Editing Cranky Kong

|image=[[File:Cranky Kong Artwork - Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze.png|300px]]<br>Artwork from ''[[Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze]]''

|full_name=Donkey Kong Sr.<ref>{{cite|quote=''Super Mario Kart'' is the only ''Mario Kart'' game to feature Donkey Kong Jr. Due to the success of ''Donkey Kong Country'', all future ''Mario Kart'' entries featured Donkey Kong, who is actually Donkey Kong Jr.’s son, with Cranky Kong, aka Donkey Kong Sr., canonically being the character featured in the original ''Donkey Kong'' game. Makes sense, right?|title=''Playing With Super Power: Nintendo Super NES Classics eGuide'', ''Super Mario Kart'' 16 Bits Tab}}</ref>

|latest_appearance=''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie]]'' (as Cranky Kong) (2023)<br>''[[Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition]]'' (as Donkey Kong) ([[List of games by date#2024|2024]])

'''Cranky Kong''' is a [[Kong]] who is depicted as a paternal figure to [[Donkey Kong]], though [[#Identity confusion|their exact relation varies]]. He is characterized by frequently breaking the [[fourth wall]] and constantly complaining and rambling (especially in [[Rare Ltd.|Rare]]-made games), although he proves to be a helpful sage in many situations, having been shown to possess much knowledge about the current location and its history and secrets.<ref>{{cite|quote=Have you been to see my husband Cranky? He complains a little, but he does know everything about this island.|author=Wrinkly Kong|title=''Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest''|publisher=Nintendo|date=1995}}</ref><ref>{{cite|quote=Even old Cranky Kong is getting in on the entrepreneurial spirit. He’s opened a Monkey Museum where inquisitive monkeys can go to learn about the lore of Crocodile Isle. Prepare to pay to get the best hints!|title=''Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest'' instruction booklet|date=1995|page=26|pulisher=Nintendo of America|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite|quote=Rumor has it—and it might just be simian senility—that Cranky Kong covered all the levels and found everything in five hours and fifteen minutes!|author=Owsen, Dan, Terry Munson, and Paul Shinoda|title=''Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble'' Player's Guide|page=4|publisher=Nintendo of America|language=en|date=1996}}</ref>

 

He is currently a widower, as his wife [[Wrinkly Kong]] is deceased (starting in ''[[Donkey Kong 64]]''). He is usually portrayed as the elderly form of the original Donkey Kong from the [[Donkey Kong (game)|''Donkey Kong'' arcade game]],<ref name=DKC>{{cite|quote=He groggily rolled over to see the familiar wrinkled, white-bearded, grouchy face of his old granddad "Cranky Kong" peering down at him. In his heyday, Cranky was the original Donkey Kong who battled Mario in several of his own games.|publisher=Nintendo of America|language=en|date=1994|title=''Donkey Kong Country'' instruction booklet|pages=5-6}}</ref> and can be described as argumentative and bad-tempered, but with a heart of gold underneath his grumpy exterior. Cranky is usually a non-playable character, but he has made playable appearances in some games. His abilities and physical health vary greatly between games, from being unable to walk without two canes to being just as athletic as the other [[Kong]]s.

{{quote|Whisking off maidens and chucking barrels, seven days a week I was!|Cranky Kong|Donkey Kong Country 2 (Game Boy Advance)}}

{{main|Donkey Kong#Donkey Kong series}}

[[File:DKNESDonkeyKongPaulineArt.png|thumb|The original Donkey Kong with [[Pauline]]]]

According to [[#Identity confusion|various pieces of official media]], starting with ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'', Cranky Kong is the original Donkey Kong from the arcade games appearing in ''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]'', ''[[Donkey Kong Jr. (game)|Donkey Kong Jr.]]'' and ''[[Donkey Kong 3]]''. During his youthful prime, Cranky Kong kidnapped [[Pauline]] and took her to a construction site, was kidnapped and trapped in a cage by [[Mario]], and even battled [[Stanley]] in various greenhouses. He also implies in one of his lectures to his grandson that his kidnapping of Pauline was consistent enough that he did so "seven days a week." Not counting the "Modern" mixes in the [[Game & Watch Gallery (series)|''Game & Watch Gallery'' series]] or a cameo in ''[[Mario Clash]]'', his final role as Donkey Kong was in ''[[Donkey Kong (Game Boy)|Donkey Kong]]'' for Game Boy. He retired after he relinquished the name to his grandson.<ref>「1994年に発売された『ドンキーコング』（ゲームボーイ）を最後に、孫に“ドンキーコング”の名を譲り渡す。」 ("After the release of 'Donkey Kong' (Game Boy), he turned over the Donkey Kong name to his grandchild.") – {{cite|language=ja|publisher=Nintendo Online Magazine}}</ref>

