10 Greatest Fallout Characters Of All Time, Ranked

Summary

• Memorable characters drive the success of a narrative-driven franchise like
  Fallout
  , helping the games’ plots remain memorable.
• From lovable robots like ED-E to righteous leaders like Preston Garvey,
  Fallout
  boasts some of the greatest video game characters.
• Whether it’s the tragic past of Craig Boone or the iconic presence of Dogmeat,
  Fallout
  characters are essential to the franchise’s success.

Throughout its long tenure, the Fallout franchise has featured some of the most legendary and memorable characters in video game history. Since the debut of Fallout in 1997, some characters have appeared in multiple installments, while others made their namesake in a single game. However, because each of the Fallout games are self-contained stories, longevity and total appearances have not been what’s historically defined the franchise’s many great characters.

A narrative-driven franchise (excluding Fallout 76) can only become such a profound success on the backs of memorable characters. Regardless of how great the writing in any story is, it will almost always be forgotten if the characters bringing it to life are forgettable.

Those who have played
Fallout
over the years have been fortunate to experience its brilliant stories alongside and opposite some of the greatest video game characters of all time.

10 ED-E Is A Lovable Robot Companion

Fallout: New Vegas

ED-E, otherwise known as Eyebot Duraframe Subject E, was built by Doctor Whitley at Adams Air Force Base in Fallout: New Vegas, a game that’s remained popular due to large fan-made expansions. ED-E was improved to function in combat with armor and a Tesla canon, unlike other eyebots who generally served as radio transmitters. It is the last surviving ED model, and can be found in a damaged state at the Nash Residence.

After being repaired, ED-E can become a formidable companion in the dangerous wastelands of Fallout: New Vegas. It has traveled thousands of miles collecting data and knows the ins and outs of combat. Of all the characters to team up with in Fallout history, ED-E is undoubtedly one of the best.

9 Preston Garvey Exudes Righteousness

Fallout 4

There are few characters in the Fallout franchise as forthright and wholesome as Preston Garvey. After many of the leadership figures have been decimated, Garvey assumes the role of officer and leader of the Commonwealth Minutemen in Fallout 4. Players are introduced to him very early in one of the game’s first missions, and he is an essential character and also a potential companion.

Preston Garvey is the textbook definition of a good person – which is anything but common in the Commonwealth. He appreciates it when the player helps others (but not for money) and tells the truth, and will quickly become annoyed if the player is rude or threatens people. For those who want to play as genuine and earnest as one can be in the Wasteland, Preston Garvey is the perfect companion to keep anyone honest.

Preston Garvey is a character that cannot be killed.

8 Three Dog Vehemently Stands Against Oppression

Fallout 3

It may have been more than 15 years since the launch of Fallout 3, but Three Dog has remained one of the most memorable characters to this day. He is only featured in three quests, but he consistently weighs in on the player’s actions on his radio broadcasts. He also plays music that can be heard on the Galaxy News Radio Station.

Part of what makes Three Dog such an iconic Fallout character is the voice performance by Erik Todd Dellums. Although he only appears in the flesh in Fallout 3, Robert MacCready mentions him in Fallout 4, remarking “I miss the Capital Wasteland’s Radio… Three Dog was a hell of a DJ.” Not only does Three Dog blast incredible tunes, but he also staunchly opposes oppression, propaganda, and violence from Raiders, Super Mutants, and Enclave soldiers.

7 Marcus Is The Best Super Mutant

Fallout 2 and Fallout: New Vegas

Super Mutants are one of the more menacing foes that players will face in the Fallout franchise, but Marcus is proof that they’re not all bad. As an older mutant, he was the sheriff of Broken Hills in 2241 and the mayor of Jacobstown 40 years later.

Marcus is a survivor of the Unity (a political group who sought to evolve humans into a perfect race) until the Master was ultimately defeated.

While most Super Mutants grunt and attack the player, Marcus is a lovable old soul who has appeared in both Fallout 2 and New Vegas. He was once firmly committed to the Unity cause, but following the fall of the Master, he has become much more accepting. Over the years, he has proven to be an incredible leader, and also a wonderful companion in the wastelands of Fallout 2.

6 Joshua Graham Has A Devastating Backstory

Fallout: New Vegas

Joshua Graham is a character from Fallout: New Vegas who debuted in the second DLC, Honest Hearts. He co-founded the dictatorship and slaver society known as Caesar’s Legion, along with Edward “Caesar” Sallow. After Graham suffered an embarrassing defeat at the First Battle of Hoover Dam, his partner Caesar ordered him to be burned alive and tossed into the Grand Canyon.

