Kronk

Kronker "Kronk" Pepikrankenitz is the foolish, muscular, timid henchman of Yzma, and later a supporting character in Disney's 2000 feature film The Emperor's New Groove, and its 2006-08 television series as an anti-hero when he once again works for Yzma, even though he is not the villain any further, and serves as the protagonist of the film's 2005 sequel Kronk's New Groove. He is voiced by Patrick Warburton.

Background
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 protagonist). His companion is a squirrel named Bucky, who can't stand Yzma nor Kuzco.

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.

Powers and 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, Emperor Kuzco narrates the story about Kronk, now chef and Head Delivery Boy of Mudka's Meat Hut, fretting over the upcoming visit of his father. Kronk's father always disapproved of young Kronk's culinary interests, and wished that Kronk instead would settle down with a wife and a large house on a hill.

In a flashback, Kronk tells the story of how he almost had both of these. As unwitting accomplice to Yzma's plan to sell snake oil as a youth potion, he makes enough money to buy the old folks' home from the old folks and put his large new home there; but then when he realizes they've sold everything they own in return for something which doesn't work, he gives his home back to them.

Kronk, as camp counselor of the Junior Chipmunks at Camp Chippamunka, falls in love with fellow counselor Ms. Birdwell; but The Junior Chipmunks and Birdwell troops get fed up with Kronk and Birdwell's power tripping on them. When one of his Chipmunks pulls a prank to win the camp championships and is caught, Kronk protects the boy at the cost of alienating his love.

Kronk's father, Papi, arrives and confusion ensues as several supportive friends try to pass themselves off to him as Kronk's wife and kids. But in the end, Kronk realizes that his wealth is in his friendships, and this finally wins his father's thumbs up and Miss Birdwell's love.

In the credits are shown the photos of their honeymoon, including in Paris, Pisa and Venice.

The Emperor's New School
Kronk is once again 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 adviser, 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 20s, as revealed in The Emperor's New Groove.
 * 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.