Violence

Background

Violence is generally considered rare in the King's Quest series, while it does happen its usually only limited to death scenes, and often choices with less points (note sometimes the 'primary' intended choice is the violent option, but secondary is the one to be 'discovered' secret choice. see hintbooks). Here is alist of all the violent actions that can be committed with some of the more violent deaths characters can encounter. This is tied somewhat to the fact that early versions of King's Quest games didn't have a 'score out of total system' but rather just a system that counted a player's score as they played through the game. Meaning there were lower or higher scores but no listed 'full score'.

Wizard and the Princess/Adventure in Serenia

• You must kill the coiled rattlesnake with a heavy rock.
• You can kill the King of the Snakes with a stick (and still use the Hiss spell).
• You must hit the snake in the hole with a stick.
• You must hit the random snakes in the desert with a stick.
• You must kill the boar with a poisoned apple.
• You must kill the wizard harlin who has transformed himself into a bird while transformed as a cat (cannibalism?).

King's Quest I

Violence in KQ1, where applicable in general is considered semi-positive moral choice (in most cases you will gain some points), however it is not nearly positive as taking the non-violent approach. The exception is that killing the witch and troll nets the most points. Killing the dragon in the original was considered negative (lose points), and positive in the remake (gain points). Graham doesn't seem to have any moral quelms against killing other random 'evil creatures', but is incapable of killing them due to them being more powerful than him.

Oddly enough, greed is treated positively, as giving treasures away causes points to be subtracted. So Graham must act the miser and keep the treasures for himself (there is an explanation for this though in the manual, that he needs all the treasures he can to help rebuild Daventry once he wins the crown, so its not fully for selfish gain).

Surprising killing the dragon is considered the primary solution in the King's Quest I Hint Book by Al Lowe, and the non-violent approach is treated as the secondary solution to try in a later play through.

The KQ7 hintbook actually supports that Graham may actually have beaten some monsters on his journey in KQ1 with violence. "Graham was a smart kid, so he managed to whip them all, either by knocking the stuffing out of them, or outwitting them (ogres aren't the smartest guys around)."

• Killing the witch gives you points.
• Killing the troll using the goat gives you points. It's just about impossible to kill a troll. Trying to kill it with his dagger, he realizes the troll is bigger than him, stronger than him, and much meaner than him. He also realizes that the troll is a real fighter, better than him. He could never win a fight with a troll. He knows better than to even try it. If Graham attempted to throw the dagger at the troll, the old, but quick, troll caught it, leaving Graham defenseless. There is a different message for each screen for the troll catching the dagger if you try to throw it, to indicate that can't be killed that way. You lose the dagger. On each of the three screens it gives you different "the troll is stronger, near impossible to kill, or better fighter" style messages, to indicate that the troll is much stronger and better at fighting than you.
• Killing the giant (gain two points in original, three points in remake).
• Killing the dragon. With unerring aim, the dagger streaks through the air and pierces the soft, unprotected skin under the dragons throat. (In original, lose 2 points, in remake gain three points)
• Killing the goat (no points lost, will be forced to give treasure to troll, which will resort to loss of a few points).
• Graham thinks about killing wolf, but realizes its too fast for him. He realizes the wolf's muscles are coiled steel springs. It's massive jaws, razor-sharp teeth long, wicked claws are a deadly blur. He thinks again about trying to kill it.
• Graham would attempt to kill the ogre, but realizes its practically indestructible. He realizes its way too strong for him.
• Graham would attempt to kill the dwarf, he realizes its way too quick to catch.
• Graham would attempt to kill the sorcerer, its protected by magic. He realizes there is nothing more dangerous than an angry sorcerer. He felt it was best to avoid the evil magician than do anything that could cause him to retaliate. He was also so afraid of the sorcerer that his knees were locked, and he could do nothing.
• Graham would attempt to kill the rat, but realizes its much too powerful.
• Graham would attempt to kill the leprechauns, but realizes they are protected by a magic that prevents him from drawing his weapon

King's Quest II

In KQ2 killing evil creatures is generally considered a semi-positive moral action (points are still earned), but not the optimum solution (non-violent apporach give more points). Graham doesn't seem to have any moral quelms against killing other random 'evil creatures', but is incapable of killing them due to them being more powerful than him.

