How ‘Fallout’ Season 2 Brings Those Terrifying Deathclaws to Life

Powerful and deadly, Deathclaws stand between nine and 10 feet tall, armed with fangs and claws sharp enough to rip through flesh and fur with unsettling ease. These towering bipedal predators resemble monstrous mutant rams with curved horns, thick reptilian hides, and a signature hunched prowl that signals danger long before they strike. They can shrug off most modern handheld weapons and close distances with surprising speed, delivering brutal melee attacks that leave little chance of survival for anyone who wanders into their domain. Territorial, unrelenting, and frighteningly adaptive, Deathclaws remain among the largest and most terrifying apex predators in the Wasteland.

And they are a favorite of fans of the Fallout franchise.

In Fallout Season 1, the eventual arrival of the Deathclaws was foretold in the final episode of the season as the bleached skull of a long-dead beast was glimpsed, teasing the arrival of the most vicious enemies in the history of the game.

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Constructed by Legacy Effects, fans of old-school creature work will be happy to know that the production relied on practical craftsmanship as well as VFX to bring the reptilian monster to life.

“We thought we were going to be building this wearable puppet with swatches of fabric that we could finish out with [visual] effects. Those guys are maximalist. They came back, and they’re like, ‘We have the puppet. It can sprint, it can drool, it can run, its eyes move.’ It’s horrifying,” said executive producer Geneva Robertson-Dworet.

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The use of larger-than-life puppets to bring the creatures of Fallout to life, combined with the physical commitment of human performers, created an added sense of realism and texture. This approach gives the monsters a tangible presence that digital effects alone cannot replicate, allowing viewers to feel the weight, movement, and menace of each creature in a more immediate and immersive way. And that went double for the actors.

“There’s this one moment early where this creature comes out of nowhere, and it’s a genuine surprise, that’s my real reaction,” said star Walton Goggins, who plays both the Ghoul and his human counterpart, Cooper Howard. “The puppeteers had it on a pulley and just yanked the thing out.”

Fallout, Season 2, Premiere on December 17, Prime Video