| King K. Rool | |
|---|---|
| Donkey Kong character | |
 In-game artwork of King K. Rool seen during the endgame ofDonkey Kong Bananza (2025) following his reveal | |
| First appearance | Donkey Kong Country (1994) |
| Created by | Gregg Mayles |
| Designed by | Steve Mayles |
| Voiced by | Various
|
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Kremling |
King K. Rool[a] is afictionalanthropomorphiccrocodile and the mainantagonist of Nintendo'sDonkey Kong franchise, as well as thearchnemesis ofthe titular protagonist,Diddy Kong andthe duo's family. K. Rool is the villainous leader of a group ofcrocodilian raiders known as theKremlings, debuting in the1994 video gameDonkey Kong Country. The name "K. Rool" is a play on the word "cruel", a nod to his malevolent nature. He also appeared as a playable character inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, having been a popular request for inclusion in the series. In addition to video games, K. Rool has appeared in theDonkey Kong Country animated series and official merchandise.
King K. Rool originally appears inDonkey Kong Country as its main antagonist and finalboss, stealing protagonist Donkey Kong'sbanana hoard aided by his minions, the Kremlings.[2][3] He subsequently appears inDonkey Kong Country 2 andDonkey Kong Country 3, assuming the roles ofpirateKaptain K. Rool andmad scientistBaron K. Roolenstein, respectively.[4] In2, he kidnaps Donkey Kong for a banana hoardransom, spurring protagonistsDiddy Kong andDixie Kong to save him,[5] and in3, he kidnaps Donkey Kong and Diddy to power his KAOSrobot, requiring Dixie and Kiddy Kong to save them.[6][7] InDonkey Kong 64, he pilots a ship armed with a laser to Donkey Kong Island, intent on destroying it once the laser has enough power. He kidnaps Diddy Kong, Tiny Kong, Lanky Kong and Chunky Kong, requiring Donkey Kong to rescue them and join up to defeat him.[8] In the final battle, he assumes aboxer persona dubbed King Krusha K. Rool and is fought in aboxing ring.[9] Following this game, K. Rool would be largely absent from the series for over twenty years outside of minor appearances.[10] Following this absence, K. Rool would ultimately resurface inDonkey Kong Bananza as that game's true main antagonist and final boss; it is explained by him in-game that his absence from the series was the result of him and his fellow Kremlings being trapped underground while searching for thewish-fulfilling Banandium Root. After being unintentionally freed by Donkey Kong andPauline, K. Rool is fought in the Planet Core before he follows his enemies as they escape to New Donk City—an area introduced inSuper Mario Odyssey—which he attempts to reshape in his image using the Banandium Root while flooding it withhazardous banana mush. He then fights Donkey Kong once again, but is eventually defeated.[11][12][13]
K. Rool has multiple playable appearances outside of theDonkey Kong series, including being a playable character in the 2008 baseball gameMario Super Sluggers.[14] In theSuper Smash Bros. series, he makes his first playable appearance inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, featuring attacks based on his various appearances as a boss character.[15]
King K. Rool appears as a main character in theDonkey Kong Country animated series. In most episodes, K. Rool attempts to steal the Crystal Coconut, an ancient relic that is said to possess extraordinary power.[16] He is portrayed byCanadian theater actorBenedict Campbell. In 2023, Campbell, alongside many otherDonkey Kong Country cast members, reprised his role in the fan-made animationDKC: Return to Krocodile Isle.[17]
In his debut appearance and in many further ones, King K. Rool is depicted as a large and obese crocodile with a red cape, golden wristbands, a matching and belly-like plate and large crown and a largebloodshot eye.[15] He was designed by Steve Mayles, an artist who worked atRare and brother ofDonkey Kong Country designerGregg Mayles.[18] Concept art of K. Rool had a more serious design with a military theme and with the name 'Krudd'.[19] When asked what the K in "K. Rool" stands for, Mayles said: "It was just a way of making him seem more important, that he'd added it to inflate his ego", stating that "it could have been something tonal like 'Kremling' or something deliberately out of character, like Keith".[18]
Gregg discussed the design of the K. Rool boss fights inDonkey Kong Country and its sequel, stating that he felt he had more time in the sequel to make the fight complex rather than merely difficult, though he also believed that he was able to make the fight "tricky" regardless. He stated that he received comments about how difficult purple gas clouds that reverse the player's movement were, noting that he included them as an homage to the 1984 video gameSabre Wulf.[5] Gregg also stated that K. Rool's boxing boss fight that required use of all five Kongs inDonkey Kong 64 was designed that way to "ensure it felt like all the Kongs were teaming up to beat their nemesis". It was also made to be a parody of "over the top, glitzy world heavyweight boxing".[20]
Since his debut in 1994, King K. Rool has received a mostly positive critical reception.New York magazine writer staff believed that K. Rool's appearance inDonkey Kong 64 was among the most difficult in video games, remarking how frustrating it was that the fight was so stacked in favor of K. Rool due to the player being limited and unable to heal like K. Rool could.[9] Author Daryl Baxter considered the boss fight against K. Rool inDonkey Kong Country 2 a memorable one, particularly the first fight against him, stating that it felt like the game had been building up to it since the very first level. He also found the design and graphics of the game, which he identified as being ahead of its time in 1995, improved the battle as well.[5] Writing forKotaku, Ethan Gash heavily praised K. Rool's return inBananza, stating that his appearance "turns [Bananza] from a very good game into a great one". Gash praised the numerous callbacks related to him, such as the return of the fake "Kredits" fromDonkey Kong Country.[13]Game Rant writer Tristan Jurkovich also praised K. Rool's return, stating that his final segment of the game "reachesHideo Kojima levels of absurdity in the best possible ways".[12]
Astrid Johnson ofGame Revolution observed the affinity people have towards K. Rool, describing him as a "daddy" and comparing his online popularity—particularly in queer spaces—to the unconventional romance depicted inThe Shape of Water. Johnson argued that "much like how many villains and antagonists in old movies were queer-coded in an archaic attempt to instill some revulsion in audiences, monsters and creatures are made in the same way."[21]
King K. Rool was a popular suggestion for inclusion in theSuper Smash Bros. series as a playable character,[22][23][24] including by employees ofPlaytonic Games, a company formed by ex-Rare employees.[25] His eventual inclusion inSuper Smash Bros. was met with fan letters thanking series directorMasahiro Sakurai.[26] Daniel Friedman ofPolygon discussed his lasting popularity, stating that unofficial polls held about who should be inSuper Smash Bros. found that K. Rool was the most popular choice by a significant margin. Sakurai stated that the officialSmash Ballot contributed to him being added.[15]
GamesRadar+ writer Scott McCrae expressed a desire to see King K. Rool added toDonkey Kong Bananza, remarking that while the antagonistic VoidCo group revealed in the game's trailer seemed cool, they didn't stack up well compared to K. Rool. He believed it would be a "perfect cherry on top" of a game he considered his most anticipated of 2025. He acknowledged things he believed suggested that K. Rool would appear, including enemies called Crockoids that resembled his Kremling minions, and the fact that the King K. Roolamiibo was compatible.[10]Hobby Consolas writer José David Muñoz identified a popular theory that the monkey leader of VoidCo,Void Kong, could be King K. Rool, arguing that since Donkey Kong could transform into other animals, so could K. Rool.[27]
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