Something something a book by Mark Twain, Enjoy! NOTE: Fallout 3's Mysterious Stranger is not named Farmer, this information is false! It was cited as such but that citation was incorrect. Please ignore the statement in the video.
When you randomly encounter some NPCs fighting in the wasteland and decide to help one side, you're their mysterious stranger. We're all just NPCs in the Stranger's game.
it wouldent work, they would have to make him immortal because u can litterally just shoot him with a fatman. or just place C4 at his feet and hide behind a boulder.
Isn't the protagonist, the main character, a freaking serial killer? You don't get the chance to talk your way out of situations with raiders, or gunners, etc. No bribing, no talking, just killing. 9/10 from a far distance unless ur in power armor then ur still slaughtering by the trove, just at closer ranges lol
@@nicholaswallen8147 technically with the intimidate perk; you can just make them surrender and strip them of gear. Still a bit looney, but not SERIAL killerish... unless you then proceed to kill them after... then it's more serial killerish.
I could be wrong, but I think I found a terminal in some police lockup in Fallout 4 that had the journal of a guy turned raider that also had The Stranger save him. After he became a raider, he'd die by the magnum of The Stranger.
This channel is such a hidden gem. I still laugh at the zoom in on the Powder Ganger's face with the "So relaxing" text while he was being beaten to death by a cattle prod in that challenge. May the algorithm smile upon you.
He's gonna blow up soon. For the longest time he only had a few thousand followers, now he's rapidly approaching 50k. Within the next year or so I see him having a big jump to 100-250k
Check out the channel “Grimbeard Diaries”. I’m pretty sure under 25k sub growth in the past two years but the content makes the term “authentic” be an insult to the creators integrity.
Do keep in mind that Nyarlathotep in some fiction is the entity responsible for handing nuclear technology to humanity. The setting of the whole fallout universe can be a grand plan of the crawling chaos itself.
On the other hand, mysterious strangers may be elder gods who fight against the outer gods as the mysterious stranger is often seems to be a benevolent being that protect the lone wonder and sole survivor who will be instrumental in foiling the plan of the outer gods ( even though players may choose evil choices)
@@john_blues The origin of Nyarlathotep help humanity develop nuclear weapon is from the novel The Shadow From the Steeple. In the story, Nyarlathotep possessed Dr. Dexter and help humanity develop the nuclear weapon.
Stephen King's Dark Tower stories had a faction of Gunslinger-Knights not unlike this Mysterious Stranger Organization theory, Camelot comparison and all. They were pretty central to the whole thing.
It would be interesting to see a religion/cult similar to the Children of Atom that instead worship the Mysterious Stranger. Maybe they are given a special power or often visited by him similar to how the Children of Atom are seemingly immune to radiation.
In true fallout fashion, during the quest it would be revealed that the stranger they worship is a fake and at the very end you'll encounter the real stranger in a brief but surreal moment that leaves you wondering if what you've just seen was real
@@TiddyTwyster I think in the situation you meet the real stranger, you would be fighting the fake stranger and the real deals the finale blow to the fake in a scripted event.
Fallout 1- the vault dweller Fallout 2- the chosen one Fallout 3- lone wanderer Fallout new vegas- the courier Fallout 4- sole survivor Fallout 5- the mysterious stranger
I would love to see your take on the PIP-Boy and VATS - it seems like they allow the player character to do many things that no one else can do, and it strikes me as odd that not even groups like the Enclave or BoS employ them. Cheers!
@@GlizzyGoblin757 Well, then it must somehow interface with the person's brain or eyes, in that it can provide all this information without any visible holograms or the need for any eyewear/helmet. Yes, I realize this is a gameplay & story segregation, but I'd like to see it explored more...
I always get the Mysterious Stranger perk whenever I play any of the Fallout games. I was about 8 when I played this game for the first time. His character has and always will be my favorite. Thanks for the great video !!
Two more things that support your theory: 1) Lovecraftian creatures were often known to project thoughts into the minds of humans, often taking the forms of sounds or music that other people around them could not hear. Thus, the music we hear from the Magnums may not be actual music, but a mental projection of music that only our character can hear. 2) The fact that Nick is the only companion who seems to notice them also fits - Nick being a Synth means that his mind would not be subject to any sort of Eldritch-triggered amnesia or selective blindness that a human mind would be. It does seem like X6-88 should be able to see the Stranger, but perhaps he either disregards it or his Gen 3 Synth brain is human enough that it isn't immune to the Stranger's abilities to either hide his presence from humans or make them forget he was there. Very interesting video and a solid theory!
Imagine if the mysterious stranger really is a series of different men, grandfather to father to son and onwards. All of them eldritch in some manner, all passing the role down to their kid.
Thats a nice theory of the mysterious stranger being the lonesome drifter, and that the strangers are a group of knights killing for the main characters
It's stated by his son that there's another ancient city below the american west. Obviously the mysterious stranger found this area before the war and has a similar immortality that he gained from finding some artifact.
Since I've found your channel, I've been eating up your content. You've truly delivered great video essay's in regards to tickling an itch for a long-time Fallout fan. Keep up the phenomenal work!
Me: listening to nice narration, slowly drifting off to sleep. mid video ad: INCOGMEATO. TASTES LIKE MEAT, MADE WITH PLANTS. WHAT, AFRAID YOU MIGHT LIKE IT? me: 🧿👄🧿
Mysterious stranger could also be a synth. Could explain there time travel wardrobe. Nick looks like hed be one but hes skin was distinguished and menory wiped from fighting. Maybe hes hunting another version of himself. Its interesting
I really like this theory. And not one I have thought of. I was on board with The Mysterious Stranger being more than one person. Kind of like Bond. Or a Sith Lord.
