Summary
In the harsh post-apocalyptic wasteland ofFallout, the true colors of humanity get to shine. Heroes and villains alike get their chance to show their colors, either inspiring or horrifying others. The stances of these characters make the games of theFalloutfranchise some of the best RPGs to this day.
Villains inFalloutare particularly interesting, taking inspiration from past events or history to influence the wasteland in a way most would find inexcusable. These characters range from comically evil to morally grey, which makes defeating them all the more satisfying. From wannabe mob bosses to mutant psychos, the varietyof unique and memorablevillains in theFalloutfranchiseis quite numerous indeed.
Updated on June 22, 2025, by Ritwik Mitra:Fallout is one of the best video game series of all time, with the Fallout TV adaptation making it infinitely clear why fans love this series so much. The fact that Fallout’s Amazon Prime series pulls from the established lore of the franchise in a tasteful way, and enriches the core aeries as well, makes it obvious why player counts for the Fallout games have witnessed such a major boost as a result. These games are a blast to play through, with a major part of the experience being the villains who motivate players to complete quests and get stronger so that they can show these enemies who’s boss. There are so many great villains in these games that this list can always do with a few more additions, and that’s exactly what happened with its latest uipdate.
16Benny
Fallout: New Vegashas one of the most iconic intros in the series' history. The superhuman resilience of the Courier to bounce back after the Platinum Chip is taken from them makes them a great protagonist from the get-go.Bennyserves as a strong antagonist, who players chase all the way toNew Vegas, only for it to be revealed that he was just following orders all along.
The fact that this character is voiced by the late great Matthew Perry certainly makes his performance stand out as one of the better ones in the series. Benny is a great antagonist who shows just how high the stakes inFallout: New Vegasare, and it’s somewhat fitting that the shadow who players have been chasing for so long is just a pawn in the grand scheme of things.
15Calculator
An Error-Ridden AI That Uses Actual Human Brains For Its Computing Prowess
It’s a shame that most people don’t really talk aboutFallout Tacticsall that often, with this spinoff title having several redeeming qualities of its own that make it worth checking out for any fan of the series. One of the most fascinating parts of the game was its antagonist, theCalculator,a cold, heartless villain who became a malevolent force after the mismanagement of humans.
Errors in its mainframe that were never fixed led to the Calculator enacting a plan to take over the world and mold it in its image, using organic brains to fuel its computing power. It’s an interesting antagonist, and players who are swayed by its cause can donate their brain to the Calculator and embark on the quest for world domination if they wish.
14Dr. Klien And His Team
Drug-Addled Scientists Who Manipulate The Courier Without Revealing The Entire Truth
Old World Bluesis one of the finest DLCs ever released for a video game, with Big MT becoming a fascinating area that players can explore to enjoy what this twisted sci-fi post-apocalyptic has to offer. Featuring numerous enemies that can tear apart the player in no time, the Courier is left in the dark byDoctor Klienand the other members of the Think Tank, who manipulate them into locating Doctor Mobius.
Mobius reveals that the members of the Think Tank had dastardly plans to take over the world, and he had to remove all their memories of the world outside Big MT while constantly looping a threatening message to keep them secluded out of fear. This makes for a sad yet hilarious state of events that further cements whyOld World Bluesis arguably the best DLC for aFalloutgame.
A Mercenary Who Abducted The Sole Survivor’s Child
Kelloggis one of the first antagonists players will encounter inFallout 4. He is set up to be the main villain of the story, but it is quickly revealed he is a pawn in a much larger game.
He kills the Sole Survivor’s significant other and steals their kid while they are stuck in a cryo pod. Kellogg then taunts the player for most of the first act once they find him. He seems purely evil until players realize that he is filled with Institute augments and is being used as a hired gun. Fewvillains inFallouthave caused so much intensely personal anguish for the main antagonist so quickly.
