One of the key distinguishing features of Fallout 76 is the total lack of human NPCs. According to Bethesda, they wanted the only humans in the game to be real players. Although there are some robot NPCs and such in the game, Fallout 76 lacks the dialogue systems of previous Fallout titles. However, it turns out that there is at least one human NPC; the Fallout 76 Mysterious Stranger.
The Fallout 76 Mysterious Stranger: The Game’s Only Human NPC?
Despite Bethesda’s claims that there would be no human NPCs in Fallout 76, it emerged prior to launch that there were Perk Cards for the Mysterious Stranger. Ever since Fallout 3, the Mysterious Stranger has been an iconic part of the Fallout series. The perk, which has differed slightly in each game, causes an NPC known as the “Mysterious Stranger” to randomly appear and assist the player for a moment before disappearing again. In Fallout 4, the companion Nick Valentine even had case files documenting his attempts to track down the stranger.
When it emerged that the Mysterious Stranger perk would exist in Fallout 76, it was unclear what form it would take. Would the Stranger be a ghoul or robot, or some other non-human being? As it turns out, the Stranger certainly appears to be human. When the Perk Card is equipped, there is a small random chance of the Stranger spawning to aid the player. His appearance resembles that of the character in Fallout 4, wearing a trench-coat and hat. He fades into existence to fight alongside the player for a few moments before fading away again.
Unfortunately, there is no real way to interact with the Mysterious Stranger. However, that’s much the same as his appearances in other Fallout titles. Nevertheless, the Fallout 76 Mysterious Stranger may still technically be the one sole human NPC in the game.