[[File:Cranky Kong DKC.png|thumb|left|Cranky Kong, as he originally appeared in ''Donkey Kong Country'']]

Cranky first appeared in his elderly form in ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'', in which he lives in a slightly rundown shack known as [[Cranky's Cabin]]. From here, Cranky gives randomly selected advice on the game's various items and locations, mostly pertaining to the first few levels, to the new Donkey Kong and his friend [[Diddy Kong]]. Unlike in the sequels, Cranky asks no fee for his bits of advice and can be consulted as many times as the player desires. Cranky also appears in the opening cutscene before the title screen, operating a phonograph that plays the theme song from the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] version of ''Donkey Kong'' atop a [[Construction Site|construction site]]. Donkey Kong disrupts his session by knocking him aside and dancing to a remixed version of the song Cranky was playing on the phonograph, which plays on a boombox he drops nearby, then the scene turns to a jungle. Cranky, irritated by this interruption, throws a [[TNT Barrel]] at Donkey Kong's boombox, destroying it.

[[File:DKC2 Cranky Kong Artwork.jpg|thumb|Cranky Kong, in ''[[Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest]]'']]

In ''[[Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest]]'', Cranky sets up his [[Monkey Museum]] on [[Crocodile Isle]]. It appears as though, through his further aging, it has become more difficult to walk, as he stands with two canes. Once again, Cranky will give out information, this time for a price. In this game, Cranky also scatters several [[DK Coin|Video Game Hero Coin]]s throughout the game's various levels. Once [[King K. Rool|Kaptain K. Rool]] is defeated, Cranky will tally [[Diddy Kong]] and [[Dixie Kong]]'s "hero status" by how many Video Game Hero Coins they have collected. ''Donkey Kong Country 2'' also introduced Cranky's wife, [[Wrinkly Kong]].

Cranky's role remains relatively the same in the [[Donkey Kong Country 2 (Game Boy Advance)|remake]], although it was slightly expanded with a new sidequest. Cranky bought a racing ostrich he named [[Expresso]], which the Kongs can bulk up using [[golden feather]]s and race against other ostriches to try and achieve trophies in exchange for rewards from Cranky.

In ''[[Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!]]'', Cranky makes fewer appearances. A picture of Cranky is on a wall in the background of [[Wrinkly's Save Cave]]. In [[Swanky's Sideshow]], Cranky Kong acts as Dixie and [[Kiddy Kong]]'s opponent in various ball throwing [[minigame]]s. Cranky also appears at the end of the game to criticize Dixie and Kiddy's victory over [[KAOS]] and [[King K. Rool|Baron K. Roolenstein]], resulting in Dixie and Kiddy Kong approaching him ominously while he tries to avoid an inevitable beating by putting on glasses. At the end of the post-game cutscene, Cranky will appear in the background doing a few water-skiing tricks behind [[Funky Kong]], who pulls him with a motorboat. He eventually falls in water, but comes back to the surface holding up a sign which says "THE END" in runny ink. He is also top of the All-Time Greats list at the end of the game, having beat the game in 04:22 with 103%. If the player beats the game with the TUFST code activated, thereby attaining 105%, they will get a trophy of Cranky Kong in a black belt's outfit and will be named "Immortal Monkey!"

In the [[Donkey Kong Country 3 (Game Boy Advance)|remake]], Cranky runs several dojos, aptly named [[Cranky's Dojo]] to prepare for his self-purported "first" game, Cranky Kong Country. He wears a similar dojo outfit as in the original game's "Immortal Monkey!" trophy. In Cranky's Dojo, players gain the ability to play as a shield-wielding Cranky during a [[Bristles]] dodging minigame. Cranky's Dojo minigame must be beaten at least once to gain a [[Banana Bird]].

[[File:DKCRCrankyKongShop.png|250px|thumb|left|Cranky Kong's shop]]

Cranky appears in ''[[Donkey Kong Country Returns]]'' and ''[[Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D]]''. In the game, he runs [[Cranky Kong's Shop|a shop]] in each world and will often make sarcastic remarks over what Donkey and Diddy Kong buy. Aside from Donkey and Diddy, Cranky is the only Kong from the original trilogy to make a return appearance. According to him, the reason he made the shop was because his pension was revoked, so he has to sell items to make money. Unlike in previous games, he does not directly break the fourth wall, though he makes more subtle comments about the game's structure.

