dramatic convention, convention in which an invisible, imaginary wall separates actors from the audience. While the audience can see through this "wall", the convention assumes the actors act as if they cannot. ...
-breaking humor, unfavorably comparing games to older ones such as the original ''Donkey Kong''. His wife, Wrinkly Kong, was introduced in '' Donkey Kong Country 2'' (1995) and is killed off as a joke in '' Donkey Kong 64'' (1999), appearing in subsequent games as a ghost. In most games, Cranky appears as a
non-player character A non-player character (NPC) is a character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster (or referee) rather than by a ...
who provides hints or sells items. He is playable in '' Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze'' (2014), in which he can use his cane to bounce on enemies and obstacles. Cranky also appears in spin-offs such as the '' Donkey Konga'' games and '' Donkey Kong Barrel Blast'' (2007), as a supporting character in ''The Super Mario Bros. Movie'', and as an animatronic at Super Nintendo World. On February 20, 2014, to promote ''Tropical Freeze'', Nintendo pretended to have Cranky take over its
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
account, tweeting wisecracks and image macros. The Rare ''Donkey Kong'' games referred to Cranky Kong as both Donkey Kong's father and grandfather, which the developer
Gregg Mayles Gregg Mayles (born 29 April 1971) is a British video game designer currently working for video game company Rare as creative director. He is one of the longest-serving members of the company, having worked there since 1989. Career Mayles be ...
suggested was due to his senility. While Nintendo often referred to Cranky as Donkey Kong's grandfather after Rare's acquisition by Microsoft, ''The Super Mario Bros. Movie'' identifies him as Donkey Kong's father. Journalists have noted that the inconsistency makes it unclear if the modern Donkey Kong is intended to be an adult Donkey Kong Jr., who does not appear in the ''Country'' games.


Development


Conception

In 1980, the commercial failure of Nintendo's arcade game '' Radar Scope'' put the newly established subsidiary Nintendo of America in a financial crisis. Its founder,
Minoru Arakawa is a Japanese businessman best known as the founder and former president of Nintendo of America, and the co-founder of Tetris Online, Inc. Biography Minoru Arakawa was born on 3 September 1946 in Kyoto, Japan, the second son of Waichiro Araka ...
, asked his father in-law, the Nintendo CEO
Hiroshi Yamauchi Hiroshi Yamauchi (; 7 November 192719 September 2013) was a Japanese businessman and the third president of Nintendo, joining the company on 25 April 1949 until stepping down on 24 May 2002, being succeeded by Satoru Iwata. During his 53-year t ...
, to provide a game that could repurpose the unsold ''Radar Scope'' cabinets. Most of Nintendo's top developers were preoccupied, so the task went to
Shigeru Miyamoto is a Japanese video game designer, video game producer, producer and Creative director#Video games, game director at Nintendo, where he has served as one of its representative directors as an executive since 2002. Widely regarded as one o ...
, a first-time game designer. Miyamoto found most arcade games of the time dull and wanted to make one that told a story, drawing from his favorite media such as the Shakespeare play ''
Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...
'', the fairy tale "
Beauty and the Beast "Beauty and the Beast" is a fairy tale written by the French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in (''The Young American and Marine Tales''). Villeneuve's lengthy version was abridged, rewritten, and publish ...
", and the 1933 film ''
King Kong King Kong, also referred to simply as Kong, is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. The character has since become an international pop culture icon,Erb, Cynthia, 1998, ''Tracking Kin ...
''. Miyamoto devised a
love triangle A love triangle is a scenario or circumstance, usually depicted as a rivalry, in which two people are pursuing or involved in a romantic relationship with one person, or in which one person in a romantic relationship with someone is simultaneo ...
with the characters
Popeye Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by E. C. Segar, Elzie Crisler Segar.Olive Oyl, and Bluto from the ''
Popeye Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by E. C. Segar, Elzie Crisler Segar.King Features fell through. Miyamoto created original characters to replace the ''Popeye'' ones; Mario and Pauline replaced Popeye and Olive Oyl, and Donkey Kong replaced Bluto. Like Bluto, Donkey Kong was a hairy, brutish character. Miyamoto chose a gorilla—an animal he found "nothing too evil or repulsive"—because he felt it made the scenario more interesting and humorous, and because gorillas are built similarly to humans. "Beauty and the Beast" and ''King Kong'' influenced the choice. Concept art that Miyamoto sent to ''Donkey Kong'' programmers at Ikegami Tsushinki indicates that he replaced Bluto with Donkey Kong before removing the other ''Popeye'' characters. Nintendo considered around 20 names for the character before settling on Donkey Kong, a name suggested by the export manager Shinichi Todori according to court documents. It is a common misconception that "Donkey Kong" is a mistranslation of "Monkey Kong". ''Donkey'' was meant to convey ''stubborn'', while ''kong'' is a generic term for ''gorilla'' in Japan. Miyamoto called him "
King Kong King Kong, also referred to simply as Kong, is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. The character has since become an international pop culture icon,Erb, Cynthia, 1998, ''Tracking Kin ...
" during development, as, in Japan, it was commonly used to refer to any large ape. One name, "Funky Kong", was later used for a separate character in ''Donkey Kong Country''. Other names considered included "Kong Dong" and "Kong Holiday". Nintendo of America objected to the name "Donkey Kong" because it did not believe that ''donkey'' could be used to describe an idiot, but Miyamoto liked how it sounded.


