Amazon Prime Video’s brilliant streaming series adaptation of Bethesda’s hit video game series, Fallout, is packed full of easter eggs and callbacks to the many games in the series, and there’s plenty to be found across the eight episodes.
Starring Ella Purnell (Yellowjackets) as vault dweller Lucy, Walton Goggins (Justified) as The Ghoul, and Aaron Clifton Moten as Brotherhood of Steel recruit Maximus, Fallout follows mankind after multiple nuclear incidents force survivors underground for decades, and brings our protagonists together in a manhunt for scientist Wilzig (Michael Emerson), who holds an artifact that could change the fate of the wasteland.
From iconic monsters to apocalypse-tested weapons, there are plenty to point at on the screen as Easter Eggs, and we’re unlocking the vault to a scavenger hunt on the key thirteen you might have missed on your first watch.
At the same time, some of these easter eggs veer toward spoilers and more will be uncovered/evolve as the show progresses.
1. Two-headed Brahmin
A two-headed Brahmin or cow appears just for a second in Episode 2 when Lucy walks through Filly (the remnants of Los Angeles in this post-apocalyptic world), but this creature is extremely useful in-game if you’re helping Preston Garvey expand your settlement, as it drops fertilizer that can be used to cultivate crops, and as an ingredient for crafting.
2. Atomic Command
Norm plays Atomic Command on his Pip-Boy wrist device, and if the name sounds familiar, that’s because it also appears in Fallout 4 as a mini-game the Sole Survivor can play. Apart from survival, there’s plenty of entertainment value in the handy device.
3. Cram
We see a half-eaten can of Cram in the show, and it’s also one of the staples of the apocalypse in-game, and a play on Spam, a popular American canned luncheon meat snack. Eating some in-game heals the player character for 25 points, but adds five points to the radiation counter, so consume some with caution.
4. Junk Jet
June’s antique shop in Episode two has many souvenirs, with VaultTec collectibles lining the shelves, and towards the end of the scene, we get a Junk Jet cameo, which has its in-game value of 285 caps listed on a sign on the walls. One of the mercenaries who digs up The Ghoul also uses the weapon in the episode.
The weapon does exactly what it says, turning junk items like Nuka Cola bottles, legs of dolls, desk fans and more into lethal ammunition, and the weapon has a seemingly limitless supply depending on how many items you load into it.
5. Yao Guai
The mutated bear that Maximus and Titus fight in the second episode is none other than a Yao Guai (which is Chinese for strange monster) , though the show does not refer to it by name, the irradiated bear’s a deadly threat, even for a Knight of the Brotherhood in power armor.
6. Gulper
The monstrous creature Lucy and The Ghoul, as well as Maximus encounters is a Gulper, a fairly dangerous opponent in the games, and especially in the Far Harbor DLC in Fallout 4. As long as you have a handy weapon or two with you and plenty of guts, beating it isn’t impossible., through the extended fingers in the mouth of the creature creates a gross mental image that takes longer to forget.
7. Hank’s Access Code
What’s Hank’s passcode that unlocks Vault-Tec’s security measures? The access code Hank enters into the terminal is none other than the release date of the first Fallout game — which was on 10 October 1997.
8. Vault Boy
Every popular game franchise has a mascot, either as a key character, or as an iconic imagery and Fallout’s most recognisable character is Vault Boy – the cute blonde child who sticks out his thumb in an up position. Yet, the origins of this character who helps players in tutorials has never been revealed, until now.
The show reveals that former Marine turned actor Cooper Howard is the person behind Vault Boy, as Vault-Tec needed someone to markets its vaults, and who better than a much-loved actor? And he was also the one, during the studio shoot, who proposed giving a thumbs up sign to the camera, creating what everyone now knows to be synonymous with the franchise.
If you watch the first episode, when Cooper is talking to his daughter Janet about bombs, he’s wearing his cowboy costume that has the iconic yellow and blue, and gives her the thumbs up, foreshadowing the reveal that he’s Vault Boy.
Come to think of it, since his ex-wife Barb Howard is a high-ranking Vault-Tec executive, this basically makes him Vault-Tec royalty.
9. “Dogmeat”
Dogmeat, the adorable canine companion in-game, bears a striking resemblance to Wilzig’s dog in the show, and even joins the fray on a few occasions. During a scene in Filly, a vendor can be heard advertising “Dogmeat” for sale, making a cheeky reference to the character. The Ghoul also eventually calls it by that name, but it’s unclear if this is the same one from the games.
10. Super Duper Mart
The Super Duper Mart that Lucy visits is vastly different from the one in-game, but still keeps the retro charm and creepy interior, and yep, the attacking Ghouls, so it’s pretty true to form. In the game, the grocery store is far more abandoned and dilapidated than its state in the show, with a pack of ghouls being its only residents.
11. Codsworth
Codsworth is a Mr. Handy butler robot who appears as a companion in Fallout 4, and is mentioned and seen in the series. Once is at the party scene, where Cooper’s friend Seabass does an impression of it, and when Lucy finds a Mr. Handy robot in the Super Duper Mart.
12. Red Rocket
Fans of the game might recognise the Red Rocket gas station that Thaddeus (Johnny Pemberton), Maximus’ one-time squire in the show takes refuge in, and in-game, the Red Rocket can also serve as a settlement. He leaves Wilzig’s dog behind at the station, much like how the player character first meets “Dogmeat” at the gas station in Fallout 4.
13. Jet
While not referred to by name, we see a raider doing the equivalent of Jet during the scene where they invade Vault 33. Jet is a highly addictive chem that’s administered via an inhaler and enhances human abilities, and the raider takes it to boost combat effectiveness, much like in the game.
There are more Fallout easter eggs to be discovered, so happy hunting!
Trinity is a geek who enjoys watching anime, superhero and Sci-Fi movies and TV shows. She enjoys gaming (however has terrible gacha luck) and creates cool homebrew campaigns in her free time. She’s always up for a new adventure — with a cosy jacket and a good book in hand.
