Key Takeaways:
- Koji Takeda leads as Donkey Kong, lending heroic weight to DK’s comedic adventure.
- Pauline is the only major English voice, voiced by newcomer Jenny Kid.
- Most characters are voiced by top Japanese VA talent, many with anime and JRPG credits.
Nintendo’s latest adventure, Donkey Kong Bananza, features a rich voice cast with a mix of seasoned Japanese actors and a few fresh faces. While Donkey Kong and Pauline take center stage in their race to the planet’s core, several side characters from both the Kong crew and VoidCo add personality to the journey.
Here’s a full breakdown of the cast and where you might have heard them before—just beware of minor story spoilers ahead.
Donkey Kong and Pauline: Star Voices Lead the Charge
Donkey Kong is voiced by Koji Takeda, known for powerful, heroic roles such as Daruk in Breath of the Wild and Mullins in Days Gone. His deep, expressive tone adds gravitas to DK’s often comedic yet heartfelt performance.
Pauline, the fan-favorite mayor and singer, is voiced in English by Jenny Kid, a relatively unknown newcomer. In the Japanese version, she’s brought to life by Yurianne Eve, whose credits include Adult Rose in Resident Evil Village and Yui Kodai from My Hero Academia.
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VoidCo and the Elders: Veteran Japanese VAs at Work
The game features several quirky elder animals and VoidCo agents, most of whom are voiced by Japanese voice acting veterans:
- Prospector Monkey – Ryota Asari (Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth, Detective Conan)
- Salvager Monkey – Masayuki Fujibuchi (Let This Grieving Soul Retire!, The Family Circumstances of the Irregular Witch)
- Elder Kong – Toshitsugu Takashina, who voiced Dom Santiago in the Gears of War Japanese versions
- Elder Zebra – Daigo Fujimaki (Ajin, Power Rangers Dino Force Brave)
- Elder Ostrich – Miki Narahashi, known for Misty Nohara in Shinchan
- Elder Elephant – Yoshiko Okamoto, the voice of Mother in Cowboy Bebop
- Elder Snake – Kazuya Ichijo, narrator in Kamen Rider Ghost and Jhun Hoon in The King of Fighters
- Grumpy Kong – Daichi Hayashi (Solo Leveling: ARISE, Gun Gale Online)
- Poppy Kong – Hitomi Nabatame, known for Symmetra in Overwatch
- King K. Rool – Tsuguo Mogami, also the voice of General Pepper in Star Fox Zero
Why So Many Japanese Voice Actors?
While Pauline gets an English voice actor in Jenny Kid, Donkey Kong Bananza primarily uses Japanese voice talent. This decision reflects Nintendo’s development origins and localization priorities, with full Japanese VA treatment and limited English dubbing.
Final Thoughts
Donkey Kong Bananza may feature a compact cast, but it’s full of talent, especially for fans of Japanese anime, JRPGs, and action games. From veterans like Tsuguo Mogami and Yoshiko Okamoto to newcomers like Jenny Kid, the performances bring both charm and gravitas to DK’s underground odyssey.
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