Fallout's Unblemished Gunslinger Breaks Stereotypes

In the popular Fallout universe, which has spawned both critically acclaimed video games and a TV series on Prime Video, ghouls are the result of nuclear fallout. Though many ghouls become mindless and deformed, the series features a ghoul character, Cooper Howard, who still retains his humanity and dapper gunslinger style, as played by actor Walton Goggins. Howard, a pre-war actor, keeps his wits and cowboy aesthetic, with his condition mildly improved by radiation rather than fully deteriorated. Costume designer Amy Westcott explains that the visual representation of ghouls in the series corresponds to their level of humanity. Although ghouls are meant to look shocking, there is an emphasis on the remnants of their pre-war lives, which is crucial to the storytelling. Season one of the Fallout series on Prime Video explored these themes and character developments, leaving fans curious about the future of Cooper Howard and other characters for subsequent seasons.

The appearance of the ghouls in the Fallout series is based on how much humanity they have retained. Those who are less grotesque, like Cooper Howard, still have their wits about them. The design choice was a deliberate one to keep a strong connection to their past human lives, with their level of ghoulness reflecting their cognitive state.

Background Information: Fallout is a beloved franchise known for its post-apocalyptic theme and rich storytelling, blending action, survival, and role-playing elements. Originating from the video game series created by Interplay Entertainment and later developed by Bethesda Game Studios, Fallout has established a vast and passionate fan base. Its unique setting in a nuclear fallout-ridden world allows for complex narrative threads surrounding the moral and societal consequences of such a disaster. Walton Goggins' portrayal of Cooper Howard in Prime Video's adaptation is a testament to the franchise's expansion into other forms of media, illustrating the series' depth and appeal beyond its initial video game format.