Appearances

Donkey Kong has appeared in dozens of games. ''Donkey Kong'' popularity quickly led to the production of a sequel, ''Donkey Kong Jr.'' Miyamoto, interested in showing the narrative from Donkey Kong's perspective, wanted to make him the player character, but the sprite graphic was too big to easily maneuver, so he created Donkey Kong Jr. The developers made Donkey Kong Mario's captive so they could still feature him at the top of the screen. After ''Donkey Kong 3'', Donkey Kong's appearances were limited to cameos in unrelated games. Several games featuring Donkey Kong were canceled, including a
Sega is a Japanese video game company and subsidiary of Sega Sammy Holdings headquartered in Tokyo. It produces several List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises for arcade game, arcades and video game cons ...
-developed arcade game, the NES game ''Return of Donkey Kong'', and a Riedel Software Productions-developed
CD-i The Compact Disc-Interactive (CD-I, later CD-i) is a digital optical disc data storage format as well as a hardware platform, co-developed and marketed by Dutch company Philips and Japanese company Sony. It was created as an extension of CDDA ...
game. Nintendo staff began discussing a ''Donkey Kong'' revival as the original game's tenth anniversary approached in 1991. They were unable to start a new game at the time, so they included Donkey Kong Jr. as a playable character in '' Super Mario Kart'' (1992). However, the discussions led to the development of the
Game Boy The is a handheld game console developed by Nintendo, launched in the Japanese home market on April 21, 1989, followed by North America later that year and other territories from 1990 onwards. Following the success of the Game & Watch single-ga ...
''Donkey Kong'' game, released in 1994. The Game Boy game marked Donkey Kong's first major appearance in over 10 years, before he first appeared as a protagonist in the
Super Nintendo Entertainment System The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, commonly shortened to Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES, is a Fourth generation of video game consoles, 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan, 1991 in No ...
game ''Donkey Kong Country''. While he was not playable in the sequels ''Donkey Kong Country 2'' and '' Donkey Kong Country 3'' (1996), ''
GamesRadar+ ''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites ''Total Film'', '' SFX'', '' Edge'' and '' Compute ...
'' Henry Gilbert wrote that the ''Country'' series nonetheless re-established Donkey Kong as one of Nintendo's major characters. During the
Nintendo 64 The (N64) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, in North America on September 29, 1996, and in Europe and Australia on March 1, 1997. As the successor to the Super Nintendo E ...
era, Nintendo incorporated Rare's Donkey Kong in '' Mario Kart 64'' (1997), in the
party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a Hospitality, host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will oft ...
game ''
Mario Party is a series of party video games created by Hudson Soft and owned by Nintendo. It features List of Mario franchise characters, characters from the Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' franchise in which up to four local players or Artificial inte ...
'' (1998), and in the crossover game '' Super Smash Bros.'' (1999). Donkey Kong was a late addition to ''Mario Kart 64'', replacing Kamek from prerelease versions. Since Microsoft's acquisition of Rare, Donkey Kong has mostly appeared as a guest character in other Nintendo franchises. The major ''Donkey Kong'' games released since include '' Donkey Kong Jungle Beat'' (2004), '' Donkey Kong Country Returns'' (2010), and ''Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze''.
Activision Activision Publishing, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in Santa Monica, California. It serves as the publishing business for its parent company, Activision Blizzard, and consists of several subsidiary studios. Activision is one o ...
's toys-to-life game '' Skylanders: SuperChargers'' (2015) includes Donkey Kong as a playable character in the versions released on Nintendo platforms, while
Ubisoft Ubisoft Entertainment SA (; ; formerly Ubi Soft Entertainment SA) is a French video game publisher headquartered in Saint-Mandé with development studios across the world. Its video game franchises include '' Anno'', '' Assassin's Creed'', ' ...
's '' Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle'' (2017) features him as the protagonist of an
expansion pack An expansion pack, expansion set, supplement, or simply expansion, is an addition to an existing role-playing game, tabletop game, video game, collectible card game or Miniature wargaming, miniature wargame. An expansion may introduce new rules ...
. ''Tropical Freeze'', released for the
Wii U The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4. The W ...
in 2014, was the most recent game starring Donkey Kong for over a decade, until '' Donkey Kong Bananza'' (2025).


