History Characters / Fallout4Factions

* SpiritualSuccessor: Of sorts to the "Commonwealth Provisional Government," a proto-NCR organization [[spoiler:that the Institute purged some time in the past with Synth infiltrators before it could amount to anything substantial, though it's implied that it wasn't ''entirely'' the Institute's fault.]]

* MysteriousPast: If Mama Murphy is given a chem dose to use the Sight during the start of the quest "Unlikely Valentine", she gives a couple of vague phrases indicating that something happened in Skinny Malone's past involving "the Quarry" and "Lily June on the rocks" that was so important that, if cited during the confrontation in Vault 114, it causes him to react with utter shock and awe before he gives the Sole Survivor and Nick Valentine a ten-second window to go free without being attacked, even over the objections of his moll Darla. It ends up costing him his gang's loyalty as they throw him out for his perceived weakness in refusing to kill Valentine.

* NiceHat: Captain Ironsides wears a fancy bicorne hat. He even gives you one if you help him.

** [[invoked]] The Institute turns the series' already-present RaygunGothic aesthetic UpToEleven, albeit now with a more CrystalSpiresAndTogas undertone reminiscent of the science fiction of TheSeventies (likely as a reflection of them being the most technologically advanced faction in the whole franchise). According to ''[[WordOfGod The Art of Fallout 4]]'', ''Film/LogansRun'' was one of Bethesda Game Studios' primary design inspirations when crafting the Institute.

** The Minutemen are technically CattlePunk, but in practice they're more "Colonial Americana"-punk than anything else. Their most iconic WeaponOfChoice is a crank-powered laser ''musket'', virtually all of their members wear simple clothes that wouldn't look that out of place from farmers during the American Revolution (most notably their [[CoolHat tricorn militia hats]]), their original headquarters was the ruins of Fort Independence, and the Minutemen General outfit is basically ComicBook/{{Captain America}}'s uniform worn under a Colonial overcoat. The first Minuteman the player is likely to meet even wears a Colonial duster that he snagged from a history museum.

** The Commonwealth Minutemen - '''[[blue:Blue]]'''. The Minutemen are [[TheParagon the closest to a unambiguously "good" faction in the whole game]] and so BlueIsHeroic is in full effect for them. It also calls back to the Minutmen being (metaphorically) descended from the Pre-War United States in the use of blue from the American flag (along with a similar placement of stars). Blue is the most common favorite color, and the Minutemen are literally built up out of the Commonwealth's average settlers banding together for the common good. Blue also symbolizes serenity (the Minutemen are {{Reasonable Authority Figure}}s to the settlements under their protection) and melancholia (the Minutemen suffered through a hideous TraumaCongaLine up to the present that left them shattered and relying on the Sole Survivor to help them rebuild). Even the fact that blue is symbolic of masculinity can be seen reflected in how the only active member of the Minutemen at the game's start is the male Preston Garvey.
** The East Coast Brotherhood of Steel - '''[[gray:Grey/Black]]'''. Virtually all of the Brotherhood's technology has a clear grey color scheme thanks to their predominantly DieselPunk aesthetic through their widespread usage of advanced Pre-War tech. Grey is also used for mourning (the Lyons family were wiped out in the decade since ''3'' and the Brotherhood has lost numerous soldiers to the Wasteland) and depression (as evidenced through the Brotherhood's increasingly cold and dour demeanor as they try to act like professional soldiers). Grey also evokes the image of plate armor and medieval knights, befitting the Brotherhood's FeudalFuture aesthetic. Furthermore, while the Brotherhood are not precisely ''evil'' in this game, they're significantly DarkerAndEdgier than their counterparts in ''Fallout 3'', and so a shift to a darker grey (almost black) can be seen as reflective of this increasing cynicism and darker turn. Black is also sometimes associated with rebirth, and the East Coast Brotherhood has been reborn as a mighty RisingEmpire in the decade since ''3''.
** The Institute - '''[[white:White]]'''. The Institute as a whole has a very clean and sterile (almost medical) aesthetic made up of smooth and elegant curves colored in a cold white, emphasizing both their advancement and detachment from the Commonwealth's horrors. White can also symbolize purity, and the Institute practices slavery (which is given multiple allusions over the game's course to the history of white supremacy and slavery in the United States) through its racist treatment of Synths along with openly regarding only themselves as the "true" inheritors to humanity (to the detriment of the Commonwealth's surface dwellers). White is also a color representing innocence, and most of the Institute's own citizens are LockedOutOfTheLoop regarding their own organization's atrocities, being (for the most part) ObliviouslyEvil and viewing the Commonwealth's inhabitants with a mix of CondescendingCompassion and BystanderSyndrome. Divinity is also associated with the color white, and not only are the Institute "playing God" through their creation of advanced artificial intelligence with the [[ArtificialHumans Synths]], but many parallels are intentionally drawn over the course of the game (as noted on the Institute's own sub-page) between the Institute and TheThemeParkVersion of the Christian concept of {{Heaven}}. Finally, in some Eastern cultures (such as Japan and China) white is a symbol of death, and the Institute is the darkest (morally speaking) of all of the game's factions and their questline invariably ends with [[spoiler:at least two large factions - the Brotherhood and Railroad - essentially slaughtered to a man]].
** The Railroad - '''[[gold:Orange]]/[[cinnamon:Brown]]'''. Orange, a color of warmth and enthusiasm, conveys how the Railroad is a RagtagBunchOfMisfits and TrueCompanions fighting against the Institute's tyranny who are also firmly dedicated to helping protect Synths and make the world a more accepting place for them. The color orange is also ''literally'' conveyed in how most of their headquarters is lit through candlelight. Meanwhile, brown - the color of the armored leather coats worn by Railroad Agents - can covey a sense of filthiness and decay, and at the start of the game the Railroad has been recently savaged by the Institute's ''blitzkrieg'' of Railroad safehouses, and are in need of the Sole Survivor's aid to help turn their fortunes around. Additionally, brown can also convey a sense of dependability, and the Railroad's entire structure is centered on numerous secret tests and CrazyPrepared backup plans that are required because of them being ProperlyParanoid concerning [[BigBrotherIsWatching the Institute's operations]].

