Summary
Amazon Prime’sFalloutTV show has been a roaring success. Managing the seemingly impossible task of pleasing fans while providing an entry point for people new to the franchise, the show’s combination of sci-fi worldbuilding, dark comedy, and shocking violence has earned it near-universal acclaim. With season 1 integrating many ofFallout’s most iconic perks and world elements into the show, there’s one particularly enigmatic characterFalloutthat should appear in season 2.
Described in the game’s lore as ‘‘an odd and eldritch entity,’’ The Mysterious Stranger made his first appearance inthe originalFallout. Appearing at random during hostile encounters once the player has the Mysterious Stranger perk, the trenchcoat-clad assassin appears as the player’s guardian angel across the franchise. Seemingly immortal—appearing human, but living for at least 185 years—the mysterious stranger’s extremely high damage output and ability to appear and disappear at will implies supernatural abilities far beyond the usual wasteland mutation.
The Mysterious Stranger is Perfect for the Fallout Show’s Expansion of Lore
From the outset, theFalloutTV show was intended to be a faithful adaptation oftheFalloutuniverseand an expansion of the franchise’s lore. Written with the franchise’s gameplay in mind, the show features side quests, perks, stat progression, and random encounters.
In a recent Twitter post, Bethesda confirmed the perks possessed by the show’s main cast—confirming Lucy currently has the Mysterious Savior perk, the life-giving counterpoint to the Mysterious Stranger perk. Beyond the confirmed builds, fans have speculated that the show’s other characters haveperks ranging from Bloody Mess to Wild Wasteland.
The producers of theFalloutTV show looked at hundreds of fabric swatches when designing the show’s vault suits.Bethesda Game Studiosassisted in this, making sure the show’s colors and textures were accurate to the games’ iconic blue and yellow jumpsuit.
The Fallout Show’s Second Season Will Be Bigger and Bolder Than the First
WithFalloutseason 2 looking to be set in and around New Vegas, and the show’s creative team confirming thatDeathclaws will make their first appearancein the upcoming second season, the show looks to be upping the ante from season 1. With new monsters, new factions, and a new locale, Lucy and the show’s cast of characters will likely be placed in more perilous predicaments than ever before. With this in mind, the cast might end up needing a helping hand from a particularly mysterious stranger.
A Mysterious Stranger Cameo Could Work Both as Fanservice and Comedy
Though there is currently no evidence that Lucy has the Mysterious Stranger perk, her journey throughout the wasteland have undoubtedly been racking up XP. Acquiring perks over time is a core part ofFallout’s gameplay, and the show’s producers have been so far committed to integrating game elements into the show. With this in mind, the sudden appearance ofthe Mysterious Strangerduring a fight could be a moment of fanservice to longstanding fans of the franchise, while a mysterious passer-by randomly shooting an antagonist and saving the day before disappearing without a trace could serve as another moment of absurdist humor for people unacquainted with the character.
The Fallout Show Has Built Up Enough Goodwill to Take Some Real Risks
Beyond just comedy and fanservice, a Mysterious Stranger appearance in theFalloutshow could also add an element of intrigue. WhereFallout 4took the first steps toward investigating the Mysterious Stranger—withprivate detective Nick Valentinebuilding a file on the character—theFalloutTV show could go one step further, giving players further insight into the Mysterious Stranger’s lore and place in theFalloutuniverse. Though it would be a risk to expand on the lore of one of the franchise’s most mysterious and beloved characters, theFalloutshow has already shown that it is both willing to take risks and careful when dealing with lore elements. This is one more game element worth aiming for.
Fallout
Created by Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Amazon Prime Video’s Fallout is based on the post-apocalyptic RPG gaming franchise that started in the 1990s. Set hundreds of years after the Great War, Lucy leaves her Vault bunker to travel the Wasteland in search of her kidnapped father.