Cranky Kong is a playable partner character in ''[[Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze]]'' and its Nintendo Switch [[Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Nintendo Switch)|port of the same name]], marking the first time he is fully playable in a ''Donkey Kong Country'' game (his role as shopkeeper filled by Funky Kong). Cranky is able to use his cane to bounce upward, as well as on spikes, and defeat certain enemies that the other Kongs cannot. His cane can also be utilized while underwater, using a move called the Cane Swipe to attack and take down enemies that cannot be defeated by a simple [[Corkscrew (Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze)|corkscrew]] move, such as [[Pufftup]]s and [[Sea Urchin]]s. Despite the cane's capabilities, it cannot be used to collapse unsound underwater structures, balancing it in relation to the corkscrew action. Cranky's [[Popgun|Denture Popgun]] has unlimited ammo of dentures, which can be shot at enemies in order to stun them for a brief period of time. Cranky's use of his cane as a pogo stick to attack enemies is similar to the method of attack used by {{wp|Scrooge McDuck}}, the main protagonist of Disney's ''{{wp|DuckTales}}'', in a {{wp|DuckTales (video game)|video game adaptation}} of his show that [[Capcom]] produced for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] and [[Game Boy]].

Cranky later stars in the comic "A Blast From The Past". While uncloging a pipe at his treehouse, Cranky is disrupted by [[Ace investigative reporter|a human reporter]], who introduces himself by asking Cranky if he remembers anything about [[Pauline]]. Recalling it as having happened "a long time ago," Cranky proceeds to tell the tale of when he last saw her.

In a flashback, a [[Donkey Kong|younger Cranky Kong]] is climbing a construction site, telling Pauline it is "something [he] saw in a movie once." The commotion attracts a nearby [[Electrician|electrician]], who tries to rescue Pauline. Donkey Kong throws a [[Barrel|barrel]] at the individual, but he manages to get to the top of the construction site. Donkey Kong hits him with another barrel, but the electrician gets back up yet another time and taunts Donkey Kong, who retaliates by throwing ton of barrels at him and seemingly knocking the man out of sight.

Donkey Kong is concerned, saying he did not want to harm the man. The electrician pops out of the barrel Donkey is holding, scaring him. A furious Pauline kicks Donkey Kong, adominishing him for his antics and promising to get even.

Additionally, the instruction booklet for ''[[Donkey Kong Land 2]]'' accidentally states that "Even old Cranky charges for his words of wisdom", having copied and pasted the line directly from the ''Donkey Kong Country 2'' manual.<ref>{{cite|title=''Donkey Kong Land 2'' instruction booklet|date=1996|page=12|language=en|publisher=Nintendo of America}}</ref>

[[File:Rumble Jungle Illustration - Kongs and Squawks.jpg|thumb|left|Cranky Kong with Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong and [[Squawks]], from ''[[Donkey Kong Country: Rumble in the Jungle]]'']]

Cranky Kong appears in the 1995 novel ''[[Donkey Kong Country: Rumble in the Jungle]]'', accompanying Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong across the island to reach [[Big Ape City]]. At the beginning of the novel Cranky Kong expresses his disapproval about Diddy Kong flying in [[Funky Kong]]'s [[Jumbo Barrel|barrel plane]], complaining that "if apes were meant to fly, they'd have wings," and "there's nowhere any self-respecting ape would want to go that he can't get to on his own two hairy feet." After Funky Kong leaves in his plane, the Kongs find that he has accidentally left his walkie talkie with Donkey Kong. Trying to contact him, the Kongs hear that his plane is being attacked by "[[Hogwash the Flying Pig|flying pigs]]" near Big Ape City, and that he is going to crash.

Donkey Kong and Diddy immediately decide to travel to the city on foot. Cranky Kong doubts that they are capable, although he wishes to join them so that they do not have to "go off on another adventure alone." After reaching [[Tree Top Town]] on the edge of the jungle, Cranky Kong trips over a vine after insisting to take the lead, which triggers an alarm that alerts the [[Kremling]]s. Attacking alongside Donkey Kong and Diddy, Cranky uses his cane to slam several Kremlings on their feet, which sent them "hobbling into the bushes." An illustration also shows him swinging on a vine.

Once again, he makes comments throughout the instruction booklet, such as insulting the games' formulaic approach and hoping that an arcade-inspired level design he submitted ("The Great Girder Grapple") was included as a bonus. When presenting his own character profile, he insists on being called '''Professor Cranky Kong'''.<ref>{{cite|quote='''Professor Cranky Kong''' Yep, you read it right, sonny! It’s Professor Cranky now, and you’d better show your elders some respect, as I’m your only hope in defeating those rancid reptiles.|title=''Donkey Kong 64'' instruction booklet|publisher=Nintendo of America|language=en|date=1999|page=9}}</ref>

Cranky also appears in the ''[[Donkey Konga (series)|Donkey Konga]]'' series, though he is only playable in the series' third installment, ''[[Donkey Konga 3 JP]]''. This is the first game where Cranky is a playable character.