* GangOfHats: The Operators are really sharp dressers who like cash and manipulating people. The Pack have a serious animal motif going on, to the point where they use ''stuffed animals'' as body armor. And the Disciples are blood thirsty {{Knife Nut}}s who liberally strew the remains of their victims around their territory.

* WeaponOfChoice: All of them wield Handmade Rifles in combat (though the Disciples still prefer to utilize [[KnifeNut their knives]] in close-quarters), albeit with them decorated differently depending on the specific gang wielding them[[note]]The Disciples have their rifles [[DarkIsEvil colored black]], the Pack's rifles are bright and splattered with various colors, and the Operator's rifles are simply expertly polished and clean-looking[[/note]].

* KnifeNut: As suggested by their symbol, and this is their preferred fighting style. In addition, the DLC brings with it a new knife weapon known as a Disciple's Blade which reinforces this trope.
-->'''Disciple:''' Sure, we carry guns, but ''knives'' are where it's at!

* WhoWearsShortShorts: The Pack wears short shorts!

* BlackAndGreyMorality: The Nuka-World gangs are all vicious Raiders joined together out of greed, but [[OnlyInItForTheMoney the Operators]] and [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy the Pack]] are both ''somewhat'' less evil than [[AxCrazy the Disciples]].

!!Other DLC Factions

!Other Major Factions

* VisualPun: One happens during "Taking Independence"; the Minutemen's fight against the Mirelurks infesting their former headquarters consists of a group of Minutemen fighting against a bunch of (mutated) lobsters.[[labelnote:For those who don't get it:]]The Commonwealth Minutemen are (metaphorically) descended from the Minutemen of the American Revolution who fought against British soldiers. Most British soldiers were called "Redcoats" due to the iconic red coats featured in their uniforms, and were also derisively nicknamed "lobsterbacks" by American militias. In short, a group of Minutmeen are once again fighting a bunch of lobster(backs) at Fort Independence.[[/labelnote]]

** The Railroad - '''[[gold:Orange]]/[[cinnamon:Brown]]'''. Orange, a color of warmth and enthusiasm, conveys how the Railroad is a RagtagBunchOfMisfits and TrueCompanions fighting against the Institute's tyranny who are also firmly dedicated to helping protect Synths and make the world a more accepting place for them. The color orange is also ''literally'' conveyed in how most of their headquarters is lit through candlelight. Meanwhile, brown - the color of the armored leather coats worn by Railroad Agents - can covey a sense of filthiness and decay, and at the start of the game the Railroad has been recently savaged by the Institute's ''blitzkrieg'' of Railroad safehouses, and are in need of the Sole Survivor's aid to help turn their fortunes around. Additionally, brown can also convey a sense of dependability, and the Railroad's entire structure is based around numerous secret tests and CrazyPrepared backup plans based around them being ProperlyParanoid regarding [[BigBrotherIsWatching the Institute's operations]].

** The Railroad is '''Phlegmatic''', while they seek to help Synths escape the clutches of the Institute and the Brotherhood, they prefer to stay in the shadows and don't even do much of anything in the game beyond decode a Courser chip unless the player chooses to either join them or openly antagonize them. (Though it should be noted that both the Brotherhood and Institute call for their destruction)

