King of the Hill is an American animated sitcom created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels. [1] [2] The main characters are Hank Hill, Peggy Hill, Bobby Hill, Dale Gribble, Bill Dauterive, Jeff Boomhauer, Luanne Platter, Nancy Gribble, Joseph Gribble, Kahn Souphanousinphone, Minh Souphanousinphone, Connie Souphanousinphone, John Redcorn, Cotton Hill, Didi Hill, Buck Strickland, Lucky Kleinschmidt , and Brian Robertson are all listed first followed by recurring and guest characters.
| Main characters | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Character | Voice Actor(s) | Seasons | |||||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | ||
| Hank Hill | Mike Judge | Main | |||||||||||||
| Boomhauer | Main | ||||||||||||||
| Peggy Hill | Kathy Najimy | Main | |||||||||||||
| Bobby Hill | Pamela Adlon | Main | |||||||||||||
| Luanne Platter | Brittany Murphy | Main | |||||||||||||
| Dale Gribble | Johnny Hardwick / Toby Huss | Main | |||||||||||||
| Bill Dauterive | Stephen Root | Main | |||||||||||||
| Kahn Souphanousinphone | Toby Huss / Ronny Chieng | Recurring | Main | Also starring | Main | ||||||||||
| Nancy Gribble | Ashley Gardner | Recurring | Main | Also starring | |||||||||||
| Joseph Gribble | Brittany Murphy / Breckin Meyer / Tai Leclaire | Recurring | Main | Also starring | |||||||||||
| Minh Souphanousinphone | Lauren Tom | Recurring | Also starring | Main | Also starring | Main | Also starring | Main | |||||||
| Connie Souphanousinphone | Recurring | Also starring | Main | Also starring | Main | ||||||||||
| Lucky Kleinschmidt | Tom Petty | Guest | Recurring | Also starring | Main | ||||||||||
Hank RutherfordHill [3] (voiced by Mike Judge) is the main protagonist who proudly sells "propane and propane accessories" as the assistant manager at Strickland Propane. Hank's enthusiasm for his career is not usually shared by other characters in the series. The episodes "Movin' On Up" and "Chasing Bobby" show Hank escaping from his troubled home life by working on his lawn and truck when times are tough. [4] [5] Hank resembles—in both voice and appearance—the Tom Anderson character from Beavis and Butt-Head , who is also voiced by Judge. Hank is usually a well-meaning father, but is often confused and anxious towards modern trends and the antics of his friends and family members. He suffers from a narrow urethra, which made Bobby's conception difficult. Hank is uncomfortable with public displays of intimacy with his wife and son. He has a very difficult time saying "I love you" to any member of his family, as he thinks it is unmanly. Hank's trademark exclamation when surprised, angered or discomforted (sounding like "Bwaaa!") and his phrase "I tell you what" ("what" in his dialect being pronounced "hwaht") are running gags on the series. Hank is always faithful, friendly, firm, reasonable, well-read, and hard-working. Much of the series revolves around Hank's desire to do the right thing compared to much of the rest of the people around him who would rather cheat, lie or exploit; however, the people who try to take advantage of Hank tend to regret it because Hank is tougher and a lot shrewder than they thought. His favorite sports team is the Dallas Cowboys (he never expressed much interest in the NBA and Major League Baseball teams in the Dallas-Fort Worth area) though he has indicated that being a Houston Texans fan isn't out of the question because they aren't in the same NFL conference as Dallas and would only require any rooting interest decisions if the Cowboys and Texans somehow faced each other in a Super Bowl(a scenario that Hank looks forward to with hope akin to religious reverence). Hank is a proud Texan, having grown up there. He was, however, born in a ladies room at Yankee Stadium, and spent the first three days of his life in New York City.
