- Primary Subject: Thaddeus in Fallout season 2
- Key Update: Fallout season 2 shows that Thaddeus is not turning into a ghoul, but rather a super mutant.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: January 28, 2026
- Quick Answer: Thaddeus's transformation might not be the ghoul Cooper Howard turned into, but something much more powerful.
Thaddeus may be one of the minor characters in Fallout, but his transformation is one of the key easter eggs that lets fans peek into its source material. As fans surmised that Thaddeus may have been showing signs of becoming a ghoul, season 2 reveals the truth: the serum (from season 1) turned Thaddeus into something much more powerful.
WARNING: This article contains MINOR SPOILERS for what Fallout season 2 revealed about Thaddeus's transformation, so proceed with caution.
Was Thaddeus Turning Into a Ghoul? Fallout Transformation Recap
In Fallout season 1, an old snake oil salesman convinced Thaddeus that his severed foot would heal if he paid for the mystery serum that could miraculously bring it back. But the side effects were not what fans and Thaddeus expected...
One of the earliest signs was when Thaddeus fell for one of the traps that ran an arrow through his neck. Despite the fatal incident, the stuck arrow didn't kill him. Fans initially theorized that he might have taken a serum that could turn him into a ghoul, just like Cooper Howard.
But the good news is Thaddeus won't be losing his nose. As Fallout season 2 unfolded, Thaddeus's signs were actually turning him into a superhuman, and the inhaler was filled with a serum video game fans know well.
The mystery serum actually contained FEV, Forced Evolutionary Virus, which turned him into a mutant. So, despite being useless in fighting Deathclaws, he might soon prove to be a more useful ally for Max and could evolve further into a super soldier figure.
What's the Big Difference Between Being a Ghoul and a Super Mutant in Diamond City?
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Apart from their physical figures, there are a couple of other distinctions between being a ghoul and a super mutant in Diamond City.
While both transformations are heavily mutated post-human beings, ghouls are still human figures who just happened to be warped through high, natural radiation exposure, hence, Ghoul's (Cooper Howard) "raisin"-like appearance.
Super Mutants, on the other hand, more often than not result in massive size, enhanced strength, and increased resistance, like a power-up that could help them survive and fight monsters on their own.
The only catch? We don't know what kind of effective form Thaddeus will take in his final stage. He may transform into the super soldier fans think he could become, or he could be doomed to a far worse fate that leaves him in a grotesque, irreversible form.
For now, Fallout season 2's final episode premieres on February 3, 2026, on Amazon Prime Video at 6 PM PT.
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