The 15 Best King Of The Hill Episodes Of All Time, Ranked

Following the success of "Beavis and Butt-Head," creator Mike Judge had a far different approach with his follow-up act. Instead of continuing to focus on the MTV generation, Judge wanted to examine pop culture and politics through the lens of an average blue-collar American. "King of the Hill" debuted in 1997, and even today, it remains a salient slice-of-life show that was undeniably hilarious.

Hank Hill (voiced by Judge) remains the constant straight man against his self-proclaimed genius wife Peggy (Kathy Najimy) and son Bobby (Pamela Adlon), who's pretty much the antithesis to the down-home star athlete Hank often wishes he had for a kid. That's not even getting into the eclectic secondary characters, making it clear why the show was able to maintain a certain level of quality for its initial 13-season run (and eventual Hulu revival, now renewed through season 17). With hundreds of stories to choose from, it can be difficult to narrow down the best "King of the Hill" episodes of all time, but if you're looking for the greatest sample to see what has made the show such an enduring classic, these are your best bets. 

After Hank catches Bobby smoking in "Keeping Up with Our Joneses," he makes him smoke pack upon pack of cigarettes to teach him a lesson. It's the kind of old-school punishment one might expect to see in a 1960s-era sitcom. However, after Bobby vomits, he gets legitimately addicted to smoking, and Hank and Peggy also relapse, as we see flashbacks to their youths where they smoked just like Bobby.

The episode is a brilliant takedown of Hank's dated sensibilities. Making a kid smoke enough cigarettes until they puke, also known as a radish cure, just doesn't work, and besides, it's unfair for Hank to treat Bobby so poorly when he himself smoked as a kid. Hank's often the voice of reason on "King of the Hill," but that doesn't mean he's always right. He has plenty of growing up to do as well, and "Keeping Up With Our Joneses" is a great showcase of how Hank has to relearn a lot of what he thinks is proper parenting. 

Dale Gribble (voiced by the late Johnny Hardwick) has some of the best lines throughout "King of the Hill" history. As a conspiracy theorist who never realizes his wife's been cheating on him, there's a lot of comedy to mine, and he gets plenty of showcase episodes like in the riotous "The Exterminator." After realizing the fumes from his exterminator business will give him an early grave, Dale switches careers into human resources, where he realizes he has a real knack for firing people.

It's a classic fish-out-of-water set-up where the anti-authority Dale ends up becoming the ultimate authority. He's forced to conform to typical office life, which feels like Mike Judge exorcising some demons he didn't get out while making "Office Space," which he wrote and directed. "The Exterminator" shows off a different side of Dale, but one very much still within his character, where he rides high on the power trip of firing folks, just like how he has zero qualms about killing living creatures. 

Hank typically plays it too safe for his own good, which is precisely where the trouble starts on "A Beer Can Named Desire." Hank wins a chance to win a million dollars at a football game by throwing the pigskin into the hole, or he can let NFL legend Don Meredith (voicing himself) take the surefire shot for only $100,000. Meanwhile, Bill Dauterive (Stephen Root) finds himself in a pickle when some women actually take an interest in him, but one of them is his cousin.

Hank's plotline is a lesson in self-assurance. Even if you mess up in life, you want to be able to blame only yourself. The B-plot is pure chaos, which is what we love. Honestly, "A Beer Can Named Desire" deserves a spot on this list for no other reason than seeing Bobby dress up and act like a Southern dandy. The way he says, "I do believe I'll give room service a jangle and have them send up some etouffee," is the perfect antithesis to everything Hank stands for, making his reaction all the funnier. 

"King of the Hill" wasn't really known for its Halloween episodes. There are only two throughout the show's run. However, the ones we got are spectacular, particularly season 2's "Hilloween." Junie Harper (Sally Field) is an Evangelical who wants all typical Halloween festivities banned in Arlen, much to Hank's chagrin. He gathers his friends to show that a devil-may-care attitude is still welcome in these parts. 

Hank can sometimes garner a reputation for being a stick in the mud. In actuality, he's a proponent of common sense more than anything else. Hank's religious, too, but he understands the necessity of kids having fun and knows Halloween isn't that big of a deal. "Hilloween" is some stellar social satire because it shows how certain religious groups can take things too far, even in the eyes of people who respect Christianity. Plus, the shot of Hank as the devil and Junie as an angel on Bobby's shoulders is simply *chef's kiss*.

There have been many great political episodes of television, especially in recent years, but there's still something special about "The Perils of Polling" from "King of the Hill." It should come as no surprise that Hank would initially support George W. Bush in the 2000 election, but when he actually gets a chance to meet the candidate, he's horrified to learn he has a limp handshake. Hank questions who he should vote for now while dealing with Luanne (Brittany Murphy) supporting a Communist.

