Despite its seemingly simple setting and premise, the Fallout series still has its own share of mysteries. Some of the best mysteries in Fallout involve the colorful characters that inhabit the setting, whether in the video games or the series. The Mysterious Stranger is one such character that appears in the Fallout games, across post-War America to assist those in need.
Recurring characters that space and time have no hold over are a common thread in Bethesda games, such as M'aiq the Liar from The Elder Scrolls. Rather than a single individual, the Mysterious Stranger appears to be a collection of individuals. From Fallout 2 and onwards, after selecting the Mysterious Stranger perk, they have a chance of appearing when the player character uses VATS. The Mysterious Stranger's identity is unknown and could be anyone, including the father of the Lonesome Drifter.
The Mysterious Stranger's Appearances in Fallout
The Mysterious Stranger's chances of appearing depend on if their perk is selected, and on the player character's luck. The Mysterious Stranger often turns the tide of battles that are on a knife's edge, either completely eliminating tough enemies or making the difference in battle that was sorely needed. As quickly as they appear, they disappear just as fast as soon as the battle is finished.
The Mysterious Stranger's first appearance was in Fallout. He always appears as male and is dressed in a beige trench coat and fedora. However, in Fallout 2, the Mysterious Stranger's gender always aligns with the Chosen One's, giving the Mysterious Stranger the possibility of being female.
Fallout 2 is the only Fallout game where the Mysterious Stranger appears as female, although Miss Fortune also appears in Fallout: New Vegas as an alternative. The Mysterious Stranger appears once again in Fallout 3 as a man, with his iconic trench coat and hat, which persists into Fallout 4. Nick Valentine takes a personal interest in discovering the identity of the Mysterious Stranger and becomes frustrated when the Stranger disappears after combat.
The Mysterious Stranger reappears in Fallout 76. He dons his usual trench coat and fedora, and only appears when the Mysterious Stranger perk is chosen. He also appears in Fallout Shelter but is a noncombatant. When he disappears again, the Vault is rewarded with caps.
Fallout's Guardian Angel
Fallout: New Vegas offers an alternative to the Mysterious Stranger with Miss Fortune, who fulfills the same role but instead appears as a veiled woman wearing a showgirl outfit. Miss Fortune also differs in that she doesn't kill enemies, but rather deals AoE damage with grenades and knocks them out.
The Mysterious Stranger is described as a guardian angel, and in some of their appearances comes equipped with a unique, more powerful weapon. Fallout: New Vegas' Mysterious Stranger carries a unique.44 Magnum that deals a massive amount of damage, making it the most powerful weapon in the game. Fallout 4's Mysterious Stranger carries a handgun that deals standard damage, but their damage output is uniquely calibrated, so all of their attacks immediately kill their enemies.
The mystery of the Mysterious Stranger is unlikely to ever be revealed, and some mysteries are better left unsolved. The Fallout series doesn't have a Mysterious Stranger, and if there is a second season of Fallout perhaps a character like them will be included in the series.
Fallout 4
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 89%
WHERE TO PLAY
- Franchise
- Fallout
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- yes
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- How Long To Beat
- 27 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- No
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
- File Size Xbox Series
- 51 GB (December 2023)
