The Kings are a minor faction encountered in the Mojave Wasteland in Fallout: New Vegas.
After discovering the King's School of Impersonation in the slums of Freeside and being inspired by the ideals of the man known as "the King", the group came together to instill some order amidst the destitution outside the walls of New Vegas.
Background[]
In 2274, as Mr. House was bringing civilization back to the Mojave during his takeover of the ruins of Vegas, one such tribe on the outskirts of The Strip refused his offers of reform and were pushed out like the rest. While out in the ruins surrounding the Strip, a young scavenger from the tribe stumbled across the pre-War building called the King's School of Impersonation, where within, he unearthed strange paraphernalia from people of the Old World who worshipped an ancient, black-coiffed deity of considerable style and singing talent, only known as "The King."
As if divinely inspired, the scavenger took on the name and appearance of The King for himself, along with a new philosophy of respect and personal freedom. His words awed the rest of the tribe, who also began to call themselves Kings and dress in a style similar to "The King"- denim, hair gel, and leather. The cyberdog Rex was later adopted by The King and now lives alongside the rest of the tribe in their headquarters within the old King's School of Impersonation in the slums of Freeside.
Since those earlier days, the Kings have grown to become the dominant force of Freeside, fiercely independent from both the New California Republic or Mr. House's Free Economic Zone of New Vegas. However, with the growing strife in the rest of the Mojave, NCR squatters have begun moving into the Kings' territory, backed by the NCR. The King sees the NCR as being a potential threat, even to the point of being "the devil in disguise"[2] and are determined to push them out, by force if needed. However a large part of this was down to the Kings' second in command, Pacer, purposefully escalating tensions.
Organization[]
Kings gang members
The Kings claim Freeside as their own, defending it with their switchblades and pistols. Not shy to make a few caps, the Kings, as well as some less reputable others, offer safe escort through Freeside and will even allow strangers to refill their water canteen, for a price. Besides these few "services," the Kings generally follow a strict code of suave chivalry. They try to keep peace and order in the streets and do what they can to help the Freeside community. Kings members will assist in fights against any thugs or attackers that attack civilians (including the player character). Upon achieving a Liked reputation in Freeside, every time the Freeside area is entered, one of the gang's members will approach and give a gift on behalf of The King himself, such as stimpaks, bottle caps, or consumables.
By all accounts the Kings are respected throughout Freeside, as interactions with the Followers of the Apocalypse and comments by Gloria Van Graff make clear.
Ideology[]
The Kings' guiding creed is to live every day according to the mantra of "every man is a king in his own right," in that every individual is to be treated with respect and their autonomy to make their own decisions should not be infringed. As such the Kings greatly resent House who stepped over the lives and liberties of those who lived in Vegas before he and the Three Families took over, as well as the NCR and their heavy-handed approach to governance and laws. Despite the trappings of their philosophy, the Kings are not anarchists, and can be persuaded to willingly work with either faction on common ground. The King himself prefers to avoid factional conflict.
Iconography[]
The Kings carry most of their fashion sensibilities from that of their pre-War icon, "the King". Their different outfits reference many of his own iconic outfits, such as the Jailhouse Rocker, the Memphis Kid, and The King's own unique outfit, Viva Las Vegas. Pompadour hairstyles are very common.
Their symbol is a stylized white crown with black text of 'The Kings' written over it.
Relations with the outside[]
The leader, known only as The King, faces strong challenges to the order his group maintains in Freeside, as the NCR appears to be threatening their territory. Squatters that followed the NCR east are thought by the Kings, and most of Vegas beyond the Strip, to be a drain on already over-taxed resources. NCR troops engage in minor disputes that can be resolved in various ways to achieve a level of peace in Freeside. The King likes to be approached by anyone willing to help out Freeside, as long as they are not looking to step on the lives of others to do it.
Technology[]
As they are little more than a street gang, the Kings' arsenal largely consists of 10mm pistols, .357 Magnum revolvers, and 10mm SMGs. Their lightly-armored uniforms, the Jailhouse Rocker, Memphis Kid outfit and the generic Kings outfit can be equipped as well. The gang's barber, Sergio uniquely wielding a straight razor named Figaro. Like most grunts of minor factions, Kings gang members are absolutely no match for NCR troopers, due to their low damage per shot and lack of armor.
