Poppy Kong is one of the three main antagonists in Donkey Kong Bananza, not counting the secret final boss I won’t spoil here. She was fine as a character, but Nintendo has definitely crafted more memorable villains than this hired ape working for a pretty unimpressive little monkey.

Essentially, she’s on Void Kong’s payroll, tasked with taking down Donkey Kong and recapturing Pauline, and you end up facing her in at least a couple of boss encounters throughout the game. She’s clearly making sure she gets her paycheck at the end of the pay period.

I remember her signature ability being a burst of super speed, which made her genuinely tough to pin down, especially on the second encounter. That was until I figured out you needed to use a specific power to counter it, after which she became considerably easier to handle. Before I cracked that solution, she was honestly the most challenging boss fight in the entire game.

After the final time you defeat her, she reappears, though not for another boss rematch. Instead, she shows up right as you get separated from young Pauline, having apparently quit working for the detestable Void Kong altogether. She ends up genuinely helping you reunite with Pauline, and that’s the last we see of her in the game.

If Nintendo ever produces a Donkey Kong Bananza 2, I wouldn’t be shocked to see her pop up in some capacity, though I doubt she’d return as an antagonist again. Still, it’d be fun to see her make a cameo somewhere, even something as small as a trophy appearance in a future Super Smash Bros. title.