Editing King K. Rool

{{FA}}
{{character infobox
|image=[[File:DKJC K.Rool.png|250px]]<br>Artwork from ''[[DK: Jungle Climber]]''
|species=[[Kremling]]
|first_appearance=''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'' ([[List of games by date#1994|1994]])
|latest_appearance=''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' ([[List of games by date#2018|2018]])
|latest_portrayal=[[Toshihide Tsuchiya]] (2007–2008)
|member_of=[[Kremling Krew]] (leader)<br>[[DK Wilds]]
}}
{{quote|I've been waiting a long time for this moment. Soon, [[Donkey Kong]] and his pretty little [[Donkey Kong Island|island]]... will be no more.|King K. Rool|[[Donkey Kong 64]]}}
'''King K. Rool''' (sometimes shortened as simply '''K. Rool''') is the arch-enemy of [[Donkey Kong]] and the main antagonist of the [[Donkey Kong (franchise)|''Donkey Kong'' franchise]]. He is a large [[Kremling]] who has undergone several different aliases while leading the [[Kremling Krew]], usually for a scheme that involves stealing the [[Kong]]s' [[banana hoard]], specifically so that he can starve Donkey Kong to death and take over, in addition to simply liking [[banana]]s.<ref name="rareware">{{cite|quote=K. Rool wants the banana horde because DK will starve and die without it, enabling the crafty croc to occupy the gorilla's cosy treehouse pad. He might also want it as he likes bananas, who knows?|deadlink=y|archive=web.archive.org/web/20020805184158/rareware.com/the_site/talk_to_us/scribes/aug25_99/aug25_99.html|title=Scribes - August 25, 1999|publisher=Rarewhere|language=en-gb|accessdate=June 5, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite|date=1994|title=''Donkey Kong Country'' instruction booklet|page=4|publisher=Nintendo of America|language=en-us|quote=The Kremlings were out there, this much was certain. They coveted Donkey Kong’s banana stockpile, the largest on the island, and probably in the world. A treasure in potassium and Vitamin A. The perfect food. “Ahhh... delicious bananas...” The thought of DK’s golden horde almost made Diddy forget his uncomfortable situation.}}</ref>

His name is a pun on the word "cruel," which often describes his actions and his personality, as well as an intentional misspelling of the word "rule."
==History==
===''Donkey Kong Country'' series===
====''Donkey Kong Country''====
[[File:KroolDKC.png|thumb|left|Artwork from ''Donkey Kong Country'', depicting the first design of King K. Rool]]
King K. Rool first appears in ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'' as the seventh and final boss. K. Rool, as the main antagonist, is the catalyst of the game's events, since his minions steal [[Donkey Kong]]'s [[banana hoard]], prompting [[Donkey Kong]] and [[Diddy Kong]] (whom he frees from a [[DK Barrel]]) to go all the way over to K. Rool's ship, the [[Gangplank Galleon]], and [[Gang-Plank Galleon|face him in battle]]. King K. Rool attacks by [[Crownerang|throwing his crown]],<ref>{{cite|author=Tilden, Gail, et al.|quote=King K. Rool throws his pointy crown at you.|title=''Donkey Kong Country'' Player's Guide|page=120|date=1994|publisher=Nintendo of America}}</ref> in the manner of a manner of a boomerang. Without the crown on his head, K. Rool can be stomped. After four hits, K. Rool causes cannonballs to drop from the sky. After K. Rool takes three more hits, the false ending credits ("kredits") is shown, featuring names of Kremlings as programmers.<ref>{{cite|timestamp=01:29|author=[[User:VideoGamePhenomHD|VideoGamePhenom]]|url=youtu.be/hSzd1iG4epE?feature=shared&t=89|title= Donkey Kong Country (SNES) - Gang-plank Galleon|publisher=YouTube|date=June 8, 2020}}</ref> King K. Rool gets up and tries to stomp on the Kongs by jumping: first making long jumps, then long and short jumps, then long, short, and very short jumps. K. Rool is defeated completely after three more hits. K. Rool also appears after the credits of the [[Donkey Kong Country (Game Boy Advance)|second remake]], where he forces Donkey, Diddy, Candy and Cranky Kong off the ship by threatening to blow up Kong Island with his onboard cannons.<ref>{{cite|timestamp=06:18|url=youtu.be/mbl2tiY75-s?feature=shared&t=378|title=''Donkey Kong Country'' (GBA): Gangplank Galleon + Ending|date=May 15, 2014|publisher=YouTube|author=GamerJGB}}</ref>

Some of King K. Rool's voice clips from ''Donkey Kong 64'' are reused in the second remake.

====''Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest''====
[[File:Kaptain K. Rool.png|thumb|Kaptain K. Rool]]
In ''[[Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest]]'', taking place after the events of the first game,<ref name=diddy>{{cite|quote=After all we did to get them back last time? Donkey Kong would go crazy if he lost his bananas again!|title=''Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest'' instruction booklet|page=4|date=1995|publisher=Nintendo of America}}</ref> K. Rool (under the alias of '''Kaptain K. Rool''') kidnaps Donkey Kong and holds him ransom over at [[Crocodile Isle]],<ref>{{cite|quote=In the best (worst?) pirate tradition, they've kidnaped{{sic}} Donkey Kong and are holding him for ransom in their lair on Crocodile Isle.|title=''Nintendo Power'' Volume 79|page=15|date=December 1995|publisher=Nintendo of America|author=Miller, Kent, Terry Munson, and Paul Shinoda}}</ref> demanding the banana hoard in exchange.<ref>{{cite|quote={{file link|Pirate Panic GBA letter.png|If you want him back, you scurvy dogs, you'll have to hand over the banana hoard!}}|location=[[Pirate Panic (Donkey Kong Country 2)|Pirate Panic]]|publisher=Nintendo|title=''[[Donkey Kong Country 2 (Game Boy Advance)|Donkey Kong Country 2]]''|date=2004|format=[[Game Boy Advance]]}}</ref> Diddy refuses K. Rool's offer,<ref name=diddy/> and he goes on a journey to rescue him,<ref>{{cite|title=''Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest'' instruction booklet|page=5|quote=Diddy stood up straight and proud, ready for his new quest. "I'll bring him back, you'll see!" he declared.}}</ref> now accompanied by his girlfriend [[Dixie Kong]].

K. Rool is supposedly a student at [[Kong Kollege]], as one of [[Wrinkly Kong]]'s lines of dialogue is asking the Kongs if K. Rool has done his homework. K. Rool is not a skilled sailor despite being a pirate, and he is responsible for multiple shipwrecks such as the one in Krem Quay.<ref>{{cite|author=Miller, Kent and Paul Shinoda|title=''Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest'' [[Nintendo Power#Player's Guides|Player's Guide]]|page=20|publisher=Nintendo of America|language=en-us|date=1995|quote='''KREM QUAY''' K. Rool proves he’s pirate and not a sailor with yet another wrecked ship. Be careful or you’ll get sunk in this swamp along with it!}}</ref>

Kaptain K. Rool is first fought in [[K. Rool Duel (Donkey Kong Country 2)|K. Rool Duel]], the boss level of [[The Flying Krock]]. He is first seen whacking Donkey Kong with his [[blunderbuss]] and shooting [[Cannonball|kannonball]]s at him,<ref>{{cite|url=youtu.be/GpbVsDREuKE?feature=shared&t=5|timestamp=0:05|author=VideoGamePhenom|date=June 10, 2020|title=''Donkey Kong Country 2'' (SNES) - The Flying Krock - K. Rool Duel|publisher=YouTube}}</ref> though only when first visited. K. Rool's main actions are to shoot kannonballs, both regular and spiked, as well as to dash back and forth with his blunderbuss. Kaptain K. Rool takes damage each time a kannonball is thrown into his blunderbuss.<ref>{{cite|quote=When he tries to vacuum you into his gun, heave a Kannonball at the gun's barrel.|title=''Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest'' Player's Guide|page=126}}</ref> Late into the battle, K. Rool begins a tactic of turning invisible and shooting light-blue, red, and purple smoke, which briefly freeze, slow, and invert the D-Pad controls, respectively. After nine hits, just before K. Rool can resume fighting, Donkey Kong breaks free and uppercuts him out of the stage, with K. Rool collapsing into the swampy waters of Crocodile Isle.<ref>{{cite|url=youtu.be/YUc2LBE39_g?feature=shared&t=251|timestamp=04:11|title=''Donkey Kong Country 2'' (GBA) - The Flying Krock - K. Rool Duel|publisher=YouTube|author=VideoGamePhenom|date=June 17, 2020}}</ref>

K. Rool is fought a second time at [[Krocodile Kore (Donkey Kong Country 2)|Krocodile Kore]] in the [[Lost World (Donkey Kong Country 2)|Lost World]],<ref>{{cite|timestamp=0:05|url=youtu.be/hi0StnCc3JI?feature=shared&t=5|title=''Donkey Kong Country 2'' (SNES) - The Lost World - Krocodile Kore|date=June 10, 2020|author=VideoGamePhenom|publisher=YouTube}}</ref> accessible after collecting every [[Kremkoin]]. K. Rool shoots several kannonballs and lastly a [[barrel]] containing a kannonball. The battle ends with K. Rool defeated once the kannonball enters his blunderbuss, which explodes as a result. From this, K. Rool is launched into a geyser that acts as a power source to Crocodile Isle and becomes stuck as the energy continues to build up until finally exploding, sinking Crocodile Isle underwater. The ending scene shows a ship sailing away from the island's remains, with a sinister laugh playing as it sails over the horizon. In the [[Donkey Kong Country 2 (Game Boy Advance)|remake]], K. Rool and his ship are bombed by [[Funky Kong]] from his [[Gyrocopter]], with K. Rool vowing to have revenge.

====''Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!''====
[[File:SSBU Baron K. Roolenstein Spirit.png|thumb|150px|left|Baron K. Roolenstein]]
The title of being the [[Kremling Krew]] leader seemingly goes from K. Rool to [[KAOS]] during the events of ''[[Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!]]''.<ref>{{cite|quote=On their travels, Dixie and Kiddy discover a whole new collection of Kremlings who seem to have a new Master{{sic}} named KAOS.|title=''Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!'' instruction booklet|page=5|date=1996|publisher=Nintendo of America}}</ref> K. Rool, going by the alias of '''Baron K. Roolenstein''', is not seen until the penultimate battle at [[Kastle Kaos]], when the red curtain lifts.<ref>{{cite|quote=Your battle is only beginning, as out from behind the curtain steps the true mastermind of all the trouble in the Northern Kremisphere: Baron K. Roolenstein!|''Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!'' Player's Guide|date=1996|page=104|author=Munson, Terry, and Paul Shinoda|publisher=Nintendo of America}}</ref><ref>{{cite|url=youtu.be/SJikAaNf_0k?feature=shared&t=58|author=VideoGamePhenom|date=June 12, 2020|title=''Donkey Kong Country 3'' (SNES) - KAOS Kore - Kastle KAOS|publisher=YouTube|timestamp=0:58}}</ref> After confessing to a plot of world domination involving KAOS, K. Rool says a ''{{wp|Scooby-Doo}}''-esque line, "[...] and I'd have gotten away with it... ...if it wasn't for you meddling kids," before taking over for the remainder of the battle. K. Rool uses a [[Propellerpack|helicopter pack]] on his back to fly and a remote control to send blasts of electricity. K. Rool can be attacked from having a barrel hit his helicopter pack, which Dixie and Kiddy can spawn by grabbing on a certain [[Handle (Donkey Kong Country 3)|handle]]. When K. Rool is defeated, KAOS crashes on the ground, freeing [[Donkey Kong]] and [[Diddy Kong]].

