Not to be confused withExplosive barrel.

TNT Barrel
Artwork of a TNT Barrel fromDonkey Kong Country
First appearance	Donkey Kong Country (1994)
Latest appearance	Donkey Kong Bananza (2025)
Variants Mega TNT Barrel
Comparable Barrel Bomb Bob-omb Explosive barrel

TNT Barrels^[1][2] (originally calledTNT Drums)^[3][4] are objects first appearing inDonkey Kong Country. In most games, these explosivebarrels resemble regular ones, but they can be identified from their fuses and "TNT" painted on the front. A TNT Barrel can be picked up and thrown by theKongs, like most other barrels, and it explodes upon hitting either an enemy, the ground, or a wall. The fiery explosion of a TNT Barrel defeats almost any type of enemy caught within the blast radius. Its purpose is largely similar toBob-ombs inSuper Mario games andBob-omb Cars inMario Kart games.

History[edit]

Donkey Kong Country series[edit]

A TNT Drum appears for the first time in the opening scene ofDonkey Kong Country.Cranky Kong uses it to destroy Donkey Kong's boom box, as retaliation forDonkey Kong knocking him out of the trees and ruining his phonograph. During gameplay, TNT Drums can be lifted, then tossed on the ground or a wall to explode, defeating any enemy standing in its explosion range. InDonkey Kong Country, manybonus rooms can only be entered using a TNT Barrel. They can also be utilized this way in the sequels, as well as in theDonkey Kong Land games. In both theDonkey Kong Land series andGame Boy Color version ofDonkey Kong Country, TNT Barrels have a smaller blast radius. The Kongs do not get injured by running through a TNT Barrel's blast after they throw it. Contrarily, inDonkey Kong Country, if the Kongs lift a TNT Drum and then put it down, it shakes and then immediately explodes, causing the player to lose a Kong.

Some Kremling enemies hide in TNT Barrels and act as suicide bombers, sacrificing themselves in an attempt to destroy the Kongs. These includeKabooms fromDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, as well asKrackas andKlasps found inDonkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!. Other Kremlings, namelyBazukas, may shoot TNT Barrels out of their cannons, and the Kongs would have to avoid them.

Donkey Kong Land series[edit]

TNT Barrels are objects in all three games of theDonkey Kong Land series.Donkey Kong Land in particular has anotherexplosive barrel, single-use items that can blow up a boulder on the world map.

Donkey Kong Country: Rumble in the Jungle[edit]

Illustration showing the Kongs breakingFunky Kong out of his prison cell, by using a TNT Barrel.

InDonkey Kong Country: Rumble in the Jungle, miniature TNT Barrels (stylized asmini-TNT Barrels) are used byDonkey Kong on several occasions throughout the novel. Before theKongs leave theirtreehouse to travel toBig Ape City, Donkey Kong takes a backpack full of miniature barrels, including some that "could even explode". TNT Barrels are first used while the Kongs are battling someKremlings and their barrel cannons inTree Top Town. Donkey Kong launches several TNT Barrels by slinging back a tree branch, allowing the barrels to reach high above in the tree tops. Donkey Kong later uses one to break openFunky Kong's prison door within the Kremling's factory in Big Ape City, although the sound of the explosion attractsKritter and a group of Kremlings.

Donkey Kong later uses a TNT Barrel to destroy the defense system's control room, and then again later to create a hole in the factory wall so that the Kongs are able to escape in Funky'sbarrel plane. While in the plane, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong decide to jump from the plane to infiltrateKing K. Rool's zeppelin. They plant the zeppelin with many time-delayed TNT Barrels, and they escape to watch it fall on top of the Kremling's factory, which causes a powerful explosion.

An illustration shows that the TNT Barrels resembles their artwork forDonkey Kong Country, although lacking a fuse at the top. And despite the novel claiming to describe "miniature" TNT Barrels, their illustrated size in proportion to the prison door appears to be closer to a regular-sizedbarrel.

Donkey Kong 64[edit]

Artwork fromDonkey Kong 64

TNT Barrels are hazardous objects inDonkey Kong 64. They are red with a skull and crossbones on the lid and behind the "TNT" text and considerably smaller in size. Although hazardous, TNT Barrels have an essential role in attacking the bosses,Army Dillo andDogadon. Kabooms fromDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest – here called "TNT Bombers" – return in this game, hiding inside TNT Barrels with no fuses.

Donkey Kong Country television series[edit]

An Exploding Barrel from the episodeBooty and the Beast.

A barrel similar to TNT Barrels appears in theDonkey Kong Country animated series. Here they are referred to asBarrel Bombs orExploding Barrels and bear a resemblance toBlast Barrels. They are seen during the first half ofBooty and the Beast, whereKing K. Rool takes overBluster Barrelworks and begins manufacturing exploding barrels. However, Donkey Kong chased off K. Rool and production was halted.

InKong for a Day, K. Rool made a second attempt to seize control of the Barrel Works to manufacture more exploding barrels, but this time Donkey Kong foiled his plans before production could commence.

