In the world of animated family sitcoms, there is one father that stands above the rest, and he truly is the King of the Hill. We’re talking, of course, about Hank Hill. Hank is peace and order personified, living in a world of external chaos. While he occasionally acts out in reaction to his surroundings, Hank Hill is a cut above other sitcom dads in that he is reliable, loyal, and decisive. The truth is, before Hank Hill, there weren’t a lot of father figures in sitcoms that you’d want to emulate. Maybe he’s a little too boring for the average person – and that’s where a lot of the humor in King of the Hill comes from – but in 11 seasons, Hank Hill effortlessly came off as a superior father figure and changed the game.
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Compared to Homer Simpson, Peter Griffin, He’s a Saint
20th Television
A common animated sitcom trope of the ’90s was the funny, but negligent father figure with the heart of gold– at the end of the day, Homer Simpson is a family man, and Peter Griffin is literally a Family Guy. But despite their best efforts, their tempers, lack of impulse control, and overall self-centered nature often lead to most of the conflict in their respective worlds. Hank Hill was the first animated sitcom father to flip the script. More often than not, conflict comes to him in the form of idiotic friends, aggressively competitive neighbors, or his gambling-addicted boss, to name a few, and he keeps a level head to bring about a resolution.
This is not to say that Hank Hill is a perfect portrayal of the American father, but in King of the Hill, he’s always putting his best foot forward, and doing everything within his power to be a good person, often prioritizing the needs of others over his own. One common denominator is that most of these guys are beer drinkers, but Hank is set apart because he never gets sloppy like his contemporaries.
Surprisingly Progressive Parenting
It’s no mystery that Bobby Hill ain’t right. In fact “that boy ain’t right” is one of Hank’s beloved catchphrases. There are times when Bobby’s behavior genuinely disturbs Hank. Hank Hill has seen it all: Bobby falling in love with a mannequin head, Bobby trying to be a Def Jam comic, Bobby thinking that Hank’s annual bonus is his weekly salary, and going on a credit card spending spree, and Hank always turns these situations into a teachable moment. The important takeaway is that Hank Hill is oftentimes hard on Bobby, but not in that “my way or the highway” way that does more damage than good.
When Peggy’s niece, Luanne is introduced to the series, and it’s revealed that she’s coming from a severely broken home, Hank turns his den into a place for her to live while she sorts her life out. Sure, he’s not happy about it, but his obligation to his family (and propane) is the most important thing to him aside from propane accessories and fiscal responsibility.
Morally Consistent
Throughout King of the Hill’s 11-season run, the viewer becomes very aware of Hank Hill’s moral code. He’s a family man, a working man, and a mentor to his friends. He’s also a whole lot of lame if you’d ask Dale, Bill, or Boomhauer. More often than not, Hank Hill is the voice of reason, and also a buzzkill. But you better believe that if his phone rings at three in the morning and somebody’s in trouble, he’ll be pulling out of his driveway in his red pickup truck ready to handle the situation and restore some semblance of order in his neighborhood. More importantly, when Hank does deviate from his rigid temperament, it’s comedy gold because his trusting nature and naivety gets him in trouble more than he’d like to admit.
He’s Not Afraid to Kick Somebody’s Butt, but He Doesn’t Abuse This Power
When Hank Hill isn’t selling propane and propane accessories, fixing his truck, attempting to play catch with Bobby, or being dragged along to Peggy’s boggle tournaments, he’s kicking some butt. He’s far from a hot head, but he’s a man with boundaries. When Bobby’s David Herman, urges him to cross an active racetrack to bring him a soda, Hank does what he does best, and shoves his foot so far up Herman’s butt that he was wearing his toes as a hat. So long story short, Hank Hill is harmless, but if you mess with his family, he will lay you out with moral indignation and most likely a lecture about fundamentals and virtue.
Never Meeting His Own Father’s Expectations
One of the sad recurring subplots of King of the Hill is that Hank was an unwanted child. His father Cotton is a WWII veteran, and claims to have “killed fitty men.” Cotton’s shins were blown off by a machine gun, so his feet have been surgically attached to where his knees should be, giving him a modest stature of five feet, zero inches. Despite his lack of height, Cotton’s presence is often overbearing in the Hill household when he visits, and he always triggers deep-seated feelings of inadequacy in Hank. Hank’s good nature only makes him slightly self-aware, as he is loyal to his father. However, Hank does everything within his power to make Bobby feel wanted and loved, because deep down he knows the pain of never being loved as a child. Listen, we’re all fans of Homer Simpson, Peter Griffin, and Randy Marsh, to name a few, and deep down they have good hearts, despite their lack of impulse control. The only real impulse Hank is a slave to is his yard work. Hank Hill is the real deal, and for that, we salute him.
