Walk into Freeside for the first time and you’re probably going to get mugged. It’s a dump. The neon of the Strip is mocking you from behind a reinforced gate, and the locals are either starving or trying to peel the leather off your back. Then you hear the music. You see a guy with hair so greasy it’s reflective, wearing a suit that looks like it survived a nuclear blast—which it did—and he’s actually helping people. That’s the Kings. Honestly, The Kings in Fallout: New Vegas are the weirdest, most layered group in the entire Mojave Wasteland. They aren't just an Elvis fan club, even though they definitely look like one. They represent this strange, flickering spark of pre-war "cool" that somehow became the moral compass of a lawless slum.
Most players just see the pompadours and laugh. It’s easy to do. But if you spend five minutes talking to The King—their leader, a man who carries himself with more dignity than Caesar and Mr. House combined—you realize there’s something much deeper happening in the School of Impersonation.
The King and his bizarre philosophy of "The King"
It’s hilarious when you realize they don't even know who Elvis Presley was. To them, he’s just "The King." They found a building filled with memorabilia, saw how this man was worshipped, and decided that his "style" was actually a blueprint for how to live a dignified life. It’s basically a religion built on misinterpretation. They saw a man who was generous, stylish, and fiercely independent, and they thought, "Yeah, let's do that."
The King himself, voiced by the legendary James Horan, isn’t some crazy cult leader. He’s actually one of the most reasonable people in the game. While the NCR is busy being a bureaucratic nightmare and the Legion is... well, being the Legion, The King is just trying to keep Freeside from imploding. He’s got this dog, Rex, a cyberdog who’s literally rotting from the inside out because he’s so old. That’s your first real "in" with the faction. You don't help them take over the world; you help a man save his dog. It’s personal. It’s small-scale. That’s why it works.
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If you look at the quest "G.I. Blues," you see the friction. The NCR is trying to distribute food, but they’re doing it with all the grace of a sledgehammer. They assume everyone in Freeside is a criminal. The Kings, meanwhile, are the only thing stopping the locals from rioting. It’s a delicate balance of power that the player can either stabilize or completely wreck.
Why Freeside needs them
Without the Kings, Freeside is just a meat grinder. The Van Graffs are busy vaporizing people with plasma rifles at Silver Rush, and the Followers of the Apocalypse are overworked and underfunded. The Kings provide the only semblance of "neighborhood watch" that exists. They charge for water, sure, but they also keep the thugs off the street. Sorta.
The politics of the pompadour: The Kings in Fallout: New Vegas vs. the NCR
The tension between the Kings and the New California Republic is the meat of their story. You’ve got Pacer, The King’s right-hand man, who is—to put it mildly—a massive jerk. He hates the NCR. He’s sabotaging their relief efforts because he sees them as invaders. And he’s not entirely wrong. The NCR wants to tax everything and control everyone. The Kings just want to be left alone to comb their hair and listen to the blues.
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If you side with the NCR and force The King to stand down, you’re basically killing the soul of Freeside. If you help The King maintain independence, you might be making things harder for the "greater good" of the Republic. It’s that classic Obsidian Entertainment writing where there isn't a "perfect" ending.
Most people don't realize that your reputation with The Kings can actually change the ending of the game in a massive way. If you broker peace between them and the NCR, the Kings actually help protect the citizens of Freeside during the Second Battle of Hoover Dam. If you incite violence, the NCR eventually moves in and wipes them out. It’s a tragic arc for a group that just wanted to look sharp.
The Rex factor
We have to talk about Rex. Rex is a K-9 model cyberdog who has been alive since before the Great War. He belonged to the Denver Police Department, then Caesar's Legion, and finally The King. He’s a walking piece of history. The quest to find him a new brain—whether it’s from a Legion hound, a Fiend dog, or a Gibson scrap-yard dog—is one of the best examples of how the Kings interact with the wider world. They aren't isolated. They are connected to the history of the wasteland in ways even they don't fully understand.
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How to actually handle the Kings in your playthrough
If you’re playing New Vegas right now, don't just blow through Freeside on your way to the Strip. Stop. Talk to the guy outside the school. Pay the 500 caps (or use your Speech skill) to get an audience.
- Get the King's Favor early. If you finish "G.I. Blues" peacefully, The King offers you one favor. You can ask for money, or entrance to the Strip. Don't do that. Save it. You can use that favor later to stop a war between the NCR and the Kings. It’s the only way to get the "good" ending for the faction.
- Listen to the ambient dialogue. The Kings have some of the best lines in the game. They’re constantly talking about "The King’s" style. It’s a masterclass in world-building through flavor text.
- Check the School of Impersonation. There’s a lot of loot in there, but more importantly, there’s a stage. Sometimes you’ll see members practicing their "moves." It’s a reminder that this is all a performance that became a reality.
The Kings represent the idea that in a world of ash and radiation, humans will always try to find something to belong to. Even if it’s a distorted memory of a 1950s rock star. They chose to be cool when the world was ugly. There’s something genuinely noble about that, even if their hair is a bit much.
Actionable Insights for your next New Vegas run:
- Prioritize "Nothin' But a Hound Dog": Getting Rex as a companion early gives you a massive advantage in combat and opens up unique dialogue options.
- Speech is King: To get the best outcome with this faction, you need high Speech and Intelligence. You can't just shoot your way into a peace treaty.
- Explore the School: There is a "Hairdo" service provided by Sergio in the back. It’s one of the few places in the wasteland where you can actually change your appearance.
- Watch Pacer: He’s the wildcard. If you’re trying to keep the peace, you have to find a way to deal with him without turning the whole faction hostile. Check his bedside table for his "heart medication" if you want a... creative... way to handle him.
The Kings aren't just a gimmick. They are a testament to the fact that identity is whatever you make of it, even if you found it in a dusty suitcase in a ruined school. Go find The King, get a leather jacket, and try not to get shot by the NCR.