Margaret J. "Peggy" Platter Hill (néePlatter) (voiced by Kathy Najimy) is Hank's wife. Peggy was born in Montana and raised on her family's cattle ranch, her strained relationship with her mother being a source of drama for her. Peggy is a substitute teacher in Arlen, Texas, specializing in teaching Spanish despite having a terrible grasp of the language. Peggy resembles in appearance the Marcie Anderson character from Beavis and Butt-Head. [6] Peggy is also a mediocre freelance newspaper columnist, notary public, an exemplary softball pitcher, a Boggle champion, and has started a career in real estate. She has a habit of adding or changing ingredients to ordinary dishes and then naming them after herself. "Spa-Peggy & Meatballs" and "Apple Brown Peggy" are examples. Peggy is very self-conscious about her larger-than-normal feet (size 16 ½ on the left, 16 on the right). Despite boasting of her intelligence, she has been the victim of manipulation, such as being conned out of $2,500 for a phony degree, indoctrinated into a homogeneous cult, and tricked into a pyramid scheme selling Herbalife inspired products. She has brown hair and typically wears glasses, an aquamarine sleeveless shirt, and denim culottes, but often wears different outfits.
Robert Jeffrey "Bobby" Hill (voiced by Pamela Adlon) is Hank and Peggy's husky son who starts out the series at 11 years old, [7] and later turns 13 years old. [8] He is best friends to Joseph and Connie. Although friendly, gentle, lovable, and generally well-liked, he is often prone to making bad decisions. He wants to seek fame as a prop comic and move to New York when he is older. Bobby displays little interest in gender roles and, although superb at golf and target shooting, dislikes team sports, often taking such classes as Home Economics and Peer Counseling instead of more traditionally "masculine classes", much to Hank's chagrin. Although many (including Hank) tend to typify him as "not right", he is romantically successful, dating Connie and other girls throughout the series.
| Dale Gribble | |
|---|---|
| King of the Hill character | |
| First appearance | "Pilot" (1997) |
| Created by | Mike Judge Greg Daniels |
| Designed by | Mike Judge |
| Voiced by | Johnny Hardwick (1997–2025) Toby Huss (2025–present) |
| In-universe information | |
| Full name | Dale Alvin Gribble |
| Alias | Rusty Shackleford |
| Occupation | Exterminator |
| Family | Bug Gribble (father) Juan Pedro (late step-father m. to Bug Joseph Gribble (legal son) Unnamed mother (deceased) [9] |
| Spouse | Nancy Hicks-Gribble (wife) |
| Nationality | American |
| Birthday | July 12th |
Dale Alvin Gribble (voiced by Johnny Hardwick from 1997 to 2025, Toby Huss from 2025–present) is the Hills' chain-smoking neighbor who is also an insect exterminator among various self-appointed occupations. His physical appearance was modeled after Hunter S. Thompson. Hank considers Dale a close friend, but he often gets annoyed with his schemes and conspiracy theories. Dale is paranoid about any government activity and frequently uses the alias of "Rusty Shackleford" to operate without revealing his true identity, including receiving unemployment compensation payments as Rusty. Dale is the president of the Arlen gun club and is a licensed bounty hunter. He possesses a vast collection of guns from pistols to automatic weapons and is an ardent defender of Second Amendment rights. Despite being a firearms aficionado, his aim is relatively poor and despite being knowledgeable in military matters, he is the weakest, physically, of the main cast and is an abject physical coward. He is an avid UFOlogist. It is heavily implied that his wife, Nancy, has cheated on him with John Redcorn for 14 years, and his son Joseph, who strongly resembles John Redcorn, is not his biological son; despite Dale's conspiratorial tendencies, he never suspects his wife of infidelity although he did suspect an alien to be his biological father. Everyone else knows of Joseph's paternity but chooses not to tell Dale because of his total obliviousness, the loving, trusting relationship he has with Joseph and Nancy, and the fact that Dale is more of a father to Joseph than John Redcorn. In season 14, Dale was previously elected the Mayor of Arlen but won with only 9% of the vote after running against a wide pool of candidates; as an "election denier denier", Dale stood down 36 hours after his election, saying that he had no faith in a system that would allow him to get elected.
