When traveling across the Commonwealth of Fallout 4, the player comes across all kinds of characters, many of whom are hiding something from the Sole Survivor. These characters are more than they seem, hiding allegiances or troubled pasts and trying to accomplish sinister goals. Usually, their secrets are exposed as the player completes quests and makes their way through the game, but some characters elude the Sole Survivor's detective skills.
These characters hide their secrets better than others and many players may even finish the game without learning the truth about them. Here, then, are Fallout 4's mysterious NPCs who are definitely hiding something.
8 The Minutemen
Libertalia is a raider encampment on the western coast of the map, led by a man named Wire. In addition to the usual raider behavior of taking money from nearby settlements and killing people who trouble them, the raiders here seem to be in the business of executing innocent people and taking their belongings, as corpses can be found around the area. They may not be the craziest raiders in the game, but they certainly are no heroes.
It may, then, be a surprise to learn that these enemies were once Minutemen. The Minutemen are the faction of the people, helping out settlements where they can and trying to protect them from attacks. This makes Wire's group all the more saddening as they once stood by to help the people they are now killing. Wire's terminal explains that it was out of desperation for food that they slowly lost their sense of community and seems to regret their loss of morals, but he will not hesitate to kill the Sole Survivor should they approach. Either way, next time Preston Garvey drones on about a settlement needing help, maybe remind him that some of them need help from his former friends.
7 Cricket
The traveling merchants making their way between settlements in Fallout 4 seem to be fairly successful. They are welcome everywhere and will trade with anyone. One such merchant, a woman by the name of Cricket, is slightly more memorable than the others due to her odd behavior and the impressive-looking submachine gun she sells.
However, Cricket and many of the other traveling merchants are hiding something from the settlements they visit. If the player travels to the Synth Retention Bureau in the Institute, they will come across a terminal that lists several NPCs as informants. One of these names is Cricket's, showing that she has been feeding the Institute information about synths and the settlements that have let her in.
6 Holt Combes
After entering Vault 81, the Sole Survivor comes across the depot, a store run by Alexis Combes. Upon first entering the store, she will be arguing with her husband Holt. Although she insists that he was once a caring father, he shows little interest in her or their daughter and is no nicer to the player either. Should the player follow Holt for a little, they may find an explanation.
Every evening Holt meets another inhabitant of Vault 81 by the name of Tina De Luca, alone. Although they have no dialogue and simply stare at each other, some players have assumed that they may be having an affair. Other players have discovered the missing dialogue and discovered that Holt is paying Tina in Jet to get her to sleep with him. This is likely the Jet that she gives to her brother to feed his addiction. With the affair, paying for sex, and feeding someone's addiction, Holt has quite the selection of secrets.
5 Magnolia
In the Third Rail jazz club in Goodneighbor is a singer called Magnolia. Her singing is so popular that the locals say she is the only reason they visit the Third Rail. She is also romanceable for the Sole Survivor, although only once. Her beautiful singing seems to be a story of her past and makes the Third Rail a calming, peaceful place.
The truth of Magnolia's past, however, is that she is a synth. Although Magnolia is an essential NPC, she can be killed through console commands. Upon doing so, players would find a synth component in her inventory. Whether Magnolia is a spy for the Institute or was helped by the Railroad is never made clear but either way, she would be in great danger if people were to find out.
4 Henry Cooke
Henry Cooke in Diamond City is involved in an affair with Darcy Pembroke but this is far from a secret. Paul Pembroke, Darcy's husband, is well aware and asks for the player's help in standing up to Henry in the Colonial Taphouse, starting the 'Diamond City Blues' quest. During this quest, the player can end up ambushing one of Marowski's drug deals with Henry and Paul.
What the player may never realize, however, is that both Henry Cooke and Marowski are informants for the Institute. Their names can be found in the Synth retention bureau which raises the question of whether they became aware of one another through the Institute or if they were unaware they were both working for the Institute. This is especially interesting because, by the end of 'Diamond City Blues', Henry and Paul have been involved in two heists on Marowski's drug operation.
3 Sturges
When first meeting the Minutemen in Concord, Sturges is the one who recommends finding the power armor on the roof. Clearly good with his hands, he helps out with the rebuilding of Sanctuary after the Minutemen relocate there, and builds the teleporter during 'The Molecular Level'.
One explanation for his skill with technology is that he is a synth. If somehow killed, a synth component is found on his body, raising the question once again of whether he knows what he is and whether he is still in league with the mysterious and sinister Institute.
2 KL-E-0
KL-E-0 is undoubtedly one of the stranger merchants in Goodneighbor. She has some interesting voice lines, such as calling the Sole Survivor 'baby', and seems extremely eager to sell them weapons of any sort. However, the player would be forgiven for dismissing this as a simple flaw in her programming or thinking it is just a way to make her stand out.
If instead, they were to hack her personal terminal in her house, then they would find some rather ominous notes she has made. KL-E-0 has plans on how to kill every important member of Goodneighbor, should the need arise, with every plan detailing unique ways to target each one of them. Given that KL-E-0 is an Assaultron, if she did feel the need to enact one of these plans then there would be little anyone could do to stop her.
1 Deacon
Useful in a fight and a master of disguise, Deacon is an excellent companion and a valuable member of the Railroad. Although there are many mysteries surrounding this character, such as what his real name is, the biggest mystery is how long he has been following the Sole Survivor. Deacon can be found, in disguise, at multiple points throughout the story of Fallout 4. He is disguised as a guard when the Sole Survivor first reaches Diamond City and is working as a caravan guard when the player enters Bunker Hill.
The strangest example of Deacon spying on the player is right at the start of the game, after exiting Vault 111. Nearby, with a good vantage point over the entrance to the vault, is a lookout spot with a Railroad symbol painted into the wall. How exactly Deacon knew that the Sole Survivor would be so important is a mystery, but it is simply another secret to add to Deacon's growing collection.
Fallout 4 is available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
