The King

The King is an Elvis impersonator who leads a gang called the "Kings," operating out of the School of Impersonation located in southern Freeside in 2281.

Background
Born in the mid-2240s, The King was a member of one of the original tribes of New Vegas before they were united and brought to power by Mr. House. He and his gang took up residence in an old Elvis impersonation school. They believed it to be a place of worship due to the posters and holotapes all of one man, whose real name couldn't be found, but was only known as "The King." In the upper levels of the school, they found outfits that the original king would wear and vast amounts of hair gel. The King took to school and the outfit quickly, styling himself as the King who was the big boss man of the Kings.

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 are staunch anarchists that believe in complete personal freedom and that "every man is a king in [their] own right." If that freedom means rampant violence in the streets, so be it. The King, and by extension the Kings, see 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.

Relationships
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 Kings also keeps two groupies closer. When not loving them tender every night in his heart-shaped bed, 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. Rex has always been nothing but a cyberhound, but 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 and give him a little more bite and a little less bark.

Quests

 * G.I. Blues: The King asks the Courier to do various tasks to help his organization and Freeside, like dealing with Orris and problems with the NCR.
 * Nothin' But a Hound Dog: After finding out that Rex can be helped with his brain difficulties, The King asks you if the Courier will take Rex to Jacobstown to see Dr. Henry.
 * Kings' Gambit: Ambassador Crocker wants the King to cease hostilities with the NCR. The King can be bargained with to achieve this.

Appearances
The King appears only in Fallout: New Vegas.

Behind the scenes

 * 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 wake up drunk next to Rose of Sharon Cassidy and both get married. 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.