Across 6 Fallout games, fans have been presented with captivating mysteries that, to this day, remain unsolved. While the Fallout series has an abundance of secrets and lore to uncover across journeys in the wasteland, there are some that still remain unsolved to this day, and fans can only ponder the possibilities of what they could possibly mean.
Below, we've compiled some of the greatest mysteries in the Fallout world that remain unsolved, so get ready to take a look at these disturbing head scratchers. These Fallout lore mysteries still lack answers, even decades after the series first came to pass, and the mysteries continue to grow with each additional release.
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Who Ends the World?
Was it America or China That Fired the First Bomb, Or Someone Else?
There's no doubt that the central conflict between America and China over dwindling natural resources eventually caused the destruction of the civilized world through nuclear hellfire, but the question remains: Who actually pressed the button that doomed the world? While not explicitly stated, there have been heaps of educated guesses that point towards China.
The Great War that caused the apocalypse started on October 23, 2077, and ended on the same day. America and China both launched their nukes to destroy each other, and while some say it was over China's stubbornness to engulf the world in death instead of surrender, other questions arise when it comes ot Vault-Tec's direct involvement. Therefore, the question remains static as to who can be blamed for the end of all things? Vault-Tec, America, China, or something else entirely?
Who is the Mysterious Stranger?
A Guardian Angel with a Hand Cannon Has No Motive Outside of a Helping Gun
While initially just a fun perk that would see the protagonists of Fallout aided by a Mysterious Stranger with a random chance to fire a bullet during V.A.T.S., the mystery has further deepened with each entry. It seems that the Mysterious Stranger goes far beyond just a wild wasteland-like perk in which a stranger comes to rescue with a big iron on his hip, as this character has appeared and disappeared across the wasteland for decades.
While in-universe, only Nick Valentine makes reference to the Mysterious Stranger and directly calls him out when he spots him helping the protagonist, it remains a secret as to who the Mysterious Stranger actually is. Nick Valentine knows that the Mysterious Stranger has been active in the Commonwealth and Capital Wasteland, but the supernatural elements to his immortality and ability to appear and disappear without a trace beg further questioning. Could the Mysterious Stranger be a guardian angel who aids those with essential missions?
Who is the Smiling Man?
A Man Who Only Wants Happiness For You, Has a Supernatural Secret
There are quite a few characters that can be considered cryptids in the Fallout universe, and the Smiling Man is no exception. This character is a random encounter in Fallout 76, and he will simply wander the Appalachia wasteland with a wide smile stretched across his face, wearing an unusual suit and a desire for cheery people to accompany him.
There's nothing known about the Smiling Man, other than that he claims to have been away for a long time, and as such, he just walks through the wasteland. What's scarier than his smile is that attacking him causes him to disperse in smoke, and the Smiling Man also has ties to old West Virginian legends. So, is this character otherworldly, like a demon who has seen humanity's fall?
Do Gods Exist in the Fallout Universe?
Atom and Ug-Qualtoth are Worshiped Dieties With Unknown Powers, as is God, Who Shows a Miracle
Religion managed to survive the Post-War world, but truly in a different way. With a new world comes new deities, which is why the Children of Atom quite literally worship Atom, the personification of nuclear radiation and weapons. With its own mythology, one can only wonder if there is some truth to their belief, considering they're not dying of radiation exposure.
Further gods seem to appear with Ug-Qualtoth, a character with no known lore other than an obelisk in the depths of the Dunwich Building that cements his place as a deity with a cult of worshippers. Gods are certainly worshipped in Fallout, but are they real, and are they a threat? This is all presented without even mentioning the Christian God, which is worshipped by Joshua Graham, a man baptized once in water, and once in flame, kept alive to spread the word of God and Jesus Christ despite third-degree burns across his entire body. That's divine intervention?
Does the World Not Remember Elvis Presley?
The Kings Worship a Man Whose Name and Music They've Completely Forgotten
One of the more fun mysteries in the world of Fallout is Elvis Presley's place within it. Elvis was an obvious icon in the series, especially in New Vegas, considering there's an entire school of impersonation based around Elvis, the King of Rock. The faction of Kings is modeled entirely around Elvis in the way they act, dress, and speak, but it seems that they have no idea who Elvis is, nor do they ever mention him by name.