Baron K. Roolenstein is fought a second time in [[Knautilus]],<ref>{{cite|timestamp=0:05|url=youtu.be/Jb4_YX6l-1I?feature=shared&t=5|title=''Donkey Kong Country 3'' (SNES) - Krematoa - Knautilus|date=June 12, 2020|publisher=YouTube|author=VideoGamePhenom}}</ref> accessible in [[Krematoa]] after recovering all five [[Cog (Donkey Kong Country 3)|cog]]s. The battle is different, as K. Rool is often in the background and only sometimes arrives in front, where the Kongs are. K. Rool attacks by launching fireballs,<ref>{{cite|quote=Dodge the bouncing fireballs and keep your head low as you scramble to pick up a Steel Barrel.|author=Munson, et al.|title=''Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!'' Player's Guide|page=118}}</ref> and later electrical beams.<ref>{{cite|author=Munson, et al.|title=''Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!'' Player's Guide|page=118|quote=As the battle progresses, you'll have to dodge electricity arcing across the room.}}</ref> Like before, K. Rool can be damaged from [[Steel Keg]]s hitting his helicopter pack, which for this battle applies also to when K. Rool is in the background. After ten hits, K. Rool is defeated, losing control over his helicopter pack while moving out of control in the Knautilus.

Baron K. Roolenstein is last shown using the stolen [[Hover Craft]] on the [[Northern Kremisphere]] map,<ref>{{cite|timestamp=01:22|url=youtu.be/8uq9Qp7P3cc?feature=shared&t=82|author=VideoGamePhenom|date=June 12, 2020|title=''Donkey Kong Country 3'' (SNES) - 103% Ending|publisher=YouTube}}</ref> after the player characters free the [[Banana Queen]]. She flies after K. Rool as revenge for being imprisoned and drops an egg onto him, trapping K. Rool as his eyes peek out of the eggshell, appearing confused.

====''Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze''====
[[File:King K. Rool reference DKCTF.jpg|thumb|A reference to King K. Rool in ''Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze''.]]
While K. Rool is not in ''[[Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze]]'', the background of [[Grassland Groove]] displays a rock formation in the likeness of his head and several Banana Bunches of his crown.

===''Donkey Kong Country'' book series===
====''Donkey Kong Country'' ====
At the end of the ''[[Donkey Kong Country (novel)|Donkey Kong Country]]'' novel, King K. Rool announces to the Kremlings his intention to launch a final attack on the Kong's home, following the destruction of their factory on [[Donkey Kong Island]]. He later flees with his speedboat from Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, and [[Cranky Kong]] when the three characters board the [[Gangplank Galleon]], hearing of his scheme.

====''Donkey Kong Country: Rumble in the Jungle''====
Taking place after the first book, ''[[Donkey Kong Country: Rumble in the Jungle]]'' follows the plot of King K. Rool managing the reconstruction of a factory within the abandoned [[Big Ape City]]. He orders the use of a "truth machine" on [[Funky Kong]] at one point to determine if Funky is a spy. K. Rool returns in the climax, shooting rockets at Funky's barrel plane from a large zeppelin. Both [[Donkey Kong]] and [[Diddy Kong]] briefly encounter King K. Rool upon landing on the zeppelin and tell him that the ship will be blown up. K. Rool pushes himself past the Kongs, escaping, stating that he will not be aboard when that occurs. K. Rool's factory is ultimately destroyed when the zeppelin, which has [[TNT Barrel]]s, lands in it.

====''Donkey Kong Country: Rescue on Crocodile Isle''====
K. Rool appears in his Kaptain guise in the third installment of the ''Donkey Kong'' chapter book series, ''[[Donkey Kong Country: Rescue on Crocodile Isle]]''.

===''Club Nintendo''===
[[File: ComicKRool.jpg|thumb|150px|King K. Rool as he appeared in the ''[[Club Nintendo (magazine)|Club Nintendo]]'' comics]]
King K. Rool appears in the German [[Club Nintendo (German magazine)|Club Nintendo]] story [[Donkey Kong Country (comic)|Donkey Kong Country]]. He has human-like hands with five fingers and nails, though his feet are still clawed and reptilian. K. Rool is first seen sealing Diddy Kong into a [[DK Barrel]] before stealing Donkey Kong's [[banana hoard]]. He later appears on the Gangplank Galleon, where he battles but loses to both Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong.

His pirate alias, Kaptain K. Rool, also appears at the start of the ''Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest'' comic special to taunt a captured Donkey Kong.

===''Donkey Kong Land'' series===
====''Donkey Kong Land''====
[[File:King K. Rool DKL.png|thumb|left|The battle against King K. Rool in ''Donkey Kong Land'']]
King K. Rool makes his second appearance in ''[[Donkey Kong Land]]'', the follow-up to ''Donkey Kong Country''. He is called by [[Cranky Kong]] to steal Donkey Kong's banana hoard,<ref>{{cite|quote=I'll call old K. Rool and arrange everything. You'll wake up tomorrow without your bananas.|author=[[Cranky Kong]]|title=''Donkey Kong Land'' instruction booklet|page=5|publisher=Nintendo of America}}</ref> as part of a bet that Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong cannot have a successful journey on a [[Game Boy]] system. K. Rool is the final boss, and he is fought in [[K. Rool's Kingdom]] at the end of [[Big Ape City]].<ref>{{cite|timestamp=0:03|url=youtu.be/7bG1H5NzdeY?feature=shared&t=3|title=''Donkey Kong Land'' - Big Ape City - K. Rool's Kingdom|publisher=YouTube|date=May 9, 2019|author=VideoGamePhenom}}</ref> He retains his moves of throwing his crown and dashing to other sides of the screen. After six hits, K. Rool starts using a belly flop attack, which he does not in ''Donkey Kong Country'', and takes twelve hits to defeat altogether.

====''Donkey Kong Land 2''====
Kaptain K. Rool returns as the main antagonist of ''[[Donkey Kong Land 2]]'', where his role in the plot is identical to ''Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest''. Kaptain K. Rool is first fought on [[K. Rool Duel (Donkey Kong Land 2)|K. Rool Duel]] at the end of the Flying Krock.<ref>{{cite|timestamp=0:02|author=VideoGamePhenom|url=youtu.be/wEYEtFGOmG4?feature=shared&t=2|title=''Donkey Kong Land 2'' - The Flying Krock - K. Rool Duel|date=May 11, 2019|publisher=YouTube}}</ref> He only shoots kannonballs and lastly a barrel with a kannonball that can be thrown into his blunderbuss. At the end, Donkey Kong breaks free and uppercuts K. Rool out of the arena, results in his defeat.

Kaptain K. Rool is fought again at [[Krocodile Kore (Donkey Kong Land 2)|Krocodile Kore]] in the Lost World,<ref>{{cite|url=youtu.be/Y7fyzmRsCQ0?feature=shared&t=3|timestamp=0:03|title=''Donkey Kong Land 2'' - The Lost World - Krocodile Kore|date=May 11, 2019|author=VideoGamePhenom|publisher=YouTube}}</ref> again requiring every Kremkoin to access. It is mostly the same, but like in ''Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest'', only a single kannonball is required to defeat K. Rool. Unlike before, K. Rool is not seen escaping from Crocodile Isle as it sinks underwater during the end cutscene afterward.

====''Donkey Kong Land III''====
K. Rool reappears in his ancestral<ref>{{cite|date=December 1997|language=en-us|publisher=Nintendo of America|title=''Nintendo Power'' Volume 103|page=85|quote=K. Rool has taken his ancestral title of Baron K. Roolenstein and now fancies himself some sort of mad scientist.}}</ref> baron costume in ''[[Donkey Kong Land III]]''. He is among the competitors who searches for the [[Lost World (Donkey Kong Land III)|Lost World]]. Baron K. Roolenstein is never titled as such in the game, only as '''K. Rool''' (incorrectly titled '''K Rool''' in levels where he is fought). He is first fought in [[K Rool Duel]],<ref>{{cite|timestamp=0:03|url=youtu.be/FvaJoGKDA3s?feature=shared&t=3|title=''Donkey Kong Land III'' (GBC) - Tin Can Valley - K. Rool Duel|publisher=YouTube|date=May 15, 2019|author=VideoGamePhenom}}</ref> where his attack is to shoot electric beams and, after being hit by a [[barrel]], bounce around briefly. It takes only three hits to defeat K. Rool.

K. Rool is fought again in [[K Rools Last Stand]], at the end of the Lost World.<ref>{{cite|timestamp=0:02|url=youtu.be/FBNJYNgd5-Y?feature=shared&t=2|title=''Donkey Kong Land III'' (GB) - The Lost World - K. Rool's Last Stand|publisher=YouTube|author=VideoGamePhenom|date=May 13, 2019}}</ref> K. Rool attacks using bombs, besides electrical beams, and is vulnerable to barrels like before. Following K. Rool's defeat, Dixie and Kiddy are announced the winners of the Lost World contest, and K. Rool gives the six [[Watch (Donkey Kong Land III)|Watch]]es to the Kongs, challenging them to complete the Time Attack mode.

===''Super Mario-kun''===
[[File:KingKRool SuperMarioKun.jpg|thumb|King K. Rool as he appears in ''Super Mario-kun'']]
King K. Rool appears in [[Super Mario-kun Volume 14|volumes 14]] and [[Super Mario-kun Volume 15|15]] of ''[[Super Mario-kun]]'' in the arcs based off ''Donkey Kong Country''. Here, his role is the same as the game: he is the main villain and he steals Donkey Kong's banana hoard, but in addition to fighting Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong, he also fights Mario and Yoshi, who are also present in said arcs. Like Bowser, he is shown having a comical side, but most of the time, he is cunning and cruel.

In two special chapters in [[Super Mario-kun Volume 22|volumes 22]] and [[Super Mario-kun Volume 23|23]], based off the ''Donkey Kong Country'' TV series, K. Rool is once again the main antagonist. In the first chapter he is after the Crystal Coconut, while in the second one he ambushes DK and [[Bluster Kong]], who were trying to immortalize for [[Candy Kong]] the first sunset of 2000, on the mountains, failing miserably.

===''Super Mario'' (Kodansha manga)===
King K. Rool is the main antagonist in ''[[Super Donkey Kong with Mario 1]]'' and ''[[Super Donkey Kong with Mario 2]]''. In the first volume, an adaptation of ''Donkey Kong Country'', he allies with [[Manky Kong]], whose information helps him conquer the island. Mario and the Kongs defeat him, trapping him in a [[Steel Barrel]] and tossing him in the ocean.

In the second volume, the barrel drifts to the [[Mushroom Kingdom]], where [[Princess Peach]] opens it, unleashing K. Rool. The Kremling King conquers the Kingdom and forces the [[Toad (species)|Toads]] in helping him get revenge by returning to DK Isle and challenging Mario and the Kongs to a series of Picross duels. K. Rool eventually loses against Mario and the Mushroom Kingdom is freed from his clutches.

===''Donkey Kong 64''===
[[File:K Rool DK64 art.png|thumb|left|150px|King K. Rool in ''Donkey Kong 64'']]
King K. Rool has a new scheme to destroy [[Donkey Kong Island]] in ''[[Donkey Kong 64]]'', by using the [[Blast-o-Matic]] from the rebuilt [[Crocodile Isle]], which breaks down and undergoes repairs after crashing into a rock. To buy time for the repairs, K. Rool has [[Diddy Kong]], [[Tiny Kong]], [[Lanky Kong]], and [[Chunky Kong]] imprisoned and steals Donkey Kong's [[Golden Banana]] Hoard again. He has some similarities to the ''{{wp|James Bond}}'' villain {{wp|Ernst Stavro Blofeld|Blofeld}}, petting a Klaptrap in the manner of Blofeld petting his cat as well as having his face largely obscured in earlier cutscenes. However, K. Rool breathes and speaks similarly to ''{{wp|Star Wars}}'' villain {{wp|Darth Vader}}. K. Rool's laugh uses a pitched-down version of the "{{file link|Evil Laugh.oga|Evil Laugh}}" stock sound effect from the ''Cartoon Trax Volume 1'' album,<ref>{{cite|url=soundideas.sourceaudio.com/#!details?id=11488964|title=EvilLaugh CRT023801|publisher=Sound Ideas|accessdate=January 23, 2022}}</ref> which is reused for [[Kloak]]s and [[Kroc]]s in the [[Game Boy Advance]] remakes of ''[[Donkey Kong Country 2 (Game Boy Advance)|Donkey Kong Country 2]]'' and ''[[Donkey Kong Country 3 (Game Boy Advance)|Donkey Kong Country 3]]'', respectively. He witnesses the Kongs' progress at parts of the journey while also scolding the Kremlings for their incompetence. At one point, he sends a large red [[Klaptrap]] after a [[Kasplat]] for trying to escape.

