Fallout: Walton Goggins Had No Idea He Was Delivering Franchise's Iconic Line in TV Series

The Fallout game series has an iconic catchphrase that players know and love: "War. War never changes..." But when it came to Amazon's Fallout TV series, star Walton Goggins had no idea that the line was so iconic and impactful when he uttered it onscreen! 

Goggins made a social media post adding some further context to a GQ article he did, in which he revealed that he had no idea that his "War never changes," line was a huge Easter egg nod to Fallout games: 

"Article in GQ. 'War. War never changes...' spoken by the great Ron Pearlman," Goggins said in his post. "I had no idea how iconic those words were to the players of this game. I thought Graham and Geneva had written one of the best lines of dialogue I've been given the opportunity to say over the course of my career. Alas I was wrong. I didn't ask and they didn't tell me. And I'm glad I didn't. If I had known I might not of said them because no one can replicate a line spoken by Ron."

Ron Pearlman (Sons of Anarchy, Hellboy) voiced the "Narrator" of the beloved Fallout: New Vegas video game (2010). Like so many Fallout games, New Vegas opened with some expository narration, setting the scene for the settlements, factions, and circumstances that form the framework of the game. The "War never changes..." line is the thematic link between each installment of Fallout, speaking to the themes of violence and savagery (vs. civility and humanity) that make the choices of the game (and outcomes) so enticing to so many players. 

Without major spoilers, the Fallout TV series saves the iconic line for a big moment in the Season 1 finale (Episode 8), and definitely gives it its dramatic due. The show even gives the line a new twist of irony, since Goggins' character, "The Ghoul" is someone who has been alive centuries long enough to actually be delivering the line from a place of firsthand experience.

As Walton Goggins revealed later in his post, making sure that moment in the show landed was just part of his overall strategy to make Fallout (TV series) something great – regardless of the games: 

"My son is a Gamer. I am not," Goggins wrote in the post. "When this opportunity came about I decided not to play FALLOUT cause I felt there needed to be someone at the table who was critical of these scenes without carrying the weight of the responsibility to get it right. I wanted to keep us honest... to make sure these scenes stood up on their own (I knew Jonah and Bethesda had our backs when it came to the details) @perlmutations [Ron Pearlman] is an old friend and one of the best in the game. I didn't say them as well as he did... but I said em nonetheless."

Fallout is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Be sure to check our ComicBook Nation: Quick Save podcast, breaking down Season 1 and looking ahead to Season 2.