What happens if .. The Ghoul is the mysterious stranger, looking for barb for over 200 years, helping dwellers in hope of a clue to find his family, there are a few accounts of him looking ghoulish, nick valentine has also commented on his style, he's got a hand cannon pistol, if Lucy has over 4 Luck, in which it's meant to be 7, who's to say she doesn't have the perk ;)
I get the strong feeling that the Mysterious Stranger/Miss Fortune was the result of some Pre-War experiement that didn't go exactly according to plan.
I remember watching my roommate play fallout 3 and the Stranger would appear. I asked about him and he didn’t seem to know anything about him. Also, I don’t even remember the Stranger being effective, he would show up when not actually needed, shoot the enemy, and leave
@@GlizzyGoblin757 unless their from a timeline where the MC fails and they are interfering to change key moments when the MC would die. He's trying to guide the MC into an alternate desired future that the Mysterious stranger is trying to create.
Man I really do feel bad for you, so underrated, I really didn't know alot of the lore, I tried watching other lore youtubers but none were as good as ur explanation, thank u alot. 😊😊
I like to imagine him kinda like that one Rick and Morty assassin. A sociopath who just enjoys his job way too much. “I just like killing” - Mysterious Stranger 🦦
I always assumed Nick Valentine was the Fallout 3 mysterious stranger. I mean they wear the exact same outfit, and they kind of hint to it with Nick's comments on his clothing. Shaun would have been in his 50's during the events of F3, so the Institute's Synth tech would have already been perfected. It would make sense that they would have been sending them to other locations outside the Commonwealth, considering they had teleportation. He was a much older model that no1 had seen before, and had lost all of his past memories. Plus considering how wrecked he was, he had clearly been in alot of combat and won.
I genuinely like that theory of the stranger being a cult and your only way in is to catch a stranger! I can picture in my head a little meeting where the strangers are meeting and they’re all making references to the different titles they were in 😮💨😮💨
I think i actually prefer the idea of this being some uber mysterious faction, and maybe Miss Fortune doesn't go by mysterious stranger anymore because she broke a rule and got kicked out, but she still believes in the objectives of the group and so took on a new persona to continue her work
Did you know you can knock the mysterious stranger unconscious in fallout 3 I used vats with a knife and he spawned directly in front of me it only takes one hit to knock him unconscious as well
Great breakdown. I also find it interesting the opposite of mysterious stranger could be familiar friend, which is the feeling I get when he appears after a short hiatus. Like an old friend making a cameo appearance at the BBQ
I've got a theory exactly like yours with one exception, the strangers in the first game are just followers of the true one which explains why they don't teleport away like the one we know now and how you can kill them.
I just recently found this channel and it is hands down my favorite thing to watch on RUclips. The time put into these videos is incredible! I love the fallout universe and this channel covers some of my favorite things in the games. Keep the vids coming synonymous!
Perhaps both the lonesome drifter and his mother were changed in some way by their encounter with the mysterious stranger, as new vegas also features a Miss Fortune
I actually think the versions from Fallout 1 and 2 are the later versions of the Stranger. That's why his clothing is more worn out and has a unique weapon which he acquired during his shenanigans. It's like Doctor Who and River Song.
@@Bigjoebig Stop repeating their vocabulary. You‘re not afraid of trans people, you have common sense and know that it is impossible to change your gender.
Yes. I'm not a long-time "been there since the first game" fan, I've just recently picked up the Fallout games and I have been loving them so far (started playing New Vegas, 4, 3, and 2 just last year and planning to play 1 very soon). It doesn't really surprise me if it somehow gets confirmed that the Mysterious Stranger is one of the Eldritch gods in the future. Having the Luck Stat actually reinforces that. Out of all the SPECIAL stats, Luck is the only one that can be invested on but can never really explained as to how it works. Knowing that it's canon that Aliens exist in the Fallout universe, there may be a cosmic force out there who's looking down on you and guiding you more and more the more Luck stat you invest on your character. So having the Mysterious Stranger as Nyarlathotep is very likely since: a) You need the luck stat usually to unlock the Stranger's perk which acts like a level of worship to the cosmic forces; b) Nyarlathotep is commonly known as the Messenger of the Outer Gods in the HP Lovecraft Mythos, so he is the one more likely to physically appear in your gameplay; and c) It is known that Outer Gods have cults that worship them, Nyarlathotep instead is the one directly interacting with these cults and taking care of more direct affairs with these cults in the Deity's absence, which is why he is the one directly aiding you in combat when your Luck stat (or worship-to-the-Elder-Gods stat) is high enough. And I also want to point out, it also makes sense too that in the game where you play as a Messenger, the Courier, this is where your Luck Stat is most utilized (in the Casinos to gain caps, in certain speech or dialogue options, etc.) Additionally as well, this is the only game out of all the titles where you can directly wield the weapon of the Messenger, the Mysterious Magnum.
"Fallout is canon to Warhammer 40k and the Stranger is the Emperor. The Emperor protects, as does the Stranger." -A guy at a local hobby shop I buy from time to time
I legit had this exact thought just a few seconds ago. I was musing to myself that the fallout universe is the 40k universe and that the stranger is the Emperor saving a person of interest to his grand plans.
I love the idea that the Lonesome Drifter is a new Mysterious Stranger, such a neat arc. I always thought it would be interesting if the Mysterious Strangers have ties to the Eldrich beings/gods, as they would serve as perfect guardians and beings that can manipulate fates of certain important people (each protagonist for ex). I hope we get more information about these beings, because I also think the Zeta aliens are tied to the Eldrich beings.
