The Fallout TV series was made for both fans of the video games and fans of the quality sci-fi series. With this said, if you are unfamiliar with the setting, Bethesda’s popular RPG franchise tells a story of an alternative post-nuclear war America trapped in the 1950s desolate aesthetics as people slowly venture out of the ground despite the lingering fear of radiation poisoning. And while the TV series perfectly replicates that, the characters need some introduction, and we are here for you.
Set 200 years after a nuclear war, it follows characters like Lucy, a vault dweller venturing into the wasteland for the first time, and The Ghoul, a seasoned wasteland inhabitant. In this Fallout character guide, we will introduce you to its main characters and factions.
1. Lucy MacLean
Lucy MacLean, portrayed by wonderous Ella Purnell, is the very heart of Fallout. Created to represent a protagonist from video games, Lucy grew up in the safe confines of Vault 33 but when things go south, she is forced to step into the harsh desolate wasteland. Her wide-eyed and optimistic stance is a stark contrast to the show’s gritty setting, and you will be charmed by her naivety and awkward humor, which the entire series is drenched in. However, there is so much more to Lucy beneath the surface as she is a seasoned warrior, and with high intelligence, she can question the ideals of the dystopian world she was raised in.
2. Cooper Howard/ The Ghoul
Walter Goggins plays the double role of Cooper Howard, whose past life is seen in glimpses, a pre-war actor with a charismatic personality, and the Ghoul, the radioactive remains of the man itself.
The show remained tight-lipped about the transformation process, but the Ghoul kept all the charisma Cooper Howard has and Walton Goggins shines in this possibly immortal role. He is a wasteland survivor and with his sardonic wit and cunning, he has become a feared bounty hunter. The hints of humanity flicker at times in his actions and words, which makes him an even more compelling character, leaving viewers questioning, if he is a good guy or a master manipulator.
3. Hank Maclean
Hank Maclean, played by legendary Kyle MacLachlan is a double agent. He is the patriarch of the MacLean family, a loving father, and Overseer of Vault 33. However, that is only the surface. Hank hides a dark past. He was a pre-war Vault-Tec employee involved in a sinister experiment across Vaults 31, 32, and 33.
He worked under Vault-Tec’s Barb Howard. Hank was chosen for his supposed superior genes in a Vault-Tec project called “Bud’s Buds.” This program aimed to cryogenically freeze individuals in Vault 31 and release them over time to become Overseers in other Vaults, including Vault 33.
Hank’s loyalty to Vault-Tec is twisted. To maintain the “Bud’s Buds” project and promote the idea of Vault dwellers rebuilding society, but it led to nuking one of the rebuilt cities. He is the reason Lucy ventures out from the vault in search of him but when she finds him, his secrets are discovered, giving viewers a setup for the second season.
4. Barb Howard
Barb Howard, played by Frances Turner is the picture-perfect wife and executive, but executive of the evil Vault-Tec and its very heart. She ruthlessly advocates for Vault-Tec to initiate the nuclear war themselves, viewing it as a profitable business opportunity. While there aren’t many scenes of her in the series, what is seen hints at sinister action.
5. Maximus
Lucy’s journey takes an unexpected turn when she encounters Maximum, played by Aaron Moten, a stoic solder from the Brotherhood of Steel. The Brotherhood is a powerful faction from the video games and it looks like in the series the producers upped the ante on this one. Ironclad in advanced Power Armor, the faction scours the Wasteland for pre-war technology and weapons to rebuild society. While Maximus’ past is a mystery, it is known that the faction saved him from the nukes and shaped his life in return for indisputable loyalty.
However, when our two main protagonists meet, Maximus finds solace in Lucy’s innocence and the two share a rather emotional moment on screen.
6. Betty Pearson
Betty Pearson might seem harmless as the elder of Vault 33, but she still has a dark secret. Portrayed by Leslie Uggams, before Hank is seemingly kidnapped, she already held a position of power but was made the new leader following the events. However as the story progresses it is revealed that Betty is originally from Vault 31, directly connecting her with Vault-Tec’s twisted experiments. Betty is far more than meets the eye, she is not a mastermind but just a pawn in a larger conspiracy.
7. Moldaver
Portrayed by Sarita Choudhury, Lee Moldaver, is a leader of the NCR remnant faction, and is known as Flame Mother. She was a pre-war scientist fiercely battling Vault-Tec’s evil plans. She even aided Cooper Howard, the Ghoul, in spying on Vault-Tec. Leading the NCR remnant after Shady Sands’ destruction, she seeks revenge on Hank and a functional cold fusion reactor. Moldaver has a strong legacy and despite her demise, there are still options for her to return to the series in the second season.
These are the main Fallout characters for now, while the series introduced a string of other characters, including Lucy’s brother, Norm Maclean played by Moises Arias, then another Brotherhood of Steel member, Thaddeus played by Johnny Pemberton, and Siggi Wilzig, a professor whose cold fusion discovery launched the Fallout chain-reaction story.