| Bill Dauterive | |
|---|---|
| King of the Hill character | |
| First appearance | "Pilot" (1997) |
| Created by | Mike Judge Greg Daniels Jim Dauterive |
| Designed by | Mike Judge |
| Voiced by | Stephen Root |
| In-universe information | |
| Full name | William Fontaine de la Tour Dauterive |
| Gender | Male |
| Title | Sergeant |
| Occupation | Army Sergeant Barber |
| Spouse | Lenore Dauterive (ex-wife) |
| Significant others | Leanne Platter (ex-fiancée) Laoma Souphanousinphone (ex-girlfriend) Karen Stroup (ex-girlfriend) Charlene (ex-girlfriend) |
| Relatives | Gilbert Dauterive (cousin) Violetta Dauterive (cousin) René Dauterive (cousin) Dauterive (cousin) Rose Dauterive (cousin-in-law) Lily Dauterive (cousin-in-law) Esmé Dauterive (aunt) Alphonse Dauterive (uncle) Honoré Dauterive (uncle) |
| Ethnicity | Louisiana Cajun |
Sgt. William "Bill" Fontaine de La Tour Dauterive (voiced by Stephen Root) is the Hills' overweight, divorced, clinically depressed neighbor. He grew up in Louisiana with his cousin Gilbert and speaks Creole and English. He was formerly a rugged star fullback on Arlen High's football team where he set the school record for touchdowns and was nicknamed the "Billdozer", and is now a sergeant barber in the United States Army. While his job mostly consists of shaving recruits, he is in fact an extremely talented barber who is able to replicate Hank's signature flattop when Hank's longtime barber became senile. Bill once had a bright future in the Army wanting to be a tanker, but ended up ruining his life after marrying the promiscuous Lenore. Bill is something of a masochist and is often attracted to people who abuse him; after suffering under his father and Lenore, Bill has an almost complete lack of self-worth. He obsesses about his ex-wife, and his loneliness is a running gag on the series. He frequently tries to flirt with and win over Peggy, who alternates between being disgusted and dismissive at his presence or recognizing his essential kindness and harmlessness and being nice to him. Despite coming across as a loser, however, Bill has enjoyed several romantic successes (or near-successes), including romances with Kahn and Luanne's mothers, former Texas governor Ann Richards, and the young widows of two of his dead cousins. He is named after executive producer and writer Jim Dauterive. Between seasons 13 and 14 but before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Army had forced Bill to take an early retirement, leading to Bill to befriend Brian's friends at an all-black barber shop so he could continue cutting hair. However, once COVID hit (as well as the ensuing lockdowns), Bill become an unkempt recluse, gaining significant amounts of weight and never shaving or cutting his own hair, completely relying on delivery services such as Amazon, DoorDash, Uber Eats & Instacart, and never leaving his house—to the point where Netflix issued a wellness check once he ran out of programs to watch on Netflix—even after the pandemic ended until Hank and Peggy return home.
| Jeff Boomhauer | |
|---|---|
| King of the Hill character | |
| First appearance | "Pilot" (1997) |
| Created by | Mike Judge Greg Daniels |
| Designed by | Mike Judge |
| Voiced by | Mike Judge Vince Gill (singing) |
| In-universe information | |
| Full name | Jeffrey Dexter Boomhauer III |
| Occupation | Texas Ranger |
| Family |
|
| Relatives |
|
| Home | 73 Rainey Street, Arlen, Texas, United States |
| Nationality | American |
Jeffrey Dexter "Jeff" Boomhauer III, referred to as simply Boomhauer, (voiced by Mike Judge) is a slim blonde ladies' man and neighbor of the Hills, whose mutterings are hard to understand to the audience but easily understood by his friends. A running joke is when his friends fail to understand him for some reason other than his incoherence, such as reading out loud the legalese in a contract. His speech is usually heavily littered with the phrases "dang" and "dang ol'". Boomhauer can mumble his words, but he sings clearly and speaks other languages clearly (mainly French and Spanish). Boomhauer is a classic-car aficionado and owns a 1969 Dodge Coronet Super Bee (in high school, he owned a late 1960s Ford Mustang nicknamed "Ms. Sally"), and, despite his incoherent ramblings and womanizing, often displays himself to be very intelligent and philosophical. Although hinted at previously, in episode 18 of season 13, his first name is finally revealed when a Canadian woman who lives next door to the family that trades houses with him for the summer calls him "Jeff", and the driver's license shown in the 13th season finale reads "Boomhauer, Jeff". Throughout the series it is never known what he does for a living, although it was revealed in an early episode that he was an electrical engineer, but was on workers' compensation. At the end of the 13th season finale, a badge seen in his open wallet reveals that he is a Texas Ranger. By season 14, Boomhauer is dating a woman who has a son, whom he treats like his own.