It's a perfect distillation of Hank's values, which aren't absolutely Republican. He's a common-sense guy who values tradition and positive masculinity, and a limp handshake is enough to make him question the validity of voting at all. Of all people, Luanne convinces him of the importance of voting, even if you're not particularly thrilled about either candidate. The episode's naturally dated, but it's one to continue watching every Election Day to remind ourselves that refusing to vote isn't a solution.

When "King of the Hill" was revived, there was the question as to whether it could recapture the magic of the early episodes. Fortunately, it did precisely that, and TVLine's review of "King of the Hill" season 14 praises the "same warm, down-home appeal of the original." And the best of the new episodes so far is easily "No Hank Left Behind," where Hank tries to bond with a teenage G.H. (Finn Wolfhard), only for G.H. to be taken in by an ego-driven influencer who peddles toxic masculinity.

The story exemplifies how the show can continue to tackle social issues in the modern age while relating them to a guy like Hank. Hank experiences flashbacks of his own upbringing with his father, Cotton (Toby Huss), showing how these ideals have always kind of been around. And in a heartwarming moment, the episode ends with Hank breaking the cycle, ensuring G.H. embodies more positive masculine attributes. 

A running source of contention is the fear Dale will realize Joseph (Breckin Meyer, later Tai Leclaire) isn't his biological son. In "Of Mice and Little Green Men," Dale's fears almost lead to a revelation when he realizes how he can't connect with Joseph, but his reasoning for this is that Joseph is part alien. It's an outlandish concept, but it's grounded nicely with Hank having trouble connecting with Bobby, who wants to perform in a play in this episode. 

Dale believing Joseph is an alien leads to some great lines, like Dale insisting he'd make a great pet when the extraterrestrial invasion occurs. But it's also kind of sweet. Due to the status quo nature of sitcoms, Dale can never learn Joseph isn't his son. But this episode sees him proudly declaring that he raised and loved Joseph, so even if he's an alien, he's still his son. It's probably the closest we'll get to any kind of closure on the issue, but it's a heartwarming way of having a character remain in the dark. 

Especially in the later seasons, Peggy becomes a full-blown narcissist, believing she's the smartest, best person to ever live (as well as being fully fluent in Spanish when it's obvious she barely comprehends the language). This leads to her getting in over her head, like in "Lupe's Revenge," when she accidentally kidnaps a Mexican girl, believing her to be a member of the class, and then tries to return her and gets arrested. 

Would the Hill family's life be easier if Hank were just honest with Peggy about not being a genius? Maybe, but his finding creative solutions to spare Peggy's ego is still a lot of fun. Peggy has absolutely zero self-awareness in "Lupe's Revenge" as she doesn't even really seem to fully grasp how much danger she's in while on trial. Just when you think Peggy is going to admit she doesn't know everything, she slips right back into her old ways, which plays better here than in other Peggy-centric episodes. 

Hank Hill accidentally smoking marijuana is a premise that writes itself. But "High Anxiety" gets bonus points for wrapping that storyline around an engaging murder mystery where Buck Strickland's (Stephen Root) mistress Debbie winds up dead, and Hank is a suspect. 

Hank believing his smoking pot makes him look more guilty is great, and it leads to one of the best lines ever uttered on the show: "That's a side effect of the marijuana poisoning." Honestly, it's a great setup to still give Hank some stakes in the episode. Viewers know Hank didn't kill anyone, but he's still reluctant to tell the full truth because he doesn't want his family to know he smoked pot after railing against it for so long. The episode's only gotten funnier as the years have gone on and marijuana usage has become normalized; it's even more ridiculous that Hank doesn't try to clear his name sooner. 

While we had seen Cotton before in Season 1, he makes a proper debut in "Shins of the Father," crashing Bobby's birthday party. Cotton is brash and bigoted, but it does help inform a lot of Hank's characterization throughout the series. It's clear Hank, while being somewhat closed-minded himself, wants to be different from his father, and even though he'd love for Bobby to be good at sports, he's not going to go as far as his own father. We see how his son could've gone down a far different path when Cotton's misogynistic attitudes begin influencing Bobby. 

Cotton would go on to become one of the most influential characters throughout the series, sometimes being an antagonist and sometimes providing comedic relief. But even when he's not around, you can occasionally see how his parenting affected Hank. He's a critical character to the series, and Hank finally standing up to him in the episode's conclusion is one of the most satisfying moments ever on "King of the Hill."

