Buck Strickland is the owner of Strickland Propane and the boss of Hank Hill in the animated series King of the Hill.
Role
Buck is idolized by Hank for having given him his ultimate job and love of propane. However, Buck has many flaws and negative traits, such as being corrupt and a willingness to commit criminal acts. Despite all of this, Hank still practically worships the man, although at times, he will speak out against Buck's ill behavior. In one instance, Hank questioned how Buck could be Strickland Propane's greatest asset and greatest liability at the same time.
Among his other negative traits include his lecherous nature towards other women (particularly acts of adultery behind his later ex-wife's back), heavy drinking, and gambling.
Villainous and Criminal Acts
- Several episodes (such as "Hillenium" and "Lucky's Wedding Suit") have Buck fleeing his business and abandoning his employees when trouble is about. Often, this involves skirting responsibilities and shifting the problems and blame onto Hank.
- Several episodes also reveal Buck's numerous adulterous affairs, such as his relationship with his now-dead mistress Debbie Grund and cheating with an associate's wife.
- "The Miseducation of Bobby Hill": It is shown that he frequently gambles his employees to other businesses, particularly his rival Thatherton. Given Hank's comment about how Buck always "bets Joe Jack", it's implied that Buck loses often.
- "The Buck Stops Here": Buck becomes a bad influence on Bobby who becomes his caddy and encourages Bobby to cheat so as to gain course records on the golf course. When Buck takes Bobby to Hot Springs, Arkansas to participate in Rooster's gambling ring, he leaves Bobby alone in an alley while he gambles away, thus endangering his best employee's child.
- "High Anxiety": Following the death of his former mistress Debbie Grund and under the impression that his wife Mz. Liz was the culprit, Buck framed Hank for the murder by planting a cartridge in his truck and wearing a wire to catch Hank talking about how Debbie had threatened him.
- "Fun with Jane and Jane": He purchases several emus for a failed business investment and orders Hank to take them into a field and kill them. This proves to be one of the few times he's not a Karma Houdini as the emus come back and attack him at the end of the episode.
- "Trans-Facism": When the Arlen Committee banned foods using trans-fats, Buck's rib joint Sugarfoot's is closed down. Buck then opens an illegal lunch truck and gets caught up in a turf war with Rooster and his cohorts. However, it's important to note that Buck's truck was the lesser of two evils as at least they practiced safe sanitation (At Hank's request) while Rooster let his truck's kitchen become very filthy that it posed a health hazard.
- "The Good Buck": At the beginning of the episode, Mz. Liz leaves Buck after catching him in an adulterous and drinking bout.
- "That's What She Said": He kept an obnoxious and harassing employee due to his love of the employee's crude humor. Even when he ultimately dismisses the employee, it's pretty evident that he was amused by the crude humor despite saying otherwise.
- "Behind Closed Doors": Buck tells Hank to dispose of a paper bag of mysterious (and presumably illegal) contents in the woods.
- "Hank Fixes Everything": Encouraged by Hank to get along with his business rivals, Buck starts a propane/fuel cartel that engages in price-fixing. His actions almost get Hank arrested and stripped of his propane record when an investigator catches onto the cartel's scheme.
- "Earthy Girls Are Easy": Buck dumps propane tanks into the local river and then is found out by the media. When confronted, he weakly says he was "trying to make a coral reef, for the dolphins and whatnot". He then partakes in Dale Gribble's carbon offsets scheme so as to con people (including some very attractive ladies) into going to a concert to improve his own image.