The Secret of the Sole Survivor's Origin in Fallout 4

It took me 8 years to realize that the sole survivor, the main character of Fallout 4, is actually a synth. For example, the leader of Acadia asks you an unusual question. In this case, The protagonist can't remember anything except the day the nuclear war started. And judging by other synths, memory problems are precisely characteristic of them. With this in mind, it's more likely that the main character isn't Shaun's real father, but rather another experiment orchestrated by the Institute's leader. He likely replaced his deceased father with a synth and then staged the protagonist's unfreezing.

[@SICPARVISMAGNA3018]

This is hard to believe since the institute could've just used the sole survivors recall code at any time to shut them down

[@dominicdeluca6378]

I think rogue synths can have that removed like valentine

[@SICPARVISMAGNA3018]

@@dominicdeluca6378 since valentine was a prototype he probably didn't have one

[@DOFO_]

And even if we're not talking abouth Valentine other rogue synths freed by rail road can be reseted by the courser or anyone who knows the factory reset or what is it called.

[@Inquisitor_Vex]

But the point is, nobody would’ve known to “reset” you, to make you independent/rogue, so by the time you’re at war with the institute, they could just “R2D2-420” and shut you down.

[@Sad-little-warrior]

@@dominicdeluca6378you would have had to have known you were a synth to do that

[@PatrickPaul1203]

According to the makers of the game you are not a synth. It’s just in there to mess with you

[@Joeforshee]

The creators never said that you weren't a Synth. 💀

[@Tazytots]

@@Joeforshee There was an interview with some devs at the time that said the player wasn't a synth.

[@demonetizethis5608]

@@Joeforsheenot to mention Nate has done a war crime…… meaning he’s pre war….

[@Joeforshee]

@@Tazytots Cap 💀

[@Joeforshee]

@@demonetizethis5608 What. 💀

[@akallius5427]

Damn took him 8 years to realize he was wrong.

[@F.V99]

😂

[@rebecaminor3367]

Fr fr

[@FOSellSquadTee]

😂😂😂

[@blackwaltz3135]

😂 haha

[@jeffersonState-zx3bi]

Lol

[@yeetus123]

He can die of radiation, get diseases, and dies when losing any limb, he talks about stuff from the past even if he doesn't say anything in the dlc, and can give blood

[@ezrabraman6437]

Furthermore, the brotherhood network scanner would pick up that you’re a synth right?

[@SobaOfPulaski]

@@ezrabraman6437 yeah it would have, not to mention the Institute could’ve activated his recall code.

[@thomasd5488]

​@@ezrabraman6437The Brotherhood scanner detects the power surge caused by teleportation, not who individual synths are. Did you forget about Danse?

[@rging-db9hf]

one part of that is when you kill the courser he bleeds out with each shot

[@joemakesitrain4445]

​@@thomasd5488yeah, he was found out AFTER you got the DATA from the INSTITUTE that contained the DNA of several synths. so they'd would have also known the sole survivor was a synth because of the DNA even if he/she wasn't on the main database.

[@HartlyLion]

Never let this man cook again.

[@SoldierofKreig]

I can't he has my kids

[@hallucy2215]

why is lil bro offended

[@bigben9492]

​@@hallucy2215u not about to big bro a random online knowing ur prolly 15.

[@OGVade]

​@@bigben9492my brother in christ can you spell?

[@bigben9492]

@@OGVade I'm fairly certain ur meaning punctuation, and not spelling. Cause buddy, yOu FoRgOt tO cApitAliZE. Prolly - probably. U - you. Ur - your/you're. Doesn't take alot of brain power to figure that shit out now does it.

[@pxrfxct]

Until you realize that the cryofreeze notes say possible memory loss due to being on ice

[@loneshadow503]

even dima says that they're always other explanations why you cant remember much its impossible to know by the player

[@omega9077]

​@@loneshadow503and Dima literally gaslights every person he meets that they are a synth

[@yimyam7615]

@@loneshadow503and dima is a trusted source since??

[@b3stnoobever]

@@loneshadow503 dima also convinced Kasumi she was a synth and she wasn't. So it's really up in the air whether or not the sole survivor is a synth

[@smward87]

@@b3stnoobever It's really not. They're not a synth. Period lol. None of the "evidence" that suggest they could be one holds any water and is easily refuted.

[@fess3932]

VATs isn’t canonical. It is just a gameplay element. Nothing more.

[@PiggySage]

That and I'd be more likely to believe it if VATs worked like it did in 3 and NV. Since it doesn't stop time in 4 it's a lot harder to believe.

[@Islamphobe]

@@PiggySageslowing down time is harder to believe than freezing it?

[@PiggySage]

@@Islamphobe no but when adrenaline is pumping and you are hyper fixated on a target it makes it seem like time is moving in slow motion. Let's boil it down, in high stress situations it feels like time is moving incredibly slowly. Or let boil it down further and just accept that it's a game play mechanic that was over looked because the devs failed to see that players would push random buttons to see what they do

[@Islamphobe]

@@PiggySage how’s that support the conclusion fallout 4 has a less realistic system?

[@blueskyla7978]

@@PiggySageThe vault is basically a tutorial to basic gameplay. It's not like you can even look in your inventory either. Cause that would make even less sense.

[@michatomaszewski7564]

BOS would know you're a synth after you took institute data, just like they found out about Danse being a synth

[@theleaf1709]

Danse is a synth??? Wow at this point I wonder who isn't the synth in the game lol.

[@watterztrail7870]

@@theleaf1709everyone’s been knowing that Danse is a synth You must be new to the game, I assume?

[@theleaf1709]

@@watterztrail7870 Yep im kinda new. I think i destroyed the BOS before i even knew Danse is a snyth lol

[@piperbarlow1672]

​@@theleaf1709lol if you play a bit further in their quest line (it happens decently early actually) then it comes out that danse is a synth and hes exiled from the brotherhood. That's normally when my characters ditch the brotherhood and blow maxsons noggin off

[@RockerCentauri]

Eight years and you're deadass wrong. Impressive.

[@themaniac5864]

Result of trying to milk the game lift up

[@Hologrunt002]

​@themaniac5864 Yeah the show came out so people are gonna try and use miss information just to make a few bucks doesn't matter what the devs say anymore people just take whatever and run with it

[@UnanimousDelivers]

How did he play the game for 8 years and not go to Far Harbor once? He's acting like he "discovered" it, and worse, that it's factual and hasn't been debunked by fucking bethesda themselves. People like this were made for the "Don't recommend this channel" option in KZbin Shorts.

