Character page for the various film incarnations of King Kong.
Specific pages
The Kongs
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King Kong
Portrayed by: Shoichi Hirose (King Kong vs. Godzilla), Haruo Nakajima (King Kong Escapes) Peter Cullen, Rick Baker & Will Shepard (1976 film), Peter Elliot (King Kong Lives), Andy Serkis (2005 film)
The classic American Kaiju that needs no introduction.- Anti-Villain: He's not really evil even in the 1933 version, just a massive force of Nature that loves Ann/Dwan. Later sequels and remakes even make him out to be the hero.
- Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: Kong is officially stated to be 50 feet tall in the original movie.
- Beast and Beauty: The Beast to Ann/Dwan's Beauty.
- Breakout Character: Alongside Godzilla, the Trope Codifier for Giant Monster/Kaiju.
- Death by a Thousand Cuts: Gets shot to death, on top of the Empire State Building/World Trade Center.
- Disney Villain Death: Falls to his death after being shot down.
- Gentle Gorilla: Later installments make him out to be this trope, particularly his Monsterverse incarnation. He is portrayed as normally a Gentle Giant, who turns aggressive when he needs to protect his home and those he cares about.
- Kaiju: The early Trope Codifier, preceding Godzilla by twenty-one years.
- Killer Gorilla: Pretty much the Trope Codifier for modern media, being both a lot larger and a lot more aggressive than real gorillas.
- Mix-and-Match Critters: While mostly just a giant gorilla, he shares some attributes with other primates and even us humans. He has human-like hands, a human-like posture, orangutan-like fur and face, and his jaws and teeth seem to be akin to that of a chimpanzee.
- Non-Malicious Monster: He doesn't have any ill intentions towards humans, but he's still a gigantic, destructive monster.
- Your Size May Vary: His height is slightly inconsistent throughout the movie. The people working on it actually worked to make Kong so enthralling that you wouldn’t notice.
Kiko
King Kong's son, a massive, pale-furred ape about 12 feet tall. Found on Skull Island after King Kong's death, he accompanied Denham and his party across the island after they rescued him from a quicksand pit.
- Androcles' Lion: Takes it upon himself to follow Denham and Hilda around and protect them after they rescue him from quicksand and bandage his finger.
- Disappeared Dad: His father was abducted to Manhattan and died while there, so Kiko's been on his own for a bit.
- Last of His Kind: With his father's death, Kiko was the last of Skull Island's Kongs.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Dies saving Carl Denham.
Lady Kong
Portrayed by: George Yiasoumi
Baby Kong
Portrayed by: Benjamin Kechley
Humans
1933 film
Ann Darrow
Portrayed by: Fay Wray (1933 film), Naomi Watts (2005 film)
- Adaptational Heroism: The 2005 version, in subtle ways, is far more outgoing and direct than her more Neutral Female counterpart from the original 1933 movie.
- Beast and Beauty: The Beauty to Kong's Beast
- Beauty Is Never Tarnished: Especially in the 1933 film, while in the 2005 film she only gets a few cuts on her face.
- Clothing Damage: She gets most of her dress peeled off by Kong in the 1933 film.
- Downplayed in the 2005 film, where her pink slip has a small rip.
- This is taken to insane extremes in the little-known Don Simpson "Monster Comics" adaptation. She's stripped completely down to her bra and panties.
- Fallen-on-Hard-Times Job
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Ann is blonde-haired and is probably the kindest and most moral character in the 2005 movie.
- Losing a Shoe in the Struggle: In the 2005 film, Ann gets kidnapped as she was getting ready for bed. Consequently, her shoes get left behind, and she spends the entire time in the jungle barefoot. By all accounts, her feet should've been ripped to shreds by the rough terrain, especially in the jungle itself.
- Ms. Fanservice: In the 1933 movie after she gets most of her dress ripped off by Kong.
- The 2005 film has Ann in a nightgown for most of her stay in Skull Island.
- Screaming Woman: The 1933 version, especially with her being played by Fay Wray.
- Playing Against Type: In-universe on the 2005 film. Carl tells Ann "you're the saddest girl I've ever seen" and chooses her to be his lead because she evokes The Woobie so well. Ann responds to this by telling him that she's a comedian who makes people laugh for a living.
