Bluster Kong

Bluster Kong
Bluster Kong as seen during the first season of the Donkey Kong Country animated series.
Alias(es)	Leo Luster
Residence(s)	Kongo Bongo Island
Family	Kong Family, Mother
Species	Kong
Affiliation(s)	Kong Family
Powers/Abilities	Co-owner of the Barrelworks Factory and Barrelcopter, Heir of considerable wealth, Can change to Leo Luster, a heroic and charismatic personality
Enemies	Kremling Krew, King K. Rool
First Appearance	"Bad Hair Day" (1997)
Latest Appearance	"Message In A Bottle Show" (2000)
Voice Actor/Actress	French: Daniel Lesourd (season 1) & Patrice Dozier (season 2) English: Donald Burda Japanese: Daiki Nakamura

Bluster Kong is an original character from the Donkey Kong Country animated series, based on the game of the same name. He does not appear in any of the games of the Donkey Kong series. Bluster mainly serves as comic relief in the animated series. He and his (unseen) mother are the owners of the Barrelworks Factory. In the English version of the animated series, Bluster Kong was voiced by Donald Burda.

Overview

Bluster runs Kongo Bongo Island's resident barrel factory, which is actually owned by his mother (an unseen character). Occasionally, he speaks with his mother on a cell phone and uses his personal Barrelcopter to move around the island. Bluster is the stereotypical rich, spoiled coward. He is constantly hitting on Candy Kong, his lone employee, despite the fact that she is dating Donkey Kong.

Often, Bluster's attempts to impress Candy or help the other Kongs leads to more harm than good. Some episodes actually focused around this character insight, such as "From Zero to Hero", in which Bluster, thinking that he was going to die within a week after hearing Donkey, Diddy, and Cranky Kong seemingly talking about his x-ray pictures (they were actually talking about Cranky's x-ray machine). Another example of this is the episode "Get a Life, Don't Save One", where Donkey Kong saves Bluster during an accident and Bluster, indebted to DK, starts saving him from practically everything, even anything that is not really threatening.

Bluster as Leo Luster as seen during the episode "Hunka Hunka Burnin' Bluster" from the Donkey Kong Country animated series.

In one of his attempts to impress Candy Kong during the episode "Hunka Hunka Burnin' Bluster", Bluster wound up transforming into a heartthrob named Leo Luster as a result of mixing all his hair tonics together (he thought it was unnatural for his hair to fall out). As Leo Luster, Bluster was able to not only win Candy's affection (and to a minor extent, impress Diddy), but also trick King K. Rool into giving up the Crystal Coconut. The effects were temporary, though, and Bluster soon changed back to his normal self. However, Bluster was able to temporarily become Leo Luster without the serum, because according to DK, "Somewhere inside, he is Leo Luster; the serum just brought it out".

Personality

Conceited, pompous, vain, and narcissistic, Bluster is motivated by his lust for Candy Kong and his pride. He regularly tries to demean and belittle Donkey Kong due to the latter being a slacker and of mediocre intelligence. Bluster acts regal and confident, but when the odds are stacked against him, he snaps like a twig and will resort to groveling and even aid his aggressors, such as the evil King K. Rool, being a "spineless worm". However, he does show a kind side, yet his efforts at heroism usually end up backfiring on him at best or causing more harm than good at worst.

Under special circumstances, Bluster has proven to be caring, helpful and a competent hero, and he has even showed empathy for characters aside Candy. He showed concern for Diddy when the latter had contracted "Kongo Bongo Gone Wrongo" disease and was horrified along with the other Kongs when it seemed Cranky had lost his life in a plane accident. When he is not sparing against Donkey Kong for Candy's affections, Bluster has been known to set aside past feuds with Donkey Kong, enabling the two to work together harmoniously and be friendly with one another. Donkey Kong also sees Bluster's greater potential, believing Bluster does not need a potion to be like Leo Luster.

