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Donglad is the family ship between Donald Duck and Gladstone Gander from the DuckTales fandom.
Canon[]
Donald and Gladstone are cousins, related through the shared grandparents, Humperdink Duck and Elvira Coot.
Gladstone is a reoccurring character in the "Donald Duck" and "Uncle Scrooge" comics. He was first introduced in the 1940s as Donald's cousin who engages in childish antics with him. By the end of the decade, he had become a rival for Daisy Duck's affections. Some comics even show Donald and Gladstone engaging in a rivalry over which of them will inherit Scrooge's large fortune.
DuckTales (2017)[]
Gladstone is the first introduced in the episode "The House of the Lucky Gander!". He summons Donald, Scrooge, and the kids to a casino in Macau. Scrooge and Donald are both quickly unimpressed with him. Scrooge suggests they leave to visit an ancient temple instead, but Louie begs to stay behind with Gladstone instead. Gladstone tells Louie that Donald must agree to him staying. Louie thinks this will be impossible but, surprisingly, Donald does agree and invites himself along to hang out with Louie and Gladstone.
Gladstone, Louie, and Donald head down to the casino, where Gladstone and Louie watch on with embarrassment as Donald tries (and fails) to win one of the games. Eventually Gladstone reveals that he is being held prisoner because of his good luck, and he needs Donald's bad luck to help free him. By the end, the pair come to a sort of appreciation for each other.
Donald and Gladstone don't reunite with each other until "Moonvasion!", when Della and the kids find Donald on a deserted island. While they try to come up with a plan to get back to civilization, Gladstone and Fethry happen to ride up on Mitzy, Fethry's giant mutated krill. Gladstone picked up Donald's watermelon "friend" during the trip to the island, and is shown eating it. He offers some to Donald, who simply stares back in shock.
Gladstone is later invited to Webby's birthday, which he attends alongside Donald. Donald, Della, and Gladstone are seen playing skee-ball together, with Gladstone easily winning. Cousin Fethry approaches and accidentally reveals to Della that Donald intends to go on a trip around the world with his new girlfriend, Daisy. Gladstone, sensing the awkwardness, pretends that he sees $20 and drags Fethry away from Donald, Della, and Daisy.
Fanon[]
The relationship between Donald and Gladstone is well liked, with most of its appeal coming from the DuckTales reboot. Gladstone is much less sympathetic in the comics, and some fans see him as being a real antagonist to Donald. Their relationship is much softer in the television series, and fans enjoy the dichotomy between the two characters.
Donglad is a popular ship in works that portray Donald's childhood. Fans like to imagine that Donald and Gladstone were close friends and cousins, perhaps based off of the few flashbacks we see of them as children.
There are currently over 90 works for this pairing on AO3.
Fandom[]
- FAN FICTION
- Donald & Gladstone tag on AO3
