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"I'm gonna kick your ass!" —Hank's catchphrase

"That boy ain't right." —Hank's catchphrase when referring to his son Bobby

Hank Rutherford Hill (born April 15,[1] age 41[2]) is the main protagonist of King of the Hill. Hank has a central role in most story lines, along with his family (wife Peggy, son Bobby and niece by marriage Luanne). Hank's voice is provided by series co-creator Mike Judge.

He expresses a fascination for of propane, knowing every intricate detail. Hank is known to threaten people who have angered him with saying, "I'm gonna kick your ass."

Appearance

Hank Hill stands 6'2" in height[3] and weighs 220 lbs.[4] He has brown, short, wavy hair, brown eyes along with peach-pale skin. He is fairly tall with a pot-belly.

Among King of the Hill characters, Hank bears a noticeable resemblance to Tom Anderson, a character on Mike Judge's previous animated series, Beavis and Butt-head. The similarities in both voice and (to a slightly lesser extent) physical appearance between Hill and Anderson are especially noticeable when comparing early King of the Hill episodes to the later episodes or movie of Beavis and Butt-head. Hank also inherited much of Tom's serious, conservative personality; the differences, however, reflect the differences in tone between the two series. Unlike Tom, a senior citizen whose grumpiness was typically as absurd as his antagonists' stupidity, Hank's humorously no-nonsense attitude makes him a sympathetic voice of reason within the series. Hank drives two red extended cab Ford pick-up trucks throughout the series, including a 1993 Ford Ranger and a 1999 F-250 Super Duty.

History

Hank Hill was born in the ladies' room at Yankee Stadium in New York City, NY to Matilda Mae "Tillie" and war veteran Cotton Hill.

Hank, along with Bill Dauterive, Jeff Boomhauer, and Dale Gribble, graduated Tom Landry Middle School, and later pursued secondary education at Arlen High. Hank had a childhood dream of winning the super bowl and joined the Arlen High Football team with the intention of going pro after he graduated. He was a running back and led the league in rushing (his record remains unbroken). He was able to bring the team to the Class 2A State Football Championship, but during the second half of the game his ankle was crushed, ending his dreams of a career as a pro football player (he attributed this to God punishing him for doing a celebratory dance after making a touchdown during the game's first half). This cost the team the game, but despite this he was still celebrated for "taking them to State."[5]

After graduating from Arlen High, Hank applied to the Army with his friend, Bill. However, Hank had a narrow urethra, and was rejected because officials thought he would be unable to relieve himself in a time of stress. During a celebratory party for Bill, Hank got extremely intoxicated and, wanting to show his appreciation for how much of a hero he thought Bill to be, he wandered into a tattoo parlor and decided to get a tattoo of Bill's name, despite Boomhauer's protests. He passed out on the chair shortly after and, because the tattoo artist refused to refund Hank's money, Boomhauer convinced the tattoo artist to instead add the tattoo on the back of Hank's head so he would not wake up and regret getting it.[6]

He worked at Arlen's Jeans West during his late teen years and sold a pair of Jordache to his future employer, Buck Strickland of Strickland Propane.[7] At an unspecified time, he also worked as a tractor salesman.[8] Sometime during his high school years, Hank began dating his future wife Peggy Hill starting in 1973,[9] and the two got married at 18 years old.[10]

Hank owned a Maverick. Hank and his wife Peggy both smoked until their son Bobby was conceived, but he has temporarily returned to the habit on at least two occasions; once when he showed Bobby how to inhale when forcing him to smoke an entire carton ("Keeping Up With Our Joneses"), and again when Mrs. Strickland and Debbie both started making sexual advances towards him due to the stress in "Hanky Panky".

Personality

General: Hank can best be viewed as a typical hard working man with deep values, strict yet sometimes blind beliefs, and loyalties to those closest to him. He believes in doing even the smallest tasks with one hundred percent effort and is often the person people will seek to do a seemingly pointless task since he views it as fun, efficient, and necessary. Hank, although incredibly emotionally reserved, deeply cares for his family and will do anything he can to help them. When surprised, he reacts with a "Bwah!" or "Baah!" This popular "Hankism" was used in the titles of the episodes "Mutual of Omabwah" and "Bwah My Nose".

While Hank is aware of things being different from when he was young, he shows little interest or effort in learning of the more modern ways. As such, he tends to show great annoyance and/or hostility toward things he does not understand or like until he is forced to confront this issue and potentially change his view on the matter. He has shown to be afraid of bats and has a great disliking of garden gnomes.

