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The Star Player
The player character. The Star Player was born to a tribe of Vault 18 exiles that was mysteriously slaughtered, leaving only a handful of infant survivors. Discovered by Dr. Rossman's Wasteland Scouts, the Star Player was brought back to Vault 18 and adopted by the Overseer along with his/her two siblings.
The story begins on the night of the big Vault Ball game, on which the Star Player either leads the team to victory (Path of the Warrior), or totally blows it and gets their leg broken (Path of the Scientist). When Coach Bragg leads a coup later that night, the Star Player's home is left in ruins, leaving them and their companions caught up in a power struggle between three outside factions.
- Academic Athlete: You get the Smart Jock perk by impressing both Bragg and Rossman.
- The Ageless: The Star Player hasn't aged a day between leaving Vault 18 becoming the Courier, despite two decades having passed. Justified by the Healing Factor they have, which probably slows their aging quite a bit.
- Artificial Human: Might be a clone of the Vault Dweller from the first game, kept stable and rapidly grown from a corrupted DNA sample with the Project Brazil symbiote.
- Brought Down to Badass: By the time New Vegas starts, the Star Player/Courier's Project Brazil-induced abilities have degraded significantly to near-normal levels. They're still strong enough to heal a bullet to the head, however.
- Canon Character All Along: In most endings, the Star Player goes on to become the Courier from Fallout: New Vegas.
- Good Thing You Can Heal: Due to Project Brazil, they have an immensely powerful Healing Factor. In the timeskip between New California and New Vegas, it saves their life when the nukes destroy the Divide, as they were reduced to a melted skeleton and managed to pull themselves back together. Unfortunately, it also stunted their regeneration, bringing them back to almost-normal levels.
- Heel–Face Turn: Can pull one off in the vault if having previously joined the Patriots; by talking to a disillusioned John Anderson, one can leave the Patriots and join Vault Security, netting The Redeemer perk.
- Living Macguffin: Is this to the Father's entire plan, thanks to the Project Brazil parasite.
- Lovable Jock: If you take the Path of the Warrior and remain a nice guy.
- Meaningful Name: It seems "Star" is literally the surname assigned to the character by Vault-18 authorities.
- Moses in the Bullrushes: Found alongside his/her "siblings" in the Wasteland as an infant by Dr. Rossman, and brought back to the Vault.
- Nigh-Invulnerability: Courtesy of the Project Brazil parasite.
- Non-Indicative Name: "Star Player" becomes ironic if you take the Path of the Scientist, since you cost your team the game.
- Villain Protagonist: An Enclave player, that is.
Vault 18 Inhabitants
Overseer Albert Christianson
The elderly overseer of Vault 18, preparing for the next Vault election.
- Despair Event Horizon: Gets pushed over the edge by the deaths of his wife and adoptive son during the Patriots' revolt.
- Driven to Suicide: By the destruction the Enclave has caused and the deaths of his family.
- Outliving One's Offspring: His adoptive son Jason (who is also your brother) is executed by Bragg.
- Properly Paranoid: He's very concerned about Coach Bragg's secret "training regimen". And he is vindicated in the end.
- Taking You with Me: Sets off the Vault self-destruct to kill the Enclave troops and ruin their plan to conquer Vault 18.
- Talking Down the Suicidal: Averted with major consequences. Nothing you say will stop the overseer from hitting the Vault self-destruct and immediately shooting himself afterwards.
The Star Family
The Star Player's siblings, or at least the infants they were discovered alongside who were raised as his siblings: Mandy, Shawn, and Jason. They consider Overseer Christianson their surrogate father.
- Daddy Didn't Show: Non-parental variant. None of them showed up to watch the Star Player's big game. They do apologize, though.
- Death by Origin Story: Killed in their sleep after the prologue.
- Geek: Shawn and Jason love playing tabletop games.
Earnest Schwartz
The Overseer's assistant, who takes great pleasure in being an annoying little creep.
- Nerdy Bully: Stereotypically nerdy and loves harassing you for no reason.
- Small Name, Big Ego: Smug and secure in his position, but he can't do much but run errands and hurl lame insults.
Permanent Companions
In General
- Time Skip: As New California is a prequel to New Vegas, the companions can show up in the base game twenty one years later if they make it out alive. For some reason, they all have stark white hair despite being, at the oldest, in their 40s.
Ben Kurtz
An adopted tribal like the Star Player, Ben is fond of drawing his own comics, which are actually based on suppressed memories of his early life.
- Creepy Good: A loyal companion to you, but once his memories reassert themselves, he becomes very brooding and intense.
