Not to be confused withGangplank Galley.

This article is about the ship owned byKing K. Rool. For other uses, seeGangplank Galleon (disambiguation).

Gangplank Galleon
Donkey Kong Country (Game Boy Advance) world map sprite of Gang-Plank Galleon
First appearance	Donkey Kong Country (1994)
Latest appearance	Donkey Kong Bananza (DK Island & Emerald Rush) (2025)
Greater location	Donkey Kong Island (Donkey Kong Country,Donkey Kong Bananza) Crocodile Isle (Donkey Kong Country 2,Donkey Kong Land 2)
Owner	King K. Rool
Iterations	Donkey Kong Country Donkey Kong Land Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest /Donkey Kong Land 2

Gangplank Galleon (also spelledGang Plank Galleon^[1] orGang-Plank Galleon) is the name ofKing K. Rool's signature ship. It acted as the setting of several levels throughout theDonkey Kong Country andDonkey Kong Land games, first appearing as the location of the final boss fight in the originalDonkey Kong Country.Donkey Kong Country is the only game where the ship is seen in use, while later games depict it as stationary or dilapidated. Given its sails and rigging, the Gangplank Galleon is mostly based on classic depictions of pirate vessels, although it went under slight design changes with each game.

History[edit]

Donkey Kong Country series[edit]

Donkey Kong Country[edit]

Click a level icon to open the relevant article.

InDonkey Kong Country, the Gang-Plank Galleon is visible on the overworld map, where it draws closer toDonkey Kong Island with each area that is completed. It hosts thefinal boss battle in the game, accessed after completing theChimp Caverns. Going onboard, there are several empty banana peels lying around, suggesting that King K. Rool and theKremlings had already eaten some of thebanana hoard;Donkey Kong andDiddy Kong encounter and fight K. Rool, who is eventually defeated and Donkey Kong's banana hoard is returned.

Donkey Kong Land[edit]

Gangplank Galleon inDonkey Kong Land

InDonkey Kong Country'sGame Boy counterpart,Donkey Kong Land, the galleon is part of the starting area calledGangplank Galleon Ahoy!. It is docked on the coast of Donkey Kong Island. Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong must travel on the ship itself, but also on the surrounding grounds. Instead of King K. Rool, a large ray namedWild Sting is the boss of the Gangplank Galleon.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest /Donkey Kong Land 2[edit]

A map of Gangplank Galleon inDonkey Kong Country 2

InDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest andDonkey Kong Land 2, the Gangplank Galleon is thefirst world that Diddy andDixie Kong traverse before they venture into the mainlandCrocodile Isle in order to rescue Donkey Kong, imprisoned by Kaptain K. Rool. The vessel has become beached on the island's rocky shore and appears to be in medium disrepair. Diddy and Dixie have to venture through the ship's remains to reach the area's guardian,Krow, who resides in the crow's nest. After defeating the giant bird, the Kongs advance to the nearbyCrocodile Cauldron. Two sunken pirate ships similar to the Gangplank Galleon appear in Crocodile Cauldron andKrem Quay. At the end ofDonkey Kong Country 2, the Gangplank Galleon sinks to the bottom of the ocean, along with the rest of Crocodile Isle.

In the original version ofDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, the ship is docked on the left side of the island, but in theGame Boy Advance version andDonkey Kong Land 2, it is docked on the right.

Donkey Kong Country comic[edit]

The Gangplank Galleon, though only referred to as "King K. Rool's ship", also appeared in theClub Nintendo comic "Donkey Kong Country". Like in the game of the same name, it served as the location for the fight between the Kongs and K. Rool. Besides the latter, several other Kremlings can be seen on the ship.

Donkey Kong Country television series[edit]

Though the Gangplank Galleon was never named as such, it did appear on theDonkey Kong Country television series. Here, the ship was owned by the dreaded pirateKaptain Skurvy instead of King K. Rool. On the show the ship often met with disaster, such as being eaten byJr. Klap Trap in the episode "Booty and the Beast" and accidentally being blown up byKlump in the Christmas-based episode "The Kongo Bongo Festival of Lights".

Donkey Kong 64[edit]

InDonkey Kong 64, in theGloomy Galleon's water cove, what is believed to be the remains of the Galleon lies on the seabed ripped in half.^{[citation needed]} The bow and midsegment of the sunken ship are seen, but the stern is missing. Despite all the decay and seaweed, Kaptain K. Rool's portraits and log book, as with the ship itself, remained in perfect condition.

Donkey Kong Bananza[edit]

The wreckage of the Gangplank Galleon inDonkey Kong Bananza

In theDK Island & Emerald Rush DLC fromDonkey Kong Bananza, the Gangplank Galleon can be found crashed into a reef off the coast ofDonkey Kong Island. The hull has been ripped in half with the bow separated by the reef. The main deck, the main mast, the mizzen mast, and the stern are all grouped together, with the main mast displaying the signature Kremling Jolly Roger. The cabin entrance features a metal plaque of King K. Rool's emblem in this game above it. The stern area also contains anEnd of Level Target behind the helm.

