In Bethesda’s celebration of Fallout’s 25th anniversary, the company released a mural featuring some of the most notable characters in the series. And taking center stage was none other than Albert Cole, which got players asking if he is the canon Vault Dweller of Fallout 1.
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Albert Cole of Fallout 1
Albert Cole is one of the three available characters that players can choose from at the beginning of Fallout 1. The other two choices are Natalia Dubrovhsky and Max Stone. Natalia is most suited for stealthy gameplay, while Max is best for players who want to solve problems with combat. Meanwhile, Albert Cole is the charismatic option, having incredibly high Speech and Barter skills.
In the Fallout character selection menu, Albert is described as the charismatic leader of a minority group within Vault 13. He and his colleagues were seeking to live a life outside the metal walls of the vault. And it was Albert who often negotiated among different parties. When asked about his job, Albert says he’s somewhat of a lawyer – not because he has a legal background but probably because he’s capable of convincing people that he’s in the right.
However, seasoned players of Fallout 1 often dissuade newcomers from choosing Albert in their first playthrough. This is because of his Agility stat, which has four points. This poses a problem because a character’s Agility decides how many Action Points they have. And in the original turn-based Fallout games, having low Action Points limits the player’s mobility and efficiency in combat. So, even though Albert has an extremely high Charisma stat, it doesn’t mean much in the game’s many hostile encounters.
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The Canon Vault Dweller?
Despite being an unpopular choice in the original Fallout game, he’s generally seen as the canon Vault Dweller for a couple of reasons. Most notably, the Vault Dweller statue in Fallout 2 depicts a male character, meaning the canon Vault Dweller can’t be Natalia. Some also argue further that the statue doesn’t look like Max, which is why it’s most likely Albert.
Another reason why the community believes that Albert Cole is canon is because of the Vault Dweller’s memoirs, a manuscript that comes with the Fallout 2 manual. The text was supposedly written by the elderly Vault Dweller, who has since built a community following the depressing ending of Fallout 1. Nothing in the text hints at the Vault Dweller’s true identity. However, the drawings in between paragraphs portray a male character that looks similar to Vault Boy – the franchise’s official mascot. However, this could also be taken as Albert doodling himself and his exploits in the wasteland. People dismiss the idea that it could be Max because of his low Intelligence stat.
The next reason isn’t quite as compelling, and it requires a bit of a lore dive. Canonically, the Chosen One of Fallout 2 is the grandchild of the Vault Dweller, and in the game, they reveal through dialogue that they’re aware of the super mutants’ inability to conceive children. This suggests that perhaps it was the Vault Dweller who taught them about it (or at least passed it on within the tribe) since the player can learn of it in Fallout 1.
Acquiring this information not easy, however. It requires the Vault Dweller to get in contact with the Brotherhood of Steel’s current Head Scribe, Vree. To claim the holodisk with super mutant research information, the player must also have at least seven points in Intelligence. Interestingly enough, Albert only has six points, but this can be explained away by a pack of Mentats (a useful Fallout chem that raises Intelligence). Natalia has exactly seven points in Intelligence, but she can be ruled out given the Vault Dweller statue in Fallout 2.
Getting this holodisk is the easiest way to proceed to the speech ending of Fallout 1, which is the most diplomatic solution and the one most suited to Albert’s character. In contrast, Natalia’s skillset suits the nuke ending, and Max’s skillset calls for the guns blazing solution – neither of which benefits from acquiring the holodisk. All that said, the fact that the Chosen One was aware of the information in the holodisk is (albeit flimsy) proof that their grandparent is Albert Cole.
New Hints from the Fallout 25th Anniversary Celebration
The last piece of information that hints at Albert being the canonical Vault Dweller comes from the recent art piece for Fallout’s 25th anniversary. The mural showcases some of the most memorable figures in the franchise, with characters like Piper, Three Dog, and the Master appearing in the artwork. Dogmeat and Rex even get a front seat, watching as none other than Albert Cole cooks up some grilled Radroaches.
Albert is the most prominent character in the mural, which could be Bethesda’s nod toward the original titles. However, this has sparked discussion among the community once again. At the end of the day, it’s hard to give a definite answer about the canon Vault Dweller – the first in a long line of Fallout protagonists. While most of the lore certainly points toward Albert, it’s never explicitly stated in any of the dialogue of the later games. Even gorgeous artwork for the game’s 25th anniversary can’t change that.
But whether Albert Cole is the canon Vault Dweller, there’s no doubt that his character archetype has influenced the franchise for the better. True to Fallout’s roleplaying roots, the games often implement “diplomatic” options to otherwise violent scenarios, and that’s something that Albert’s character popularized across the series - and it’s hopefully something that Fallout 5 will incorporate into its game world. Until then, the community can appreciate Albert and Fallout’s humble beginnings.
The original Fallout is available on PC.
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