The television premiere of Amazon Prime’s Fallout series is right around the corner, and longtime fans of the game franchise are anxious to see what will make it onto the small screen. While familiar characters and locations are of course great things to look forward to, most of us want to know which monsters will be prowling the wasteland of Los Angeles. Looking back on all of the Fallout games released up to now, there are plenty of possibilities, and here is our list of the top 10 scariest Fallout monsters we’d hope to see in the TV series, if just for a moment.
Yao Guai
We’re starting off with a monster that has (thankfully) already appeared in the show‘s main trailer – the Yao Guai. While it’s confirmed, the Yao Guai’s notoriety is more than enough to earn it a spot on our list. This fearsome mutated bear is prevalent in the wastelands of Fallout 3, and also showed up in Fallout 4’s Commonwealth. It looks like the Yao Guai we’ll be getting in the show more closely resembles the model from FO4.
Players of either of those games will likely remember how terrifying it was running into these beasts, especially if you wandered too far into their territory at a lower level. Their in-game power stats are on par with that of Deathclaws, so battling with one (or more) unprepared is definitely not recommended. However, the person getting dragged away by one in the trailer at least has Power Armor equipped, so they should have a fighting chance.
As to where their strange name comes from, “Yao Guai” is Mandarin Chinese that translates to “monster” or “demon”. A fitting name indeed.
Mirelurk
Another iconic monster from the Fallout franchise that could easily pop up along the western coastline is the Mirelurk. This gigantic, mutated crustacean first debuted in Fallout 3, and a number of terrifying variants also appeared in Fallout 4 and Fallout 76. They’re known for prowling aquatic areas in great numbers, and taking them down is no easy feat.
According to Fallout lore, they’re derived from various creatures such as horseshoe crabs and lobsters. Even if Lone Wanderer Lucy were to manage to defeat one, making a meal of it is probably not in her best interest.
Cazador
Fallout: New Vegas is one of the most beloved titles in the Fallout franchise, and for good reason. Along with its spectacular story-telling and variety of characters, the monsters that inhabit the Mojave Wasteland are no less nightmare-inducing. A prime example of that is the Cazador, a bug creature unique only to New Vegas that is probably the most memorable. The name is derived from a Spanish word meaning “hunter”.
In terms of its history, the Cazador was the result of experimentation at the Big MT facility, which players can explore during the Old World Blues DLC for New Vegas. As you can probably guess, these guys descend from Tarantula Hawk Wasps. Why anyone thought they needed to be bigger is beyond us.
Encountering these in the Mojave Wasteland is never a fun task, given that they often swarm in groups and can spot the player from far away. It is possible that, given the geographic proximity, Cazadores could buzz over to the deserts of California as well. The mere thought of seeing even one of these on-screen is terrifying and thrilling at the same time, so count us in.
Feral Ghouls
Ghouls in the Fallout franchise are a tragic manifestation of mankind’s trifling with nuclear might. They’re probably the most iconic “monster” of all, since they’ve appeared in every single Fallout game to date. While we’ve seen Ghouls like Fallout 76’s Cooper Howard in the series trailer already, we’ve yet to see if Feral Ghouls will make their show debut.
According to Fallout lore, Ghouls were first created before the Great War. They were the result of experiments to see if humans could extend their lifespan and survive the nuclear war that was doomed to happen. Since the aftermath of the War, Ghouls have led miserable lives in the wastelands. Some like Cooper have retained their mental faculties and act perfectly normal. However, they often face discrimination due to their appearance and the presumption that they’ll all end up like their feral cousins.
Feral Ghouls are aggressive, have lost all ability to reason, and unlike zombies are still very much alive. They reside in various locations in each game, and we wouldn’t be surprised if Lucy stumbled across some during her travels.
Super Mutants
Much like Ghouls, Super Mutants are another terrifying byproduct of human experimentation in the Fallout franchise. These tall, hulking mutants are prevalent in both Fallout 3 and Fallout 4, and it wouldn’t be far-fetched in the least to see a Super Mutant faction somewhere along the West Coast wastelands.
While putting them on screen would be more of a challenge in terms of practical effects, it would definitely dial up the horror aspect of the show in terms of how far nuclear fallout has pushed human genetics. In the games, despite the fact that most of them are aggressive towards normal humans, there are some Super Mutants that have retained intelligence and even empathy. It makes them even more dynamic as characters, and we’d love to see that play out on Lucy’s journey.
