Fallout’s season 2 finale ended with the Brotherhood of Steel Elder Quintus standing over blueprints for Liberty Prime Alpha. Having renamed himself “Quintus the Destroyer,” he abandons his goal of unifying the West Coast factions and wants to burn everything down instead.
For anyone who’s played the games, that’s not just a cool Easter egg. It’s a declaration of war.
What Is Liberty Prime?
In Fallout 3 and 4, Liberty Prime was the franchise’s most devastating weapon. A 100-foot tall combat robot that could throw mini-nukes like footballs. It was supposed to vaporize enemies with energy beams and explosives. And it would do it while saying phrases like “democracy is non-negotiable!” or “death is a preferable alternative to communism!”
The original was designed by the U.S. military in collaboration with General Atomics International and RobCo. The robot was designed to defeat China in the Sino-American War but was never deployed due to power supply issues.
The Brotherhood of Steel discovered Liberty Prime inside the Pentagon after establishing themselves on the East Coast. It came in handy in Fallout 3, where Liberty Prime helped the Brotherhood defeat the Enclave.
Now Quintus has blueprints for something called “Alpha.” It could be the original prototype. Or it’s a version that’s more powerful than the versions we saw in the games. Either way, it’s not good news for anyone standing in Quintus’s way.
How Will Quintus Power Liberty Prime?
Liberty Prime’s fatal flaw was always energy. It needed massive, stable power that pre-war America couldn’t provide. The Brotherhood got it running with the help of Dr. Madison Li, though she seemed to be the only one who knew how to make Liberty Prime operational.
Quintus will need an advanced power source. The cold fusion diode is a good choice but it’s currently in the possession of Mr. House in New Vegas. It’s possible that a major subplot in season 3 will be Quintus leading his followers in the hunt for the diode.
From Unifier to Destroyer
The civil war within the Brotherhood is not going well for the West Coast factions. Quintus had wanted to unite the West Coast Brotherhood so he could lead a break from the Commonwealth.
Now with that dream going up in (literal) smoke, Quintus is out for blood but using Liberty Prime is an extreme decision. The superweapon was always used against external enemies like the Enclave and the Institute. Yet Quintus is ready to deploy it against other Brotherhood chapters.
The Wasteland Isn’t Ready for Liberty Prime
All-out war appears to be on the table with multiple factions pursuing their own agendas.
Season 2 ended with the NCR remnants returning to New Vegas, Caesar’s Legion is under new leadership and marching towards the city, Robert House is still alive and scheming. The Enclave is moving forward with their plans.
The Wasteland isn’t prepared for a massive robot, especially if Liberty Prime Alpha is more powerful than previous iterations. What starts off as infighting could trigger city-wide warfare.
Showrunner Geneva Robertson-Dworet stated that Quintus will do anything to use this weapon. She told Nerdist that “nothing will stop this man. Liberty Prime Alpha is one of the most powerful weapons in the Wasteland. What would he be willing to do with it in order to empower himself further and guarantee his own success? I’m scared to think about it, and I hope viewers are as well.”
Season 3 has the potential to be brutal. Will Maximus find a way to stop Quintus? Because if he can’t, New Vegas is one step closer towards a full-scale war.
