Who is the Mysterious Stranger? A Fan Theory Based on the Evidence - Fallout Lore 

To add to the Alien artefact idea Jack Cabot says that Lorenzo believes that there is another Alien city in the Mojave desert so it is possible that before Fallout Classic the Stranger found said city discovered an artefact that allowed him to get immortality

They always ask “who is the mysterious stranger” but they never ask “how is the mysterious stranger”

I think he's a reference to Mark Twain's unfinished novel "The Mysterious Stranger". In the book, Satan goes by the alias The Mysterious Stranger. He is also called No. 44, which is the type of gun the stranger in fallout carries; a .44 magnum.

"Ah, so you're challenging me? Go ahead. Use V.A.T.S. I'm miles away." *POW* "You missed, fool." *Guitar music plays* "What?!"

I think he’s multiple people. A story passed down from generations, and people take up the mantle to do their part, and keep the story alive.

Wife: " honey were out of milk can you pick up some" Me: * guitar sounds in backround *

He's definitelly a high level player who's lagging, that's why he one shots everything but seems to teleport

The lonesome drifters story is very reminiscent of a Johnny Cash song named A Boy Named Sue. With the father leaving the boy at an early age, to not leaving much except a guitar and the child moving from town to town to find his dad.

I feel like the name “Lonesome Drifter” is a nod to the Lone Wanderer.

“No im 28 why?” “Its about time i give these old bones a rest”

*you take a sip from your trusty vault 13 canteen*

I honestly love how the scene unintentionally played out at 2:33. How uncoordinated things felt and then the zoom in to the corpse while the camera is all shaky. it feels like a film school end of term project

Also, in Fallout 4 he has a basic .44 five years after you receive the Mysterious .44 in FNV, perhaps a nodd that this stranger is that guys father and because he gave his gun away he no longer appears with it 🤔

the mysterious oxhorn, he appears out of nowhere, drops some lore, then vanishes till he is needed again

I know who the mysterious stranger is, the Arizona ranger with the big iron on his hip.

I'm thinking time traveller. His comings and goings could be "significant" moments in time where the PC needs to succeed. At one point he got sentimental, started a family, lost track of his "mission", then got back on track.

This might sound kind of strange but have you noticed the mysterious stranger only helps out those who can Doom the whole entire Wasteland?

Plot twist: The Mysterious Stranger is the actual main character of Fallout

The mysterious stranger is actually a kill thief, you don't get the XP when he "helps" you.

It's just the penguins of Madagascar in a stack formation.

My Theory is that the ‘Mysterious Stranger’ is kinda like Dread Pirate Roberts. It’s not a single person, but a name. A title passed down from stranger to stranger that wanders the wastelands, helping out in fights whenever they feel like. This could also explain the aging, the fact that one of them had a kid in Fallout NV. And the fact that their appearance changed throughout the game as well as the weapon changing. Idk just my thought

7:35 Seeing your party members fall one by one when you were still conscious looked terrifying

My theory is that he has a time travel device and is from the future, and he has to travel back in time to protect legendary figures in the past.

He could be from the future. He's traveled to the past with powerful technology to assist him, maybe the future was changed and the mysterious stranger is keeping it on track. And maybe the player in the future is some sort of famous figure and we are important.

12:50 “As you can see, they are identical” *shows two revolvers that are not in fact identical*

"He just doesn't look 46 years old" keanu reeves : *chuckles*

What if there is an organisation of Mysterious Strangers, like a Dark Brotherhood of the Fallout Universe?

stranger once saved me from dying to an assaultron, god bless his soul that he was the one help me finish that survival mode. he has my respect, i hope to see him more in new adventures

Never fail to consider bad writing as a source of inconsistencies, this is many teams doing many projects over many decades

The mysterious stranger is basically that one annoying dude who keeps killstealing.

Me: fighting mirelurk queen. Mysterious stranger: one taps it

Its a little thing but I really appreciate you reading all of the dialogue choices from earlier Fallout games, it helps a lot for me to follow along as I have been binging these videos while playing Fallout 4.

Just love the way you put together explanations and theories Oxhorn.