- Sweet Polly Oliver: When we first see Ann during the intro of the 2005 film, she's performing on stage in male drag.
- Tom Hanks Syndrome: Invoked in-universe in the 2005 film. Ann is a vaudeville clown who gets cast as The Ingenue lead in Carl's adventure film.
Carl Denham
Portrayed by: Robert Armstrong (1933 film, Son of Kong), Jack Black (2005 film)
- The Atoner: In the sequel Son of Kong, where he'd realized his actions in the original film were wrong. When he meets Kong's son, Denham tries to be more protective and helpful, and is truly remorseful when Son of Kong dies saving Denham's life.
- Jerkass: In the 2005 film.
- The Protagonist: Of the three main human characters, he is the only one to appear in both films, essentially making him the main protagonist of the duology.
Jack Driscoll
Portrayed by: Bruce Cabot (1933 film), Adrien Brody (2005 film)
Captain Englehorn
Portrayed by: Frank Reicher (1933 film, Son of Kong), Thomas Kretschmann (2005 film)
Charles Weston
Portrayed by: Sam Hardy
Son of Kong
Hilda Petersen
Portrayed by: Helen Mack
Nils Helstrom
Portrayed by: John Marston
Charlie
Portrayed by: Victor Wong
King Kong vs. Godzilla
Osamu Sakurai
Portrayed by: Tadao Takashima
Kazuo Fujita
Portrayed by: Kenji Sahara
Kinsaburo Furue
Portrayed by: Yu Fujiki
Mr. Tako
Portrayed by: Ichirō Arishima
Fumiko Sakurai
Portrayed by: Mie Hama
General Masami Shinzo
Portrayed by: Jun Tazaki
Tamiye
Portrayed by: Akiko Wakabayashi
Prime Minister Shigezawa
Portrayed by: Akihiko Hirata
King Kong Escapes
Commander Carl Nelson
Portrayed by: Rhodes Reason
Lt. Commander Jiro Nomura
Portrayed by: Akira Takarada
Lt. Susan Watson
Portrayed by: Linda Miller
Dr. Who
Portrayed by: Eisei Amamoto
Madame Piranha
Portrayed by: Mie Hama
Mechani-Kong
Portrayed by: Yū Sekida
1976 film
Jack Prescott
Portrayed by: Jeff Bridges
- Expy: Of Jack Driscoll.
Fred S. Wilson
Portrayed by: Charles Grodin
- Adaptational Villainy: Is far from the Nice Guy the original Carl Denham was. The original was very friendly, and even tried to be peaceful with the natives. Wilson acts rather disrespectful to the natives. Even compared to the 2005 version, his jerkiness stands out. While the 2005 version of Denham was greedy and a bit of a jerk, he was ultimately a Mr. Vice Guy and a Jerk with a Heart of Gold. Wilson is far more greedy. Both versions of Denham also showed sympathy toward Kong, while Wilson does not and is more exploitive. In addition, both versions of Denham were film diretors trying to make a decent and honest buck, while Wilson is a corrupt man who has come to drain the island of its resources for oil.
- Asshole Victim: No one deserved to die in Kong's rampage more than he did.
- Death by Adaptation: Kong steps on him and kills him. Denham lives in both versions.
- Expy: Of Carl Denham.
- Hate Sink: His basic purpose is to be someone for the audience to hate.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold/ Mr. Vice Guy: Deconstructed. While he does still retain some of Denham's noble qualities, and has a few Pet the Dog moments, he is still a greedy, animal abusing Corrupt Corporate Executive.
- Pet the Dog: Like Denham, he still helps to rescue Ann (or in this case, Dwan) after she's given to Kong. He also seems saddened to hear about the deaths of the crew that occurred at the log chasm. In addition, one of his conversations with Dwan strongly implies that he considers rape to be a horrific action just like most people would.
Dwan
Portrayed by: Jessica Lange
- Beast and Beauty: The Beauty to Kong's Beast.
- Expy: Of Ann Darrow.
Captain Ross
Portrayed by: John Randolph
Roy Bagley
Portrayed by: René Auberjonois
First Mate Carnahan
Portrayed by: Ed Lauter
- Disney Villain Death: Kong causes him and everyone else in the rescue party except Jack and Boan to fall to their deaths.
