Top 10 Mutated Creatures in Fallout

“Fallout 3” changed the series in many ways, including introducing a whole new class of mutated insects and creepy crawlies to the Wasteland. From Bloatflies and Cazadores to poisonous radscorpions exploding from the ground, radioactive bugs are everywhere. But, as we all know, roaches are famously the most likely insect to survive an apocalypse. Fallout doesn’t disappoint on that score. Caves and vaults from the Capital Wasteland to the New California Republic are filled with these radioactive nuisances. They travel in packs; carrion eaters who swarm any dead bodies underground. They aren’t too dangerous to the seasoned wanderers out there, but they could surprise you and jump scare a player to death.

Introduced in the “Far Harbor” DLC for “Fallout 4,” Fog Crawlers are mutated mantis shrimp prowling low-lying areas near water. These vicious crustaceans love to hide in the fog so that they can easily ambush any unsuspecting wanderers. You can tell one is near thanks to their deep, booming noises. Their thick carapaces provide them with serious resistance to damage, making evolved versions especially hard to kill. The foggy island just off Far Harbor, for example, is haunted by Shipbreaker, a deadly legendary Fog Crawler. Best handled at a distance, these tank-like monsters provide a serious challenge for any but the most experienced former Vault Dwellers.

“Fallout 76” ups its game by bringing a number of creatures and quests based off of real local legends. One of those is the Mothman, a strange human/moth hybrid haunting the hills of Appalachia. The mothmen have fostered a cult of human worshipers, often presenting a mini boss battle at cultist strongholds. Unlike many mutant abominations, Mothmen are deadly at a distance. They use sonic attacks and wing shockwaves to stun and slay their enemies. Mothmen also have some sort of 6th sense alerting them to danger, leading them to frequently disappear and reappear mid-combat. Regardless of how you choose to take one down, it disintegrates upon dying, eliminating all evidence of its presence.

Unlike many abominations in the wasteland, the Scorchbeast is not a natural result of radiation mutating an animal. Scorchbeasts were intentionally created by the Enclave, which used chemicals to mutate bats. Those experimental bats became irradiated, resulting in massive plague-carrying monstrosities. They spread the Scorched Plague across Appalachia, ruining whole surface-dwelling settlements. These Scorched humans become enthralled to the beast, who controls them through ultrasonic communication. They are ‘ruled’ so to speak by the Scorchbeast Queen, perhaps the nastiest big bad in all of Fallout. She sports a whopping 32,767 hit points, requiring almost a full 30 minutes to take down.

Ever since 2008’s “Fallout 3,” players of the series have learned to be paranoid and wary near the water. Rivers, lakes, the ocean - it doesn’t matter; the chances are high that death lies below in the form of mirelurks. These mutated crabs come in many flavors, from the easy to kill soft shell variety to frenzied razorclaws. Hunters are more lobster than crab, and mirelurk kings resemble nothing more than the Creature from the Black Lagoon. They hide in muddy banks, popping up to chomp on every unexpected traveler. Worst of all variants is the mirelurk queen. These monster mothers are as big as a house, constantly spawning wave after wave of hatchlings to gnaw at your toes.

The flag of the New California Republic may be a mutated two-headed bear, but the Yao Guai is the real mutated abomination you’re likely to find in the wilderness. Descended from black bears, these savage creatures don’t look too different from their ancestors, unless you count the hide covered in mange and radiation scarring. They are savage, brutal, deceptively quick, and protective of their territory. Yao Guai attack anything and everything that enters their range with heavy blows that can stun and disorient. Power armor is a decent defense but not always enough to protect you from their fangs. Just ask Knight Titus.

Super Mutants were a result of deliberate experimentation before the bombs fell. The result of an experiment called the “Forced Evolutionary Virus,” carriers become Hulk-like muscle-bound monsters. Usually - though not always - the transformation results in a diminished intelligence. It almost seems that the more knowledge and emotion lost, the more savage the transformed becomes. Even the dumbest super mutant retains the knowledge of weapons and combat. These hulking creatures tend to congregate in small settlements guarded by dogs exposed to the FEV, resulting in super mutant hounds. The largest of these creatures is the super human behemoth, big enough to use shopping carts as a backpack. If you have let one of these big boys into melee range, the battle is already lost.

Gulpers are a relatively new addition to the Fallout universe, having first been introduced in the “Fallout 4” DLC, Far harbor. Their origins were retconned a bit in the Amazon show, revealing that they are a result of genetic experimentation by Vault-Tec in the underground laboratories of Vault 4. From a distance, they’re fairly unremarkable, appearing to be some type of giant salamander and easily put down. Up close, though, they are something out of a Lovecraftian nightmare. They have no teeth, instead sporting a mouth full of fingers intent on pulling prey down into their massive gullets, whole.

Deathclaws in Fallout are giant, fearsome creatures, originally engineered by the U.S. government from tiny, Jackson’s chameleons if you can believe it. They are incredibly resilient, strong, and fast.On rare occasion, some deathclaws possess a high level of intelligence, even capable of speech. True to their name, deathclaws sport razor-sharp claws that can shred through most defenses. A single swipe could easily take out low-level wanderers with a single blow. In later games, their hands can be used to craft deadly melee weapons. Their tough, scaled hides provide formidable protection, making them nearly unstoppable. These almost invincible killing machines are one of the wasteland’s most feared abominations.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Mole Rat
These Underground Beasties Can Signal Death From Below for Low-Level Wastelanders.

Wendigo
Appalachian Cannibals Run the Risk of Mutating Into This Clawed Killer.

Radtoad
The Bombs Turned the Simple Frog Into a Killing Machine With Fangs and a Barbed Tongue.

Grafton Monster
A Bioweapon Created by West-Tek Scientists, This Giant Beast Can Kill You With Black Goo.

Hermit Crab
These Killer Crustaceans Are Big Enough to Use a Bus as a Shell.

You wouldn’t think so, but the billions wiped out in Fallout’s nuclear fire may have been some of the lucky ones. Many who survived, when exposed to radiation, ultimately mutated into nearly immortal ghouls in a process aptly called ghoulification. Their skin decays, leaving an exposed dermis with significant regenerative ability. They are immune to radiation damage, and are instead healed by Atom’s glow. One of Fallout’s earliest monsters, ghouls are well-known to all Vault-Dwellers forced to the surface. Over time, ghouls may slowly lose their mind, becoming feral and wandering the wasteland in search of flesh.

The Wasteland is full of weird mutants and killer creatures. Did we track the wrong abominations on our list? Let us know in the comments below!