The Mysterious Stranger character, and even his weapon of choice, is a reference to the unfinished Mark Twain novel called "No. 44, the Mysterious Stranger."

the mysterious stranger is a title passed down, originally from the last vault-tec insurance technician, who started a secret society based on the long ago-signed insurance documents. as a result, the mysterious stranger's job is to wander the wastes, helping any vault dwellers they find and minimizing any harm done to them outside of the vaults

He’s the Arizona Ranger with his big iron who is eternally looking for Texas red

What if you kill the lonesome drifter with vats and the mysterious stranger shows up and kills his own son

I feel as though the mysterious stranger is a legacy, carried through the gun. I believe the gun is a artifact that allows the stranger not to age but once their done with being the mysterious stranger they give the gun to another person and they become the mysterious stranger. As to how he disappears, it could be strath technology in the trench coat. That also explains why in fallout 1 he doesn’t disappear, because he doesn’t have the trench coat

I always think that the Mysterious Stranger thought to him or herself after gaining super natural abilities that they should use these abilities for good… or evil, basically a super hero or super villain self discovery moment, and that’s why these multiple mysterious strangers can help out the player no matter what the player’s karma is set to.

It could be possible that the Mysterious Stranger could be the remnant entity of Vault tech, in a monitoring capacity. Maybe to ensure the vault dwellers survival for their own purpose. That could explain why they appear in conjunction with every vault dweller throughout the country. They are similar in appearance to the pre war vault tech door to door officials. Just my take on it. I could def see a relationship with your mysterious magnum hypothesis! Great video

He’s either an interdimensional being or a man or multiple who has been charged with keeping the time line. One of which fathered a child in secret and to protect that he had to continue his work and leave his family behind. This explains why he’s always helping the player regardless of the karma because they don’t care about the player they care about keeping the timeline on track.

"M'aiq's father was also called M'aiq. As was M'aiq's father's father. At least, that is what his father said. But then again, you can never trust a liar." "A gift from M'aiq to his son, M'aiq," "Some say Alduin is Akatosh, some say M'aiq is a Liar. Don't you believe either of those things. " "M'aiq can travel fast across the land. Some lazy types take carriages. It is all the same to M'aiq. " "M'aiq knows much, and tells some. M'aiq knows many things others do not." "M'aiq knows many things, no?" "M'aiq is tired now. Go bother somebody else. " "M'aiq is done talking."

The "take a sip from your trusty vault 13 canteen" kills me every time

Thanks so much for this, I have always wondered who this guy might be. I only ever played FO4, so this was a really nice revelation. Subscribed and liked.

maybe he eats all his fruits and vegetables like a good little boy

Always a One Shot Kill, can't die, maybe he's a hacker

Imagine the mysterious man is literally just another player. Just some random courier. Perhaps, *you* were the mysterious stranger after all.

Mannn I love binging these before I sleep, you have the perfect storytelling voice

The mysterious stranger also appears in the Luck chapter of “What makes you S.P.E.C.I.A.L?”, leading us to believe that his appearance is based on luck.

He's the stranger with the big iron on his hip.

I believe the Mysterious Stranger is the original human Nick Valentine. There are just far too many coincidences for it too be ignored! Especially Nicks Obsession with him. It feels like a spoon fed hint almost!

I've always thought that the stranger from F4 looks like one of the badguy's from the Clint Eastwood movie "Pale Rider."

He's an Arizona Ranger. He won't be too long in town.

A detective story about detectives trying to find the detective-looking guy.

Great video with a Ton of information...However, I reached a different conclusion And I think there are more possibilities to consider... Taking a step back we should remember that according to the lonesome Drifters mother the lonesome stranger was always distant sometimes acting like a stranger to even her (to me this means that something is being hidden) also consider the fact that the mysterious strangers victims are not random they are all, in fact, victims of fighting someone lucky sure the amount of luck varies (as does the chance of the encounter triggering) but at the end of the day for the mysterious stranger to be functional he needs certain things (ammo, food) and is never seen buying them or looting them... And finally, the female mysterious stranger who only appears if you yourself are a female(suggesting some kind of relationship between the player and the mysterious stranger and in most relationships there's a give and a take what if somehow he/she is rewarded for their actions... This is why I believe that it is a way of thinking or perhaps even a divine intervention that stems from what we know at the end of the day very little about IE luck

“ i don’t know but there is a settlement that needs your help I’ll mark it on your map”

0:07 is nobody going to talk about how the lever action rifle’s reload matches up to what he’s saying, and there is a perfect sync with him saying “shelter” and the character moving the lever

I always though he was one of the previous characters we played as.

I know he won’t see this but. I love this guys videos, he is so good at breaking down these stories. His voice is very captivating, great job

I love how nick wants to find him too, it's not a NVDA quest but it is still nicks personal detective case

Take a shot everytime he says "Mysterious Stranger"

It may sound crazy but maybe he is the real nick valentine

I'm just doing my runs on fallout because I'm finally old enough to understand what's happening- this is facinating

Has anyone considered the idea that the Mysterious Stranger is a time traveler? He shows up to help different characters across history, as though they're ensuring some sequence of events.