"Three Days of the Kahndo" might have the most quintessential Hank Hill moment in the series' history when he loosens the cap on a can of WD40 with a smaller can of WD40. It's a pitch-perfect visual gag, and the rest of the episode stays stellar from start to finish. The Hill and the Souphanousinphone families (along with Dale) go on a Mexico trip, with Hank, Kahn (Toby Huss), and Dale getting stuck and needing to cross the border. 

The episode is filled with other top-notch visual gags, from Dale losing his cool and running away when they try to drive across the border to Kahn convincing Hank to give him a piggyback ride across a river. The episode is basically Hank caught in a foreign land with two of the most annoying people imaginable. Not only is "Three Days of the Kahndo" one of the funniest "King of the Hill" episodes, but it also offers commentary on immigration that remains salient to this day, once Hank realizes he needs to cross the border illegally to get back home to the land of opportunity. 

"King of the Hill" maintains a pretty consistent structure with its episodes, which makes "A Fire Fighting We Will Go" all the more fun. Hank and his pals volunteer as firefighters, but burn down the firehouse as a result. When chronicling what happens, each one tells their side of the story in a "Rashomon"-esque fashion. It's one of the more insightful episodes, as it dives into how each of the four main friends views one another. 

Outside of the unique structure, "A Fire Fighting We Will Go" is probably "King of the Hill" at its most slapstick. Hank, Bill, Dale, and Boomhauer (Mike Judge) regularly beat each other up in a "Three Stooges"-like fashion. Putting them within the context of a firehouse allows for ample opportunities to see them messing around with heavy-duty equipment, like when Boomhauer uses the jaws of life to bust open a fire hydrant. It's easily one of the best "King of the Hill" episodes as it's guaranteed to make anyone laugh with the non-stop silly antics.

The best teen dramas can help young girls come of age, and while you don't exactly think of "King of the Hill" when considering shows aimed at young girls, "Aisle 8A" tackles puberty better than one might think. Connie Souphanousinphone (Lauren Tom) stays with the Hills while her parents are out of town, and while there, she gets her first period. Things only get worse when Peggy's not around, so it's up to Hank (who's completely out of his depth) to help Connie with something he has zero information about.

Hank likely embodies a lot of men who don't know the first thing about how women's bodies work. There's a lot of comedy to mine out of Hank initially taking Connie to the emergency room because he doesn't know how else to handle this. It's truly a very sweet episode because Hank genuinely wants to help Connie; he's just ill-equipped to do so. Bobby finds himself in the same boat, so Peggy also has to teach him about menstruation. It's amazing that out of all shows, "King of the Hill" manages to express the importance of men understanding women's bodies.

"King of the Hill" deserved a far better sendoff than it got. "To Sirloin with Love" is technically the series finale, as it was the last one to air on Fox, but four more episodes came out after its release on syndication. It's confusing as far as the ordering of episodes is concerned, but for all intents and purposes, "To Sirloin with Love" is the proper finale, and it really does feel like a heartwarming farewell. 

Bobby discovers he has a talent for inspecting meat, which gets Hank excited because it means he has an interest in something they can bond over. The ending sees the two grilling together to serve up steaks for all their friends, and it's a touching conclusion. When looking at the best TV series finales, they usually try to wrap up any lingering storylines or go for something big. But "To Sirloin with Love" is a simple, down-to-earth story about Hank and Bobby finally finding some common ground. It's nothing flashy, but it left fans with the knowledge that Hank and Bobby, who had a tough time ever seeing eye to eye, are going to be all right. 

If you ask any casual "King of the Hill" fan to quote any line from the show, there's a good chance you're going to get, "That's my purse! I don't know you!" "Bobby Goes Nuts" is one of the best Bobby Hill episodes as it sees him getting bullied before he learns to defend himself from a women's self-defense course. His main takeaway is to kick his opponents in the groin. What follows is Bobby kicking anyone who gets in his way in the crotch, and it's hilarious from start to finish. 

A lot of the best "King of the Hill" episodes have timely messages or heartwarming moments. But at the end of the day, it's a sitcom with the main goal of making viewers laugh. That's what "Bobby Goes Nuts" does with gusto. It's 22 minutes of hilarity, building upon the simple joke of what would happen if Bobby got way too into kicking people, including his own father. It culminates in the only way it could, with Bobby fighting Peggy, who isn't as prone to the same injuries men are in that area. "Bobby Goes Nuts" is hands-down the funniest episode, while perfectly exemplifying what makes Bobby such a great character and how Hank and Peggy sometimes have to get creative to raise him right.