The Fallout TV series proved again that the once greatly-mocked idea that video game adaptations can blow minds is true. That’s due to Amazon’s ridiculous budget, sure, to the multi-episode structure that allows the story to grow unrestrained, but mostly due to the great writing and acting behind its characters. That’s always what earned Fallout a place in the hearts of fans, and I’m glad the showrunners noticed that.
We’ve previously looked at many of the best characters in the video game series, so let’s now look at our favorite characters in the TV series so far.
10. Hank Maclean
Kyle MacLachlan, who did Paul Atreides long before that was cool, portrays the similarly named Hank Maclean. He’s just an awesome and caring father who, in a likely nod to Fallout 3, gets kidnapped right at the start of the series.
Spoilers: He’s actually not a good guy. He’s a pretty vile bastard whose evil — despite a pretty telling kill in one of the first episodes — can’t be fully gauged before the first series’ closing episode. He’s only low on this list because he doesn’t show up for most of the series, but I can’t wait to see what the show has in store for this character in season 2.
9. Thaddeus
Despite his harmless and even kind of dorky look, Johnny Pemberton’s Thaddeus is a member of the Brotherhood Of Steel, one even mean enough to be the Wasteland’s version of a bully to Maximus. He’s pretty funny in his own right and also finds himself at the center of a few of the series’ funniest moments, all without ever ending up becoming just a punching bag for jokes — regardless of what the picture of him that I chose might lead you to believe.
8. Moldaver
A great series needs a great antagonist, and Moldaver is just that. She serves as the main baddie for the first season and plays the perfect introductory villain before we learn of some even viler entities roaming the Wasteland.
7. Maximus
Maximus is easily the least interesting out of the main character trifecta, but he’s not without his merits. Though we first picture him as an honorable soldier, his supposed honor quickly loses out to his ambition, a turn you likely didn’t expect out of such character. Maximus gains extra points because his smarts don’t quite match his will to get ahead, which results in some pretty fun moments.
6. Siggi Wilzig
Fallout turns the tables on TV viewers as they know Michael Emerson for his portrayal of Ben Linus, the superb main villain from Lost (or at least before all the wacky retcons hit). While you’re expecting a conniving schemer — a pretty normal assumption to make about anyone in the Fallout world, even if you haven’t seen Lost — he’s not that. In fact, the first and only important thing that he asks for is as selfless as it is courageous, hilarious, and gruesome. His query results in an unforgettable moment that perfectly sets the tone of the show from relatively early on, and I salute him for that.
5. Betty Pearson
At first, Betty appears like a stern yet caring figure, the kind of person who’d probably make for a great Vault Overseer, a role she eventually ends up filling. Betty isn’t, however, as nice as the show originally leads you to believe, and her character becomes much more interesting because of that. I can’t wait to see what else she gets into in season 2.
Also, she’s played by Leslie Uggams, the actress who plays Deadpool’s roomie Blind Al, so there’s absolutely no way not to love her, regardless of how much worse she might turn in the future.
4. Norm Maclean
When you first look at Moisés Arias’ Norm Maclean, you might be inclined to think that he’ll be just the brother character, someone who exists possibly just for a scene where a tragic death in the family takes place. The show doesn’t go down that path, as Norm proves an inquisitive, detective-like figure who helps uncover the big dark secrets of this world. The choice of having a Norm doing all the detective work while the main character is busy in the main quest is hilarious and works wonders in a world so imbued with ’50s influences.
3. Snip Snip
Matt Berry is arguably the most interesting comedic actor working today. He gets that distinction because he can bring hilarity into any serious line simply by pronouncing one word in the most bizarre yet subtle way imaginable. That naturally makes him the perfect fit to voice characters like Snip-Snip, a very helpful robot that’ll do whatever it takes to “help” its owner.
Snip-Snip can be your savior or your mauler, and either task will leave him equally happy, because he’s as useful as he’s clueless.
2. The Ghoul
The Ghoul is by far the most popular character on the show, and It’s easy to understand why. First off, he’s played by Walton Goggins, which almost feels like cheating at this point. Secondly, he has the most badass scenes, which juxtapose perfectly with his tragic backstory as a performer who got separated from his beloved daughter when the world went to hell. Still, what I find most important is how he plays with others, with his interactions with Lucy being the obvious highlight.
1. Lucy Maclean
While Ella Purnell’s Lucy is incomparably less badass than The Ghoul — even most characters on the list — she has an essential trait that most main characters in most TV and movie properties miss, one that easily makes her top tier for me.
Before Marvel movies, blockbusters were usually led by absolute badasses and, after Marvel, they began being led by badasses who also said quippy jokes. I’m fine with either, but Lucy, as an innocent person who lived her whole life sheltered away from reality inside a vault, serves as the perfect surrogate for the non-fans and an incredibly entertaining character to watch. She’s not there merely to move the main plot along, quipping a joke every 30 seconds to keep audiences entertained. Instead, she’s organically funny, as she does her best with the little knowledge she has to navigate this mad world, and she does a great job as the genuine and still-untarnished heart of the show.
You can now watch the Fallout TV series on Amazon Prime.