Crazy theory, but you mention the theory of the mysterious wanderer being a ghoul and this is how he's lived so long, what if Cooper Howard from the TV show is the wanderer and that's what he was doing all those years. It's a bit out there but would be cool
Interesting theory, although I disagree about the MS being Nyarlathotep. It is made relatively clear in the Lovecraft Mythos that Nyarlathotep is, as far as humans can actually comprehend him, an inherent malevolent and deceitful entity who actively works towards the annihilation of mankind.
My initial thought of the mysterious stranger was that he was an apparition of the Pip-Boy. I mean throughout the history of the games if you don't pick up the perk inside of your Pip-Boy he simply doesn't exist. Until Fallout New Vegas literally gave him a son and completely shat on my theory.
Holy crap. At the start of the video, I looked at my sister and said that the MS was the Crawling Chaos. (I can't spell his other name) And to hear you say that this is your favorite theory on it, kinda blows my mind , very cool.
Way to remind me of the eldrich horrors... now that rumbling is gunna gimme the willies again. But I agree that is the most likely possibility, or at the least the mysterious stranger is some form of champion for such an eldrich God. I also subscribe to the theory that Fallout is actually the past that leads to Elderscrolls; so the eldrich stranger theory does appeal to me, as it also backs the potential for magic in the "future".
I highly doubt we'll ever find out any real details about the Mysterious Stranger. My best guess is that the Mysterious Stranger is a synth, who has co-opted his own Institute teleportation technology. Going with this conjecture, the Mysterious Stranger has stolen Institute technology that can transfer their consciousness into a new body...after their current synth body becomes unusable. This could fit on why the Mysterious Stranger could be male or female, and why the Mysterious Stranger seems to be immortal. So, continue with this musing, maybe the Mysterious Stranger's son is also a synth? And maybe that's why the Mysterous Stranger is avoiding his son? (Added) And just for kicks, because the Fallout out folks like doing this, the Mysterious Stranger's consciousness is a copy of a 1950's actor who played a pulp hero. Going with this wild thought, this could help explain why Nick Valentine exists. And for some strange reason, folks who created the initial synths were obsessed in bringing their heroes--who were pulp detective characters--into real life. Crazier things have been done in Fallout.
I was playing new vegas i was in brotherhood base fleeing after self destruction of base i was in a narrow staircase using vats when miss fortune poppped up in front of the enemie i was trying to kill, a notification showed up saying critical strike on miss fortune. So that how i am a criminal in the 4th dimension.
My theory is that it's actually Vault-Tec, or at least a branch/vault thereof. (1)If one group can develop teleportation, others can. We have now seen multiple times teleportation has been used, developed independently, within the Fallout universe. (2) Everyone who has had dealings with this Mysterious Stranger has been wearing a pip-boy at the time. These items are radio equipped, and while we cannot transmit ourselves, we do know these are used by the Overseer to monitor us and assign jobs, so it is reasonable to assume they do have data capability. (3) All of the data from the vaults and their experiments would have to go to a central monitoring station/vault and, following standard Vault-Tec procedure, the technicians there probably had no idea of any of the experiments and had to watch the vaults and their charges die one by one... Wonder what would happen?
Just a thought, wouldn't your character be considered a "Mysterious Stranger" as well? Seeing as you seem to come apon people/settlements that are in dire need of divine help. Food for thought.
Personal theory is the mysterious stranger is a reference to the last gumslinger from the steven king book "dark tower" who has a revolver forged from the metal from the sword excalibur and goes through time to fight his enemeies
I have had probably 50 fallout playthroughs across all the games. I've only taken the perk once in New Vegas. I always do 1 luck builds because honestly luck doesn't matter. But I did a 10 luck build to get the gambling achievement and got the mysterious stranger perk. I think I saw him 3-4 times that playthrough and remember thinking it was a waist of a perk.
I've seen him in every fallout often, my luck is just enough to unlock him and I spec into Strength for melee because I just hate carrying guns and ammo they take up too much space lol
My guess is if the mysterious stranger is a entity, then he probably transfers itself between offspring like with the lonesome drifter. It would also explain why he has a gun, exactly like the strangers.
When I first played fallout 4 I though the Mysterious Stranger was the vault tech rep from the beginning because I hadn’t gone to the hotel in goodneigjbor yet
If it weren’t for companion reactions in fallout 4, id Throw in my theory that the mysterious stranger is just a “Tyler durden” type of extension of the player. In the fight club lore, “Tyler Durden” claims to be an entity that attaches to the narrators family over generations and brings out the worst in them. Though in this case it wouldn’t be tied to lineage all the time
My own theory that's quite similar to the one you said Pretty much the same, but, they are not Nyarlathotep him(it?)self, but instead, are followers granted power Further, I believe that The Lonesome Drifter in New Vegas was both the child of the Stranger in 3 and NV, but also IS the stranger in 4 After getting the Mysterious Magnum, he devoted himself, and was granted the power to serve his new master. The Fallout 4 Stranger has a different appearance to the earlier ones, and looks A LOT like the Drifter (comparing the images side by side, he looks like a slightly older, and healthier version of the Drifter). And it would make sense that Nyarlathotep would want his servants to be healthy, so they can properly do their jobs And he described his father as being very secretive and like a stranger, this could very well be because he is literally in a cult (and possibly quite an important member). And that's not something you just go around telling everyone. But perhaps he was ordered to give the Magnum to his son, because Nyarlathotep knew his son would be a perfect replacement for the aging father And his different appearances are because they're literally different people. And, both The Stranger and Miss Fortune are working together to defend the player. While one defends, the other can rest (everyone has to sleep sometimes). This is supported by the fact that they never show up at the same time, but are different, and have different skillsets. If they we're the same being, why would it use a different appearance and skillset randomly, rather than the same (very effective) one every time?