The Kings typically congregate around their base in the King's School of Impersonation, though some idle near the gates into Freeside to make caps by offering bodyguard services. They also run the water pump installed by Bill Ronte of the Followers of the Apocalypse. However, they have drawn the ire of the Followers as they use the pump as a way of bullying NCR civilians, charging them twice as much to use it.
Locations[]
All of the Kings are located in or around Freeside. There are 17 members located inside the King's School of Impersonation — not including the two King groupie and Rex, the dog. 14 of these members are unnamed. There are a further 2 unnamed members located just outside of the building, 3 unnamed members located outside of Freeside's north gate, and 2 Kings who can be hired as bodyguards. Tapper is a King working at the water pump in outer Freeside, and a specific unnamed Kings member will bring gifts to the player character whenever they enter Freeside after achieving a Liked reputation there.
Endings[]
Narrated by The King
| # | Slide | Voice-over narration | In-game condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
With The King dead and most of their gang slain by the Courier, the remaining Kings fled the area, never to be heard from again. |
The King dies. |
| 2 | |
After the NCR victory at Hoover Dam, the temporary truce between them and the Kings blossomed into a full-scale relief effort for the people. While the NCR made repeated entreaties that Freeside join the Republic, the Kings steadfastly maintained their independence. |
Complete Kings' Gambit by having The King agree to stop the violence against the NCR in Freeside. Complete the endgame quest Eureka! for the NCR. |
| 3 | |
Accusing the Kings of lying with a foreign invader for their newfound ties to the NCR, Mr. House punished them by ordering their forced removal. the Kings, defiant to the end, were destroyed to the last man by House's Securitrons. |
Complete Kings' Gambit by having The King agree to stop the violence against the NCR in Freeside. Complete the endgame quest All or Nothing for Mr. House. |
| 4 | |
Following the Second Battle of Hoover Dam, Freeside came to be known as one of the more stable areas in the region. Ironically, NCR refugees found Freeside safer than most of the rest of New Vegas, where resentment still lingers. |
Complete Kings' Gambit by having The King agree to stop the violence against the NCR in Freeside. Complete the endgame quest No Gods, No Masters for an Independent New Vegas. |
| 5 |  |
After their victory at Hoover Dam, the Legion quickly set about destroying all remaining resistance, including any groups with ties to the NCR. Upon discovering the Kings' newfound relationship with the NCR, Legionaries flooded the streets of Freeside, and the Kings were quickly destroyed. |
Complete Kings' Gambit by having The King agree to stop the violence against the NCR in Freeside. Complete the endgame quest Veni, Vidi, Vici for Caesar's Legion. |
| 6 | |
While the NCR was busy fighting the Legion at Hoover Dam, some Kings took it upon themselves to attack NCR citizens and soldiers around Freeside. When the NCR moved to secure the region, they cracked down the hardest on Freeside, sending a full platoon to sweep the neighborhood. Most of the Kings were killed, with the few survivors driven out into the wastes. |
Complete G.I. Blues by killing Kieran and her forces. Complete Kings' Gambit by assassinating Pacer. Complete the endgame quest Eureka! for the NCR. |
| 7 | |
During the Second Battle of Hoover Dam, some Kings took it upon themselves to launch several attacks on NCR citizens and soldiers around Freeside. Mr. House looked on these actions favorably, seeing them as proof of the Kings' loyalty to New Vegas, and decided to leave them alone. |
Complete G.I. Blues by killing Kieran and her forces. Do not complete Kings' Gambit or complete it by assassinating Pacer. Complete the endgame quest All or Nothing for Mr. House. |
| 8 | |
In the aftermath of the Second Battle of Hoover Dam, the Kings took the opportunity to viciously force all NCR citizens out of Freeside. Travelers from the Republic quickly learned to avoid Freeside if they valued their safety. |
Complete G.I. Blues by killing Kieran and her forces. Do not complete Kings' Gambit or complete it by assassinating Pacer. Complete the endgame quest No Gods, No Masters for an Independent New Vegas. |
| 9 | |
Impressed with the Kings' continued attacks upon NCR citizens and soldiers, the Legion offered them the option of being assimilated into the Legion. The Kings refused, and briefly became slaves in the Legion, but after a failed escape attempt, they were all put to death. |
Complete G.I. Blues by killing Kieran and her forces. Do not complete Kings' Gambit or complete it by assassinating Pacer. Complete the endgame quest Veni, Vidi, Vici for Caesar's Legion. |
| 10 | |
