Lanky Kong

Lanky Kong
Lanky Kong in Donkey Kong Barrel Blast.
Species	Kong
First appearance	Donkey Kong 64 (1999)
Latest appearance	Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (spirit cameo) (2018)
Latest portrayal	Kentaro Tone (2007)

“Yahoo! Come up here and get me, dummies!”

—Lanky Kong, Donkey Kong 64

Lanky Kong is an orangutan and an ally of the Kong family in the Donkey Kong franchise. His first appearance is in Donkey Kong 64.

History

Donkey Kong Country series

Donkey Kong 64

Lanky exploring the second level, Angry Aztec, in Donkey Kong 64

In Donkey Kong 64, Lanky is one of the four Kongs imprisoned by the Kremling Krew, the other three being Diddy Kong, Tiny Kong, and Chunky Kong. Lanky is imprisoned in Angry Aztec in Llama's Temple. To free Lanky, Donkey Kong must swim below the temple's main floor and use his Coconut Shooter on a Coconut Switch next to Lanky's cage. After this, Lanky is unlocked as a playable character and can be selected from the Tag Barrels. Lanky's corresponding color is blue, meaning he is the only Kong who can collect bananas, Banana Coins and blueprints of that color.

Being an orangutan, Lanky is capable of stretching his arms afar, which he can even use to defeat weak enemies (such as Gnawty and Kritter) with. From Cranky's Lab, Lanky's first individual ability is Baboon Balloon, the second is OrangStand, and the third one is OrangStand Sprint. Every Kong, including Lanky, are capable of using Simian Slam and its stronger variants. From Funky's Store, Lanky can acquire the Grape Shooter for his personal weapon, allowing him to shoot grapes at enemies and targets. At Candy's Music Shop, Lanky can learn to perform the Trombone Tremor ability from his personal trombone.

Lanky Kong is the only Kong who can transform into Enguarde, whose animal crate is featured in Gloomy Galleon. This is similar to Donkey Kong's exclusive ability to transform into Rambi. Lanky is also playable in Multiplayer mode, where aside from his default appearance, Lanky has three alternate color schemes. Each color scheme simply changes the color of his overalls, between red, green or purple.

In Gloomy Galleon, Lanky is the Kong selected to fight the level boss, Puftoss. In Creepy Castle, Lanky is also selected to enter through the door to battle the level's boss, King Kut Out. While it is possible to defeat King Kut Out with just Lanky, the other Kongs subsequently enter the battle if the previous Kong, such as Lanky, blasts out of the arena.

Lanky racing the Beetle in Crystal Caves

There are two instances where Lanky uses his OrangStand Sprint ability in a race against another character. The first time is at Fungi Forest, where Lanky must win two races against the Rabbit (the second time requires him to use his OrangStand Sprint ability). The second time is at Crystal Caves, where Lanky does a race rematch against the Beetle.

In one of the cutscenes, Lanky appears at Hideout Helm and starts walking around the walls with two Kremlings going after him, and at the end, a Kremling tries to walk into the wall and falls.

Lanky also partakes in the final battle against King K. Rool with the other four Kongs, and is the third Kong to fight K. Rool. Just before entering the ring, Lanky is introduced by the Microphone, who claims that Lanky holds the record for the longest reach in the world. During this part, while K. Rool has a light fixture stuck on his head, Lanky must make use of his long arms to activate a switch from afar, causing a barrel to appear. Lanky must throw the barrel for a large banana peel to come out. Lanky must perform Trombone Tremor from behind the banana peel, causing King K. Rool to hear Lanky and run after him, only to slip on the banana peel.

Donkey Kong Country 3 (Game Boy Advance)

In the Game Boy Advance remake of Donkey Kong Country 3, Lanky makes a cameo in one of the Funky's Rentals challenges. He appears during "Challenge 3: Protect", where Dixie and Kiddy Kong's objective is to protect him and the other Kongs from being kidnapped by Kremlings riding speedboats.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

Although Lanky Kong does not physically appear in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, his name is mentioned on page 18 in the digital manual, where his name, along with Candy and Tiny Kong's, appears on a mock Time Attack leaderboard. Lanky is placed seventh, beneath Candy and above Tiny.

Club Nintendo

Lanky Kong makes a minor appearance in the Club Nintendo N-Gang comic series in N-Gang vs. Nintendo, where he teams up with Banjo, Kazooie, Wario, Yoshi, Princess Peach, and Donkey Kong in a soccer match against the N-Gang.

Donkey Kong in When the Banana Splits

Lanky Kong in Donkey Kong in When the Banana Splits

He appears in the comic Donkey Kong in When the Banana Splits, where the Golden Bananas are once again stolen by the Kremlings. While the bananas are being stolen, Lanky Kong and the other Kongs notice this and easily pass through the traps in the jungle to reach King K. Rool. Once they arrive, the Kongs beat up the Kremlings and King K. Rool and win their Golden Bananas back.

