DK Bananza Leaked Art Sent Fans Into A Mario Lore Frenzy

Donkey Kong Bananza was already looking like one of Nintendo's most intriguing platformers in years.

Still, a sudden image leak from the Korean Nintendo site cranked up the hype (and confusion) to the max.

The now-removed art revealed something fans weren't expecting: a mysterious young girl on DK's back, wearing a familiar purple bracelet. It didn't take much for speculation to go wild.

Fans initially thought it was a younger version of Pauline, the original Donkey Kong damsel who now serves as New Donk City's mayor. Some thought it might be her daughter.

Others figured it was something even wilder—a twisted version of the Odd Rock companion from earlier trailers, perhaps transformed into something childlike.

The idea that the rock evolves or morphs into a humanoid character sparked dozens of theories, some suggesting the bracelet is a remnant of that transformation.

Fans also pointed out how Odd Rock helps DK whistle in-game and wondered if the girl might join in with a nod to Jump Up, Super Star! from Mario Odyssey.

There were jokes about her being downsized just to fit on DK's back, but at this point, no one's buying it. Some fans even threw out the idea that Bananza could be a prequel to the original Donkey Kong arcade game or Odyssey.

This would turn the narrative upside down, maybe showing Cranky Kong in his prime and a younger Mario coming in later. The crates labeled "NDC" in Treehouse footage have been read as hints that New Donk City already exists, placing this game after its founding.

But if Cranky is already old and referencing Mario in his dialogue, that throws a wrench into the prequel timeline.

Or maybe, as one commenter joked, this Cranky is Cranky's grandpa, and it turns out the family tree is a lot more tangled than we thought.

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Some are favoring a more symbolic interpretation. Maybe this version of Pauline (or Pauline Jr., as some call her) is a "new take" rather than a direct connection to any existing timeline.

One theory claims she's been sealed inside Odd Rock by a shady group called VoidCo and that her transformation into a child is part of the game's mystery. That would explain her visible fear of DK (possibly trauma from the past) and why she's so small.

It's not the first time Nintendo played fast and loose with lore, and it definitely won't be the last.

Cranky's presence only complicates things. He's been spotted in gameplay, but that hasn't stopped players from theorizing that the demo might've misled everyone and that Cranky won't be a major figure in the final game.

One theory even compares the plot setup to Wicked, with DK being misunderstood, Pauline needing saving, and Jumpman (Mario) not being the clear-cut hero after all.

No matter what the real story ends up being, this leak did exactly what leaks tend to do: pull the fanbase into full detective mode.

For fans hoping for a shift in these characters' journeys, this could be just the wild ride they've been after.