[[File:K. Rool (crystal caves).png|thumb|A portrait of Kaptain K. Rool]]
Portraits of Kaptain K. Rool are in various areas, including [[Gloomy Galleon]]'s sunken ships (as well as "Kaptain K. Rool's Log Book"), several log cabins in [[Crystal Caves]], and in [[Creepy Castle]]'s Museum.

Around the time the Kongs infiltrate [[Hideout Helm]], the Blast-o-Matic becomes nearly operational. K. Rool orders the machine to activate, ignoring warnings that it could explode. Later, when the Kongs deactivate the Blast-o-Mastic entirely, K. Rool tries to escape in his [[Kremling craft]], but a released K. Lumsy knocks it to the ground. The final battle takes place in the [[boxing arena]] within the Kremling craft, complete with spectators and King K. Rool, as his boxer alias '''King Krusha K. Rool'''. There are five rounds, each involving a different Kong:

*'''Round 1:''' K. Rool fights [[Donkey Kong]]. He attacks by ground pounding to produce shockwaves. From the perspective of a [[Baboon Blast]] [[Barrel Cannon|cannon]], K. Rool is shown throwing punches a number of times but gets distracted by the cheering crowd. Donkey Kong can hit K. Rool while he is distracted. With each hit, K. Rool generates more shockwaves per each ground pound, slowly forming two rows of four shockwaves. After four hits, the next round will begin.
*'''Round 2:''' K. Rool fights [[Diddy Kong]]. He attacks by throwing his right boxing glove as a boomerang. Diddy can use his [[Rocketbarrel Boost|Rocketbarrel Barrels]] and [[Popgun]]s to cause a light fixture to fall onto K. Rool. The fourth and final light becomes stuck on K. Rool, going into the next round.
*'''Round 3:''' K. Rool fights [[Lanky Kong]]. K. Rool is still unable to see because of the light stuck on his head, allowing to Lanky use his elastic arms to punch number buttons and grab a barrel that releases a giant banana peel when thrown. K. Rool sprints towards Lanky if the latter uses [[Trombone Tremor]], slipping if the banana peel is in the way or squishing Lanky otherwise. After slipping four times, the next round starts.
*'''Round 4:''' K. Rool fights [[Tiny Kong]], after [[Kritter]]s manage to get the light fixture removed. K. Rool uses the same ground-pound move from the first round, which Tiny avoid with her [[Pony Tail Twirl]], but this time, it injures K. Rool. While K. Rool is hurt, Tiny can use [[Mini-Monkey]] to enter a hole in K. Rool's left shoe and shoot feathers at his moving toes until they become red. After his four toes become red, the final round begins.
*'''Round 5:''' K. Rool is lastly fought by [[Chunky Kong]]. K. Rool both runs and rebounds off of the ropes while invisible to attack. Chunky can make K. Rool and a [[Hunky Chunky]] barrel visible by [[Simian Slam]]ming a switch in the middle of the ring and then using [[Gorilla Gone]] pads. When Chunky enters a Hunky Chunky barrel, both he and K. Rool appear on opposite corners of the ring. K. Rool charges at Chunky, attempting to uppercut him, but Chunky can counter this by using a [[Primate Punch]]. Following the second and third hit, K. Rool becomes invisible while attempting to strike, and after a fourth hit, K. Rool collapses in defeat. While K. Rool does recover and tries attacking Chunky from behind, he is distracted by [[Candy Kong]] so that [[Funky Kong]] can send him flying. K. Rool lands into [[K. Lumsy's Prison]], where an angry [[K. Lumsy]] beats him as revenge for being locked up before sending K. Rool off once more.

===''Uho'uho Daishizen Gag: Donkey Kong''===
In ''[[Uho'uho Daishizen Gag: Donkey Kong]]'', K. Rool, just like in the TV series, has his mind set on taking the Crystal Coconut from the Kongs and becoming the DK Isle ruler. Most of his plans parallels the one from the episodes (even if only three chapters are directly based off them). Like in the cartoon, he is followed by General Klump and Krusha.

===''Donkey Kong Country'' television series===
[[File:DKCTVKingK.Rool.png|thumb|left|King K. Rool, as he appears in the ''Donkey Kong Country'' television series]]
{{quote|Where I come from, we do things with style, drama, flair.|King K. Rool|"[[Bluster's Sale Ape-Stravaganza]]"}}
K. Rool is one of the main characters and the main antagonist in the [[Donkey Kong Country (television series)|''Donkey Kong Country'' animated series]], where his name is typically pronounced "Kuh-Rool"; "Kay-Rool" is only said once. In the show, his personality is relatively the same as in the games. He is bossy, loud, megalomaniacal, flamboyant, dramatic, and slightly clumsy; despite this, however, he is not without a soft side, as seen in episodes such as "[[Baby Kong Blues]]" and "[[Four Weddings and a Coconut]]". 

King K. Rool's physical appearance is slightly altered from his video game counterpart. His tail is gone and one eye is not bloodshot, unlike in the games, though it does bulge to large proportions when he is excited or irritated, and it briefly appears bloodshot after DK punches it at the end of "[[Ape Foo Young]]" and after he rolls K. Rool into a bowling ball in "[[A Thin Line Between Love and Ape]]". His eyes also are not connected as they are in the games, and instead are separated. K. Rool's wrist bands are more detailed, instead of being plain gold, as is his crown. King K. Rool's cape is also much shorter in length in the ''Donkey Kong Country'' cartoon. K. Rool also has no combat abilities and thus can easily be defeated by Donkey Kong. K. Rool is a strategist instead of a combatant, trying to outsmart the Kongs using his army of loyal, yet dimwitted Kremlings.

His voice, provided by [[Ben Campbell]], is radically different from the games, such as ''Donkey Kong 64''. He constantly brags about his brain and emphasizes this by using more complex jargon. Often, with the aid of his henchmen [[General Klump|Klump]] and [[Krusha]], he attempts to steal the [[Crystal Coconut]] and use its power to rule [[Donkey Kong Island|Kongo Bongo Island]] and possibly the world. He seems to always be hatching plans to steal the coconut; however, they always lead to complete failure or humiliating defeats due to a combination of the stupidity of his troops and the resourcefulness of the Kongs. K. Rool has a very low tolerance for the incompetence of both Krusha and Klump, to the point where, in one episode, he mutters to himself "Do I really want the Crystal Coconut this badly?" while Krusha and Klump try to decode a message they themselves wrote. When not scheming to take the Coconut, he otherwise plans to eliminate Donkey Kong, who is the Coconut's main protector, by incriminating him, or to take over [[Bluster Barrelworks]] to manufacture exploding barrels. His various other plans vary from episode to episode: for example, during a heatwave, he plots to steal a bunch of Donkey Kong's "Coconut Chill" shakes to keep him and his Kremlings cool.

The series also expands King K. Rool's backstory slightly, with the episode "[[Best of Enemies]]" revealing that he was once friends with Cranky Kong and that the two were notorious pranksters; another episode entitled "[[The Kongo Bongo Festival of Lights]]" also has King K. Rool mentioning his mother and various unnamed siblings. The ''Donkey Kong Country'' cartoon also introduces a rival of sorts to King K. Rool, a pirate named [[Kaptain Skurvy]], who also wishes to obtain the Crystal Coconut.

In a possible alternate timeline seen in the episode "[[It's a Wonderful Life]]", in which Donkey Kong sees what Kongo Bongo Island would be like if he did not exist, King K. Rool is portrayed as a somewhat timid freedom fighter in a feud with Diddy Kong, who is portrayed as a power-hungry tyrant.

===''Bumm-Badabumm im Urwald''===
Kaptain K. Rool is also featured as the main antagonist in an obscure German ''Donkey Kong'' comic, ''[[Bumm-Badabumm im Urwald]]''; however, he is always referred to as King K. Rool. In this story, K. Rool sends several members of the Kremling Krew to steal all the bananas on Donkey Kong Island, apparently hoping to starve the Kongs to make them weaker. K. Rool himself appears only near the end of the comic in the "[[Lost World (Donkey Kong Country 2)|Lost Land]]". When K. Rool notices that the Kongs are in the Lost Land, he, at first, sends several dozen Kremlings at Donkey, Diddy and Dixie Kong, thinking the sheer number of Kremlings would defeat the Kongs. Unfortunately for K. Rool, the Kongs managed to pulverize his Kremling warriors. Taking matters into his own hands, K. Rool tries to blast the Kongs with a [[pineapple|pineapple-launching]] blunderbuss. At first, it seems the Kongs are overpowered, until Donkey Kong finds and throws a nearby [[TNT Barrel]] into the pile of bananas K. Rool is standing on. The resulting explosion buries K. Rool under the huge pile of bananas. King K. Rool is last seen having made a deal with Donkey Kong: in exchange for digging him out of the giant pile of fruit, he would have all the bananas returned to the Kongs.

===''Donkey Kong in When the Banana Splits''===
K. Rool is also featured as the villain of another Donkey Kong comic called ''[[Donkey Kong in When the Banana Splits]]''. Here, K. Rool, along with several [[Kritter]]s, manage to steal all of the Kongs' [[Golden Banana]]s. Unfortunately for K. Rool, his heist is a failure, as he steals the bananas when the Kongs are home, so they easily track him and his Kritter minions down. In the end, K. Rool is defeated by Donkey Kong's Super Duper [[Simian Slam]] and the Kongs reclaim their stolen bananas.

===''Super Smash Bros.'' series===
{{main-wiki|SmashWiki|King K. Rool}}
{{SSB fighter infobox
|color=purple
|image=King K Rool SSBU.png
|emblem=DK Emblem.png
|games=''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' (unlockable)
|standard=[[Blunderbuss]]
|side=[[Crownerang]]
|up=[[Propellerpack]]
|down=[[Gut Check (move)|Gut Check]]
|final=[[Blast-o-Matic]]
|entrance=King K. Rool lands on-stage with his arms folded and laughs.
}}
[[File:KRoolOutfit.jpg|thumb|left|The King K. Rool Mii Outfit in ''Super Smash Bros. for Wii U'']]
A [[Trophy (Super Smash Bros. series)|trophy]] of King K. Rool can be obtained in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' (utilizing his ''Donkey Kong Barrel Blast'' design), ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS]]'', and ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Wii U]]''. The trophy in ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'' incorrectly states that Kaptain K. Rool is his brother. A few other references and cameos include "KROOL" being a name that is displayed upon pressing the "Random Name" button in ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'' and his own downloadable [[Mii Brawler]] [[List of Mii Fighter Outfits|costume]] in ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS'' and ''Super Smash Bros. for Wii U''.
{{br|left}}
====''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''====
{{main-wiki|SmashWiki|King K. Rool (SSBU)}}
King K. Rool is a playable {{iw|smashwiki|fighter}} in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. He was first announced in his reveal trailer at the end of a {{iw|nwiki|Nintendo Direct}} on August 8, 2018.<ref>{{cite|url=youtu.be/UCQ6X0zdmuw?feature=shared&t=1485|timestamp=24:45|title=''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' Direct 8.8.2018 (reupload)|author=DonnerMilbe24|date=August 8, 2021|publisher=YouTube}}</ref> Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong are pranked by {{iw|smashwiki|King Dedede (SSBU)|King Dedede}} wearing a King K. Rool costume, before the actual King K. Rool knocks him aside, shocking the Kongs and then roaring before gameplay footage is shown. The trailer ends with Donkey Kong knocked back only to rush on all fours at K. Rool, with the latter doing in kind, before proceeding to have their fists make contact in midair and release a shockwave that causes the jungle to sway. After the logo, more in-game footage of K. Rool is shown, where he feigns defeat as he did in ''Donkey Kong Country''. The trailer plays a different arrangement of Gang-Plank Galleon and concludes with K. Rool and Donkey Kong dashing toward each other from opposite sides before jumping and extending their fists out to one another.