Donkey Kong Barrel Blast

Lanky Kong returns as a racer in Donkey Kong Barrel Blast. In this game he is an unlockable character, unlocked by winning the Topaz Cup as a Kong character. In the game, he is considerably powerful, and is the rival of Klump. He has high speed, below average boost and poor agility. He attacks by clapping his hands in front of him. As with all playable characters, he has the ability of doing Wild Moves.

In the Single Race cutscene, he can be seen alongside Donkey, Tiny, and Dixie standing in front of their rivals, Klump, Kritter, Kalypso, and Kass. He can also be seen in the Time Trial cutscene racing with Kass, as Kopter counts their lap time with a stopwatch, Diddy Kong cheering for them and Kalypso showing them a sign to tell them which lap they are on. His bongos are blue with white parts, which resemble the colors of his clothes. This game marks his debut in spin-off games and his last physical appearance.

Super Smash Bros. series

Super Smash Bros. Melee

Although he did not appear in Super Smash Bros. Melee, there is a reference to Lanky on the Kongo Jungle stage, as the DK Rap plays, after Tiny Kong's part, Lanky is mentioned.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Lanky Kong appears as trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. His trophy mentions his playable appearance in Donkey Kong Barrel Blast after years of not appearing in games. His pose is almost identical to his pose when he finishes a cup in first place in Donkey Kong Barrel Blast, the only difference is that in his trophy, he does not grit his teeth. He also has his own sticker based on his appearance from Donkey Kong 64, it increases the strength of a throwing attack by six and can only be used by Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Lanky Kong appears once again as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Lanky Kong appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a spirit.

Unused appearances

Donkey Kong Racing

Lanky Kong in a Donkey Kong Racing concept art (top-left)

Despite not appearing in the Donkey Kong Racing trailer, Lanky, along with Cranky, has a piece of concept art that shows that he was planned to appear in the game.

General information

Physical description

Lanky Kong is an orangutan; he has orange fur, a red nose, blue eyes, and a pair of lengthy arms. His clothing consists of blue overalls, with a white shirt that is too small for him, and on his back he has a red and white patch.

In his appearance in Donkey Kong Barrel Blast, aside from being updated graphically, he looks slightly bigger and his hair style was changed. His voice also sounds different from other titles.

Abilities

Lanky mostly uses his long reach to attack enemies, he can also swing his arms while running to attack enemies. His long arms allow him to run while doing handstands and was shown in a cutscene to be able to 'stand' on a wall with his hands. In his Donkey Kong Barrel Blast appearance he was given more strength and had the ability to perform Wild Moves.

Abilities he had in Donkey Kong 64:

• From Cranky's potions:
  • Simian Slam: He can press green buttons with his face on them.
  • Super Simian Slam: He can press blue buttons with his face on them.
  • Super Duper Simian Slam: He can press red buttons with his face on them.
  • OrangStand: With this ability, he can stand on his hands and can climb steep slopes.
  • Baboon Balloon: With the help of his Kong Pad, he can inflate like a balloon and can fly a short distance.
  • OrangStand Sprint: With the help of Crystal Coconuts, he can stand on his hands and run extremely fast.
• From other Kongs:
  • Trombone Tremor: He uses a trombone which can defeat almost every enemy. This can also make special things happen if he uses it on a Music Pad
  • Grape Shooter: He can shoot grapes to damage enemies and to activate switches.

Personality

While not a lot is known about Lanky, he is described as a goofball. He often acts goofy, silly and energetic and has a tendency to make funny faces. He also tended to act cheeky and mischievous when fleeing and taunting the Kremlings that tried to get him.

Quotes

• "Who's there? Can you come in here and give me a hand?" – Donkey Kong 64
• "Please let me out. I'll help you defeat K. Rool!" – Donkey Kong 64
• "Cool move, DK! I gotta get some fresh air. I’ll help you by collecting blue bananas! Come and find me in the Tag Barrel!" – Donkey Kong 64

List of game appearances

Title	Description	Release date	System/format
Donkey Kong 64	Unlockable playable character	1999	Nintendo 64
Donkey Kong Country 3	Cameo in minigame	2005	Game Boy Advance
Donkey Kong Barrel Blast	Unlockable playable character	2007	Wii
Super Smash Bros. Brawl	Cameo as trophy	2008	Wii
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U	Cameo as trophy	2014	Wii U
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate	Cameo as spirit	2018	Nintendo Switch

Profiles and statistics

Donkey Kong 64

• Potions:
  • Pad Move: Baboon Balloon
  • Barrel Move: OrangSprint
  • Special Move: OrangStand
• Weapon: Grape Shooter
• Instrument Ability: Trombone Tremor
• Color: Blue
• Boss:
  • Name: Puftoss
  • Location: Gloomy Galleon
• DK Rap segment:
  

He has no style, he has no grace
This Kong has a funny face
He can handstand when he needs to
And stretch his arms out, just for you
Inflate himself just like a balloon
This crazy Kong just digs this tune!