General information[edit]

Physical features[edit]

InDonkey Kong Country, the Gang-Plank Galleon, as it is shown on the map, contains a single mast, although theGame Boy Advance port depicts the ship more realistically with two additional masts. A black flag rises at the top of the main mast, just above a crow's nest. Kremling-specific elements of the ship include theKremling Krew's emblem on the mast (a KremlingJolly Roger) and the figurehead on the prow. It also hosts five cannons on one side.

InDonkey Kong Land, Gangplank Galleon has several notable changes compared to its appearance inDonkey Kong Country. It now features a frontal and rear mast, and the main mast now lacks the Kremling Krew's emblem. Instead, several sail spars are joined to all of the masts. The crow's nest has been moved on the back mast, and the upper deck has been lowered to be level with the main deck.

Donkey Kong Country 2 andDonkey Kong Land 2 yet again corrected the ship to bear the designs from bothDonkey Kong Country andDonkey Kong Land. The sail with the Kremling Krew's emblem is seen covering the main mast again, accompanied by two other masts. There is a golden figurehead of K. Rool under the bowsprit. A red flag is flown at the top of the main mast, replacing the black flag from the original game; the number of cannons from the wall has been reduced from five to three.

Profiles[edit]

Donkey Kong Land[edit]

• Instruction booklet: "King K. Rool's leaky old ship is crewed by his kooky Kremling accomplices."^[2]

• Nintendo Power Volume 74: "King K. Rool's ship has dropped anchor near Donkey Kong's treehouse. Journey through the jungle and mountain highlands on your way to the gruesome galleon. The following pages examine the treacherous terrain in fine detail."^[3]

• Nintendo Magazine System booklet: "K. Rool didn't suspect a thing - not a banana - as DK and Diddy hitched a ride on his Galleon, thus leading them to his secret hideout. On this first stage of their voyage the Kong brothers soon discover that all is not so familiar. Don't forget, this is Kremling territory now, where artic conditions rest comfortably alongside humid jungle. Most disturbing of all though is that here pigs really can fly!"^{[citation needed]}

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest[edit]

• Instruction booklet: "Diddy's first action takes place aboard K. Rool's scuttled flagship, Gangplank Galleon. Even though this hulk isn't seaworthy, it's still manned by a scurvy Kremling crew. You'll find lots of hooks and rigging to climb on here. You can also duck into the flooded cargo hold for more fun!"^[4]

• Player's Guide: "Ever though it's half-sunken, the once-proud flagship of Kaptain K. Rool's fleet still serves as the first line of defense against any Kong rescue party."^[5]
• Nintendo Power Volume 79: "Ahoy! Kaptain K. Rool's flagship, the Gangplank Galleon, has run aground off the coast of Crocodile Isle (okay, so he's a pirate, not a sailor). Her deck are awash with Kremling cutthroats, but you decide to investigate, just in case. Since this is your first time doing the hero thing, you might need some help finding your way. Donkey Kong managed to leave a trail of bananas as he was dragged off, so if you ever get turned around, follow the yellow fruit to the end of the stage. Aye! Ahrr!"^[6]

Donkey Kong Land 2[edit]

• Nintendo Power Volume 87:Avast! Kremling cutthroats are everywhere, ready to swab the deck with any monkey foolish enough to swing aboard.^[7]

Gallery[edit]

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  Donkey Kong Country

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  Donkey Kong Land

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  Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

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  Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

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  Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

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  Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

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  Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

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  Donkey Kong Land 2

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  Donkey Kong 64

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  Donkey Kong Country (Game Boy Color)

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  Donkey Kong Country 2 (Game Boy Advance)

Theme[edit]

Main article:Gang-Plank Galleon (theme)

The Gangplank Galleon's theme, "Gang-Plank Galleon," appears to be loosely based on the title theme for the 1991NES port ofSid Meier's Pirates!, also developed byRare.

Gang-Plank Galleon - The theme that plays in the final battle inDonkey Kong Country

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Deck Trek - The theme that plays in ship levels inDonkey Kong Land

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Snakey Chantey - The theme that plays inRattle Battle inDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

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Krematoa Appears - The tune that plays whenKrematoa surfaces inDonkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!

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Help:Media file •Having trouble playing?

Names in other languages[edit]

References[edit]

• Pirate areas
• Crocodile Isle
• Watercraft
• Club Nintendo
• Donkey Kong Bananza objects
• Donkey Kong Country worlds
• Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
• Donkey Kong Land
• Donkey Kong Land 2 worlds

• Articles with unsourced statements
• Pages with audio files
• Articles with unsourced foreign names