King K. Rool joins [[Bowser Jr.]] and [[smashwiki:Villager (SSBU)|Villager]] to fight {{iw|smashwiki|Incineroar (SSBU)|Incineroar}} to fight it at the end of it and {{iw|smashwiki|Ken (SSBU)|Ken}}'s reveal trailer.<ref>{{cite|timestamp=02:07|url=youtu.be/7buEBe9YB9g?feature=shared&t=127|title=''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'': Incineroar and Ken Reveal Trailer|author=IGN|date=November 1, 2018|publisher=YouTube}}</ref> Due to the {{iw|smashwiki|Boxing Ring}} setting and K. Rool wearing boxing gloves, it supposedly references his battle in ''Donkey Kong 64''.

King K. Rool also has a role in [[Banjo]] and [[Kazooie]]'s debut trailer.<ref>{{cite|timestamp=0:20|url=youtu.be/I67pPXS96UI?feature=shared&t=20|title=''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' – Banjo-Kazooie Reveal Trailer {{!}} E3 2019|date=June 11, 2019|author=GameSpot Trailers|publisher=YouTube}}</ref> K. Rool is asleep in Donkey Kong's Treehouse with Diddy and Donkey Kong. In a similar vein to K. Rool's reveal trailer, [[Duck Hunt (character)|Duck Hunt]] pretends to be {{iw|smashwiki|Banjo & Kazooie (SSBU)|Banjo & Kazooie}} before the real duo ambush them. At the end, following an attack from the {{iw|smashwiki|The Mighty Jinjonator}}, King K. Rool collapses, before crashing into the ground and boulder falling on top, referencing {{iw|jiggywikki|Gruntilda}}'s defeat in ''{{iw|jiggywikki|Banjo-Kazooie}}''.

Several of King K. Rool's {{iw|smashwiki|move}}s reference earlier boss fights of his, such as using his [[Crownerang|crown as a boomerang]], a [[blunderbuss]], the [[Propellerpack]], and boxing gloves, while his [[Final Smash]] involves him firing the [[Blast-o-Matic]]. King K. Rool has the unique move [[Gut Check (move)|Gut Check]], in which he uses his {{iw|smashwiki|Belly Super Armor|belly armor}} to counter or reflect opponents' attacks, and it can also protect him when he uses his {{iw|smashwiki|forward tilt}} and {{iw|smashwiki|dash attack}}. K. Rool's armor takes 47 seconds to fully restore, with four seconds per hit point. K. Rool's armor shattering stuns him in the manner of a {{iw|smashwiki|shield}} break. King K. Rool is the second {{iw|smashwiki|Weight|heaviest}} fighter, being lighter than only [[Bowser]]. King K. Rool's voice clips are of realistic crocodile grunts, and his {{iw|smashwiki|victory theme}} is a rendition of the first few notes of "Gang-Plank Galleon" from ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]''. K. Rool's name is {{iw|smashwiki|Announcer|announced}} differently in the Japanese and Korean {{iw|smashwiki|language}}s.

The Mii Fighter costume of King K. Rool returns in the base game, with an updated look to match his design as a fighter in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''. K. Rool's [[Spirit (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate)|fighter spirit]] uses his artwork from ''[[DK: Jungle Climber]]'', and his alter egos Kaptain K. Rool and Baron K. Roolenstein each appear as a {{iw|smashwiki|primary spirit}}.

In {{iw|smashwiki|Adventure Mode: World of Light}}, King K. Rool appears in the opening cutscene with the other fighters. He is hit by {{iw|smashwiki|Galeem}}'s beams, which imprison him and every other fighter except {{iw|smashwiki|Kirby (SSBU)|Kirby}}, and {{iw|smashwiki|False character|Puppet Fighters}} of K. Rool and the other captured fighters are made. K. Rool is defeated and freed from control in the {{iw|smashwiki|Mysterious Dimension}}.

King K. Rool's {{iw|smashwiki|Classic Mode (SSBU)|Classic Mode}} route, "Super Heavyweight Class," features battles with heavy fighters, including two of the ''Super Mario'' franchise: Donkey Kong and Bowser. He engages in the following battles in the following order:

#{{iw|smashwiki|Charizard (SSBU)|Charizard}} at {{iw|smashwiki|Unova Pokémon League}}
#[[Bowser]] at {{iw|smashwiki|Find Mii}}
#{{iw|smashwiki|King Dedede (SSBU)|King Dedede}} at {{iw|smashwiki|Boxing Ring}}
#{{iw|smashwiki|Ridley (SSBU)|Ridley}} at {{iw|smashwiki|Brinstar Depths}}
#{{iw|smashwiki|Ganondorf (SSBU)|Ganondorf}} at {{iw|smashwiki|Bridge of Eldin}}
#[[Donkey Kong]] at [[Kongo Jungle (Super Smash Bros.)|Kongo Jungle]]
#Final boss fight against {{iw|smashwiki|Galleom}}

===''Donkey Konga''===
King K. Rool sometimes dances to the music and is the focus of the [[Bash K.Rool]] minigame in ''[[Donkey Konga]]'', where the player's goal is to hit him with a [[Steel Barrel]] several times. He is also mentioned in the opening scene by Diddy, who claims that the bongos that Donkey Kong found could be a trap of K. Rool's.

===''DK'' series===
====''DK: King of Swing''====
[[File:K Rool DKKoS art.jpg|thumb|Artwork from ''DK: King of Swing'']]
King K. Rool returns as the main antagonist of ''[[DK: King of Swing]]''. He steals every [[Medal (DK: King of Swing)|medal]]s to become the self-proclaimed king of the [[Jungle Jam]] competition, so [[Donkey Kong]] goes on a journey to get them back. Each world begins with a few medals dropping out of K. Rool's hovercraft. King K. Rool is fought in his [[King K. Rool (level)|namesake stage]] on [[K. Kruizer III]].<ref>{{cite|timestamp=06:02|url=youtu.be/yWJy0AnlPYU?feature=shared&t=362|title=Donkey Kong King of Swing - All Bosses (No Damage)|date=May 8, 2018|publisher=YouTube|author=ProsafiaGaming}}</ref> The first part involves racing on [[Peg Board]]s, with Donkey Kong having to reach the end first. K. Rool dismisses it as practice before the second and final part, where the two battle on Peg Boards. K. Rool and Donkey Kong each try to attack by charging into each other. After enough hits, K. Rool is defeated, earning Donkey Kong the last medal before leaving with K. Rool's hovercraft and all of the other medals.

The game is the first to feature K. Rool as a playable character, specifically in [[Jungle Jam]] mode, where he is the largest and most powerful of them. K. Rool is partnered by default with [[Bubbles (Clu Clu Land)|Bubbles]], the main character of ''{{iw|nwiki|Clu Clu Land}}''.

====''DK: Jungle Climber''====
In ''[[DK: Jungle Climber]]'', King K. Rool appears as the main antagonist. He is first encountered at the peak of [[Sun Sun Island]], where he and his entourage of five [[Kritter]]s steal the five [[Crystal Banana]]s from the banana alien [[Xananab]]. When King K. Rool notices Donkey, Diddy, and Cranky Kong are heading their way, they quickly flee the scene using a dimensional portal device known as a [[Spirowarp]]. After this encounter, King K. Rool is encountered several more times on the various islands and dimensions of the game, usually appearing annoyed at Donkey, Diddy, Cranky and Xananab pursuing him before having one of his Kritter followers power up with a Crystal Banana and battle them.

After DK claims the fourth Crystal Banana from King K. Rool's completed [[Mega Amp]] and final Kritter subordinate on the [[King Kruizer IV]], King K. Rool flees through a wormhole to the [[Planet Plantaen]] after feigning a fight. Chased to a dead end on Planet Plantaen, K. Rool battles Donkey Kong, attacking by jumping at him, charging into him, and throwing exploding spiked balls, but is defeated in this battle. Refusing to submit to his enemies, he uses his last Crystal Banana to grow larger and become even more powerful for a true final battle.

In his new form, King K. Rool attacks by exhaling fire, exploding mines, summoning meteors of various sizes, gales of wind, and trying to crush the Kongs with his hands. In this form, King K. Rool's only vulnerable spot is his face, which, once hit five times, depletes King K. Rool's health, depowering him and leaving him unconscious while the expelled Crystal Banana is claimed. King K. Rool is last seen in ''DK: Jungle Climber'' being taken back to his and the Kong's home planet, dragged through space by a rope attached to the back of a [[Banana Ship]]. It is unknown what the Kongs did with him once they returned home.

===''Donkey Kong Barrel Blast''===
King K. Rool is an unlockable playable character in ''[[Donkey Kong Barrel Blast]]''. He uniquely rides a barrel-like vehicle that emits a jet flame, has a unique claw attack, and a different slipstream. He has high boost, speed and agility, like his rival [[Cranky Kong]]. K. Rool is unlocked by winning Challenge 31 of [[Candy's Challenges]].

===''Mario Super Sluggers''===
[[File:MSS King K Rool Artwork.png|thumb|K. Rool's new outfit from ''Mario Super Sluggers'']]
King K. Rool is playable in ''[[Mario Super Sluggers]]''. Despite normally being enemies with the Kongs, K. Rool is part of Donkey Kong's team because he was impressed with their baseball skills. His artwork for the game is a variation of his artwork used for ''DK: Jungle Climber'', albeit with his pharaoh-like clothing used for his design in the game. King K. Rool bats with his right hand, and fields with his left hand. King K. Rool uses a scepter with a large gem to bat, with its sweetspot being the red area, and he is tied with [[Bowser]] and [[Petey Piranha]] for being the most powerful batter. K. Rool's pitching is slightly above average. He is tied with [[Toad (species)|Purple Toad]] for the weakest fielding ability and [[Magikoopa|Red Magikoopa]] for being the slowest runner. King K. Rool has low stamina, but not as much as Petey Piranha. King K. Rool has great chemistry with the Kritters (regardless of color) and [[King Boo]] whilst having poor chemistry with the Kongs and [[Bowser]].

During Challenge Mode, King K. Rool appears in [[DK Jungle (baseball stadium)|DK Jungle]], where he uses his green, red, blue, and brown [[Kritter]] minions to challenge the protagonists. After losing, K. Rool and the Kritters are unlocked for play in the mode.
{{br|left}}

===''Super Mario Odyssey''===
King K. Rool is referenced in [[Metro Kingdom|New Donk City]] of ''[[Super Mario Odyssey]]'' as a street named titled "KROOL Av."
{{br}}

===Other appearances===
[[File:Kremling Krunch Gameplay.png|thumb|King K. Rool in ''Kremling Krunch'']]
King K. Rool has appeared in the different iterations of [[Camp Hyrule]]. In the 1999 version, he appears in only two minigames: ''[[Donkey Konk]]'', as one of the Kremlings to appear and bonk from the hatches in the wall; and ''[[Kremling Krunch]]'', which has an opposite objective. In the 2003 version, King K. Rool is the villain, and he caused chaos in Camp Hyrule by creating a massive earthquake.