Design

Miyamoto designed Donkey Kong to appear dumb, as he saw him as humorous rather than evil. In his mind, Donkey Kong's motivation was not to hurt Pauline, but to retaliate against Mario, who mistreated him. With the exception of ''Donkey Kong 3'', Donkey Kong's character artwork during the 1980s generally portrayed him as likable, even as a villain. The Game Boy game was the first to depict Donkey Kong wearing a red tie with his initials. For ''Donkey Kong Country'', Rare's Kevin Bayliss redesigned Donkey Kong. Bayliss was asked only to make him look more modern; he had no problems with the existing design, but was nonetheless excited to reinterpret him. Alongside the red tie from the Game Boy game, Bayliss gave Donkey Kong what ''GamesRadar+'' Bob Mackey described as "menacing, sunken eyes and beak-like muzzle". Bayliss wanted a character that looked believable and could perform animations such as pounding his chest. His initial design was blocky and muscular to make Donkey Kong easy to animate, but became more cartoonish when Nintendo faxed reference material. Bayliss recycled the eye design from those of the Battletoads, characters he had previously designed for Rare. In retrospect, Bayliss felt this made it difficult for Donkey Kong to express emotions besides annoyance. Miyamoto provided some suggestions,
Translation
 but otherwise left the specifics to Bayliss. ''Donkey Kong Country'' marked Donkey Kong's first appearance as a
3D model In 3D computer graphics, 3D modeling is the process of developing a mathematical coordinate-based representation of a surface of an object (inanimate or living) in three dimensions via specialized software by manipulating edges, vertices, and ...
, and the limitations of technology at the time influenced the redesign. Miyamoto asked that Donkey Kong have eyebrows and tangible fur, but both were infeasible. For the eyebrows, Rare compromised by making the area around Donkey Kong's eyes black. Miyamoto suggested the tie to better convey Donkey Kong's stubbornness. He felt Rare "breathed new life into" Donkey Kong and made him "really cool", but also childish. Because real gorillas move slowly, Rare based Donkey Kong's running animation on a horse's
gallop The canter and gallop are variations on the fastest gait that can be performed by a horse or other equine. The canter is a controlled three-beat gait, while the gallop is a faster, four-beat variation of the same gait. It is a natural gait po ...
. Steve Mayles rendered Donkey Kong's finalized 3D model in mid-1993. Nintendo used the Bayliss design for decades in both ''Donkey Kong'' and ''Mario'' games. While Paon reintroduced elements of the arcade-era design for Donkey Kong's appearance in '' DK: King of Swing'' (2004), they were not retained in subsequent games, including ''King of Swing'' sequel '' Donkey Kong: Jungle Climber'' (2007). In 2022, Donkey Kong underwent his first major redesign since ''Donkey Kong Country'' for his appearance in ''The Super Mario Bros. Movie''. The design, which combines elements of the Bayliss design with the original arcade-era one, features larger eyes, a less angular brow, lighter fur, and more realistic proportions. In 2025, Nintendo introduced another redesign, similar to artwork by the ''Mario'' artist Shigehisa Nakaue. Miyamoto said that Nintendo had been working to make Donkey Kong more expressive since ''Jungle Beat'' and decided to redesign him during the production of ''The Super Mario Bros. Movie.'' '' Video Games Chronicle'' Chris Scullion described the redesign as a blend of the ''Super Mario Bros. Movie'' and Game Boy ''Donkey Kong'' designs, and ''
