Editing Banjo

|image=[[File:Banjo DKR art.jpg|200px]]<br>''Diddy Kong Racing'' artwork

|full_name=Banjo the Honey Bear

|species={{wp|Honey bear|Honey Bear}}<ref>{{cite|url=www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-64/Banjo-Kazooie-269415.html|title=Banjo-Kazooie {{!}} Nintendo 64 {{!}} Games {{!}} Nintendo|publisher=Nintendo of UK|author=Nintendo|accessdate=May 11, 2024}}</ref>

|latest_appearance=''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' (Challenger Pack 3) ([[List of games by date#2019|2019]])

{{quote2|I'm Banjo!|[[Banjo]]|[[Diddy Kong Racing]]}}

'''{{wp|Banjo & Kazooie|Banjo}}''' is one of the two protagonists of the {{wp|Banjo-Kazooie|''Banjo-Kazooie'' franchise}}, along with his best friend, [[Kazooie]]. However, his first appearance is in ''[[Diddy Kong Racing]]'', in which he is a playable character to promote his then-upcoming title, ''{{wp|Banjo-Kazooie (video game)|Banjo-Kazooie}}''.{{ref needed}} He is a honey bear with light-brown fur, tan skin, blue eyes, and a black nose, and he wears a shark-tooth necklace, yellow shorts, and a blue backpack that houses Kazooie. Banjo is owned by [[Rare Ltd.]] In 2002, Rare was sold to {{wp|Microsoft}}, and the rights of Banjo, Kazooie and [[Conker]] were transferred to the company in exchange for Nintendo keeping Rare's ''[[Donkey Kong (franchise)|Donkey Kong]]'' additions.

In ''[[Diddy Kong Racing]]'', when [[Wizpig]] invaded [[Timber's Island]], [[Timber]] calls for [[Diddy Kong]]'s assistance. In turn, he sends [[Squawks]] to contact his friends, one of whom is Banjo. All the characters compete in a variety of racing challenges to liberate the island and decide who would race Wizpig. Eventually, the eight racers, with the help of [[Taj]] and [[T.T.]], drove Wizpig back to his home planet, [[Future Fun Land]]. However, Wizpig returns, and the racers go to his homeworld. At the end of the world, the winning character races Wizpig again, who rides on a rocket missile for the rematch. On the character selection screen, Banjo's theme instrument is the banjo. The menu's theme is re-composed in a banjo when the player highlights him. Like the other characters, Banjo says his name when he is selected. As a heavyweight racer, Banjo has slow acceleration, which is compensated for a high top speed (57 MPH without [[Banana]]s). His handling is below average but still exceeds [[Krunch]]'s.

===''4-koma Gag Battle''===

Banjo appears throughout the ''[[4-koma Gag Battle]]'' manga adaptation of ''Diddy Kong Racing''. A certain four panel comic provides an explanation for what was in his backpack during ''Diddy Kong Racing'', since Kazooie was absent: the backpack was filled with a beehive full of bees.  

|standard=[[#Egg Firing / Breegull Blaster|Egg Firing / Breegull Blaster]]

|side=[[#Wonderwing|Wonderwing]]

|up=[[#Shock Spring Jump|Shock Spring Jump]]

|down=[[#Rear Egg|Rear Egg]]

|final=[[#The Mighty Jinjonator|The Mighty Jinjonator]]

{{main-external|SmashWiki|Banjo & Kazooie (SSBU)}}

Banjo, alongside Kazooie and the [[List of fighters debuting in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate#Hero|heroes]] of ''Dragon Quest'', were announced as playable fighters in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' during the E3 2019 Nintendo Direct on June 11 (PDT). This marks their first non-cameo appearance in a new game since ''[[sonicretro:Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing|Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing with Banjo-Kazooie]]'', which was released for the {{wp|Xbox 360}} in 2010, as well as the duo's first appearance on a Nintendo console since ''[[jiggywikki:Banjo-Pilot|Banjo-Pilot]]'' for the [[Game Boy Advance]] in 2005. Banjo & Kazooie were released on September 4, 2019 (PDT) as part of Challenger Pack 3.

The reveal trailer for the duo heavily references [[King K. Rool]]'s original reveal trailer, with [[Donkey Kong]], [[Diddy Kong]], and King K. Rool looking outside the window of DK's tree house and seeing a silhouette of Banjo & Kazooie. It is then revealed to be [[Duck Hunt (character)|Duck Hunt]] playing a prank, much like how the K. Rool reveal trailer had [[King Dedede]] pretending to be King K. Rool. Banjo & Kazooie then appear from the sky and knock Duck Hunt out of frame, with Banjo holding his namesake instrument. Banjo and Kazooie appear in [[Sephiroth]]'s reveal trailer, where they are shocked to see him descend from the sky.

