Kingda Ka was[a][1][2][3] a hydraulically launched steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, United States.

Manufactured by Intamin and designed by Werner Stengel, Kingda Ka opened as the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world on May 21, 2005, surpassing Top Thrill Dragster.

Both were made with similar designs, although Kingda Ka's layout added an airtime hill on the return portion of the track.

[4] Its top hat tower element stands at 456 feet (139 m), which cemented Kingda Ka as the tallest roller coaster in the world.

On November 14, 2024, following months of rumors and speculation regarding the future of the attraction,[5] Six Flags Great Adventure announced that Kingda Ka had permanently closed.

[6] The event revealed the park's goal to build "the tallest and fastest roller coaster on earth", reaching 456 feet (139 m) and accelerating up to 128 miles per hour (206 km/h) in 3.5 seconds.

[8] The ride would be part of the Golden Kingdom, an 11-acre (4.5 ha) themed area being developed at Six Flags Great Adventure.

[20] Though Kingda Ka was popular among both the general public and roller coaster enthusiasts, its use of relatively new technology meant that Six Flags Great Adventure had to hire a dedicated maintenance team for the ride.

[2][3] Kingda Ka is to be removed to make way for a new "multi-record breaking launched roller coaster" with an anticipated opening in 2026.

[citation needed] Kingda Ka originally featured a detailed and elaborate queue line that ran between the launch and brakes of the coaster.

This queue was designed to handle the large crowds the park was anticipating Kingda Ka would draw.

At the end of the launch track, the train climbed the main tower (top hat) and rolled 90 degrees to the right before reaching a height of 456 feet (139 m).

It climbed the second hill of 129 feet (39 m),[11] producing a moment of weightlessness before being smoothly brought to a stop by the magnetic brakes; it then made a left-hand U-turn and entered the station.

[11] Kingda Ka's four trains were color-coded for easy identification (green, dark blue, teal, and orange) and were numbered; the four colors were also used for the seats and restraints.

A rollback occurs when the train fails to make it over the top of the tower and descends back down the side it was launched.

This caused the liner to come loose, creating friction on the cable and preventing the train from accelerating to the correct speed.

[44] On August 27, 2011, Kingda Ka suffered unspecified damage shortly before Hurricane Irene, and Six Flags Great Adventure did not open.

[46] Shortly before 5:00 p.m. on July 26, 2012, a young boy was sent to the hospital after suffering minor injuries from being struck by a bird during normal operation.

[47] In 2019, a guest sued Six Flags and Intamin in U.S. federal court, claiming that tall riders could be subjected to "extreme speed and torqueing forces" and that the harnesses could also cause injuries.