Something something a book by Mark Twain, Enjoy!
NOTE: Fallout 3's Mysterious Stranger is not named Farmer, this information is false! It was cited as such but that citation was incorrect. Please ignore the statement in the video.
Ok
Thank you kind sir!
Wait wait wait... where the hell is the old one in fallout 4 lol
Something you forgot. Mz Fortune and the MS use the same percentage. Having both doesn't increase any chance of aid, just splits the form it takes.
Eldritch huh? Sweet nod to Lovecraftian lore!
When you randomly encounter some NPCs fighting in the wasteland and decide to help one side, you're their mysterious stranger. We're all just NPCs in the Stranger's game.
Holy fuck.
that's a reasonable statement
🤯🤯🤯
Not if you kill them all
This made me shiver.
There should be a mod for that cut thing where if you try to kill the Lonesome drifter, the Mysterious stranger appears and one shots you lol
Z'ACTLY
Bound to exist
Or shows up silently when you steal from his son looking at you to return the goods
@@evilmonkeyfromchriscloset1211 somewhere in the bushes or above the bill bourd 😂
it wouldent work, they would have to make him immortal because u can litterally just shoot him with a fatman. or just place C4 at his feet and hide behind a boulder.
Nick Valentine: "The mysterious stranger is probably a serial killer."
You: "Yeah... um... that's not important."
Isn't the protagonist, the main character, a freaking serial killer? You don't get the chance to talk your way out of situations with raiders, or gunners, etc. No bribing, no talking, just killing. 9/10 from a far distance unless ur in power armor then ur still slaughtering by the trove, just at closer ranges lol
@@nicholaswallen8147 it's not like they're giving you any choice
Nicholas Wallen self defenses yee haw chuckle fuck
@@nicholaswallen8147 technically with the intimidate perk; you can just make them surrender and strip them of gear. Still a bit looney, but not SERIAL killerish... unless you then proceed to kill them after... then it's more serial killerish.
You're not a serial killer if you're being shot at by a dozen raiders, and one has a fucking fatman. 🤣
Who else was waiting for the mysterious stranger jingle to play at some point.
Me
😉ooff hes a star in my movie i shagg good but im not good in shooting
@@escanor8798 bruh.. this ain’t it
Synonymous almost never shows the example that he's talking about, I guess he's more of a "Tell don't show" type.
I'm still waiting.
I could be wrong, but I think I found a terminal in some police lockup in Fallout 4 that had the journal of a guy turned raider that also had The Stranger save him. After he became a raider, he'd die by the magnum of The Stranger.
Awesome! I was trying to find other individuals who have witnessed the mysterious stranger but couldn't, so thank you for pointing this out 😁👍
Shoot I’m gonna give that a look, have any idea which one
@@alexmontgomery1176 I think it was near Eddie Winter's diner or something. I think
That definitely does sound familiar just can’t tell from where
Basically the stranger doesn't care whether or not your player is good or evil, he just helps whoever without question (unless you try to attack them)
This channel is such a hidden gem. I still laugh at the zoom in on the Powder Ganger's face with the "So relaxing" text while he was being beaten to death by a cattle prod in that challenge. May the algorithm smile upon you.
He's gonna blow up soon. For the longest time he only had a few thousand followers, now he's rapidly approaching 50k. Within the next year or so I see him having a big jump to 100-250k
@@shikarixox1195 he makes content like he does already
I do agree
I’ve only been following him for a couple weeks and he has gotten like 2 or 3 thousand in that time.
Check out the channel “Grimbeard Diaries”. I’m pretty sure under 25k sub growth in the past two years but the content makes the term “authentic” be an insult to the creators integrity.
Do keep in mind that Nyarlathotep in some fiction is the entity responsible for handing nuclear technology to humanity. The setting of the whole fallout universe can be a grand plan of the crawling chaos itself.
On the other hand, mysterious strangers may be elder gods who fight against the outer gods as the mysterious stranger is often seems to be a benevolent being that protect the lone wonder and sole survivor who will be instrumental in foiling the plan of the outer gods ( even though players may choose evil choices)
Wow you spelled Nyarlathotdp correctly and I'm amazed
Some theories I heard of say that either the aliens or Ug-Qualtoth started the great war.
@@john_blues The origin of Nyarlathotep help humanity develop nuclear weapon is from the novel The Shadow From the Steeple. In the story, Nyarlathotep possessed Dr. Dexter and help humanity develop the nuclear weapon.
Stephen King's Dark Tower stories had a faction of Gunslinger-Knights not unlike this Mysterious Stranger Organization theory, Camelot comparison and all. They were pretty central to the whole thing.
Roland Deschain if I'm not mistaken, I've read the books and attempted the movie...what a mess that was 😂
@@Synonymous101 how are they gonna not give us Eddie and Suzannah?
@@papagalooleo559 and let's not forget about Oy
The jingle when he shows up is the todash chimes
@@Synonymous101 at least the fight scenes were pretty dope. I still think about that reload bit to this day.
I really hope the Stranger's lore is expanded on in the next Fallout. Not all of it of course, but just enough for more questions.
Hopefully it also gives us a few more questions to ponder
Eh somethings should never come to light. Why tease anything about his existence when at his core suppose to be anonymous?