[[File:Cranky Kong DKKoS artwork.jpg|thumb|left|x180px|Cranky, as he appears in ''DK: King of Swing'']]

[[File:CrankyDKJUNGLE.jpg|thumb|Cranky, as he appears in ''DK: Jungle Climber'']]

While Cranky Kong himself does not appear in ''[[Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle]]'', a [[Rabbid]] in his likeness known as [[Rabbid Cranky]] appears in the [[Donkey Kong Adventure]] add-on.

 

In ''[[Super Mario Odyssey]]'', one of the streets in [[Metro Kingdom|New Donk City]] is named "Cranky Avenue".

Cranky Kong appears in ''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie]]'', voiced by [[Fred Armisen]] in the English version, which is his first direct appearance in ''[[Super Mario (franchise)|Super Mario]]'' media in his old age. He is the ruler of the [[Donkey Kong Island|Jungle Kingdom]], and commander of his own army, the great [[Kong army]]. In this depiction, Cranky Kong is adorned with an Inca-styled crown and outfit, and unlike his game depiction, does not have wrinkles on his mouth. He is also depicted as being [[Donkey Kong]]'s father, and his personality is altered somewhat from his behavior in the games.

{{quote|Before we start, let{{sic}} get a few things straight... you are racing for the pride of Team Kong, don't let us down... I did not suffer those interminable amounts of monotonous gameplay for you to blow it all now. Each [[Diddy Kong Pilot (2003)#Race courses|cup]] is made up of four races... If you win that then you need to go head to head against a Kremling to show them who is boss.. Look out for the Target Balloons... shoot them and a secret boost will appear... fly through it and something special will happen.. Think you can handle it? I very much doubt it.|Cranky Kong|2003 build of ''[[Diddy Kong Pilot (2003)|Diddy Kong Pilot]]''}}

[[File:DKP11.jpg|thumb|left|Cranky Kong in Hatch Match in the 2001 build of ''Diddy Kong Pilot'']]

Cranky is playable in every build of ''[[Diddy Kong Pilot]]''. In the Space World 2000 build, Cranky Kong piloted an old-fashioned plane with a red and light brown color scheme. Cranky Kong did not wear his spectacles and instead wore a pair of earmuffs over his head. Cranky Kong was mentioned in [[King K. Rool|Kamikaze K. Rool's]] story, "K. Rool's Gold", as having tried and failed to get the treasure of El Dorado. Cranky Kong was still a pilot in the [[Diddy Kong Pilot (2001)|2001 version]]. He retained his earmuffs and lack of glasses, but now flew a more advanced orange and yellow plane.

In the 2003 build of ''[[Diddy Kong Pilot (2003)|Diddy Kong Pilot]]'', Cranky is not initially a playable pilot. Instead, Cranky talks to Team Kong and the unlockable Team [[Kremling|Krem]] both before and after they start a cup or a new mode. Cranky encourages the former team to win races, but openly criticizes the latter. Cranky is one of the unlockable characters, and he can be obtained after he is beaten on every track in a one-on-one race while collecting all his [[Silver Coin|Coins]]. The character select screen for Team Cranky shows four different portraits for Cranky. Cranky now wears his usual spectacles instead of earmuffs and pilots a blue and brown biplane. He has the highest speed and acceleration of the other characters, and is lightweight. In the final iteration, ''[[jiggywikki:Banjo-Pilot|Banjo-Pilot]]'', Cranky's biplane was used by [[jiggywikki:Mumbo Jumbo|Mumbo Jumbo]], but [[Bottles]] is the character that inherited Cranky stat spread and spot as the final unlockable character. Bottles also serves the same role that Cranky had in ''Banjo-Pilot''