** [[BadassArmy The East Coast]] [[TheOrder Brotherhood of Steel]] [[TookALevelInJerkass have reverted back to their former conservatism,]] becoming arrogant, xenophobic, tech-grabbing conquerors who are pushing their way into the Boston region and who are characterized by extreme {{Fantastic Racism}}. However, they also dedicate themselves to [[KickTheSonOfABitch wiping out real threats]] such as Feral Ghouls, Raiders and Commonwealth Super Mutants and actually have the military power to ensure security. And they do this all while genuinely upholding their public welfare commitments to Wastelanders just as much as their original directives.
** [[WeHelpTheHelpless The Commonwealth Minutemen]] are the closest thing the Commonwealth has to [[TheParagon unambiguous "good guys",]] but have been [[BeingGoodSucks notably inefficient on a historical level,]] and have recently suffered through massive infighting (to the point where [[HeWhoFightsMonsters many devolved into becoming heartless Raiders that're just as vicious as the ones they previously had fought]]). In fact, the Minutemen as a whole are virtually extinct at the game's start. Also, with the player character at the helm early on, ultimately the ''player's'' motivations will dictate the course of this faction.
** [[MadScientist The Institute]] are [[ManipulativeBastard xenophobic manipulators]] who oppress both the Commonwealth and their Synths so as to support their CrystalSpiresAndTogas "utopia" — but they also prize innovation and scientific discovery, [[VisionaryVillain want to genuinely create a world superior to the old one,]] and have [[LockedOutOfTheLoop the vast majority of their own citizens kept completely in the dark about their true crimes]] (meaning the actual guilt that can be ascribed to them is rather variable).

* SigilSpam: The symbols for all four main factions can found all across the Commonwealth. The Institute has a stylized Vitruvian Man. The Brotherhood of Steel brings their old standard back; a set of gears wreathed by winglets with a sword superimposed over it. The Railroad features a railroad oil lamp with a candleflame (although the version seen on their flag seems to have [[RuleOfSymbolism an atom in the middle instead of the candleflame]]). The Minutemen have a revolutionary musket crossed by a lightning bolt surrounded by three stars at the top, right, and left.

** To the Institute. While the Institute regards them as an UnknownRival, each faction's goals are diametrically opposed to the other. Piper also claims that the Minutemen have directly fought against the Institute's armies in the past and have actually ''won''. Furthermore, it's later revealed that [[spoiler: one of their other ArchEnemy factions - the local breed of Super Mutants - are the direct result of the Institute's experimentation]].
** To both the Raiders and Super Mutants infesting the Commonwealth. The Minutemen first rose in prominence from defending Diamond City from a Super Mutant horde, and the entire organization was largely founded on providing mutual aid and defense against these two major threats. The Minutemen's fall from grace in recent years allowed for Raiders and Super Mutants to rampage across the Commonwealth and grow in power without any counter [[EnemyCivilWar aside from each other]], with numerous settlements and homesteads who were originally allied to the Minutemen being destroyed as consequence. Some Minutemen (most notably James Wire's faction operating out of Libertalia) even became {{Fallen Hero}}es and [[BecameTheirOwnAntithesis became Raiders no better than those that they had originally fought against]].

* {{Eagleland}}: Mixed Flavor leaning toward Beautiful. Like the NCR, they represent a great deal of the better part of the Pre-War world, albeit a more romanticized view of the United States' founding principles.

** To the Minutemen's credit, several of their members also consist of either Ghouls or mind-wiped escaped Synths, indicating that the prejudice issue is likely due to the Minutemen's highly decentralized organizational structure. Ultimately, this doesn't make the Minutemen irredeemably evil, just unfortunately flawed.

* TraumaCongaLine: Their headquarters was attacked by a [[GiantEnemyCrab Mirelurk Queen]] (which is as strong as Mother Dagon from ''Call of Cthulhu''), their leader was killed, a power struggle broke out, most of the remaining members gave up, then most of the only survivor's team got overrun by Feral Ghouls and would've been finished off by Raiders. It's been a rough couple of years.

* VisualPun: One happens during "Taking Independence"; the Minutemen's fight against the Mirelurks infesting their former headquarters consists of a group of Minutemen fighting against a bunch of (mutated) lobsters.[[labelnote:For those who don't get it:]]The Commonwealth Minutemen are (metaphorically) descended from the Minutemen of the American Revolution who fought against British soldiers. Most British soldiers were called "Redcoats" due to the iconic red coats featured in their uniforms, and were also derisively nicknamed "lobsterbacks" by American militias.[[/labelnote]]

** The Institute - '''[[white:White]]'''. The Institute as a whole has a very clean and sterile (almost medical) aesthetic made up of smooth and elegant curves colored in a cold white, emphasizing both their advancement and detachment from the Commonwealth's horrors. White can also symbolize purity, and the Institute practices slavery through its racist treatment of Synths along with openly regarding only themselves as the "true" inheritors to humanity (to the detriment of the Commonwealth's surface dwellers). White is also a color representing innocence, and most of the Institute's own citizens are LockedOutOfTheLoop regarding their own organization's atrocities, being (for the most part) ObliviouslyEvil and viewing the Commonwealth's inhabitants with a mix of CondescendingCompassion and BystanderSyndrome. Divinity is also associated with the color white, and not only are the Institute "playing God" through their creation of advanced artificial intelligence with the [[ArtificialHumans Synths]], but many parallels are intentionally drawn over the course of the game (as noted on the Institute's own sub-page) between the Institute and TheThemeParkVersion of the Christian concept of {{Heaven}}. Finally, the fact that in some Eastern cultures (such as Japan and China), white is a symbol of death, the Institute is the darkest (morally speaking) of all of the game's factions and their questline invariably ends with [[spoiler:at least two large factions - the Brotherhood and Railroad - essentially slaughtered to a man]].