The Verge ''The Verge'' is an American Technology journalism, technology news website headquarters, headquartered in Lower Manhattan, New York City and operated by Vox Media. The website publishes news, feature stories, guidebooks, product reviews, cons ...
'' Ash Parrish noted it allowed Donkey Kong to display a greater range of expressions. Nintendo began updating merchandise and artwork to reflect the redesign in January, ahead of its debut in the
Nintendo Switch 2 The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo, released in most regions on June5, 2025. Like the original Nintendo Switch, Switch, it can be used as a Handheld game console, handheld, as a Tablet computer, tablet, or connected via ...
games '' Mario Kart World'' and ''Donkey Kong Bananza''.


Voice

Donkey Kong does not have a consistent voice across games, and generally makes gorilla noises instead of speaking in full sentences.
Charles Martinet Charles Andre Martinet (born September 17, 1955) is an American actor. He is best known for voicing Mario in the ''Super Mario'' franchise, portraying him from 1991 to 2023. He also voiced other characters in the series such as Luigi, Wario, W ...
, who voiced Mario and other ''Mario'' characters until 2023, also voiced Donkey Kong for the 1994 "Mario in Real Time"
trade show A trade show, also known as trade fair, trade exhibition, or trade exposition, is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products and services, meet with industry partners and ...
attraction. When developing ''Donkey Kong Country'', Rare planned to use real gorilla noises and visited Twycross Zoo near the company's headquarters to record them. The composer David Wise described the visit as "a complete waste of time". Outside of feeding times, the gorillas were too quiet, so a Rare staffer, Mark Betteridge, provided Donkey Kong's voice. Grant Kirkhope voiced Donkey Kong while composing music for ''Donkey Kong 64''; his voice appeared in games such as '' Mario Kart: Double Dash'' (2003), the
Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, and to international markets that June. It was later released in mainland China in 2004, under the name iQue Game Boy Advanc ...
port of ''Donkey Kong Country'', and ''Mario vs. Donkey Kong''. Takashi Nagasako, the most prolific Donkey Kong voice actor, voiced him in 36 games from '' Mario Power Tennis'' (2004) to '' Super Mario Party Jamboree'' (2024). In 2025, Koji Takeda assumed the role for ''Mario Kart World''. In his early animated appearances, Donkey Kong was voiced by the comedian Soupy Sales and the actor Garry Chalk. Richard Yearwood voiced Donkey Kong in the ''Donkey Kong Country'' animated series, while Sterling Jarvis performed his singing voice. Yearwood reprised the role for a fan-made short film in 2023. The actor and comedian
Seth Rogen Seth Aaron Rogen (; born April 15, 1982) is a Canadian actor, comedian, and filmmaker. Known primarily for his comedic Leading actor, leading man roles in films, the accolades he has received include nominations for three Golden Globe Awards, ...
voiced Donkey Kong in ''The Super Mario Bros. Movie''. Rogen, a fan of ''Donkey Kong'' since childhood, used his regular speaking voice, as he felt the role did not require an unusual one. He said that, during casting, "I was very clear that I don't do voices. If you want me to be in this movie, then it's going to sound like me and that's it... I think in the film and in the game, all you seem to know about Donkey Kong is that he throws barrels and does not like Mario very much. And that's what I ran with." The directors gave Rogen freedom to approach the role, and most of his directions were to yell and sound angry. Rogen enjoyed the role and expressed interest in reprising it.