It would be interesting to see a religion/cult similar to the Children of Atom that instead worship the Mysterious Stranger. Maybe they are given a special power or often visited by him similar to how the Children of Atom are seemingly immune to radiation.
Literally the tribes in New vegas dlc with the Cave spirit that was a Ranger
In true fallout fashion, during the quest it would be revealed that the stranger they worship is a fake and at the very end you'll encounter the real stranger in a brief but surreal moment that leaves you wondering if what you've just seen was real
yes
@@TiddyTwyster I think in the situation you meet the real stranger, you would be fighting the fake stranger and the real deals the finale blow to the fake in a scripted event.
In fallout three you have the regulators. They are a faction that for the most part follows along those lines.
Clearly the protagonist from Fallout 5 using time travel equipment from The Institute
You realize you came a better plot than Fallout 4
@@robertmcgowan315 He came?
@@moth8775 Ha meant to say came up with, don't English well on no coffee ha ha
@@robertmcgowan315 I'm gonna english myself until I speak or write like an North American.
Super mutants Brain hurty need no help need fight
Fallout 1- the vault dweller
Fallout 2- the chosen one
Fallout 3- lone wanderer
Fallout new vegas- the courier
Fallout 4- sole survivor
Fallout 5- the mysterious stranger
That'd go hard.
So Fallout Montana? That’d be interesting.
@@caesarseizure1625 They said it will take place in Los Angeles
I would love to see your take on the PIP-Boy and VATS - it seems like they allow the player character to do many things that no one else can do, and it strikes me as odd that not even groups like the Enclave or BoS employ them. Cheers!
BoS does use them. Rarely, but they do. It's uncommon tech.
in the lore its justs helps aim. Vats literally means vault tec assisted targeting system. Seeing as pipboys arent very common, neither is vats
@@GlizzyGoblin757 yes, but it also does so much more.
@@biostemm Yeah, in game. But in the lore it most likely doesnt freeze time.
@@GlizzyGoblin757 Well, then it must somehow interface with the person's brain or eyes, in that it can provide all this information without any visible holograms or the need for any eyewear/helmet. Yes, I realize this is a gameplay & story segregation, but I'd like to see it explored more...
I never would have guessed that there is potentially so much lore behind a seemingly hidden character.
I always get the Mysterious Stranger perk whenever I play any of the Fallout games. I was about 8 when I played this game for the first time. His character has and always will be my favorite. Thanks for the great video !!
Same I love the mysterious and all the lore... endlesss lore.
Another connection to a supernatural entity is the Mysterious Stranger from Mark Twain.
That's a sorry name for an Angel
@@Heavysscreams The Mysterious Stranger that Mark Twain wrote about was named "Satan".
@@Gakusangi And satan is an angel...
@@Heavysscreamshahaha nice ref
Yooo, so glad some1 said it, I was thinking the exact thing! Including the shapeshifting and mind-bending interactions 👌🏿
The Lonesome Drifter is literally the post-apocalyptic version of Johnny Cash.
So is his name Sue?😁
They should bring back miss fortune, it's hilarious when she appears and knocks an entire group of people down and blowing them up.
Two more things that support your theory:
1) Lovecraftian creatures were often known to project thoughts into the minds of humans, often taking the forms of sounds or music that other people around them could not hear. Thus, the music we hear from the Magnums may not be actual music, but a mental projection of music that only our character can hear.
2) The fact that Nick is the only companion who seems to notice them also fits - Nick being a Synth means that his mind would not be subject to any sort of Eldritch-triggered amnesia or selective blindness that a human mind would be. It does seem like X6-88 should be able to see the Stranger, but perhaps he either disregards it or his Gen 3 Synth brain is human enough that it isn't immune to the Stranger's abilities to either hide his presence from humans or make them forget he was there.
Very interesting video and a solid theory!
Imagine if the mysterious stranger really is a series of different men, grandfather to father to son and onwards. All of them eldritch in some manner, all passing the role down to their kid.
This channel is severely underrated, still hoping for that video on cazadores lol. Good luck brother, keep up with the great content!!!
Soon...
The Mysterious Stranger is probably a Time Traveler trying to restore or protect the Timeline
I see you are a man of culture as well
Or to fuck up the timeline
The mysterious strange can no other be the Chosen One. The Chad fallout character
Thats a nice theory of the mysterious stranger being the lonesome drifter, and that the strangers are a group of knights killing for the main characters
I literally hated the fo4 stranger but that point he made makes sense. In that it's the lonesome drifter
The mysterious stranger is obviously an immortal similar to Lorenzo Cabot.
It's stated by his son that there's another ancient city below the american west. Obviously the mysterious stranger found this area before the war and has a similar immortality that he gained from finding some artifact.
Is his 44. Magnum an artifact? Lol
@@Buddy7550 ....YES
@@thomas19406 good point.
But there are also multiple strangers
Since I've found your channel, I've been eating up your content. You've truly delivered great video essay's in regards to tickling an itch for a long-time Fallout fan. Keep up the phenomenal work!
Me: listening to nice narration, slowly drifting off to sleep.
mid video ad: INCOGMEATO. TASTES LIKE MEAT, MADE WITH PLANTS. WHAT, AFRAID YOU MIGHT LIKE IT?
me: 🧿👄🧿
Mysterious stranger could also be a synth. Could explain there time travel wardrobe. Nick looks like hed be one but hes skin was distinguished and menory wiped from fighting. Maybe hes hunting another version of himself. Its interesting
Nick uses a pipe pistol
I'd like that theory but isn't his entire history explained in far harbor if you bring him?