* NiceGuy[=/=]OfficerAndAGentleman: Captain Ironsides is always humble and polite, even when the Sole Survivor says his plan will fail.

* AwesomeMcCoolName: A terminal in Saugus Ironworks has a list of Forged members who "failed the Forge", and their punishments. Most of them have edgy, dangerous-sounding names. In fact, this seems to be an enforced rule of the gang - the last name on the list is "[[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers Yancy]]". Yancy's grievous transgression? "Refused to change name".

* {{Irony}}: There's something hilariously bizarre about a [[KillerRobot Sentry Bot]] being a MartialPacifist.

* NiceHat: Captain Ironsides wears a fancy bicorne hat. He gives you one if you help him.
* SlidingScaleOfRobotIntelligence: They pretty much run the gauntlet on this. Captain Ironsides and the Bosun are pretty intelligent & self-aware, while the majority of the crew (mostly Protectrons and a few Mr. Handies) are as mentally proficient as a brick. The First Mate, Mr. Navigator, and the Lookout all sit somewhere in the middle, with Mr. Navigator having a particularly interesting remark when the [[spoiler:ship is sitting 100 meters in the air on the top of a skyscraper]]:
-->'''Mr. Navigator''': Many meters off course on the Z-axis!

-->'''Codsworth:''' "This ship looks quite the mystery. Run aground on a bank and not a scratch on her!"

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Both them and their sidequest bares several similarities to that of the Bright Brotherhood in ''New Vegas/''

** Similarly to the New California Republic, they're this to the Enclave. The Minutemen generally invoke a more virtuous, honorable memory of America rather than the twisted vision pushed by the likes of Eden. And much like the Enclave, they were thought to be extinct at the beginning of the story. The Enclave also utilized super-advanced technology and futuristic [[PoweredArmor Power Armor]] when attacking their opponents, while the Minutemen rely on cobbled-together weapons and 19th-century howitzers on the battlefield. Finally, [[FantasticRacism the Enclave were profoundly racist towards Wastelanders]], [[ANaziByAnyOtherName to the point of genocidal levels]], and [[LaserGuidedKarma their hostility only served to gain them countless hosts of enemies that drove them to near-extinction]]. In contrast, the Minutemen are a largely egalitarian organization that actually performs public works and services (i.e. organizing safe and prosperous settlements while fighting off Raiders and Super Mutants) that gains them numerous friends across the Commonwealth.
** They also serve as a foil to the Brotherhood of Steel. The Brotherhood has suffered through numerous terrible tragedies (mostly on the West Coast) and under its new leadership, its Eastern branch has become darker and more conservative. The Minutemen have suffered the same sort of catastrophic losses, but can come back more idealistic than ever. In addition, while both groups want to bring order and stability to the Commonwealth, the Brotherhood's methods are top-down and paternalistic, while the Minutemen have a more grassroots and democratic approach. Additionally, the Brotherhood used highly advanced Pre-War tech like Power Armor and Vertibirds, while the Minutemen scrape by on basic Wastelander SchizoTech and even [[BreakOutTheMuseumPiece using outdated weaponry]] like 18th century artillery cannons.

* FantasyCounterpartCulture: While they're pretty obviously based after the historical Minutemen who fought in the American Revolution, their general code and ethos, along with their intentionally loose command structure (being made up of a loose alliance of various tribal settlements), is also distantly reminiscent of the Iroquois Confederacy[[note]]though ironically, most of the Iroquois fought ''against'' the historical Minutemen, and the American Revolution caused the shattering of the Confederacy due to several tribes taking different sides[[/note]], and the early pre-Constitution United States, which was also closer to a loose alliance of states with a weak central government.

* {{Foil}}: They're a subtle one to the New Canaanites from ''[[VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas Honest Hearts]]''. The New Canaanites are [[VestigialEmpire nearly extinct]] after brutal attacks from the White Legs, and are {{Church Militant}} by consequence of having to survive in the Wasteland. They're also remarkably friendly to outsiders, don't try to overtly pressure people into joining their faith, and hail from a faith that began before the Great War (Mormonism). The Children of Atom are a powerful {{Rising Empire}} in the region and are {{Church Militant}} even by the standards of [[HadToBeSharp Wastelanders]]. They also are suspicious/hostile to outsiders, frequently try to pressure people into joining their cult, and their faith was only created ''after'' the bombs dropped.

* ReligionOfEvil: What they've become compared to what they used to be, killing anyone who isn't or doesn't want to be part of their cult. Downplayed in that it's portrayed less as their dogma being inherently evil and more as the majority of its adherents in the Commonwealth are rabid fanatics.