The pitch that would lead to ''Donkey Kong Country'', ''[[List of Donkey Kong Country pre-release and unused content|Donkey Kong and the Golden Bananas]]'', featured a character named '''Grandpa Kong''', who was a white-furred bearded Kong who looked very similar to Donkey Kong himself. Due to [[Donkey Kong Jr.]]'s presence in the pitch, it seems that the idea of him being the original arcade Donkey Kong had not yet been written. Throughout ''Donkey Kong Country''{{'}}s development, the character would eventually be retooled to his current appearance, but unused dialogue found in the game's data suggests Cranky was initially written as a more kindly and friendly individual.<ref>{{cite|title=[[tcrf:Donkey Kong Country (SNES)#Greetings|Donkey Kong Country (SNES) § Greetings]]|publisher=The Cutting Room Floor|accessdate=May 14, 2018}}</ref> Cranky Kong's dialogue in the final game and instruction manual was primarily written by [[Gregg Mayles]],<ref>{{cite|quote=Here's some of my [''Donkey Kong Country 2''] Cranky script.|url=x.com/Ghoulyboy/status/669612104433967105|title=Post|author=Mayles, Gregg|date=November 25, 2015|publisher=X|accessdate=February 7, 2024|archive=web.archive.org/web/20151224013549/https://twitter.com/Ghoulyboy/status/669612104433967105}}</ref> with some lines contributed by [[Tim Stamper]].<ref>{{cite|quote=I wrote most of those, [Tim Stamper] did a few too. Cranky originally threatening a 'thrashing' rather than a 'trashing', but no-one in the US understood what that was<!--period isn't in post-->|author=Mayles, Gregg|url=x.com/Ghoulyboy/status/964595629577195520|title=Post|publisher=X|date=February 16, 2018|accessdate=May 14, 2018|archive=web.archive.org/web/20210531044139/https://twitter.com/Ghoulyboy/status/964595629577195520}}</ref>

Compared to his appearances in the original ''Donkey Kong'' and its two sequels (where he greatly resembled the current Donkey Kong), Cranky Kong appears to have become thinner, more diminutive, and much less muscular over the years, with his fur also becoming slightly darker. He bears facial proportions much like those of his grandson, though his head is smooth on top, his lips are more wrinkled, and he wears thick glasses with black frames. He has also grown a thick, white beard which obscures most of his torso, due to the fact that he always stands with a heavy slouch. Beneath his beard, Cranky Kong wears a taupe sweater-vest (green in ''Donkey Kong Country 2'' and ''Donkey Kong Country 3'') as his only garment. Finally, Cranky always carries an ordinary-looking wooden cane with him (though he held two in ''Donkey Kong Country 2'' and ''Donkey Kong Country 3''). His trademark pose involves him standing on both feet with a heavy slouch, his cane in one hand, and the other arm resting on his back. In addition, his gameplay in ''Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze'' suggests that he might wear dentures.

Cranky is generally depicted as curmudgeonly and bitter, always making sarcastic remarks about various things, pointing out flaws in the other [[Kong]]s (particularly [[Donkey Kong]]) or even the very games he appears in, and complaining about everything he does not like. He is also rather cocky, claiming himself to be among the best video game icons ever, and that he is and always will be better than his grandson despite his old and frail state. His arrogance is countered by his poor sportsmanship however. ''[[Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest]]'' shows Cranky to be misogynistic in towards of [[Dixie Kong|Dixie]] whenever she and/or [[Diddy Kong|Diddy]] visit him in the [[Monkey Museum]].<ref>{{cite|quote=[[Dixie Kong|Girl heroes]] in video games, pah. I can't believe it! The main character should be really muscle-bound and carry a gun, [[Helicopter Spin|not twirl their hair round!]]|author=Cranky Kong, [[Monkey Museum]]|date=November 21, [[List of games by date#1995|1995]]|title=''[[Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest]]''|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|accessdate=July 8th, 2024}}</ref> Aside from this, Cranky Kong is also known to display traits of stereotypical elders, such as constantly demanding sleep. Cranky can be benevolent and heroic when the situation calls for it, such as how he helps DK and his friends take back [[Donkey Kong Island]] in ''[[Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze]]''. Cranky sometimes asks DK for help, or allows him take over in situations.  Despite his cantankerous manners, Cranky has praised his fellow Kongs on exceptional occasions (more frequently in ''[[DK: Jungle Climber]]'', where he is shown to be less irritable), such as telling Donkey Kong that "''he's nearly as good as I used to be"'' if 101% [[Completion]] is achieved in the original ''Donkey Kong Country'', or saying of Diddy that "''You're as big of a hero as they come.''" if all [[DK Coin|Video Game Hero Coin]]s are recovered in ''Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest''.

