What is a Ghoul in the Fallout TV Show? Answered

There are so many dangers to discover in the world of Fallout, whether you’re running away from terrifying monsters in the wild or running into Ghouls roaming the decimated nuclear wasteland.

With so many fans jumping into Amazon Prime’s Fallout series, it is important to know just what kinds of threats there are in the world, especially when you aren’t familiar with the popular video game franchise that the show is based on. Ghouls are some of the scariest-looking post-human beings that roam the Earth during the show and in the game, but not all of them are as terrifying as they look.

Additionally, a Ghoul is also featured as a central character in the Fallout show, who now lives on as a deadly gunslinger and bounty hunter. You’ll want to catch up on everything that a Ghoul is before you jump into the thick of things in the universe.

Note: there might be minor spoilers for the plot of Fallout in the following sections

Ghouls in Fallout, explained

In the Fallout universe, Ghouls are survivors of the nuclear apocalypse that were exposed to residual radiation for a prolonged amount of time. These people were often unable to hide within a shelter, and as a result, their whole body has been transformed from a normal human being to a zombie-like appearance.

Although their outer appearance is ghastly, Ghouls have extended lifespans, have higher tolerance to low-level radiation, and often have mutations around their body. In many instances, Ghouls maintain their intelligence and live alongside other humans in settlements, but there are also many that have lost all sense of self in the aftermath of the war and are now wild and dangerous.

Although there are Ghouls who attempt to live life among humans, they unfortunately deal with widespread discrimination due to their unsettling appearance. For the Ghouls that weren’t nearly as lucky, the radiation exposure ended up deteriorating their brain to a point where their higher cognitive functions have been completely lost.

Named Feral Ghouls, these creatures are often found roaming the wastelands in packs, and are only sustained by radiation. They are hostile to all living, non-ghoul creatures, unlike the Ghouls that were lucky enough to keep their humanity.