Boan
Portrayed by: Julius Harris
- Black Dude Dies First: Subverted. He and Jack are the only members of the rescue party to survive.
Joe Perko
Portrayed by: Jack O'Halloran
- Disney Villain Death: Kong causes him and everyone else in the rescue party except Jack and Boan to fall to their deaths.
Garcia
Portrayed by: Jorge Moreno
- Disney Villain Death: Kong causes him and everyone else in the rescue party except Jack and Boan to fall to their deaths.
Timmons
Portrayed by: Mario Gallo
- Disney Villain Death: Kong causes him and everyone else in the rescue party except Jack and Boan to fall to their deaths.
King Kong Lives
Hank Mitchell
Portrayed by: Brian Kerwin
Dr. Amy Franklin
Portrayed by: Linda Hamilton
Dr. Benson Hughes
Portrayed by: Frank Maraden
Dr. Andrew Ingersoll
Portrayed by: Peter Michael Goetz
Lt. Col. R.T. Nevitt
Portrayed by: John Ashton
- Defiant to the End: He spends his last moments firing at Kong with his sidearm and insulting him, well aware Kong is about to crush him like a bug.
Major Peete
Portrayed by: Jimmie Ray Weeks
Vance
Portrayed by: Michael Forest
Will
Portrayed by: Leon Rippy
Jay
Portrayed by: Herschel Sparber
Chigger
Portrayed by: Wallace Merck
Scruffy
Portrayed by: Dean Whitworth
Mazlansky
Portrayed by: Robin Cahall
Sgt. Tucker
Portrayed by: Matt Totty
Creatures of Skull Island
Brontosaurus
A semi-aquatic solitary sauropod that attacks the Skull Island rescue party in a swamp.
- Aquatic Sauropods: Zigzagged. It attacks the rescue party from below as they try to cross a swamp on a raft, overturning it and dragging a few men under. However, when the survivors make it to shore, it tromps out of the water onto dry land and continues the chase.
- Back for the Dead: Shows up at the end of “Son of Kong”, as the island is sinking in a massive earthquake, rising above the waves one last time before going under.
- Xenophobic Herbivore: Extremely aggressive, attacking the party and killing at least one man. While it’s hard to tell, it may have Ascended to Carnivorism after plucking one sailor out of a tree.
Cave Bear
A large Ursine creature that Kiko rescues Carl and Hilda from.
- Bears Are Bad News: It attacks Carl and Hilda after they rescued Kiko from quicksand.
Deathrunners
A race of Dromaeosaurus, that are mortal enemies of the Kongs and ruled Skull Island before them. Their leader is called Gaw.
- Always Chaotic Evil: The most dangerous creatures on Skull Island.
- Bizarre Sexual Dimorphism: Male Deathrunners have manes of feathers and are uniformly human size, The Females are featherless and have the capacity to grow as large as a Kong.
- Equal-Opportunity Evil: While the title of Gaw traditionally goes to a female Deathrunner, they will give it to other Kaiju as well, as evidenced when a female Kong known as Ghost was named Gaw.
- Feathered Fiend: The males have manes of feathers on their head.
- It Can Think: The intelligence of the Deathrunners is on par with that of tribal humans.
- Raptor Attack: They appears to be descended from velociraptors.
Gaw
A name given to the leader of the Deathrunners. Most Gaws are giant female Deathrunners however it is not unheard of for members of other species to become Gaw.- Arch-Enemy: Seems to be the top contender for King Kong.
- Big Bad: Of both the Kong: King of Skull Island novel and Kong of Skull Island comics.
- God Save Us from the Queen!: The first Gaw ruled over Skull Island before being overthrown by King Kong.
- King Mook: Queen Mook, technically, most Gaws are giant female Deathrunners.
- Legacy Character: There have been three known Gaws within the King Kong franchise, and one of them was a Kong.
- Multiple Head Case: The second Gaw had two heads, each with its own personality
- Tiny Guy, Huge Girl: Only female Deathrunners are capable of growing big enough to become Gaw.
- You Killed My Father: The first Gaw killed Kong’s parents.
Dragon
A long-necked, aggressive carnivorous reptile that attacks the Skull Island Castaways, only to be beaten by Little Kong.