[[Rare Ltd.|Rareware]] initially created Cranky Kong for a game featuring the original [[Donkey Kong]] from the earlier ''Donkey Kong'' games, then-named "Grandpa Kong", being the grandfather of the original Donkey Kong.<ref>{{cite|title=[[List_of_Donkey_Kong_Country_pre-release_and_unused_content#Donkey_Kong_and_the_Golden_Bananas|''Donkey Kong and the Golden Bananas'']]}}</ref> As Rare's game got reworked into ''Donkey Kong Country'', featuring a more distinctly different Donkey Kong, Grandpa Kong was then established as the original Donkey Kong at an elderly age. Due to this, his exact relation to the current Donkey Kong has been inconsistent. Before the release of ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'', footage from a promotional video titled ''Donkey Kong Country: Exposed'' called Cranky Kong his "dad or grandfather", and Cranky Kong refers to Donkey Kong as "Junior" in the review of ''Donkey Kong Country'' by the ''Nintendo Magazine System''.<ref>{{cite|quote=I am the original Donkey Kong and, as such, command barrel loads of due respect from my proteges Junior (the Donkey Kong of this game) and Diddy.|author=Cranky Kong|title=''Nintendo Magazine System'' (UK) #26, Special|publisher=EMAP|language=en-gb|page=6}}</ref> Upon release, Cranky Kong being Donkey Kong's grandfather was the consistent backstory throughout the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]] [[Donkey Kong Country (series)|series]].<ref name=DKC/> While their relation was not explicitly stated in the [[Donkey Kong Country (television series)|television series]], Cranky acted as a father figure to Donkey Kong and [[Message in a Bottle Show|once said]] that he considered him like a son. Rare seemingly started to retcon their relationship in ''[[Donkey Kong 64]]'', in which Cranky Kong consistently addresses Donkey Kong as "son",<ref>{{cite|author=Cranky Kong|quote=That darn Donkey has all the luck! His girl Candy waits around in her hut, always willing to offer her musical help to that undeserving son of mine and his fancy polygonal friends. Pah!|title=''Donkey Kong 64'' instruction booklet|page=9}}</ref> implying a more direct parental role. [[Leigh Loveday]] stated in a 1999 online Q&A that the current Donkey Kong was intended to be Cranky Kong's son and thus an adult [[Donkey Kong Jr.]] as far as he was aware, and requested fans to completely ignore instances claiming Cranky to be his grandfather.<ref>{{cite|deadlink=y|title=Scribes - April 25, 1999|archive=web.archive.org/web/20020805184158/rareware.com/the_site/talk_to_us/scribes/aug25_99/aug25_99.html|publisher=Rarewhere|language=en-gb|accessdate=February 7, 2024}}</ref> Whether or not this statement was intended to be taken seriously, the Nintendo of Europe website for the [[Game Boy Advance]] version of ''[[Donkey Kong Country (Game Boy Advance)|Donkey Kong Country]]'' supported this notion.<ref>{{cite|url=www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Game-Boy-Advance/Donkey-Kong-Country-266551.html|title=Donkey Kong Country|publisher=Nintendo.co.uk|accessdate=April 13, 2017|archive=archive.ph/DAsmM|archivedate=July 2, 2022 18:13:39 UTC}}</ref> According to [[Gregg Mayles]] in 2017, Cranky Kong is Donkey Kong's grandfather and called him "son" during the events of ''Donkey Kong 64'' because he was so senile by then that he could not remember their actual relationship.<ref>{{cite|quote=I'm pretty sure when I made this stuff up nearly 25 years ago that he was his grandson. By DK64 he was so senile he couldn't remember<!--source doesn't include a period-->|author=Mayles, Gregg|url=x.com/Ghoulyboy/status/859502066225606656|date=May 2, 2017|title=Post|publisher=X|accessdate=February 7, 2024|archive=web.archive.org/web/20210504014556/https://twitter.com/Ghoulyboy/status/859502066225606656}}</ref> The Italian ''[[Club Nintendo (Italian magazine)|Club Nintendo]]'' magazine also states that Cranky is the father of Donkey Kong,<ref>{{cite|quote=«Su un'isola nella vasta foresta tropicale vive Donkey Kong, Re delle Scimmie e Re della Giungla. Ma non si tratta del Donkey Kong delle battaglie passate: questo super gorilla è il figlio dell'eroe dei giochi classici, con un aspetto completamente diverso, nuove pose e nuove mosse.<br>«Anche il padre di Kong, Cranky Kong, vive sull'isola, ma adesso è vecchio e un po' triste.»|translation=On an island in the vast tropical forest lives Donkey Kong, King of the Monkeys and King of the Jungle. But this is not the Donkey Kong of past battles: this super gorilla is the son of the hero of the classic games, with a completely different appearance, new poses and new moves.<br>Kong's father, Cranky Kong, also lives on the island, but now he's old and a little sad.|date=1994|url=archive.org/details/ClubNintendo-1994-6/page/n3/mode/2up|title=''Club Nintendo'', issue #6|page=4|accessdate=April 10, 2024|language=it|publisher=Linea GIG|website=Internet Archive}}</ref> despite the Italian instruction booklet stating that he is the grandfather.<ref>{{cite|quote=«era la faccia di suo nonno Cranky Kong che lo osservava! In gioventù, Cranky era stato l'originale Donkey Kong che aveva combattuto contro Mario in tanti videogiochi.»|translation=it was his grandfather Cranky Kong's face who was watching him! Back in his days, Cranky was the original Donkey Kong that faced Mario in many videogames.|title=''Donkey Kong Country'' Italian instruction booklet|page=6|date=1994|publisher=Nintendo|language=it}}</ref>

