Summary
TheFalloutgames had a predicament. How do you create a post-apocalyptic setting while retaining some sort of connection to the world before? Sure, you’ve got a number of ghouls who’ve been around long enough to see the bombs drop, but they’re fewer and fewer by the day.
The answer, of course, is robots. These mechanical friends, foes, and everything in-between have retained power for hundreds of years, adding just a little more whimsy to your playthrough. But which of the many, many robots can be considered among the best and most iconic in the Fallout series?
12Primm Slim
“Howdy… Citizens. How About A Yee-haw For Law And Order In The Fine Town Of ERROR: TOKEN NOT FOUND?”
While wandering the Mojave Wasteland in Fallout: New Vegas, you’ll come across the Vikki and Vance Casino in the town of Primm. Vikki and Vance were Bonnie and Clyde knockoffs, so it’s appropriate that their casino is manned by a robotic cowboy knockoff.
Primm Slim starts off greeting you as you enter the casino. But with a bit of science skill or the right tools, you can reprogram it to ultimately become the new sheriff of Primm. It may be governed by the cold letter of the law a bit too closely, but that cowboy drawl has its charm.
11Insult Bot
“I Considered Attacking You On Sight, But I Don’t Think I Could Hurt You More Than Life Already Has.”
Have you ever thought the dangerous world of Fallout 76 was just too darn friendly? Well, the robotics club at Watoga High School is way ahead of you. They designed a robot to go out into the world and insult everyone it came across. Science is beautiful.
You’ll find Insult Bot randomly around Appalachia. It’ll shout “target acquired” before shuffling your way and delivering an honestly pretty good personalized zinger. It’s a shame it wasn’t in Fallout 4 because unprompted insults would really fit in around Boston.
10Fisto
“Numbness Will Subside In Several Minutes.”
Some things are universal regardless of the world’s nuked status. People are greedy, people like risk, and people are absolute freaks in the best way. The Fallout: New Vegas quest that has you recruit ‘specialized’ hires for the Atomic Wrangler Casino is proof of all three.
The protectron Fisto is one of several characters you can recruit to perform certain paid… ‘services’ for guests, and like any good salesperson, it lets you test out the merchandise first. It’s not explicit, but you still may end up having some awkward conversations with your kids afterward.
9KL-E-0
“I’ve Got A Weapon For Every Situation. Hunting, Protection, Cold Blooded Murder, HOT Blooded Murder.”
KL-E-0 contains some dark secrets, and has appropriately also awakened other dark things in certain Fallout 4 fans. As an assaultron running a weapon shop in Goodneighbor, her personality explains full well why Bethesda designed these bots… like that.
Her flirtatious dialogue might have set some players off, but she can get fiery too, and it’s not just for show.Hacking her terminalreveals she has a contingency plan to eliminate everyone in Goodneighbor if necessary. But hey, maybe you’re into that sort of thing.
8Ada
“I May Be A Robot, But I Feel A Strong Amount Of Personal Investment To See This Mission Through.”
Despite the series' potential for some delightfully weird robots, Fallout 4’s Automatron DLC introduced one who’s a genuinely enjoyable character. You find Ada after she lost her friends to a Mechanist attack, and her story is surprisingly touching.
Ada quickly joins as a solid adventuring partner. Helping her get to the bottom of what killed her friends is compelling on its own, but there’s something special about hearing her shout “get ‘em, ma’am!” as you fight.
7Liberty Prime
“Democracy Is Non-Negotiable.”
Liberty Prime is Fallout 3’s version of Fight Club, meant as a satire of a toxic society but instead drew crowds of fans who missed the memo. That’s not to say the extremely not subtle capitalism-loving bot isn’t enjoyable to watch, however.
It appears near the endgame of Fallout 3 and also Fallout 4if you side with The Brotherhood of Steel, in both scenarios spewing ultra-patriotic rhetoric while on the warpath. It’s hilarious and oddly invigorating. Just don’t get too wrapped up in the nationalism.
6Rex
“Rex? It Breaks My Heart Every Time I See Him. He’s Such A Good Dog.” - Julie Farkas
Half dog, half robot, all good boy. Rex is a potential follower in Fallout: New Vegas you can get from his loving owner, The King. There’s something truly special about borrowing a robot dog from an Elvis impersonator.
Rex has been around since before the war, having been converted to a cyberdog and periodically modified over the centuries. But this loyal pup’s brain is slowly dying, and it’s up to you to find a way to fix it. Even aside from being a real asset in battle, Rex is worth it.
5Codsworth
“Just Another Welcoming And Friendly Neighborhood In The Commonwealth.”
You got your faithful robot dog in New Vegas, so why not a faithful robot butler? Codsworth is one of the first characters you meet in Fallout 4, and aside from possibly being able toactually say your character’s name, he’s worth taking along for several reasons.
For one, he’s an excellent early-game follower, doing decent damage and even periodically giving you precious purified water. He’s also just enjoyable to talk to with plenty of British sass. Also, he can wear hats.
4ED-E
Beeping Sounds
Much like the loyal Rex, ED-E has your back, though it’s unfortunately less fuzzy. You’ll have to repair it yourself, but it’s worth the trouble, because you’ll come out of Primm in Fallout: New Vegas with a quality companion.
ED-E contains hidden depths, which you’ll discover even as it speaks entirey in beeps. However, the real reason to bring it along is the battle music, because nobody else plays an epic theme when you begin fighting, and that’s just tragic.
3Curie
“I Believe The Term Is, ‘Yahoo’?”
For many, Curie is the adorable French-accented robot whom you can eventually help turn into an even more adorable synth. To many others, that’s enough. But there’s a lot more to Curie in Fallout 4 than you might realize.
She’s remarkably intelligent, even developing a cure for pretty much every illness on the planet. She’s even multilingual (and not just English and French). So bring her along for her quirky observations, but appreciate her for being wicked smart.
