What The Heck Is Up With Fallout's Vault 4? Why It's Different From The Other Vaults

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for the Fallout TV show!

Summary Vault 4 in Fallout TV Show is full of mystery and intrigue, known for its unique mutants and human hybrid experiments.

The well-functioning Vault 4 was managed by test subjects-turned-mutants who rebelled, creating a loving society and refuge.

Despite positive experiences, Vault 4 may have turned into a cult with unsettling rituals, giving characters a scare to leave.

Vault 4 is one of the most interesting locations in the Fallout TV show, and here's what is up with the Vault, including why it is different from the other Vaults. Although all kinds of Vaults are mentioned throughout the Fallout TV show, only a handful of Vaults are actually shown, with Vault 4 being the most prominent featured one outside of the main Vaults 33, 32, and 31. There is a lot of mystery and intrigue surrounding Vault 4 in the world of the Fallout TV show, so here is everything that is known about the mysterious location.

The Fallout TV show is finally here, with the highly anticipated adaptation of the critically acclaimed video game series of the same name now released in full on Amazon Prime Video. The TV show finally brings the beloved world of Fallout's wasteland to live-action, featuring many iconic locations and characters from the video game series. The Fallout show follows three characters, Lucy the Vault Dweller, Maximus the Brotherhood of Steel squire, and Cooper Howard the Ghoul, as they trek across the wasteland and race to get their hands on a scientific breakthrough.

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Fallout's Vault 4 Features Test Subjects Who Rebelled

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After Maximus is shot in the arm by a cannibal, Lucy brings him to a nearby Vault: Vault 4. Upon their arrival, however, Lucy and Maximus realize that this is a Vault like no other, with it actually being full of mutants. As it turns out, Vault 4 was a Vault that was originally run by human scientists, with them populating the Vault even in the pre-war days. The government of scientists allowed for all kinds of human experiments, with these scientists attempting to genetically merge humans with radiation-resistant species, leading to the creation of some odd-looking human hybrids.

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However, these test subjects got tired of being experimented on, leading to them rebelling. The mutants eventually took control of the Vault, with them attempting to create a loving and all-inclusive society. The mutants took care of themselves as well as outsiders, with them letting surface-dwellers in. Vault 4 was a massive place of refuge for the survivors of the collapse of Shady Sands, with this leading to a unique culture and society within the Vault. Vault 4 may seem scary, but it is actually one of the most well-functioning Vaults in the wasteland.

Who Managed Vault 4 In Fallout?

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The unregulated human experimentation within Vault 4 means that someone did an unethical job managing the Vault, causing many to wonder who was in charge of it. The most obvious pick would be Vault-Tec, with them being the company behind the mass implementation of Vaults. However, the answer may not be so simple, as the finale of the Fallout TV show reveals.

At the end of the Fallout TV show, some Vault-Tec heads have a meeting with the heads of several other interested companies. Barb explains that these companies have the opportunity to manage Vaults of their own, with them being able to run sociological experiments on the citizens of their Vaults. So, it is entirely possible that one of these other companies had a hand in the scientific disasters that took place in Vault 4, with them being responsible for the uprising of the test subjects.

Did Vault 4 Turn Into A Cult?

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Not all is right in Vault 4, however, as it seems that Vault 4 may have turned into a cult. While in Vault 4, Lucy and Maximus have an overwhelmingly positive experience, with them being welcomed into the society of Vault 4 with open arms. Lucy is even invited to attend a ritual, one that appears to honor the loss of Shady Sands. However, Lucy quickly realizes that the event is actually a ritual honoring Moldaver, with them spreading the ashes of the dead on their faces. Lucy realizes that she has to get out of Vault 4, with her and Maximus leaving shortly after.

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Vault 4 seems to have a cult-like worship of Moldaver and her plans to recreate civilization in the wake of the Great War, with the refugees from Shady Sands bringing this tradition into Vault 4. While Vault 4 otherwise seems to be a fairly happy and normal society, this unyielding loyalty to Moldaver is a bit creepy, with some cult-like behaviors being part of the ritual. It doesn't seem like anyone from Vault 4 wanted to hurt Lucy or Maximus, but it definitely gave them enough of a scare that they didn't return in the Fallout TV show.