===Unused appearances===
====''Diddy Kong Pilot''====
K. Rool appears as a playable character in all builds of ''[[Diddy Kong Pilot]]''. Had the game not been canceled, this would've been K. Rool's first playable appearance.

In the earliest build seen at Space World 2000 and in the [[Diddy Kong Pilot (2001)|2001 iteration]], K. Rool had a new alter-ego, Kamikaze K. Rool, who wore an aviator outfit and piloted a green plane with a sneering Kremling face painted on both sides and a nose with the [[Zinger]]'s color scheme.

In the Space World 2000 build, each pilot was going to have their own story mode, and K. Rool's story would have been called K. Rool's Gold. The intro blurbs revealed K. Rool would have been searching for El Dorado, the mythical city of gold after finding a stone tablet with a map in an ancient stone temple. The tablet led K. Rool to an island with a giant magical gate to El Dorado, where a quartet announce that they are the guardians of the gate and tell K. Rool that earlier Cranky Kong had failed to go through. The first guardian, Nikki, explained that only they had the magical power to open the gate, but first K. Rool would have to complete four tests to do so, with the first being to collect the fire key from Crackpot Keep.

While nothing more is known about the plot due to the build being unfinished, the accompanying illustration for K. Rool's Gold depicted K. Rool greedily looking over a pile of gold while a Kong genie, emerging from a nearby magic lamp, hovered behind him.<ref>{{cite|author=RareWareCentral|date=November 6, 2011|url=www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DRAqj__5eA|title=Diddy Kong Pilot - Very Early Beta Spaceworld|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=April 21, 2024}}</ref>

In the July 2001 build, these story modes appear to have been removed, though some sprites intended for story cutscenes remain in the game's data.

In [[Diddy Kong Pilot (2003)|the 2003 iteration]], K. Rool wore his regular outfit, piloted a brown plane, and was the final member of Team Kremling. The final Kremling cup and final cup of the game was K. Rool Kup, which ended in a dogfight match where K. Rool attacked the player with spiked naval mines. After being defeated, K. Rool would have been unlocked as a playable pilot. As a racer, K. Rool had the highest top speed and weight of the cast in exchange for the lowest acceleration of the racers.

K. Rool was replaced with [[jiggywikki:Gruntilda|Gruntilda]] in the final version of this iteration, ''[[jiggywikki:Banjo-Pilot|Banjo-Pilot]]'', as indicated by their stats, similar boss fight and shared plane.

==General information==
===Creation and development===
[[File:K Rool Krudd concept artwork.jpg|thumb|Original ''Donkey Kong Country'' concept artwork of King K. Rool (as Krudd)]]
{{quote|Never expected old K.Rool to make it out of DKC, let alone turn up in [[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate|#SmashBros]] nearly 25 years later. Maybe I should have spent a bit more than 5 minutes coming up with his slightly rubbish name.|[[Gregg Mayles]] on King K. Rool's name}}
During early production of ''Donkey Kong Country'', the character that would become King. K Rool was named "'''Krudd'''".<ref>{{cite|author=Ghoulyboy|language=en|date=September 6, 2015|url=x.com/Ghoulyboy/status/640574072250867712|title=Found a couple more #DKCrevealed Kremling concepts by James Ryman, where Krudd is starting to look like K.Rool.|publisher=X|accessdate=June 5, 2024}}</ref> Another proposed idea had the character named "'''King Klinker'''" and have him paired with a female Kremling named "Queen Krapp".<ref>{{cite|language=en|author=Mayles, Gregg|date=November 21, 2019|url=x.com/Ghoulyboy/status/1197507861678624768|title=What about a reptilian revelation from the #DKCArchives for #5? Some early Kremling thinking shows that #KRool could have been called 'King Klinker' and he might have had a partner named 'Queen Krapp'. Not the best names I came up with! #WorldDonkeyKongDay #DKC25"|publisher=X|accessdate=June 5, 2024}}</ref> Later in development, "'''Kommander K. Rool'''" was considered as the character's name.<ref>{{cite|language=en|author=Ghoulyboy|date=August 10, 2018|url=x.com/Ghoulyboy/status/1027946702270021638|title=Never expected this tweet about #KingKRool in #SmashBros to be so popular. As a moderately interesting bonus follow up, an early naming sheet shows K. Rool was going to be 'Kommander' and #DKC was going to be called 'Monkey Mayhem{{'}}|publisher=X|accessdate=June 5, 2024}}</ref> This planned name was given a brief nod in the fake credits during his boss fight, which mentioned him as being the "Kommander" of the game.

When asked what the K in "K. Rool" stands for, Gregg Mayles replied "''Nothing! It was just a way of making him seem more important, that he'd added it to inflate his ego. In hindsight, it could have been something tonal like 'Kremling', or something deliberately out of character like Keith. What do you reckon it should stand for?''"<ref>{{cite|language=en|author=Chris_Costy|date=August 8, 2018|url=x.com/Chris_Costy/status/1027413934100250624|title=What's the "K" stand for?|publisher=X|accessdate=June 5, 2024}}</ref>

His Kaptain K. Rool alter ego was designed by [[Steve Mayles]],<ref>{{cite|url=x.com/playtonicalMark/status/1774169679604453523|title=Mark Stevenson on X|publisher=X|date=March 30, 2024|accessdate=August 15, 2024}}</ref> Baron K. Roolenstein was designed by [[Mark Stevenson]].<ref>[https://youtu.be/1TDcFCu4rJs?t=1843 Mark Stevenson talking about Baron K. Roolenstein]{{dead link}}</ref>

===Physical appearance===
{{quote|I'm just an old dried-up lizard!|King K. Rool|"[[Ape Foo Young]]"}}
[[File:DKC-King K. Rool Alt Artwork.png|thumb|left|King K. Rool is most commonly depicted wearing a crown, gold wrist bands, and a red cape.]]
In King K. Rool's most common appearance, he wears a red cape and a gold crown, but he is fond of adopting many other looks and costumes as well. When he takes on the alias of Kaptain K. Rool, he trades in the cape for a brown trench coat and the crown for a pirate hat. When he becomes Baron K. Roolenstein, he wears a white lab coat and a tall prosthetic forehead with a small black wig resembling {{wp|Frankenstein's monster}}, and has a Propellerpack on his back. His outfit is based on a combination of Frankenstein's Monster as portrayed by {{wp|Boris Karloff}} in the {{wp|Universal Pictures|Universal}} horror movie ''Frankenstein'' and the character of Baron Victor von Frankenstein (played by {{wp|Peter Cushing}}) from the Hammer Horror ''Frankenstein'' series. In ''Mario Super Sluggers'', K. Rool wears an Ancient Egyptian-style collar and loincloth, much like a pharaoh. Cranky Kong mentions in the ''Donkey Kong 64'' instruction booklet that K. Rool had given up his silly disguises in that game. While he has not seriously gone incognito since Baron K. Roolenstein, for the final fight he goes by the moniker "King Krusha K. Rool" as a boxer. During this fight he sports a stereotypical one-piece as well as boxing gloves with a champion's belt.

K. Rool has three clawed toes on each foot and his hands each have four clawed fingers, though early appearances depict blunt or even nailed fingers. His Kaptain K. Rool and Baron K. Roolenstein sprites depict his hands as being much larger than in his typical appearances. K. Rool debuted with a tail, though its length and presence have varied between appearances. His tail was the longest in ''Donkey Kong 64'', stubby in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'', and completely absent in ''DK: King of Swing'' and the animated series. He is portrayed with a signature bloodshot eye, usually his left eye. K. Rool's skin is light green (though some appearances show it as dark green) and he has muscular arms, as well as usually being shown with jagged teeth.

In ''Donkey Kong 64'', during the final battle in the [[boxing arena]], King Krusha K. Rool (his boxing alias) is wearing a boxing outfit. He is wearing a blue spandex suit, which has a thick, white stripe on both sides. King Krusha K. Rool also has a champion's belt, which has a brown strap and a gold center, tied around his belly. He wears a pair of red boxing gloves, and a pair of reddish-pink shoes, which are almost the same color as his boxing gloves. A large hole appears in front of K. Rool's left shoe; inside of it, K. Rool is shown to have four toes. Contrarily, in his regular character model and artworks, K. Rool has three toes. For both his regular and his boxer alias, K. Rool's crown has eight prongs, fewer than that in the ''Donkey Kong Country'' games. 

King K. Rool's underbelly was originally golden in texture and color (meant to be a piece of armor according to character designer [[Steve Mayles]]<ref>{{cite|author=WinkySteve|date=July 6, 2015|url=x.com/WinkySteve/status/617951129406574593|language=en-gb|title=Armour. Wonder no more.|publisher=X|accessdate=June 5, 2024}}</ref>), but since ''DK: King of Swing'' his underbelly has been changed to a light flesh tone, and has lost the prominent vertical indentation down the middle. In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'', he regains the gold plate, which now has a sharp ridge along the edges but still lacks the vertical indentation; however, [[Palutena]]'s [[List of Palutena's Guidance conversations|Guidance]] mentions his "leathery" belly, though it is possible she is referring to the belly underneath the armor. In this game, his general head and body shape is more akin to the later games, though he has a tail again, albeit a short one, similar to his tail in the cartoon. King K. Rool also has more pronounced scales in this game, akin to his design in the [[Rare]] games. He is also once again depicted as being distinctly larger than Donkey Kong. His cape also appears to be slightly torn up at the bottom.

King K. Rool has seven other costumes to choose from in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'', all of which change his colors. His orange costume resembles [[Kerozene]] from the Game Boy Advance version of ''[[Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest]]'' and [[Re-Koil]] from ''[[Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!]]'' It also resembles the red Kritters that appear in the ''Donkey Kong Country'' series. King K. Rool's blue costume resembles the armored blue Kritters that appear throughout the ''Donkey Kong Country'' series, as well as [[Krusha]] from ''Donkey Kong Country'' and ''Donkey Kong 64''. His yellow costume resembles [[Kutlass]] from '' Donkey Kong Country 2'', as well as [[Kopter]] as he appeared in ''[[Donkey Kong Barrel Blast]]''. King K. Rool's pink costume resembles [[Skidda]] in ''Donkey Kong Country 3'', [[Klump]] as he appears in ''[[Donkey Kong 64]]'', and Kritters from the Game Boy Advance version of ''Donkey Kong Country''. King K. Rool's black costume resembles the armored Black Kritters from ''Donkey Kong Country'', while his brown costume resembles Klump's original appearance in said game, one of his alternate colors in ''DK: King of Swing'', and a partial inversion of his normal colors. Lastly, King K. Rool has a white costume, which somewhat resembles an albino crocodile.

