Don’t Panic: ‘King of the Hill’s Animation “Upgrade” Actually Doesn’t Suck
King of the Hill is back after 15 years away, we tell you h’what. Hank and Peggy have returned to Arlen after spending several years selling propane in Saudi Arabia. Most of the whole gang is back together, and fans seem to love the new adventures. But one sticking point has nothing to do with the content itself. Some people are hung up on the new animation, claiming that it doesn’t gel with the OG style. But is it really that big of a deal, or is the Internet blowing something small out of proportion? I know, crazy, right?
Yes, the animation has changed. But it has been 15 years since the show ended, and nearly 30 since it debuted. Technology and animation methods have changed. That’s not a bad thing, as it proves that King of the Hill is willing to adapt and stay relevant in today’s world. Some fans just believe that different equals bad. When a show as beloved as King of the Hill returns, every element will be scrutinized based on how well it does or does not hold up. But the animation isn’t nearly as disastrous as some online commenters would have you believe.
Some minor ‘King of the Hill’ Season 14 spoilers to follow
The New Plot and Style of 'King of the Hill'
The new season of King of the Hill isn’t changing what worked from the original. Hank and Peggy are back in Arlen, and the season premiere catches us up on what everyone else has been doing. Bobby is now the owner of a German-Asian fusion restaurant, seemingly giving up on his original dream of being a comedian. Dale, Bill, and Boomhauer still live on the same street, with a few adjustments for modern times. Bill’s become a shut-in, not having left his house since COVID, and Hank’s moving away. Dale is just as Dale as ever, somehow finding himself elected mayor of Arlen. But his tenure lasted less than two days after he began denying his own election results. Dale’s still crazy, but somehow one of the sanest people in government. The show isn’t changing itself, just updating for the times.
King of the Hill is the rare animated series that’s actually aged its characters. It’s not perfect, as Bobby is now 21 after being 12/13 from 1997 to 2010. Hey, at least they’re trying. All the characters are noticeably older. Speaking of animation, that’s been a sore spot for fans of the original. Since the first teasers were released, some fans have criticized the new style. It looks too computer-generated, it’s not expressive, the models are unnatural, it’s less fluid than the original, etc. The complaints primarily boil down to the hand-drawn vs. computer-generated comparisons. They do have a point, as hand-drawn animation has given us some beautiful films and shows over the years. But that doesn’t mean the whole show has to be thrown out.
Evolved Animation Isn't a Bad Thing
'King of the Hill' Season 14 Still Looks Great
It’s 2025, and hand-drawn animation is practically a thing of the past. Computers can replicate a similar feel faster and cheaper. And that’s the case here. Despite the updated style, the core designs are still the same. Everyone looks the same as they did in the original, just with a few extra wrinkles and signs of aging. Aging them up feels more honest, as the show isn’t afraid of keeping up with the times. Yes, there is a difference in the hand-drawn style of the original and the computer-generated revival. And some animation purists will never be able to let that go. But hand-drawn animation is not coming back. At least not for this show. So the choice is computer-animated King of the Hill or no King of the Hill revival at all. When you put it like that…
The original show’s animation was handled by Film Roman, which also produced fellow Fox animated stalwarts The Simpsons and Family Guy. However, Film Roman shut down in 2018, and 20th Television Animation now controls the animation for most of Fox’s offerings. That includes the new King of the Hill. You have to wonder if King of the Hill would see the same animation scrutiny if it were an entirely new series. The answer is almost certainly no. But since there’s an old show to compare it to, fans can’t help it. All reboots will be compared to their predecessors — some for the better and some for the worse. Then there are some who won’t even notice the animation and just watch for the stories.
Hand-drawn animation holds a special place in our pop culture memories. We’ll admit that the OG King of the Hill does look more organic when compared to the polished revival. But let’s not forget that the original show’s animation underwent changes throughout the run. Watch the pilot from 1997 and the series finale from 2010. It’s night and day. Hopefully, we can all agree that anything looks better than the mess they had in the ’90s.
Animation is constantly evolving, and that shouldn’t negatively impact the show itself. The newest switch wasn’t a change unique to King of the Hill. To their credit, the new style matches the old quite well. It’s clear that creator Mike Judge and the animation team still care about the residents of Arlen. At the very least, watch the full season before making any final condemnations. It really doesn’t look that bad. The new season of King of the Hill, and its full original run, are available to stream on Hulu.