@@sirlothric6357 yup
Yes and no you learn about part of his backstory doing his companion quest with Eddie and the other half is in far harbor
Love that this starts with a Lovecraft quote.
Me: so, who is Mysterious Stranger?
Synonymous: Nyarlathotep
Me: Understandable, have a nice day
I really like this theory. And not one I have thought of. I was on board with The Mysterious Stranger being more than one person. Kind of like Bond. Or a Sith Lord.
What happens if ..
The Ghoul is the mysterious stranger, looking for barb for over 200 years, helping dwellers in hope of a clue to find his family, there are a few accounts of him looking ghoulish, nick valentine has also commented on his style, he's got a hand cannon pistol,
if Lucy has over 4 Luck, in which it's meant to be 7, who's to say she doesn't have the perk ;)
BABE WAKE UP SYNONYMOUS IS GOING AFTER THE MYSTERIOUS STRANGER- BABE I DON’T CARE IF ITS MIDNIGHT WAKE UP-
The Mysterious Stranger being an Eldritch being is now probably my favourite piece of Fallout lore
I get the strong feeling that the Mysterious Stranger/Miss Fortune was the result of some Pre-War experiement that didn't go exactly according to plan.
Doesn't miss fortune just make you more lucky with caps
Quantum Leap style perhaps?
@@keithstone1321that’s the fortune finder perk.
Yes I know it’s been more than a year just couldn’t help myself.
@@blackeastertheguy I'm still here and I'm still playing lmao
Time traveling synths intervening in key points of time to shape history
Brooooo!!! This video had me on the edge of my seat! Great work!
I remember watching my roommate play fallout 3 and the Stranger would appear. I asked about him and he didn’t seem to know anything about him. Also, I don’t even remember the Stranger being effective, he would show up when not actually needed, shoot the enemy, and leave
In one of my many NV runs with max luck (for casino achievement) he nearly showed up 50% of my vats fights. Saved me a few times. He is a true Chad.
I'm glad that you finally posted something about the mysterious stranger. I really do appreciate your uploads!
What if he/she is a time traveler who knows the importance of the main character and his/her choises?
but if he knew the importance of the mc, hed know they succeed anyway so their isnt really a need for him to time travel.
@@GlizzyGoblin757 unless their from a timeline where the MC fails and they are interfering to change key moments when the MC would die. He's trying to guide the MC into an alternate desired future that the Mysterious stranger is trying to create.
@@jacobwiles7729 somehow i don't think the devs thought that deeply about it 😅
@@markshaw270 probably not, but it's fun to theorize. If that is what the devs are going for it was likely an after thought
@@jacobwiles7729 yes true
Man I really do feel bad for you, so underrated, I really didn't know alot of the lore, I tried watching other lore youtubers but none were as good as ur explanation, thank u alot. 😊😊
I figured he was a time traveller, who popped into the players timeline at critical junctures where he would have died to ensure he lived.
the mysterious stranger is my dad please tell him to come home :(
Wait wh who is this. I got a verti dispatched to your location pal.
He will arrive in your time of need :)
Omg guys i found the lonesome drofter
Use vats
So the Lone ad one Drifter's real name is Von C. Interesting
"Now ya owe me!"
“Now we’re even.”
I like to imagine him kinda like that one Rick and Morty assassin. A sociopath who just enjoys his job way too much.
“I just like killing”
- Mysterious Stranger 🦦
Maybe
krombopulus micheal i think it was. if this is the case ima have to go get me a buismess card
i didn’t think much about it but no wonder he’s using a regular 44 now, he gave the other one to his son...
The Main Fact:)
He's Mysteriously Strange
I always assumed Nick Valentine was the Fallout 3 mysterious stranger.
I mean they wear the exact same outfit, and they kind of hint to it with Nick's comments on his clothing.
Shaun would have been in his 50's during the events of F3, so the Institute's Synth tech would have already been perfected. It would make sense that they would have been sending them to other locations outside the Commonwealth, considering they had teleportation.
He was a much older model that no1 had seen before, and had lost all of his past memories. Plus considering how wrecked he was, he had clearly been in alot of combat and won.
In my head cannon the Mysterious Stranger is now Howard Copper.
I genuinely like that theory of the stranger being a cult and your only way in is to catch a stranger! I can picture in my head a little meeting where the strangers are meeting and they’re all making references to the different titles they were in 😮💨😮💨
The Mysterious Stranger is the champion of Taris Dueling Ring.
Yesss, absolutely love this lore-esk content
I think i actually prefer the idea of this being some uber mysterious faction, and maybe Miss Fortune doesn't go by mysterious stranger anymore because she broke a rule and got kicked out, but she still believes in the objectives of the group and so took on a new persona to continue her work
Did you know you can knock the mysterious stranger unconscious in fallout 3 I used vats with a knife and he spawned directly in front of me it only takes one hit to knock him unconscious as well
I tried killing him with console commands, he just lay down and then stood back up!
These videos are getting me more and more interested in the lore of fallout.
Fallout's lore is PHENOMENAL. I've been super fascinated with it since before NV was even released. It's so cool to watch this world develop.
Great breakdown. I also find it interesting the opposite of mysterious stranger could be familiar friend, which is the feeling I get when he appears after a short hiatus. Like an old friend making a cameo appearance at the BBQ
Yay! Another video. Your channel is so perfect. A real hidden gem. I hope RUclips favours you with their algorithm
I've got a theory exactly like yours with one exception, the strangers in the first game are just followers of the true one which explains why they don't teleport away like the one we know now and how you can kill them.
