Donkey Kong

*“It is on like Donkey Kong!”*
— Donkey Kong

**Donkey Kong** (also simply known as **DK**) is a major character in *The Super Mario Bros. Movie*.

He is a Kong from the Jungle Kingdom and the son of Cranky Kong, who joins Mario and his friends on their journey to stop Bowser from taking over the Mushroom Kingdom.

## Personality & Description

DK is a big gorilla, has brown fur, and wears a red necktie with his initials in yellow letters. He is very strong and can break various kinds of surfaces and objects.

## History

Donkey Kong first appears when he makes his entrance and is seen showboating in front of the crowd at the Great Ring of Kong, much to the ire of his father Cranky Kong. DK challenges Mario to a battle of strength as part of a deal made between Cranky and Princess Peach. During the fight, DK is able to easily overpower Mario in terms of strength, but the plumber stays determent enough to eventually grab a Super Bell and is able to turn the table against DK, winning the match against him.

Back at Donkey Kong's house, the ape has started to form a rivalry with Mario, attempting to fight him once more until Cranky breaks the two up, and takes the heroes inside to show them the plan of getting back to the Mushroom Kingdom. Donkey Kong is then taken to an underground garage where he assembles his personalized kart offscreen, before meeting up with Mario again, angerly glaring at him. Then, everyone proceeds to drive onto Rainbow Road, where DK, alongside Toad, overhear Mario and Peach flirting with each other. Not long after, Bowser's troops led by their general proceed to ambush the heroes. However, Mario is able to outsmart the general by hopping off his bulldozer and onto DK's kart, right before the ape blows it up with one of his rocket barrels. Enraged, the Koopa General transforms into a Blue Shell and blows up the duo, along with the road, leading to an argument midair between Mario and Donkey Kong.

When they then land in the ocean, DK is knocked out by one of his tires, and is about to drown, before Mario saves him and swims him up to the surface. Donkey Kong is then about to thank Mario, right before a Maw-Ray swallows the two. Inside the stomach, DK and Mario talk about their own problems, which DK reveals the Cranky is always dismissive about him, and continues arguing with Mario, until they notice his kart with the other rocket barrel left intact. They then use it to escape the Maw-Ray and return to the Mushroom Kingdom, only to be shot down midway by the Koopa Troop. Through a series of combat and athletic skills, Mario and Donkey Kong plow their way though the minions and make it to Bowser's fortress where a wedding is happening between the princess and the Koopa King. As they make it, Donkey Kong is able to reverse a gear that was about to dip all the prisoners (including Cranky) into the lava below, and soon lifts Cranky's cage up, rescuing his father, who becomes proud of him.

Bowser then orders a Bomber Bill upon being foiled, with Mario able to redirect it into a warp pipe, but the explosion causes everything to be sucked into it as well, leading to Donkey Kong being transported to Brooklyn, where he saves Peach and Toad from being crushed by a pile of rubble. He then watches as Mario is forced to fight Bowser, but get brutally overwhelmed by the evil king. As Bowser mocks Mario for his failures, Donkey Kong, alongside Peach and Toad proceed to fend him off, but their combined strengths aren't enough to defeat the Koopa King. Soon, Donkey Kong is also seen being brutally beaten by Bowser, and is about to be killed when Mario regains his courage and calls out the king, leading to Donkey Kong being dropped and for Bowser to aim his sights on the plumber again. Donkey Kong is then seen recovering from his injuries as Luigi helps Mario gain the Star and defeat Bowser. He then makes fun of Bowser, when the latter is force fed a Mini Mushroom, before bear hugging the heroes, (alongside the plumbers' parents) and is hailed as a hero by the citizens of Brooklyn. It is presumed that after the events of the movie, Donkey Kong would go back to the Jungle Kingdom.

## Origins

Donkey Kong (the character) made his debut in the 1981 arcade game of the same name. In four segments of the arcade, DK kidnaps Pauline and Mario is forced to give chase climbing different structures to save her. DK is defeated when Mario removes the parts of the structure that connect the beams together and the ape falls to the floor.

In 1994, DK was reimagined as a hero in the SNES video game *Donkey Kong Country.* This incarnation would be the version most gamers today recognize, and he would subsequently star in his own video game series, TV show, and appear in various *Mario* spinoff games.

## Trivia

* Donkey Kong’s design for the film nearly resembles his original look from the *Donkey Kong* arcade game, while retaining his modern features.
* Being voiced by Seth Rogen, Donkey Kong performs his laugh on two separate occasions during the movie:
	+ Once when Mario eats a Mini Mushroom and shrinks.
	+ The other when he jumps Mario with his kart while they're driving.

## Relationships

*Main article: Donkey Kong/Relationships*