Joshua somehow managed to survive this horrible incident, but awakened with serious burns and other injuries. He then endured a grueling journey home to New Canaan, and was welcomed by his family with open arms. While he spent many years performing unspeakable atrocities for Caesar’s Legion, he ultimately became a hero after enduring tragedy and hardship.

5 There’s No Better Caretaker Than Codsworth

Fallout 4

Unlike ED-E, who is an Eyebot Duraframe robot, Codsworth is a Mister Handy robot who serves as the butler for the main character in Fallout 4. He is featured throughout the first mission in the game, helping out around the house and tending to “young Shaun.” After the player character is frozen in Vault 111 in Fallout 4 for over 200 years, Codsworth is still hanging out at home, anxiously awaiting the player’s return.

Even as a robot, Codsworth shows clear emotion towards the player upon seeing them for the first time in so long. He is an essential character who even carries a sharp buzz saw and a flamethrower to assist in combat once joining the player as a companion. Codsworth is such a great character that Prime Video’s Fallout series features an Easter egg explaining how the Mister Handy robots came to be.

4 Craig Boone Has A Tragic Past

Fallout: New Vegas

There is no better criterion for a partner to traverse the dangerous Mojave Wasteland than a former NCR First Recon sniper. After he retired, Craig Boone moved to the small town of Novac where he served on night watch, helping keep the town safe. Craig is a good person at heart, but like many of Fallout‘s best characters, he has a very troubled past.

Due to an unfortunate miscommunication with command, Craig and his unit slaughtered a group of Khan women, children, sick, and elderly in an event known as the Bitter Springs Massacre. Committing such a heinous atrocity didn’t sit well with Craig, and he left the army after his tour ended and met the woman who would go on to become his wife.

Tragedy struck Craig again when he was forced to kill his wife to keep her out of the hands of Caesar’s Legion, who would likely have tortured her.

3 Dogmeat Is Everyone’s Favorite Canine Companion

Fallout 4

Of all the characters to appear in multiple Fallout games, none have the recurring longevity of Dogmeat. He has been part of every entry in the franchise since 1997 and is one of the best partners for wasteland traveling. Dogmeat even makes an appearance in Prime Video’s Fallout series, originally going by the name CX404 before Walton Goggins’ The Ghoul gave him his iconic name.

Dogmeat also has a history with two other Fallout 4 characters: Preston Garvey and Nick Valentine. He helped Valentine solve several cases and spent time with Garvey after the events of the Quincy Massacre. In Fallout 4, which has a free next-gen update, Dogmeat can be picked up as a playable companion from one of the game’s first missions, and he even has two perks that improve his combat effectiveness.

2 Harold Appeared In Multiple Games

Fallout 2

Harold was a vault-dweller who also succumbed to the Forced Evolutionary Virus, the primary method of the Unity for “purifying” humans. When the player first meets Harold in Fallout, he is a withering mutant rotting away in Old Town, reminiscing on the Master. In Fallout 2, he progresses to being the mayor of Gecko, a ghoul town near Vault City founded in 2236. He is one of the few characters with multiple homes in the Fallout timeline.

His arc ultimately leads to Fallout 3, where he is revered and worshiped as “the Great One.” Harold delivers some of the best lines in the franchise and has formed a relationship with each of the protagonists from the first three mainline Fallout games. He is well-regarded as one of the best Fallout characters and has been brought to life by several voice actors over the years, including Charlie Adler, Stephen Russell, and Alan Oppenheimer.

1 Nick Valentine Is The Best Fallout Character

There is no better companion in the Commonwealth, or any Fallout game, than Nick Valentine. Nick is a synth and a detective, the owner of Valentine Detective Agency. He was created in the Institute as one of two Gen 2 prototypes, whose goal was to see if synths were capable of independent thinking and adaptive personalities. He was given the pre-war memories of several humans and the ability to develop a personality based on his personal experiences.

Nick is involved in several main story quests and is integral in helping the Sole Survivor search for clues to Shaun’s whereabouts. He is a great partner in a fight, containing more HP than the average companion, and also can hack terminals, negating the player’s need to acquire the skill for it. Fallout 4‘s Nick Valentine is honest, hardworking, reliable, and has a kind heart. There is no better companion for the player in the Fallout franchise.

The success of Prime Video’s Fallout series has franchise veterans and newcomers alike wanting to jump back in and enjoy this post-apocalyptic wasteland. While the earlier Fallout games are slightly tougher to enjoy due to modern advancements in technology, the great characters and story make it worthwhile. The Fallout franchise will always be remembered thanks to icons like Nick Valentine and Dogmeat.