Reception and legacy


Commentary

Donkey Kong is one of the most iconic video game characters, and has been listed as one of the greatest. The original ''Donkey Kong'' was Nintendo's first major international success and established it as a prominent force in the
video game industry The video game industry is the tertiary industry, tertiary and quaternary industry, quaternary sectors of the entertainment industry that specialize in the video game development, development, marketing, distribution (marketing), distribution, ...
; ''IGN'' attributed its success to the popularity of Donkey Kong as a character. ''Donkey Kong'' featured a level of narrative depth unprecedented in games at the time, and gave Nintendo its first marketable characters. Donkey Kong was more popular than the protagonist, Mario, and he was the overwhelming focus of merchandise. However, Nintendo soon began to push Mario as a leading character, and Donkey Kong's popularity faded. ''
Game Informer ''Game Informer'' (''GI'' is an American monthly Video game journalism, video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and video game console, game consoles. It debuted in August 1991, when the video game reta ...
'' Ben Reeves wrote that ''Donkey Kong Country'' reestablished Donkey Kong's independent identity, and ''
USgamer Gamer Network Limited (formerly Eurogamer Network Limited) is a British digital media company based in London. Founded in 1999 by Rupert and Nick Loman, it owns brands—primarily editorial websites—relating to video game journalism and ot ...
'' Jeremy Parish said that it "brought back onkey Kongin true '90s style". It positioned him as a competitor to Sega's
Sonic the Hedgehog is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese developers Yuji Naka, Naoto Ohshima, and Hirokazu Yasuhara for Sega. The franchise follows Sonic the Hedgehog (character), Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battle ...
and other "hip anthromorph" platformer mascots, and was credited with helping Nintendo pull ahead of Sega towards the end of the
16-bit era In the history of video games, the fourth generation of video game consoles, more commonly referred to as the 16-bit era, began on October 30, 1987, with the Japanese release of NEC Home Electronics' PC Engine (known as the TurboGrafx-16 in Nort ...
's console war. ''Nintendo World Report'' Pedro Hernandez said the first two ''Country'' games cemented Donkey Kong as one of his favorite Nintendo characters. He found Donkey Kong endearing for his "innocence and humanity" in his attempts to help and feel accepted, and fascinating due to his in-universe history and expansive family. Critics enjoyed Donkey Kong's gameplay dynamic with Diddy Kong, although ''
Hardcore Gaming 101 ''Hardcore Gaming 101'' is an online video game magazine founded by Kurt Kalata in 2004. Kalata established the site after graduating college, when he noticed the overabundance of game strategy guides, and felt that someone should create more boo ...
'' David DiRienzo found their differences mostly superficial. ''Country'' critical standing declined in the 2000s, with journalists deeming its emphasis on visual fidelity over gameplay innovation an example of style over substance. ''
GameSpy GameSpy was an American provider of online multiplayer and matchmaking middleware for video games founded in 1999 by Mark Surfas. After the release of a multiplayer server browser for Quake, QSpy, Surfas licensed the software under the GameS ...