- Scarily Competent Tracker: Implied; his perk boosts your Perception.
- Used to Be a Sweet Kid: He's rather shy and kindly when you first meet him, but he gets downright creepy after trauma reawakens his repressed memories.
Eric Campbell
An aspiring Wasteland Scout.
- Berserk Button: The rumors about him and Jamie. He doesn't really confirm or deny them, but is quick to point out why it wouldn't be a big deal if they were true.
- Big Brother Mentor: The oldest of the adoptees in Vault-18, and one of the leveler heads among them.
- Book Dumb: Rossman encourages him to follow scholarly rather than physical pursuits. Eric finds them a lot harder but does his best.
- Brother–Sister Incest: Rumor around the Vault is he has this kind of relationship with Jamie. To be fair, they may only have been raised as siblings, and the entire Vault is in danger of resorting to inbreeding in any case. When encountered in the Mojave, he and Jamie have settled together with kids.
- Sex Signals Death: Dies in the Patriots' coup if a female player seduces him. Even more puzzlingly, dies if the Patriots' coup if a male player seduces his sister, so he even gets Death By Other Peoples' Sex.
Jamie Campbell
A mechanically-inclined member of the Star Player's rival team, and Eric's sister.
- Brother–Sister Incest: Rumor around the Vault is she has this kind of relationship with Eric. To be fair, they may only have been raised as siblings, and the entire Vault is in danger of resorting to inbreeding in any case.
- Hard-Drinking Party Girl: Starts a kegger with the guys in the hydroponics lab to celebrate the big game.
- Sex Signals Death: Dies in the Patriots' coup if a male player seduces her. Even more puzzlingly, dies if the Patriots' coup if a female player seduces her brother, so she even gets Death By Other Peoples' Sex.
- Tomboy: Plays Vault-Ball. Drinks hearty.
Jenn Hail
Young daughter of veteran Wasteland Scout Yetti Hail, and one of few Vault 18 children actually born in the Vault (unlike the other companions). Surprisingly skilled at stealth and thievery.
- Alpha Bitch: Kira sees her as this; they once had a fight which ended with Kira humiliatingly had to discuss her crappy home life in public.
- Hidden Depths: Passes herself off as an airhead groupie at first, but she's sharper than you think. Her natural inquisitiveness puts you on the path to working out Bragg's real affiliation.
- Spoiled Brat: She has this kind of reputation, supposedly getting special treatment due to being one of the Vault's natural-born children. But she has a sweet side that you can get on with the right dialogue.
- Seemingly-Wholesome '50s Girl: She has a reputation for being sexually loose, though we never learn how justified it is. She admits to being the least "innocent" of her family, but when pressed she just makes vague comments about sneaking out at night to listen to loud music.
- Stealth Expert: Good at sneaking, lock picking, and discretely picking pockets.
- The Tease: Not above wheedling favors out of you with flirtatious behavior.
Johnny Matheson
Big, aggressive, none too bright, and has a bit of a chem addiction; Johnny plays for the Barbarians, a rival Vault-Ball team to the Star Player's. If you take Path of the Scientist, he's the one who puts you in the infirmary.
- Barbaric Bully: Almost literally a barbarian bully.
- Foreign Wrestling Heel: He thinks this is his role on the Vault-Ball team; a tribal-patterned punching bag for Bragg's Patriots to "heroically" rough up (he is probably right). This makes his bad attitude a bit more understandable.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: He is a bit of a hot-head.
- Jerk Jock: Your first interaction with him? Either he gives you a clearly insincere apology for breaking your leg, or he gets sullen for being beaten.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Nonetheless, it's possible to get on his good side.
Kira Mann
A brilliant computer engineer obsessed with finding her lost tribal parents.
- Abusive Parents: Her adoptive family in the Vault. Her private files will mention that her father hits her sometimes.
- Gene Hunt: Eager to find her real parents in the Wasteland.
- Misfit Lab Rat: A social outcast who spends her days at the lab.
- Techno Wizard: Really good with computers.
B-6-RK
A robot dog (but of course!) created by Dr. Kyoto. Only available if you take the Path of the Scientist.
ALPHA
A hulk of a robot, seemingly cobbled together from a mix of robot parts. Found in a scrap heap by Markus Evans and currently being restored in Vault 18 by Dr. Rossman. Only available if you take the Path of the Scientist.
The Patriots
John Bragg
The coach of the Patriots, Vault-18's Vault-Ball resident team. He is obsessed with Pre-War America. He is actually an Enclave infiltrator.