| Luanne Platter | |
|---|---|
| King of the Hill character | |
| First appearance | "Pilot" (1997) |
| Last appearance | "To Sirloin with Love" (2009) |
| Created by | Mike Judge Greg Daniels |
| Designed by | Mike Judge |
| Voiced by | Brittany Murphy |
| In-universe information | |
| Gender | Female |
| Occupation | Student, Hair stylist at Jack's Barbershop, Kids' puppet show creator/performer |
| Family | Leanne Platter (mother) Hoyt Platter (father) |
| Spouse | Elroy "Lucky" Kleinschmidt (husband) |
| Significant others | Buckley (ex-boyfriend, deceased) Rad Thibodeaux (ex-boyfriend) Zack (ex-boyfriend) Rhett Van Der Graaf (ex-fiancé) |
| Children | Gracie Margaret Kleinschmidt (daughter) |
| Relatives | Hank Hill (uncle) Peggy Hill (aunt) Bobby Hill (cousin) Doc Platter (grandfather) Maddy Platter (grandmother) |
| Nationality | American |
Luanne Leanne Platter Kleinschmidt (néePlatter) (voiced by Brittany Murphy from 1997 to 2009) is the Hills' 19-year-old niece, daughter of Peggy's scheming fraternal twin brother Hoyt and his alcoholic former wife Leanne. Luanne moves in with the Hills after her mother Leanne stabs Hoyt with a fork during a drunken fight that tips over their trailer. Hank initially makes frequent attempts to encourage Luanne to move out on her own, but later more or less accepts her as a member of the family. She was a student at the beauty academy and later at Arlen Community College. She was often portrayed as an airhead. When Peggy was scammed by an internet test that "proved" she was a genius, she only believed it to be a scam upon learning that Luanne was also proclaimed a genius. Despite this, Luanne was shown to be an expert mechanic in the first two seasons and is good at logic puzzles. She also has something of a vindictive streak, especially when she feels slighted; she was once shown to have tried flushing Hank's keys down the toilet after being passed over for a propane sales position he was hired for instead (though she actually flushed Peggy's by mistake), and later tried putting Peggy's shoes and glasses down the garbage disposal and intentionally dyed Peggy's hair green after being fired as her stylist for a local beauty pageant. Luanne was promiscuous, but she settles down after being visited by the spirit of her first boyfriend, the slacker Buckley, whom she calls "Buckley's angel", and then attending a church-sponsored "born-again virgin" program, where she starts a Bible study class. Luanne created a puppet show entitled "The Manger Babies" for a public-access television cable TV station, featuring the barnyard animals who witnessed Jesus's birth (though they included a penguin and an octopus). In the 10th-season finale, Luanne revealed that she was pregnant with the child of Lucky, whom she married in the 11th-season finale. In the 13th season, she has a baby girl named Gracie Margaret Kleinschmidt. She wears a green sleeveless crop top and red capris (or, in some early episodes, a red-orange T-shirt and blue jeans). Outside of a photograph she does not appear in season 14, as a result of Murphy's death in 2009, nor was she mentioned, leaving her fate unknown. [10]
Nancy Hicks-Gribble (voiced by Ashley Gardner) (néeHicks) is Dale's wife, Joseph's mother and weather-girl-turned-anchor for local news station Channel 84, and is 40 years old. She had a 14-year affair with John Redcorn, which produced her son, Joseph, although the affair ended when John Redcorn befriends Dale. Nancy finally becomes a faithful wife to Dale. John Redcorn refused to come back to her out of respect for Dale. Her mother Bunny was similarly unfaithful to Nancy's father, but did not reveal her own long-term affair until Nancy began suffering from stress-induced hair loss over her unresolved feelings for John Redcorn. Nancy is a former beauty queen, a fact which helped her get her job as a news weather-girl. It is implied during Season 14 that her and John Redcorn have rekindled their affair at some point, with the two also being partners on a home-selling video blog.