What if the mysterious stranger is not a person but a title. That’s why he’s so old because it’s like an organization of mysterious strangers who are dedicated to helping everyone they can.

I always liked to think that he was an 'Agent of Time'. Like maybe from the future where things have recovered and technology has evolved to a point that humans have control over time. But to get to that point, certain actions needed to take place in history. So they have agents, or maybe just one agent. Who must move through space time to influence that past. Changing his outfit and weaponry to be period and location appropriate! Because we play as warriors, we only see him making sure we survive certain encounters through combat; or making battles easier so we have more ammo for a future, crucial battle. Potentially there are other Mysterious Strangers who do more mundane things like hiding valuables in random lootable boxes or whispering in the ear of someone so they change the world in their own nonviolent way ("Psst, Piper. Did the mayor just pour oil in his coffee? That's weird, right?"). Or even... Fathering a child who would grow into an important role later in life... That would explain the appearing and vanishing (even the guitar riff could just be a result of the 'teleporting'... Like sure it sounds like a guitar, but sometimes things sound like other things, especially if we have nothing to base that original sound off of!), why he takes action regardless of Karma or affiliation, why he is so powerful, and why he seems to look different but not age in each outing! Loved the video! Just thought I'd add my two cents.

This game came out years ago but I remember watching these videos like it was yesterday

Something to consider though is that the Stranger seems to specifically help key characters during pivotal times. since you can take the perk regardless of loyalty, the stranger has no allegiance to any group. Put your character is in fact the most influential character in their respective games, so for some reason they keep helping out these figures. he also can't possibly be using the Institutes relay, we know that it creates particle effect. he can't be a synth because he has aged if fallout 3/NV is the same person in 4. Nick's Voice lines confirm that other people can see the stranger, and based on his nots his only leads are places in which we have played (no mention of him appearing in lets say the midwest, an area yet to be canonized or have a influential character) so I humbly suggest that the Mysterious Stranger is an Agent or Agents of the aliens. from 76 we know they possess teleportation capabilities, they are interested in the goings ons of human politics, so they may be lending a hand to beings they deem worth assisting.

This stranger is just G-man’s long lost cousin E-man

Oxhorn: I'm not saying it was aliens... But it was aliens...

Maybe he's like the Saint of Killers from Preacher. Unstoppable guy in a hat and trenchcoat with a one-hit-kill revolver. There is a basis in Fallout for the supernatural and eldritch(Dunwich lore). This ties into your miner backstory quite well.

My theory is that he was a regular man in Fallout 1 and 2, but sometime after the birth of the Lonesome Drifter, he was kidnapped by The Institute and was replaced by a gen 3 synth. He then left and started wandering the world, maybe looking for people The Institute can kidnap, but at some point, he went rouge and got a facial reconstruction surgery so The Institute wouldn't notice it was him.

7:40 DID YOU JUST GET TEABAGGED BY THE MYSTERIOUS STRANGER????

I decided to edit this comment, so you'll never know what it's about. MUWAHAHA

I like the idea of there being more than one Mysterious Stranger. Have you ever seen Highlander the tv show? Maybe the Mysterious Stranger is a watcher of some kind, a part of a secret organization that investigates certain individuals journeys through life and your watcher can't help but to interfere once in a while to help you out. It would be fun if they included a faction like this in future fall out games.

Fallout 5 Idea. You find the Stranger Institute, which explains how they recruit strangers and the origins of the gun and music and explain the teleporting. Thx 4 the vid

I bet Bethesda are laughing so hard being like "we just made him up" ×Edit thanks for 385 likes× ×Edit thanks for 783 likes× Thanks for 810 likes

