Fallout Season 2: What Are Deathclaws And Why Is Everyone So Afraid Of Them?

War ... war never changes. And neither do spoilers. This article discusses major plot points from episode 4 of "Fallout" season 2.

Prime Video's "Fallout" adaptation takes a different approach to adapting video games than, say, "The Last of Us." Rather than try to faithfully translate the source material's story, which gamers have already experienced, the show succeeds by focusing on capturing the world and the tone of the games. Through exquisite production design, "Fallout" brings the retrofuturistic nuclear wasteland of the games to life. From the mighty Power Armors to the retro robots, weapons, and locales, watching the show feels like stepping into the games.

But it's not just the costumes and set dressing, because the world of "Fallout" is also a very dangerous place filled with very dangerous creatures. Whether it's mutant roaches, giant scorpions, or a very messed-up bear, there is no shortage of mutated beasts that can easily kill you in the wasteland. Still, none of them are nearly as terrifying as the mighty Deathclaw. This is the apex predator of the "Fallout" universe, and its most recognizable monster.

The Deathclaw finally makes its on-screen debut in episode 4 of the new season, as a frightening and practical puppet. We see it in flashbacks to the war before the bombs drop, then in the present when a group of Deathclaws attack Lucy (Ella Purnell) and the Ghoul (Walton Goggins).

You might be wondering what exactly a Deathclaw is and why everyone is so terrified of it. Well, you've come to the right place. Here's what you need to know about the Deathclaw.

Like most horrors in the "Fallout" universe, the Deathclaw was created by humans. Specifically, this terrifying horned devil is the result of experiments by the United States government to create super soldiers. Mixing the genes of various species, the primary one being Jackson's chameleons, the experiment resulted in a ferocious predator that could survive virtually any environment and was extremely durable in combat.

Though the games don't specify when the first Deathclaws reached the mainland, the "Fallout" TV adaptation shows that at least one creature was deployed in battle. We see that during a flashback of the Sino-American War that led to the nuclear apocalypse, when Cooper Howard (Walton Goggins) encountered a Deathclaw that easily obliterated a Red Army squad. That's right, giant lizard monsters with huge horns and massive claws were deployed in combat against humans. If there is one constant in the world of "Fallout," it's that there is no limit to the atrocities humans can commit.

It's unclear how prominent Deathclaws were in the war, but it is known from the games that the nuclear apocalypse that followed allowed the Deathclaws to escape containment and flee into the wasteland. Being the strongest predator, their population increased exponentially without much competition, and they spread over the country.

The moment a Deathclaw appears in either version of "Fallout," it immediately makes people afraid. We see this in Cooper Howard's reaction to the deadly creature both in the flashback and in the present. This is straight out of the games.

The Deathclaw has been a part of the "Fallout" franchise since the very beginning, creating fear every time they appear. Earlier games made a bigger deal out of an encounter with a Deathclaw, making it nearly impossible to survive. Later games in the series, however, give the player more of a fighting chance — though you still need either a lot of firepower or even a mini nuke launcher to kill it.

Simply put, you want to avoid Deathclaws as much as possible, as they are durable, powerful, and quite fast. Worse yet, there is at least one documented case of intelligent Deathclaws that have even gained the ability to speak. They appear in "Fallout 2," as a result of experiments by the mysterious Enclave using the Forced Evolutionary Virus on the creatures to create Deathclaws capable of obeying orders. Of course, this backfired. The Deathclaws rebelled, took over a vault, and established their own peaceful society, even co-existing with some humans. Sadly, the Enclave did not like this, and eventually, they massacred the entire population of the vault.

Deathclaws make a lasting impact whenever they show up, as seen by the reaction from the Ghoul when he sees a pack of them in season 2 of "Fallout," but they are an integral part of the "Fallout" world. They are dangerous, they look like something that could only exist in a nuclear apocalypse, and they are the direct result of pure human evil.

"Fallout" season 2 is available to stream on Prime Video.