Key Takeaways:
- Donkey Kong Bananza features a 13-year-old Pauline, sparking timeline confusion.
- Nintendo producers refuse to clarify Donkey Kong’s age, encouraging speculation.
- Theories involving time travel are gaining momentum among longtime fans.
Nintendo’s latest Donkey Kong game, Bananza, has ignited wild fan speculation after revealing a 13-year-old Pauline—raising serious questions about its place in the Mario universe. The unexpected twist has reignited the debate over the franchise’s timeline, with many theorists now convinced that time travel is involved.
Young Pauline and the Time-Travel Debate
The reveal that Oddrock is actually a 13-year-old version of Pauline, a character originally depicted as an adult in Super Mario Odyssey, has shaken fan expectations. Is Donkey Kong Bananza a prequel set decades in the past? Or is the young Pauline a visitor from another time?
Supporting the latter theory is the presence of Diddy, Dixie, and Cranky Kong—characters tied to Donkey Kong’s established modern timeline. Their inclusion has raised more eyebrows than answers, especially given Nintendo’s longstanding ambiguity about character ages.
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Nintendo Producers Fuel the Fire With Vague Responses
In an interview with IGN, Bananza producer Kenta Motokura and director Kazuya Takahashi refused to confirm Donkey Kong’s age. Takahashi encouraged fans to “puzzle out” the mystery of Pauline’s youth themselves, while Motokura described the ambiguity around Donkey Kong’s age as “good fodder” for theorists.
When asked if the game could be a prequel to Super Mario Odyssey, Takahashi declined to provide clarity, stating that he wants players to “consider it as they play.” This intentional vagueness has only intensified speculation, with the lack of a definitive timeline making it difficult to place Bananza accurately.
Donkey Kong’s Elusive Age Adds to the Confusion
Despite being one of Nintendo’s most iconic characters, Donkey Kong’s actual age has never been confirmed. Unlike Mario or Peach, DK exists in a sort of ageless bubble—although the presence of characters like Cranky Kong (widely believed to be the original DK) and Diddy Kong implies that the Kong family does age.
Assuming DK ages like a real gorilla, he’d likely be in his early 20s now. But if Bananza is truly a prequel and Pauline is 13, Donkey Kong would have to be around 0–5 years old, which clearly doesn’t line up with his current appearance. All signs point to some sort of timeline disruption—if not outright time travel
Conclusion: Nintendo’s Silence Keeps the Mystery Alive
While Nintendo remains deliberately cryptic about Donkey Kong Bananza‘s place in the Mario timeline, fans are piecing together theories involving time travel and alternate timelines. The appearance of a 13-year-old Pauline, combined with the unexplained age of Donkey Kong, has only deepened the intrigue.
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