[@Jebu911]

Yeah this is just a fun idea even tho it aint the case but he words it like its the absolute truth

[@demonicdude5958]

hahahaha your genious for that comment i love it hahahaha i laughed soooo hard

[@stephengonzalez3136]

I've blown myself up enough to know that I have too much blood, muscle, and too many organs to be a synth

[@stephengonzalez3136]

@DixieCrusader-X- ...Dear God...

[@Scarlattomachiatto]

​@@stephengonzalez3136Heck for all we know, you could be a synth. :p

[@jessesauve848]

Thank you for your research soldier 🫡 we will remember your sacrifice

[@techn9ne54]

🤣🤣🤣

[@calebmartin6841]

bro just described whats in a synth

[@mauriciomadrid6182]

In the silver shroud quest the sole survivor says he remember watching the show with his family and gives a description of the character haha so he do remember some things other than the beginning of the game

[@corruptedmember2568]

Same as in the Football rukes

[@jonathantaylor3667]

Same with the beginning of the game when either gender you choose remembers the time at the park when Shaun was conceived

[@Bruuuuuuh4]

Also when you talk to the baseball guy in diamond City you can talk about how it was America's pastime also I'm pretty sure it's with the Mr gutsy if you're Nate you can tell them you served in Alaska

[@xdredding6288]

Furthermore, when you meet The Brotherhood, Nate has the option to say he's got some military experience talking about his service pre war

[@margotk.campbell8091]

All of these can be fabricated by use of memory machines, pre war documents, and Shawn and his parents original bodies/brains.

[@Dhalin]

Synths are immune to rads, as per some of Valentine's dialogue before going into the Glowing Sea. You, however, are not as you'll quickly discover if you go there without power armor.

[@zombieblaster5754]

while the survivor is in fact human youre wrong. nick isnt effected by rads because hes an early model made of metal and plastic. a modern synth has flesh and would be effected essentially becoming ghouls.

[@Dhalin]

@@zombieblaster5754 They still have computer brains, so maybe their bodies would become ghoulified, but they wouldn't outright die.

[@zombieblaster5754]

@@Dhalin yea, thats what I just said....

[@christianterrill3503]

So many reasons they can't be a synthetic

[@gordonhowett7529]

@@zombieblaster5754 have you played far harbour? Half the people in the Children of Atom are synths, and they are the ones "blessed by atom" and are immune to the rads.

[@deushayatur0301]

Even Fallout devs confirmed that you are in fact NOT a synth.

[@hallucy2215]

even fallout devs said fallout 3 has 200 endings and in fallout 4 u can go wherever u want

[@aaronnicholson2035]

@@hallucy2215devs overhyping there game doesn’t mean there always lying

[@Nighthawk_Sinix]

​@hallucy2215 did I miss something or can I not go anywhere I want to on the map?

[@jimmyshousevideos]

​@hallucy2215 where did you want to go that you couldn't?

[@pilegrin]

​@@hallucy2215what is the point of lying about such thing?

[@Victor-wo4hc]

This theory is impossible because of a great variety of reasons: -You passed the test at Convenant. -Todd Howard denied SS was a synth. -You have some specific memories of people and facts before the great war. Yes, the Institute could create false memories... but how do you explain the salesman of Vault Tec remembers you? -If you were truly a Synth, Father would have save your password to destroy you as a insurance, so you wouldn be able to destroy the Institute.

[@angelocastillo276]

This deserves a 📌 cause you just debunked this dumb theory 😂

[@captainobvious90]

The Sole Survivor does exist before the bombs dropped, the army does have a record of his service. However, he could still be replaced by the Institute (or some other entity) before he was released from the cryo-freeze.

[@LuisTorres-dq7gt]

Agreed, but that part of sales rep. I mean, it was still possible to replace his father. But the SS had specific memories about life before the Great War. Like Baseball, Silver Shroud, Grokan The Barbarian Comics, as well as his time in the Military.

[@masondeross]

1) You are designed to pass the test; the culmination of all of the Institutes years of work. 2) Todd who? People lie. 3) Memories can be read, so even if the real parent didn't share the memory of the day the bombs fell, those memories could have been extracted and of course the Vault Tec rep doesn't know you are a synth. 4) There are a lot of reasons for him not to use the recall code. Guilt, some desire to have you be the one to decide the fate of his work since he couldn't objectively look at it, dementia, and many other scenarios are easy to imagine.

[@konradtarasek5514]

SS wasnt synths so what Wermacht was?

[@Guitarded1995]

The MC is not a synth. There are many, many reasons why that would not be the case. Especially considering Father sees synths as property. He would never let you lead the Institute.

[@onewhowatchesfromveryveryfar]

Batman seen the entire institute as property and his plaything why wouldn't this just the solidify his little machine to run for basically forever.

[@Guitarded1995]

@@onewhowatchesfromveryveryfar I wouldn't put a sentient toaster in charge of my life's work. I'm sure Father feels the same way about synths. They're just machines to him, at the end of the day

[@onewhowatchesfromveryveryfar]

@@Guitarded1995 fair

[@connorrasmussen2698]

​@@onewhowatchesfromveryveryfar what do you mean batman? Is there something I'm missing?

[@onewhowatchesfromveryveryfar]

@@connorrasmussen2698 my bad that's supposed to be that man not Batman. How did I just notice this. 🤣🤣

[@FusionZ_925]

Bro tied to cook and burned the ice cream 💀💀💀

[@CheesyBloke]

*spoiler* The brotherhood would have also found out that you where a synth the same way they found out paladin Danse was a synth

[@AndrewConlan]

unless the SS was custom and off the books, like Shaun

[@MrVidman14]

⁠@@AndrewConlanthat makes absolutely no sense, also the issue is that’s it’s fucking stupid

[@roguecloud5674]

​@@MrVidman14 Except it does. A personal project likely wouldn't be on the same records.

[@AndrewConlan]

@@MrVidman14 how so? none of the other institute scientists knew of the creation of Shaun, the Brotherhood had the full list of synths an they didn't know of Shaun, how is it a stretch the SS was an off the books experiment to test something.