In nearly every episode, Hank and his friends, Dale, Bill, and Boomhauer, will stand about in the alley behind Hank's house, drinking Alamo beer and discussing the events of the day. When consensus is reached, or they simply run out of things to talk about, they will give short words of agreement, such as "Yup" or "Mm-Hmm." This changes in several episodes, such as Bill drinking (and conversing) on the other side of the alley, Luanne drinking and saying, "Yup," in the alley when nobody else is around, and Kahn occasionally joining them. Other people also participate, such as in "Won't You Pimai Neighbor?".

Emotional/Reserved behavior: One of Hank's most well known traits is his extremely reserved nature. He has shown that he is not able/willing to cut loose as easily as his friends and will often turn down others suggestions of fun activities simply because he does not find it fun for 'everyone'. Hank is so reserved that he is barely able to actually say "I love you" to his own wife and son or show any kind of physical affection toward them in public, thinking they should automatically know he cares about them and not need him to prove it. In "Hank's Cowboy Movie", he accidentally says he loves Bobby. Bobby never expected him to say that; indeed, the Pilot showed that it was very difficult for him to so. Hank is noticeably much more embracing towards Junichiro when they first met. He accidentally told Buck Strickland he loved him after Buck gave him a promotion, humiliating Buck and Cotton and leading Hank to lose his promotion. Hank laughed in front of a crowd in "Meet the Propaniacs".

Similar to his friends, Hank feels he does not need to join in many of their antics in order to prove his worth. Hank often turns into a stuttering mess during times when romance and sex are brought up and will usually end the conversation when it starts becoming the focus topic, especially if Bobby is the one curious about these topics; Hank only willing to discuss simple crushes and dating etiquette but nothing more with his son. As such, he has been labeled a "stick in the mud" by friends and family because he often puts a damper on things. He has even been told by medical doctor's that years of chronic tension is most likely one of the reasons that he and Peggy were not able to have more children. In "Torch Song Hillogy", Hank heavily implies that he is this way because he had once showboated during the state game and felt that a broken ankle in the next play was punishment from divine forces for having bragged about making a touchdown.

One emotion Hank is never troubled with showing is annoyance and anger, the pilot episode focusing on these emotions and another stating Hank has great issues with controlling his temper. When he becomes angered, he usually threatens physical violence on the person who angered him. While his family is usually the most sheltered from his anger, there are many times where Hank will angrily glare at them, at times he will yell, to get his point across or the final word in a topic of discussion.

Hank's facial expressions can be quite stoic, with him trying his best to not get excited and overconfident. While he does not want men to cry at all (and gets tired of Peggy and Luanne crying), he has cried a few times. He cried in front of Peggy about his old truck. He shed tears with Peggy when they thought she was going to die in jail. The other times he began crying he tried to hide his face or walk out of the room or both.

Propane: Throughout the series, Hank has shown he has a near obsessive interest in propane. He works as an assistant manager at Strickland Propane and is usually the one to lecture everyone about doing the job right and remind them about the dangers that can happen by doing their job poorly. Hank will often go above and beyond the call of duty for the job since he firmly believes in doing a job perfectly and delivering the best customer satisfaction is its own reward. Hank has even managed to talk some of his neighbors to make the switch to propane and will often ask newcomers to town to install propane in their homes. He will often brag to others about the numerous things propane can accomplish and will even go so far as to ridicule others on their knowledge of propane by demonstrating his own. Because of his love of propane, Hank somewhat expects Bobby to follow in his footsteps and become part of the propane work force and will show genuine annoyance and concern when Bobby shows interest in other careers.

Sports: Like many men his age, Hank is a sports fan and he had previously played football in school. His favorite sports to watch are football and golf. He considers sports like tennis and track to not be recognized on the same level as football and golf, even making fun of a man with tennis elbow at a sports clinic and not being aware track has a Hall of Fame. Having a young son, Hank has tried to steer Bobby into participating in sports. However, he doesn't delude himself about Bobby's lack of athletic abilities and has eventually, albeit reluctantly, accepted that Bobby will most likely never become an athlete; at one point he purposely tried to hide the sign up form for youth baseball so that Bobby and his parents could be spared from others witnessing Bobby's poor abilities.
As he lives in Texas and is a football fan, Hank greatly supports the Dallas Cowboys and naively thinks other Texans, especially those in Dallas, do the same and became incredibly offended when he came across citizens of Dallas who supported a team out of state.