I just recently found this channel and it is hands down my favorite thing to watch on RUclips. The time put into these videos is incredible! I love the fallout universe and this channel covers some of my favorite things in the games. Keep the vids coming synonymous!
Perhaps both the lonesome drifter and his mother were changed in some way by their encounter with the mysterious stranger, as new vegas also features a Miss Fortune
I have the mysterious stranger's music as a notification sound for my phone ❤
I always felt like there was some connection to Stephen Kings the dark tower series. The stranger is a gunslinger from another dimension.
the mysterious stranger is just mysterious and strange.
i like to call him rick ....
I actually think the versions from Fallout 1 and 2 are the later versions of the Stranger. That's why his clothing is more worn out and has a unique weapon which he acquired during his shenanigans. It's like Doctor Who and River Song.
Love this theory, definitely the one I'll headcanon going forward.
Cool im transphobic
@@Bigjoebig Stop repeating their vocabulary. You‘re not afraid of trans people, you have common sense and know that it is impossible to change your gender.
Yes. I'm not a long-time "been there since the first game" fan, I've just recently picked up the Fallout games and I have been loving them so far (started playing New Vegas, 4, 3, and 2 just last year and planning to play 1 very soon). It doesn't really surprise me if it somehow gets confirmed that the Mysterious Stranger is one of the Eldritch gods in the future.
Having the Luck Stat actually reinforces that. Out of all the SPECIAL stats, Luck is the only one that can be invested on but can never really explained as to how it works. Knowing that it's canon that Aliens exist in the Fallout universe, there may be a cosmic force out there who's looking down on you and guiding you more and more the more Luck stat you invest on your character. So having the Mysterious Stranger as Nyarlathotep is very likely since: a) You need the luck stat usually to unlock the Stranger's perk which acts like a level of worship to the cosmic forces; b) Nyarlathotep is commonly known as the Messenger of the Outer Gods in the HP Lovecraft Mythos, so he is the one more likely to physically appear in your gameplay; and c) It is known that Outer Gods have cults that worship them, Nyarlathotep instead is the one directly interacting with these cults and taking care of more direct affairs with these cults in the Deity's absence, which is why he is the one directly aiding you in combat when your Luck stat (or worship-to-the-Elder-Gods stat) is high enough.
And I also want to point out, it also makes sense too that in the game where you play as a Messenger, the Courier, this is where your Luck Stat is most utilized (in the Casinos to gain caps, in certain speech or dialogue options, etc.) Additionally as well, this is the only game out of all the titles where you can directly wield the weapon of the Messenger, the Mysterious Magnum.
My guess is you've thought more about the Mysterious Stranger than Bethesda has. They need to come to you for ideas.
"Fallout is canon to Warhammer 40k and the Stranger is the Emperor. The Emperor protects, as does the Stranger." -A guy at a local hobby shop I buy from time to time
I legit had this exact thought just a few seconds ago. I was musing to myself that the fallout universe is the 40k universe and that the stranger is the Emperor saving a person of interest to his grand plans.
Dates don't add up and the Emperor doesn't time travel.
your comment annoys me , not in the you are wrong but in i call him rick (nothing against the emperor tough)
I really do hope that the devs have thought about this as much as you have. I look forward to seeing where they take it. Great video again.
Always thought it was weird how MS and Nick basically wore the same clothes, but also the Vault Tec rep.
"Vanishes quickly as they come"
Me too, MS, Mee too.
I love the idea that the Lonesome Drifter is a new Mysterious Stranger, such a neat arc. I always thought it would be interesting if the Mysterious Strangers have ties to the Eldrich beings/gods, as they would serve as perfect guardians and beings that can manipulate fates of certain important people (each protagonist for ex). I hope we get more information about these beings, because I also think the Zeta aliens are tied to the Eldrich beings.
I based my Red Dead online character off of the Fallout 3 and 4 mysterious stranger get up
Holy crap that sounds cool what did you do for the coat and hat?
Crazy theory, but you mention the theory of the mysterious wanderer being a ghoul and this is how he's lived so long, what if Cooper Howard from the TV show is the wanderer and that's what he was doing all those years. It's a bit out there but would be cool
Interesting theory, although I disagree about the MS being Nyarlathotep. It is made relatively clear in the Lovecraft Mythos that Nyarlathotep is, as far as humans can actually comprehend him, an inherent malevolent and deceitful entity who actively works towards the annihilation of mankind.
How many people do you kill in your average playthrough?
My initial thought of the mysterious stranger was that he was an apparition of the Pip-Boy. I mean throughout the history of the games if you don't pick up the perk inside of your Pip-Boy he simply doesn't exist. Until Fallout New Vegas literally gave him a son and completely shat on my theory.
Hey Synonymous, great video! I can only imagine how much research and prep went into this, keep up the awesome work!
Plot twist : he’s always there with you, he’s a stalker. He’s just too shy to speak
hey thanks for listing for my suggestion! i haven’t finished the vid but juding by the title it’ll be good
@Christian Ball nice
Mysteriously stranger is just a person in the wastes too nice not too help, but in the wasteland to find some one kind needs a bit of luck.
I wanna know more about those places that you said the Stranger could be interested in. I've never heard of or seen them in the games at all
Holy crap. At the start of the video, I looked at my sister and said that the MS was the Crawling Chaos. (I can't spell his other name)
And to hear you say that this is your favorite theory on it, kinda blows my mind , very cool.
