Lanky Kong is an orangutan who could best be described as the Dave Coulier of Donkey Kong Island. Wearing a red clown nose, Lanky may act a bit goofy, but he's actually fairly competent. Just don't ask to hear his Popeye or Mr. Woodchuck voices ("cut... it... out!"). He wears blue overalls and has long (extraordinarly stretchy) arms, which he uses to punch and slap his enemies. While his exact home has never been seen, it's most likely he lives in the Kongo Jungle.
He first seemingly met the other Kongs while on vacation in the Northern Kremisphere in 1996. He participated in one of Funky Kong's mini-games, but didn't get involved in Dixie and Kiddy Kong's adventure. Three years later, he would get very much involved.
In 1999, he was brought into the fray when King K. Rool ordered the Kremlings to capture Kongs in order to buy time for the Blast-o-Matic cannon to be fixed (Donkey Kong 64). The Kremlings put in charge of the task didn't know one Kong from another, and so they grabbed a wandering Lanky and locked him in a temple in Angry Aztec. Once freed by Donkey Kong and his team, he joined them in their quest to stop the destruction of DK Isles. Not that he really had a choice, because the Kremlings seemingly tailored the traps in K. Rool's scheme for the five Kongs that were locked away, Lanky included.
While being a stranger compared to the other four members of the "DK Crew," he quickly proved to be an indispensable asset to the team. By drinking Cranky Kong's chemical potions, he unlocked several abilities within himself. These potions granted him use of the Lanky Pads, which allowed him to inflate himself and float around for a limited time. He also learned to use his unique handstand to climb hills and sprint at incredible speeds, though the latter technique used Crystal Coconuts for power. Alongside Cranky's lab-created moveset, Lanky also used a blowgun (courtesy of Funky Kong) to shoot grapes and a trombone (courtesy of Candy Kong) to defeat all enemies in a room or activate special events. As for collectable items, Lanky could only gather the blue objects (banana coins, blueprints, and blueberry bananas).
Lanky was the one who faced off against the giant Puftoss in Gloomy Galleon, and he also fought (with the other Kongs) King Kut Out and King Krusha K. Rool. In that final battle with K. Rool, Lanky used his long arms to acquire banana peels, which he threw onto the floor of the boxing ring King Krusha K. Rool had set up. He then played his trumpet to lure K. Rool into slipping upon the peels. Once he had done this four times, the crooked judges ended the round to let K. Rool recuperate.
Following the battle and K. Rool's defeat, Lanky celebrated with his newfound friends. While he hasn't been seen since, it's safe to assume he's still in contact with his teammates and Lanky himself is held in high regard on the Island, having helped save it from total destruction.
Featured in:
-Donkey Kong 64
-Donkey Kong Country 3 (Game Boy Advance)