Fatherhood: Hank is a devoted father to his son Bobby. He considers Bobby his greatest treasure due to the hardship he and Peggy faced having a child. While he cares about his son, Hank greatly struggles with connecting with Bobby due to their different personalities and therefore doesn't understand or accept many of the things Bobby is interested in, such as his desire to become a professional comedian. In the episode "Good Hill Hunting", Hank constantly delayed taking Bobby hunting and later admits to Peggy that he's afraid to spend time with Bobby because he doesn't understand him. Knowing Bobby is a class clown, Hank is often not surprised when he gets calls from the school about Bobby acting up. Despite not having a strong bond with his son, Hank knows Bobby relatively well and can accurately predict how he will act in different situations. While he hopes Bobby will grow into a responsible and hard working man, he doesn't deny how Bobby tries to take shortcuts in most situations or will try to do the least amount of work possible while still hoping to gain greater credit than he deserves. These habits often cause Hank to enforce punishments fitting his acts in order to teach him a lesson. During times when Hank seems upset or disappointed in what Bobby does, he usually does not hide when he feels like this and has also been shown to seem upset about Bobby not 'automatically' knowing certain things, such as being a boy/man, being interested in sports, dating etiquette, etc. that he at one point scolded Bobby for not automatically knowing these things.

Marriage: Hank's marriage to Peggy is quite strong but he does not often shower her with affection like most men do with their wives/women they're dating. Because of his repressive behavior, Hank usually does not show Peggy affection in public, to the point that he refuses to hold her hand, kiss/hug her, or even say he loves her in public. He also knows that Peggy is not as skilled or educated as she thinks she is but usually does not say anything unless he has to, even then he will try to be gentle with her about coming to terms with reality. He does admire how she is a caring mother to Bobby and aunt to Luanne but does not approve how much she tends to baby them since he sees this as a potential crippling factor in both of their maturing and growth as Peggy tends to comfort them during certain situations and delays or prevents them from facing or overcoming problems head on. Even with Peggy's shenanigans, he tries to help her however he can and protect her from any shady characters trying to con her. Although he is usually right about the situations Peggy gets into, he does not brag about how she was wrong.

Family: Hank is depicted as knowing his family's personalities extremely well but also being very protective of them. While he is fairly close to Peggy and Bobby, Hank does not fully accept Luanne as a member of his family on the sole reason Luanne is his niece by marriage instead of by blood and therefore has treated her as more of a guest than a niece. Because of this, he tended not to be shy that he disliked having her stay in his den for an extended time when her family went through domestic issues.

Hank also suffers some potential emotional and psychological trauma from his parents. It's well known that Hank experienced harsh behavior and verbal abuse from his father since he was a young boy. Because of this, Hank is usually very submissive around his father and only stands up to him when absolutely needed. Hank is especially protective of his mother as he has admitted she makes poor or questionable choices that "he has to clean up". Despite all of this, he cares about his family more than anything.

Rage and violence: Hank is known for his temper and can be extremely violent if he is enraged enough. He has been known to threat to kick people ass and one time he is enraged enough that he gains superhuman strength to kick off the fence that can withstand the crash of a speeding race car so he can kick the ass of a manager who forced his son to cross a dangerous race track to give him some soda.

Manhood: Hank is shown to be incredibly concerned about maintaining his manly appearance. Like many other men, he does not handle the topic of emotions well and typically laughs at and looks down on any kind of talk or therapy dealing with emotional well being. He also takes up interests that are typically considered manly by nature or social standard, such as lawn/vehicle care, football, fishing, etc. and will often disregard most other things with hostility. So concerned about keeping a manly reputation/appearance, Hank is shown to be concerned about Bobby doing the same and usually tries to "correct" Bobby if he shows any kind of interest in things normally viewed as things women would like, such as Hank believing Bobby should fail home economics simply because he's a boy and things taught in the class are things traditionally taught for only women to know. Hank has also shown great concern when Bobby has made seemingly homosexual comments when he's stated to either admire (look up to) certain men or call others handsome.

Aloofness and naïveté: Hank also has a great tendency to be aloof both accidentally and intentionally, taking things and expressions literally and at face-value. For example, when Bill requested him to play the song "Puff, the Magic Dragon," Hank criticized the song for being "about a dragon," being completely unaware of the song's controversy surrounding its alleged references to drug use.[11] On another occasion, when Jane Cooper flirtingly asked Hank if he found it romantic that Sirens in Greek mythology led sailors to their deaths with their beautiful voices, Hank rebuffed the romantic claim and earnestly replied that the Sirens' actions were "pretty irresponsible."[12] Moreover, he tends to not recognize certain social cues and double entendres. For instance, Hank failed to pick up Elizabeth "Miz Liz" Strickland's cue that she wanted to have sexual intercourse with him. She claimed that her bathroom "was not hot enough," making Hank literally think that her problem was with the water heater. When she pulled out a champagne glass for him, he did recognize the cue to drink but then politely claimed that Mrs. Strickland pulled out the glass as a "backup glass in case one of them breaks."[13] While trying to find Dale's father at a gay rodeo, Hank heard the Village People song "Y.M.C.A.", and he complimented the song for its praise of the YMCA, not understanding that the song was being played for its fame as a gay anthem.[14] Additionally, Peggy had joked to Hank that she hoped her tall hairstyle would not obstruct her from "entering the bedroom" (referring to sexual intercourse), but Hank, completely missing her sexual joke, assured her that the bedroom doorway had a 7-foot clearance.[15]