* {{Foil}}/{{Evil Counterpart}}: To the [[VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas Great Khans]]. Both are tribal groups with unique outfits that have served as professional pirates in the past. However, the Great Khans still have a sense of honor and simply want to live the rest of their lives out in peace while returning their tribe to its "glory days." The Pack are utterly merciless and have never really stopped being glorified Raiders (unlike the Great Khans), while also wanting to aggressively force their influence upon others.

* {{Foil}}: To the White Glove Society. Whereas the White Gloves were once tribals remade by Mr. House into sophisticated caricatures of [=Pre-War=] high society ([[BecomingTheMask who nonetheless try their best to live up to their reputation]]), the Operators were founded by rogues hailing from Diamond City's elite (thus as close to being "born on a silver spoon" in the Commonwealth as one could get outside of the Institute), but simply see their high society pretensions as a justification for their savagery.

* {{Foil}}: To the Families in the New Vegas Strip, particularly the Omertas. Whereas the Families were originally tribals rehabilitated by House in the image of the Pre-War world, the Triggermen have a much stronger continuity with Pre-War America's crime rings. Which may have to do with the Commonwealth's relatively urbanized environment and some of the mobster ghouls being old enough to have been ''actual mobsters'' back in the day.

-->'''Ironsides''': Damn you, Weartherby Savings & Loan! I spit at you!
* {{Foil}}: To the robots of the National Archives back in the Capital Wasteland. Like them, the crew of the ''Constitution'' are robots who have adopted names and personalities fitting with old Pre-War figures and customs, and fight to defend themselves against invaders. The difference is that Button Gwinnett and his followers were actually programming to think they ''were'' the historical figures and think they're still fighting the war, while Ironsides and his crew are just putting on airs and are aware it's the modern day (though he still thinks the country is at war with China).

* MeaningfulName: Captain Ironsides presumably comes from Old Ironsides, the U.S.S. Constitution's nickname.

--> '''Resident''': What the hell's that ''thing'' doing here?
-->'''Nick Valentine''': Is that what your parents used to say to you?

* {{Foil}}: To ''many'' different Vaults across the series.

* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Curie notes that after the Overseer cut off their access to the civilian section of the Vault, the scientists [[HeelFaceTurn had a change of heart]] and deliberately sealed their dangerous experiments away with themselves to protect the rest of the Vault, investigating what they could with what they had and living the remainder of their lives in peace. Even their deaths were from natural causes rather than suicide or infighting.]]
* LastOfHisKind: By 2287, it's one of the small handful of Vaults that still remain operational and well-kept. [[spoiler:And it's not even a control Vault!]]

** To both the Raiders and Super Mutants infesting the Commonwealth. The Minutemen first rose in prominence from defending Diamond City from a Super Mutant horde, and the entire organization was largely founded on providing mutual aid and defense against these two major threats. Minutemen-allied The Minutemen's fall from grace in recent years allows for Raiders and Super Mutants to rampage across the Commonwealth and grow in power without any counter [[EnemyCivilWar aside from each other]], and destroys numerous settlements originally allied to the Minutemen. Some Minutemen (most notably James Wire's faction operating out of Libertalia) even became {{Fallen Hero}}es and [[BecameTheirOwnAntithesis became Raiders no better than those that they had originally fought against]].