[@MrVidman14]

@@roguecloud5674 then that makes the institute and father either really stupid at worse or incompetent at best. Also synth Shawn is both a Prototype and is always monitored, a completely different situation Again it makes no sense, especially with how possessive the Institute is with Synths

[@FlCl3000]

That’s crazy. I didn’t know synths could die of radiation.

[@morris_c0de463]

Gen 1 was/is fully susceptible to radiation

[@johnnydjiurkopff]

​​@@morris_c0de463that doesn't sound right to me. Gen 1s and gen 2s were both just anthropomorphic robots without any biological components so it doesn't make sense for radiation to impact them at all.

[@talit_but_bad9578]

@@morris_c0de463only Gen 3

[@nemesissombria]

@johnnydjiurkopff you on something? Radiation DESTOYS electronics. Even the probes sent into Chernobyl stopped working in a few minutes, and they were built to resist some level of radiation (not enough tho).

[@greenspiraldragon]

@@johnnydjiurkopff The robots they sent into Fukushima had to be heavily shielded to even last a couple of minutes. Radiation damages electronic components.

[@meemmahn2856]

The network scanner that found out Danse was a synth would’ve found out you’re a synth too. It’s more likely using vats before getting the pip boy was an oversight.

[@ysl6549]

All pipboys are kinda glitchy you can still acces your inventory without one in most games too

[@MeTaLISaWeSoMe95]

If the main character is a synth, he was probably made a while after Danse, and considering that Father wants to make you his heir, you're probably off the record.

[@FBIAgent23452]

@@MeTaLISaWeSoMe95actually you got a point. Also, who’s to say that the institute, with all their tech, hadn’t made the sole survivor untraceable?

[@superjvt71]

Possibly.

[@hiddenvoice3389]

I honestly think that VATS is a type of shooter skill that’s “developed over time” and since obviously he’s a veteran he should know how to shoot with “pin point accuracy”/VATS

[@Bludobi9001]

If you were a Synth, the BoS would come after you like they did Danse

[@gyver8448]

Father sees Synths as nothing but machines, basically slaves. As far as he's concerned they're not even really alive. Why would he turn the Institute over to one?

[@brandonbrown6717]

Their is the child synth

[@elseggs6504]

​@@brandonbrown6717and now english please?

[@maunewty]

​​​@@elseggs6504 Father made a synth version of himself as a child. Why did he do that? Vanity? Curiosity? A poor version of everlasting life? There's a video that explains this that describes Father as someone as a incapable leader of the Institute. At the end of the game, if you let Father die or destroy the Institute there's a holotape of him asking for you to take care of sythn Shawn. It's as if he speaks of the synth as if it's human. Now I don't believe the Sole Survivor is a synth, however it's highly likely that Father sees synths as human. It could be that Father made the Sole Survivor in secret, hidden away from the rest of the Institute. No one would know the recall code if Father never told them, or scrubbed it out of their system, or if he didn't make one for the Sole Survivor.

[@elseggs6504]

@@maunewty if you need this many theories to explain your theories, then its quite likely shit. Why the fuck would he even want to build a Synth version of his parent when that requires them being alive to begin with? Since when does he have the knowledge to make his own Synths when it previously took the likes of Li?

[@PaperRelic]

​@@elseggs6504We all the know the writing is bad but people need constantly theorize and head canon everything for it to make sense. I keep seeing this about the Fallout show as well.

[@ThePeanutMann]

The institute would cry seeing me leave the vault and immediately go to Paladin Danse and join their opposing faction

[@AllAmericanBadass]

Ad Victoriam!!!

[@Mahito_Haga]

Paladin Danse IS a synth..

[@ThePeanutMann]

@@Mahito_Haga I know that, but you’re still able to convince the Brotherhpod to keep him because he doesn’t support the institute

[@lad579]

@@ThePeanutMannif only I had my charisma up 😔

[@Bread.Offender]

the thing is that i'm gay for danse so it's easy (i literally flirt in every chat we have for the hell of it)

[@nionplayzgames8972]

It makes sense but it also doesnt because your character can give blood in vault 81 and get radiation damage, addicted to chems and use stimpaks and eat food to heal, synths dont heal or use stimpaks

[@dominicdeluca6378]

I think the humanoid ones can use them. The ones without blood can't, but the "cybernetic organisms" with living tissue over metal endoskeleton like the terminator can heal their flesh. They just don't necessarily need to.

[@TheWardensArms]

​@@dominicdeluca6378you watch current gen synths get made. They don't have metal endoskeleton. They have bone. They're genetically human.

[@alinafilip8431]

I use stimpaks on my sinth companion.

[@optiplanetomatosoup]

not saying that the sole survivor is a synth, but gen 3 synths are basically human par their component. they can do all of the things you mentioned

[@Brandonhayhew]

whats the point of being synth of human component

[@SEB9630_pl]

During brotherhood of stell raid on institute they get a list of synths that even includes paladin danse yet sole survivor is not mentioned at all

[@Bioh9z9rd]

Stell 💀

[@niisan762]

In the game, Shaun mentions the institute didn't kill either or his mother/father because they are the backup DNA if Shaun died or simply failed to produce the synths.

[@dragonhomefront]

This so true

[@Zer0_A-S_6265]

But the synths were made so what's the point in bothering to keep them alive? Besides everyone else died so the main character does too

[@adamsmasher9769]

​@@Zer0_A-S_6265 the main character was able to get out of their pod, the others couldnt.

[@niisan762]

@@Zer0_A-S_6265 if you meet Shaun at the top of the CIT, you can ask if he unfroze you and he will admit it was as an experiment to see how far you'll go in the commonwealth before finally found him. When you first meet him in institute, he will say that he's expecting you and was pleased to see you. Later on, as you complete more institute's quest he'll suggest you as the head of the institute because there are too many scientists and they need a leader which he sees the quality in you.

[@fernybern]

​@@Zer0_A-S_6265 dude think.... why would they get rid of pure human DNA??

[@DEATHBYFLYINGCDS]

An Ai asking you if you're an Ai is a classic turing test reference

[@frime_]

I’d like to think that it’s also meant to be a philosophical question, relating to his other general views on synths. Who are we to judge other synths if we can not know whether we are on ourselves? And if you can’t tell the difference between man and machine, is there one?

