Kronk

Kronk (full name: Kronker Pepikrankenitz) is the foolish, muscular, timid henchman of Yzma and later a supporting protagonist in Disney's 2000 feature film The Emperor's New Groove and its television series as an anti-hero when he once again works for Yzma even though he is not the villain any further. Despite working for Yzma as her helper, Kronk is actually a very nice person. Kronk has a short-tempered father named Papi, as revealed in Kronk's own film Kronk's New Groove (where he is the main protagonist). His companion is a squirrel named Bucky, who can't stand Yzma.

Personality
Kronk starts as Yzma's loyal assistant, helping her where she is too old to do things herself. Kuzco and Yzma early on discuss awkwardly how he is a young, handsome man in his mid-to-late twenties. Despite working for Yzma, Kronk is not evil, in fact he has an angel and devil who appear on his shoulders as his subconscious whenever Kronk faces a moral dilemma. They are smaller versions of Kronk dressed in an angel and devil costume respectively and usually bicker and mock one another.

Kronk is also shown to be Jewish. In Kronk's New Groove, he fantasizes about marrying Miss Birdie in a Jewish ceremony, complete with him, stepping on a glass.

Abilities
Kronk is revealed to be a great chef, who can make such things, as spinach puffs and fondue. He also has a secret recipe for foie gras. Kronk knows a variety of recipes, as revealed in the first film when he takes over for the chef when the chef quits his job after being criticized by Kuzco.

Kronk is capable of incredible superhuman athletics, such as running from a school to his house and back in mere seconds, and running up a mountain (while having a seat tied to his body with Yzma riding atop). Through the series, it is learned that Kronk comes from a family of athletic health and fitness advocates. It was revealed in The Emperor's New School episode "Oops, All Doodles" that Kronk has a talent for drawing, he also knows how to speak and understand "Squirrelese".

The Emperor's New Groove
Kronk is a hulking man who loves to cook and also has the ability to communicate with animals. Despite being Yzma's sidekick he isn't evil at all, as near the end of the movie, after finding out that Yzma hated his spinach puffs he is heartbroken and decides to put her fate in his hands as he cuts down a chandelier which lands on top of her, but Yzma survives because she is so thin it passed through her. Yzma then drops him in a trap door, but he later emerges alive and well when he opened a portal hole while finding his way out, accidentally crushing Yzma whom has turned into a cat. At the end of the film he recruits her to be a part of his squirrel scouts.

Kronk's New Groove
In the sequel, he is the head chef and owner of a restaurant called Mudka's. He is pleased with his new position, rather than his position with Yzma. However, Yzma eventually tricks him into helping her with a fake "youth potion" to con money out of elderly villagers. He develops a love interest, named Birdwell, and his father, Papi is introduced. In the film, Kronk is desperate in trying to find a way to impress his Papi and after years of trying to do so, it happens that Kronk's new occupation as a talented chef pleases his father.

The Emperor's New School
Kronk is once again as Yzma's partner and still Kuzco's friend despite carrying out Yzma's constant plans to drug Kuzco with a transformation potion. By the final episode, Kronk is appointed Kuzco's new advisor while Yzma becomes his helper. It has shown that despite having some amount of hatred towards her, Kronk values his position as Yzma's lackey in some degree as seen when she fired him on several occasions. He acts as Kuzco's sidekick often partaking in his harebrained schemes. When working to destroy Kuzco, Kronk's conscience often gets in the way. In the show, Kronk works at Mudka's Meat Hut most of the time as well. A running gag in the series involves Kronk forgetting Yzma is actually Principal Amzy in disguise. However, Kronk revealed in the show's finale "Graduation Groove" that he knew about three episodes prior to said episode and only pretended to forget. Friendship aside, Kuzco apparently sees Kronk as his inconstant rival as Kronk earns a lot of fame and glory as the school's star athlete and body builder.

Disney Parks
Kronk appeared as a walk-around character when the film was released, though he is rare to encounter now.

Kronk also hosts the interactive character paint station in the post-show area of The Magic of Disney Animation at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

In 2013, Kronk returned as a meet-and-greet character in Disneyland Paris as part of the Disney Dreamers Everywhere! events.

Villains Tonight!
On the Disney Cruise Line, Kronk and Yzma are featured in the show "Villains Tonight!" He is first seen in the Yzmopolis segment doing some backup vocals. He is later seen with Iago in a talk show style segment. He is last seen with Yzma and the other villains performing the finale.

Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom
Kronk is featured in the Adventureland mission assisting Yzma in her plot to rule Adventureland. Kronk is ordered to implant potions in the village's food to turn everyone into alpacas. Kronk's conscience prevents him from doing it immediately and is attacked by the park guests. Kronk, believing they're after his recipe, retreats from the scene. He is later seen continuing his mission in his own kitchen and encounters the guests once again. He explains that he must follow Yzma's orders, leading to the guests battling him and eventually defeating him.

Trivia

 * Kronk is probably in his late 20's, as revealed in The Emperor's New Groove.
 * However, as a student at Kuzco Academy he could have been held back due to his stupidity.
 * In the TV series, though thought to be dim-witted by Yzma and Kuzco, Kronk appears to be very smart.
 * Kronk's "puff" are actually empanadas, a typical dish from Latin America, especially among Latin American natives like Kronk and his friends. While Kronk made chicken and spinach empandas, empanadas can also be made with a mixture of ham and cheese, but by far the most popular empanadas are the ones with grounded beef. The word "puff" is used in the movie because it's the closest word in the English language to describe an empanada.
 * Kronk being a native Latin American supreme chef whose specialty are empanadas makes him similar to La Chacha, a character from the Argentinian comic books "Patoruzu" and "Patoruzito".
 * According to the book Disney Villains: The Secret Files, Yzma actually originally hired at least one large, dim-witted young man to serve as her minion (one of which is named Kandu) before hiring Kronk.
 * In the movie, it is revealed that Yzma hires a new minion once a decade.