Moreover, for the past twenty-five years, he was buying cars at sticker price from Tom Hammond's used cars. He has also been tricked because of his relative ignorance concerning drugs or subcultures. Hence he once mistakenly bought vials of crack believing they were fishing bait and in a time of stress took a hit of marijuana because he thought it was a cigarette. He also signed a petition to legalize hemp not knowing that it was to legalize marijuana. Additionally, he interacted extensively with the owners of Stems and Seeds, a headshop, without understanding that the shop sold marijuana products. He also unknowingly introduced a woman, who later turned out to be a prostitute, to several business associates. This led her former pimp, Alabaster Jones, to believe he was her new pimp.

Old fashioned beliefs: Most likely due to the time of his own upbringing and things he witnessed and was told, Hank has many old fashioned beliefs and mannerisms. Such beliefs are that he loves the idea of Peggy being a stay at home mother and wife, only women should do particular household tasks while men do things like home, lawn, and vehicle repairs, is gender biased about certain events, is aware of but doesn't fully accept same sex couples/relationships, only dogs are suitable family pets, etc. Although he remains firm in many of his beliefs, over the series he comes around to start changing some views.

Politics: He is, for the most part, a staunch conservative, even once saying dreamily that he missed voting for Ronald Reagan. He initially supported George W. Bush during the 2000 election but had second thoughts about voting for him because of his weak handshake, and when asked if he would vote for "the other guy" (presumably Al Gore), he said, "I don't know." He is a Republican but admires pre-party switch Democrats (such as John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson). His dog Lady Bird is named after President Johnson's wife Lady Bird Johnson. In one episode, Bobby chose to do a school report on his favorite president, Josiah Bartlet of the dramatic TV series The West Wing. When Hank discovered this, he scolded Bobby (not only because Bartlet is a fictitious character but also because Bartlet is considered to be a typical liberal president on the show), who proceeded to do his report on Ronald Reagan. Hank also has a great amount of respect for former Democratic governor Ann Richards.

Furthermore, he also shares some progressive values. One of them is his fondness for organic food in the episode "Raise the Steaks". He even goes as far as to defend the hippies, something he seemed somewhat ashamed to do but nevertheless found himself agreeing with them when it comes to natural food. He has also been shown to have fairly moderate views on issues like gay rights and other religions. Hank is an environmentalist (though he distances himself from the movement at large). He laments air pollution in Houston, believes that global warming should be fought, and opposes the building of McMansions. When Buck Strickland was found dumping propane into the water, Hank encouraged the business to become more environmentally conscious.

