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I tried to get them to understand that there was more to life than fighting and killing, but they wouldn't listen.

Uncle Leo is a friendly, wandering super mutant that the Lone Wanderer may meet in The Super Mutant Philosopher random encounter in 2277.

Background[]

Like his fellow super mutants, Uncle Leo originates from Vault 87.[1] What makes him different is that he is pacifist in nature, and enjoys talking to people and providing them with gifts.[Non-game 1] He was exiled from his super mutant brethren because he was exhibiting peace-like attributes. They could not tolerate his message of peace and so they cast him out. Uncle Leo has roamed the Capital Wasteland ever since.[2] If the Lone Wanderer inquires about how he became to be known as Uncle Leo, he will state that he doesn't know and has always called himself that, with it possibly being his name before his transformation or something he perhaps read in a book.[3]

Interactions with the player character[]

Interactions overview[]

Interactions
38 Paradigm of Humanity
This character has no special interactions.

Effects of player's actions[]

When the Lone Wanderer first speaks to Uncle Leo, he will express surprise that they have not shot at him yet.[4] When a dialogue option appears to tell him to give up his goods (essentially "robbing" him), he gladly imparts a suit of dirty pre-War businesswear to the Lone Wanderer as a gift, wishing he could give more.[5]

Asking him what he meant when he said "before I became this" makes him reveal that super mutants are not born but are made by other super mutants in "a cold, dark, metal place." He mentions that they use the captives that they abducted to make more of themselves, but he either does not know or cannot explain how this is done.[1]

Uncle Leo can be encountered a second and third time. He will tell the Lone Wanderer that after their first encounter with him he fell into a dark cave while climbing a hill and hurt his leg. The cave turned out to be an old basement in which there were stacks of purified water. He tells them that after he got out of the basement he has been hunted by a group of "bleeders" (as super mutants refer to humans) and that he was forced to abandon the water he was carrying.[6] As with the first encounter, he will offer the Lone Wanderer another suit of dirty pre-War businesswear. At the third meeting, the Lone Wanderer can express their concern for Uncle Leo, believing the wasteland to be too dangerous for him; given his previous run-in with humans. He will explain that if he allowed his own worries to get the better of him, he would never take another step.[7]

Inventory[]

Apparel Weapon Other items On death
Dirty pre-War businesswear Super mutant blood sample Broken Steel

Notes[]

  • Uncle Leo is unarmed and only wears a pair of shorts. He is non-aggressive and will never initiate combat (even against yao guai or deathclaws), and will flee if he detects a hostile creature nearby. However, he will defend himself if physically harmed. He will also assist the Lone Wanderer in combat if he is nearby.
  • Uncle Leo is one of the two friendly super mutants in the game, the other being Fawkes.
  • Uncle Leo cannot be pickpocketed.
  • Uncle Leo remains in the game files of Fallout: New Vegas, however, his skin color is the same as a super mutant instead of yellow green.
  • If the Lone Wanderer happens to have Fawkes as a companion while meeting Uncle Leo a second time, he will express his shock at seeing another super mutant like him.[8]

Notable quotes[]

Appearances[]

Uncle Leo appears in Fallout 3.

Behind the scenes[]

Uncle Leo's dialogue when the Lone Wanderer tries to rob him, where he tells them the clothes are a gift and he wishes he could give the Lone Wanderer the "wonderful moon," comes from a Zen Buddhist koan.[Non-game 2]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 The Lone Wanderer: "You said "before I became this." What did you mean?"
    Uncle Leo: "Maybe you don't know where we come from Super Mutants, I mean. We aren't born this way. We are created. In the cold, dark, metal place, where my brothers bring their captives, endlessly trying to make more of us. It was something I could not do. I tried to get them to stop. But they wouldn't listen. They would have killed me if I had not run away."
    (Uncle Leo's dialogue)
  2. The Lone Wanderer: "Who are you? I've never met a friendly Super Mutant before."
    Uncle Leo: "I was driven out by my brothers. I tried to get them to understand that there was more to life than fighting and killing, but they wouldn't listen. Now I wander the Wasteland, hoping to find some meaning to life before I die."
    (Uncle Leo's dialogue)
  3. Lone Wanderer: "How'd you get the name Uncle Leo?"
    Uncle Leo: "I don't know. I've always called myself that. Maybe it was my name before I became... this. Maybe I read it in a book a long time ago."
    (Uncle Leo's dialogue)
  4. Uncle Leo: "You haven't shot at me yet. That's different."
    (Uncle Leo's dialogue)
  5. The Lone Wanderer: "You don't seem to understand. I'm robbing you."
    Uncle Leo: "No, you're not. I want you to take it as a gift. I meant to give it to you anyway. Have you ever watched the moon rise over the Wasteland? I only wish I had something as wonderful as that to give you."
    (Uncle Leo's dialogue)
  6. Uncle Leo: "After we last met, I was climbing a small hill when the ground crumbled beneath me and I fell into a dark pit. My leg was hurt in the fall, so I couldn't climb out."
    The Lone Wanderer: "That sounds bad."
    Uncle Leo: "Maybe. After I had rested, I looked around. I was in an old basement. There were bottles of pure water stacked everywhere."
    The Lone Wanderer: "Do you still have any? I could use some water."
    Uncle Leo: "I wish I had some to give you, but I'm afraid I lost it all. I gathered up all I could carry, and once my leg felt better I climbed out of the hole and went on my way. The next day, I came upon a group of humans. Usually your people leave me alone, but they saw the water I was carrying and attacked. I dropped the water and ran for my life. I'm afraid my brothers would find me very contemptible."
    (Uncle Leo's dialogue)
  7. The Lone Wanderer: "I've been worried about you. You don't exactly seem cut out for this place."
    Uncle Leo: "You've been worried about me? Oh, because of the trouble I ran into with the humans last time. There is no point in carrying your worry around with you for so long. If I did that, I would never take one more step."
    (Uncle Leo's dialogue)
  8. Uncle Leo: "You are friends with another of my brothers? I am astounded! I thought I was the only one who wanted more from life."
    (Uncle Leo's dialogue)

Non-game

  1. Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.102: "Uncle Leo
    Uncle Leo is a strange mutation: a Super Mutant pacifist, who is embracing a spirit of giving and grace. He recalls his adventures to anyone who will listen, gladly gives gifts to those in need, and reveals many facts about the genesis of Super Mutants (that they are not "born" but "created" for example). The Wasteland is a safer place with this hulking beast watching with wonder at the waning moon."
    (Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition Wasteland Census)
  2. "Ryokan, a Zen master, lived the simplest kind of life in a little hut at the foot of a mountain. One evening a thief visited the hut only to discover there was nothing to steal. Ryokan returned and caught him. “You have come a long way to visit me,” he told the prowler, “and you should not return empty-handed. Please take my clothes as a gift." The thief was bewildered. He took the clothes and slunk away. Ryokan sat naked, watching the moon. “Poor fellow,” he mused, “I wish I could have given him this beautiful moon.”
    (Moon Cannot Be Stolen)
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