[@newdefsys]

Until the AI starts insisting that _it_ is the genuine article and that _you_ are the AI.

[@HeWhoMurksWithOneLeap]

Bro tried to cook and burned a bowl of cereal. 💀

[@Thebisneychannel]

Got you to comment tho 😮

[@rylanluzania]

Nate is ex-military, probably giving him some form of vats

[@Thatsyoboi]

This I just a theory but what if he has dead eye from rdr2 but he is an infretry soldier so he has precise aim

[@Ethelan_h]

Never cook again, better,never do any "theorys"​ again@@Thatsyoboi

[@loka7783]

Two counter points. 1) Todd Howard denied that the Sole Survivor is a synth. and 2) At the start of the game both Nora and Nate remember the day in the park a year prior to the start of the game that the conceived Shawn. Would you be willing to share that with a prototype synth who has his own compound? ;)

[@SkyCas525]

Plus when you talk to some pre war gouls you share some pre war interest

[@oxicemusic]

@@SkyCas525also just talking to ppl in diamond city lets you reference the baseball games that you grew up loving

[@redacted7634]

And when you download the data for the brotherhood and they discover paladin dan is a synth theyd have also discovered that the main character was a synth.

[@RenVolkert]

in greygarden you also remember about it before the war..

[@artiesadventures8973]

You can tell Preston Garvey about sanctuary before it blew up so he remembers that

[@felixmizu1682]

Brother, you went into the vault and froze for 200 years before the first synth idea was ever even conceived

[@Tim7318-3]

I think what he’s trying to imply is that those Pre-War memories and all were implemented into the Player rather than actually living through them, basically saying that the real surviving parent is dead and that Father had put an advance synth duplicate in place of them. It wouldn’t explain Survival mode though

[@WTFJhinZhao]

​​@elianrodriguez7318 Except that is impossible because you can meet the vault tec rep that sold you the vault slot pre war. And he remembers you and your face instantly.

[@Tim7318-3]

@@WTFJhinZhao he remembers “a Nate/Nora” but it might not necessarily be “our Nate/Nora”, at least that’s how the theory goes. Basically think of it this way: 1) Pre-War stuff actually happened, 2) parents were frozen only for one of em to get shot by a balanced breakfast at a later date, 3) sometime in between (2) and (4) original Nate/Nora that the player chose died, 4) Shaun set a synth replacement with implanted memories into the same pod and timed their release because he thought of it “as an experiment”. Personally I don’t believe this theory but I can say for certain that your Vault-Tec representative counter argument holds no water in proving your point regardless.

[@WTFJhinZhao]

@@Tim7318-3 Why is the SS not imune to radiation? And dont mention him being an early Synth since those are easy to spot and they dont contain blood which the SS can donate in vault 81/88(dont remember which). Also no recall code?

[@Tim7318-3]

@@WTFJhinZhao Not immune to radiation? - not all gen 3 synths are immune to radiation, hell even synths that are disguising themselves as settlers to infiltrate your settlements aren’t immune to radiation in order for you to not be able to identify them. The Institute makes sure to have their gen 3 synths with the need to eat, drink and to stay away from radiation depending on their job conditions. No recall code: Father wanted to “let you loose” onto the Commonwealth Wasteland, hence why there’s no recall code. He probably didn’t expect the synth parent to survive out in the wasteland let alone being the central figure in destroying the Institute in 3/4 outcomes. Blood? - gen 3 synth blood and normal blood look identical, otherwise they’d be able to spot em with a doctor’s check up. Hence why you can donate blood to the Vault 81 doctor and nothing seems off. Like I said before I don’t believe that the player character is a synth but I can understand why people would come to that conclusion.

[@joshualawhorn1201]

Nah SS isn't a synth. There's a few key game details in there that prove SS isn't one. Vault tech salesmen for one remembers them so they where around from before the bombs drop. also why does radiation effect the SS? It shouldn't effect synths. And the list goes on and on so much that says why SS isn't a synth

[@morris_c0de463]

Gen 1 synths are susceptible to radiation, and the Vault tec salesman would still recognize you since, you know, you are an exact copy of the human dad that Father lost

[@HeWhoMurksWithOneLeap]

​@@morris_c0de463 Gen 1 Synths don't look anything like a human besides basic body plan.

[@morris_c0de463]

@@HeWhoMurksWithOneLeap OK, half of Gen 2 synths are susceptible to radiation and even a few Gen 3's?

[@willroth7521]

@@morris_c0de463where do they ever mention gen 3 synths being vulnerable to radiation?

[@hannanah8036]

try shooting synths with a gamma gun. They're biological so it deals damage

[@teddysharpe7539]

Bro in your house at the start you can interact with items to bring back memories from before

[@hawaiian_hugo_stiglitz7583]

Wrong, the Sole Survivor mentions his military service before the war and the intro to the game reveals he is probably still involved with the government as his wife is talking about a speech he is gonna give before the bombs drop. He also recalls the world before the war multiple times to multiple different characters, and in many instances shows he is 100% not a synth with a wiped memory, but the actual person who was frozen and released after 200 years. Bogus video, bogus assertions, and all the evidence contradicts this silliness.

[@NathanRChristie]

More proof you are right if you find the hall he was going to speak at the character mentions it and you can find his speech there he was going to give.

[@hawaiian_hugo_stiglitz7583]

@@NathanRChristie Really? Ok don’t tell me which hall I want to wander in to it one day 🤣

[@hawaiian_hugo_stiglitz7583]

@@NathanRChristie Also he talks about before the war with Piper in her interview, with Preston there are many times the old world is an option to mention in dialogue, and many other occasions. Also the fact that freezing would not suspend the animation of a robot, and he takes radiation damage for most of the beginning stages of the game, meaning he isn’t impermeable to the environment, and resistance to the nuclear environment was the entire purpose of making synths in the first place.

[@Undertacoss]

You can also confirm that he's not a synth because of the interview with piper, she asks you some questions and the sole survivor describes the pre war world perfectly

[@Not-Ken-Molestina]

​@@NathanRChristie and if you go to the microphone on podium he was meant to give the speach he says part of his speech

[@Chosen9038]

Sole survivor being a synth is probably the dumbest theory.

[@silverbloodborne9495]

Especially with the memory thing Is due to being frozen They literally say that in the terminal

[@Chosen9038]

@silverbloodborne9495 exactly. Plus wow, i had 9 likes day ago, now I have 86 likes lol. I'm glad I'm not only one.

