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Funky Kong is a fictional ape in the Donkey Kong and Mario video game series. Debuting in Donkey Kong Country in 1994, he has appeared in most games of the franchise. While he originally appeared as a supporting character providing various services to the playable characters, his popularity led to him being playable in later games, debuting in the spin-off DK: King of Swing, with the Nintendo Switch version of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze being his first playable appearance in a main game. Furthermore, he was one of the main characters in the Donkey Kong Country TV series. Outside the Donkey Kong series, he is a playable character in the Mario Kart series, as well as Mario Super Sluggers.

Concept and creation
Funky Kong looks largely similar to Donkey Kong, but is set apart from the other Kongs by his distinctive 90s look, usually comprising of sunglasses, a red bandana, blue shorts and a white sleeveless shirt as well as a surfboard. Described as “the ultimate surfer dude”, this persona translates to a laid-back attitude, with in-game descriptions usually describing him as the "coolest of all Kongs". However, unlike his relatives, he is described as being somewhat lazy, with a dislike for adventuring due to his laid-back nature, rather preferring to surf and play drums.

Referencing the idea that Cranky Kong was the original Donkey Kong before he passed the name on to his younger relative, Donkey Kong 64 developers Mark Stevenson and Chris Sutherland theorized that an aging Funky Kong would eventually turn into "Clunky Kong", riding around in a "pimped-up mobility scooter".

Donkey Kong series
In the original Donkey Kong Country trilogy released for the Super Nintendo, Funky Kong largely appears as a provider of transport for the playable characters. He debuted in Donkey Kong Country in 1994, where he operates a flight service that allows the playable characters to travel between worlds. In its 1995 sequel Donkey Kong Country 2 and its largely similar Gameboy counterpart Donkey Kong Land 2, he provides a similar service. If the player achieves full completion of the game, Funky will drop a bomb on King K. Rool after the final battle. Donkey Kong Country 3 expands his role to that of a vehicle rental service, where he loans the playable characters vehicles ranging from boats to a gyrocopter, while in the Gameboy Color and Gameboy Advance remakes of both games, he also hosts several minigames. Donkey Kong 64 changes his role to that of an arms dealer, providing the playable characters with various weaponry and ammunition. During the final boss battle, Funky will assist the other Kongs by firing a rocket-launched boot at King K. Rool.

Starting by the mid-2000s, Funky Kong became playable, starting in several spin-off games. In 2005's puzzle game DK: King of Swing and its 2007 sequel DK: Jungle Climber, he is a playable character in multiplayer. While only appearing as a background character in music game Donkey Konga 2 (2004), he became playable in Donkey Konga 3 (2005), whereas in the 2007 racing game Donkey Kong Barrel Blast, he is an unlockable racer. In 2014's Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze for the Wii U, he initially operates the game's shop. However, in the 2018 enhanced version for the Nintendo Switch, he becomes a playable character for the first time in a main series entry, in his own dedicated "Funky Mode", where he replaces Donkey Kong. Funky possesses all abilities of all other Kongs combined plus additional skills, thus making him the strongest character and the game significantly easier to play. Alongside the other characters, he battles Arctic invaders that have frozen the Kong's island.

Other games
Alongside other characters from Donkey Kong Country, he is featured in 2000's Picross NP Vol.8. Starting in 2008, Funky Kong has appeared in several games of the Mario franchise. In Mario Kart Wii, he is an unlockable character. Due to his stats, he is generally considered to be the best racer in the game. In the mobile game Mario Kart Tour, he became unlockable in 2020, while he was added as a downloadable character to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in 2023. Furthermore, he is a playable character in the 2008 baseball game Mario Super Sluggers.

Funky Kong has made several cameos in the Super Smash Bros. series. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, he can be unlocked as a trophy, while in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, he operates a shop and can be unlocked as a spirit.

Other media
In the 1997 Donkey Kong Country TV series, he is one of the main characters. Like in the games, he operates a flight service, however; he more actively partakes in the group's adventures. In 2023‘s The Super Mario Bros. Movie, he appears as a background character, joining the Kong army in battle.

Reception
Due to his coolness, attitude and 90s look, Funky Kong has become one of the most popular characters of the Donkey Kong franchise. Because of this, he has placed highly in rankings of the franchise. Ben Bertoli of Kotaku placed him third in a ranking of all Kongs, noting his general coolness, helpfulness as a supporting character and great theme music. A similar tier list by Nintendo Life placed him in the highest tier, noting him to be superior to Donkey Kong in terms of strength and coolness, also taking him being the best character in Mario Kart Wii into account. In a ranking of the strongest Donkey Kong characters by The Gamer, he placed seventh, and was described by John O'Connor as essentially Donkey Kong with "more flare and charisma with every move". Additionally, he was ranked among the ten hardest characters to unlock in the Mario Kart series by Screen Rant.