Fallout canon

From The Vault

Fallout canon are the things considered to be part of the Fallout universe. Because each of the Fallout games was created by a different development team and the plot and dialogues were created by mostly different people each time around, there are numerous inconsistencies between them and the canonicity of each game is a point of contention between various Fallout fans.

Since the acquisition of the Fallout franchise by Bethesda Softworks and their development of Fallout 3, it is Bethesda that defines the official canon. However, many Fallout fans prefer the Fallout canon as it was defined by various developers working on previous Fallout games, even if they also contradicted each other at times.

[edit] Prevalent "canon hierarchy" in the fan community

Fallout is the ultimate canon. Everything in this game is taken as the truth about the setting.

Fallout 2, whilst often viewed as an inferior title by the hardcore fans, is also considered canon if it does not contradict Fallout. If this happens, Fallout's version of events is taken as the truth.

Fallout Tactics is not considered to be Fallout canon, due to its many inconsistencies and contradictions. If something in Tactics does not contradict Fallout or Fallout 2's version of events, then it can be considered somewhat canon.

Some of the background information in Fallout Bibles is considered canon, except for some pure speculations by Chris Avellone, of which some might be canon or semi-canon, and some are clearly wrong.

Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel is so far away from canon that canon has forgotten the game exists, and if it remembered, would only send feces in the mail to the game's developers.

Van Buren was never released and the little we know from the developers is not considered canon.