[@ManVsCliff]

Just got you up to 111 likes

[@Paradoxical-Enigma]

Especially when people keep using the vats before a pipboy thing not realising that it was just an oversight like many other things because it was made by Bethesda of all people

[@Loona_Rose_Hazbin]

I agree. Honestly, I would rather think that father isn’t the real Shaun and is just playing us the whole time while the real Shaun is either dead or the kid during Nuclear option and the synth Shaun got discarded before I believe that the sole survivor is somehow synth when the evidence that we aren’t is the fact that we take radiation damage and have the ability to choose perks and our name hence us getting vats and we see the beginning of the game. I mean come on those aren’t just memories. We can literally go to good neighbor early in the game and rewatch our spouse get killed. So we know that it’s not a planted memory

[@kata788]

"Released you from the vault" Nate/Nora having Vats pre-pipboy is just there for gameplay reasons, you're literally frozen in the damn cryopod, you think he just took you out, killed you, and replaced you with a synth for zero reason? It's stupid.

[@JeffMaginniss203]

no, more likely since you were a war vet died and were replaced sometime BEFORE the bombs but after returning from the war and fathering shawn

[@kata788]

@@JeffMaginniss203 That's not this theory though. We're not discussing that whole other can of worms, some people specifically believe Shaun created a synth of Nate, they're specifically referring to Shaun calling Nate his experiment, but that was just the "I wondered what you would do if I freed you, would you seek me out, etcetera etcetera" bit, people read far too much into things that aren't there. They also refer to Nate as the backup meaning even the institute believes that Nate is pure human and needs to be preserved, killing the real Nate for science seems like it would at least somewhat bother Shaun considering he's otherwise allowing a synth to run the institute, there's zero evidence behind any of this.

[@_DMNO_]

VATS has been in every Fallout game. This dude thinks only the fourth game has VATS cause of synths.

[@FalenDragmire]

​@@JeffMaginniss203 That's not possible because Gen 3 Synths only became a thing due to Shaun himself being taken out of Vault 111.

[@enclaveofficer197]

He isn't a synth, he isn't weak to energy weapons doesn't have a shut code

[@burgerking3763]

Man pays as much attention to dialogue as my dementia ridden grandma

[@thelaughingman6975]

Issues with this theory. Sole Survivor and The Vault Tech Salesman know eachother. Last I remember, Institute doesn't work with ghouls nor make ghoul synths. Also why have the synth kill Kellogg? They could easily send coursers to do it. And the professors could have used his recall code at any time cause no way Father had it made without notice. Then the biggest question and issue. Deacon, Railroad spy. Why stay quiet about the synth? Especially when he was watching the player since they escaped the Vault?

[@the10thdoktor52]

Since you get to Dimond city actually

[@sherbstuff]

If we were to assume that this was their plan from the start, the vault tech salesman would remember nate as he's the same body face and voice, just a synth replacement. They DID purchase a spot in the vault and that situation DID happen, which is why it's the memory planted into your head as a synth. It keeps the continuity that your character believes he is the sole survivor from pre-war times.

[@sherbstuff]

Deacon could stay quiet about the synth due to potentially being on your side, both as the railroad and someone who had spied on you from the beginning. Perhaps deacon saw the institute enter the vault (when they kill nate and replace him with a synth version), which is what led to him setting up a camp outside of the vault to watch the player when they leave. I think it's been confirmed that the institute losing to the minutemen is the "canon" ending, which leads to the recall code; perhaps deacon had broken into the vault before you unfreeze and extracted your code to remove the switch; or perhaps the institute failed to add a recall code, believing that the leader being your SON would be enough to convince the player to side with the institute, which makes sense given that the institute being destroyed is the Canon ending

[@miguelcarunchod.1493]

​@@the10thdoktor52there is a railroad spy post near the vault 111 entrance.

[@miguelcarunchod.1493]

Deacon doesn't spill out information, as seen when you do his missions. Kellog is overpowered against anything the courses throw at him, immortal and in case of failure Kellog would know the institute had betrayed him and would go after them. The leader of Arcadia, Dima, creates 2 synths spies without the Institute knowing. And one of them doesn't even know she is a synth. So by canon lore, is possible.

[@Branz555]

Yet he remembers his military service..

[@roguecloud5674]

And Nick remembers being a cop/detective.

[@thegooddinggleberry]

​@@roguecloud5674 Is nick effected by radiation?

[@mesaplayer9636]

​@@roguecloud5674 so then why is Dima even asking if he can remember stuff before the war if that wouldn't even prove he isn't a synth and why does him even not knowing (ignoring the fact that he has proven to be able to recall things prewar many times) mean he is one.

[@roguecloud5674]

@@thegooddinggleberry no, because he's not an organic synth. Not like the gen 3 synths.

[@roguecloud5674]

@@mesaplayer9636 because he wants you to start questioning things, he's a philosopher at best, his questions don't prove anything nor do they disprove anything, our memory is faulty and very prone to error.

[@dr.coomerclone146]

Impossible because Chems work on him, so he can’t be a synth.

[@timothylarue9550]

In addition to everyone else’s points, a General Atomics robot, Codsworth, remembers you, meaning that you knew him before the war, as well as the fact that there are pre war service records for Nate. The more likely scenario that led to you saying you only remember the bombs is, extreme PTSD, memory loss from being frozen, especially when you are unfrozen the refrozen and are the only survivor, and maybe even brain damage after being in the wasteland so long

[@stevefernandez6431]

Permafrost on the brain can kill someone that's why everyone else died in the vault then again you don't want to understand freeze and re freeze seeds if you are storing them because the water in the seeds will expand multiple times and damage the internals. You can remember a lot but potential damage from freezing is why we don't do it irl.

[@olekan1351]

People are reading way too deep into game mechanics and their implications on lord. Does Arthur Morgan’s dead eye make him a time-freezing super hero?

[@MiloshBlack00]

No, Arthur Morgan is also a synth!

[@themudpit621]

It's described in a terminal that synths have vats, so it's not just 'reading into game mechanics' it's in the lore as well.

[@BrennenLycett]

1: he CAN remember things before the bombs fell 2: VATS is a gameplay mechanic, not an actually ability. Same concept as Deadeye 3: if he were a synth, he wouldn't take radiation damage.