InSpeak No Evil, Dude, it is revealed that K. Rool has an arsenal of exploding barrels large enough to destroy the entire island, asGeneral Klump attempts to do just that after misinterpreting K. Rool (who was unable to communicate as he was mute from theKongo Bongo Gone Wrongo disease).

While K. Rool possesses these barrels, he never directly uses them against the Kongs.

Super Mario-kun[edit]

Super Mario-kun

A TNT Barrel appears inSuper Mario-kun volume 14. During a fight withArmy,Diddy Kong givesDonkey Kong a TNT Barrel. Donkey Kong then hurls it, only to have it explode onMario andYoshi while defeating Army. Mario then yells at Donkey Kong.

DK: Jungle Climber[edit]

TNT Barrels are objects inDK: Jungle Climber. They can destroy dense objects around them, and will explode if attacked.

Mario Golf: World Tour[edit]

TNT Barrels are obstacles inMario Golf: World Tour. They are encountered inDK Jungle only, near Holes 3, 4, and 9. TNT Barrels lie on the ground, where they explode when a golf ball bumps into them, causing the ball to travel high up to the sky.

Skylanders: SuperChargers[edit]

TNT Barrels are a part ofTurbo Charge Donkey Kong's "Powder Keg Power" path upgrades in the Wii U version ofSkylanders: SuperChargers. The "Boom Barrels" upgrade has Donkey Kong throw TNT Barrels instead of regular barrels for his Barrel Toss attack, "Explosive Landing" has him land on a TNT Barrel at the end of his Barrels of Fun attack to create a explosion harmful to enemies, and "Bongo Blast" has him play a TNT Barrel as abongo with his Bongo Barrel attack, which explodes in a short amount of time when left on its own. The TNT Barrels are red with a black skull painted on them, resembling how they looked inDonkey Kong 64.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle[edit]

TNT Barrels appear in theMario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle Donkey Kong Adventure DLC only. They are used to defeat the health pool andMega Rabbid Kong during his first boss fight.

Donkey Kong Bananza[edit]

While no TNT Barrels appear as objects inDonkey Kong Bananza, Kabooms appear inside them like inDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. In this game, their TNT Barrels have spiked rings that damage Donkey Kong upon contact (since Kabooms act the same as theSqueeloids they replace) and therefore cannot be held and used under any circumstances.

Profiles[edit]

Donkey Kong Country[edit]

• Instruction booklet description:
  • English:
    This drum of trinitrotoluene (that's TNT) packs quite a wallop. The explosion from these barrels can defeat almost any enemy, and break open hidden doors.^[5]

• Nintendo Player's Guide:This type of barrel will explode when thrown. They are excellent for helping you locate bonus areas. IfDiddy holds a TNT Drum out in front of him, sooner or later he's going to blow open a door to a bonus area. Explosion on contact!^{[page number needed]}

Game Boy Color

• Instruction booklet description:
  • English:
    Throw one of these powder kegs—the resulting explosion will harm any nearby baddies.^{[page number needed]}

Game Boy Advance

• Instruction booklet description:
  • English:
    Throw one of these powder kegs and the resulting explosion will harm any nearby baddies.^{[page number needed]}

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

• Instruction booklet description:
  • English:
    TNT Barrels explode when they are thrown. Be careful, because some Kremlings actually like to live in TNT Barrels...^{[page number needed]}

• Nintendo Player's Guide: "This barrel is loaded with high explosive, and will go off on impact. Use it as a weapon or to break through walls."^[6]

• Wii U Virtual Console manual description:
  • English:
    It explodes when it is thrown at an enemy or an obstacle.^{[page number needed]}

Game Boy Advance

• Instruction booklet description:
  • English:
    These, naturally, explode when thrown. Be careful, because some Kremlings actually live in TNT Barrels!^{[page number needed]}

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble![edit]

• Instruction booklet description:
  • English:
    TNT Barrels explode when they are thrown. The explosion from this barrel can open hidden areas.^{[page number needed]}

• Nintendo Player's Guide: "TNT Barrels explode when you toss them against the wall. The explosion can either open a hidden part of the level or allow you to escape from a tight spot. Watch out for enemies that shoot these at you."^[7]

Game Boy Advance

• Instruction booklet description:
  • English:
    As you might expect, these detonate when thrown. Use the explosion as a weapon or to open hidden areas!^{[page number needed]}

Gallery[edit]

• 

  Donkey Kong Land sprite

• 

  Donkey Kong Country (Game Boy Color) sprite

• 

  Donkey Kong Country (Game Boy Advance) sprite

• 

  DK: Jungle Climber sprite

• 

  Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast

• 

  Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle

See also[edit]

• Bob-omb
• Explosive barrel
• Bomb

Names in other languages[edit]

References[edit]

• Barrels
• Explosives
• Barrel-Blastapalooza
• Club Nintendo
• DK: Jungle Climber
• Donkey Kong 64 objects
• Donkey Kong Country objects
• Donkey Kong Country (television series) objects
• Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest objects
• Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! objects
• Donkey Kong Land objects
• Donkey Kong Land 2 objects
• Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast

• Articles with sources lacking page numbers
• Articles with unsourced foreign names