Joseph John Gribble (voiced by Brittany Murphy from 1997 to 2000, Breckin Meyer from 2000 to 2010, Tai Leclaire from 2025 - present [11] ) is Dale and Nancy's 13-year-old son and one of Bobby's best friends. Despite Joseph's obvious Native American features, his similarity in appearance to John Redcorn, and the fact that his middle name is "John", neither he nor Dale is aware that Redcorn is his biological father (Nancy refers to Dale having a "Jamaican grandmother" to explain Joseph's dark complexion). Redcorn's occasional and awkward attempts to get closer to Joseph (against Nancy's wishes) lead Joseph to regard him as strange and creepy. Joseph starts out as an ordinary teen, but eventually grows weird and creepy—not to mention dim-witted. Joseph begins to take after Dale more than John Redcorn, Nancy, or even any of his friends. Joseph has a half-sister named Kate (Charlene and John Redcorn's daughter), who is very similar to Joseph in personality and interests but likewise does not realize that Redcorn is their father. Joseph is the only character of the series shown to physically mature, having grown six inches in height over the course of a summer, a more built physique, athletic prowess and having a deeper voice and a wispy mustache upon his reappearance. In season 14, Joseph has slowly appeared to be interested in some Native American imagery including a love for horses and a dreamcatcher hanging in his and Bobby's apartment, but is still oblivious to his relationship to John Redcorn, though it is implied Bobby is aware by this point. Joseph has also picked up Dale's habit of smoking cigarettes and has still shown a lot of the same traits Dale has, to the point where the two were both using similar tactics to help Bobby and Hank win a beer brewing contest respectively.
Kohng Koy "Kahn" Souphanousinphone[ pronunciation? ] (Lao : ຂອງ ຂ້ອຍ "ຄານ" ສຸພານຸສິນພອນ) (voiced by Toby Huss from 1997 to 2010, Ronny Chieng from 2025–present) is Hank's materialistic and self-centered Laotian-American next-door neighbor, Minh's husband, and Connie's father. He was born and raised in Laos until he emigrated to Anaheim, California before the events of the series took place, then moved to Arlen during season 1 due to problems with their previous neighbors. He frequently believes he is better than his new neighbors due to having more of and owning everything a little better than them, especially the Hills, often referring to them as "hillbillies" or "rednecks" despite not knowing what they mean. He frequently boasts of his superiority to others, though his biggest dream is to be more successful than Ted Wassanasong (Lao: ເຕດ ວະສະນາສົງ). Despite his arrogant and self-centered attitude, Kahn seeks approval and friendship from his neighbors. He previously worked for a defense contractor that manufactured composite ceramic armor, but was fired for spilling company secrets. After a string of job failures due to his attitude, which forced his family to move to other locations in the U.S., he found a new job in Houston, which forces him to commute. Upon recollection of the story of how Minh and Kahn met, it is revealed that he was formerly a rebel and playboy whom Minh chose over the straight-laced intellectual her father set her up with. In one episode, Kahn shows that he is a trained martial artist while getting into a fight with a few rednecks. In the episode "Just Another Manic Kahn-Day", it is revealed that Kahn has bipolar disorder (which was also briefly mentioned in the earlier episode "Lost in Myspace") and he wildly bounces between being brilliant and surprisingly likable when he's taking his medicine and being a miserable, sullen jerk when he's not. It is revealed in the episode "Three Days of the Kahndo" that Kahn has a brother also living in the U.S. with a family of his own. By season 14, Khan and Minh had divorced with Khan living in the garage; once the divorce becomes public after hiding it for two years, Khan is last shown packing up his belongings. Kahn has also resumed his grudge against Bill for having dated his mother, showing more hostility to him than anyone else.
