Cannibal Johnson is a former soldier of the West Coast Enclave's Department of the Army, living as a hermit in a remote cave in the Mojave Wasteland in 2281. He appears in Fallout: New Vegas.
Background[]
Fighting for the Enclave[]
Back when he was just "Johnson," he served as an Enclave soldier during the height of their power on the West Coast, operating as the marksman[1] in Captain Judah Kreger's squad at Camp Navarro along with Orion Moreno, Doctor Henry, Daisy Whitman, and Gannon Senior, father of Arcade Gannon. Within the squad, Johnson and Moreno were well known for frequently butting heads over their differing philosophies, and it was only Captain Kreger's leadership that could keep them focused on their missions.[2][3] In Johnson's case, he hated the Enclave and the atrocities they committed in the name of their cause; he often questioned his superiors' orders and took any opportunity to subvert mission objectives he disagreed with, essentially trying to "serve without serving." Those who knew him often questioned how he never ended up being court-martialed for insubordination.[4][Non-game 1]
After the loss of Gannon Senior in an undisclosed incident during a mission, his squad banded together to help his widow and their son. As the junior Gannon grew up, he was told often by Johnson about what a good man his father was, and although an older Arcade still struggles with his ties to the Enclave as a whole, he always kept a close connection with the squad due to this.[5]
Life in the wasteland[]
Although Johnson and the others managed to avoid getting caught in the destruction of the oil rig by the Chosen One in 2242, the resulting collapse of the Enclave's West Coast power base eventually culminated in a massive assault on the remaining forces at Navarro by the New California Republic. The squad, Arcade's mother, and a young Arcade were able to escape ahead of the assault but were subsequently targeted for execution by both the NCR Rangers and the Brotherhood of Steel, forcing them to flee south through the Core Region and hope to integrate into NCR civilization and keep their former ties buried.[6]
After many years of keeping under the NCR's radar, Johnson and the rest of the squad, the Enclave remnants, fled completely from the republic's territory and eventually settled in the frontier of the Mojave Wasteland; after an initial stay in a old vertibird refueling station to stash their equipment,[7] the group later went their separate ways, each taking a piece of the bunker's password for security reasons.[8] Johnson himself wandered for a time, eventually meeting and forming a romantic relationship with a woman who came from one of the eastern tribes whom he remembers had "really pretty eyes;" she later passed away from unknown causes while never bearing any children.[9] Depressed, alone, and starting to feel the wear and tear of old age, Johnson returned to the Mojave and claimed an isolated cave as his home. He spends his time hunting in the nearby hills while waiting for death to take him,[10] believing that he would eventually have to pay the debt of blood spilled during his service in the Enclave.[11]
In his solitude, Johnson often waxes fondly on some of his positive memories, such as times with an old drill instructor, Arch Dornan, remembering him as "the meanest bastard [he] ever knew."[12] In terms of his unflattering nickname "Cannibal," Johnson claims that one day when he was surrounded by raiders and out of options, he did the first thing that occurred to him: taking a bite out of the heart of a raider he had already taken down. This shock tactic caused some of the others to flee and bought him the time he needed to kill the rest. Ever since then, the name has stuck with him and he has accepted it, thinking it gives him a kind of mystique that will keep others from looking too closely.[13][14]
Interactions with the player character[]
Interactions overview[]
| Interactions | ||
|---|---|---|
  |
This character is a temporary companion. | |
  |
This character is involved in quests. | |
Quests[]
- For Auld Lang Syne: The Courier is asked by Arcade Gannon to find and recruit the Enclave remnants including Johnson to lend their advanced technology and help decide the outcome of the Second Battle of Hoover Dam.
Effects of player's actions[]
- During For Auld Lang Syne, if the player character encourages the Remnants to aid the Legion during the Second Battle of Hoover Dam, Johnson will refuse to participate in the attack and will leave the Remnants' meeting in disgust. Unlike the similar scenario which occurs with Moreno if the player character encourages the Remnants to side with the NCR, there is no option to convince Johnson to join the attack if the Legion is supported.
- If the remnants support the NCR at Hoover Dam and the Courier sides with the NCR, Mr. House, or Yes Man, Johnson will serve as a temporary follower and accompany the Courier into the Legate's camp to face Legate Lanius.
- In the case of siding with House or Yes Man, if the player character orders the Securitrons to kill General Oliver and his Ranger bodyguards, Cannibal Johnson will turn hostile and attack the Courier alongside the Rangers and Oliver.
- Attacking the brahmin in his cave will turn him hostile and fail For Auld Lang Syne.
Other interactions[]
A Courier with an Intelligence attribute of 3 or below unlocks a unique dialogue option when first speaking to him and Johnson mentions "the Reaper."[15]
Inventory[]
| Apparel | Weapon | Other items |
|---|---|---|
| Leather armor Remnants power armor* |
Hunting rifle Minigun* |
* Second Battle of Hoover Dam only
Appearances[]
Cannibal Johnson appears only in Fallout: New Vegas.
Behind the scenes[]
- Cannibal Johnson's name and character, including the origin story of his nickname "Cannibal," are a reference to Jeremiah "Liver-Eating" Johnson, a 19th-century mountain man who married a woman of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of Native Americans and supposedly carried out a campaign of bloody revenge against the Crow tribe after she was killed by them; the source of his epithet "Liver-Eating" derives from his alleged actions of scalping every Crow he killed and then devouring their liver.
- Cannibal Johnson and the rest of the Enclave remnants were written by Jeff Husges, who was the designer on the quest For Auld Lang Syne, based on concepts by Joshua Sawyer. Sawyer gave the characters their names.[Non-game 2]
Gallery[]
References[]
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Non-game
- ↑ Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p.361: "[3.11] Cannibal Johnson's Cave"
"On the bluffs northwest of Camp Golf [3.23], close to Vault 34 [3.12], is a slit in the rocks above a steep gully, which sports a battered old door. Check the Hollowed-Out Rock at the entrance. Enter, and watch your step!
Cannibal’s Chamber
Deactivate the Bear Trap on the floor. Speak with Cannibal Johnson, and he greets you as an old friend. It’s only when you talk more that you realize he was hoping it was death. At this point, you can speak to him about “mean old” drill Sergeant Dornan, his time in the military, and whether he’s a Cannibal. He isn’t saying. But recalls a story where he bit the heart out of a Raider when he was surrounded. He also mentions his tribal wife, with pretty eyes. She’s dead a long time, now.
Johnson's Coolhouse
Cannibal Johnson looks like an accomplished hunter. There's also ground-water to drink, which is cleaner than it appears." - ↑ Memories of the Mojave With Jeff Husges Part 2
