Summary

  • Donkey Kong's identity has long been a bit of a discussion point in the Mario universe.
  • While Country has long claimed that he's Cranky Kong's grandson, the movie suggested that he was now his actual son.
  • This might have been backed up by Mario Kart World, as a shot in the trailer seemingly has a nod to his lineage.

Donkey Kong's confusing lineage and identity might have just been hinted at in the Mario Kart World Direct, with one shot suggesting he might be DK Jr after all.

Considering how long Donkey Kong has been around and how little 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, as Donkey Kong is one of the few characters who has changed over the years.

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The Donkey Kong that the world was introduced to alongside Mario is actually now known as Cranky Kong, a mainstay of the DK series who 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 the Donkey 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 Direct that 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 are shown posing next to old sprites of themselves, including Donkey Kong with Donkey Kong Jr, suggesting that they're one and the same. While this would retcon 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.

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