As the NCR moved to secure the region, the occupation of Freeside proved especially problematic. Things remained tense due to numerous incidents, though the Kings were still in nominal control of the area. |
Do not complete G.I. Blues or complete it by informing Kieran The King wants to negotiate. Complete Kings' Gambit by assassinating Pacer. Complete the endgame quest Eureka! for the NCR. |
| 11 | |
Flush with his victory, Mr. House sent Securitrons into Freeside, thinking to increase his control over the area. When fighting broke out, the Kings fought valiantly, but were no match for the armored killing machines, and were wiped out to the last man. |
Do not complete G.I. Blues or complete it by informing Kieran The King wants to negotiate. Do not complete Kings' Gambit or complete it by assassinating Pacer. Complete the endgame quest All or Nothing for Mr. House. |
| 12 | |
The Kings retained their control of Freeside, and while they continued to favor the needs of locals, they tolerated the citizens of the defeated NCR. |
Do not complete G.I. Blues or complete it by informing Kieran The King wants to negotiate. Do not complete Kings' Gambit or complete it by assassinating Pacer. Complete the endgame quest No Gods, No Masters for an Independent New Vegas. |
| 13 | |
After their victory at Hoover Dam, Legion troops rolled through Freeside. The Kings tried to fight back, but most were killed, and the rest fled into the wasteland. |
Do not complete G.I. Blues or complete it by informing Kieran The King wants to negotiate. Do not complete Kings' Gambit or complete it by assassinating Pacer. Complete the endgame quest Veni, Vidi, Vici for Caesar's Legion. |
Notes[]
- Talking to any unnamed King member after completing Nothin' But a Hound Dog will cause the Kings to occasionally say "Hey, isn't that the King's dog?" even if Rex is not a current companion.
- Kings gang members will still ask if the player character is looking to join the Kings, even if they used The King's favor to become a member already.
- If the NCR achieves victory at the Second Battle of Hoover Dam during Eureka!, the ending slide states that the NCR later moved to annex New Vegas and its surrounding communities including Freeside through diplomatic negotiations.[3] If the conflict in Freeside was resolved non-violently beforehand, the Kings go on to accept relief efforts from the NCR, but still maintain Freeside's independence.[4]
Notable quotes[]
Members of the Kings may make remarks according to one's current choice of companions, Karma value, or reputation rating:
- Craig Boone - "That friend of yours NCR? He looks like he's NCR."
- Veronica Santangelo - "Your girl's kinda cute, but not my type at all. I don't go for smart chicks."
- Rex - "Hey, isn't that the King's dog?"
- ED-E - "Huh. Nice robot. You with the Followers or something?"
- Arcade Gannon - "I see you've hired a Follower doctor. Smart move, Freeside being what it is."
- Cass - "Hellooo, cowgirl! You mind if talk to your lady friend a bit instead of you?"
- Raul Tejada - "Nice to see a human palling around with a ghoul. I see a lot of people around here avoid them."
- Lily Bowen - "Whoa. That's a whole lotta mutant you got with you there. Still, long as it doesn't cause trouble it's all good."
Appearances[]
The Kings appear only in Fallout: New Vegas.
Behind the scenes[]
- The Kings faction is a reference to the phenomenon of Elvis impersonation. Elvis Presley's extended concert residency, movies and songs such as Viva Las Vegas, impacted the culture of Las Vegas significantly, resulting in a thriving market of individuals who professionally copy his look and sound.
- Some of the faction's outfits are also references to Elvis, such as the Jailhouse Rocker, which is a replica of what Elvis wore in the Jailhouse Rock video and Memphis Kid outfit, which references Elvis Presley's childhood home of Memphis, Tennesee.
Gallery[]
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ Fallout: New Vegas loading screen: "The King is dedicated to the cause of independence and personal liberty in Freeside. His gang, the Kings, attempts to keep some semblance of order in the streets."
- ↑ Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide
- ↑ Fallout: New Vegas endings#New California Republic: "The New California Republic celebrated its second victory at Hoover Dam, establishing definitive control over the entire Mojave Wasteland. Soon after, they negotiated terms to annex The Strip, Freeside, and many surrounding communities. The Mojave Wasteland, at long last, had entirely fallen under the NCR's banner."
- ↑ Fallout: New Vegas endings#Kings: "After the NCR victory at Hoover Dam, the temporary truce between them and The Kings blossomed into a full-scale relief effort for the people. While the NCR made repeated entreaties that Freeside join the Republic, The Kings steadfastly maintained their independence."
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