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Gameplay articles
FalloutBone aliens
Fallout 2Decomposing body
Fallout 3Zetan alien
Mothership ZetaZetan alien
Alien worker
Alien captain
Alien worm food
Alien squid food
Fallout: New VegasZetan alien
Alien captain
Fallout 4Alien
Fallout 76Zetan alien
Cryogenic alien
Toxic alien
Alien invader
Flatwoods monster

Aliens are extraterrestrial creatures from unknown planets.

This article serves as an overview of all alien appearances across the Fallout series. For the most prominent alien species, see Zetans.

Background[]

Their origin is unclear. Two motherships, Zeta and an unnamed craft, are known to be in orbit as of 2277. The Zetans have been engaging with humankind as early as the 1600s, attracting nearly zero attention for most of human history. Until the 1960s, only by "crackpot" groups such as Quaere Verum, believed in the existence of aliens and that they were being covered up by a government conspiracy.

But after the abduction of the USSA space capsule Clarabella 7 and the pilot astronaut Colonel Hartigan during the 1960s Space Race, the existence of aliens became nationally recognized.[Non-game 1] It is said that alien technology was the basis of many of the Enclave's more exotic and impressive weaponry and robotics.[Non-game 1] Even toy manufacturers such as Wilson Atomatoys were not immune to these accusations[Non-game 1] and the United States government, which was said to keep its alien specimens and technology mostly in Area 51 (like a flying saucer that was after re-captured by aliens but crashed in California probably during the flight sometime after the Great War, instantly killing the two alien pilots).

The Brotherhood of Steel[1] around 2161 and the Shi[2] around 2241 encountered the bodies of aliens or their spaceships. By extension, the Capital Wasteland Brotherhood of Steel have a moderate amount of alien power cells kept in the Citadel's hidden armory[3] and the Brotherhood Outcasts also have some alien power cells at Fort Independence. Also, before 2277, an alien body was discovered in Fort Bannister,[Non-game 1] probably by the Enclave, carrying what may have been recovered (like an alien blaster and some alien power cells) in the armory of the mobile base crawler at Adams Air Force Base.

Some of the advanced human technologies were created by using the alien technology like the AI project number 59234, also known as Skynet, which was created in the 2050s and manages the entire Sierra Army Depot,[4] and (allegedly) the device blocking telepathic and psychic commands, the psychic nullifier.[Non-game 2]

Species[]

Bone aliens[]

FlyingSaucer
Gameplay article: none (mentioned in Fallout)

These aliens appear only in the Fallout special encounter "Alien Ship" and are distinguished by their small skeletons in proportion to their overly large skulls. The Vault Dweller can come upon this unique occurrence in the wasteland of Southern California.

Zeta aliens[]

Alien

Zetan aliens are the only extraterrestrials that could be considered a faction.

Aliens are relatively small, green-yellowish-skinned humanoid beings with no primary sex characteristics. Their bodies are elongated with a small chest, are lean, and lack any muscular definition. They also display no body hair of any kind. Their legs are shorter and jointed differently than a normal human and their limbs are also proportionally different than a normal humanoid; their humerus and femurs are the same lengths as their forearms and tibias.

Their heads are unusually large in proportion to their bodies and have no noticeable outer ears or noses, instead only having small orifices for ears and nostrils. They have very wide mouths, no teeth, a light green tongue, and large opaque black eyes with no discernible iris or pupil. Their hands have only three long suctioned-cupped fingers and no thumbs, however, their fingers are so long they can wrap around objects and use any objects like any other humanoid species. They seem to breathe a similar atmosphere that humans do and process nutrients through the body with green blood. They subsist on a diet of unknown worm and squid food.

Zeta alien squid food[]

FO3MZ alien squid food
Gameplay article: Mothership Zeta

This extraterrestrial calamari is a type of food to the Zetan aliens.

Zeta alien worm food[]

FO3MZ alien worm food
Gameplay article: Mothership Zeta

This extraterrestrial worm is a type of food to the Zetan aliens.

Flatwoods monster[]

Gameplay article: Fallout 76
Flatwoods monster 1

An alien encased in a purple space helmet, which obscures its face save for its glowing white eyes. The rest of the body is sealed in a protective suit, with an armored breathing apparatus and a large spade-shaped frill on its back. Flatwoods monsters have no visible legs, the suit instead terminating to a bullet-shaped point at its bottom, with what appear to be small hover-jets around the waist, allowing the creatures to float above the ground. A Flatwoods monster's long arms are tipped with large, three-fingered hands clad in large black gloves.

