Ghoul (Fallout)

Ghoul
Fallout race
Render of a typical Feral Ghoul used in Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas
First appearance	Fallout (1997)
Other name(s)	"Zombie" (derogatory)

Ghouls are a fictional race of posthuman beings from the post-apocalyptic Fallout video game franchise. Within series lore, ghouls are originally humans, many of them survivors of a global nuclear holocaust, who have been severely mutated by the residual radiation, which greatly extends their lifespans but deforms their physical appearance into a zombie-like presentation. Many ghouls live alongside humans in settlements across the post-apocalyptic wasteland, while others mentally degenerate into a violently feral and antisocial state.

Considered to be among the most recognizable and iconic elements of the Fallout intellectual property (IP), ghouls have appeared in every media of the franchise, and have been the subject of numerous fan mods of Fallout series games. Critics have lauded their use as either antagonistic figures or as supporting non-player characters throughout the series, with some even calling for ghouls to play a more central role in future sequels or adaptations of the franchise. In the 2024 American post-apocalyptic drama television series Fallout, pre-war actor turned ghoulified bounty hunter Cooper Howard, known simply as The Ghoul, is portrayed by Walton Goggins.