===Personality===
{{quote|Don't tell me what I can't do!|King K. Rool|Donkey Kong 64}}
K. Rool, as his name, a pun on "cruel," may imply, is brutal, ruling his minions through threats and intimidation, often punishing them severely when they fail. This is mentioned by [[Klubba]] in ''Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest'', who says that K. Rool mistreats his minions.<ref>{{cite|author=Klubba|quote=Kap'n K. Rool treats us rotten. I hope yer scupper his plans!|title=''Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest''}}</ref> This is also seen in ''Donkey Kong 64'', when he punishes a purple-haired [[Kasplat]] via a giant [[Klaptrap]] for losing [[Blueprint]]s and calling him "fatso", not realizing that K. Rool was listening. Even his most powerful followers seem to fear his wrath, as displayed in ''Donkey Kong 64'', when his subtle display of anger results in [[Army Dillo]] fainting on the spot, and [[Dogadon]] ends up begging for mercy over his failure when admitting how his wings ended up singed by the Kongs (although K. Rool seems more shocked than angry at the failure regarding the latter). He does not seem to respect his henchmen, the Kritters, much better either. In ''Mario Super Sluggers'', he refers to brown Kritter as "the dirty under-belly of the Kremling Krew". In ''Donkey Kong 64'', he even has K. Lumsy locked up due to his gentle nature, with it being even more harsh in the Japanese version due to the latter being his younger brother. This abuse of his underlings has also worked against him, as demonstrated by Klubba openly rooting for Diddy and Dixie to ruin his boss's plans, and also K. Lumsy being implied to have supplied him with a massive beatdown before sending him flying again as revenge for locking him up after being sent flying by Funky Kong earlier. Despite all of this, however, he and the Kritters have good chemistry with each other in ''Mario Super Sluggers'' and the trophy bios of [[Kalypso]] and [[Kludge]] show he respects and trusts the former as a capable leader and is intimidated by latter's ferocious temper. K. Rool is also somewhat of a dirty fighter. He fakes defeat, often collapsing in the middle of combat and making it seem like he has been defeated, only to rise seconds later and begin fighting again. He has also shown himself to be negligent towards nature.<ref>{{cite|author=Miller, Kent and Paul Shinoda|title=''Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest'' Player's Guide|page=46|publisher=Nintendo of America|language=en-us|date=1995|quote='''Jungle Jinx''' It looks like K. Rool hasn’t heard about preserving the rain forests. Here he’s dumping bunches of giant tires in Diddy and Dixie’s path!}}</ref>

K. Rool hates the Kongs, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong more so than the others, having referred to them as "filthy apes" and "monkey brains". Despite his hatred of the Kongs, however, he is nevertheless willing to employ evil Kongs such as [[Manky Kong]] and [[Minkey]], as well as being susceptible to [[Candy Kong]]'s charm, as evidenced by his being mesmerized by Candy flirting with him in ''Donkey Kong 64'', even going so far as to reach out to her from the ring in apparent infatuation (which was later revealed to be a diversion to distract the Kremling leader long enough for Funky Kong to literally "give him the boot" by firing a boot from his bazooka). He is also capable of commending the Kongs' skill, as shown when they first enter the Lost World in ''Donkey Kong Land III'', where he also gives them six [[Watch (Donkey Kong Land III)|Watch]]es and invites them to try Time Attack mode after he is defeated, as well as in ''Mario Super Sluggers'' where he joins Donkey Kong's team after acknowledging their skill. K. Rool also appears to have some respect for the oldest Kongs as he had worked with [[Cranky Kong]] to steal the banana hoard in ''Donkey Kong Land'' and had taken classes from [[Wrinkly Kong]] in ''Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest''.

Both ''Donkey Kong 64'' and ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' imply that K. Rool is somewhat insane and demented. The final battle of ''Donkey Kong 64'' also shows him to be somewhat of a showboater, constantly showing-off and making taunting gestures. He has bad chemistry with all of the Kongs in ''Mario Super Sluggers'', although he makes it clear that he is only teaming up with them when playing baseball, showing that he is capable of putting aside his hatred for them and will team up with them if needed, similarly to Bowser. He is also seen with Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong at their house sleeping in [[Banjo]] & [[Kazooie]]'s reveal trailer despite his hatred for them.

According to [[Leigh Loveday]] (writer of the ''Donkey Kong Country'' series) on Rareware.com's former Scribes column, K. Rool's motivation for stealing the banana hoard is either that he wants Donkey Kong to starve to death so that he can occupy his "cosy{{sic}} treehouse pad," or perhaps that he simply likes bananas.<ref name="rareware"/> The latter explanation is supported in the ''Donkey Kong Country'' manual which states the Kremlings coveted the bananas for their nutritional value, [[List of Palutena's Guidance conversations|Palutena's Guidance]] which states that Kremlings like bananas, the half eaten bananas on the [[Gangplank Galleon]], and an art-piece by [[Steve Mayles]] depicting K. Rool reading a banana recipe book.<ref>{{cite|url=x.com/PlaytonicGames/status/940942452902547456|date=December 13, 2017|title=#YookaLaylee for #NintendoSwitch is out tomorrow! Thus, our artists conclude their tributes to Nintendo classics they helped create, as @WinkySteve imagines the spoils of war...|publisher=X|accessdate=June 5, 2024|language=en}}</ref> However, K. Rool liking bananas is contradicted in ''DK: Jungle Climber'', where K. Rool states that he despises bananas.

===Weapons===
[[File:Kaptain K. Rool DKC2 art.png|thumb|left|Kaptain K. Rool wielding a blunderbuss.]]
Throughout his various appearances, King K. Rool uses a variety of weaponry. 

In ''Donkey Kong Country'' and ''Donkey Kong Land'', using his trademark attack, King K. Rool attacks Donkey Kong or Diddy Kong by taking off his crown and throwing it at them, which can boomerang back to him. 

In ''Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest'' and ''Donkey Kong Land 2'', Kaptain K. Rool uses a powerful [[Blunderbuss|blunderbuss]]. He fires different types of ammunition such as Kannonballs, spiked Kannonballs, barrels, and status-afflicting mists, which either freeze, slow, or disorient his targets. K. Rool also uses his blunderbuss as a vacuum to suck the Kongs toward him, whereupon he hits them with the butt of his blunderbuss. In addition to using it as an offensive weapon, he also uses it as his primary form of movement by aiming it in the opposite direction and using the jet propulsion to thrust him forward at high speeds.

In ''Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!'' and ''Donkey Kong Land III'', Baron K. Roolenstein uses a helicopter-equipped pack on his back to obtain flight. Despite the fact that K. Rool can actually move faster on his feet, and the fact that the helicopter pack is his weakpoint in the game, it is necessary for his trap-based fighting strategy; it allows him to avoid his own electric beams by hovering over them. Through the use of a remote, he can manipulate various objects in his lair, such as altering positions and movements of platforms, and activating pods that send blasts of electricity at Dixie Kong and Kiddy Kong. During the battle in Krematoa, Baron K. Roolenstein's remote can also activate a fireball-launching cannon and a moving conveyor belt, in addition to the electric pods. In ''Donkey Kong Land III'', he is capable of shooting electric beams from his gloves.

During the final battle of ''Donkey Kong 64'', in his fight against Diddy Kong, King Krusha K. Rool is capable of throwing his boxing gloves as boomerangs.

===Vehicles===
King K. Rool also uses a wide variety of vehicles, from his Gangplank Galleon, to large airships, such as the Flying Krock and K. Kruizer III. ''DK: King of Swing'' also shows King K. Rool has in his possession a personal hovercraft, which can move quickly. He also uses a type of barrel vehicle in ''[[Donkey Kong Barrel Blast]]''. Another one of these vehicles is the Propellerpack.

===Powers and abilities===
*In combat, King K. Rool usually uses his size and strength, attempting to tackle, crush and even leap onto opponents; considering his physique, attacks, and athletic abilities from the first ''Donkey Kong Country'' and ''Donkey Kong 64'', he is capable of inflicting considerable damage with physical strength alone. Although, in ''Donkey Kong Barrel Blast'', King K. Rool's attack is a single claw swipe. Additionally, despite his size, King K. Rool can actually be quite swift and speedy in battle (far more so then Donkey Kong, as shown in ''Donkey Kong Country'' where he can leap from one end of the Gangplank Galleon to the other in one jump). In ''[[DK: King of Swing]]'', King K. Rool had the highest attack out of all the characters. He is tied with Bowser and [[Petey Piranha]] for the best batting abilities in ''Mario Super Sluggers''.
*In ''Donkey Kong Country'', King K. Rool boasts the ability to summon a barrage of large cannonballs to rain down on Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong.
*In ''Donkey Kong Country 2'', Kaptain K. Rool can teleport.
*In ''Donkey Kong Country 3'', Baron K. Roolenstein simply uses a remote control to activate his arenas' gadgets and weaponry in battle. In ''Donkey Kong Land III'', K. Roolenstein can shoot electricity from his hands and throw bombs.
*In ''Donkey Kong 64'', King K. Rool displays the ability to create multiple shockwaves by slamming the ground once (although, as demonstrated with Tiny Kong, doing this too many times will cause him to injure his posterior, leaving an opening for Tiny to inflict damage to his toes). He can also perform a powerful uppercut after charging at the Kongs, which can knock Chunky Kong high into in the air, even when he is the same size as K. Rool.
*In ''Donkey Kong Country 2'' and ''Donkey Kong 64'', King K. Rool displays his ability to turn invisible, though minor details still give away his position. In ''Donkey Kong Country 2'', his blunderbuss leaves smoke puffs behind him, and in ''Donkey Kong 64'', his shadow can still be seen on the ground when he is invisible.
*In ''DK: Jungle Climber'', King K. Rool, after being damaged in battle, can turn temporarily invincible (gaining a reddish coloration) and the ability to assume a ball shape and bounce off surfaces rapidly. After being empowered by a Crystal Banana, King K. Rool gains a multitude of different powers, such as manipulating the weather, summoning meteors, breathing a barrage of fireballs and exploding mines.

===Family===
{{quote|Oh, my favorite part is going back to the swamplands to play gator games with all my slithering siblings.|King K. Rool|"[[The Kongo Bongo Festival of Lights]]"}}
King K. Rool mentions having [[Okusan|a wife]] in ''Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!'' Specifically, after KAOS is defeated a second time, Baron K. Roolenstein appears, stating he built KAOS from his wife's best pots and pans. It is unknown if K. Rool is telling a joke, or if he actually has a wife. In a December 23, 1999 edition of the Scribes section of Rare's website, [[Leigh Loveday]] stated that K. Rool's "my wife is going to kill me" line was merely "a typically throwaway {{wp|Vic and Bob}} reference."<ref>{{cite|deadlink=y|archive=web.archive.org/web/20000823214029/http://www.rareware.com/recent/scribes/dec2399.html|title=Scribes; December 23, 1999|publisher=Rarewhere|accessdate=June 5, 2024|language=en-gb}}</ref> The wife does make a physical appearance in ''[[4-koma Gag Battle]]'' and ''[[4koma Manga Ōkoku]]'' where she is depicted as a thin Kremling woman with light hair and an apron over a black dress.

In the episode "[[The Big Switch-A-Roo]]" of the ''Donkey Kong Country'' animated series, King K. Rool mentions his mother, and in "[[The Kongo Bongo Festival of Lights]]" he mentions his "slithering siblings".

Though K. Rool's [[Trophy (Super Smash Bros. series)|trophy]] information erroneously states that Kaptain K. Rool is his brother, King K. Rool does have [[K. Lumsy]] as his little brother.<ref>{{cite|url=www.nintendo.co.jp/n01/n64/software/nus_p_ndoj/chara/page02.html|title=キャラクターの紹介|publisher=Nintendo|accessdate=June 5, 2024|language=ja}}</ref>

According to the Nintendo Magazine System, K. Rool is a descendant of [[Kremlantis]]' former residents.<ref>{{cite|title=''Donkey Kong Land'' Nintendo Magazine System|page=13|quote='''KREMLANTIS''' Rock hewn and rock solid is Kremlantis, ancient home of K. Rool's masterful predecessors. Slight worse off for water than the good ship Gangplank, seeking as the entire kingdom is submerged! The majority of Kremlantis' wards have survived through being trapped in air pockets, though mutant winds roam freely about so beware! Of course it's inevitable that some areas are flooded by ice-water too, and it is here that DK and Diddy encounter the worst of their fears...}}</ref>

In ''Super Donkey Kong with Mario 2'', K. Rool meets an ancestor of his called [[Cranky K. Rool]] who lived in Donkey Kong Island's depths for more than 500 years after the shame of losing at Picross against the Kongs.

