Joshua "Josh" Mankey is a character in the television show Kim Possible. He was a previous love interest of Kim's earlier on in the series.
Role in the series
Josh is Kim Possible's former love interest. Being an artist, musician, and overall popular student, Kim had a huge crush on him in her early career in Middleton High.
According to Ron, his middle name "could be" "Wendel", as depicted in Ron's briefing of his moves over the spirit week dance to Kim. Much like Ron, he is an easy-going and kind-hearted person. Unlike Ron, however, he is not a goofball, and is implied to be a well-graded student. He is also incredibly mellow, and has only very mild reactions to the assorted weirdness he witnesses when Kim's missions cut into her civilian life.
Josh is also part of a local band of some sort, as he and his friends were setting up musical equipment during the Centurion Project incident,[1] and commented on the project being under Kim's costume when she arrived.
Kim would typically to turn into a nervous wreck when she was around him, but eventually built up the courage to go on a date with him in one episode.[2] Although the date was regularly interrupted by Doctor Drakken and his scheme to kill Kim off, it eventually smoothed out into an enjoyable affair, and it seemed like the two would be together afterwards. However, they grew apart later in the series and separated amicably. He briefly dated Tara, one of Kim's fellow cheerleaders, afterwards.[3] However, they apparently broke up at some point before So the Drama, as Bonnie comments Tara going out with Jason Morgan.[4]
Josh Mankey has not appeared since the events of "Emotion Sickness", and did not appear in Season 4, meaning he either graduated or had phased from Kim's life, and little else is known of his home life.
Relationships
Kim
During Kim's early sophomore year, she would typically turn into a nervous wreck when she was around Josh, but with Ron's help eventually built up the courage to ask Josh to the Spirit Dance.
Later, during Kim's early junior year, Josh called Kim and asked her to go on a date with him in, which Kim did despite the fact that Drakken had sprayed her with a formula that made her vanish when she became embarrassed. Thanks to Ron retrieving the Aurora Orchid, Kim was cured and Kim gave Josh a kiss at the end of the date.
Despite Kim and Josh going on a date during the Aurora Orchid incident Ron's actions when Monkey Fist turned Kim into a monkey point towards Kim and Josh not being a couple immediately following their date.
By the Middleton Days of their junior year Kim stated that she and Josh had grown apart and split up, which implies that they likely became a couple at some point following the full monkey incident.
Tara
Josh was seen with Tara during the Middleton Days parade preparations of her junior year, and after Tara dated an unnamed boy at some point before Kim had to deal with the team-up of Drakken and Motor Ed.[5] However, they apparently broke up, as Tara later went to the prom with Jason Morgan, the basketball team star.[6]
Trivia
- His last name is a pun on monkey, an animal that Ron fears. This is commented on in "Blush" when Ron says that Mankey is only one vowel away from monkey.
- Mankey is also the name of a Fighting-type Pokémon that first appeared in Pokémon: Red and Green (Blue in the US) Versions and resembled a fuzzy white monkey with a pig nose. It evolves into Primeape.
- "Manky/Mankey", especially in the UK, is a derogatory term, meaning: "inferior; worthless; dirty and unpleasant; dirty, unclean",[7] and may be partially why he was removed from the series.
- Kim mentions him in the crossover episode of Lilo & Stitch: The Series, there by placing the crossover during the second season of Kim Possible.
Episode Appearances
- "Crush" (only time voiced by Breckin Meyer)
- "October 31st" (first time voiced by A.J. Trauth)
- "The Full Monkey"
- "Blush"
- "Steal Wheels" (cameo)
- "Emotion Sickness" (final appearance)
- So the Drama (mentioned)
He also makes a non-speaking appearance in the Game Boy Advance game Kim Possible 2: Drakken's Demise at the end, waiting for Kim as the two had a date set up.