Minh Souphanousinphone (Lao: ມິນ ສຸພານຸສິນພອນ) (voiced by Lauren Tom) is Kahn's wife and Connie's mother. Minh is a housewife who enjoys making rude comments about the neighbors, particularly Peggy. Her father is General Gum. She sometimes has a snobbish attitude toward the neighbors, referring to them as "hillbillies", "rednecks", or "dumb monkeys" despite lacking knowledge of what they actually mean. However, she is overall a more understanding parent and better neighbor than Kahn. She is a crack-shot with championship-level skills, and at one point joined Dale's gun club, exerting a positive effect on its members. She is highly competitive, going so far as to cheat on The New York Times crossword puzzle. Like her husband, Minh grew up in Laos, where her father was a powerful general in the army who was not happy with her decision to marry Kahn. She once told Nancy Gribble that she didn't grow up oppressed: rather, because of her father's high ranking position in the army, she "was peasants' worst nightmare", implying that she was a bully in her youth. She once taught Bobby some of the Laotian language. By season 14, Minh and Khan had divorced.
Kahn "Connie" Souphanousinphone Jr. (Lao: ຄານ "ຄອນນີ" ສຸພານຸສິນພອນ, ຈູເນີຍຣ໌) (voiced by Lauren Tom) is the 13-year-old daughter and only child of Kahn and Minh. She is one of Bobby's best friends who briefly falls in love with him and becomes his first girlfriend. She is a talented violinist, straight-A student, and general overachiever and child prodigy only because her father holds her to very high standards. Though it is implied that she works hard because of her overbearing parents, in reality, she does it for herself. Connie is named after Kahn because he wanted a son but was disappointed; if anything, Connie is often embarrassed by his egotistical attitude and rudeness towards others. In season 14, Connie is studying for a double major at UT Dallas and was dating Chane Wassannasong casually, with the two having an open relationship. However the two broke up when Connie's parents' divorce was revealed publicly and Chane was far from comforting. Shortly after this, Connie and Bobby resumed their old relationship.
| John Redcorn III | |
|---|---|
| King of the Hill character | |
| First appearance | "Pilot" (1997) |
| Created by | Mike Judge Greg Daniels |
| Designed by | Mike Judge |
| Voiced by | Victor Aaron (1997) Jonathan Joss (1998–2025) [12] [13] |
| In-universe information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Masseur, musician |
| Children | Joseph Gribble, Kate |
John Redcorn (voiced by Victor Aaron in 1997, Jonathan Joss from 1998 to 2025) is Nancy's Native American former "healer", masseur, and musician, and Joseph's biological father. He is a former roadie for Winger and lead singer of Big Mountain Fudgecake. In Season 9, he began writing and performing his own children's music. He works out of his trailer as a masseur, though his clients are generally only women. It is implied that he has a history of having sex with them, as Hank is horrified when Peggy goes to see him, and John Redcorn even states to him, "Hank, I consider you a friend. I would never heal your wife the way I heal the wives of others." He is also active in American Indian rights campaigns, and Dale once helped him with a lawsuit that netted him 12 acres of land from the federal government. However, he was manipulated into building a casino on the property, which was not—and, as of 2025, still is not—legally permitted to operate in the state of Texas, as their tribes previously forfeited their gaming rights in exchange for federal recognition, and his property was permitted for hazardous dumping to pay the debt. Because Dale had been so helpful, Redcorn felt extremely guilty over what he did with Nancy, and ended his affair by encouraging Nancy and Dale to strengthen their marriage. Dale re-tailored Redcorn's status as a musician from a mediocre rock singer to a successful children's performer. He also has a daughter, Kate, whose mother is Charlene. Following Joss's death in 2025, a tribute for Joss appeared in the season finale; it is not known if Redcorn will appear in season 15.
