Kao the Kangaroo (character)

## Kao the Kangaroo

Kao in Kao the Kangaroo (2022)

**Kao the Kangaroo** is the titular character of the Kao the Kangaroo game series, originally hailing from Australia. He is a typical representative of his species but stands out due to his exceptional intelligence and cunning. He has a sister named Kaia, and his father goes by the name of Koby, while his mother is called Marlene.

## History

### Kao the Kangaroo (2000)

During one of his journeys, Kao decided to chase a butterfly. Hastily dashing forward, he suddenly became aware of unsettling movements within the roadside bushes. Driven by his carefree nature, he fearlessly chose to uncover the mystery and plunged into the vegetation. All of a sudden, a large metal cage descended from a tree, cutting off Kao's path to escape. The last sight that the kangaroo caught was the poacher's malevolent grin. Within moments, he lost consciousness.

Kao was held captive and trained to fight by Hunter. His moment came when he emerged victorious in a ring match against the nondescript Roki Billboard. On that fateful day, Hunter forgot to properly secure the cage, inadvertently providing the resourceful marsupial both an escape route and an opportunity to put an end to Hunter's shady business.

### Kao the Kangaroo: Round 2

The kangaroo is awakened from a long sleep by a parrot. It turns out that he has been captured again by the minions of a hunter who conducts business with wicked traders like himself. Now Kao is sitting in a cage, which is accidentally smashed by the parrot a moment later. She directs her friend to the port where Hunter' ship is mooring. However, the greatest secrets of the poacher are hidden in the Abandoned City, the entrance to which is guarded by Bosman. In exchange for a pass, he demands 3000 ducats.

Later, at the docks, Kao meets a beaver who invites him to his forest. It turns out that there, bribed by a poacher, the Shaman enslaves his brothers and forces them into slave labor. The kangaroo manages to stop the mage, but the adventure is far from over...

The parrot overhears a conversation between the hunter and the engineer, who is preparing another transport of animals. The marsupial sneaks onto the train and, upon reaching the icy land, confronts the evil railwayman. He is then forced to take part in a race with pirates to win 1000 ducats, or a third of the sum required by the boatswain.

Upon returning from the race, Kao encounters a tortoise who informs him about the Eight-Armed Bandit, who is poisoning the ocean in the name of the hunter. The hero defeats the octopus and wants to continue his mission, but evil never sleeps. It turns out that one of the pirate's minions, the mercenary Hunter, kidnaps the parrot and locks himself behind the gate to the city guarded by Bosman...

The desperate kangaroo seeks help from a pelican, who offers him a flight to the tropics, where the pirate is rumored to have hidden his treasure. By acquiring it, the marsupial will have enough money to enter through the gate. The kangaroo agrees to the proposal and, after defeating several robbers, reaches the pyramid with the treasure. At the exit, the pirate himself awaits him, refusing to give up and engaging in a fight with Kao. The inevitable conclusion of the duel is the bandit being forced to flee, allowing the hero with boxing gloves to enter the Abandoned City. There, he manages to board the hunter's ship and confront him.

After losing the duel, the poacher is exiled to a desert island, and information about him is lost.

### Kao: Mystery of Volcano

Hunter fails, and the kangaroo Kao can finally go on a well-deserved rest to Pelican Island. There, his friend Lotek offers him a plane flight. However, the clueless pelican forgets to fasten his seatbelt and falls into the volcano, awakening the creature residing inside it. The priest who once protected the island from the monster with his spells orders the kangaroo to obtain four artifacts - earth, air, water, and fire...

The first destination is the Gardens of Life. There, Kao encounters a puzzle, which he successfully solves, earning the earth artifact. The next stop is Wuthering Hill, but to reach it, the marsupial needs a paraglider. Gadget offers him one as a reward for winning a virtual race. The hero emerges victorious and obtains the wind artifact. Now it's time to acquire the water artifact, which is located on the Island of Waterfalls. However, the island is inaccessible by normal means, and Wędek agrees to lend a motorboat only after Kao passes a specially prepared test. Accepting the challenge, Kao sets sail for the third artifact. The temple of water, where the artifact is housed, is filled with traps and opponents. After numerous efforts, the kangaroo obtains the third relic and heads back to the village. It is revealed that the pelicans have been attacked by bandits in planes and must be stopped. Once Kao clears the sky of the evildoers, he proceeds to a well that has supposedly been dried up by evil forces, only to find that it now spews lava instead of water.