Quotes

• "I'm just one sneaky, peeping, two-bit step away from becoming an even richer richest ape on Kongo Bongo Island - and that's rich."
• "Marry me, Candy, and everything that's mine is yours, except for what's in this prenuptial agreement."
• "Wait a minute, not so fast! I want to go over that 'richer-poorer' part again with my lawyer!"
• "Can't we get this show on the road? I'm losing a fortune standing around here!"
• "There, how could Candy possibly resist me now? *looks at his comb* What's this? Hair? My hair?? AAH! My hair's falling out!!"
• "I can't use this. So what if I've lost a bit of hair? ...AAH! MORE HAIR!! I'm shedding!"
• "That unimaginative Donkey Kong would be more than happy to trade whatever treasure he finds for a... station wagon to cargo his bananas around."
• "Writing? Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't that involve knowing something like, say, the alphabet?"
• Bluster: "Hey, Candy. Surprise!"
  Candy: "A birthday cake. How original, Bluster."
  Bluster: "Yes, I am a thoughtful son-of-a-gun. Happy birthday! Banana cream, your favorite!"
  Candy: "Rejected; I'm watching my figure."
  Bluster: "Don't bother, I'm watching it for you."
• Bluster: "Do I get any last requests?"
  K. Rool: "OK, but it can't be too expensive!"
  Bluster: "No no no! I simply wish to sing a song!" *starts singing "100 Banana Bunches on the Wall" with Krusha and some Kritters*
• Funky: "Whoa! Maybe the kids have doom-swooped the island!"
  Bluster: "What will we do?"
  Funky: "Only thing we can do. Chill here and wait for the others to give us the 'All Clear' sign."
  Bluster: "But that could take a long time!"
  Funky: "So, we get to know each other. I'll tell you my middle name if you, like, tell me yours."
  Bluster: "LET ME OUT OF HERE!!!"
• Bluster: "I'm tired, my feet are sore, I have sand in my shoes and I'm thirsty! Give me that bottle!"
  Candy: "No, this will save Donkey Kong!"
  Bluster: "So what if K. Rool wins? Who cares? Donkey Kong will be out of my hair; I can't stand that guy! Now gimme that stuff!"
• DK: "Maybe we could fool K. Rool into thinking you could still hypnotize them!"
  Bluster: "I could do that. Or I could just use the last of the serum and really hypnotize them!"
  DK: "That would work too!" *He pats Bluster, causing him to drop the beaker* "Oop!"
  Bluster: "At least it would have, if you weren't such a clumsy clutz!"
• Bluster: *After voting for himself* "May I have another?"
  Cranky: "Sorry, Bluster, one vote each! That's how it works."
  Bluster: "You mean, I get the same number of votes as him!?" (points to Eddie the Mean Old Yeti) "And you call this a democracy!"
• Bluster: *After getting vaccinated by Cranky* "Owwweee!!! Sometimes I think that you have an extra long needle just for me Cranky."
  Cranky: *Puts away the long needle next to the short needle* "Don't be silly Bluster."

Trivia

• Despite Bluster Kong usually acting as a jerk and even playing antagonistic acts during some episodes, he is not considered a villain in the Donkey Kong Country animated series.
• Except for mentions and cell phone sounds, Bluster Kong's mother never appears in person during the Donkey Kong Country animated series. Bluster once mentioned about her owning a mansion, however it is unknown if the mother is an inhabitant of the Kongo Bongo Island.
• In a manner similar to that of King K. Rool, Bluster's left eye would sometimes enlarge itself. However, this only applies to the first season of the Donkey Kong Country animated series.
• Bluster Kong shares similarities with Swanky Kong, a character present in some Donkey Kong games. Although both of them also share certain desire for money, Bluster is not as friendly as Swanky.
• Bluster Kong's mustache makes him to resemble Uncle Kong, a character appearing only in the Japanese strategy guide "Super Donkey Kong 2: Dixie & Diddy: Kouryaku Guidebook Kanzenhan" for the game Super Donkey Kong 2: Dixie & Diddy.
• Bluster Kong is also featured as a character in a story from the manga Super Mario-kun volume 23.