Donkey Kong Bananza got its own special Nintendo Direct earlier today, giving us a thorough breakdown of how the game will play, along with the official reveal of Pauline, Diddy Kong, and the ability to turn into various different animals. It was a jam-packed showcase, even giving us a rundown of the game’s main villains, but some people think there are some things in the Direct that prove Nintendo is being entirely up front.
Going into the Direct, a lot of people were hoping that Donkey Kong villain King K. Rool would make an appearance in the title. He’s incredibly popular among Donkey Kong fans (at least enough to be a Smash character), and a lot of people are slightly worried that we may not see him again due to his close affiliation with now Xbox-owned developer Rare.
Donkey Kong Fans Think Bananza’s Villain Is King K. Rool In Disguise
Donkey Kong Banaza’s big Direct came and went, without a single mention of King K. Rool (besides the reveal that his Amiibo is compatible with the game), and many began mourning the crocodile as their worst fears seemingly became a reality. However, not everyone thinks that a King K. Rool appearance has been rooled out, as some rather interesting fan theories have been surfacing on social media since the showcase.
One of the most prevalent is that the game’s main villain – Void Kong – is actually King K. Rool in disguise. We know that Donkey Kong can transform into various animals, and a Twitter user called Sxips recalls that Nintendo often likes to throw its game’s gimmicks back at players when it comes to final showdowns, such as Bowser attacking you with his hat in Super Mario Odyssey.
Fans have also highlighted a couple more interesting parts of the Direct which support this theory. For starters, a Twitter user called AndreSegers points out a part that has Donkey Kong being attacked by what looks like vines, but they share the exact same green, red, and gold colored pattern as King K. Rool, and are also sporting what looks like claws on the tips.
Finally, a Twitter user called CaptainQuack64 also noticed that a lot of the rock soldiers made by Grumpy Kong seemingly depict crocodiles, and golden crocodile skeletons even pop out of some of enemies when defeated. It’s an awful lot of crocodile imagery for a game that doesn’t have a crocodile villain, so could it be a hint that King K. Rool is waiting in the wings? I’m a believer.
Donkey Kong Bananza
- Released
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July 17, 2025
- ESRB
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Everyone 10+ // Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
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Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo
- Number of Players
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Single-player
- Nintendo Switch 2 Release Date
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July 17, 2025