The mysterious figure in Fallout season 1’s finale subtly teases the real villain of the series. Albeit briefly, the Fallout season 1 finale drew attention to a shadowy, unnamed character. Though the episode didn’t confirm their identity, what’s known about Fallout’s world outside the series sheds light on the true meaning behind their appearance.

In regards to the show’s villains, Fallout season 1’s ending offered some surprising twists. Though it was Moldaver who was considered Lucy’s real enemy, it was discovered by the end of her journey that her father was behind the destruction of Sandy Sands. And with Lucy and Walton Goggins’ The Ghoul positioned to look for him in New Vegas, it seems the person she was trying so hard to rescue in season 1 will be one of the main villains in season 2. There’s also the matter of Barb Howard, who turned out to be a willful participant in Vault-Tec’s most evil acts. However, neither of them looks to be the show’s true antagonist.

A Mystery Character Secretly Oversaw The Vault-Tec Meeting

He appears to be the one who prompted Barb’s big villain moment

When the discussions between the various company representatives in Vault-Tec’s meeting began to get out of hand in the finale, Barb suddenly looked up at her Pip Boy, and then her gaze lifted upward, and seemed to settle on a mysterious man watching the proceedings. No physical features could be identified, but it’s clear that someone was observing them from afar. Though who he was isn’t made abundantly clear, just the fact that he was even there is proof of his power and authority. Obviously, only high-level figures would be trusted with the sensitive and naturally controversial information shared at the meeting.

Barb’s reaction to seeing the man (and what came next) provides another hint about his importance. From the looks of things, Barb received a message from her Pip Boy; Barb reacting by immediately looking at the man watching from above is a sign that the unknown message was from him. Since it was after looking at him that she took control of the meeting away from Bud Askins and began to lead the discussions, there’s a sense that it was he who directed her to do that. Based on the detail, it can be assumed that the mystery character was the greatest authority figure in the room.

The character in question essentially nudging Barb into her big speech showcases how nefarious he truly is. In a way, the speech coming from Barb places the bomb for so much in Fallout’s apocalypse on her shoulders, including Vault-Tec’s evil experiments and possibly – but not definitely – the beginning of the Great War itself. But though it’s Barb who gives voice to these ideas, the presence of the mysterious figure goes to show that she’s not the mastermind behind Vault-Tec’s plans. She’s acting on behalf of someone else, who by all current indications, is the finale’s unnamed character.

Why Fallout’s Mystery Character Is Most Likely From The Enclave

Fallout lore dictates that the Enclave would be at the meeting in some capacity

The obvious takeaway from the meeting would be that Barb’s unidentified superior is the head of Vault-Tec or a more powerful executive at the company, but that may not be the case at all. After all, Vault-Tec’s history in the franchise reveals that another organization was behind their biggest operations all along. In the games, it’s understood that Vault-Tec was backed up by the Enclave, a secret group of government officials with their own agenda for the world’s future. In fact, it was the Enclave who commissioned Vault-Tec to build the vaults in Fallout.

The Enclave even directed Vault-Tec to orchestrate the experiments that became such a prevalent part of the franchise. That in and of itself is a massive clue that the mystery character in the finale likely represents the Enclave. As noted above, the speech saw Barb set Vault-Tec’s experiments in motion. With that in mind, the mystery character’s behind-the-scenes involvement with that decision is indicative of a connection between him and the Enclave.

Even without that detail, an Enclave member overlooking the top-secret Vault-Tec meeting makes perfect sense, and even feels absolutely necessary. The show exists in the same canon as the games, where the Enclave are known to be the ones pulling Vault-Tec’s strings. The Enclave not being involved in the decisions made in the meeting would be a huge plot hole for Prime Video’s series. With the way that they manipulated everything to happen in their favor, it’s hard to imagine their organization not taking measures to push the conversation in a direction that’s favorable to their interests.

Fallout’s Dr. Wilzig Story Confirms The Enclave Are Still A Threat

If it wasn’t for the show’s Dr. Wilzig and Dogmeat storyline, it would be easy to think that despite the Enclave’s significance to the backstory of the apocalypse, they’re not actually a real and present threat. That’s because the Enclave was destroyed over the course of the events that transpired in Fallout 3, which takes place prior to the timeframe of the show’s main story. However, the series proves early on that the Enclave is still around. Dr. Wilzig was revealed to be one of their scientists, stationed at an Enclave facility in an unspecified, snowy location.

Somehow, enough members of the Enclave survived Fallout 3 so that it could be at least partially rebuilt elsewhere. They may not be as strong as they once were, but their experiments on dogs, teases of super mutants in the compound, and technological resources all demonstrate the notion that the Enclave is still incredibly dangerous and a force that’s not to be taken lightly.

In Fallout season 1, they were ultimately a non-factor in the story after Dr. Wilzig’s escape, but that may not continue when the show returns. Dr. Wilzig’s Cold Fusion getting activated could trigger the Enclave’s return, as they may seek to gain from it themselves. Or, they could have some other reason to get into the action. With their history of causing trouble in the apocalypse, it does feel like it’s only a matter of time before the Enclave begins making moves again. And with the show seemingly teasing the Enclave’s link to Vault-Tec, that scenario coming to pass is looking all the more likely, whether it be in Fallout season 2 or later.