A Fallout fan has a theory on who really dropped the first nuke in the series. The theory suggests that the “reveal” in season one is intentionally misleading the audience. According to the fan, the show might be setting up that Vault-Tec didn’t get the chance to nuke the world and was beaten to the punch by China.
In the season one finale, a meeting between Vault-Tec and US-based corporations implies that Vault-Tec planned to drop the bombs themselves to ensure a return on their investments. However, the fan theory proposes that China, losing the war against the United States, decided to bomb the US sooner than expected, catching Vault-Tec off guard. This theory is supported by details such as Cooper Howard’s custody of his daughter when the first bomb hits, which would not have been the case if Vault-Tec had orchestrated everything.
The theory also suggests that China’s attack explains the inconsistency with Mr. House in Fallout: New Vegas, who predicted the bomb drop time but was off by 20 hours. The fan argues that this means China hit the US just hours before Vault-Tec intended to drop the bombs, leading to an ironic twist. Many fans support this theory and speculate that season one’s plot twist will be undone with another twist in season two.
The ending of the first season implies that Cooper’s family will be featured in future episodes, potentially shedding more light on the events of the day the world ended. This theory adds an intriguing layer to the Fallout series lore, and fans expect further developments in the next season.