| Cotton Hill | |
|---|---|
| King of the Hill character | |
| First appearance | "Pilot" (1997) |
| Last appearance | "Death Picks Cotton" (2007) |
| Created by | Mike Judge Greg Daniels |
| Designed by | Mike Judge |
| Voiced by | Toby Huss |
| In-universe information | |
| Occupation | War veteran, temporary military school commandant, bathroom attendant, asbestos installer |
| Spouse | Tilly Hill (divorced), Didi Hill |
| Children | Junichiro, Hank Hill, Good Hank Hill |
| Relatives | Bobby Hill (Grandson), Dusty Hill (nephew) |
| Nationality | American |
Colonel Cotton Lyndal Hill (voiced by Toby Huss) is Hank's cantankerous father, Peggy's father-in-law and Bobby's grandfather. He has a hair-trigger temper and practically no respect for his son or daughter-in-law, although he has a soft spot for his grandson. Despite his many shortcomings, he occasionally showed a softer side, for example, in the episode "Cotton's Plot" where he helped Peggy learn to walk again after her parachuting accident. His shins were blown off in World War II by a "Japan man's machine gun" and his feet were reattached to his knees, resulting in a short height and stilted gait. Despite his disability, he eventually reached the rank of colonel in the Texas State Guard/Texas Army National Guard. After Cotton and his first wife Tilly, Hank's mother, divorced, he married a much younger, soft-spoken, busty blonde candy striper named Didi who gave birth to his youngest son "G.H." ("Good Hank"). He was immensely proud of his military service, stating that he was in the US 77th Infantry Division despite being shown with a gold US 2nd Infantry Division badge in his military items and with a Red and White division patch. Though his claim of fighting "nazzies" (Nazis) was proven false and his claim of killing "fitty [50] men" was dubious, his participation in several of the bloodiest battles in the Pacific Theater was confirmed and his uniform was shown to be decorated with the Medal of Honor and the Purple Heart. Cotton himself died in episode #1218, "Death Picks Cotton", after suffering severe burns and an allergic reaction to shrimp during a flashback at a Japanese restaurant. Instead of addressing Peggy by her name he calls her "Hank's wife". He appears in season 14 strictly in flashbacks.
Didi Hill (voiced by Ashley Gardner) is Cotton's second wife, Hank's stepmother, Peggy's stepmother-in-law and Bobby's stepgrandmother. She's a candy striper after she retired from being an exotic dancer. She and Hank went to elementary school together, meaning they are the same age being 39 at the time of her debut. She has breast implants and suffers from postpartum depression following the birth of Cotton's third son "G.H." She is generally depicted as docile and ditzy, although she is a certified optometry assistant. She wasn't present when Cotton died, and years later when she calls Hank and says she needs to meet him to discuss something, Hank pointedly says that he hoped that he would not have any interactions with Didi anymore. She shows up with a box that Cotton had marked to be sent to Hank, and has no idea what it is, telling a frustrated Hank that she's forgotten everything about Cotton since she got engaged to a wealthy professional wrestler before driving away and never returning. By season 14, Didi is a struggling single mother to G.H. and appears to have had her breast implants that Cotton had bought her removed.