====Pets====
In ''Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest'', K. Rool's parrot is [[Screech (Donkey Kong Country 2)|Screech]], while in the cartoon, K. Rool takes the parrot, [[Polly Roger]], as a spy.

In ''Donkey Kong 64'', K. Rool keeps an unnamed green Klaptrap as a pet, stroking it in a manner similar to {{wp|Ernst Stavro Blofeld}} from ''{{wp|James Bond}}''. The Klaptrap enjoys using K. Rool's viewscreen in its spare time. Exclusively in the Japanese script, K. Rool also refers to [[Dogadon]] as his cute pet.

==Profiles and statistics==
{{main|List of King K. Rool profiles and statistics}}
===''Donkey Kong Country''===
{{DK boss
|name=King K. Rool
|image=[[File:King K Rool DKC sprite.png]]
|world=N/A
|level=[[Gang-Plank Galleon]]
|defeat=9
|reward=[[Completion]]
|prev=Master Necky Snr.
|num=7
|game=Donkey Kong Country
}}

===''Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest''===
'''Instruction booklet''':
*''The leader of the pack is back, and this time he's packing a blunderbuss! Ouch!''

===''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''===
{{spirit
|no=136
|name=King K. Rool
|image=[[File:DKJC K.Rool.png|x100px]]
|series=''Donkey Kong'' Series
|type=Fighter
|obtain=Classic Mode as King K. Rool
}}
{{spirit
|no=162
|name=Kaptain K. Rool
|image=[[File:Kaptain K. Rool.png|100px]]
|series=''Donkey Kong'' Series
|type=Primary
|slots=2
|class=Legend
|effects='''{{color|red|Attack}}'''
|obtain=World of Light (Final Battle); Spirit Board
|opponents=King K. Rool
|rule_2=Invisibility
|conditions=
*The enemy's neutral special has increased power
*Stamina battle
*The enemy is invisible after a little while
|stage=[[Halberd]]
|song=Crocodile Cacophony
}}
{{spirit
|no=163
|name=Baron K. Roolenstein
|image=[[File:SSBU Baron K. Roolenstein Spirit.png|x100px]]
|series=''Donkey Kong'' Series
|type=Primary
|slots=3
|class=Ace
|effects='''{{color|deepskyblue|Shield}}'''
|obtain=Summoned with Dr. Crygor, Kritter, and Creature & Flea Man cores
}}

==Portrayals==
In the initial versions of ''Donkey Kong Country'' as well as its sequels, his voice clips were reused from [[Krusha]] and [[Rambi]] provided by [[Chris Sutherland]].<ref>{{cite|publisher=X|url=x.com/David_Wise/status/1083450138608193536|title=That would be the Multi-talented Chris Sutherland @PlaytonicGames @YookaLayleeHub|date=January 10, 2019|accessdate=June 5, 2024|language=en}}</ref> In the ''Donkey Kong Country'' animated series, King K. Rool was voiced by [[Ben Campbell]], while in the Japanese dub of the television series he was voiced by Jūrōta Kosugi.

In ''[[Donkey Kong 64]]'', King K. Rool possesses an ominous and low [[Wikipedia:Darth Vader|Darth Vader-like]] voice provided by Chris Sutherland again, complete with loud, emphasized breathing similar to Vader's. This was also done in ''[[Diddy Kong Pilot (2001)|Diddy Kong Pilot]]''. K. Rool's evil laughter is a pitched-down stock sound effect from the Cartoon Trax Volume 1 sound effects library by The Hollywood Edge and has also been used by [[Rare]] in other ''Donkey Kong'' games. In his boxing guise, K. Rool adopts a more showy and boisterous tone of voice. Many of these voice clips are re-used by [[Krusha]] in the game's multiplayer mode. According to Gregg Mayles, this change in persona to a boastful prize fighter was intentionally done because he felt it would lead to a more fun boss fight than one with K. Rool's {{wp|Ernst Stavro Blofeld}}-inspired alter ego.<ref>{{cite|author=Mayles, Gregg|date=November 23, 2019|url=www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/11/feature_donkey_kong_64_devs_on_bugs_boxing_and_20_years_of_the_dk_rap|quote=The boxing theme certainly wasn’t planned until the very end. In fact, K.Rool is wearing a crown in the opening story and acts more like Blofeld from the James Bond movies. I didn’t think fighting K.Rool as Blofeld would be much fun, hence him changing his persona to a champion boxer at the end.|publisher=Nintendo Life|title=Feature: Donkey Kong 64 Devs On Bugs, Boxing And 20 Years Of The DK Rap|accessdate=June 5, 2024}}</ref>

From ''[[Donkey Kong Barrel Blast]]'' (2007) to ''[[Mario Super Sluggers]]'' (2008), King K. Rool was voiced by [[Toshihide Tsuchiya]], though in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'', he is given bellows and roars similar to that of a real crocodile, as well as some guttural laughter.
{|class=wikitable border=1 cellpadding=3 cellspacing=0 style="text-align:center"width=100%
|-
!width=150px|Actor/sample!!|Appearance
|-
|[[Chris Sutherland]]
|''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'', ''[[Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest]]'', ''[[Donkey Kong 64]]'', ''[[Donkey Kong Country (Game Boy Advance)|Donkey Kong Country]]'' (Game Boy Advance), ''[[Donkey Kong Country 2 (Game Boy Advance)|Donkey Kong Country 2]]'' (Game Boy Advance), ''[[DK: King of Swing]]'', ''[[Donkey Kong Country 3 (Game Boy Advance)|Donkey Kong Country 3]]'' (Game Boy Advance)
|-
|[[Ben Campbell]]
|''[[Donkey Kong Country (television series)|Donkey Kong Country]]'' (television series)
|-
|[https://soundeffects.fandom.com/wiki/Hollywoodedge,_Evil_Laugh_CRT023801 Hollywoodedge, Evil Laugh CRT023801]
|Pitched down for K. Rool. Originated from Cartoon Trax Volume 1. First used in ''Donkey Kong 64'' as K. Rool's evil laugh.
|-
|[[Toshihide Tsuchiya]]
|''[[Donkey Kong Barrel Blast]]'', ''[[DK: Jungle Climber]]'', ''[[Mario Super Sluggers]]''
|}

==Quotes==
===''Donkey Kong Country'' (television series)===
*"''My loyal reptilian subjects. This marks a glorious day history for all Kritters.''" - "[[Bad Hair Day]]"
*"''Because it wouldn't be a '''surprise''', you '''numbskull'''! Now, We'll make them think we are participating in the ceasefire, but instead, we are going to be sneaky! Clever.''" - "[[Kong for a Day]]"
*"''Ooh, you should be. You'll be punished! You're grounded! '''Off to the dungeon with her'''.''" - "[[Raiders of the Lost Banana]]"
*"''All right, lizards! '''Today''' is the day! '''Today''', we will take over Kongo Bongo! At this very moment, Krusha has '''bravely''' infiltrated Cranky's cabin under the '''guise''' of getting a '''medical exam'''! He will '''seize''' the Crystal Coconut! Once that beautiful orb is in my possession, Kongo Bongo, will '''fall at my feet! MEHAHAAA!''' Hahahahahahaaaa....''" - "[[From Zero to Hero]]"
*"''Klump, didn't I say no '''news''', no '''calls''', and no '''tyranny''' until tomorrow? It's a '''bad villain day!'''''" - "[[Legend of the Crystal Coconut]]"
*"''SHUUUUT UP! Don't you morons even realize? I'll be King K. Fool to future generations thanks to Cranky and that film! It's an outrage, a catastrophe. BLOW THAT SPACESHIP UP!''" - "[[To the Moon Baboon]]"
*"''You think this has been fun? Oh, let me explain it so that even your underdeveloped cranium can understand. I'm just pretending to be buddies so I can get back at that loser Cranky and claim my prize. Now LET ME GO!''" - "[[Best of Enemies]]"

===''Donkey Kong 64''===
*"''I want you to do everything in your power to keep Donkey Kong distracted. Steal that hoard of Golden Bananas he treasures so much and take care of his pathetic friends. This time there can be no mistakes.''"
*"''I hope for [[Klump|your]] sake, you're right this time.''"
*"''While [[Donkey_Kong|you'll]] be busy looking for your precious golden bananas and flea-bitten friends, I'll be preparing my [[Blast-o-Matic|lizard flavored surprise]]!'' '''''MWA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!'''''"
*"''Fatso, is it? I'd choose my last words more carefully if I were [[Kasplat|you]].''"
*"''Yeah!! Thank you!''"

===''Mario Super Sluggers''===
*"''By my toothy grin! Who dares to disturb my rest?''"
*"''You fools know who I am, don't you?''"
*"''You think to oppose my glorious girth?! Graw haw haaa! I love it!''"
*"''You deserve a kingly beating! Come on! Graaaw haw haaaaaaaw!''"
*"''You think it's a good idea to challenge me?''"
*"''King K. Rool doesn't do anything halfway! Hope you've said your good-byes, fools!''"
*"''What a bunch of misfits!''"
*"''Come back if you ever get the courage to challenge me.''"
*"''I see you fools failed to learn your lesson... If you strike at a king, you must finish him!''"
*"''You'll regret the day you ran into me.''"
*"''Great gravyboats! You saps are pretty good!''"
*"''Graw haw haw! I like your style! I'm going to join your lineup!''"
*"''Come on! It's obvious who's better! Listen up, Kritters! From here on, we're allies!''"
*"''Don't get me wrong! This is ONLY while we're playing baseball!''"

===''DKC: Return to Krocodile Isle''===
The following quotes are from the fan-made animation ''DKC: Return to Krocodile Isle'', in which Ben Campbell reprises his role as King K. Rool from the official ''Donkey Kong Country'' television series.
*"''If absence sows a hungry heart,''<br>"''Are you famished without your king?''<br>"''It seems you lot forgot the brand''<br>"''Of ka-rool-ty that I bring.''<br>"''I'll remind you faithful subjects''<br>"''I know it's been a while:''<br>"''Lest you fancy your death by my jaws or my breath,''<br>"''Don't smile at this crocodile!''"
*"''I knew [[Donkey Kong|you]]'d be back! Fate entangled, destined forever, {{wp|yin and yang}}! I did this all for you. Wanna know the funny part? I don't even like bananas! Am I enough for you now? Am I !?!''"
*"''Klump, my dearly, dauntless Klump. Remind me if I ever were to kill myself, I could scale to the heights of your blind devotion and leap down towards your IQ!''"