- Ax-Crazy: In his coup, he blows up an entire section of the Vault that includes Patriots he feels might not be sufficiently indoctrinated. He assumes any that are will naturally want to side with him once they see the fighting.
- Can't Kill You, Still Need You: Upon realizing that the Star Player survived Vault 18's destruction, John Bragg instead decides to entice them into doing missions for Enclave Squad Leonidas.
- Gun Nut: He talked Vault government into loosening restrictions on gun access, then started arming his most loyal Patriots.
- Kick the Dog: Aside from his attempted takeover of the Vault, he decides to throw you under the bus since you're not recruited into his conspiracy. He also puts aside female Vault dwellers like Jenn for breeding stock.
- Opposite-Sex Clone: Yeah, turns out he's not actually Chevy's brother.
- Patriotic Fervor: He rants pretty often about America rising from the ashes of the war and all that, despite America not existing anymore. This is your first clue that he's Enclave.
- Rabble Rouser: His political clout in the Vault is largely due to his ability to incite fear of Wastelanders. He might have used this to get himself elected Overseer if his superiors hadn't pushed up his timetable.
- Sociopathic Soldier: He carries a lot of bloodlust.
- Super-Soldier: An experimental virus not only boosts his strength but gives him a healing factor, and immunity to radiation.
- We Can Rule Together: If the Star Player does his bidding, he will offer them a chance to join the Enclave at Fort Daggerpoint.
Chevy Bragg
The head of Vault 18's security but who refers to herself as a lieutenant. She is secretly an Enclave infiltrator.
- Boomerang Bigot: Much like Frank Horrigan before her, she's an Enclave operative who despises "mutants" and eagerly desires to cleanse them from the wasteland...despite explicitly being a mutant herself
- The Baroness: Sexpot variety, being a very attractive and very evil Enclave operative.
- Eyepatch of Power: She wears an eyepatch over her left eye that hides a glowing green eye.
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: She seems marginally more levelheaded than John, not that that's saying much.
- The Stoic: Represented in-game by immunity to Charisma checks.
- Super-Soldier: The product of a pre-war medical experiment developed in conjunction with the FEV, giving her regenerative capabilities and immunity to radiation.
- White Hair, Black Heart: White-haired ruthless killer for a fascist cult.
Wasteland Scouts
In General
A group of wasteland explorers, scientists, and survivalists, made up of Vault 18's best and brightest. It originated as a scouting team for Vault 18 to learn more about the outside world, but as time passed they got more and more involved in outside affairs and ended up being wasteland heroes and peacekeepers. By 2260, they're well past their prime, both literally and figuratively, leaving little but legends for the outside world.
- Hero of Another Story: During their prime, the Scouts (Rossman and his group especially) apparently became so famous that stories about them are still told all over New California, and they even have comics about them in the Hub.
- Hero with Bad Publicity: As mentioned on the main page, the NCR branded them as terrorists for killing NCR mercenaries while trying to protect Vault 18 from NCR expansion. A lot of people still remember them as heroes, though.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: The actions of Rossman and the other Wasteland Scouts are indirectly responsible for Vault 18's fate. Some of them even lament that the Star Player's generation will have to clean up their mistakes, especially since all they wanted was to protect the Vault's future in the first place.
- Special mention goes to Rossman's relationship with the Braggs, as he basically allowed them to enter Vault 18, and he seems to have immediately regretted it.
- Rossman had a hell of a vendetta against the Survivalist Raiders, described as almost to the point of being a Blood Knight. This culminated in him invading Athens-Tec Mine, blowing up their fuel reserves and leaving a crater that's still smoking years after the fact, and caving in part of the mine to kill his Arch-Enemy Boss Maxson. Unfortunately, this just made the raiders even more determined to get revenge against Vault 18, and allowed Elsdragon - Maxson's even more psychotic and sadistic son - to come to power.
- Thanks to the paranoia of Vault 18's leaders, Yetti Hail went on a disastrous mission to San Francisco which involved murdering dozens of Shi warriors, killing an old friend, and ultimately causing numerous civilian deaths when he crashed an airship into a nuclear power plant. The NCR probably wasn't too fond of that.
Dr. Kevin Rossman
Vault 18's chief robotics and computer engineer, who also does a bit of medicine. Most famous member of the Wasteland Scouts, and responsible for making them the way they are now.
- Foil: To Coach Bragg. You talk to Rossman if you choose the Path of the Scientist, and he is a lot more calm and reserved than Bragg. And not evil.
- Mysterious Past: He grew up in Vault 47, which is said to be located far away in Tucson, Arizona. It's never mentioned how he made it to Vault 18 from there, or what led to him joining the Vault.