[@morris_c0de463]

Gen 1 synths are susceptible to radiation. It wouldn't be that crazy to think Father would implant generic memories of things that happened before the bombs fell to create an authentic appearing Vault survivor

[@gabbychan6609]

VATS is a ability its a built in targeting system installed on pipboys to allow even the most brained dead imbecile to land a hit the fact your able to use it before you get a pipboy in 4 is huge lore oversight simply because Bethesda doesn't like to brush up on fallout 1 and 2 lore

[@themudpit621]

@@morris_c0de463 Don't you mean gen 3?

[@laurielkami1100]

@@morris_c0de463 generic memories would be knowing baseball and that the world was clean . Not knowing the vault tec guy , your neighbors (random event with ghouls) and silver shroud

[@megalomic875]

The writers probably keep this vague so that the player can self insert the possibility of them being a synth.

[@infinaxgaming7135]

The vats thing is an development oversight. You think Bethesda of all people would take the effort to add code that keeps you from using vats unless you have a pit boy?

[@Paradoxical-Enigma]

This, exactly this

[@theapproachingstorm2133]

Yeah, theres like 4 enemies you can fight and it takes at most 10 minutes on your first playthrough to get the the pip boy. Obviously they didnt care

[@infinaxgaming7135]

@@theapproachingstorm2133 I have a theory they didn't originally plan the sole survivor to be from befor the war. Only a handful of dialog references it

[@F3z07]

I might be misremembering, but I don't think you could use your pip boy at all in 3 or New Vegas until you got it-- no items, and definitely no VATS. Triple A game studio indeed

[@flim_flam4762]

@@F3z07yeah but both new Vegas and fallout 3 had very railroad intro sequences, fallout 3 with the whole “growing up” sequence, and new Vegas where you’re patched up and sent out the door.

[@its_mop4047]

Wouldn’t the brotherhood find the dna match on the sole survivor like they did with danse

[@IvanTheSubpar]

That’s exactly why I hate this theory, the Brotherhood got hold of a list of every single synth the Institute produced, if the Sole Survivor was on that list, the Brotherhood would of fed you to the wolves just like Danse

[@elseggs6504]

​@@RaccoonRecluseYour personal delusions dont change the canon at all lmao

[@ZombasticRex]

The sole survivor remembers Grey Gardens' founder, and several other things from before the blast. Too many random memories from the past to be a synth. Plus the recall code would be used after Father dies. The Institute scientists would never let you take command. I say it is bad script writing for Dima.

[@peterteitz507]

I always thought these lines from Dima are just a reference to Blade Runner and gave them no second thought.

[@ZombasticRex]

@@peterteitz507 explain the Blade Runner reference. I've never heard about this.

[@baileywatts1304]

@@ZombasticRex Whole lot of Blade Runner edits over the years (official releases) were about maintaining amiguity in the question of whether the main character is a Replicant or not, because a lot of the movie revolves around the idea of what it means to be able to designate someone as inhuman.

[@loneshadow503]

even dima says there will always be other explications

[@loneshadow503]

@@RaccoonRecluse nick was a prototype who had an entire brain scan put into him if you bring him to far harbor you get a bit more dialogue about it danse has most likely been a synth either from before he joined the brotherhood to just after joining

[@codysutherlandaesirgodslay5394]

I'll throw this out there, he does remember more than that day before the bombs fell. If you look around the house you can interact with things such as his old military uniform

[@sigma_krab7593]

The leader of Acadia is a professional gas lighter

[@lizardking6135]

Dima that type of synth to maliciously attempt to convince Strong he's a synth

[@RocArio]

@@lizardking6135Dima the type of synth to convince you that George Washington was a synth.

[@_DMNO_]

Committed murder and identity theft to gas-light a whole town 💀

[@lizardking6135]

@@RocArio Dima tried to convince me, the gamer, by name. I wasn't surprised

[@ALovelyBunchOfDragonballz]

He goes on and on about how the Railroad is wrong for wiping synths memories, but he not only did that he also killed someone to replace them, and he does it again if allowed.

[@Smity435]

Explain how the vault tec rep and codsworth remember you before the war if we are a synth.

[@themudpit621]

Easy, because they're remembering the real human, and talking to the synth replacement.

[@WTFJhinZhao]

​@@themudpit621If he is a Synth why didnt the institute use his recall code to stop his ass from blowing them up. Or why does he suffer from rad damage which Synths do not. Or why Father claims that he wanted to see how far you would go to save him which wouldnt make sense if you were a Synth made by him. Or how the BoS found out Danse were a Synth but not you despite the fact that by the timr you got the records they already had your blood. Or how if you side with the institute Father makes you the new leader which wouldnt make sense since they see Synths as just machines.

[@35Low]

Very simple. According to the guy in the video the vault tech rep is also a synth

[@WTFJhinZhao]

@@35Low A Ghoul cant be a Synth, the institute hates them.

[@Smity435]

"Anyone who remembers the player is a synth"

[@rebellious_raccoon]

Every plot twist in fallout 4 is that some character was a synth all along

[@tylerwatson7525]

Some were actually ok I felt like, the mayor one was kinda cool, I think you could get the occasional rare settler who was a synth but yea I agree even when you find Shaun its like sike he’s a synth and the real one is an old guy

[@karateman302]

Every character except Nick Valentine. The Institute made a device that can distort light around a person and augment their appearance into an obvious synth. He is nothing but a red herring! If it isn't obvious, this is a joke.

[@TheOJDrinker]

@@tylerwatson7525 psych

[@Vault_Boy251]

Actually,in some part of the game the sole survivor remember being in the army before the war.His memories aren't limited to what happened in vault 111. He's a human.

[@ethanacton408]

This is Bethesda. There's bugs and issues in every game. It's just an oversight, even the game makers acknowledge this

[@1retiredknight]

Bethesda got by for years on having dedicated users fix their games with mods. Now they have gone out of their way to stop moders from fixing their games. No point in ever again buying a Bethesda product.

[@FS-Flame]

Silver shroud he remembers a character, he gives blood, he gets addicted to chems, in survival you need food and water, he remembers about his military past. and pipers interview

[@ghoulgunner177]

The memories could be the real memories of the real nate and nora. Gen 3 synths are literally human with a brain chip.