Way to remind me of the eldrich horrors... now that rumbling is gunna gimme the willies again. But I agree that is the most likely possibility, or at the least the mysterious stranger is some form of champion for such an eldrich God. I also subscribe to the theory that Fallout is actually the past that leads to Elderscrolls; so the eldrich stranger theory does appeal to me, as it also backs the potential for magic in the "future".
I highly doubt we'll ever find out any real details about the Mysterious Stranger.
My best guess is that the Mysterious Stranger is a synth, who has co-opted his own Institute teleportation technology. Going with this conjecture, the Mysterious Stranger has stolen Institute technology that can transfer their consciousness into a new body...after their current synth body becomes unusable. This could fit on why the Mysterious Stranger could be male or female, and why the Mysterious Stranger seems to be immortal.
So, continue with this musing, maybe the Mysterious Stranger's son is also a synth? And maybe that's why the Mysterous Stranger is avoiding his son?
(Added) And just for kicks, because the Fallout out folks like doing this, the Mysterious Stranger's consciousness is a copy of a 1950's actor who played a pulp hero. Going with this wild thought, this could help explain why Nick Valentine exists. And for some strange reason, folks who created the initial synths were obsessed in bringing their heroes--who were pulp detective characters--into real life. Crazier things have been done in Fallout.
I was playing new vegas i was in brotherhood base fleeing after self destruction of base i was in a narrow staircase using vats when miss fortune poppped up in front of the enemie i was trying to kill, a notification showed up saying critical strike on miss fortune. So that how i am a criminal in the 4th dimension.
We all know it’s just the spirit of the Arizona Ranger with the Big Iron on his hip.
In the thumbnail, hes got a big ass iron
My theory is that it's actually Vault-Tec, or at least a branch/vault thereof. (1)If one group can develop teleportation, others can. We have now seen multiple times teleportation has been used, developed independently, within the Fallout universe. (2) Everyone who has had dealings with this Mysterious Stranger has been wearing a pip-boy at the time. These items are radio equipped, and while we cannot transmit ourselves, we do know these are used by the Overseer to monitor us and assign jobs, so it is reasonable to assume they do have data capability. (3) All of the data from the vaults and their experiments would have to go to a central monitoring station/vault and, following standard Vault-Tec procedure, the technicians there probably had no idea of any of the experiments and had to watch the vaults and their charges die one by one...
Wonder what would happen?
Just a thought, wouldn't your character be considered a "Mysterious Stranger" as well? Seeing as you seem to come apon people/settlements that are in dire need of divine help.
Food for thought.
That'd explain the godlike and eldritch nature of Fallout Protagonists.
Personal theory is the mysterious stranger is a reference to the last gumslinger from the steven king book "dark tower" who has a revolver forged from the metal from the sword excalibur and goes through time to fight his enemeies
Roland
May this offering to the algorithm bring you prosperity.
One thing I can say, during my playthroughs of multiple fallout games, I don't think I've ever seen the mysterious stranger. Truly mysterious.
Same. I mean I’ve only played 2 fallout games but I have hundreds of hours in them and I haven’t seen him once
It’s a uh perk
You need a perk
I have had probably 50 fallout playthroughs across all the games. I've only taken the perk once in New Vegas. I always do 1 luck builds because honestly luck doesn't matter. But I did a 10 luck build to get the gambling achievement and got the mysterious stranger perk. I think I saw him 3-4 times that playthrough and remember thinking it was a waist of a perk.
I've seen him in every fallout often, my luck is just enough to unlock him and I spec into Strength for melee because I just hate carrying guns and ammo they take up too much space lol
My guess is if the mysterious stranger is a entity, then he probably transfers itself between offspring like with the lonesome drifter. It would also explain why he has a gun, exactly like the strangers.
When I first played fallout 4 I though the Mysterious Stranger was the vault tech rep from the beginning because I hadn’t gone to the hotel in goodneigjbor yet
The lovecraftian turn was a surprise, but a welcome one to be sure
Wow I totally thot it was a mark twain connection to the “angel” from his book “The Mysterious Stranger”
They should've kept the fallout new vegas cut content for the lonesome drifter
If it weren’t for companion reactions in fallout 4, id Throw in my theory that the mysterious stranger is just a “Tyler durden” type of extension of the player. In the fight club lore, “Tyler Durden” claims to be an entity that attaches to the narrators family over generations and brings out the worst in them. Though in this case it wouldn’t be tied to lineage all the time
Nyarlathotep is my favorite Lovecraftian entity. I love this theory.
My own theory that's quite similar to the one you said
Pretty much the same, but, they are not Nyarlathotep him(it?)self, but instead, are followers granted power
Further, I believe that The Lonesome Drifter in New Vegas was both the child of the Stranger in 3 and NV, but also IS the stranger in 4
After getting the Mysterious Magnum, he devoted himself, and was granted the power to serve his new master. The Fallout 4 Stranger has a different appearance to the earlier ones, and looks A LOT like the Drifter (comparing the images side by side, he looks like a slightly older, and healthier version of the Drifter). And it would make sense that Nyarlathotep would want his servants to be healthy, so they can properly do their jobs
And he described his father as being very secretive and like a stranger, this could very well be because he is literally in a cult (and possibly quite an important member). And that's not something you just go around telling everyone. But perhaps he was ordered to give the Magnum to his son, because Nyarlathotep knew his son would be a perfect replacement for the aging father
And his different appearances are because they're literally different people. And, both The Stranger and Miss Fortune are working together to defend the player. While one defends, the other can rest (everyone has to sleep sometimes). This is supported by the fact that they never show up at the same time, but are different, and have different skillsets. If they we're the same being, why would it use a different appearance and skillset randomly, rather than the same (very effective) one every time?