TheFallouttelevision show wasn’t just inspired by theFalloutgames, it had quite a few big references to each of the franchise’s main installments.Falloutseason 1 is an adaptation of theFalloutseries of video games, which has six major installments. As such, there was quite a bit of source material for the show to work with, and quite a few stories to reference. The show’s creators managed to work dozens of Easter eggs in masterfully, and it helped makeFalloutone of the best video game adaptations ever.
Falloutseason 1 had plenty of game referencesand Easter eggs, from notable monsters to recognizable factions. Every mainline game in the franchise, from the originalFallouttoFallout 76, was represented in some way, though some were referenced more than others. Many of those Easter eggs were small or barely noticeable, like the design of guns or items like Stimpaks. Some of the references, however, had major contributions to the plot of theFalloutshow, and these six examples are the biggest from eachFalloutgame.
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6Fallout 1: Shady Sands
The New California Republic Capital First Appeared In The Original Fallout
Shady Sands, the former capital of the New California Republic, was a pivotal part of theFalloutshow, but it was also taken directly from the originalFalloutgame.In the firstFallout, Shady Sands is likely the first town most players will encounter after leaving Vault 13 (if they don’t overshoot it and run into radscorpions first). In that game, Shady Sands served as both an introductory area for the game and as a hub for the Chosen One. The town also became very important to futureFalloutgames, and it was the subject of one of thebiggest changes in theFalloutshow.
Fallout
Though it was the birthplace of the NCR, Shady Sands was destroyed by the time theFalloutshow picks up. Towards the end ofFalloutseason 1, it was revealed that Hank MacLean destroyed Shady Sands with a nuclear bomb to eliminate Vault-Tec’s competition and to punish them for harboring his wife and children.While Shady Sands was destroyed, it still serves as a very explicit reference to the originalFallout.
What Really Happened To Fallout’s Shady Sands Community?
The Fallout season 1 finale revealed the surprising truth about the fate of Shady Sands, a pre-existing community in the canon of the games.
Aside from Shady Sands,Falloutseason 1 also included quite a few overt references to the original game.One of the most notable was the water chip that malfunctioned inFalloutseason 1, episode 3, which is a direct reference to the start of the original game, when the Overseer sent the Chosen One into the Wasteland to find a replacement for their broken water chip. Additionally, Cooper Howard briefly mentioned that he wanted to move to Bakersfield, the town that would later become Necropolis. Even with those Easter eggs, though, Shady Sands remains the biggest reference to the originalFallout.
5Fallout 2: The Enclave
The Fallout Show’s Shadowy Group Debuted In Fallout 2
The Enclave, a long-running antagonist that first appeared inFallout 2, also briefly appeared in the show.They take a much less prominent role in theFalloutshow, as they only appeared during Siggi Wilzig’s escape from their facility, but they still function as a direct connection to the game. The version of the Enclave in the show also didn’t include many of the things that distinguishedFallout 2’s version of the Enclave, like their T-51b power armor, but it was the same group nonetheless.
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Based on connections to the wider lore, the mysterious figure in the Fallout season 1 finale is a tease to the identity of the show’s real villain.
It could be argued that the Enclave doesn’t exactly count as a reference toFallout 2specifically, since the group became a recurring antagonist in several other games, includingFallout 3andFallout 76. They are, however, one of the few explicit references toFallout 2in the show.Aside from the Enclave, the only explicit reference the show made toFallout 2specifically was a news report that the future president of the Enclave - Dick Richardson - was missing. Most of the other references that could connect the show toFallout 2also applied to other games, so the Enclave remains the most overt Easter egg.
Fallout 2
Depending upon whatFalloutseason 2has in store,Fallout 2could become a much more important piece of lore. There are already plenty ofclues that the Enclave is the true villain of theFalloutshow, andFalloutseason 2 could easily confirm that theory.The show would likely also have to explain how the Enclave regained its power in the West after being destroyed in bothFallout 2andFallout 3, so even if the Enclave doesn’t become a major villain, it should be a focus in the future of the series.
4Fallout 3: Lucy Looking For Her Dad
Lucy’s Reason For Leaving Vault 33 Matches The Lone Wanderer’s
There are plenty of references toFallout 3in the show, but the biggest isn’t exactly a direct Easter egg. Instead,the biggestFallout 3reference in theFalloutshow is the fact that both begin in the same way: with a protagonist leaving the Vault to look for their scientist father. In theFalloutshow, Lucy had to leave Vault 33 after Hank was abducted by Moldaver and her gang. That inciting event is nearly identical to the opening scenes ofFallout 3, as the Lone Wanderer’s father, a scientist, suddenly left Vault 101, and they were tasked with tracking them down.
Fallout 3
Though the plot of theFalloutshow andFallout 3diverged greatly from there, Lucy’s quest for her father still serves as a big game reference. There are even more structural similarities between the show andFallout 3as well.For example, both Lucy and the Lone Wanderer eventually began searching for their own powerful pieces of technology: in Lucy’s case, it wasSiggi Wilzig’s cold fusion device, and in the Lone Wanderer’s case, it was a Garden of Eden Creation Kit. While it’s not the same as name-dropping the Lone Wanderer, it’s clear thatFalloutseason 1 was influenced byFallout 3.
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3Fallout: New Vegas: New Vegas
The Titular City Of New Vegas Makes An Appearance In The Finale Of Fallout Season 1
Easily the most direct reference in theFalloutshow was toFallout: New Vegas, given that the titular city appeared in the first season’s final moments. At theend ofFalloutseason 1,Hank began heading to New Vegas for an unknown reason, and Lucy and the Ghoul vowed to track him down. Although it had taken significantly more damage and looked somewhat abandoned, New Vegas was still clearly recognizable. Many of the important buildings fromFallout: New Vegaswere still standing, most notably the Lucky 38. While it’s not clear how New Vegas was destroyed,Falloutseason 2 will likely answer that question.
