Summary
Donkey Kong’s confusing lineage and identity might have just been hinted at in theMario Kart WorldDirect, with one shot suggesting he might be DK Jr after all.
Considering how long Donkey Kong has been around and howlittle the Mario universe has changed in the 42 years since Jumpman was first introduced, I wouldn’t blame you for thinking that the current DK we all know and love is the same as ever. That actually isn’t the case at all, though, asDonkey Kong is one of the few characters whohaschanged over the years.
The Donkey Kong that the world was introduced to alongside Mario is actually now known as Cranky Kong, a mainstay of the DK serieswho was introduced in his older form and confirmed to be the original Donkey Kong in Country. That just leaves one big question -who is the current Donkey Kong meant to be?
Is Donkey Kong Actually DK Jr All Grown Up? Mario Kart World Might Be Suggesting So
DK Lore Is A Wild Ride
For a while, it was assumed that theDonkey Kong that we currently have is the grandson of Cranky Kong and the son of Donkey Kong Jr, who debuted in the sequel of the same name. That was seemingly the case in Donkey Kong Country, but others have theorised that he might just be a grown-up version of Donkey Kong Jr.
As pointed out by GamesRadar+, the confusing tale of which DK is the current one has just taken a strange turn. Over on Twitter,GameXplain founder Andre Segers pointed out a single shot from the Mario Kart World Directthat he thinks confirms (and possibly retcons) that Donkey Kong is Junior all grown-up and the son of Cranky Kong instead of his grandson.
This all comes down to a moment from the trailer where all of the characters from Super Mario Kart areshown posing next to old sprites of themselves, including Donkey Kong with Donkey Kong Jr, suggesting that they’re one and the same. While thiswouldretcon Country where DK is Crank Kong’s grandson, it would explain where DK Jr has been all this time.
It’s worth noting that Cranky Kong is DK’s father in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which could explain the direction that Nintendo is taking the character in the games.
With Nintendo never really bringing up Junior or addressing the clearly-confusing Donkey Kong lineage, it’s just a theory for now, but one that makes a lot of sense. We’ll probably have to wait until Bananza releases to find out for sure, but at least we’ve got a hint at who the current Donkey Kong is supposed to be.