Relationships

  • Peggy Hill: Hank's wife. The two are known to have dated steadily for several years before getting married. Hank thinks of Peggy as his best friend and is incredibly devoted and protective of her. However, he does not overlook her flaws; such as her tendencies to think so highly of herself but often does not try to stop her or get her to admit she is not as great as she herself believes unless needed. Regardless, he does see she is a devoted mother to their son but does not like how she tends to 'baby' Bobby and Luanne as he thinks it holds Bobby back from properly maturing and that it delayed Luanne from facing her past in "Texas City Twister." Hank is shown to be a supportive husband to her in many aspects but is still not afraid to let her know when he is upset with her about something she has done.
  • Bobby Hill: Hank's only son and child. Since Bobby was young, Hank has hoped to shape Bobby into an athlete but has since reluctantly accepted that Bobby is not cut out for sports. Although he loves Bobby greatly, Hank has a hard time accepting many of Bobby's choices, such as his desire to be a comedian and his odd but free spirit personality. Although Hank wants Bobby to grow into a mature, responsible, and hard-working person, he often times struggles to get Bobby to understand these concepts as Bobby usually tries to find shortcuts to get what he wants which often causes him to get into trouble that Hank has to help him out of. Despite this, Hank is aware that Bobby is a good kid and will do the right thing when the situation calls for it. Hank has been shown several times to be ready to beat up anyone who messes with Bobby. One reoccurring concern Hank has shown toward Bobby is his masculinity as Bobby is a softer and gentler personality, is very quick to run away from a fight or something he is scared of, has shown to be interested in more feminine interests and/or hobbies, and doesn't seem to 'automatically' know how to act like a boy/man in general and especially in dating as seen in "The Boy Can't Help It".
  • Cotton Hill: Hank's father. Since childhood, Hank has been on the receiving end of Cotton's verbal lashings and cold demeanor. While Cotton has always been hard on Hank, that hasn't stopped Hank from trying to earn his father's approval and/or gratitude. Hank knows Cotton extremely well and has openly disapproved many of Cotton's behavioral traits, such as his treatment of women, sleeping with numerous women that resulted in two other children they know of, Cotton influencing Bobby, and many other things. Even knowing how Cotton is, Hank shows great respect to Cotton for his military service but does not believe all/many of his war stories since he is well aware of how Cotton tends to exaggerate and how he personally pointed out a flaw in Cotton's claim of being in Munich and Okinawa at the same time.
  • Tilly Garrison/Hill: Hank's mother. Hank has been shown to favor Tilly over Cotton but often acts overprotective of her as he thinks she makes quick and thoughtless decisions, such as working as a Chinese spy, quickly getting re-married after cheating on her boyfriend, and getting an RV to travel around in.[16] However, he knows that she is more honest and trustworthy than Cotton and will easily believe her version of a story over Cotton's.
  • Didi Hill: Hank's stepmother. She is practically the same age as Hank, being as close as a few months apart from each other, and might have attended Kindergarten at the same time. Hank and Didi recall times when they finger painted together which suggests the same elementary school. Didi has shown care and devotation to Hank and his family. However, she does not like to answer any questions that Hank has about Cotton. SHe even announced an intention to forget all about them after Cotton died, an attempt to put behind her decades of trauma. She had since learned how to bond with Good Hank, with Hank not hearing much from them after that.
  • Chuck Garrison: Hank's new stepfather. He was introduced to Hank the moment that he got accustomed to Gary Kasner. Tilly told Hank that she knew Chuck for a very long time, and even began secretly dating for many months. Gary says that Tilly told absolutely nobody about her actual relationship status, so Hank was able to easily forgive Gary. As they have many things in common, Hank looks forward to having the father figure he always wanted. The only difference that they have is that Gary is able to trust Tilly easier than Hank can, and tried to teach Hank to trust others also.
  • Dale Gribble: Hank's longtime friend and neighbor. They are shown to have a good friendship, but it is usually tested to nearly breaking points by Dale's constant shenanigans. Hank will look out for Dale when he gets caught up in one of his many conspiracy theories to prevent him from getting hurt or causing trouble to others. Like many others, Hank keeps quiet about Nancy's affair with John Redcorn but has expressed he feels guilty about doing so.
  • Bill Dauterive: Another of Hank's friends since childhood, Hank is shown to be the most helpful toward Bill as he is well aware of Bill's frantic emotional status and what he tends to do when not properly supervised; such as spontaneous attempted acts of self-harm, nearly purchasing a timeshare in Mexico because of an attractive saleswoman, over-doing well meaning acts in order to feel happy and/or included, etc. Hank is usually the one who is able to talk Bill back down to reality when he goes overboard in certain situations but trusts Bill when he truly needs him. However, he is fully aware of Bill's borderline inappropriate feelings toward Peggy and has on a few occasions hit Bill to silence him or scare him to be silent and cease his actions.
  • Jeff Boomhauer: The third friend Hank has known since childhood and the most mature of the group besides Hank. Boomhauer is usually the one Hank will turn to to help talk others out of crazy situations or to watch over Bobby. Like Dale and Bill, Hank knows Boomhauer well and knows his friend is a well-known ladies' man and car fanatic. While Hank does not have to overlook Boomhauer like he does Dale and Bill, Hank still acknowledges that Boomhauer can be a troublemaker himself.
  • Buck Strickland: Hank's boss at Strickland Propane. Hank has been said to think of Buck like a father figure and often does nearly anything Buck will ask of him. Despite his loyalty to Buck, Hank is usually not afraid to stand up to Buck when needed and make him see the error of his ways.
  • Luanne Platter: Peggy's niece whom Hank views as company rather than family. Hank has shown great emotional distance and hesitation toward Luanne despite her love for him as an uncle. Hank often shows discomfort with many things Luanne does, wears, or the boys she dates. One thing he does admire about her is how good of a mechanic she is as she has been able to fix things that he himself has not been able to. Despite not seeing her as true family, he has given her advice that helped her become more independent and not be taken advantage of so easily.
  • Lady Bird: Hank's beloved dog of 13-14 years. Having owned Lady Bird up to a year before Bobby was born, Hank treats her more like another child rather than a pet. He will brush her coat, build her a custom doghouse, and often put her needs above others depending on the situation. When Lady Bird was suspected of going through her last heat, Hank finally decided to breed her but was devastated to learn it was highly against the odds she would have puppies due to having a narrow uterus. Hearing this drove Hank into such a frenzy of trying to find ways to get her pregnant that Peggy became incredibly jealous. In "Hank's Choice", Hank is more than willing to sacrifice his family's comfort and reputation by having Bobby take a high amount of allergy pills and live in a doghouse to prevent having to give Lady Bird away.
  • Lucky Kleinschmidt: Luanne's husband. While Hank has admitted to thinking Lucky is the best of the boys Luanne has dated, Hank also dislikes many of the things Lucky does, such as using Hank's trashcans so he can avoid paying the tax for garbage collection, leaving the TV on the game channel, being around the house too much, getting Bobby a pet snake, etc. Regardless, Hank gets along well with Lucky and has been able to trust him during certain situations.
  • Junichiro:
    131967
    Hank's older Japanese half-brother. When the Hill family traveled to Japan, they discovered that Cotton had a son resulted from a relationship with a Japanese nurse during the second world war. From the start, Hank was thrilled to know he has an older brother and tried to bond with Junichiro but at first found himself pushed away as Junichiro resented both him and Cotton. However, Hank was able to establish a bond with Junichiro when they teamed up to prevent Cotton from spitting on the emperor. Because of this, Hank came to understand and respect Junichiro's culture and gain the brotherly bond he wanted. They are assumed to have kept in touch after these events as Hank had offered to help Junichiro with the situation regarding having a narrow urethra and Junichiro was seen attending Luanne and Lucky's wedding.
  • Hal: A man who is incredibly similar to Hank, down to driving the same truck. Although they had just met and knew each other for a few days, Hank quickly bonded with Hal as they appeared to share similar interests, mannerisms, knowledge/ideas, and hobbies. The bond between the two grew so quickly that Dale and Bill became incredibly jealous. Ultimately, their friendship would end when they were no longer able to meet again.
  • Joseph Gribble: The Hill Family, being next door to The Gribbles, are partially responsible for Joseph's welfare. In "Of Mice and Little Green Men", it is revealed that Hank is Joseph's godfather. Like majority of others in his immediate area, Hank is fully aware of Joseph's true parentage but knows how damaging the truth could be if revealed and therefore keeps quiet. Although he finds many things Joseph says and does to be rather odd, he still cares for the teen and has been shown to be able to bond with him quite well through sports.
  • Kahn Souphanousinphone: They also live next door to The Hill Family, and encounter each other often. Hank has met many of Kahn's extended family. Friction occurred when Connie and Bobby dated, and again when Bobby is discovered to be qualified as a Buddhist Monk.[17] Hank and Kahn have been there for each other when needed such as the time that Hank wanted to interfere in every teenager's lives.[18] Hank was also there to bail Kahn out of trouble, since at times Kahn's eccentricities are as extreme as Dale. Hank lived through Kahn getting fired, forced to commute, quitting at the advice of Lucky's toxic friends, and finding a job at Strickland.

