The King

The King leads a gang called the "Kings," operating out of the School of Impersonation located in southern Freeside $$

Background
Described as "caucasian, in his mid-30s, and extremely charismatic" by Dennis Crocker, the man who would become known as the King was originally a member of one of the original tribes of New Vegas. When Mr. House chose the three most powerful tribes and used them to establish the New Vegas Strip, the man's tribe was left to fend for itself. The man lived as a scavenger, until he discovered items he believed belonged to a tribe who worshipped "some kind of ancient, black-coiffed deity" known as The King. The scavenger would base his identity on the figure, taking on his style, mannerisms, and even name.

The newly renamed King would form a gang known as "the Kings" and they would take up residence in an old impersonation school in Freeside, attempting to keep the peace. Like the King, members of the gang would use the clothing, audio recordings, and hair gel found in the school to style themselves after the deity.

Unlike other gangs in the Mojave Wasteland, the Kings are built on respect and don't go looking for their next fight. Instead, the Kings believe in complete personal freedom and that "every man is a king in [their] own right." The King, and by extension the Kings, believe that he has no right to trample on the freedoms of others to uphold peace. But the King has not taken into account his eventual death and has no contingency to keep the tenuous freedom Freeside enjoys.

The King's righthand man is Pacer, a childhood friend who sometimes tends to undermine his peaceful intentions. The Kings largely lets him do as he pleases unabated; tolerating his unscrupulous and violent tendencies towards strangers and squatters. Besides his close friends, The King also keeps two groupies at the school. The King goes on date nights with both of them to the Strip to visit the casinos.

The King also owns a cyberdog named Rex that he bought from a prospector a few years ago. The King has become concerned for Rex as his brain is beginning to degrade, and hopes that traveling with the Courier will allow him to get the help he needs.

Appearances
The King appears only $$

Behind the scenes

 * The King's script was designed by Jesse Farrell, who also wrote the character.
 * The King is based on Elvis Presley, who performed extensively in Las Vegas. His name in and of itself is a reference, as Presley was referred to as "The King of Rock and Roll," or simply, "The King."
 * The name of The King's headquarters, King's School of Impersonation, is a reference to the phenomenon of Elvis impersonation.
 * In their headquarters, several subtle references can be found, such as chalkboards instructing those mimicking Elvis to eat peanut butter and banana sandwiches, a favorite of Elvis and known as an "Elvis" sandwich. The chalkboards include other traits of Elvis, including gyrating hips and several phrases commonly attributed to him.
 * At the end of G.I. Blues, when talking to the King, he says "Thank you, thank you very much." in response to helping Pacer with the NCR. This phrase was commonly said by Elvis.
 * Several references in the game refer to the names of Elvis songs:
 * The King is quoted by Mr. New Vegas as calling NCR refugees "the devil in disguise" and that he doesn't want to see NCR "in the ghetto" and calling for a mass "return to sender" - all of which are songs by Elvis.
 * Upon resolving the conflict with the NCR, The King mentions that he would like to see "A little more talkin' and a little less fightin'." This is an Elvis reference to the famous line "A little less conversation, a little more action" from the song "A Little Less Conversation."
 * A brief voice clip of the King can be heard on Radio New Vegas if the Courier convinces the King to side with the NCR after the conclusion of G.I. Blues. He says, "I feel so bad, I think it's time we reconsidered, baby." Both "I Feel So Bad" and "Reconsider Baby" are songs by Elvis Presley.
 * The King sometimes refers to the NCR as "soldier boys," a reference to the Elvis song, "Soldier Boy."
 * Quests involving The King including "G.I. Blues" and "Nothin' But a Hound Dog" are based on Elvis song and movie titles.
 * When The King introduces Rex to the Courier, he says that he is "All shook up" about Rex's condition. "All Shook Up" is yet another Elvis song.


 * Originally, the developers had planned a romance option with Cass where the Courier would challenge her to a drinking contest, resulting in both of them getting blackout drunk, and then waking up next morning and discover they had inadvertedly gotten married during the night in a ceremony with the King as the officiator. Provided the player had enough good reputation with his gang, The King would sing "Love Me Tender." However obtaining performance rights to an Elvis song proved too costly, and Chris Avellone was against romance in games in general.

Bugs
If you speak to The King about joining the Kings before the completion of his quest Nothin' But a Hound Dog, he might decline. Returning later after completing it, the option will not be reopened, (unless The King owes you a favor which is earned in another mission) and it will be thereafter impossible to join the King's Gang. It is uncertain if this is a bug or intentional.