Buck Strickland (voiced by Stephen Root) is the slightly overweight, 68-year-old owner of Strickland Propane, and Hank's boss. A chauvinist, alcoholic, and adulterer, his physical appearance and attitude greatly resemble those of Lyndon B. Johnson, particularly his hairline and habit of hosting employee discussions in his bathroom. A picture of Buck seen in "Pregnant Paws" also shows him picking up one of his bloodhounds by the ears, much like a similar famous photograph of Johnson doing the same. Originally hailing from Arkansas, Buck was historically known for his modest start in business and general business smarts. These attributes have since been worn away by life and been replaced with many habits which often come in the way of his business decisions. Buck is a compulsive gambler to the point where he will use company profits to continue gaming, even betting in underground events. It is often implied that Hank reveres Buck and that, in Hank's eyes, the two have a close relationship. Compared to Hank who is the ultimate model of a good employee, Buck's vices require Hank to keep an extremely close eye. Buck refers to Hank as his "Golden Goose" implying Hank is the only reason his business remains afloat and thus he would never fire him. Hank has used the threat of quitting to capitulate Buck's transition from things Hank found unsavory. His health is questionable as he has suffered numerous infarctions and has had several cardiovascular surgeries including valve replacements. However, Buck tends to backstab Hank when it comes to crimes. He was willing to frame Hank for murder. Despite this, Hank easily forgives him because Hank worships Buck and he's desperate for a father figure. Buck appears in season 14--by this point completely bald--retired from the propane business and living in a nursing home but still alert and making business decisions.
| Lucky Kleinschmidt | |
|---|---|
| King of the Hill character | |
| First appearance | "The Redneck on Rainey Street" (2004) |
| Last appearance | "To Sirloin with Love" (2009) |
| Created by | Jim Dauterive |
| Designed by | Mike Judge |
| Voiced by | Tom Petty |
| In-universe information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Spouse | Luanne Platter (wife) |
| Children | Gracie Margaret Kleinschmidt (daughter) |
| Relatives | Hank Hill (uncle-in-law) Peggy Hill (aunt-in-law) Bobby Hill (cousin-in-law) |
| Nationality | American |
Elroy "Lucky" Kleinschmidt (voiced by Tom Petty) is Luanne's boyfriend and later husband, a 38-year-old hillbilly. It's often hard for Lucky to hold down a job as he has no credit or Social Security number. He lives on the remainder of the $53,000 "settlement monies" he received after "slipping on pee-pee at the Costco" having had a portion of his spine fused. He was nicknamed "Lucky" after the settlement windfall. After he spent a majority of his money customizing his truck, his finances dwindled down to nine thousand dollars but regained another $53,000 when an ambulance chasing lawyer paid off Lucky to avoid a lawsuit. Originally appearing as one of Kahn's redneck friends when he went through a brief redneck phase, Lucky lives by an unusual but firm self-implied moral code, refusing to marry Luanne unless he receives a GED, and also referred to Hank and Peggy as "Uncle Hank and Aunt Peggy". While Bobby immediately bonds with Lucky and Hank tolerated and even was somewhat friendly with Lucky as he "wasn't like Luanne's other boyfriends", Peggy initially didn't like Lucky because she felt he was holding her back and didn't want Luanne reliving her past with her parents. Peggy even tried very hard to break him and Luanne apart by sabotaging his studying efforts, but after Luanne's pregnancy was revealed, she and Hank reconciled the two, giving them a shotgun wedding at Lucky's request. He is also one of the guitarists for John Redcorn's band "Big Mountain Fudgecake". Although dimwitted in some aspects, Lucky has learned some facets such as basic math through life experience as opposed to formal education, and was astute enough to deduce that his father-in-law spent time in prison whereas Luanne believed the story that he works on an oil rig. He does not appear in season 14, as a result of Petty's death in 2017, nor was he mentioned, leaving his fate unknown. [10]
Brian Robertson (voiced by Keith David) [14] is an African American man whose family rented the Hill residence while Hank and Peggy were in Saudi Arabia. Despite moving out to make room for the Hills' return to Arlen, Brian continues to hang out with Hank and his neighbors in the alley as he "liked the atmosphere". He has a son who plays youth soccer, and is also in an R&B tribute band. During Hank's absence, he acted as the straight man to his friends' antics.
Deceased voice actors Brittany Murphy and Tom Petty, who voiced the characters of Luanne and Lucky, will not be recast for the revival.