Propane and Propane Accessories

Hank Hill makes his living as a propane salesman and has developed a curiously obsessive relationship with propane. While most people would call a propane tank a barbecue accessory, Hank refers to grills and spatulas as "propane accessories" and becomes very upset when Bobby uses a spatula to slap the beats of the song "Wipeout" on his body. He often personifies propane when he speaks of it, with an affection that at times virtually borders on the erotic. In at least two episodes, he refers to it as "Sweet Lady Propane." When Hank has a strange dream in which he is feeling very pleasant while barbecuing hamburgers with Nancy Gribble and they're both naked, it disturbs him greatly until Peggy tries to recreate the dream with herself in the nude instead - only to have Hank become distracted by a couple of young hippie women after striking up a conversation which quickly becomes a propane sales pitch. At this point, both Peggy and Hank realize that Hank enjoyed his dream because he'd been propane grilling, not because he was with Nancy in the nude. Hank says "I always thought of propane as a dignified lady...but she can be a dirty girl, too."

A running gag throughout the series is Hank's devotion to taking care of so called "propane emergencies". As a result, if someone wants to talk to Hank about a pressing issue or get him to do something for them they'll call in a fake propane emergency. Despite Hank's distaste at people doing this, his devotion to propane and quality customer service leads to him always falling for it, mainly because be never asks what the specific emergency is. Such instances include Elizabeth Strickland trying to seduce him in her hot tub,[13] Buck Strickland asking Hank to bail him out of jail and act as his personal driver until his license is returned,[19] and John Redcorn expressing his concerns about how Dale is raising Joseph and the need for Joseph to undergo a vision quest among others.[20]

Non-canon appearances

King of the Hill characters’ non-canon appearance in The Simpsons

Hank Hill's non-canon appearance in The Simpsons (season 9)

Hank Hill made some non-canon appearances in different shows by FOX, including The Simpsons and Family Guy.