12Ulysses
A Courier Who Was Formerly A Member Of Caesar’s Legion
Ulyssesis the antagonist oftheLonesome RoadDLC forNew Vegas. There’s no denying that he’s a compelling character, with his presence palpable across the other great DLCs of the game before finally being revealed in its entirety in this tough-as-nails DLC.
However, what negatively affects his impact as a villain is the fact thatLonesome Roadfeels like a rather miserable expansion to get through, with the Courier only getting to hear cryptic remarks from this character before facing off against him for real. He may be intimidating, but the joyless run that players have to endure before facing off against this antagonist may not be up everyone’s alley.
11Gizmo
The Evil Owner Of The Boxing Ring And Casino In Junktown
Gizmois arguably the least powerful villain on this list, but he is one of the most twisted individuals inFallouthistory. This wannabe mob boss owns a casino in Junktown, one of the game’s earlier hub areas.
All Gizmo wants is for his business to prosper. Exploiting people is what Gizmo loves to do, but the mayor is having none of it. Instead of making compromises with the town’s mayor, however, Gizmo wants players to kill him. He has no hesitation in asking the Vault Dweller to do so, and Gizmo becomes hostile if the player declines. Funnily enough, siding with Gizmo in the retail version results in Junktown prospering. Fans were so mad with this design choice that Black Isle changed this to give the bad ending in a post-launch patch.
10Allistair Tenpenny
The Founder And Owner Of Tenpenny Tower Whose Karma Level Is “Very Evil”
Some of the best villains in video games get players to sympathize with their actions, making them rethink their previous actions. NotAllistair Tenpenny. Sometimes, having a comically evil villain is just as fun to experience.
Allistair is a powerful man who owns Tenpenny Tower, a large hotel at the edges of the Capital Wasteland.
He wants the scrapyard town of Megaton to be destroyed by having the town’s bomb detonate, killing every inhabitant and permanently scarring the landscape. Why? Because he wants a better view of the wasteland from his balcony. It’s as fun to actually work for this delusional old man as it is to kill him.
9Father
Many people didn’t like the reveal ofFatheras the main villain, with both this plot twist and his motivations for running the Institute being rather bizarre. It’s one of the many complaints that people have withFallout 4, a game that alienated both hardcoreFalloutand Bethesda fans by integrating many unwelcome changes that dumbed down the title quite a bit.
Regardless, players can’t deny that seeing Shaun be one of the main antagonists is pretty chilling in its way.The Sole Survivor moved heaven and earth in a bid to find his son, only to realize that a large number of years had passed since Shaun’s abduction while the main character was still preserved in the cryo pod.
8Dick Richardson
The Leader Of The Enclave
Vault-Tec is one of the largest antagonists in theFalloutfranchise. This company is responsible for experimenting onmillions of people residing in fallout shelters called Vaults. These experiments ranged from malfunctioning parts to sacrificial rituals.
Dick Richardsonis the President of the United States and one of the antagonists inFallout 2. This man is responsible for much more cruelty than even Vault-Tec could dish out, creating and spreading the F.E.V. virus across America. This virus kills any person who has not been inoculated, effectively killing every human across the globe. He thinks it’ll let true humans take back the world, but it will result in the death of everything.
7John Henry Eden
An AI Who Takes Over Control Of The Enclave And Assumes The Presidency
Everyone who has playedFallout 3will know ofJohn Henry Eden. His EYE bots roam the wasteland endlessly, preaching core American values and how Eden will bring that back. His plan? To infect the water supply that Project Purity is meant to purify.
This will result in all heavily irradiated humans and mutants dying after consuming the water, leaving only “pure” humans alive to rebuild the nation. Unlike Dick Richardson, John Henry Eden is interested in keeping humanity alive as long as they haven’t been exposed to extensive radiation. Taking his advice and infecting the water results in an altered ending toFallout 3and alters the post-game withBroken Steel. It turns out that infecting the water supply in a wasteland filled with irradiated humans kills almost everyone.