* ColorMotif: Each of the Commonwealth's primary factions have one or two colors be the most predominant in both their headquarters and equipment, usually being prominently featured on their flag (with the exception of the Brotherhood, whose flag is recolored orange in this game) and being heavily associated with their mood and aesthetic.
** The Commonwealth Minutemen - '''[[blue:Blue]]'''. The Minutemen are [[TheParagon the closest to a unambiguously "good" faction in the whole game]] and so BlueIsHeroic is in full effect for them. It also calls back to the Minutmen being (metaphorically) descended from the Pre-War United States in the use of blue from the American flag (along with a similar placement of stars). Blue is the most common favorite color, and the Minutemen are literally built up out of the Commonwealth's average settlers banding together for the common good. Blue also symbolizes serenity (the Minutemen are {{Reasonable Authority Figure}}s to the settlements under their protection) and melancholia (the Minutemen suffered through a hideous TraumaCongaLine up to the present that left them shattered and relying on the Sole Survivor to help them rebuild). Even the fact that blue is symbolic of masculinity can be seen reflected in how the only active member of the Minutemen at the game's start is the male Preston Garvey.
** The East Coast Brotherhood of Steel - '''[[gray:Grey/Black]]'''. Virtually all of the Brotherhood's technology has a clear grey color scheme thanks to their predominantly DieselPunk aesthetic through their widespread usage of advanced Pre-War tech. Grey is also used for mourning (the Lyons family were wiped out in the decade since ''3'' and the Brotherhood has lost numerous soldiers to the Wasteland) and depression (as evidenced through the Brotherhood's increasingly cold and dour demeanor as they try to act like professional soldiers). Grey also evokes the image of plate armor and medieval knights, befitting the Brotherhood's FeudalFuture aesthetic. Furthermore, while the Brotherhood are not precisely ''evil'' in this game, they're significantly DarkerAndEdgier than their counterparts in ''Fallout 3'', and so a shift to a darker grey (almost black) can be seen as reflective of this increasing cynicism and darker turn. Black is also sometimes associated with rebirth, and the East Coast Brotherhood has been reborn as a mighty RisingEmpire in the decade since ''3''.
** The Institute - '''[[white:White]]'''. The Institute as a whole has a very clean and sterile (almost medical) aesthetic made up of smooth and elegant curves colored in a cold white, emphasizing both their advancement and detachment from the Commonwealth's horrors. White can also symbolize purity, and the Institute practices slavery through its racist treatment of Synths along with openly regarding only themselves as the "true" inheritors to humanity (to the detriment of the Commonwealth's surface dwellers). White is also a color representing innocence, and most of the Institute's own citizens are LockedOutOfTheLoop regarding their own organization's atrocities, being (for the most part) ObliviouslyEvil and viewing the Commonwealth's inhabitants with a mix of CondescendingCompassion and BystanderSyndrome. Divinity is also associated with the color white, and not only are the Institute "playing God" through their creation of advanced artificial intelligence with the [[ArtificialHumans Synths]], but many parallels are intentionally drawn over the course of the game (as noted on the Institute's own sub-page) between the Institute and TheThemeParkVersion of the Christian concept of {{Heaven}}. Finally, the fact that in some Eastern cultures (such as Japan and China), white is a symbol of death, the Institute is the darkest (morally speaking) of all of the game's factions and their questline invariably ends with [[spoiler:at least two large factions - the Brotherhood and Railroad - essentially slaughtered to a man]].
** The Railroad - '''[[gold:Orange]]/[[cinnamon:Brown]]'''. Orange, a color of warmth and enthusiasm, conveys how the Railroad is a RagtagBunchOfMisfits and TrueCompanions fighting against the Institute's tyranny who are also firmly dedicated to helping protect Synths and make the world a more accepting place for them. The color orange is also ''literally'' conveyed in how most of their headquarters is lit through candlelight. Meanwhile, brown - the color of the armored leather coats worn by Railroad Agents - can covey a sense of filthiness and decay, and at the start of the game the Railroad has been recently savaged by the Institute's ''blitzkrieg'' of Railroad safehouses, and are in need of the Sole Survivor's aid to help turn their fortunes around. Additionally, brown can also convey a sense of dependability, and the Railroad's entire structure is based around numerous secret tests and CrazyPrepared backup plans based around them being ProperlyParanoid regarding [[BigBrotherIsWatching the Institute's operations]].

* FantasticRacism: Many of the residents of the harbor dislike Synths, despite Acadia's Fog Condensers being the only reason Far Harbor has not been overtaken by the Fog. Admittedly, the dislike of Synths is considerably downplayed compared to the levels of bigotry often showcased in the Commonwealth, with them feeling more apathy than outright hatred for Acadia's residents.
* FatalFlaw: {{Pride}}. As noted above, all Harbormen are profoundly selfish and proud individuals who are essentially doomed to HangSeparately unless the Sole Survivor ([[spoiler:and the Mariner]]) manages to help them retake their Island.

* MisplacedAccent: One Harborman has a Yorkshire accent for some reason. He even [[LampshadeHanging lampshades it]], saying his family comes from Yorkshire, but doesn't know where it is, speculating it's in [[ContinuityNod the Capitol Wasteland]].

* TorchesAndPitchforks: [[spoiler:If [=DiMa=] turns himself in and is executed,]] Allen Lee will attempt to incite an angry mob to wipe out Acadia. Whether he succeeds in doing so depends both on your Charisma and how many sidequests for Far Harbor you have completed at this point.

A community of runaway Synths located in the observatory atop the island founded by [=DiMA=]. In the past, they gave Far Harbor the Fog Condensers as a sign of trust. Unfortunately, the Children of Atom see the condensers as an affront to Atom, and Acadia's providing of them to Far Harbor threatens the community's neutrality as tension mount between the Children and the Harbormen.

* NonActionGuy: They're the least violent out of the Island's main factions.

** The Brotherhood can be seen as '''The Realists'''. Ten years after the war with the Enclave, with Owyn Lyons gone, his prioritization of helping people over retrieving technology has been merged with the more traditional approach of the Brotherhood. Under Arthur Maxson's lead, the [=BoS=] scaled back its duties from strictly being "peacekeepers of the wastes" to retrieving dangerous technology and fighting different threats that endanger the people of the wasteland.

*** The Railroad also qualifies to some extent, what with their endless debates about earlier generations of Synths being deserving of freedom or not.

An organization of volunteer soldiers who used to serve as the protectors of the Commonwealth but have since run into a bit of bad luck. The Sole Survivor and Preston Garvey can restore them to their former prominence.

* ArchaicWeaponForAnAdvancedAge: 18th century artillery, effective against 23rd century power armor and laser weapons.
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: It is implied that previously their Generals are almost always the toughest and most badass of them all.

* BadassArmy: If the Sole Survivor chooses them to be, they eventually become a militia of well-equipped soldiers that can own a castle, several sets of Power Armor, and artillery. They will eventually be strong enough to take on both the Institute and the Brotherhood of Steel.