Quotes

  • "You just talked. Now, I will let that pass, but don't talk again."
  • "If it gets one degree hotter, I'm gonna kick your ass!"
  • "Loser! You're a loser! Are you feeling sorry for yourself?! Well, you should be because you are dirt! You make me sick, you big baby! Baby want a bottle?!? Big ol' dirt bottle?!?"
  • "You callin' me weak? Look at your little birdy arms! They're no thicker than a cigarette! I could smoke them little arms!"
  • "Bwaaa!"
  • "Baahh!"
  • "Ughhhh...."
  • "That boy ain't right."
  • "I sell propane and propane accessories."
  • "You see that boy? That's my boy, and if you ever try to take him away, so help me, God, I'll tear you a new one bigger than the Grand Canyon!"
  • "My God, are you still talking?"
  • "Why is she still talking?"
  • "Yep."
  • "You quotin' that twig boy at me?!"
  • "So, are you Chinese or Japanese?"
  • "What, are you - turning into some kind of feminist?"
  • "What the hell kind of country is this where I can only hate a man if he's white?"
  • "Why are you always asking me that? What's wrong with you? How does that sound for a change?"
  • "It's like you got a problem with concentration."
  • "Dale, I'm gonna kick your ass! I'm gonna kick it harder if you don't come here!
  • "This is asinine!"
  • "Okay time out, Sitting Jackass! Have you looked in the mirror lately? You are the got-dang whitest person I've ever seen!"
  • "You take that back."
  • "I just hate these big emotional scenes."
  • "I tell you what..."
  • "Stop making such a big deal out of it!"
  • "I'm placing you under citizen's arrest...as an American citizen, I have the authority to detain you until an officer of the peace arrives; and I also have the authority to kick your ass, which is obviously something your father forgot to do!"
  • (After Bobby repeats what Hank Hill says) "Language, Bobby."
  • "That's a clean burning Hell, I tell you what!"
  • "Got-dang it, Bobby!"
  • "Dang it, Dale!"
  • "Damn it, Dale!"
  • "Dang it, Bill!"
  • "Got-dang it, Bill!"
  • "Shut up, Dale."

