TheFalloutfranchise is filled with recognizable iconography for its well-known factions, with the Brotherhood of Steel logo and the Vault Boy being prime examples. Given the critical success of the newFalloutTV show, many new fans have joined the fandom and started learning about the world ofFallout, experiencing its infamous factions for the first time. While some events in the show have been a bit controversial for long-time fans of the series, its enticing characters and dedication to accurately portraying the game made it a hit with most audiences.
While the show brought in both new and old fans back to the games, the latestFallout Londonmod expansioncame out at just the right time to boost these numbers even more. WithFalloutbeing back in the spotlight, discussion around some of the games' more ambiguous elements has been brought up for debate. One of the most iconic and easily recognizable symbols in the franchise is one that has its origins dating back to the very start of the franchise, with the debate behind its symbolism continuing to this day.
What The NCR Flag Represents In Fallout
Different Interpretations Of The Iconic Design
Appearance-wise, the NCR flag is a recreation of the pre-war state of California Republic flag, using a mutated two-headed bear instead of a normal brown bear.The use of the historical flag further emphasizes the NCR’s focus on the pre-war lifestyle and its values, attempting to recreate what once was in the new world of the wasteland.
Many of the NCR’s motifs and slogans are also heavily inspired by American democratic values, with even further inspiration from concepts of the Wild West.The flag itself is most often seen alongside the incredibly iconic NCR Ranger Armor, with the armor and most other outfits worn by most NCR soldiers themselves being a mash-up of pre-war LAPD police gear and various military or governmental fatigues.
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Despite how prevalent the NCR is as afaction inFalloutlore, and its popularity among fans, there’s no explicit explanation behind the meaning of the iconic flag and its symbolism. The intention behind the design itself has had many fan interpretations over the years, with the most popular being its creator’s straightforward California Republic inspiration, while nodding to the apocalyptic world around them.
Others have taken a more analytical approach, with some claiming the flag representsthe two original founders of the NCR, Tandi and Aradesh, and theirgoal for the NCR to be more than a simple band of survivors, but a multi-faceted form of government.
Origins Of The New California Republic
The Largest Functioning Civilization Of The Wastelands
Most fans will recognize the NCR from its essential role in the classicFallout: New Vegas, being the largest and most popular faction in the game. Butthe origins of the NCR and their flag actually date way back to the very start of the franchisewith the events of the first isometricFalloutgame. Throughout the first two games, the protagonist helps the NCR grow from a small shack in the desert to a functioning society with access to electricity and fresh water.
The New Californian Republic was officially founded in 2189, only 112 years after the Great War.
Starting with its humble beginnings as a group of vault dwellers from Vault 15, they quickly began their goal to rebuild civilization. After 92 years of building a name for themselves, the New Californian Republic was officially founded in 2189, only 112 years after the Great War.The NCR would then go on to become the most successful post-apocalyptic society in the Fallout franchise, getting the closest to rebuilding a pre-war civilization.
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The NCR’s biggest achievements were creating a functional military and government with their own paper currency, boasting a population of over 700,000 citizens at their peak. But despite their success,the NCR wasn’t perfect, as it was spread desperately thin across multiple states with consistent security issues. These problems are made even more prevalent throughout the story ofFallout: New Vegas, asthe NCR is constantly bogged down with bureaucracy and politics that requires the player to navigate around throughout the game.
Radioactive Design Inspirations For The NCR Flag
Mutated Creatures With Similar Appearances
Being one of the most memorable aspects ofFallout’sapocalyptic setting,the Franchise is no stranger to showing off the radioactive creatures of the wasteland. Throughout each of the games and its most recent TV adaptation,every installment offers equally grotesque and exciting irradiated creatures to come across. With how prevalent these mutated and sometimes two-headed animals are, it’s no surprise the NCR chose to incorporate them into their flag.
Despite the Brahmins' appearance, their milk actually cures radiation sickness, making it one of the healthiest food sources in the games.
While every animal in the wasteland is mutated in some way,the two-headed Brahmin is actually one of the few creatures in the franchise with the mutation of having multiple heads,aside from centaurs and the three-headed opposum fromFallout 76. Brahmins themselves are incredibly easy to domesticate, being most commonly used by merchants as pack mules and farmers for their surprisingly delicious meat and milk produce. Being a cornerstone of civilized post-war life, it makes sense the NCR would be inspired by the animal’s resilient spirit against the wasteland, incorporating their two-headed design into the iconic flag.
Where Are All The Two-Headed Bears?
False Advertising From Fallout’s NCR
Given all the variety of radioactive creatures spread across the wasteland, players would assume a two-headed bear would be one of the more common encounters. Surprisingly, this isn’t the case, asacross every iteration ofFalloutthere hasn’t been a single two-headed bear seen yet, causing confusion at the surprising lack of this mysterious creature.
TheFalloutfranchise is full of Easter eggs. Given the inspiration of the California Republic, it could also be a nod to the extinction of the California Brown Bear population, with the two-headed variation meeting the same fate after NCR expansion.
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While they may not have two heads,radioactive bears do already exist in the fallout universe in the form of the mutated black bear known as the Yao Guai. Originating fromFallout 3, they’ve appeared in every installment in the franchise afterward, with the most recent appearance being in theFalloutTV show. The Yao Guai’s mutations have covered their bodies in patches of peeling skin with rampant hair loss, on top of being incredibly aggressive and even more dangerous than a normal black bear.
The highly anticipated Deathclaw is drastically more likely to make it’s way on to the silver screen.
It seems fans will have to wait and see if the mythological bear makes a first time appearance inseason 2 of theFalloutTV show, but chances are slim at best. For returning creatures from the franchise,the highly anticipated Deathclaw is drastically more likely to make its way on to the silver screen, especially with the direction of the show’s post-credit scene. Still, it seems unlikely to see any two-headed bears on the show or in the nextFalloutgame - for now.