* CattlePunk: Their general aesthetic, along with that of the American Revolutionary War. Their ramshackle equipment also evokes that of Colonial and Wild West-era frontiersmen, and their peaceful rule over settlements is reminiscent of Cowboy Cops.

* {{Eagleland}}: Like NCR, they represent a great deal of the better part of the Pre-War world, albeit a more romanticized view of the USA's founding principles.
* EliteMooks: Minutemen are basically this for general settlers.

** They are ''very'' similar in the way they operate to Desert Rangers of both the ''Fallout'' and ''VideoGame/{{Wasteland}}'' universes. Being a military-focused faction that offers protection to settlements around the wastes, and one that almost got completely destroyed by a more powerful faction. Unlike the Desert Rangers of ''Fallout'', who elected to amalgamate into a relatively ideologically compatible and very powerful nearby state when their back was against the wall (the NCR against Caesar's Legion), the Minutemen can eventually recover from their destruction because they ''don't'' have that option.

** TheChick ends up being the unnamed Minutemen Radio operator, coordinating the entire faction's movements through the radio.

** They also serve as a foil to the Brotherhood of Steel. The Brotherhood has suffered through numerous terrible tragedies (mostly on the West Coast) and under its new leadership, its Eastern branch has become darker and more conservative. The Minutemen have suffered the same sort of catastrophic losses, but can come back more idealistic than ever. In addition, while both groups want to bring order and stability to the Commonwealth, the Brotherhood's methods are top-down and paternalistic, while the Minutemen have a much more grassroots and democratic approach.
** The Minutemen also serve as a rebuttal to the Institute, as they trust the people of the Commonwealth to directly work ''with'' them as opposed to trying to rule over them from the shadows. While the Institute are cynical manipulators who view the surface world as a lost cause that [[RightfulKingReturns they will retake in due time]] once the surface dwellers have all killed each other off, the reborn Minutemen under the Sole Survivor are idealistic radicals that can build numerous new, safe, and comfortable settlements across the Commonwealth so as to help usher in a new unified society. Also, the Minutemen are a primarily low-tech military organization who understand how to get people to trust and listen to them thanks to performing public works, while the Institute are a purely civilian organization whose terrible understanding of diplomacy has only resulted in over a century's worth of disastrously counter-productive relations with the surface. Though perhaps ironically, both factions are shown to suffer from the same FatalFlaw (more or less) of an over-reliance on charismatic leaders to mitigate their infighting and get anything done in a unified fashion.
* FantasyCounterpartCulture: While they're pretty obviously based after the historical Minutemen who fought in the American Revolution, their general code and ethos, along with their intentionally loose command structure (being made up of a loose alliance of various tribal settlements), is also distantly reminiscent of the Iroquois Confederacy [[note]]Ironically, most of the Iroquois fought ''against'' the historical Minutemen, and the American Revolution caused the shattering of the Confederacy due to several tribes taking different sides[[/note]], and the early, pre-Constitution United States, which was also closer to a loose alliance of states with a weak central government.

* HopeBringer: Many in the Commonwealth see the renaissance of the Minutemen as a big deal; a greater chance at prosperity and safety that was slowly lost when the previous incarnation of the organization began falling apart. Doubly so if they retake the castle, as this gets Minuteman Radio up and running and they can coordinate their actions better. Everyone including Diamond City Radio and the SRB are surprised by it happening.

* LastStand: The Quincy massacre where they refused to abandon their charges against much-much superior odds.

* MeaningfulName: The Minutemen were based on an actual group of people during the Revolutionary War, so called because just like the Minutemen, they were militia that were given extra training and were especially made to be prepared "at a minute's notice". This is why they wear old uniforms and look like revolutionaries. [[spoiler:They get the chance to live up to the name if they launch an artillery strike on the Brotherhood, as the Brotherhood's Vertibirds reach the Castle in just about one minute.]]

* MildlyMilitary: They have a more informal militia-style structure, much like their historical predecessor. There are obviously still ranks, but Post-War Minutemen units historically were often somewhat autonomous from each other. The semi-independent nature is sometimes a shortfall, since respect for the chain of command is not explicitly drilled into Minutemen, and loss of a [[FourStarBadass strong General]] resulted in the organization eventually collapsing in the past.
* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: Sort of. The Minutemen are said to be citizen-soldiers and it shows, what with most of the roving patrols and reinforcements ranging from some laser musket-toting soldiers with the uniforms to guys in rags and baseball helmets wielding pipe guns. This tends to have them be at a disadvantage when fighting opponents in mid- to late-game.
* MugglePower: No Synths, no Power Armor (unless the player decides to assemble and maintain a fleet of suits personally), no secret underground networks, and no grand plans involving the Commonwealth: just a bunch of ordinary men and women with a genuine desire to help those in need. With your leadership, they can demolish both the Institute and the Brotherhood of Steel.

* NobleBigot: Some of their number are prejudiced against Ghouls and Synths, but it doesn't necessarily make them evil, just dickish.