'' staff disliked the ''Country'' Donkey Kong redesign, which they felt was inferior to the unruly yet endearing arcade design, and expressed dismay that Nintendo retained it. ''GamesRadar+'' Bob Mackey said the design looked fine when considering the limitations of 1994 rendering technology but expressed surprise that Nintendo continued to use it without major alterations. He wrote that by 2014, it had become "increasingly bizarre to see this product of mid-90s technology dropped into games with real-time visuals that handily outclass Rare's pre-rendered relics". After Rare's departure from the franchise, Donkey Kong's standing declined. '' Paste'' Garrett Martin wrote that his popularity peaked in the early 1980s and mid-1990s, and only ''Donkey Kong Country Returns'' came close to matching the sales of the arcade and SNES games. ''IGN'' Jesse Schedeen said that, by 2009, Donkey Kong was only kept relevant by his ''Super Smash Bros.'' appearances, as his name had become "almost synonymous with gimmicky games" like ''Donkey Konga''. Schedeen called him one of the most overrated video game characters, and ''
Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, Habit (psychology), habit or item generally considered morally wrong in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character trait, a defect, an infirmity, or a bad or unhe ...
'' Ian Dransfield said that games starring Donkey Kong were outclassed by those starring Mario and Rayman. ''GamesRadar+'' Scott McCrae said being a Donkey Kong fan was difficult due to the hiatuses between major games, and '' TheGamer'' Adam Starkey said that Donkey Kong had "unfairly remained in Mario's shadow" in the decades following Rare's departure. ''
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
'' Logan Plant wrote that before ''Donkey Kong Bananza'' announcement it seemed as if Nintendo did not care about Donkey Kong. Starkey noted that his 40th anniversary in 2021 passed without acknowledgement from Nintendo, which he joked was "grounds for a HR complaint". He felt one could not celebrate Mario without acknowledging Donkey Kong and found it odd that Bowser had usurped Donkey Kong's role as Mario's nemesis, given the characters' history. Journalists expressed excitement for Donkey Kong's return in ''Donkey Kong Bananza'', and ''
Polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure made up of line segments connected to form a closed polygonal chain. The segments of a closed polygonal chain are called its '' edges'' or ''sides''. The points where two edges meet are the polygon ...
'' felt its emphasis on destruction was a natural fit for his character. Donkey Kong's 2025 redesign was divisive. After it was teased alongside ''Mario Kart World'', ''TheGamer'' Stanley Henley complained that it turned him into a generic "ugly inflatable", reflecting a trend for "aesthetic simplicity over visual flavor" in brands. ''Vice'' Anthony Franklin II called the redesign "awesome" following its reveal in the ''Donkey Kong Bananza'' trailer, which they felt demonstrated that fans were too hasty to judge it, and ''GamesRadar+'' described it as "peak Donkey Kong... He's got the goofy look, but still has the ability to look super intense". Bayliss considered the new design superior and said design changes were necessary for characters to endure. He felt there was nothing to debate and that fans should embrace change.