Decomposing alien[]

Bodyitem
Gameplay article: Fallout 2

A miscellaneous item and Shi experiment referred to by the Shi biology stations[5] and the Emperor v8.8,[2] which was either destroyed or stolen by the Hubologists.

List of alien encounters[]

Notable aliens[]

Crashed ships[]

Six alien ships are known to have crashed in the United States:

List of alien items[]

Items and robots

Weapons

Technology

Notes[]

The creatures that are known as wanamingos are referred to as aliens but are actually the result of genetic engineering by humans and have nothing to do with aliens.

Appearances[]

Aliens appear in Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 4, Fallout 76, Fallout Shelter and Fallout: Wasteland Warfare.

Behind the scenes[]

I put the Zetan skeleton there to show that the Glow was the advanced R&D facility where they had the most secret and most unusual projects (we didn't call it a "Zetan" at the time, just an alien)

(...)

The original Fo was not strongly designed to deal with aliens, obviously flying saucers and little green men with bulbous heads are part of the genre but there was enough going on without leaning into that, so it was just an additional "spice" to fit the motifs of the game.

The later development of Zetans as a formalized part of the setting by Bethesda was just them expanding on that area of the 50s sci-fi. Of course they had to make a model for their engine and decide on a story and all of that. For our purposes in Fo1, it was just "Hey, let's put an alien skeleton in and scale it so it looks like one of those 50s sci-fi movie aliens."
Jesse Heinig, Messages in the Modiphius Discord

Aliens in Fallout 3 were designed to resemble stereotypical representations of aliens known as "Roswell Greys," sometimes referred to as Zeta Reticulans.[Non-game 3]

Gallery[]

Zetan aliens[]

References[]

  1. Scribe: "{111}{}{I've seen an alien space ship before.}"
    (Scribe's dialogue)
  2. 2.0 2.1 The Chosen One: "{176}{}{Xeno program.}"
    Shi Emperor: "{182}{}{'The subject on which we had hoped to establish a series of meaningful experiments has disappeared, presumed either destroyed or stolen by the Hubologists. Further inquiries have proven fruitless. Until such time as further specimens are obtained, this database will remain inoperative.' - Dr. Sheng}"
    (Shi Emperor's dialogue)
  3. Only accessible if the Citadel is targeted during Who Dares Wins.
  4. 4.0 4.1 The Chosen One: "Artificial intelligence?"
    Skynet: "Skynet was conceived and developed in the year 2050. Through the use of alien technology a new thinking computer was perfected. In the year 2081, Skynet became self-aware. In 2120 Skynet was given a new set of instructions and then abandoned by the Makers."
    (Skynet main interface terminal's dialogue)
  5. The Chosen One: "{127}{}{Xeno program.}"
    Biology station: "{130}{}{'The subject on which we had hoped to establish a series of meaningful experiments has disappeared, presumed either destroyed or stolen by the Hubologists. Further inquiries have proven fruitless. Until such time as further specimens are obtained, this database will remain inoperative.' - Dr. Sheng}"
    (Biology station terminal's dialogue)
  6. Citadel terminal entries; Pentagon Library terminal, Report on U.F.O. codenamed "Palandine"

Non-game

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.45: Aliens
    "Once thought to be covered up by a government conspiracy and believed only by 'crackpot' groups such as the Quaere Verum, evidence of extraterrestrial life can be traced back throughout human history, but became nationally recognized after the mysterious disappearance of the Clarabella 7 space pod during the 1960s Space Race. It is said that Alien technology was the basis of many of the Enclave's more exotic and impressive weaponry and robotics, and even toy manufacturers such as Wilson Automatoys weren't immune to these accusations. Recently, after the discovery of an Alien body in Fort Bannister, the shocking truth was revealed. The Aliens are not only real and alive, but they're back. And they're pissed."
    (Fallout 3 Official Game Guide faction profiles)
  2. Fallout Official Survival Guide p. 128: "Psychic Nullifier: A strange device, possibly the product of alien technology. It blocks telepathic or psychic commands."
    (Fallout guide on kupfd.net)
  3. The Hachiko Interview With Joel Burgess & Jeff Gardiner: Players who found the UFO also found the remains of the pilot, who looks like the old school Roswell grays for the most part. Are these the same models being used for Mothership Zeta? Will the grays be the only enemies or are there a variety of new aliens to fight side-by-side with the gray pilot witnessed in the retail game?
    Jeff Gardiner: "Yes, we're modeling the same basic enemy after the 'Roswell grays.' There are other enemies that will be uncovered as well, including alien robotics."
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