Jealous of DK being the future ruler of the island, Bluster calls for an election so he can try to become the future ruler instead, sparking a three-way election between him, DK, and King K. Rool.
Tropes
- An Aesop: Elections are complicated, to say the least. The best candidate has a good platform they actually can deliver on and is as honest as they can be, but also is good at convincing the populace of their intentions and character. K. Rool nearly wins by sweet-talking the island by telling them everything they want to hear, while Bluster is destroyed in the election because everyone knows he's a selfish egomaniac who has nobody's interests at heart besides his own.
- Appeal to Popularity: DK thinks he's going to win easily based on how people like him, and doesn't take the election seriously until K. Rool actually starts working like an actual candidate and espousing a platform, smoke and mirrors as it may be.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: DK's only campaign promise was not to punch Krusha the next time he tried to steal the Crystal Coconut, which he kept (If only on the condition Krusha returned it). Krusha gives his vote to DK for this.
- Break the Haughty: Bluster is forced to realize how much everybody truly hates him since his vote for himself was the only one he got, and he even realizes his own mother voted against him. He's left fleeing the scene in embarrassment.
- Cartoon Conductor: K. Rool’s attempt to finish Mozart’s Unfinished Symphony involves waving a baton around.
- Circling Birdies: After DK crashes their mine cart, K. Rool, Klump and Krusha have stars spinning around their heads.
- Decided by One Vote: When DK and K. Rool are tied in the election, Krusha, the only one who hasn't voted yet, is left to break the tie.
- Democracy Is Flawed:
- All three electorates are not exactly ideal. Donkey Kong's entire platform is based on Appeal to Popularity with no actual rhetoric or policy proposals, Bluster is an Upper-Class Twit who's motives are transparently egocentric and the various Kongs on the island seem to conveniently forget that King K. Rool is a Card-Carrying Villain and are sucked into his charisma and faux-populist rhetoric. In the end, DK only wins by a single vote. What keeps it from being "Democracy Is Bad" is that he won that last tie-breaking vote by keeping a promise he made, the lesson of the episode being how leadership is built on keeping one's promises.
- Bluster lampshades this when he tries to demand another ballot from Cranky who refutes him since everyone only gets one vote. Bluster bemoans how he gets the same amount of votes as Eddie and curses democracy... for doing exactly what it's supposed to do, giving everyone an equal voice in an election.
- Election Day Episode: The episode's plot revolves around an election being held for the position of future ruler of the island at Bluster's demand.
- Epic Fail: While K. Rool and DK tied, Bluster only got one vote and that was the vote he cast for himself.
- Exact Words: This is how DK manages to get Krusha to vote for him. When he's got the coconut and is confronted by DK, Krusha points out that he promised not to punch him the next time he stole it. DK agrees, but then adds the condition that he wouldn't punch him if Krusha simply returned the coconut peacefully. Krusha being a dumb lug falls for it, and votes for DK in the election.
- False Flag Operation: Upon getting desperate DK and Diddy get the idea to plant the Crystal Coconut in K. Rool's lair before alerting the others over its disappearance. K. Rool manages to thwart it by simply returning the coconut to the apes, acting like he has no intention of having possession of it, and flips it on DK by questioning why he was unable to prevent the apparent theft of the coconut in the first place.
- Faux Affably Evil: K. Rool puts his charm and wits to good work, effortlessly positioning himself as a man of the people and sweet-talking everyone by promising them what they want to hear. But he's obviously just setting himself up to become their tyrant and dictator who will seize the coconut.
- Green-Eyed Monster: A good chunk of Bluster's reason for starting the election is his long-standing lust for Candy and thinking that if he becomes ruler, he will earn her as a prize.
- Hated by All: The only vote that Bluster receives is his own, and he gets upset when he finds out that not even his own mother voted for him.
- Horrible Judge of Character: The apes all forget that K. Rool is their mortal enemy and regularly lies and cheats, but fall for his lies and charm. Even in desperation, DK falls for K. Rool's trap inspiring him to mudsling during the debate which earns the disgust of the Kongs.
- It's All About Me: Whereas K. Rool as aspirations of dictatorship and DK is a simpleton who is trying to be a heroic leader, Bluster obviously only wants the position of future ruler for the power and because he thinks it'll get Candy on his arm.
- Jerkass Has a Point:
- Downplayed example. Bluster points out and even gets DK to admit that in his job as future ruler, he doesn't do much and simply had the title bestowed upon him. The episode proves that DK is childish, has no real political leadership abilities and only cares about people liking him. But, this is Bluster, who has no leadership abilities himself and just wants the wealth and power he can gain from the position, and he also lacks DK's ability to fight off the Kremlings.
- Another downplayed example. DK is encouraged by K. Rool to mudsling during the debate and to not be himself, but it's strongly implied he was telling the truth about Bluster during the debate.
- Literal-Minded: When K. Rool announces he plans to “Throw his hat in” to join the election. Klump takes it as an order and attempts to grab his crown. K. Rool has to inform him it’s a figure of speech.
- Near-Villain Victory: K. Rool is nearly legally elected the future ruler of the island and only loses by one vote that should've been his, but unfortunately that vote was of the big dumb lug Krusha who is easily tricked into voting for DK.
- Not Me This Time: DK steals the Coconut to wreck K. Rool's lair with, and K. Rool seizes the opportunity to safely return it to build up his cred and tear down DK by claiming he failed to save the coconut.
- Smug Snake: K. Rool has a pleased, satisfied giggle when he learns Krusha is left to cast a tiebreaking vote between him and DK. A minute later, his sense of victory is shattered and turned into despondent rage when Krusha votes for DK.
- This Cannot Be!: Bluster is mortified that he only received one vote in the election - himself. His own mother voted against him.
- Tyrant Takes the Helm: K. Rool enters the election so he can have a legal claim to the Crystal Coconut and rule over the island with an iron fist.
- Villain with Good Publicity: The Kongs all forget that K. Rool is the Big Bad and fall for his campaign promises, and K. Rool even lampshades that by the time the election is over, they'll be begging him to take the coconut for himself.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Candy calls out DK for not having any platform to run on and just expecting all his friends to vote for him because they're friends. Later, all the apes rip into DK for mudslinging during the debate.
- With Friends Like These...: The Kongs are really bad friends towards DK even though he really is a terrible candidate. They all fall for K. Rool's campaign promises conveniently forgetting he's the Big Bad and shame DK for mudslinging during the debate, even though he only speaks the truth.