Analysis

Donkey Kong has been described as a parody of King Kong, with Hernandez writing that the original game "was almost a mockery of the premise" of the first ''King Kong'' film. Whereas King Kong is fearsome, Donkey Kong is silly and foolish. In the 1983 ''
Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Nintendo Co., Ltd. ''Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Nintendo Co., Ltd.'' was a 1983 legal case heard by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York by Judge Robert W. Sweet. In their complaint, Universal Studios alleged that Nintendo's ...
'' lawsuit, Universal alleged that ''Donkey Kong'' violated its ''
King Kong King Kong, also referred to simply as Kong, is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. The character has since become an international pop culture icon,Erb, Cynthia, 1998, ''Tracking Kin ...
'' trademark. Robert W. Sweet ruled it was unlikely that anyone would confuse the two, as Donkey Kong was "farcical, childlike and nonsexual" compared to King Kong, "a ferocious gorilla in quest of a beautiful woman". He noted stark contrasts between King Kong, who goes on bloody rampages and viciously attacks foes, and Donkey Kong, who bounces and struts to taunt the player and uses humorous obstacles such as cement tubs and pies. The original ''Donkey Kong'' features a simple
damsel in distress The damsel in distress is a narrative device in which one or more men must rescue a woman who has been kidnapped or placed in other peril. The "damsel" is often portrayed as beautiful, popular, and of high social status; she is usually depicted ...
narrative with traditional gender roles, which Miyamoto reused in his ''
Super Mario (also known as and is a platform game series created by Nintendo starring their mascot, Mario. It is the central series of the greater Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' franchise. At least one ''Super Mario'' game has been released for every ma ...
'' and '' Legend of Zelda'' games. Donkey Kong, hypermasculine and brutish, kidnaps the passive Pauline, who must be rescued by the "appropriately masculine" hero, Mario. However, due to the cyclical gameplay, the masculine Mario is unsuccessful in defeating the hypermasculine Donkey Kong, who always recaptures Pauline. The Western New England University professor Edward Wesp found this makes Donkey Kong similar to the ''
Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American media franchise produced and distributed by Warner Bros. The franchise began as a series of animated short films that originally ran from 1930 to 1969, alongside its spin-off series ''Merrie Melodies'', during t ...
'' character Road Runner, with Mario akin to the perpetually failing Wile E. Coyote. Wesp writes that Mario's "determination and skill... will, in the end, fail to overcome onkey Kongs brutish power". Games featuring Donkey Kong as a protagonist depict melodramatic adventures that emphasize action over characterization. According to the ''
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...
'' staff, in his initial appearance, Donkey Kong is similar to Nintendo villains such as ''Mario'' Bowser, ''Zelda'' Ganon, and ''
Metroid is an action-adventure game franchise created by Nintendo. The player controls the bounty hunter Samus Aran, who protects the galaxy from Space Pirates and other malevolent forces and their attempts to harness the power of the parasitic M ...
'' Ridley, in that he is animalistic, unclothed, and unrelatable, much like the literary villains Caliban and Gollum. They observed that, in turning Donkey Kong into a protagonist, ''Donkey Kong Country'' "domesticated" him, adding the tie to clothe him and supporting Kongs to provide a family. The tie—as well as Donkey Kong's contrast with the crocodilian King K. Rool, a more primitive animal—suggests Donkey Kong possesses sophistication and nobility and does not merely act upon impulse. The Kong family highlights that Donkey Kong cares for others and is past kidnapping. The player thus perceives him as selfless and admirable.


