Smenkhkare (sometimes erroneously spelled Smenkhare or Smenkare and meaning Vigorous is the Soul of Ra) is an ephemeral Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh (1335-1333 BCE) of the late Eighteenth Dynasty, of whom very little is known for certain.
Believed by a growing number of experts to be the mummy found in KV55, he is thought to be a younger son of Amenhotep III and queen Tiye, and therefore a younger brother of Akhenaten.
Traditionally he is seen as Akhenaten's co-regent and immediate successor, and predecessor of Tutankhamun.
He is assumed to be a close, male relative of those two kings (either by blood or marriage).
More recent scholarly work has cast serious doubts on this traditional view and most aspects of this individual's life and position.
His relation to the Amarna royal family, the nature and importance of his reign, and even "his" gender are up for debate.
Related to this is the ongoing question as to whether Akhenaten's co-regent and successor were the same person.