Throughout theFalloutfranchise’s universe, there’s no shortage of characters, factions, cryptids, and mutants that players can encounter. Some of these groups of characters have stolen the spotlight for particular entries throughout the franchise, generally by being one of the most commonly encountered characters in the respective game. In the most recentFalloutprojects, one underrepresented group of mutants is finally getting their long-overdue turn in the spotlight.
Between theFalloutshow’s first season andFallout 76’s upcoming Ghoul Within update, Ghouls have stolen the spotlight among the most recentFalloutprojects. With this particular group of characters seemingly being the franchise’s new favorite child, this might be a sign of what fans can expect fromthe future of theFalloutfranchise, leading up toFallout 5, and beyond.
Fallout 76 and the Fallout Show Finally Put the Spotlight on Ghouls
The Fallout Show Sheds Light on New Ghoul Lore
While Super Mutants, Deathclaws, and Synths have been the character groups who received the spotlight inFallout 3,Fallout: New Vegas, andFallout 4, respectively, these iconic character groups having little to no explicit appearances in theFalloutshow so far have been quite a surprise. However, the absence of these iconic mutants and character groups has arguably been for the best, as it has allowed Ghouls to finally get their turn in the spotlight, revealing new lore for these underrepresented mutants in the process.
With the various Ghoul characters who appear throughout the first season of theFalloutshow, longtimeFalloutfans are getting to see plenty of newlore behind theFalloutfranchise’s Ghouls. More specifically, the show finally sheds light on how Ghouls can prevent becoming feral, and that there are other ways for humans to become a Ghoul besides natural exposure to radiation. Considering that these are things that the games haven’t clearly defined by now, these revelations were long overdue.
Fallout 76 is Introducing the Franchise’s First-Ever Playable Ghoul Character
Fallout 76is also putting the spotlight on Ghouls with the new Ghoul Within and Season 20 update, which will introduce thefirst-ever playable Ghoul characterto the franchise, further exploring parts of Ghoul lore that were previously unknown. Players who transform their character into a Ghoul inFallout 76will have access to various new features when the update arrives, including:
Fallout 76’s Ghoul Within updatearrives on March 18 and is available free for all players who own the game.
Given how many different kinds of mutants there are in theFalloutfranchise, it’s admittedly surprising that the first-ever playable mutant will be a Ghoul, especially considering how Super Mutants have been a central part of the franchise that arguably could have made for a good candidate for a new playable character all the same. Ultimately,Fallout 76’s playable Ghoul character and all the major lore drops happening in theFalloutshow effectively prove that Ghouls are the current favorite child within the franchise.
What the Fallout Show and Fallout 76’s Ghoul Representation Could Mean for Future Fallout Games
While details of the nextFalloutgame are currently sparse, considering thatFallout 5’s distant release is still years awayand there’s currently no news of a spin-off coming anytime soon, regardless, Ghouls could potentially remain in the spotlight for the foreseeable future. Given the franchise’s recent favoritism of Ghouls,Fallout 5will have plenty of new Ghoul lore and a wider variety of playable characters to consider adopting. Otherwise, ifFallout 5puts the spotlight on a different character group, fans can at least expect Ghouls to remain the franchise’s favorite child in future updates forFallout 76and upcoming seasons of theFalloutshow.
