A group once regarded as the biggest threat in Fallout fell 16 years ago, but the show just brought them back. What could this mean for their future?

Fallout’s show just revived a massive villain group the games wiped out 16 years ago. Though the main characters in Fallout season 1 were original to the show, the same can’t be said for the various organizations that appeared across its eight-episode story. Multiple factions from the Fallout franchise – from the Brotherhood of Steel to the Raiders – received representation in Prime Video’s series.

Among the many groups relevant to Fallout season 1 is the Enclave, a powerful group that uses the leftover military resources of the United States government to advance its agenda. e Appearing early in the series, the Enclave didn’t play a significant role in Fallout season 1’s story, but their inclusion is noteworthy nonetheless. After all, it’s been understood for a while that the Enclave was no more. But as the first two episodes confirm, the group is now back on the table for future Fallout stories. Depending on what the show has in store for its characters, they could even be in play for Fallout season 2.

What Happened To The Enclave Before Fallout’s Show

The Enclave was defeated in Fallout 3

Prior events in the Fallout timeline dictate that the Enclave would no longer be around in the timeframe of Fallout’s show. Fallout takes place in 2296, 19 years after the Enclave’s alleged downfall, which played out in Fallout 3, the hit game that rejuvenated the franchise. In the 2008 video game, the player character battles the Enclave, which was established in the world of Fallout as the last surviving arm of the United States government and the main villain of Fallout 2. In the corner of the Wastleland explored in Fallout 3, an ongoing conflict rages between the Enclave and the Brotherhood of Steel, which permeates throughout the game’s action.

At a certain point in the game, there was a sense that the Brotherhood of Steel was losing the war, but due to the intervention of the player character, the Enclave was defeated and robbed of their headquarters. Because the developments in Fallout 2 had already stripped the Enclave of key resources elsewhere on the map, their defeat in Fallout 3’s ending was regarded as the nail in the coffin. From the looks of things, the Enclave had lost their last base and would no longer be considered a serious threat to the people of the Wasteland.

Fallout’s Show Confirms The Enclave Has Regained Some Of Its Power – But How?

The Enclave is definitely back as of 2296

According to Prime Video’s Fallout series, the Enclave has since recovered. They were shown to have what appears to be a fully staffed base in an unspecified, snowy region somewhere in the United States. The existence of a functional Enclave base is a massive reveal, as it brings a fallen Fallout faction back from the dead. However, that’s not to say their return is a plot hole. The Enclave was once a massive organization with footholds in multiple parts of the country, and though the events of Fallout 2 and Fallout 3 took away their station as the franchise’s strongest villain, there was never confirmation that every Enclave member had died.

People within the Enclave did survive the games, as evidenced by appearances from former members in both Fallout: New Vegas and Fallout 4. It would seem that at some point, the remnants of the Enclave regrouped and managed to rebuild. That said, Fallout’s show provides no indication that the organization has the power it once held in Fallout’s apocalypse. The facility and manpower boasted by the Enclave in Fallout episode 2 hardly resemble the advanced military resources at the Enclave’s disposal in the second and third Fallout games. Clearly, their rebuild is still a work in progress.

What The Enclave’s Return Could Mean For Future Fallout Stories

The Enclave could be a major villain in Fallout season 2 or Fallout 5

While it’s true that the Enclave doesn’t appear to be the military force it once was, that’s not to say they won’t pose a problem in the future. By bringing them back and giving them the capability to create Cold Fusion, Fallout has demonstrated their technological potential and put them in a position to become relevant again as the franchise continues. As their activities in the episode, such as their treatment of dogs, readily implies, the Enclave may be different from the original incarnation of the group in some ways, but their capacity for evil hasn’t changed. If they come back, there’s a good chance they’ll be taking on a familiar, villainous role.

Surprisingly, the Enclave’s resurgence in Fallout didn’t amount to much in season 1, aside from how it setup the search for Dr. Wilzig’s head and the Fallout TV show’s version of Dogmeat. Fallout saw multiple parties take an interest in the head, but the Enclave themselves were a non-factor in this conflict, even though they’d have the strongest claim to Dr. Wilzig’s Cold Fusion discovery. But while this didn’t facilitate a fight with the Enclave, it certainly could in Fallout season 2 now that the Cold Fusion has been activated. The Enclave could know exactly where to look for their stolen research once they learn about what happened in the Fallout season 1 finale.

What little was shown of the Enclave in Fallout’s show offers clues as to what kind of threat they could pose if they wound up being the villains of season 2. A partially shown body being experimented on by the Enclave’s scientist looked strikingly similar to a super mutant, one of the most common (and most deadly) monsters in Fallout’s universe. This matches up with the organization’s past, as they already had a history of using FEV (Forced Evolutionary Virus) to make super mutants. From the looks of things, the revived Enclave still has an interest in FEV research.

Unleashing super mutants and perhaps their genetically enhanced dogs could be how the Enclave challenges the main characters. Even with Walton Goggins’ The Ghoul as a reluctant ally to Lucy, the Enclave has more than enough tools to cause them headaches in Fallout season 2. And if they don’t, they could be an even greater threat at some point down the road, especially if they’re given more time to regain a semblance of the power they had in earlier installments. If that happens, they could go back to being “the big bad” of the franchise, whether it be in Fallout 5 or a later Fallout season.