After Rare left Nintendo, the issue was left open for some time. Official bios for both ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'' imply that the Donkey Kong from the arcade games is the same as the current Donkey Kong,<ref>{{cite|quote=Donkey Kong and Mario started out as arch-rivals, but they've patched things up in recent years. These days Donkey Kong spends his time searching the jungle for bananas instead of kidnapping beautiful maidens.|title=''Super Smash Bros.'' Characters}}</ref><ref>{{cite|date=2001|language=en|quote=While he now prefers the laid-back jungle lifestyle to construction site mischief, DK is often forced back into action by the Kremling Krew.|title=''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' trophy description}}</ref> and ''[[Mario vs. Donkey Kong]]'' describes Donkey Kong as Mario's "original foe".<ref>[[:File:MvDKUS_back_cover.jpg|''Mario vs. Donkey Kong'' box back]]</ref> However, this is contradicted by ''[[Mario Superstar Baseball]]'', which distinguishes "his ancestor, the original Donkey Kong".<ref>{{cite|quote=His ancestor, the original Donkey Kong wore no necktie.|title=''Mario Superstar Baseball'' Exhibition Game Records}}</ref> Subsequently, ''[[Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis]]'' implies that Donkey Kong had never seen [[Pauline]] beforehand, suggesting him to be distinct from the original Donkey Kong.<ref>{{cite|quote=The Mario Toy Company’s hairiest employee. He instantly fell in love with Pauline as soon as he saw her at the theme park’s opening ceremony, and now the jealous ape has run off with her!|title=''Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis'' instruction booklet|date=2006|publisher=Nintendo of America|language=en|page=7}}</ref> ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' (and, consequently, ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'') sticks with the story that the original Donkey Kong is the current Donkey Kong's grandfather.<ref>{{cite|quote=The Donkey Kong who fought that epic battle with Mario was this guy's grandfather.|author=[[List of Smash Taunt characters#Otacon|Otacon]], [[Solid Snake|Snake's]] [[List of Snake's codec conversations#Donkey Kong|codec]]|title=''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''}}</ref> ''[[Donkey Kong Country Returns]]'' reaffirms the portrayal of Cranky Kong as the grandfather of the modern Donkey Kong.<ref>{{cite|quote=Donkey Kong’s white-bearded, grouchy grandfather, Cranky Kong, has set up shop in each world to sell items to aid Donkey Kong. Cranky Kong can ramble on about anything, but don’t ignore what he has to say, as his ramblings provide advice for those who pay careful attention.|title=''Donkey Kong Country Returns'' instruction booklet|author=Nintendo|date=2010|page=20}}</ref> This would be contradicted again in ''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie]]'', in which Donkey Kong is referred to as Cranky Kong's son and, according to the Japanese website, successor.<ref>「ジャングル王国とコング軍を率いるクランキーコングの後継者であり、息子。」 ("The successor and son of Cranky Kong, who leads the Jungle Kingdom and the Kong army.") – {{cite|url=www.nintendo.co.jp/smbmovie/|title=ザ・スーパーマリオブラザーズ・ムービー|publisher=nintendo.co.jp|accessdate=March 10, 2023}}</ref>  

The 2017 book ''Playing With Super Power: Nintendo Super NES Classics'' by [[Prima Games]] contains two contradictory notes. In one section, it is explained that Donkey Kong Jr. is a separate character from both Cranky Kong and Donkey Kong and is actually the father of the current Donkey Kong and the son of Cranky Kong (who is further explained to be the original Donkey Kong, "Donkey Kong Sr.").<ref>{{cite|quote=''Super Mario Kart'' is the only ''Mario Kart'' game to feature Donkey Kong Jr. Due to the success of ''Donkey Kong Country'', all future ''Mario Kart'' entries featured Donkey Kong, who is actually Donkey Kong Jr.’s son, with Cranky Kong, aka Donkey Kong Sr., canonically being the character featured in the original ''Donkey Kong'' game. Makes sense, right?|title=''Playing With Super Power: Nintendo Super NES Classics eGuide'', ''Super Mario Kart'' 16 Bits Tab}}</ref> Another section, however, notes that the current Donkey Kong is in fact a grown-up Donkey Kong Jr.<ref>{{cite|quote=As the marketing noted, “This isn’t your father’s Donkey Kong!” He is, in fact, Donkey Kong Jr., all grown up. For his 16-bit revival, Donkey Kong was redesigned, with his original creator Shigeru Miyamoto providing Rare with a sketch that included the now-iconic red tie. Mr. Miyamoto also suggested Donkey’s ape-inspired “hand slap” move, which allowed him to defeat nearby enemies and reveal certain secrets. Rare was able to implement the move just weeks before the deadline for the game.|title=''Playing With Super Power: Nintendo Super NES Classics eGuide'', ''Donkey Kong Country'' Characters Tab}}</ref> The Prima Games Twitter account clarified and elaborated upon the apparent contradiction, stating that the latter is meant to be taken as a metaphor for the original design process, whereas the former is the official interpretation of the characters' familial ties.<ref>{{cite|author=TTJ94|date=October 4, 2017|url=www.dkvine.com/interactive/forums/index.php?showtopic=13535|title=Post #45 in the thread titled "Official Nintendo Book confirms DK is the son of DK Jr.", showing the statement from Prima Games|publisher=dkvine.com|accessdate=September 12, 2024|archive=web.archive.org/web/20230313210123/http://www.dkvine.com/interactive/forums/index.php?showtopic=13535|deadlink=y}}</ref> This is the only published work that has directly stated that Donkey Kong Jr. is the father of the current Donkey Kong.

