Donkey Kong's Age in Bananza: Completing Secrets to Fuel Theories

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Donkey Kong Bananza has raised several questions for long-time Mario fans, especially about its place in the timeline. After Oddrock was revealed to be a 13-year-old Pauline, fans began debating if this game takes place in the past or if some time travel is involved that has changed Pauline’s timeline.

Diddy, Dixie, and Cranky Kong are in the game, supporting the time travel theory. But to really confirm Donkey Kong Bananza’s position in the Mario timeline, we need to know the main ape’s age. Sadly, Nintendo hasn’t shared that information yet.

Why Donkey Kong’s Age Is A Secret

In a recent chat with IGN, producer Kenta Motokura and director Kazuya Takahashi were asked about Donkey Kong’s timeline and ages. Takahashi mentioned he wants players to figure out why Pauline is 13, while Motokura said keeping Donkey Kong’s age a secret is “good for theorists.”

When someone suggested that Donkey Kong Bananza might be a prequel to Super Mario Odyssey, since it was made by the same team, Takahashi said he wants to leave questions for players to think about as they play.

Interestingly, Donkey Kong’s age has never been confirmed, as he appears to be ageless since his first game. However, because we have Diddy Kong and Cranky Kong, we know that the DK family ages like real gorillas. If we assume they have a lifespan of 35 to 40 years, we can guess that regular Donkey Kong is about 20 to 25 years old.

Pauline is likely much younger than she was in Super Mario Odyssey. This could mean Donkey Kong is between 0 and 5 years old in Bananza if it is indeed a prequel. I’m leaning toward the time travel theory for this game.