Radscorpion
The Fallout franchise has no shortage of ghastly large mutated bugs for players to contend with during their exploration, and one of the most renowned of them is the Radscorpion. Brandishing huge pincer claws and a stinger, these creepy critters are found in every Fallout game to date.
However, their most memorable appearance is probably in Fallout 3. They look far more realistic to their Emperor Scorpion origins than other mutated monsters in the wastelands, but far bigger in size, which we’d say is exactly why they’re so terrifying to run into. If you can hold your own though, those Poison Glands they carry are super handy for getting big money early on in the game.
Per Fallout lore, their size (which rivals livestock and even larger) is the result of two factors. One was radioactive contamination after the Great War and the other was exposure to the FEV virus after it leaked into the atmosphere when the West Tek Facility in California was hit by a nuclear warhead.
Given the desert geography of California’s wastelands in the shows, we’d have no doubt that Radscorpions could make an eerie appearance from beneath the sands.
Fire Ants
The last creepy crawler that makes our list is the Fire Ant, a monster exclusive to Fallout 3’s Capital Wasteland. One of the first memorable locations players can explore in the game is a place called Grayditch, and of all things, the desolate town is crawling with gigantic, mutated fire ants.
As many of us have found out the hard way, these fearsome bugs are known for something far worse than their bite. When provoked, they will literally spit fire that can melt away your health if not careful, and fighting them from a distance is a necessity.
Initially created in a lab deep beneath Grayditch by Doctor Lesko, these ants escaped and unleashed havoc on the inhabitants of the town, leaving no one alive except a young boy named Bryan Wilks. The quest the player receives for solving the mystery of Grayditch’s infestation is called “Those!”, which is a direct reference to the famous 50’s film “Them!” that also features giant mutant ants.
Alongside any other abnormal bugs Lucy encounters, these would be a fantastic addition to the Fallout series.
Angler
A surprising cameo we saw in Fallout’s official trailer was of the Gulper monster from Fallout 4’s Far Harbor DLC, and it looks every bit as menacing as in the game. However, we couldn’t help but wonder if the Angler, which also comes from Far Harbor, will also make an appearance.
As its name suggests, the Angler is a severe mutation of the Anglerfish, coming up from the dark depths of the ocean to prowl the coastlines of the Eastern Commonwealth. With large claws and a powerful body that allows it to traverse land as well as the swamps of The Island, the Angler is one of the more formidable monsters in the game, giving Mirelurks a run for their money. If we see them in the show, chances are that running is the better option.
Night Stalkers
While many of the beasts on our list are giant, radioactive monstrosities, this one isn’t quite as horrifying as it is bizarre. The Night Stalker is a hybrid creature unique to Fallout: New Vegas and they’re often found wandering in groups throughout the Mojave Wasteland.
The origin of Night Stalkers dates back to before the Great War. They were first spliced together at Big MT by Dr. Borous, who wanted to preserve the DNA of rattlesnakes that he thought were going extinct. Thus, he decided to inject that DNA into coyotes, creating a genetic hybrid known as the Night Stalker. After bombs dropped during the Great War targeted Big MT, the creatures broke free and ventured far into the Mojave Wasteland, even being seen as far west as California.
In light of that, seeing a pack of Night Stalkers roaming the deserts during Lucy’s journey could certainly be a possibility. Seeing a creature of such strange creation on screen would be fascinating, to say the least.
Deathclaw
Our final spot on the list goes to none other than the Deathclaw, perhaps Fallout’s most infamous monster in the entire franchise due to it essentially being the apex predator of every wasteland it inhabits. With its imposing stature, dangerously long claws (hence the name), and boasting some of the highest stats of any monster in the games, Deathclaws are all but synonymous with the Fallout universe.
Like some other mutated creatures in the games, Deathclaws are the result of genetic splicing of various animals, with the basis of them being the Jackson Chameleon. The US Military aimed to replace human soldiers with these super-powerful beasts for dangerous missions. However, of course that plan went awry, and the Deathclaws sealed inside the facility they were developed in escaped into the wastes after the bombs dropped.
Since then, Deathclaws have been found in great numbers across the States, breeding and easily staying at the top of the food chain. Given their iconic status in Fallout, we would be astounded if they don’t make an appearance of some kind in the show. If anything, we’d expect them towards the finale of the season, but we’ll simply have to wait and see.
That concludes our list of the top 10 scariest Fallout monsters that we’d love to see in the upcoming TV series. Which of these do you think have the best chance of appearing somewhere during Lucy’s adventures?
Be sure to check out all of our latest news about the Fallout series, such as where it falls on the overall timeline of the game franchise.