!width=15%|Release date

!width=20%|System/format

|''[[Donkey Konga 3 JP]]''

*'''Instruction booklet bio from [[Cranky Kong|Professor Cranky Kong]]:''' "''Yep, you read it right, sonny! It’s Professor Cranky now, and you’d better show your elders some respect, as I’m your only hope in defeating those rancid reptiles. My powerful potions will give you abilities you’ve never dreamed of and certainly don’t deserve, assuming of course you can afford my modest asking fee. Now don’t you go asking me for a potion of gameplay, as even my genius can’t rescue this game from its rightful destiny in the bargain bin.''"<ref>{{cite|language=en|publisher=Nintendo of America|date=1999|title=''Donkey Kong 64'' manual|page=9}}</ref>

===''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''===

{{Spirit

|no=140

|name=Cranky Kong

|image=[[File:CrankyDKCR.png|100px]]

|series=''Donkey Kong'' Series

|type=Primary

|slots=3

|class=Ace

|effects='''{{color|red|Attack}}'''<br>Speed ↓

|obtain={{iw|smashwiki|Adventure Mode: World of Light|World of Light}} ({{iw|smashwiki|DK Island (World of Light)|DK Island}}); Summoned with a Cyrus & Reese and Wrinkly Kong core

|opponents=[[Donkey Kong]]

|conditions='''Hazard:''' Slumber Floor

|stage=[[Jungle Japes (stage)|Jungle Japes]]

|song=Opening - Donkey Kong

}}

DKCG Cards - Cranky Kong.png|''[[Gallery:Donkey Kong Country (television series) trading cards|Donkey Kong Country]]'' (television series)

Cranky Kong DKonga3.png|''[[Donkey Konga 3 JP]]''

|Fin=Kärtty Kong{{sic}}

|Ger=Cranky Kong

|Ger2=Bubbles

|Ger2N=''Donkey Kong Country'' television series

|KorR=Keuraengki Kong

|Rom=Cranky Kong

|RomN=''The Super Mario Bros. Movie''

|RusR=Krenki Kong

|Tha=แครนกี คอง

|ThaC=<ref>{{cite|title=The Super Mario Bros. Movie Trailer 2|language=th|url=youtube.com/watch?v=3Egwz629D8c|date=November 29, 2022|author=UIP Thailand|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=December 9, 2022}}</ref>

*In the original [[Nintendo 64]] version of ''[[jiggywikki:Banjo-Kazooie|Banjo-Kazooie]]'', Cranky Kong and Donkey Kong's names are each an answer to one of the Grunty's Furnace Fun questions.<ref>{{cite|author=CountBleck2009|date=January 3, 2009|url=www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_ei79MB9ig|title=Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Furnace Fun Part I|publisher=YouTube|language=en|accessdate=February 7, 2014}}</ref>

*In the ''[[Donkey Kong Land 2]]'' coverage of both the 47th and 49th issues of the Australian ''Nintendo Magazine System'', a [[DK Coin]] is described as being a prize of "Kranky Kong",{{sic}} even though he does not appear in the game.<ref>{{cite|date=April 1997|title=''Nintendo Magazine System'' (Australia) issue 49|publisher=Catalyst Publishing|language=en-au|page=51}}</ref><ref>{{cite|date=February 1997|title=''Nintendo Magazine System'' (Australia) issue 47|publisher=Catalyst Publishing|language=en-au|page=48}}</ref>

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[[Category:Donkey Kong Country (television series) characters]]