What are Ghouls in the Fallout series? Explained

In the wild wastelands of Amazon Prime Video's new Fallout series, ghouls are humans who got affected by the extreme radiation after the nuclear war and turned into mutants.

One of those mutants, called simply the Ghoul, played by Walton Goggins, has particularly intrigued fans for his merciless gunslinging.

The show takes place in a retro-futuristic post-apocalypse, following a devastating nuclear war that killed the vegetation and turned the planet into a giant wasteland, where the remaining population survives in metal chambers called Vaults.

Created by Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Dworet, and written by the mastermind Jonathan Nolan, the show stars Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, Kyle MacLachlan, Moisés Arias, Xelia Mendes-Jones and Walton Goggins.

---

What are Ghouls?

Ghouls are a specific kind of monster that originated in ancient Arabian mythology, as part of a pre-Islamic religion. They are essentially grave robbers and flesh-eaters who survive on dead human flesh.

Ghouls appear to be a demon-like humanoid, walking straight on two feet but are foul and ill-mannered.

The concept of ghoul has been used often in pop culture before the Fallout series. Japanese anime Tokyo Ghoul, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Ghoul the prominent examples.

---

Ghouls in the Fallout series are not ghosts

Fallout Poster (Image via Fallout/Instagram)

In the Fallout series, ghouls are those humans who could not escape from the Great War and were affected by excessive radiation.

They appear to be like ghosts but are post-humans or a mutated form of humans. The skin of the ghouls got ravaged by the bombs, and their flesh rots over time, giving them a monstrous look, which intimidates anyone they confront.

Ghouls can also handle irradiated materials far better than regular humans, as seen by Walton Goggins' character casually sipping water with radiation in it.

While some ghouls have retained their humanity and capability of rational thinking, speech and emotions, others have lost their minds and have been reduced to a zombie-like state.

---

How did Cooper turn into a Ghoul in the Fallout series?

Walton Goggins in Fallout (Image via Fallout/Instagram)

In the Fallout series, Walter Goggins plays Cooper Howard, a war hero in the United States Marine Corps, who after being dishonorably discharged from duty, becomes an actor, famous for his signature role of a cowboy and his questionable endorsements of Vault-Tech.

When the series of nuclear bombs exploded in the Great War, most of the humans perished instantly, while others either survived inside the vaults or got turned into ghouls.

Cooper was among the unlucky ones, who went through the process of 'ghoulification' over time, his skin ravaging and muscles deteriorating over time, giving him a nightmarish look like that of Freddy Kruger or like a noseless Wade Wilson from Deadpool.

As Cooper was at close range of the nuclear impact zone, his transformation was likely much faster but more traumatic. He survives for the next 219 years till the present timeline of the Fallout series. But he has now become a merciless killer in search of his family.

---

Why do some Ghouls turn feral in the Fallout series?

Still from the trailer (Image via Prime Video/Facebook)

The process of glorification can mutate any human if exposed to radiation for a long period. And for that, one doesn't have to come in direct contact with the nuclear devices; even wandering around in the wasteland without precaution can transform the person slowly.

This process of mutation continues in ghouls too, and if left unchecked, they can turn into feral ghouls. It's a state where they lose all sense of sanity, become animalistic and increasingly hostile towards others, motivated by their survival instincts.

Apart from radiation, certain chemicals and mental deterioration caused by dementia, drugs or even prolonged isolation can turn a ghoul feral.

One of the most compelling aspects of ghouls is their longevity in the Fallout series. Thanks to their radiation-induced mutation, ghouls can live for centuries and witness the rise and fall of civilizations.

At its core, the Fallout series is a reflection of the human condition itself. We can destroy the world, and yet not learn enough lessons to move away from prejudice and othering. The dynamic between humans and ghouls in the show is one of the prime examples.

---

All episodes of the Fallout series are now streaming on Amazon Prime.