One of the best things about the world of video games is all the insane fan theories that do the rounds, some of which are too crazy to be true, while others almost seem plausible. Take the theory that the companion cube from Portal is actually stuffed with people. As macabre as it sounds, people are willing to go to numerous lengths to explain their logic in convincing ways. Now, a Fallout fan has recently spoken about a theory they have about one of the franchise's most famous creatures: Dogmeat.
Posting to Reddit recently, user u/LostCause000 had an idea about the cute canine companion who's become a staple of the Fallout games over the years. Their theory suggests that Dogmeat is no ordinary dog, but is, in fact, some sort of spirit guide, saying that the original one from the first game almost certainly died during the destruction of the cathedral, and then again in the second game during the battle with Frank Horrigan. This means they are a reincarnated form of Dogmeat throughout the rest of the series.
While it could be said that the four-legged companion in the subsequent games could easily have been a different one each time, u/LostCause000 insists that it's the same dog throughout. Dogmeat, who's real life canine inspiration River sadly passed away recently, has therefore, at least according to the Reddit user's theory, been brought back to life in some kind of ghost-like form, and is aiding the player on their quest in a sort of Virgil-from-Dante's-Inferno kind of way.
On one hand, it sounds a bit far-fetched though this is a series about living in a nuclear wasteland that's infested with mutated monsters. In a way, it also does kind of makes sense explaining why Dogmeat can never die in the later games. He may get injured, but he always gets up again ready to keep fighting. Him being a reincarnated version of previous Dogmeats could explain this. Either way, it's not the weirdest theory around as there's one in Fallout 3 that alleges that Dogmeat is actually a synth.
Dogmeat is one of Fallout's most beloved NPCs. In fact, his popularity is so great that some people were not content with him simply people a non-playable character. Back in 2016, a fan created a mod for Fallout 4 which allowed players to take control of the animal. Whatever crazy, if plausible, theory people come up with, it doesn't detract from the sheer loveableness of the gaming's most famous pets.
Fallout 76 is available right now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Source: Reddit