==Audio==
===Voice samples===
{{media table
|file1=K Rool Chris Sutherland.oga
|title1=''[[Donkey Kong 64]]''
|description1="''I've been waiting a long time for this moment. Soon, Donkey Kong and his pretty little island... will be no more.''" (Chris Sutherland)
|file2=K. Rool (thank you).oga
|title2=''[[Donkey Kong 64]]''
|description2=''"Thank you!"''
|file3=K Rool's laugh 2008.oga
|title3=''[[Mario Super Sluggers]]''
|description3=K. Rool's laugh (Toshihide Tsuchiya)
}}
===Themes===
{{media table
|file1= K. Rool 1.oga
|title1={{conjectural|K. Rool's Theme}}
|description1=The theme that plays in the intermission cutscenes featuring K. Rool in ''[[Donkey Kong 64]]''
|file2= K. Rool 1 (blueprint).oga
|title2={{conjectural|Blueprint Appears}}
|description2=The tune that plays when a [[Kasplat]] is defeated and a [[blueprint]] appears in ''Donkey Kong 64''
|file3= K. Rool 1 (temple).oga
|title3={{conjectural|Angry Aztec (Temple with Five Doors)}}
|description3=A portion of the music that plays in the Temple with Five Doors in [[Angry Aztec]] in ''Donkey Kong 64''
|file4= K. Rool 1 (escape).oga
|title4={{conjectural|K. Rool Escapes}}
|description4=The music that plays when K. Rool escapes in his [[Kremling craft]] in ''Donkey Kong 64''
|file5= K. Rool 1 (final boss).oga
|title5={{conjectural|K. Rool Battle}}
|description5=The final boss theme in ''Donkey Kong 64''
|file6= K. Rool 1 (game over).oga
|title6={{conjectural|Game Over}}
|description6=The [[Game Over]] music in ''Donkey Kong 64''
}}

==List of appearances==
{|class="wikitable sortable" width=100%
!width=40%|Title
!width=25%|Description
!width=10%|Release date
!width=25%|System/format
|-
|''[[Donkey Kong Country]]''
|Main antagonist, final boss
|1994
|[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]
|-
|''[[Donkey Kong Land]]''
|Main antagonist, final boss
|1995
|[[Game Boy]]
|-
|''[[Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest]]''
|Main antagonist, final boss
|1995
|Super Nintendo Entertainment System
|-
|''[[Donkey Kong Land 2]]''
|Main antagonist, final boss
|1996
|Game Boy
|-
|''[[Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!]]''
|Main antagonist, final boss
|1996
|Super Nintendo Entertainment System
|-
|''[[Donkey Kong Land III]]''
|Main antagonist, final boss
|1997
|Game Boy
|-
|''[[Donkey Kong 64]]''
|Main antagonist, final boss
|1999
|[[Nintendo 64]]
|-
|''[[Donkey Kong Country (Game Boy Color)|Donkey Kong Country]]''
|Main antagonist, final boss
|2000
|[[Game Boy Color]]
|-
|''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''
|Cameo as a trophy
|2001
|[[Nintendo GameCube]]
|-
|''[[Donkey Konga]]''
|Non-playable character
|2003
|Nintendo GameCube
|-
|''[[Donkey Kong Country (Game Boy Advance)|Donkey Kong Country]]''
|Main antagonist, final boss
|2003
|[[Game Boy Advance]]
|-
|''[[Donkey Kong Country 2 (Game Boy Advance)|Donkey Kong Country 2]]''
|Main antagonist, final boss
|2004
|Game Boy Advance
|-
|''[[DK: King of Swing]]''
|Main antagonist, final boss, unlockable playable character
|2005
|Game Boy Advance
|-
|''[[Donkey Kong Country 3 (Game Boy Advance)|Donkey Kong Country 3]]''
|Main antagonist, final boss
|2005
|Game Boy Advance
|-
|''[[Donkey Kong Barrel Blast]]''
|Unlockable playable character
|2007
|[[Wii]]
|-
|''[[DK: Jungle Climber]]''
|Main antagonist, final boss
|2007
|[[Nintendo DS]]
|-
|''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''
|Cameo as a trophy and sticker
|2008
|Wii
|-
|''[[Mario Super Sluggers]]''
|Unlockable playable character
|2008
|Wii
|-
|''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS]]''
|Cameo as a trophy
|2014
|[[Nintendo 3DS]]
|-
|''[[Super Smash Bros. for Wii U]]''
|Cameo as a trophy
|2014
|[[Wii U]]
|-
|''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''
|Unlockable playable character, spirit
|2018
|[[Nintendo Switch]]
|}

==Gallery==
{{main-gallery}}
<gallery>
King K Rool DKC sprite.png|''[[Donkey Kong Country]]
Kaptain K Rool DKC2.png|''[[Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest]]
Baron K Roolenstein DKC3 sprite.png|''[[Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!]]
DK64 King K. Rool Boxing.png|''[[Donkey Kong 64]]
Rool Model - Diddy Kong Pilot 2001.png|''[[Diddy Kong Pilot (2001)|Diddy Kong Pilot]]''<br>(canceled)
DKongaKingK.RoolSprite.png|''[[Donkey Konga]]
KingKRool-DKKOS.png|''[[DK: King of Swing]]
</gallery>

==Names in other languages==
===King K. Rool===
{{foreign names
|Jpn=キングクルール
|JpnR=Kingu Kurūru
|JpnM=King K. Rool (pronounced closer to "King Cruel")
|ChiS=克鲁王
|ChiSN=''DK: King of Swing''
|ChiSR=Kèlǔ Wáng
|ChiSM=King Cruel
|ChiS2=库鲁鲁王
|ChiS2N=''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''
|ChiS2R=Kùlǔlǔ Wáng
|ChiS2M=King K. Rool
|ChiT=庫魯魯王
|ChiTR=Kùlǔlǔ Wáng
|ChiTM=King K. Rool
|Dut=King K. Rool
|Dut2=Koning Wreed
|Dut2N=''Donkey Kong Country'' television series
|Dut2M=King Cruel
|Fin=K.Ohje
|FinN=original ''Donkey Kong Country'' trilogy and the ''Donkey Kong Land'' series
|FinM=From either ''kohje'' (slang for a bungler) or literally ''ohje'' ("instruction")
|FreA=Roi K. Rool
|FreAM=King K. Rool
|FreE=King K. Rool
|Ger=King K. Rool
|Ger2=King Kroko
|Ger2N=''Donkey Kong Country'' television series
|Ger2M=From ''Krokodil'' ("crocodile")
|Ita=King K. Rool
|Ita2=K. Roole{{sic}}
|Ita2C=<ref>{{cite|title=''Donkey Kong Land'' Italian instruction booklet|page=3}}</ref>
|Ita3=Re K. Roll
|Ita3C=<ref>{{cite|title=''Donkey Kong Land'' Italian instruction booklet|page=3, 14, 15, 19, 20}}</ref>
|Ita3M=King K. Roll
|Ita4=King K. Roll
|Ita4C=<ref>{{cite|title=''Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!'' Spanish-Italian instruction booklet|page=32}}</ref><ref>{{cite|title=''Donkey Kong Land 2'' Italian instruction booklet|page=4}}</ref>
|Kor=킹크루루
|KorR=King Keururu
|KorM=King K. Rool
|Por=Komandante K. Roll{{sic}}
|PorC=<ref>{{cite|url=datassette.s3.us-west-004.backblazeb2.com/manuais/donkey_kong_country_1_br.pdf|title=''Donkey Kong Country'' Brazilian instruction booklet|format=PDF|page=27}}</ref>
|PorN=''Donkey Kong Country''
|PorM=From ''comandante'' ("commander")
|Rus=Кинг К. Роль
|RusR=King K. Rol
|RusM=''К. Роль'' is a pun on ''Король'' ("king")
|SpaA=King K. Rool
|SpaA2=Rey Cruel
|SpaA2N=''Donkey Kong Country'' television series
|SpaA2M=King Cruel
|SpaE=King K. Rool
|SpaE2=Rey K. Rool
|SpaE2N=''Donkey Kong Country'' television series
|SpaE2M=King K. Rool
}}

===Kaptain K. Rool===
{{foreign names
|Jpn=キャプテンクルール
|JpnR=Kyaputen Kurūru
|JpnM=Kaptain K. Rool
|ChiS=库鲁鲁船长
|ChiSR=Kùlǔlǔ Chuánzhǎng
|ChiSM=Captain K. Rool
|ChiT=庫魯魯船長
|ChiTR=Kùlǔlǔ Chuánzhǎng
|ChiTM=Captain K. Rool
|Ita=Kapitano K. Rool
|ItaM=Kaptain K. Rool
|Ita2=Capitain{{sic}} Krai
|Ita2C=<ref>{{cite|title=''Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest'' back of Italian boxart|quote=''Avrà il suo bel daffare quando si lancerà nel rifugio dei pirati di Capitain Krai sull'Isola dei Coccodrilli.''}}</ref>
|Ita2M=Captain Krai
|Por=Kapitão K. Rool
|PorC=<ref>{{cite|url=datassette.s3.us-west-004.backblazeb2.com/manuais/donkey_kong_country_2_br.pdf|title=''Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest'' Brazilian instruction booklet|format=PDF|page=4, 31}}</ref>
|PorM=Kaptain K. Rool
|Spa=Kaptain K. Rool
}}

===Baron K. Roolenstein===
{{foreign names
|Jpn=バロンクルール
|JpnR=Baron Kurūru
|JpnM=Baron K. Rool
|Ita=Barone K. Roolenstein
|ItaM=Baron K. Roolenstein
|Spa=Baron K. Roolenstein
}}

===King Krusha K. Rool===
{{foreign names
|Jpn=キング“クラッシャー”クルール
|JpnC=<ref>{{cite|date=2000|title=「ドンキーコング64任天堂公式ガイドブック」 (''Donkey Kong 64 Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook'')|publisher=[[Shogakukan]]|language=ja|page=125}}</ref>
|JpnR=Kingu "Kurasshā" Kurūru
|JpnM=King “Krusha” K. Rool
}}

==Trivia==
[[File:KingKoopaWearingRedCapeandlooklikesKRool.png|200px|thumb|[[Bowser|King Koopa]] wearing a red cape and resembling King K. Rool]]
*In the ''[[The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3|Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3]]'' episode "[[Never Koop a Koopa]]", [[Bowser|King Koopa]] wears a red cape, giving him a passing resemblance to King K. Rool. However, this is coincidental, as King K. Rool debuted four years after the episode aired. Incidentally, aside from the similar appearance, the two characters have a similar habit of [[King Koopa's alter egos|assuming thematic identities]].
**Bowser and his Koopa Troop would later take up King K. Rool and his Kremlings' usual role in stealing the Kongs' banana hoard in ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl''.
*On Nelvana's official plot synopsis for the [[Donkey Kong Country (television series)|''Donkey Kong Country'' animated series]], King K. Rool's name is often mislabeled as "King Karro."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060328012204/http://www.nelvana.com/shows/shows_template.asp?sid=16 Nelvana official website], excerpt from March 28, 2006. Accessed January 1, 2025.</ref><ref>{{cite|url=static1.squarespace.com/static/603d7680ba04c013c1653dd5/t/67072dc8c119a879e50ee504/1728523723902/Nel_Catalogue_2024_Digital.pdf|title=Nelvana distribution catalogue|page=26}}</ref>
{{br}}

==References==
{{NIWA|SmashWiki=1}}
<references/>

{{navboxes|
{{Kremlings}}
{{DKC}}
{{DKL}}
{{DKC2}}
{{DKL2}}
{{DKC TV}}
{{DKC3}}
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{{DK64}}
{{DKKOS}}
{{DKBB}}
{{DKJC}}
{{Mario Super Sluggers}}
{{SSBU}}
}}
[[Category:Kremlings]]
[[Category:Captains]]
[[Category:Final bosses]]
[[Category:Kings|K. Rool]]
[[Category:Politicians]]
[[Category:Kremling Krew]]
[[Category:Married characters]]
[[Category:Pirates]]
[[Category:Playable characters]]
[[Category:Thieves]]
[[Category:DK: Jungle Climber bosses]]
[[Category:DK: Jungle Climber characters]]
[[Category:DK: King of Swing bosses]]
[[Category:Donkey Kong 64 bosses]]
[[Category:Donkey Kong Barrel Blast characters]]
[[Category:Donkey Kong Country bosses]]
[[Category:Donkey Kong Country (television series) characters]]
[[Category:Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest bosses]]
[[Category:Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! bosses]]
[[Category:Donkey Kong Land bosses]]
[[Category:Donkey Kong Land 2 bosses]]
[[Category:Donkey Kong Land III bosses]]
[[Category:Donkey Konga]]
[[Category:Mario Super Sluggers playable characters]]
[[Category:Super Mario-kun characters]]
[[Category:Super Smash Bros. amiibo line]]
[[Category:Super Smash Bros. Brawl stickers]]
[[Category:Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS trophies]]
[[Category:Super Smash Bros. for Wii U trophies]]
[[Category:Super Smash Bros. Ultimate fighters]]
[[Category:Super Smash Bros. Ultimate spirits]]
[[it:King K. Rool]]
[[de:King K. Rool]]