Fallout: How Was The Brotherhood Of Steel Formed? (2024)

The Fallout universe is full of conflicting factions and ideals, each with its own unique history and lore explored within the games and the TV Show. One of the most recognizable factions of the franchise, the Brotherhood of Steel, has been an influential force within the universe in every installment since the original Fallout game.

This powerful military faction with sometimes fanatical and cult-like behavior has been present in the post-apocalyptic United States since a few years after the Great War. While the events that led to the founding of the Brotherhood are not directly depicted in the games, their history is documented across various storylines and terminals found throughout the franchise.

Who Founded The Brotherhood of Steel?

The Brotherhood of Steel was founded by Captain Roger Maxson in 2082, five years after the Great War. Roger Maxson was a commander in the US Military. Shortly before the bombs fell, Maxson and his team were appointed as the security team to a research facility in the Mariposa military base. Maxson later found out about the nature of this research, the infamous FEV (Forced Evolutionary Virus) that was the cause of the super mutants in the wastelands after the war.

Maxson and his team could not tolerate the inhumane experiments being done on prisoners, and to avoid a mutiny, Maxson started interrogating the scientists to bring some form of justice to their acts. Most of the interrogations ended in executions until one of the scientists managed to convince Maxson that the research was sanctioned by the US government. After this revelation, Maxson became the leader of a rebellion, and on October 20th, 2077, Maxson declared his unit in full secession from the US government over the radio.

Only three days later, the bombs fell. Maxson had sheltered the families of his unit in Mariposa, which had avoided the brunt of the fallout. Fearing that more bombs might be en route to their location, Maxson ordered his team to prepare and evacuate the base within a day. A few weeks later, the remaining members of Maxson's unit, who had survived the trip, established themselves in the Lost Hills bunker, which later became the birthplace of the Brotherhood.

Why Was The Brotherhood of Steel Formed?

Seeing the damage done by unethical research and technological advancements firsthand, Maxson spent the next five years devising the ideology, structure, and ranks of a new faction, the Brotherhood of Steel. The faction at first took in former US military members who felt betrayed by their government. The initial purpose of the Brotherhood was to protect civilians, preserve knowledge and technology, and help rebuild civilization.

These ideologies got radicalized over time, especially after Maxson died from cancer in 2135. Aiding the survivors was no longer a priority, turning the Brotherhood into an isolated faction. Their goal of preserving knowledge and technology turned into hoarding technology and preventing its use by other groups. Instead of helping rebuild civilization, they destroyed anyone who stood against their ideologies and threatened their power.

In the two centuries of the post-apocalyptic universe we have seen in the Fallout franchise, the Brotherhood of Steel has gone through many changes. Each of the order's chapters across the wastelands has various degrees of morals and ideologies that have made them feel unique and yet recognizable across different titles. But in the end, it all began when one soldier felt betrayed by their government and decided to make a difference in the post-war universe. But unfortunately, war never changes.