'The Mysterious Stranger' is a novel by Mark Twain - he wrote several versions, but in all of them, the titular character is actually Satan. The whole thing with the Lonesome Drifter could be reference to how many musicians (famously Robert Johnson, Jimi Hendrix) claim that the devil gave them guitar-playing prowess in exchange for their soul. What he did to the drifter and his mum wasn't right to start with - but what about the things he left him; a GUITAR and a revolver. It could be his father either encountered the Devil in those mines or is literally a personification of Satan - leaving his son with a capability for music and violence. The guy is literally called the 'Lonesome Drifter' - that the poor guy is looking for his dad but will never find him, a life-long futile search. Devilish. His being Satanic would also explain the lack of regard to Karma and apparent psychopathic tendencies described by Nick. From Wikipedia: 'In the village and in other places around the world where Satan transports them magically, the boys witness religious fanaticism, witch trials, burnings, hangings, deaths and mass hysteria. Finally, Satan vanishes with a brief explanation: "[T]here is no God, no universe, no human race, no earthly life, no heaven, no hell. It is all a dream - a grotesque and foolish dream. Nothing exists but you. And you are but a thought - a vagrant thought, a useless thought, a homeless thought, wandering forlorn among the empty eternities!"' The magical transportation sounds pretty Stranger-y, and his message is just about the most Fallout thing out there! He talks of wandering forlorn, homeless and alone, in the way that all the characters you play in the Fallout series do. Perhaps he helps you so often because he thinks you have adopted his philosophy. Within the Fallout universe is everything he shows the boys - religious fanaticism, witch trials, burnings and hangings and mass hysteria. Perhaps he even had something to do with the Great War creating this hellish landscape. The thing with the Alien tech/Lorenzo theories is that it might explain his longevity (as we have proof of that) but not his weapon's immense power, nor his ability to shift instantly in space. His being literally Satan would explain all of those things.

This theory is more for Fallout 4 but do you think it’s possible the mysterious stranger is Nick Valentine? I mean before he had a copy of his mind put into a synth. It would explain why he’s the only one that sees him in that moment as opposed to everyone else.

LOL that Random DeathClaw at 16:02

My original thought before I saw any evidence but may actually make sense to the aging issue is that what if the Mysterious Stranger is actually a time traveler who's purpose is to keep these main characters safe to ensure the future goes right?

My theory is that he’s like kellogg hardly human with cybernetics all over to make him live longer and more effective in combat

maybe vault tech experimented on/with him to develop VATS, thats why he only shows up in VATS and part of that experimentation they used cybernetics similar to how kelloggs life was extended but on a grander scale

i really like in shorts in youtube that every ending of your video you always say “HUNK U"

Everyone asks who is mysterious stranger No one asks how is mysterious stranger😢

"Maybe it's time to give these old bones a rest." Dude, you're 28.

Oxhorn. The man, the myth, the legend. Also the reason I have tried fallout 1 and 2.

My theory is that The mysterious stranger is Nick Valentine playing 4D chess.

I guess The Lonesome Drifter's mom had a different version of the Mysterious Stranger perk... Wait, no, he still shoots and then leaves...

what if the mysterioys stranger's revolver is the artifact and since he doesnt have it in fallout 4 he's started to age?

My wife: HONEY, u need to pick up OUR SON NOW, he’s so lonesome Me: hmmm okay *epic guitar riff*

I always thought of him as a ghost or a spirt that can take different forms

I think that the Mysterious Stranger in Fallout 4 is the Lonesome Drifter, it could explain why the riff is gone and he has a moustache, and looks pretty young. Edit: I think I’ve got it! The Mysterious Stranger in FO4 has a normal snub nose magnum because HE GAVE HIS GOOD PISTOL TO THE COURIER IN FALLOUT NEW VEGAS. Think about it, if he is the stranger from the previous Fallouts he would have his signature pistol. If it was his son, he wouldn’t have it, but his father left him the magnum as a kid. He then game it to the Courier in Fallout New Vegas, which is why he doesn’t have it in Fallout 4!

My father was a mysterious stranger and his father before him

When the mysterious stranger appears, it’s always so cool

He's this worlds Doctor Who, and knows he needs to keep certain events from killing the mc.

There needs to be a quest in fallout 5 where you track down the stranger

The Mysterious Stranger is a legendary duelist. It is said that the Mysterious Stranger once showed up at a metropolitan cantina famous for dueling tournaments and systematically beat each contender before disappearing back into obscurity. Nobody knos how the Mysterious Stranger survived the city being completely destroyed by bombardment shortly after that event.

what i think is that the mysterious stranger could be an alternate dimensional version of your character which would explain in the older games that if whatever gender you were, the stranger would be. It would also explain the sudden materialization out of nowhere and sudden dematerialization, the alien artifact theory could also work to explain the immortality or another theory could be that your alternate self could have gotten his hands on some what of advanced time travel technology which allows him to go to any time future or past to save this dimension self from certain death.

I had a fun theory that it’s a long line of Vault Tec loyalists who help keep Vault Dwellers safe on the surface to see how they fare in the wasteland. Perhaps they work for a remnant of Vault Tec and are keeping tabs on us on their behalf or maybe VT is completely gone and they’re just the leftovers who carried on the mission. That was my head canon for a while.