Donkey Kong is a true icon of gaming. While he may not be as famous as Mario or Link, the Donkey Kong Country series is still regarded as one of the best platforming franchises of all time, which has greatly helped the character's popularity. However, while it's true that the series has his name in the title, Donkey Kong isn't the protagonist in every single game in the franchise, as there are many instances where there are other characters sharing the spotlight with him, and there are even some cases where he's not in the game at all.

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The Donkey Kong Country franchise introduced many more members of the Kong family outside the titular Donkey Kong, some of which have proven to be fan favorites, while others did not have this everlasting impact on the franchise. But which Donkey Kong Country characters are the best in the series?

6 Funky Kong

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

Funky Kong has always been one of the most popular Kongs in the franchise, even if he was never a playable character in the series until the release of the Nintendo Switch port of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, which is one of the best platformers on the system. The reasons for his fan-favorite status may be his attire and attitude, as he's a laid-back monkey who enjoys surfing.

He's only had one single appearance as a playable character in Tropical Freeze, and he even wasn't in the base game. He was added in the Switch port to add an easy mode to the game, as Funky can double jump, hover in midair, and even breathe underwater for a short time. His gameplay style is not bad at all, but he still has to get his first, proper outing as a main character.

5 Kiddy Kong

Donkey Kong Country 3

Kiddy Kong is one of the most forgotten characters in the series. He's only appeared in Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie's Double Trouble, which is often considered the weakest chapter in the franchise, and he failed to leave an impression for many reasons. First of all, he's a crying toddler, which surely isn't a captivating trait for a main character. Secondly, he is widely seen as an inferior protagonist when compared to the more charismatic Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong, who were both absent in the game.

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Finally, Kiddy Kong doesn't even have a cool, unique moveset, as his main abilities are just longer jumps and being able to launch Dixie Kong. This, more than anything else, might be the reason why he was never brought back in later installments.

4 Cranky Kong

Donkey Kong Country 3 & Tropical Freeze

As many players know, Cranky Kong is the original Donkey Kong, the one from the arcade game, who has grown a lot older and grumpier since his first appearance. He can be found in every Donkey Kong Country game in a supporting role, but he only became a playable character in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze on Wii U, which is one of the best platformers on the system.

His moveset in the game is based around his crane, which allows him to bounce on spikes. This can prove very helpful, especially considering that the game is not easy at all to beat. To get the most out of Cranky, players can use him as a second character while playing co-op, to compensate for his weaknesses with another Kong's abilities.

3 Dixie Kong

Donkey Kong Country 2, 3, & Tropical Freeze

Dixie Kong made her first appearance in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong's Quest, which is widely regarded as one of the most difficult platformers on the SNES. She has since starred in Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble as the titular protagonist, and she came back to the series after a hiatus in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.

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Her playstyle revolves around her prehensile ponytail, which allows her to grab objects and slow down her descents during jumps. This last feature is especially useful since the games frequently require precise platforming, and it's much easier to have a safe landing using Dixie instead of other Kongs. This is what makes her one of the best playable Kongs in the games, and a fan favorite for fans.

2 Diddy Kong

Donkey Kong Country, 2, Returns, & Tropical Freeze

Diddy Kong was introduced as Donkey Kong's sidekick in the first Donkey Kong Country game, and he's the character with the most appearances in the series, as he is only missing from Donkey Kong Country 3, and he has even had his own racing spin-off. Diddy's playstyle is very similar to Donkey Kong, but he's somewhat more agile and a little faster, thanks to his smaller physique.

In Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze he is given a new ability in the form of his barrel jetpack, which allows him to clear larger gaps. This addition helped Diddy stand out more as a character, as he now has an exclusive move that isn't shared with Donkey Kong. Given he was in almost every game in the series, fans can't really imagine a Donkey Kong Country game without Diddy Kong.

1 Donkey Kong

Donkey Kong Country, Returns, & Tropical Freeze

The best playable Kong in the Donkey Kong Country series couldn't be any other character than Donkey Kong himself. Ironically, he's made fewer appearances in the series than Diddy Kong but that doesn't take away the fact that he's the star of this franchise, and he's even one of the most beloved characters in Mario Kart. His moveset may lack the unique abilities other Kongs have, but his gameplay style is still one of the most satisfying in the franchise, just because of his weight in jumps and attacks.

Other than that, he's the most charismatic member of the Kong family, which comes as no surprise as Donkey Kong is the character players have spent more time with over the years. There will probably never be a better Donkey Kong Country character, and that's just how things should be.

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