[@marcusdimario42]

The funniest part about that is that the game is unclear about if gen 3s need food and water lol

[@AesirFox]

@@ghoulgunner177 all synths are immune to radiation. Synth theory debunked

[@ghoulgunner177]

@@AesirFoxI've said this already, Gen 3 synths get addicted to drugs, harmed by radiation and can even act out of 'free will'. Other synths are radiation immune, but the latest synths are just human with a couple implants. There's literally a cloning vat in the institute. Oh, and I bet you think birds are real when their actually camera drones for the institute.

[@phantomhurricane666]

this was the original idea. it got leaked, nobody liked it, so they changed it. plus it's been confirmed that nate was in fallout 1.

[@fitzchivalry728]

To clarify, it was revealed that the soldier on the intro scene who laughed after his buddy executed a Canadian was nate, which also would explain in lore why he would be able to use power armor, given previous iterations need for training

[@atomwyrm541]

Where was this confirmed??? I wanna see!

[@phantomhurricane666]

@@fitzchivalry728 that sort of thing causes shell-shock. aka: post-traumatic stress disorder. gotta wonder how nora can use it without training? unless nate taught her after he got discharged. though i doubt he'd have been allowed to keep his PA after being discharged. well, it certainly isn't in their house.

[@tuckerh577]

Fake news from one of the writers​@@atomwyrm541

[@henrynavarro1]

​@@fitzchivalry728This isn't true, if you check the timeline of when Nate served, you'll see that there's no possible way he would've been deployed at that time, also he wasn't a power armor soldier. Furthermore, Emil Pagliarulo, the guy who made this rumor said on April 13th that it wasn't actually canon and more of his own head canon.

[@CopeKiddPiffy]

Impossible short memory could have come from the cryogenic process tho

[@MsPuffykinz]

I doubt it. Because when they take Shaun they kill the spouse and ‘save’ the ‘other one’ (main character) so they have a second pair of untainted genes right? Like yeah that VATS thing is weird. But I don’t know if it’s necessarily the only conclusion.

[@reapnpiece6857]

gonna say that tbe sole survivor with vats bot using pip boy us because he has combat experience, allowing him to do real time calculation on whst to aim for?

[@MartinBeiersdorfer]

First Soldier in Fallout game so maybe he has an implant to use vats

[@MsPuffykinz]

@@MartinBeiersdorfer yeah. But what about the wife. I’ve only ever place as her and I don’t like using vats much so I can’t really recall. She’s a lawyer she probably doesn’t have an implant.

[@MartinBeiersdorfer]

@@MsPuffykinz ya good point, so maybe just a design fail before getting that pipboy.

[@xblackxabyssx1983]

your the only person in the whole vault who was not killed by the vaults systems failing and you cannot access the vats system before the 2nd time waking up in the vault this is not a oversight as much as people keep trying to say this trash just like most people don't know sturgess is also a synth unless they have actually seen his flagged code as a modder and the fact people are taking the word of people like todd howard and his 16 times the detail bs when 76 was literally 4 assets dude hasn't worked as a dev in decades stop trusting that man its fucking laughable

[@cooperlittle3859]

I remember laughing when my buddy gunned down a surrendering canuck

[@2HandHangerDunksOnly]

What?

[@scottgorby2307]

@@2HandHangerDunksOnly a writer for bethesda confirmed that the sole survivor was in the fallout 1 intro as the guy laughing at the murder

[@cooperlittle3859]

@@2HandHangerDunksOnly i remember laughing when my buddy gunned down a surrendering canuck

[@Tobythefirst1]

​@@scottgorby2307 It has since been "un"confirmed

[@brandenhauser1635]

​​@@scottgorby2307Didn't they also say it was just a headcanon they had, and not actually official? Then retracted that statement soon after?

[@aarchunterontheinternet9918]

No he is not thats straight up just false information

[@thedirtbagstash]

Someday I'll return to the Commonweath and actually get around to rescuing Shane.

[@davidmajor8229]

I mean when my legs and arms get blown off from a mini nuke I don’t look like a Synth lmao

[@MammothMorals]

@@davidmajor8229 synth are made of flesh. It's only gen 1 and 2 synth like valentine that are metal. Gen 3 and 4 are basically lab grown humans.

[@TheJam1192]

Took you 8 years to be wrong

[@Toughbiscuit_]

Bro gets 1 suggestion and changes his entire philosophy, no questions asked 😂😂

[@Galendy]

A synth before they were invented, bravo

[@chrisw6164]

You take that back right now, I ain’t no dirty synth

[@Soggywaffle47]

This is straight up false Tod Howard has even confirmed that he is not a synth. On top of that he talks about his time in the military here and there and he was just recently revealed to have been in fallout 1 as one of the 2 guys in power armor in the intro.

[@tuckerh577]

He's not the dude in the power armor it's been redacted

[@midnight5592]

Damn Todd Howard is going places

[@wonderofyou959]

in the quest with the silver cloak, we can remember how we watched the series as a whole family, before the war. This is an argument for memory, not including reproduction (where is Sean from???)

[@ericbobo0]

It's like an open ended film. They don't give you a definitive answer. You took 8 years to discover nothing 😂

[@stumbling_]

Or maybe Bethesda just had an oversight about the vats 😂

[@bluspirit5602]

If you were a synth then radiation wouldn’t harm you and you wouldn’t be able to get mutations

[@TheCorybonuaf]

My only problem with this is that he does remember more than just the beginning of the game and certain dialogues. He can comment on this although he does not remember it as we see additionally he can go and finish his speech where he was supposed to give it the night before

[@TheCorybonuaf]

@@RaccoonRecluse shit that’s right.

[@nuovogiacomo-qt7dw]

we would have had dense's same fate if we were synths

[@realGMAN46112]

Not a synth, confirmed by Todd Howard

[@k1ll4fun]

Nate isn't a synth, he literally has a flash back of the war and his grandpa being in the war as the starting cutscene. He can't remember anything because of cryo sleep. DUDES BEEN ASLEEP FOR 200 YEARS!

[@silverbloodborne9495]

Bethesda: how do we explain why nate doesn't remember alot of things Dev : oh we could write on a terminal and in the machine that cyrofreeze may cause memory loss . So then the players can understand why nate or nora Dosnt reminder alot .

