Donkey Kong's Identity Crisis: Mario Kart World Hints at a Retcon?

Donkey Kong's family tree is more tangled than a vine in the jungle. For years, fans have debated the true identity of the current DK, and a recent glimpse into Mario Kart World may have just thrown a coconut wrench into the whole thing.

The question of Donkey Kong's lineage has been a long-standing topic among Mario enthusiasts. While Donkey Kong Country established him as Cranky Kong's grandson, the Super Mario Bros. Movie presented him as Cranky Kong's son. Now, a scene in the Mario Kart World trailer has fueled speculation that the current Donkey Kong is actually a grown-up Donkey Kong Jr.

Is Donkey Kong Actually DK Jr.? Considering the Mario universe's relatively static nature over the past four decades, it's easy to assume the current Donkey Kong is the same as the original. However, this isn't the case. The Donkey Kong introduced alongside Mario is now known as Cranky Kong, a grumpy but beloved character in the DK series. This leaves the question: who is the Donkey Kong we see in modern games?

Mario Kart World Might Be Suggesting So For a long time, the prevailing theory was that the modern Donkey Kong is the grandson of Cranky Kong and the son of Donkey Kong Jr. However, a keen-eyed fan, GameXplain's Andre Segers, spotted a moment in the Mario Kart World Direct trailer that suggests a different story.

The scene features the Super Mario Kart characters posing beside their original sprites, including Donkey Kong with Donkey Kong Jr. This visual cue suggests that they are one and the same, implying that the current DK is actually a grown-up DK Jr., making him Cranky Kong's son. This would effectively retcon Donkey Kong Country's established lore, but it could explain the long absence of Donkey Kong Jr. Furthermore, the Super Mario Bros.

Movie already depicts Cranky Kong as DK's father, potentially indicating Nintendo's future direction for the character in the games. While Nintendo hasn't explicitly addressed the confusing Donkey Kong family history, this new hint from Mario Kart World offers a compelling theory. We may have to wait for Bananza to be released to get a definitive answer, but for now, it's an intriguing glimpse into the possible truth behind Donkey Kong's identity.