Many RPG fans would agree thatFallouthas a reputation for memorable monster designs and complex storytelling. Yet, despite its best efforts to introduce new specimens to the bestiary, Bethesda can’t seem to shake the decades-old legacy of Super Mutants. For better or worse, Super Mutants have become an iconic part of theFalloutIP, yet their origins suggest that they should be much less numerous.
Fallout’s famous brutes are a complex and sometimes controversial topic, mostly because a lot of their in-universe explanation is up for interpretation. Super Mutants were an early addition to the series, written as the central threat of the first game alongside a fearsome, godlike leader. But after many iterations, most players are well acquainted with these superhuman beings, which leads one to wonder if Super Mutants are truly valuable tothe future ofFallout.
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Bethesda’s Take on Super Mutants Versus Classic Fallout
Super Mutants in the firstFalloutgamewere the hulking henchmen of the Unity, a quasi-religious dictatorship with frightening ambitions. More than just a green bogeyman, the Super Mutants were specially bred by the enigmatic Master who led the organization from his dark throne below the ruins of Los Angeles. The Master was a mutant himself, albeit extremely deformed and possessing multiple, advanced personalities, exercising his unnatural influence to forcefully transform humanity and conquer the wasteland. This grand plan was eventually foiled by the Vault Dweller, the game’s player character, with remnants of the Unity lying scattered in the aftermath.
Generally, Super Mutants are the byproduct of FEV, an evolutionary mutagen exploited by the Master and other groups across the wasteland. Sources of FEV were initially isolated to the West Coast of the United States, however, Bethesda slightly adjusted the canon after acquiring the franchise. Those that played 2008’sFallout 3will remember that Super Mutants not only appeared but were also reintroduced as a recurring menace in the Capital Wasteland. Instead of experimenting on entirely new mutations, the series continued to show examples ofFEV left over fromFallout’s Great War.
To some, it might not be too much of a stretch to believe more Super Mutants exist even if they were originally intended to be unique to the West Coast. Still, considering these retcons, there is the risk that Bethesda’s reliance on Super Mutants could be creatively limiting. Not that Bethesda has to completely avoid the subject, although others would argue that it is time for the franchise to move forward with newer, stranger products of the post-apocalypse. While recentFalloutgames do describedifferences between Super Mutants, subsequent entries can reveal mutated humans that exist beyond that brutish archetype.
Too Many Super Mutants Can Hurt Fallout’s Fiction
It is admirable that Bethesda has retained many of the IP’s touchstones over the years, providing new, immersive ways to explore the retrofuturistic universe. On the other hand, some fans might worry the Super Mutants' role has been reduced to a generic enemy type that no longer reflects the storiesFalloutis trying to tell. Past releases were smart to focus on specific types of phenomena, as the sci-fi aspects of the series can lead to creative conflicts and foes. Looking to future additions,Fallout 76’s lore could have a surprising impactwith its inclusion of cryptids among other inspired mutant types.
No matter the direction Bethesda takes, Super Mutants are already established in the currentFallouttimeline, so they are bound to feature in some capacity. According to canon, FEV was engineered during the pre-war era to immunize citizens against a disease called the New Plague. Once those results took shape, FEV research was then militarized to create super soldiers, and now mutants of all sorts extend across the post-war United States. Thenuclear mutant tropeis not exclusive toFallout, but there should be enough lore to inspire a variety of creatures in other regions of the country.
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