Summary
The world ofFalloutis fun and full of interesting characters that usually have something either weird or funny to say. While that is generally the theme of the wasteland, there are some characters who can bring the player back down to earth by saying something more thought-provoking.
Considering how the world was destroyed and is literally now just called the Wasteland, most characters in the world ofFallouthave time to think of some fascinating quotes. Here are a few of the best.
Updated April 29th, 2024, by Gregory Louis Gomez:Few video game franchises are as dense as Fallout is. With nine releases in total, the series is full of rich lore and interesting characters for players to interact with as they see fit. As a consequence, the games are loaded with great lines of dialogue both from NPCs and even the player themselves. Some of the lines can be rather funny, while others explore the deeper themes and meanings of the series. There are so many great lines that this lis has been updated with a few more gems that players may stumble upon in the wasteland.
16"War… War Never Changes."
The Basic Thesis Of The Franchise
Easily the most famous line inFallout,“War never changes"is a damning indictment of human nature as a destructive force. It’s incredibly relevant in a series set in a post-nuclear war America, where corruption, authoritarianism and hatred destroyed the world in which the player inhabits. In many ways, it is the thematic baseline of the series and how each game interfaces with it is one of its long-running staples.
How each game chooses to tackle this theme varies wildly.Fallout 3addresses it at face value with a heavy dose of cynicism, whileFallout 4puts a (somewhat awkward, in all honestly) positive spin on it throughthe Sole Survivor’sending monologue.New Vegasalso addresses the idea, however, introduces more depth by offering a counterargument.
15"Thou Shalt Get Sidetracked by Bull**** Every God****** Time.”
Cooper Howard Has a Golden Rule Of His Own For The Wasteland
If there’s one thing theFalloutshow gets so right when it comes to adapting the games, it’s the dialogue. A perfect example of this is nearly everything said by Cooper Howard, the show’s ghoulish lead. This line in particular is hilarious just because of how accurately it summarizes the experience of playingFallout, or any otheropen world RPGreally.
Lucy might have her golden rule, but Cooper knows, just like any fan of the games, that the real golden rule of this series is that there’s always more side quests to do. Players and viewers alike can unite under this line.
14"To Have Done The Things I Have Done In the Name Of Progress And Healing. It Was Madness."
A Twisted Utopia Crumbles To Dust
Part of what makes The Master so compelling is that he’s weirdly an optimist when it comes to the future of humanity - provided that they adopt not only his worldview but his eugenics policy. Yes, while it’s true that the Master actually hates humans and wishes to replace them with mutants, his goalsare fundamentally utopianin that they involve bringing about a brand new “perfect” society, as opposed to the Enclave’s attempts to resurrect the old one. He recognized one of the failings of the old world and sought to rectify it, albeit in an extremely twisted and immoral way. This Utopia proves to be a lie, however, as Mutants cannot reproduce naturally. Convincing The Master of this opens his eyes to the nightmare he has created, causing him to lose all faith in his plan and commit suicide.
13"I Showed Them Total Warfare. Like I Said, There’s A Lot You Can Learn From Old Books."
The Beginnings Of A Brutal Wasteland Empire
Prior to forming his fascistic post-nuclear society, Caesar (known then as Edward Sallow) was a member of the Followers of the Apocalypse. The Followers are known for being altruistic, believing in the preservation and even-handed application of knowledge for the betterment of those in the wasteland. Edward, however, is the exact inverse of this and is a corruption of everything the Followers stand for.
Caesar weaponized pre-war knowledge for self-serving and destructive ends. It is rather ironic how the series' most humanistic faction indirectly gave birth to one of the wasteland’s most inhuman organizations.
Wisdom Sometimes Comes From An Unlikely Place
Kellogg stinks, and everyone can agree on that. The first time the player meets him in the game, he assists in the abduction of their son, Shaun, and then murders the player’s significant other in front of their eyes, knowing full well that they are watching from within their cryogenic prison. Then, when the player does find him, he’s annoying and coy about the location of Shaun. Despite being the worst, he does get this one thought-provoking line in before beingatomized by a Fatman blast, as someone of his character (or lack thereof) deserves.
11"Did You Ever Try To Put A Broken Piece Of Glass Back Together?"
Moira Brown is one ofFallout 3’smost memorable characters. She has tons of personality and is one of the main quest givers of Megaton. She also has some great lines of dialogue that make talking to her worthwhile. This quote, in particular, is such an appropriate way to describe the Capital Wasteland; broken into a million little pieces that once comprised the old world. The line is fundamentally a hopeful one, however, as Moira points out that the pieces can be picked up and used to make something new. This echos one ofFallout’score ideas - the formation of new societies out of the broken remains of the world.
10"It’s The End Of The World, All Over Again."
The Cycle Of Violence And Despair Continues
The ending in each of theFalloutgames is always up to the player’s choices, which are made both during the game and at the very end.Fallout 4is no exception. Depending on what faction the player chooses to side with for the climax of the game, the player might not hear this line.
The player hears this quote if they side against the Institute and cause its nuclear reactor to explode, destroying it from within. Much like how the Great War destroyed their pre-war life, nuclear fire is once again used to wipe away a part of the Sole Survivor’s life; in this case, it’s the future they dreamed they might have had with their son, Shaun.
9"Ideals Are Strengthened By The Challenges They Endure."
One Of The Main Lessons Of Fallout: New Vegas
This line is “spoken” by the courier, the player character ofFallout: New Vegas, though by their nature, they aren’t heard speaking it. This line of dialogue is easily missed and yet rather poignant. It’s also interesting because of how it foreshadows the eventual showdown with Ulysses inLonesome Road, in which ideals are the true weapon of choice.
It’s a skill check when the player is talking to some members ofthe Brotherhood of Steel. It’s especially prescient because it is an organization that is on the verge of extinction because of how religiously it follows its flawed ideals.
8"You’re A Hero, And You Have To Leave"
The Wasteland Changes Those Who Walk it Into Something Else Entirely
In a cruel twist of irony, the ending of the firstFalloutgame seesthe legendary Vault Dwellerexiled from his home on the grounds that he simply isn’t one of them anymore, and has become the biggest threat to their way of life. This proved to be a rather memorable and fitting ending to the game’s story, and one thatFallout 3would echo as well.
The Lone Wanderer experiences a very similar scenario after returning to Vault 101, with their longtime friend Amata banishing them in the name of preserving the peace.
7"It’s Said War, War Never Changes. Men Do, Through The Roads They Walk."
An Honest Counter To The Series' Most Memorable Line
New Vegas,amazingly, does something that no other game in the series even comes close to: offering a counterargument to the classic “war never changes” idea. It’s true that war may never truly change. Whether it involves cannons or nukes, lead bullets or plasma, the goals are consistent throughout human history. People, however, do change, which is something that Ulysses himself exemplifies.
Contrary to popular belief,Falloutis not always about how horrible humans are and will always be. It is also about how people interpret the mistakes of the past in order to forge the path forward to a better world.
