Kings

The Kings are a gang of Elvis Presley impersonators operating in Freeside in 2281.

Background
When Robert House established his rule over the New Vegas Strip in 2274, he offered a ultimatum to the tribes settled in the city: become a willing part of Mr. House's New Vegas, leave the Strip, or die. While the three other tribes outside of the Strip accepted House's offer of employment, and became the Three Families, other tribes refused and got pushed out of the Strip into Freeside, an area to which House had no immediate interest in directing resources.

The remnants of these tribes not taken in by Mr. House, soon to be the Kings, found an old building emblazoned in rock and roll. Inside they found holotapes, jackets, and a seemingly unlimited supply of hair gel to follow in the footsteps of one great leader. It was jested that the building may have been a site for cult worship of a black-coiffed deity with considerable style and singing ability known only as The King. Here to stay, the Kings claim this side of town as their own and prevent Freeside from erupting into complete anarchy. Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p.42: "Freeside ''Las Vegas wasn't heavily damaged during the Great War, but people didn't immediately "settle" into the remnants of the old city. The various Vault tribes that emerged years later, hunted and fought among the ruins, but it was not until the "return" of Mr. House that they ceased (most) of their hostilities. Mr House directed the tribes to use his sizable quantities of pre-war construction materials to build the crude (but effective) outer walls that separate The Strip and Freeside from the rest of New Vegas. While Mr. House valued the area around Fremont Street, he ultimately viewed it as secondary in importance to the Strip itself and he had a second, inner wall that separated the two areas. When NCR prospectors (and eventually the army) arrived in the region, people typically went straight for The Strip, leaving Freeside (as it had become known by locals) as an informal stopping point. Eventually Mr. House recognized that he could use Freeside as a filter for undesirables, and pulled his favored tribes and all Securitrons into the Strip, leaving Freeside to fend for itself. In the two years that followed, Freeside has slowly degenerated into a hostile, lawless den of ne'er-do-wells. For a while, it was completely without order, but two power groups managed to come to an understanding about how the area needed to be maintained. The Kings, formed from the dispossessed remnants of unfortunate tribes, prevent all-out chaos from erupting, but do little to deal with the day-to-day nastiness that Freesiders inflict on each other. The Followers of the Apocalypse, no longer associated with the NCR, settled in the Old Mormon Fort. They receive some protection from the Kings in exchange for help with the community's basic needs (food, water, health services, and some education). Despite the oversight from the Kings and help from the Followers, the people in Freeside live in daily peril... from each other as well as outside forces."'' (Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide faction profiles)

The gang's leader, known only as "The King", is the most powerful man in the neighborhood. He regards the Kings as a different kind of gang, one that revolves around the central idea that every man is free to follow his own path and do this own thing – "where every man is a king in his own right." However, as of late, the King has been facing a challenge as the NCR appears to be threatening Freeside's sovereignty. He goes as far to call NCR ciitizens "the devil in disguise" and is requesting a mass "return to sender".

Organization
As a result of getting evicted from the Strip, the Kings are effectively the de facto rulers of Freeside, but they prefer to take a laissez-faire approach to policing the area, believing that freedom for every man is the most important value to uphold. Not shy to make a few caps, the Kings offer safe escort through Freeside and will even help you fill your water canteen... for a price. Besides these few "services" the Kings generally follow a strict code of suave chivalry.

The Kings are generally held in very high regard and respect by the locals in Freeside, as they often come to their aid against threats from the outside. The only active opposition they face comes from a few scattered groups of the more shady members of the community.

The Kings have explicit rules about their members being born and raised in Freeside, and do therefore not allow outsides to join their organization. The Courier can, however, become a possible extraordinary exception if the right favor is called with the King at the completion of G.I. Blues.

Outside relations
Although not from Freeside, the Kings provide assistance for the Followers of the Apocalypse for their work in providing the basic needs of Freeside, such as fresh water and good food, as well as giving medical help and education to Freeside residents. Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p.42: "Freeside ''Las Vegas wasn't heavily damaged during the Great War, but people didn't immediately "settle" into the remnants of the old city. The various Vault tribes that emerged years later, hunted and fought among the ruins, but it was not until the "return" of Mr. House that they ceased (most) of their hostilities. Mr House directed the tribes to use his sizable quantities of pre-war construction materials to build the crude (but effective) outer walls that separate The Strip and Freeside from the rest of New Vegas. While Mr. House valued the area around Fremont Street, he ultimately viewed it as secondary in importance to the Strip itself and he had a second, inner wall that separated the two areas. When NCR prospectors (and eventually the army) arrived in the region, people typically went straight for The Strip, leaving Freeside (as it had become known by locals) as an informal stopping point. Eventually Mr. House recognized that he could use Freeside as a filter for undesirables, and pulled his favored tribes and all Securitrons into the Strip, leaving Freeside to fend for itself. In the two years that followed, Freeside has slowly degenerated into a hostile, lawless den of ne'er-do-wells. For a while, it was completely without order, but two power groups managed to come to an understanding about how the area needed to be maintained. The Kings, formed from the dispossessed remnants of unfortunate tribes, prevent all-out chaos from erupting, but do little to deal with the day-to-day nastiness that Freesiders inflict on each other. The Followers of the Apocalypse, no longer associated with the NCR, settled in the Old Mormon Fort. They receive some protection from the Kings in exchange for help with the community's basic needs (food, water, health services, and some education). Despite the oversight from the Kings and help from the Followers, the people in Freeside live in daily peril... from each other as well as outside forces."'' (Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide faction profiles) Otherwise, the Kings prefer to control the resources in Freeside, including water. This desire to form a monopoly was one of the reasons Cass was prevented from selling water in the area.

Some members, namely Pacer, seem to butt heads with the local factions more than others. Stationed NCR troops engage in minor disputes that can be resolved in various ways to achieve a level of peace in Freeside. These events are largely played out though one of the faction's main quests, G.I. Blues. A second quest, Nothin' But a Hound Dog, requests the player to help The King's dog, Rex.

Technology
The Kings are armed with .357 Magnum revolvers, 10mm SMGs, or 10mm pistols. Their light uniforms, Jailhouse Rocker, Memphis kid outfit and Kings outfit, can be equipped as well. Sergio is a special King wielding a unique weapon named Figaro.

Behind the scenes

 * The Kings are, of course, a reference to the phenomenon of Elvis impersonation.
 * Some of their clothing are also references to Elvis, such as Jailhouse Rocker which is a replica of what Elvis wore in the Jailhouse Rock video.

Appearances
The Kings appear only in Fallout: New Vegas.