Trivia

  • Peggy claims that Hank does not like to go to the doctor because he does not enjoy removing his pants.
  • In "Sleight of Hank", it is discovered that Hank hates magicians ever since David Copperfield made the Statue of Liberty disappear.
  • He has been arrested (although not necessarily convicted) five times throughout the series,[21] and he has been suspected of a crime, questioned by police, and/or been threatened with arrest on several occasions.
  • Hank Hill has brown eyes.
  • Hank's Social Security Number (SSN) is 135-01-6629.[2]
  • Hank appears to be a fan of Ford products as he has owned multiple: His first car was a blue 1970 Ford Maverick. At the beginning of the series, he owns a red 1993 Ford Ranger "appearing as a 1986 model in the episode it was destroyed." Following the destruction of his Ranger, Hank buys a red 1999 Ford F-250.
  • Hank suffers from a number of physical conditions.
    • In his youth, he was diagnosed as having a "narrow urethra". This was the cause of a number of drawbacks throughout Hank's life, such as the Army rejecting him on the grounds of not being able to "relieve himself under pressure," and causing great difficulty in his and Peggy's attempts to conceive a child (thought they ultimately did have Bobby).
      • Hank was also diagnosed as having a greatly-reduced sperm count compared to most men his age, which has been attributed to his uptight attitude constantly leading to physical stress.
    • Hank suffers from "Diminished Glutes syndrome", causing him to have an underdeveloped rear end. This would cause Hank to experience great pain when sitting down to the lack of padding around his tailbone. Due to this, Hank wears a special prosthesis to avoid pain while sitting down, and attends meetings with a group of similarly-afflicted people as a means of emotional support.
    • At one point, Hank suffered from severe constipation. The problem eventually grew so severe that he was scheduled to have a colectomy to resolve it. He resorts to a high-fiber diet and takes multiple laxatives, among other measures, but his constipation is resolved only after succumbing to his emotions and embracing Peggy with open feelings. The other measures take immediate effect, causing Hank to run to the bathroom, suggesting this was psychosomatic.
    • Hank was born with an asymmetrically-shaped nose, causing his left nostril to be larger than the right. He received corrective plastic surgery as an adult after his nose was broken while preparing for a football game.
  • Hank attends a United Methodist Church with his family but is not very familiar with the finer aspects of the faith.[17]
  • Hank is staunchly opposed to most modern medicine, typically only resorting to BC headache powder when necessary.
  • Despite having an interest in and even owning firearms, Hank has a horrible aim when firing a gun, unlike Bobby who is a natural expert.[22]
  • Both Hank and Bobby own .22 caliber rifles.
  • Hank was born prematurely in the ladies' room of the Yankee Stadium during his father's botched attempt to assassinate Fidel Castro.[2]
  • Mike Judge based the character of Hank Hill on a lot of the Texans he knew when he lived in the state. They have also inspired characters in just about all his work, like Tom Anderson from Beavis and Butthead, whom Hank strongly resembles.
  • Despite his open love for America, Hank holds open prejudices towards people from California and New York. He seems to hold these low opinions towards other states to a lesser degree, often quick to establish Texas as the superior one.
  • He is especially prudish about things like sex, female bodily functions, toilet humor, rock music and so on, to the point he is often physically unable to so much as discuss them.
  • Hank bears a strong facial resemblance to his mother Tilly. He also strongly resembles his Japanese half-brother Junichiro, despite the fact they were born from different mothers.
  • He considers butane a "bastard gas" and charcoal especially criminal.
  • Hank is shown to be very passionate and talented in many hobbies, including fishing, golfing, guitar playing, landscaping, and grilling.
  • Despite Peggy's pride at her atrocious Spanish abilities, Hank seems to have a natural facility for languages. He uses conversational Spanish correctly in "Beer and Loathing" and is able to understand Kahn's Laotian insults in "Father of the Bribe." Hank is the only one of his friend group who is not fluent in a foreign language (Bill and Boomhauer both speak French and Dale speaks Russian) but has picked up useful amounts of the languages spoken by those around him.
  • Tom Anderson was originally going to be Hank's father, but the idea was dropped due to Fox not having the rights to the character.
  • A deleted scene from "Life in the Fast Lane, Bobby's Saga" states that Hank's first job was assisting the driver of the town's milk truck.
  • In "Of Mice and Little Green Men", Hank is revealed to be Joseph Gribble's godfather.
  • Hank has made several claims throughout the series that he is block captain, although it is unknown if this is an official title or self-appointed.
  • Hank likes his burgers medium rare, three flips.[23]

Gallery

References

  1. Based on the real-life date that Fidel Castro visited Yankee Stadium, an event which was seen in a flashback in "Yankee Hankee".
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Yankee Hankee"
  3. His height is seen on his medical form and ID in episodes like "Hank's Back" and "Dale to the Chief".
  4. His latest weight as seen in the Season 9 episode "Dale to the Chief." In Season 6 "Lupe's Revenge", he claimed to be 197 pounds, and in Season 8 "Hank's Back", his ID card says 210 pounds.
  5. "Torch Song Hillogy"
  6. "Be True to Your Fool"
  7. "The Good Buck"
  8. "A Man Without a Country Club"
  9. "I Remember Mono"
  10. "Luanne Virgin 2.0"
  11. "The Bluegrass is Always Greener"
  12. "Lupe's Revenge"
  13. 13.0 13.1 "Hanky Panky"
  14. "My Own Private Rodeo"
  15. "Goodbye Normal Jeans"
  16. "The Honeymooners"
  17. 17.0 17.1 "Won't You Pimai Neighbor?"
  18. "The Boy Can't Help It"
  19. "The Father, the Son, and J.C."
  20. "Vision Quest"
  21. The five episodes where Hank got arrested are "Jumpin' Crack Bass (It's a Gas, Gas, Gas)", "It's Not Easy Being Green", "The Texas Skillsaw Massacre", "Be True to Your Fool", and "Uh-oh, Canada".
  22. "How to Fire a Rifle Without Really Trying"
  23. "Serves Me Right for Giving General George S. Patton the Bathroom Key"
King of the Hill Soundtrack album by Various Artists
Travis Tritt with George ThorogoodBarenaked LadiesThe MavericksSheryl CrowBrooks and DunnFaith HillTrace Adkins • The Hill Family Singers (Johnny Hardwick/Toby Huss/Mike Judge/Brittany Murphy/Kathy Najimy/Stephen Root/Pamela Segall Adlon) • TonicDeana CarterWillie Nelson and Mark McGrathHank Hill (Mike Judge) • Old 97'sLuanne Platter (Brittany Murphy) • The Refreshments
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