- Dinosaurs Are Dragons: Referred to as a “Dragon” in official sources. Others refer to it as a Nothosaur, but more because it’s the closest thing in the fossil record that actually sort of looks like it. Regardless, there’s nothing magical or supernatural about it, and it’s simply another Prehistoric Monster in the Skull Island menagerie.
- Prehensile Tail: Tries using it to strangle Little Kong during their fight, but it doesn’t quite pan out.
- Prophet Eyes: Has a pair of dead-white peepers.
Elasmosaurus
A serpentine plesiosaur that fights Kong in his mountain lair.
- Artistic License – Paleontology: Besides the now outdated "head on the wrong end" depiction of creature the Elasmosaurus' body is significantly more narrow and serpentine than it was in real life.
- The Great Serpent: Much more explicitly serpentine than the real animal, plus it can move about on land despite coming out of a pool. When threatened, it wraps itself around Kong’s neck and tries strangling him like a python. In the Gold Key comic adaptation, it was simply replaced by a gigantic snake.
- Sea Serpents: It’s snakelike and aquatic.
Meat-Eater
The theropod creature that fights Kong over Ann.
- Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: It's bigger than King Kong.
- Evil Is Bigger: It's a man eating dinosaur and it's bigger than King Kong.
- Evil Smells Bad: The novelization describes the Meat-Eater as smelling of ammonia.
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Fountain of Expies: Inspired Gorosaurus in King Kong Escapes, the Vestatosaurus Rex in the 2005 remake and every T-Rex in every King Kong cartoon. - Implacable Man: It shrugs every attack by King Kong until he breaks its jaw.
- Jawbreaker: King Kong’s first enemy to fall victim to this.
- Terrifying Tyrannosaur: Although the Meat-Eater's species isn't explicitly identified, stop-motion animator and modeler Willis O'Brien has stated that the dinosaur is a Tyrannosaurus and mainstream media has accepted that as the official answer. Director Merian C. Cooper claims that the Meat-Eater is an Allosaurus, but it's clear that O'Brien modeled the "Meat-Eater" after Charles R. Knight's depiction of the tyrant lizard king. In the movie, it appears as a vicious predator that tries to kill Anne and then gets into a brawl with Kong.
Pteranodon
Attacking Ann Darrow on the cliff outside Kong's lair. Kong's battle with the pteranodon distracted him, allowing Jack Driscoll to rescue Ann.
- Beak Attack: Tries defending itself from Kong using its long, pointed beak. It barely even scratches Kong.
- Fragile Flyer: Puts up much less of a fight than the Meat-Eater or the Elasmosaurus, being snatched out of the sky and easily killed by Kong.
- Giant Flyer: Somewhat larger than its counterpart in the fossil record, being only slightly shorter than Kong.
- Terror-dactyl: A hostile, predatory pterosaur with bat-like wings that picks up Ann with its feet.
Stegosaurus
A solitary, oversized Stegosaurus that confronts the rescue party on Skull Island.
- Beware My Stinger Tail: Has a thagomizer with six spikes on it, as opposed to the four on the real animal. When its killed, the tail keeps slamming the ground in the animal’s death throes.
- Starter Villain: A big, powerful animal, and a threat to the party, but it mostly exists to show that Kong isn’t the only prehistoric throwback on Skull Island, and that Denham’s gas bombs are every bit as effective as he claims.
- Tough Armored Dinosaur: It charges the protagonists the moment it sees them, and barely seems to react to their firearms. However, it’s not indestructible – after the gas bomb floors it, Driscoll kills it with a Boom, Headshot!.
- Xenophobic Herbivore: Charges the rescue party on sight, and would presumably have attacked them if it had closed the distance.
Styracosaurus
A big aggressive spiky herbivore on Skull Island.
- Temper-Ceratops: A ceratopsian that charges the Skull Island castaways into a cave, keeping them stuck there for quite some time as it tries to get at them.
Two-Legged Lizard
A species of lizard that attacks Jack Driscoll as he climbs up the cliff side .
- Adaptational Badass: In Kong: Skull Island it’s reimagined as the Skull Crawlers.
- Armless Biped: true to their name they only have two legs.
- Disney Villain Death: Jack manages to knock it off the cliff side, into the chasm below.
