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Though it ended over a decade ago, Fox's King of the Hill is seen by many as an animated sitcom classic. Featuring a huge cast of quirky but lovable characters, the series was as much of a character study for each of them as it was a sitcom. Sadly, this did see some characters get more spotlight than others, to the chagrin of certain fans.
Lucky Kleinschmidt was a later addition to the cast, eventually becoming a prominent "member" of the Hill family. Though he definitely has his fans, no doubt thanks to a combination of idiosyncrasies and being voiced by the late Tom Petty, Lucky is equally disdained by segments of the fandom. However, his good-hearted nature and relationship with Luanne helps to make him a great member of the cast, and arguably an underrated one.
Why Do Some King of the Hill Fans Hate Lucky?
Some of the dislike toward Lucky is due to his less than illustrious "employment history." With the first name of Elroy, he got his nickname after winning a large settlement of cash after "slipping on pee pee" at Costco. Now lazing about with his money, he's certainly no go-getter, being a sort of redneck hippie. He has a sort of Zen philosophy code, but he contrives and twists this many times throughout the series to suit the particular occasion.
There's also his relationship and later marriage to Hank and Peggy's niece, Luanne Platter. Some see him as dragging her down, dooming her to the life of other "trailer trash" alongside a husband who couldn't be bothered to work. There's also the fact that his rise to prominence coincides with what many see as the downfall in quality of the later King of the Hill seasons, which were known for exaggerating certain characters' traits while completely ignoring character development in others. Despite these fairly valid complaints, there's still a lot to love about Lucky, including elements that aren't quite appreciated.
Lucky Was a Positive Development for King of the Hill - and Luanne
Lucky might not have been the most enterprising of people, but this honestly makes him no different from say, Dale Gribble. Dale's Dead Bug and Daletech were failed business prospects that barely allowed Dale to help pay the cable bill. Add in his wild conspiracy theories, and Dale is just a much more neurotic Lucky. On top of that, Lucky did want to improve himself, namely for his family's sake. For instance, it was only the vile sabotage of his aunt-in-law Peggy Hill that kept him from getting his desired GED.
He clearly loves Luanne and their eventual daughter Gracie more than anything else, going to great lengths to do anything for them. The doting he gives to Luanne is also the polar opposite of what she experiences from past beaus, who many times just wanted her for her looks. Lucky's protectiveness of Luanne even saw him try his best to help maintain her saintly image of her father, who was a far worse man than Lucky. As a dad, Lucky's an admittedly astute father with Gracie, and his being a "stay at home dad" shouldn't be looked down upon.
Luanne's life choices with Lucky also show how, despite what it seemed, she would make it in life. Her success and grounding with a family didn't manifest in the more "respectable" manner that Hank and especially Peggy wanted for her, but to be fair, she was never going to have that sort of life anyway. Luanne was no Ivy League scholar, and her marriage and success with both cosmetology and the Manger Babies showed that she could still be a successful adult on her own terms.
Lucky also relished this newfound family, and despite their disapproval, he clearly loved and respected Hank and Peggy. He even went to self-harming lengths just to give Luanne's cousin and surrogate younger brother Bobby the experience of eating a potato chip off of the production line. All of these elements are rarely spoken about when it comes to Lucky, and it makes him one of the most positive characters in the show. Thus, this lack of real credit makes Lucky perhaps King of the Hill's most underrated cast member.