- Not That Kind of Doctor: He's a computer scientist, not a medical doctor, and complains about being forced to treat the Nerd Star Player's broken leg due to the Vault's actual physician being out.
- Omnidisciplinary Scientist: Your attending physician if you break your leg... even though he's primarily a roboticist. Probably justified because he grew up in a Vault where everyone was a trained Eagle Scout, so he knows a good amount of first aid, and he can fall back on the Auto-Doc if he has to.
- Retired Badass: A former Wasteland Scout who survived years of wasteland travels and battles with the Raider Alliance.
- Scout-Out: His Wasteland Scouts are trained in typical scouting skills, but more hardcore for the Fallout universe.
Yetti Hail
A retired Wasteland Scout, and Jenn's father.
- Boyfriend-Blocking Dad: When it seems Jenn has invited a male PC over on a date, he gets very stern and intimidating. With Wild Wasteland, though, he reveals a more jocular personality.
- Retired Badass: You have to be badass to be a Wasteland Scout old enough to retire.
Vault Barbarians
New California Republic
General William Silverman
Commander of the NCR military forces in the Pass. Born and raised in Union City.
- Big Good: He's essentially the most straightforwardly good of the quest givers.
- Black Mail: Willing to resort to this to make sure the Star Player does what he says.
- Military Maverick: Deliberately ignores the NCR Congress’s orders and ignites war with the Raiders. In the NCR storyline, he even orders the death of Senator Duville. Naturally, these actions don’t go down well and he ends up disgraced and imprisoned.
- War Hawk: Itching to go to war and wipe out the Raider Alliance, no matter what the cost and despite Duville and the Congress’ objections.
Senator Paul Duville
A member of the NCR Congress, hailing from New Reno. Supposedly placed in the Pass to monitor General Silverman's actions for the Congress; in reality, is there to ensure what happens is in the best interests of his backers, the New Reno Mob.
- Card-Carrying Villain: He's evil and he revels in it. He even has the classic laugh.
- Corrupt Politician: He doesn't even try to hide that he's working for the Mob.
- Fat Bastard: He has a custom model that makes him look fatter than most other characters.
- I Gave My Word: That being said, stay loyal to him and he will pay you every cap he promised ( later found in a safe in the Goodsprings graveyard,) and will look out for you as well. However, screw him over and he will screw you over in return.
- One Mob ending shows that he goes so far as to die for you by keeping your name out of the NCR investigation, putting all the blame for the events in the Pass on himself.
- If you screw over the Mob by using their money to hire Rey Guerrero's mercenaries for the final assault on Fort Daggerpoint, Duville acts in return by reducing your pay to a single cap.
- Les Collaborateurs: He's a tool of the New Reno Mob, though he doesn't really care.
Captain Less Jameson
Leader of the NCR 5th Army Batallion's Bravo Company in the Pass. First encountered as he and his men are ambushed by Survivalists on I-15.
- Badass Normal: Just a regular soldier in the NCR military.
- By-the-Book Cop: Absolutely despises mercenaries and bounty hunters for their violent lifestyles and flaunting of NCR law. In-game, this can come to mean Annai Oran and potentially even the Star Player themselves. At the same time, this means he is also absolutely loyal to his orders.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Attempts to make one to cover the player's escape from Fort Daggerpoint. Can be talked out of it.
- Just Following Orders: Ordered by NCR higher-ups, possibly Silverman, to lead the player into Fort Daggerpoint and look the other way while the mutants capture the player. He is not very happy about it.
- My Country, Right or Wrong: Don't get him wrong, he knows the system is flawed. However, he still firmly believes in the peace and security of the NCR over the violence and anarchy of the wasteland, and longs for the day when his country will truly unify New California.
- Punch-Clock Villain: Becomes this on the Raider path. On the NCR path, becomes this during the first expedition to Fort Daggerpoint, but can be quickly convinced otherwise.
Ranger Kerry Vargas
A Desert Ranger from Texas, who responded to calls for aid from NCR forces in the Pass.
Annai Oran
An independent bounty hunter with a personal agenda.
- Chekhov's Gunman: First shows up in the Nerd path prequel as the subject of the player's (terrible) flirting on a wasteland internet dating site, albeit seeming to know more than she lets on. She's later encountered for the Fort Daggerpoint key, and assists in the final battle against the Braggs. Turns out she's the original subject of Project Brazil (or a clone of the original), and is tracking down the other subjects to eliminate the threat the project creates.