 

{|class="wikitable"style="margin: auto;"

|[[Link]], [[Princess Zelda|Zelda]]

*'''Instruction booklet bio:''' "''(Low acceleration, heavy weight, good handling, high top speed) Even before the start of his future partnership with Kazooie, Banjo isn’t one to turn down the chance of an adventure. So when Squawks brings the message from his pal Diddy Kong, the Honey Bear stuffs a few things into his trusty backpack and takes to his heels.''"<ref>{{cite|title=''Diddy Kong Racing'' manual|page=24|date=1997|author=Nintendo|publisher=Nintendo of America|language=American English}}</ref>

*'''''[[Nintendo Power]]'' Volume 103:''' "''Like Conker, Banjo is sort of hanging out on Timber’s Island while his own game gets polished for release. The happy-go-lucky honey bear has good handling for a heavy guy, but his acceleration is what you would expect from a bear. On the other hand, Banjo has excellent top-end speed for straightaways.''"<ref>{{cite|title=''Nintendo Power'' Volume 103|page=14|date=December 1997|publisher=Nintendo of America|language=American English}}</ref>

*'''''Nintendo 64 Game Secrets, 1999 Edition'' [[Prima Games|Prima]]'s Official Strategy Guide:''' "''Banjo is one of the harder characters to control, and his acceleration is low. Of course, his heavier weight also means that, once he builds up some momentum, his top speed is second only to Krunch. On a tightly turning course, however, there’s little chance for his extra speed to come into play: He’s always in the process of accelerating, and then skidding through the next turn.''"<ref>{{cite|date=April 7, 1999|title=''Nintendo 64 Game Secrets, 1999 Edition Prima's Official Strategy Guide''|publisher=[[Prima Games]]|isbn=978-0761521037|page=37}}</ref>

*'''Rarewhere''': "''Even before the start of his future partnership with Kazooie, Banjo isn’t one to turn down the chance of an adventure. So when Squawks brings the message from his pal Diddy, the Honey Bear stuffs a few things into his trusty backpack and takes to his heels.''"<ref>{{cite|url=web.archive.org/web/19990902205540/http://www.rareware.com/recent/games/racing/castlist/cast_banjo.html|language=British English|title=DKR Cast List {{!}} Banjo|publisher=Rarewhere|accessdate=May 11, 2024}}</ref>

{{appearances list

|title1=''[[Diddy Kong Racing]]''

|role1=Playable character

|release1=1997

|format1=[[Nintendo 64]]

|title2=''[[Mario Artist: Paint Studio]]''

|role2=Character stamps

|release2=1999

|format2=[[Nintendo 64DD]]

|title3=''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''

|role3=Playable character via DLC

|release3=2019

|format3=Nintendo Switch

}}

Carbanjo.png|''[[Diddy Kong Racing]]''

DKRJPNC.png|''Diddy Kong Racing'' Japanese commercial

BKMarioArtist.png|''[[Mario Artist: Paint Studio]]''

Banjo4Koma.jpg|''[[4-koma Gag Battle]]''

*Prior to Banjo's inclusion in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'', he and Kazooie were among the most requested ''Super Smash Bros.'' characters of all time. A Rare employee wrote on their website back in 2009, that although they had not been considered for ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'', many Rare franchise trophies were originally in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''.<ref>{{cite|author=Lerako|url=www.raregamer.co.uk/scribes-september-18th-2009|title=Rare Scribes|date=September 18, 2009|accessdate=October 30, 2020}}</ref> Vice President of Microsoft's gaming division, {{wp|Phil Spencer}}, made a Tweet in 2015, stating "it would be cool" to see Banjo and Kazooie appear as DLC fighters in ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS]]'' / ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Wii U|Wii U]]''.<ref>{{cite|author=Campbell, Evan|url=www.ign.com/articles/2015/04/03/xbox-head-phil-spencer-says-it-would-be-cool-to-see-banjo-in-super-smash-bros-for-nintendo-3ds-and-wii-u Xbox Head|title=Xbox Head Phil Spencer Says 'It Would Be Cool' to See Banjo in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U|publisher=IGN|date=April 3, 2015|accessdate=May 11, 2024}}</ref> He doubled down on the comments in 2018, a year before Banjo and Kazooie's reveal in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''.<ref>{{cite|author=Winslett, Ryan|date=March 21, 2018|url=www.cinemablend.com/games/2391161/microsoft-is-willing-to-put-banjo-in-smash-bros|title=Microsoft Is Willing To Put Banjo In Smash Bros.|publisher=Cinemablend|accessdate=May 11, 2024}}</ref>