Benjamin King was the leader and founding father of the Vice Kings. According to Johnny Gat, the Vice Kings are named after Benjamin King himself, a right he earned. He appears as the primary antagonist-turned-antihero of the Vice Kings story arc in the original Saints Row (as the role of antagonist was taken over by Tanya Winters) and then appeared as a main character and ally in Saints Row IV.
He was voiced by the late Michael Clarke Duncan in the first game, who is also known for playing the Kingpin in the 2003 film Daredevil, and he was replaced by Terry Crews in the fourth game.
Biography
Benjamin King was active as a banger in the '70s. King formed the Vice Kings in the early '70s in order to protect Sunnyvale Gardens from Los Carnales. Benjamin felt it necessary that the neighborhood came together in order to fight and defend their home at the time Los Carnales dominated,but after several failed attempts of trying to flood the streets of Sunnyvale with drugs and weapons Los Carnales became more aggressive with the local kidsThis resulted in increased drive-by shootings in the neighborhood. That's around about the time the neighborhood hoodlums were uniting under Benjamin's leadership.
One thing is very clear, when the Vice Kings became active and started launching their own pre-emptive attacks and engaging in gun battles it was certain they were there to stay. Los Carnales eventually got pushed out of Sunnyvale Gardens and then the Projects District, which became recognized as undisputed Vice Kings territory. The Vice Kings over the years have remained a major contender in the city much thanks to Leader Benjamin King.
Later on as events unfold, Benjamin revealed that he was a childhood friend of Julius Little (a photo in Benjamin's possession shows Benjamin and Julius in gang colors, though their taste in clothing may merely have served as an inspiration during the later formation of their respective gangs), and remarked that Julius was following in his gang path, even to the point of recycling Benjamin's old war cry speeches. Benjamin King eventually formed a financial empire with Kingdom Come Records serving as its crown jewel.
Personally, Benjamin King had no qualms about doing his own dirty work, but in his pursuit of legitimacy preferred to exercise his power and influence with Stilwater's political machine to achieve his goals and maintain his status. The Vice Kings came into conflict with the 3rd Street Saints when Tanya Winters (Vice King lieutenant and possible head of prostitution) resorted to abduction in order to get new "talent" for her Prawn Court brothel, and the Vice Kings had the misfortune of unknowingly kidnapping the sister of R&B diva Aisha.
The subsequent retaliation from her boyfriend, Johnny Gat, and the the Protagonist provided the flashpoint for open warfare between the Vice Kings and the 3rd Street Saints, resulting in many gun battles and retaliatory deaths.
His approach to dealing with the 3rd Street Saints slowly caused internal tension within the Vice Kings, culminating when lieutenants Warren Williams and Tanya Winters staged a coup which forced King to flee for his life. Upon learning of his old friend's plight, Julius sent the Protagonist to rescue Benjamin during a gunfight in the Museum district, at which point King became an ally. The war ended with the dramatic deaths of Warren Williams and Tanya Winters, the latter at Benjamin's own hands.
Later, after dropping his flags, Benjamin King was seen briefly glimpsing at an old photo of himself and Julius Little in their early days as he began to board a private jet.
After the events of Saints Row 1 Ben King wrote a self help book titled Regicide as revealed in Saints Row 2. In Saints Row: The Third a movie was released based on the novel and an advert for it can be heard on the radio.
Ben King returned in Saints Row IV serving as the Protagonist's chief of staff at the White House after the Saints entered government. He is kidnapped by an alien empire known as the Zin and placed in a nightmare simulation where he has to relive the events of the first game and being betrayed by his crew. He is rescued by the Protagonist and aids them in their fight to Zinyak.
Trivia
- Michael Clarke Duncan was originally intended to return for Saints Row IV until his sudden death in 2012.
Licensing
This article contains content derived from the Saints Row Wiki article on "Benjamin King", licensed under CC-BY-SA.