- Death Seeker: To an extent. Every ten years, the Project Brazil parasite mutates into a monstrous form consuming all that it sees and produces a clone with the same powers. She's dedicated her immortal life to tracking down and killing her clones. Jerri and the Braggs are the last ones left, and after the Braggs are dealt with she and Jerri mean to kill themselves to end the cycle.
- Hero Antagonist: She and Jerri Oran replace the Braggs as the final bosses of the Enclave path.
- Really 700 Years Old: She was born pre-war as the daughter of Senator Andrew Oran, who commissioned Vault 18's construction, and given Project Brazil as a last-ditch treatment for a disease. This has left her functionally immortal, albeit at a heavy cost.
Doc Marius
A formerly Brotherhood-affiliated scientist now hanging around Union City.
Survivalists
Juan Maxson-Elsdragon
Current warlord of the Raider Alliance.
- Arch-Enemy: Despises Dr. Rossman for killing his father and outright introduces himself as Rossman's archenemy.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: His daughter Eliza, who can be kidnapped to lure him to his death.
- Family-Values Villain: Cares for his daughter Eliza and is eager to avenge his father's death.
- Pop-Cultured Badass: He has a fondness for making comic book references. If you pass an Intelligence check with him in your first intro, he refers to you as "Brainiac".
- Taking You with Me: If you manage to talk him into surrendering himself in exchange for his daughter's life, he'll try to blow you to hell with a grenade.
Jonathan Nos
Warlord of the Elite Psychos, who function as Elsdragon's shock troops and personal bodyguards.
- The Dragon: Second-in-command to Elsdragon.
Kieva Nanjima
Warlord of the Nanjima Shi Clan, having fled from NCR persecution in the West.
- Bilingual Dialogue: She speaks solely in Japanese, meaning that she needs to give you a translator before you can understand her. It's not clear why everyone else can understand her however.
- Enemy Mine: It's possible to get her to align with the NCR in her bid to overthrow Elsdragon.
- The Starscream: Is attempting to overthrow Elsdragon with the help of Wilson Wilco.
Wilson Wilco
Warlord of the Old Guard Survivalists.
- Evil Has Standards: Not evil, more morally grey. But he and a number of the Old Guard are concerned with Elsdragon's bloodlust and erosion of their core values through his recruiting of more and more vicious raider groups.
Jarl Hrafnkel Corvis
Warlord of the Vault Vikings.
Hassan Al'Hashr
Warlord of the Black Vultures.
Atl Irepani
Prophet of the Black Vultures.
- Unwanted False Faith: Many of the Vultures give this to him as a result of his fervent espousal of the Madre, the Vultures' death deity. He does what he can for his "flock," however.
Old Tom Farley
Warlord of the Psychos.
Sylvia Semi
Warlord and Priestess of the Vipers.
Super Mutants
The Father
Formerly a member of the Master's Unity, now leader of the reformed Unity at Fort Daggerpoint Air Force Base.
- Canon Character All Along: The diary of Master Vornaught reveals that The Father was once Mark, one of the original members of Richard Grey's expedition to Mariposa Military Base.
- Emperor Scientist: "Emperor" is more his aspiration than his current status, but he's definitely well-versed in sciences as seen in his involvement with Project Brazil.
- Enemy Mine: Can be convinced to put his plans for the Unity on hold to help defeat John and Chevy Bragg.
- Genius Bruiser: Typically for Nightkin, he's smarter than you would expect a huge hulking monster to be.
- Utopia Justifies the Means: Same goal as the Master: unite all life under the FEV.
Vayger the Gatekeeper
The guardian of the bridge to the Unity.
- Composite Character: His mannerisms and voice are reminiscent of The Lieutenant, while his armored cybernetic body gives him the outline of Frank Horrigan.
- Hollywood Cyborg: His torso appears to be grafted to the remains of a Daggerpoint sentry bot, replacing his legs.
- The Dragon: To the Father.
Mandrake
A Nightkin spy who attempts to capture the Star Player in the depths of Athens-Tec Mine.
- Heel–Face Turn: If left alive til the very end, begins to question the Father's sanity in regards to his obsession with the Star Player, and offers to help fight the Father. If turned down, he gathers the Nightkin and flees with them to Jacobstown.
- Pragmatic Villainy: Can be convinced to help the player fight the Super Mutant Behemoth in the Athens-Tec Mine, but only because he believes it has grown weak in the mine and wants to put it down.
Master Vornaught
Mutant researcher and psychologist, studying the mentalities of his brothers and humans undergoing the transition.
- Posthumous Character: Began to question the Father's sanity, and was killed and absorbed into the Father's biomass as a result.