In popular culture

Donkey Kong is a
pop culture Popular culture (also called pop culture or mass culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as popular art pop_art.html" ;"title="f. pop art">f. pop artor mass art, some ...
icon and is considered Nintendo's second-biggest character, behind Mario. ''Donkey Kong'' remains one of Nintendo's bestselling franchises, with 82 million copies sold by 2025. Journalists described Donkey Kong as a mascot for both Nintendo and the video game industry. The catchphrase "it's on like Donkey Kong" has entered pop culture vernacular, used in television series, films, music, and news headlines to say something is "going down". In 2007, the
Monster Jam Monster Jam is a live motorsport event tour operated by Feld Entertainment. The series began in 1992, and is sanctioned under the umbrella of the United States Hot Rod Association. Events are primarily held in North America, with some addition ...
racing series obtained the license to use Donkey Kong's appearance for a monster truck. The truck debuted in a December 2007 show in
Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
and toured with Monster Jam throughout 2008. Ralph, the protagonist of the video game-themed
Walt Disney Animation Studios Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS), sometimes shortened to Disney Animation, is an American animation studio that produces animated feature films and short films for the Walt Disney Company. The studio's current production logo features a s ...
film ''
Wreck-It Ralph ''Wreck-It Ralph'' is a 2012 American animated comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. It was directed by Rich Moore and produced by Clark Spencer, from a screenplay by Phil Johnston (filmmaker), Phil Johnston and Jennifer Lee ( ...
'' (2012), was inspired by Donkey Kong. He is introduced as the antagonist of a ''Donkey Kong''-like arcade game and has similar proportions. ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' described him as "a kind of human version of Donkey Kong". The director, Rich Moore, said Ralph was conceived as an animal similar to Donkey Kong, and the animators used Donkey Kong as a reference when designing 8-bit sprites of Ralph. Donkey Kong appears in Patrick Jean's ''
Pixels In digital imaging, a pixel (abbreviated px), pel, or picture element is the smallest addressable element in a raster image, or the smallest addressable element in a dot matrix display device. In most digital display devices, pixels are the sma ...
'' (2010), a short film which depicts 1980s video game characters attacking New York City. He reappears in the feature film adaptation ''
Pixels In digital imaging, a pixel (abbreviated px), pel, or picture element is the smallest addressable element in a raster image, or the smallest addressable element in a dot matrix display device. In most digital display devices, pixels are the sma ...
'' (2015), which expands the premise to depict alien invaders using the characters to conquer Earth. The director, Chris Columbus, said Donkey Kong's inclusion required months of negotiations, and Nintendo granted permission after determining the filmmakers were treating him with respect. The film '' War for the Planet of the Apes'' (2017) features treacherous apes nicknamed "donkeys" in reference to Donkey Kong. Donkey Kong has inspired
internet meme An Internet meme, or meme (, Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''MEEM''), is a cultural item (such as an idea, behavior, or style) that spreads across the Internet, primarily through Social media, social media platforms. Internet memes manif ...
s, including a 2022 phenomenon in which
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
users responded to posts from the
Pringles Pringles is an American brand of stackable potato-based chips invented by Procter & Gamble (P&G) in 1968 and marketed as "Pringle's Newfangled Potato Chips". It is technically considered an Extruded food, extruded snack because of the manufac ...
account by
spamming Spamming is the use of messaging systems to send multiple unsolicited messages (spam) to large numbers of recipients for the purpose of commercial advertising, non-commercial proselytizing, or any prohibited purpose (especially phishing), or si ...
a picture of Donkey Kong shooting lightning from his groin. The
transgender rights movement The transgender rights movement is a movement to promote the legal status of transgender people and to eliminate discrimination and violence against transgender people regarding housing, employment, public accommodations, education, and health c ...
adopted Donkey Kong as an icon after the
YouTuber A YouTuber is a content creator and social media influencer who uploads or creates videos on the online video-sharing website YouTube, typically posting to their personal YouTube channel. The term was first used in the English language in 2006 ...
Harry "Hbomberguy" Brewis livestreamed a playthrough of ''Donkey Kong 64'' for over 50 hours to raise funds for the British charity Mermaids in 2019, in response to the
National Lottery Community Fund The National Lottery Community Fund, legally named the Big Lottery Fund, is a non-departmental public body responsible for distributing funds raised by the National Lottery for " good causes". It is the largest community funder in the UK and ...
considering canceling a £500,000 grant. Laura Kate Dale, a transgender game journalist, wrote for the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
that posting images of Donkey Kong became "a powerful act of protest and a way to remind one man that his attempt to remove financial support from the trans community failed" following the livestream.


Notes


References


Citations


Works cited

* * * * * * *


External links


Donkey Kong – Play Nintendo
{{Super Smash Bros. Animal characters in video games Anthropomorphic video game characters Donkey Kong characters Fictional gorillas Primate mascots Fictional boxers Male characters in video games Mario (franchise) characters Punch-Out!! characters Rare (company) characters Super Smash Bros. fighters Video game bosses Video game characters introduced in 1981 Video game characters with superhuman strength Japanese mascots Video game mascots Male characters in animated films Mascots introduced in 1981