Despite the cultural relevance of Elvis and the popularity he had in Vegas, it seems that his name has been wiped from the records. His music is forgotten, as is his name, and all that remains is his cool factor and image. While one can make assumptions that this was because of the Great War, or even Vault-Tec somehow, it's more than likely that this was because obtaining the rights to Elvis' likeness and music library was far too costly.
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What Do the Zetans Want?
Aliens Stalk Earth's Post-War Orbit, But to What End Do They Experiment?
Aliens exist in the Fallout universe, and that's not even a point of debate, considering players in Fallout 3 quite literally get abducted by them, they invade the lands of Fallout 76, and one crashes in the Commonwealth of Fallout 4. While they do exist, it's not known what they actually want. Do they just want to investigate a world of sentient creatures that devastated themselves with nuclear war, or do they seek a far darker desire?
The Zetans have been abducting people for hundreds of years before the Great War, so it's not as if they seek the remaining natural resources of the world. When one explores the Zetan ship in Fallout 3, they can uncover an army of Pre-War Buttercup toys, upgraded to Zetan designs, but what on Earth are they for, and what's the end goal with their human experiments?
What Are The Visitor and The Interloper?
Strange, Death, Eldritch Beings Lurk in Deep Tunnels
While monuments and beliefs to gods like Atom and Ug-Qualtoth are built upon faith, there's very real evidence of actual Eldritch beings having existed deep in the underground tunnels of Appalachia. Known only as the Interloper and the Visitor, these creatures are lifeless, pale in skin, with mutated limbs stretching across their bodies as if they were attempting transformation before being killed by unknown means.
These dead creatures were perhaps here decades ago, or perhaps even centuries, if not more. Buried deep underground, these creatures are clearly not of this world, and if they are Eldritch beings, one can only wonder what killed them, and before that, what purpose they served in the meddling of mankind. Will they have stakes in the story to come, or are they meant to torment the curious with questions that will never be answered?
How is the Rest of the World Handing the Nuclear Fallout?
Is a Post-War Europe Worse or Better Than America?
The Fallout games are set over a hundred years after the Great War, and as such, nuclear fallout isn't the greatest threat, opposed to Super Mutants, irradiated creatures, feral ghouls, and general raiders. The series is dominated by America, and that's reasonable considering the stories and satire told within this established world. However, one can only ponder how the other continents are handling the world after the Great War.
While great fan game modes like Fallout: London have created renditions of what certain parts of the world could be like, there's no official rendition to look toward. Fans are left wondering what China could look like, or what parts of Europe or the Middle East might be up to in a world ravaged beyond nuclear fire.
What is the Point of Vault-Tec's Experiments?
In a Post-War World, What Data Can Twisted Experiments Provide Vault-Tec With?
One of the most famed aspects of Fallout is within the twisted Vaults that are scattered across the wasteland. Those that haven't been found and conquered by Super Mutants and Raiders will eventually be found by a protagonist seeking further adventure, only to be met with horrors beyond comprehension. Vaults were not created for the sole protection of humanity during atomic fallout, but instead, for evil experiments.
These experiments range in scale, like Vault 87's experiments on FEV, or Vault 112 acting like a simulated reality, and Vault 68, which consisted of hundreds of men and one woman. There are hundreds of Vaults, and each of them has an evil experiment to uncover. However, Vault-Tec and the Enclave's reasoning seems to be unknown. What data can one use from these experiments, and why is it needed in a Post-War scenario?
Where Did the Protagonists of Each Fallout Game Go?
The Vault Dweller, the Chosen One, the Lone Wanderer, the Courier, All Fade Into Legend
The Vault Dweller of Fallout, the Chosen One of Fallout 2, the Lone Wanderer of Fallout 3, the Courier of Fallout: New Vegas, and the Sole Survivor of Fallout 4 — each of these protagonists of the Fallout games have one thing in common: they bested their part in the wasteland, and lived to carry on, but where exactly did they go?
While the Vault Dweller is known to have left Vault 13 for Arroyo, they wandered off and were never seen again. The Chosen One's story was also never told with an ending, and the same can be said for every protagonist in the Fallout games. While players can headcanon their own endings as to what their heroes are doing in the wasteland, the truth will remain that nobody will ever know what happened to them, and whether they changed the world for the better, or fade into irrelevance in a wasteland that does what it can to survive.
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