Eventually, the fire artifact is obtained, and the gateway to the volcano is finally open to Kao. However, the adventure is not over, as behind the gate awaits the God of the Volcano. He is named as such due to his power and desire for destruction, but nothing is too daunting for Kao the kangaroo. He heroically battles the creature and emerges victorious. Finally, the village is no longer under threat, and Lotek will never forget to fasten the seatbelts on the plane again!

### Kao the Kangaroo (2022)

Kao sleeps soundly on Hopalloo Island until he experiences a vision in which Kaia, his sister who disappeared years ago, tells him to follow her but is suddenly kidnapped by mysterious evil forces. When the nightmare ends and the kangaroo falls from the hammock where he slept, he talks to his mother about the mysterious dream. She advises him to seek out Walt, who has become famous throughout the village for his knowledge of martial arts and who also knew Kaia and Koby, Kao's father, who disappeared even earlier.

With the help of the enigmatic figure Kai, Kao finds Walt in his dojo and convinces him to join him for the rest of the adventure. However, first, he must undergo training to prove his skills for the dangerous journey ahead, which aims to find Kai and the father of the main character, Koby. As part of the training, Kao must locate the denhole of the nondescript Terror and defeat him in a duel. After emerging victorious, Kao learns that Terror turned evil due to a crystal he found in the jungle. To reach the jungle, Kao seeks the assistance of his friend Gadget. However, the pelican needs a key to repair his vehicle. Once they find the key, Kao and Walt bid farewell to Marlena and set off for the Hungry Jungle.

In the jungle, they encounter Minkey for the first time, who mentions Jayabaya and the juice that grants extraordinary strength, known as Jayabomb. Walt sees Jayabaya as a potential lead in finding the missing kangaroos and orders Kao to destroy the juice factory, hoping it will grab the attention of its producer. After disrupting the production of Jayabomba and engaging in a skirmish with several monkeys, Kao proceeds to confront Jayabayi himself. It is revealed that Jayabayi, like Terror, is possessed by a crystal and hostile towards the kangaroo. During their battle, Kao shatters Jayabayi's crystal, freeing him from the dark spell. He then learns that Koby went to the Eldest, whose headquarters lie in the Frozen Mountains.

Upon entering the Frozen Mountains, the heroes receive a message inviting new guests to the Spa located there. However, the spa proves to be far from relaxing, filled with piranhas and hostile rams. Despite the challenges, Kao manages to persevere and confront the Oldest, who is also under the influence of crystals. After defeating the Oldest, he mentions the existence of the Eternal Island...

Kao, along with Walt and Gadget, boards a modified motorboat to the location indicated by the Eldest. However, Kao fails to fasten his seatbelt and ends up falling out of the boat, landing in the Flickering Lunapark where the wreckage of another plane stolen by Kai lies. There, he reunites with Kai and together they return to the others (Walt and Gadget), who have safely landed on the Eternal Isles. The group embarks on a search for Koby in the Crystal Caverns but does not find him there. Eventually, Kao reaches the Eternal Chambers, where he discovers the true identity of Minkey as the Eternal Warrior. He also finds Koby, who has been cursed under the influence of the eternal crystals. After defeating the malevolent Minkey, the kangaroo, along with his family and friends, returns home, and his adventure concludes, at least for now.

## Gallery

*Main article: Kao the Kangaroo (character)/Gallery*

Early design of Kao when still known as DenisKao in Kao the Kangaroo (2000)Kao in Kao the Kangaroo: Round 2Kao in Kao: Mystery of VolcanoKao the Kangaroo (2022) artwork