Since you're on the DK Bandwagon, have any headcannons for the characters?
First HC of 2026!
Teen Pauline // Mayor Pauline
Ticklishness Rating: 9/10 // 7/10
Most Ticklish Spots: Arches, Sides/Waist
Total tomboy. // Career and personal growth have made her more elegant and feminine, but can be more fun than she appears.
Loves going barefoot, and loves being tickled! (At least when DK & his buddies do it.) // Now prefers to keep her feet covered, and isn’t crazy about getting them touched.
Her favorites are feather tickles, raspberries, and getting poked between her wiggly toes. // Well…she’s unbothered by neck touches, at least.
Screams and jumps and bounces around like she chugged 6 pots of coffee. // Tends to flinch and shy away when one of her sensitive spots is probed.
Gets pedicures because they tickle! 😁 // Avoids pedicures, because they tickle. 😖
Tickles Donkey Kong (and her other friends) every chance she gets! // Not as physically affectionate as her childhood self, but has fond memories of her tickle fights with DK, and sometimes she just can’t resist a sneaky scratch on the big ape’s neck.
Donkey Kong
Ticklishness Rating: 6/10
Most Ticklish Spots: Armpits, Ribs, Neck
Not the biggest fan of being tickled, but he tolerates it just fine and enjoys the bonding.
Surprisingly quiet. Lots of “hee-hee-hee” Scooby-Doo chortles through clenched teeth.
Gleefully wobbles around and has a hard time keeping balance when tickled. He’s bouncy.
Adores Pauline and will do anything for her. When he noticed how much she loves tickling him, he started intentionally leaving himself open. Soon, their horseplay fights were legendary.
Long, wavy fur on his shoulders & back has been known to make Pauline giggle when she stands on him. Which they both enjoy.
Flash-forward: 20 years later, after Pauline has grown up, he’s not as ticklish as he was, and they don't roughhouse anymore. But he’ll always indulge his little girl. <3
Poppy Kong
Ticklishness Rating: 8/10
Most Ticklish Spots: Tummy, Armpits
CV: Highly-experienced Director of Intelligence, proficient in industrial espionage, spycraft, interrogation, and kidnapping.
While in VoidCo's employ, sometimes utilized cruel tickle torture to gather information. She took no pleasure in this...it was her job.
Intelligent, observant, good with her hands. Sharp fingers. A skilled & dangerous tickler.
Sensory-avoidant. For all her hoity-toity corporate-chic cool, Poppy's composure snaps as soon as she's touched. Disgusted by close contact.
Most similar genetically to a lutung or colobus...but when she starts laughing, one might easily mistake her for a howler monkey.
Panics when threatened and usually sprays herself with Inviseaux perfume to disappear.
Also known as "K*nty Kong."
Tiny Kong
Ticklishness Rating: 8.5/10
Most Ticklish Spots: Belly Button, Ribs, Tops of Feet
The most mischievous rascal of the Kong Kids. Often uses tickling in battle or to cheat at games. They don’t call her “Tiny the Tickler” for nothing!*
Came by these habits via her older sister. Dixie used to tickle her all the time, and Tiny quickly developed positive associations.
Diabolical arsenal of attacks that appear specifically catered to this activity. Prehensile Pony Tail Twirl, her Mini-Monkey shrinking ability, her supply of feather arrows for her crossbow...all useful.
Famously tried to tickle K. Rool’s toes during a boss fight, but wound up hurting him instead.
Very squeaky. Sounds similar to a chew toy.
*They do not in fact call her that. I made it up. (But for real, everyone knows that she's a huge ler.)
Unrelated note: that Candy poster in the Bananza DLC is a masterclass on how minute details can drastically alter a character’s appearance. The smaller mouth, the higher upturned nose, the looser-fit clothing, the more-even bangs… superficially, Candy retains the exact same design she had in DK64, but with just the most subtle of tweaks, she now looks like the kids’ cool older sister instead of some horrifying monkey prostitute. I no longer want to puke just from looking at her!
Candy Kong
Ticklishness Rating: 7/10
Most Ticklish Spots: Armpits, Knees, Ankles
Often squeezes her nails under DK’s arms to wake him up when he won’t get out of bed.
Formed an immediate bond with Pauline over their shared love of music, and the two have frequent jam sessions. Plus...
...she knows how ticklish Pauline is and adores teasing & playing with her little human bandmate. She’ll pinch Pauline’s sides, drag scratchy fingers down her back, or grab her foot whenever the mood strikes. (She also does the same to Tiny.)
Even just wiggling her fingers in Pauline’s direction will make the human girl giggle and run for cover, so sometimes Candy has to chase her. >:) It’s very warm & affectionate.
Strangely, most of the time, Pauline doesn’t get her back.
Playful fights are ok, but no touching Candy’s armpits; she doesn’t like that.
Other Kong Family Fun Facts
Yes, they groom each other’s fur. They’re sapient, but they’re still monkeys. And yes, it’s often a very tickly process.
It’s difficult to tell if Funky is ticklish or not; he’s too chill and laid-back (and, possibly, too baked out of his gourd) to have much of a reaction to anything. He doesn’t seem to mind it either way.
Diddy and Dixie may be a couple, but when it comes to tickles, they act more like bickering siblings. Diddy is the weaker of the two.
Cranky's not ticklish himself (too old) and doesn't usually partake in such silly nonsense. But he's got a secret soft side and always enjoyed playing the Tickle Monster for the young'uns. :)
With stretchy noodle arms and long fingers, Lanky could be the world’s greatest ler. But he usually prefers to make the kids laugh with funny faces, sound effects, or deviantArt-ing.
Chunky feels nothing. Because he is dead. (r/deadmemes)