[@dominicdeluca6378]

Its in the title of the main character. Sole Survivor. As in "the guy who survived what no other human could survive". That thaw process would leave a synth completely unharmed just like nate.

[@blazermettro2059]

Not really no. Nates wife was just fine when they un froze her to take the child. Come to think of it. All the other vault residents were alive and awake when the institute showed up. They just couldn't get out of their pods. I believe everyone else died because the institute reprogrammed the system to kill everyone else, except for Nate. Who was a back up plan. In order to conserve the vsults Power supplies or cryogenic resources.

[@tuckerh577]

If you actually paid attention to the game you would know the institute killed everyone else

[@tuckerh577]

And it's been proven cryogenic works in the fallout universe multiple times and has been supported by the show

[@blazermettro2059]

My comment I left here is gone. KZbin strangeness I suppose. Tuckerg9577 Your corect. The instate likely killed everyone else in the Vault. Maybe to conserve the vaults Power supply or cryogenic material to make "The back up", Nate, last longer. Atleast that's my theory

[@couch_potato3133]

1. The sole survivor most likely was able to use VATS because he was former military, he had good marksmanship, therefore he was able to pinpoint stuff on someone 2. He was frozen for 200 years. I feel like amnesia about that makes sense. Also, he can recall things about his life in sanctuary(before the bombs) commenting on a dog he wanted or owned (still unknown) and he is able to recall his past military service and Nora’s law degree. 3. DIMA asked that to Kashmiri also and made her think she was a synth (she isn’t) so asking that to the player doesn’t seem that out there 4. The institute could have used the sole survivors recall code at any time, deactivating him.

[@definitelynotaskinwalker]

Nope, it's confirmed that nate is an ex-war criminal and nora is a loyer

[@Steve96gta]

How can you complete the game and still think Nate is a synth?

[@fishermanjohn7132]

Easy: you have a room temperature IQ and you lack critical thinking skills

[@chumbsaresnake4610]

The synth blew up the Institute with a nuclear reactor and no one stopped him! N I C E 👹

[@colemeincke2198]

There is one man that completely puts this arguments into shambles…and that’s the ghoulified vault Tec rep

[@kieranthornhill8550]

How?

[@colemeincke2198]

@@kieranthornhill8550 he’s proof that the memories weren’t fabricated

[@kieranthornhill8550]

@colemeincke2198 No, he isn't. He's only proof that the SS memories are actual events. It's shown that synths can have memories from the original human. I don't think the SS is a synth but what you said isn't proof

[@jd_elderberry]

you clearly havent been gored by a deathclaw then

[@DoubleDashYT]

The vats was just introducing the feature

[@themudpit621]

yes, it's a fun theory though

[@jeffreyblock16]

I’m not a f’ing synth

[@themudpit621]

YOU'RE THE SYNTH! NOT ME!!

[@DamnedPoetry]

Maybe Shaun conducted this experiment in private, knowing he'd want a synth to be in control after him. The rest of the institute wasn't let in on the secret so that they believed it was a human in control.

[@DaHawg]

Proof that hes wrong: (SPOILERS INCLUDED) 1: synths are immune to rads 2: the character can bleed, synths dont have human blood 3: the brotherhood checked the main characters files the same way they did danse and they found out that danse was a synth but they didn't find anything on the main character 4: synths could be immediately all be shut off and when they kill the institute, the main character doesnt die or get shut off 5: the game creators said you arent a synth and its just there to mess with you 6: the memory loss is due to being on the ice

[@ThatAIDOfella]

When you die in the game you see blood and guts. Not machine parts.

[@blazermettro2059]

You shouldn't use that one. Gen 3 Synth are also Biological down to their DNA. They got blood, guts, bone and muscle like normal people. Only difference is a Synth chip located deep in their brains.

[@davidtessier3402]

Be cool though if you were like a gen 2 or something and the first time you get a leg blown off or something you see mechanical parts made of steel.... like what is that.

[@matthewrosas5668]

Same happens to Gen 3's

[@xblackxabyssx1983]

@@davidtessier3402 or your a gen 4 or 5 prototype of fathers thus the no recall code and freewill to destroy the institute

[@Ubermatronlives]

Just because he says “I remember the day the bombs fell” doesn’t mean he doesn’t remember anything before that. The male sole survivor also mentions his history in the military, and the female sole survivor mentions helping people as a lawyer. Fun theory, just doesn’t hold up to much scrutiny.

[@Zalwalloo]

So Father just accepted that you're going to kill all the Institute's synths and destroy the Institute itself?

[@QTEila]

When the literal writers and devs say you aren't a synth, but that it's a troll dialogue, you need to realise you're objectively and factually wrong.

[@johngreen733]

If this was the case then the creators would not of had you play the opening before the war.

[@facelessshadow92]

Fallout 4 is like a bad shroom trip

[@carlossimon2857]

False, The main survivor was a vet and had memories of the war prior to the bombs dropping.

[@granziii12]

Idk. He's also pretty sentimental. He wouldn't just incinerate his father's body once he's made a Synth of him. He'd keep something. That said, I can totally get behind the idea of being a Synth.

[@konradsproductionservices]

When the game first dropped I played it on day one and I could not use vats immediately. I know this for a fact because It was the first thing I tried. But it would be cool to have a synth protagonist built to be in the likeness of a prewar soldier

[@nickmcadams6476]

I think the "VATS" before the Pip-Boy was his military training IF you went with Nate, at least that's what I tell myself to make it more sense

[@michaeljames470]

He would simply use your recall code to shut you off before you attack the Institute… wrong. 8 years wasted my dude.

[@SebaTheKnight]

Nah, actually the protagonist remember much more than just the bombs, in many places he actually talk about the past and about the vats in the case on the protagonist he was a soldier previous war so maybe he have a few implants that explains all extras (besides a thing like Vats before obtain the pipboy is something common Bethesda forget to fix.

[@R0guezMZ]

The fact that anyone thinks he’s a synth is just ridiculous to me 😂

[@lonecourierjoeyv2133]

Its ambiguous whether the SS is a synth or not For roleplay purposes you can be one or not be one

[@christopherking8603]

I get the theory but there's alot of plot holes like nate remembers the war before the bombs fell and Nora being a lawyer so they do remember things before the bombs

[@RaiosSephi]

I'm sure... confidently enough that he didn't play Fallout 1 and/or 2