The nearly 28-year-old Fallout series has long been famous for its RPG mechanics and the ability for players to affect the post-apocalyptic wasteland in drastic ways. From Fallout 1’s Vault Dweller potentially saving Vault 13 with a new water chip or abandoning its inhabitants to suffer slow deaths, the Fallout series has consistently allowed player choice to dictate the direction of its games’ narratives. This can be seen even in Bethesda’s modern Fallout titles, such as players choosing to either support or release Harold in Fallout 3. Despite these choices and alternate outcomes, most Fallout games and scenarios eventually receive canon endings for sequels. However, one interesting scenario that would greatly impact the wasteland would be if the Sole Survivor never woke up in Fallout 4.
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Fallout 4’s Sole Survivor Explained
Unlike every other mainline Fallout game, Fallout 4 begins in the late 21st century just before The Great War begins in 2077. Here, the Sole Survivor, their spouse, and their infant son Shaun quickly venture to the nearby Vault 111 after nuclear bombs begin dropping near their home in New England. Shaken by the sudden destruction of their home and the death of millions, the Sole Survivor and their family are quickly unknowingly escorted into cryo pods by Vault 111 staff. For roughly 200 years, the Sole Survivor and the rest of the frozen inhabitants of Vault 111 remained relatively safe until Institute forces snuck into the Vault, kidnapped Shaun and killed the Sole Survivor’s spouse and the rest of the frozen vault dwellers.
Decades later, a grown-up Shaun, now the leader of the Institute called Father, released the Sole Survivor to eventually meet them and encourage them to take his place as leader of the Institute. Before the Sole Survivor met their son, they inevitably ran into members of the Minutemen, Brotherhood of Steel, and the Railroad and simultaneously supported several settlements, including their old neighborhood of Sanctuary Hills. From here, the Sole Survivor could either support the Brotherhood, Institute, Minutemen, or Railroad in dominating the Commonwealth, with most factions eventually becoming hostile toward the Sole Survivor based on their supportive actions toward one particular faction.
The Sole Survivor’s Influence Beyond the Commonwealth
No exact Commonwealth allegiance for the Sole Survivor has been confirmed, though it’s suggested they either sided with the Brotherhood or the Minutemen based on the Prydwen’s appearance in Amazon’s Fallout show. The airship’s appearance in the show may suggest that both the Institute and the Railroad have been destroyed, making synthetic humans effectively an endangered “species”. Regardless, the Sole Survivor eventually makes their way to Far Harbor, Maine, where they either support or thwart the actions of the synth DiMA. Later, they’ll additionally travel to western Massachusetts to either liberate Nuka-World from raider control or usurp leadership of the raiders, ensuring the once joyful amusement park remains a post-apocalyptic engine of chaos.
Nate, the male Sole Survivor of Fallout 4, is a veteran of the Sino-American War while Nora, the female Sole Survivor, worked as an attorney before The Great War.
The Commonwealth Without The Sole Survivor
However, what if the Institute personnel chose to kill every inhabitant of Vault 111, including the Sole Survivor, when kidnapping Shaun. This event would forever change the fate of the Commonwealth and the future of the Fallout universe. With regard to the Brotherhood, the Sole Survivor was instrumental in the Brotherhood’s presence in the Commonwealth in the first place with the rescue of Paladin Danse. Without the Sole Survivor coming around to rescue Danse and contact the Prydwen, the Brotherhood may never have appeared in the Commonwealth or at least wouldn’t appear as soon as they did in Fallout 4. Danse and his remaining squad members would likely have died in the Commonwealth without the Sole Survivor's aid, possibly leaving his true fate as a synth forever unknown.
In contrast to the Sole Survivor’s impact on the Brotherhood, the Minutemen likely would never have recovered without the aid of the Vault 111 resident. Following the Quincy Massacre, the Minutemen were already all but extinguished save for Preston Garvey, who was the last remaining active Minuteman. If the Sole Survivor never left Vault 111, Garvey likely would have died within the Museum of Freedom, Sanctuary Hills would have remained a ruin, and the Minutemen would have faded away into history. Without the inspiring influence of the Sole Survivor as the new general of the Minutemen, most settlements in the Commonwealth would have remained defenseless and disconnected from one another.
The Institute Reigning Supreme Without The Sole Survivor
Ironically, without the appearance of the Sole Survivor, the Institute may have continued securing a dominant foothold in the Commonwealth and possibly beyond. Shaun would still die of old age, but the Institute would have likely reverted to electing a leader of its own instead of Father pushing for the Sole Survivor to influence the faction. Without the surface-world-biased Sole Survivor, the Institute would continue its schemes to replace figureheads with synths and manipulate events to their own ends, likely including the destruction of the Railroad, Minutemen remnants, Raider collectives, Super Mutant holdouts, and invading Brotherhood forces. This may eventually lead to a secure Commonwealth in the Fallout universe, but one that’s in constant threat of being replaced or attacked by synths.
Fallout 4
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