14 New Vegas Characters We Hope Return For Fallout Season 2
Now a fan-favorite entry in the Fallout canon, Fallout: New Vegas introduced plenty of memorable characters who should appear in Fallout season 2.
New Vegas is already a very direct reference toFallout: New Vegas, but it could be the key to bringing even more of the game’s elements into live-action. Since the show will almost have to explain what happened to New Vegas, it will likely have to dive into some of the key figures and groups from the game, like Caesar’s Legion and the NCR. In essence,Fallout: New Vegascould become much more than just a reference inFalloutseason 2, it could be an essential piece of history.
Fallout: New Vegas
In addition to New Vegas itself, there was one very big reference to the game in theFalloutshow.During the flashback to the Vault-Tec conference, one of the delegates at the table was none other than Robert House, the CEO of Robcorp and the leader of New Vegas in the game. While his ultimate fate was left up to the player inFallout: New Vegas, there’s still a very good chance that he could appear in future episodes, either as a corpse or as an important addition to thecast ofFallout.
2Fallout 4: The Prydwen
The Brotherhood Of Steel’s Airship Made It From The Commonwealth To The New California Republic
Like many other games, there are plenty of references toFallout 4scattered throughoutFalloutseason 1.Cryogenic freezing plays a big role in the show, for example, as it was how the Vault-Tec executives preserved themselves long enough to remain in control long after the Great War. It also played a major role inFallout 4, as Vault 111’s focus on studying cryogenic freezing was both the reason the Institute took Sean and the reason the Sole Survivor could go after him over 200 years after the bombs fell. That detail ties both stories together fairly closely, but another is even more explicit.
Forget About New Vegas - This Fallout Show Detail Completely Changes Another Game’s Ending
The Fallout show made several changes to the lore established by games like New Vegas, but one of the biggest retcons could redefine a different game.
Early on in theFalloutshow, Maximus' chapter of theBrotherhood of Steelwas reinforced by a massive airship. The airship in theFalloutshow was likely thePrydwen, the Brotherhood’s flagship that debuted inFallout 4. ThePrydwenwas a major component of the game; it was a hub for the player and the Brotherhood of Steel’s quest lines, and its fate was decided byFallout 4’s ending.The fact that it appeared inFalloutseason 1 not only referencesFallout 4, but also potentially changes the game’s story, making it a bigger deal than the cryogenic freezing.
Fallout 4
Bethesda’s action RPG Fallout 4 puts players into the vault suit of the Lone Survivor, a pre-war soldier from an alternate future cryogenically frozen inside Vault 111. After their infant son is kidnapped, they venture out into the irradiated wasteland of the Commonwealth to scour the ruins of Boston for any sign of him. In doing so, they encounter various factions and companions and use an array of skills and abilities to navigate the apocalyptic remnants of society.
There are four possible endings toFallout 4, yet two of them include destroying thePrydwen.Since it appeared in theFalloutshow, which takes place nine years later, thePrydwenmay have made both the Railroad and the Institute endings ofFallout 4non-canon.Falloutseason 2 will have a chance to explain that, and it’s possible the airship will be identified by a different name, but for now, thePrydwenis the most direct and important reference toFallout 4.
1Fallout 76: Reclamation Day
Lucy Mentions An Important Moment From Fallout 76
LikeFallout 2, there aren’t many overt references to pieces of lore that are specific toFallout 76in the show.Falloutseason 1 did reference some franchise staples that appeared inFallout 76, like the Enclave and the Brotherhood of Steel, but they didn’t originate in the game. Luckily, there was one moment in theFalloutshow that tied it directly intoFallout 76: Reclamation Day.InFalloutseason 1, episode 5, both Betty Pearson and Lucy MacLean referenced Reclamation Day as the day when the Wasteland would be ready for them to emerge from Vault 33 and repopulate the surface.
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The vaults of the Fallout series feature a wide variety of unbelievable experiments, making them great locations for Fallout season 2 to explore.
Interestingly, though it was a lie told to the denizens of Vault 33 to give them something to work towards and a reason to reproduce, Reclamation Day wasn’t a lie inFallout 76.Reclamation Day originated fromFallout 76, as it was the day that Vault 76 opened and let the players out into the Wasteland. That seems to be because Vault 76 was a control vault where the inhabitants didn’t have any experiments conducted upon them, but it’s noteworthy nonetheless that Vault-Tec used the same concept in multiple places. It could even be evidence that most Vaults had their own version of Reclamation Day.
Fallout 76
Released in 2018, Fallout 76 is Bethesda’s first foray into a massively multiplayer online world centered around Fallout. In this release, players find themselves in Appalachia, where they must do what they can to survive and rebuild the world around them. Players are free to meet other players and embark on quests across the wasteland.
The fact that theFalloutshow has so many explicit references to the games it’s based on is one of the many reasons it’s such a good video game adaptation. The creators of the series, Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner, clearly had an appreciation for the franchise’s source material, and it seeped into every second of the show. They clearly jammed as many Easter eggs and references intoFalloutseason 1 as they could manage, and the show was all the better for it.
Cast
Set 200 years after an apocalypse, Fallout follows residents of luxury shelters as they re-enter a post-nuclear world. Confronted with a bizarre and violent landscape, the series explores the stark contrasts between their sheltered existence and the harsh realities of the outside universe.