** Additionally, even if the Sole Survivor manages to become General, it takes quite a bit of time before everyone among the Minutemen's ranks are either persuaded or convinced to recognize the authority vested, as seen in the Institute main quest "Pinned."

** Post-ending, [[spoiler:assuming you led them to victory against the Institute, Minutemen will start patrolling the roads in groups and manning old military checkpoints. These guys are much stronger than the guys you can call in with the flare gun; they're roughly the same level as the player character and pack fairly decent equipment, some even wear body armour. Reports from players say that they're often more than a match for most of the things that periodically attack the checkpoints.]]

** To the Institute. They are basically the only faction whose destruction the Institute's main quest line doesn't require - the two barely interact if one follows the Institute quest line, requiring the player to only calm down a stand off between the Minutemen and an Institute recruiter sent to recruit a scientist, which can be done without firing a single shot, and can even end with the Sole Survivor [[WeCanRuleTogether convincing the Minutemen that the Institute shares their goals.]] The Institute basically doesn't care about the Minutemen nor see them as a threat. Should you take charge of the Minutemen and lead them against the Institute however, they ''will'' take notice.

* TraumaCongaLine: Their headquarters was attacked by a [[GiantEnemyCrab Mirelurk Queen]] (which is as strong as Mother Dagon from ''Call of Cthulhu''), their leader was killed, a power struggle broke out, most of the remaining members gave up, then most of the only survivor's team got overrun by Feral Ghouls and would've been finished off by Raiders. It's been a rough couple of years.

* WeAreStrugglingTogether: It's implied that the Minutemen were beginning to undergo this shortly after the Castle (and their last general) fell, with bouts of infighting and disagreements causing tensions amongst themselves. Under Preston and the Survivor's guidance however, the Minutemen can avoid this from happening again.

-->'''Child of Atom''': He is coming with the clouds!

* {{Eagleland}}: As part of them being the EvilCounterpart to the Minutemen, they're decidedly Flavor 2, with them more or less representing the physical manifestation of virtually every negative stereotype ever given to the U.S. military.

* {{Foil}}: They're essentially the EvilCounterpart to the Commonwealth Minutemen. The Gunners are a group of aggressive mercenaries and {{Sociopathic Soldier}}s intent on using extreme military discipline to conquer the entire Commonwealth. They're also one of the only factions to have access to Pre-War military tech, being that they mostly use EnergyWeapons and even have some ''Vertibirds'' on their side. The Commonwealth Minutemen, in contrast, are a band of heroic militiamen and citizen soldiers that want to help unite the Commonwealth together by protecting settlements and laying the groundwork for a new society. They seem to rely mostly on {{Had To Be Sharp}} for training their soldiers and rely on cobbled-together weapons, 19th-century howitzers and anything they can grab for protecting the innocent. It's not that big a surprise that these two factions utterly despise each other and are in the midst of a vicious war.

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: For Talon Company in the Capital Wasteland. Unlike the Talon Company however, they often become Raiders themselves.

* TheWorfEffect: A building full of Gunners are used as punching bags in one Main Quest to establish how dangerous and powerful Institute Coursers are.

* RealityEnsues:
** For all of their good intentions, their weak command structure and habit of overly focusing on compartmentalization led to the Minutemen over-extending themselves and a truly ''humiliating'' decline in regional power. At the start of the story, there's literally '''one''' active Minuteman left in the entire region.
** The Sole Survivor has to do the vast majority of their settlement-building and related gruntwork [[AuthorityInNameOnly despite being the ostensible leader of the organization.]] This is because they '''literally''' don't have the manpower necessary to do the work themselves for the vast majority of the game due to the HumiliationConga they're still recovering from. Also, the Sole Survivor is the first ''Fallout'' protagonist to come from before the Great War, meaning that they're also likely the first protagonist in the series to have a classical education. Therefore, they actually ''know'' how to set up the needed resources for the Minutemen's settlements.
** Additionally, even if the Sole Survivor manages to become General, it takes quite a bit of time before everyone among the Minutemen's ranks are either persuaded or convinced to recognize the authority vested, as seen in the Institute main quest "Pinned."

* RealityEnsues: Behind the scenes, they're getting run into the ground financially due to them deliberately lowering their prices for competition, the cost of making Covenant look like a Pre-War town, and [[spoiler:the expenses of running the Compound. One of the Compound's terminals even mentions that, to use a business metaphor, they're only a few months away from bankruptcy]].

* StepfordSmiler: A whole settlement of them, though some have more trouble keeping up the facade than others.

* NotSoDifferent: To the very Institute they ran away from. Weird boogeymen with advanced technology whom all the other factions distrust because of how secretive they are.

* GreaserDelinquents: A post-apocalyptic textbook example with their leather jackets, blue jeans, slicked-back hair and retro nicknames, and their love of customizing Power Armor like cars, to the point that they even have a short drag racing strip set up-for Power Armor racing! Subverted in that they are also avid poetry buffs who hold regular Poetry nights (about Powered Armors!)