• Instruction booklet bio from Professor Cranky Kong (page 8): "A newcomer to the Kong clan and the joker of the pack. I haven’t a clue whom he’s related to—must be some distant cousin or something. Those silly stretchy arms give him plenty of potential, but I’m sure he’ll be too busy clowning around to be of much use.
• Rarewhere: "Coming to join the DK Crew from a distant branch of the family, Lanky's something of a wildcard - a gangly, loping orang-utan whose long arms work particularly well in the Krem-bashing department (though he can also stand and run on his hands if necessary). Another peculiar trick involves floating some distance into the air by puffing himself up like a balloon - odd, but useful, just like old Lanky himself."
• Player's Guide (page 5): "This knuckle-dragging Kong looks like a clown, and it’s more than just a coincidence. Think of him as a twisted twig on a distant branch of the family tree. Kremlings and Klaptraps may snicker at his goofy gait as he ambles in their direction, but there’s nothing funny about a hyperextended sucker punch."
• BradyGAMES guide (page 6): "He moves in an awkward fashion, but his long arms make grabbing ledges a snap. The long arms also make Lanky the best Kong to use in Battle Crown matches. He can stand still and hit any enemies well before they reach him."
• VERSUS BOOKS guide (page 3): "The practical jokester of the bunch, Lanky humors all with his stretchy limbs and wacky personality. His abilities are so powerful, however, he often ends up making monkeys out of the other Kongs."
• Prima Games guide (page 11): "This Kong is rubbery and goofy. Those long arms may seem clumsy, but Lanky can use them well. Just like his relatives, the orangutan has moves that let him get to places others can't reach.
  He's not the fastest of the crew, and he can't jump the highest, but Lanky is fun to play. Don't let his kooky looks fool you: Lanky's got all the skills he needs to help take on K. Rool."

German website

A screencap from the German Donkey Kong 64 website

• Name: Lanky Kong
• Occupation: Stand-up comedian
• Hobbies: Blowing the trombone
  making up jokes
• Favorite dish: Raisin cake
• Favorite movie: The Kong Canon 64
• Greatest hero: Kongo Waalkes

To the satisfaction of the other Kongs, Lanky has been at home on the DK islands for some time now. Originally he comes from the more distant Utan island, where relatives of the Kongs live.

The society there was much too boring and conservative for Lanky, however, so that he was attracted to the slightly chaotic members of the Kong clan.

Here he feels much more comfortable, since his constant silliness is always appreciated, especially by Chunky and Kiddy. Even a television offer could not move the enthuasiastic comedian to leave the island: he has been dying to experience an exciting adventure for quite some time! As a child Lanky made a bet with a friend, who could hang on a limb the longest.

Today you can still tell by his arms that Lanky won the bet!

Donkey Kong Barrel Blast

• Unlock method: Win the Topaz Cup with a Kong.
• Rival: Klump
• Boost: 2/5
• Speed: 4.5/5
• Agility: 1/5

Super Smash Bros. series

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Trophy

Name	Image	Appearance(s)	Description
Lanky Kong		N64 Donkey Kong 64 Wii Donkey Kong Barrel Blast	One of the more eccentric Kong friends. He's probably the most laid back of the Kongs and has many comical expressions and mannerisms. He uses his long arms to take out baddies and can walk on his hands to climb steep slopes. Sweet! In the recent game Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast, Lanky appears for the first time in years.

Sticker

Image	Game	Effect
	Donkey Kong 64	[Throwing] - Attack +6 Usable by: Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U trophy

Name	Image	Appearance(s)	Description
Lanky Kong		N64 Donkey Kong 64 Wii Donkey Kong Barrel Blast	The comical Lanky made his debut in Donkey Kong 64. It's fun to watch him take out enemies with his long arms. His special ability Orangstand lets him walk on his hands, making steep slopes an easy task. When items are just out of reach, it's a good thing Lanky is so...humerus. Debuting in Donkey Kong 64, this is one ape who loves to monkey around. His long orangutan arms stretch when he attacks, which is always fun to watch. He can even go upside-down and walk around on his hands using his Orangstand ability! With such a useful pair of arms, does he even need those tiny legs?

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate spirit

Name	Image	Series / game	Type	Class	Strength / effects	How to obtain	Spirit battle
							Opponent(s)	Battle conditions	Stage	Song
Lanky Kong		Donkey Kong Series	Primary (3)	Advanced	limegreen	Spirit Board	Diddy Kong ×6	Rule: Item: Bananas The enemy is easily distracted by items Defeat an army of fighters	Kongo Falls	DK Rap

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Lanky Kong.

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  Donkey Kong 64

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  Donkey Kong 64

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  Donkey Kong 64

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  Donkey Kong 64

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	ランキーコング[?] Rankī Kongu	Lanky Kong
Russian	Лэнки Конг[?] Lenki Kong	Lanky Kong