Again the official hintbook often treats the violent solutions as the 'primary solutions'. For example it goes with killing the snake, and also treats killing lion as the primary solution. The alternative methods are usually treated as "something to try at the end of the game".

• Killing Dracula earns points.
• Killing the snake (earns 2 points). Brandishing his sharp sword, Graham quickly slashes the viper into ribbons.
• Killing the lion (earns 2 points), with one mighty heave of his sword, Graham fatally wounds the large lion. He slumps to the floor.
• Killing or letting the fish die (no point loss). Graham plunges his sowrd into the writhing fish, instantly killing it, then he fishes for another.
• Graham would like to kill Hagatha, but he would be a fool to try, Hagatha is far more powerful than she seems.
• Graham would attempt to kill the dwarf, but the dwarf is too fast on his feet. He could never catch him.
• Graham would attempt to kill, the enchanter, but the evil enchanter is magic, there is nothing he can do.
• Graham would kill the wolf, but...
• Killing the monk, leaves to game over.

King's Quest III

• Alexander earns points for killing Medusa (with her own stare).
• Alexander earns points for killing the dragon.
• Alexander earns points for killing the spider.
• Alexander isn't a violent or treacherous person, and thus refuses to try to kill Manannan in his sleep, and he's much too weak to kill him when he's awake.
• Alexander can violently 'kick' the cat.
• While not necessarily violent per se, the magic alexander uses in the game is black magic and is thus often of a dark, chaotic, cruel and 'unnatural' nature. Such as transforming Manannan into a cat.

King's Quest IV

• Rosella earns points for killing Lolotte
• She is forced to shoot the unicorn (although the 'love arrows' aren't necessarily 'violent' per se), and then betray it to Lolotte. It no longer trusts her due to how it was treated.
• Rosella kills a fish (fishing).
• She also by that nature kills a worm by using it to catch the fish.
• Rosella threatens the trees with an axe.

King's Quest V

• Graham earns points for throwing a boot or stick at a cat.
• Graham earns points for using a evil genie to imprison the Witch of the Dark Forest.
• Graham earns points for killing Mordack.
• Graham earns points for killing yeti.
• Graham earns points for painfully tripping the Blue Meanie.
• Not necessarily violent per se, but somewhat cruel, Graham earns points for trapping a cat in a sealed bag (the Companion wonders if the cat suffocates or starves to death, suggestint he possibility he ultimately killed the cat).

King's Quest VI

Actions

• Alexander earns points for killing Minotaur, it violently bursts into flames.
• Alexander gains points for fighting Abdul Alhazred in sword combat, and knocking him out. During the battle Cassima violently stabs Abdul in the shoulder.

Deaths

• Alexander can be shot with darts from a trap in the Catacombs of the Ancients. This death actually contains a lot of realistic looking blood for a King's Quest game. With darts sticking out of his bloody back or chest, and then Alexander choking up blood as he falls over, flat on his face, or his back. There are actually two ways he can be hit in the back, or in his belly. When shot in the back he vomits blood upwards, when shot in belly he vomits blood downwards.

King's Quest VII

• Valanice can trip/clothesline the Jackalope, or blast out its eardrums with a horn.
• Rosella uses a cart to knock a troll into lava.

King's Quest VIII

• Connor kills (or is able to kill) every evil being, so that they will not hurt or kill the innocent in the lands, to free innocents, etc. He is only able to banish Lucreto. It is possible to avoid some combat by running away, or using invisible potions. He earns points or exp for killing most enemies.

King's Quest: The Complete Collection

• Violence (KQGS) is related to the Bravery path through the six 'games/chapters'.