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For iconography relating to the Brotherhood of Steel hierarchy, see Brotherhood of Steel hierarchy. |
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The iconography of the Brotherhood of Steel is built around its emblem, featuring gears, a sword and wings. This iconography is widely used to decorate their facilities, tag armor and equipment, and as part of markers identifying their territory. The gears represent their engineering knowledge, the sword is their will to defend themselves, the wings represent the uplifting hope that the acquisition of lost technology represents for mankind's salvation following the devastation of the Great War, and the circle represents the fraternal unity that makes the organization a true brotherhood.[1]
Another interpretation is that the Brotherhood's symbol represents each of the organization's different orders. The sword represents the Paladins, the wings represent the Elders (the "wings" control the movement of the sword), the large gear represents the Knights, and the two smaller gears represent the Scribes and the Initiates, whose services keep the Knights supplied with the information and the manpower required to get their jobs done.[Non-game 1]
Insignias
The Brotherhood insignia has evolved throughout the years and while it has retained its general appearance, the number of cogs on the gears, their facing, and basic color scheme have varied between iterations. The standard is nine cogs on each wheel, at times facing interchangeably, as both left- and right-sided have been in use at the same time, specifically within the Appalachian chapter between approximately 2082 and 2095, later with the Brotherhood First Expeditionary Force in 2103, as well as the Mojave chapter in 2281.
A pattern emerges where Chapters that identify closely with the original Brotherhood of Steel based out of California (Lost Hills, the Mojave Chapter, the first incarnation of the Appalachian chapter) have the largest cog on the left (facing west) while later chapters that have migrated east (the Eastern Brotherhood, the Appalachian Expedition) have the largest cog on the right (facing east).
| Insignia | First known use | Used by | Notes | Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
c. 2082-2095 [Notes 1] |
Brotherhood of Steel (Appalachia) | Stenciled on equipment, walls, and banners | Fallout 76 (2018) |
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2103 | Brotherhood First Expeditionary Force | Adorned on equipment. | Steel Dawn (2020) |
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2161 | Brotherhood of Steel (Lost Hills) | Used as wall decoration in the West | Fallout (1997)
Fallout 2 (1998) |
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2161 | Brotherhood of Steel (Lost Hills) | Used on bunker entrances and elevator doors | Fallout (1997)
Fallout 2 (1998) |
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2161 | Brotherhood of Steel (Lost Hills) | A mono-colored version used on Brotherhood supply crates | Fallout (1997)
Fallout 2 (1998) |
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2161 | Brotherhood of Steel (Lost Hills) | Another version used at Lost Hills, featuring twelve cogs on the main gear and six on the smaller ones. Only seen in pre-rendered backgrounds. | Fallout (1997) |
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2281 | Brotherhood of Steel (Mojave chapter) | Used on banners | Fallout: New Vegas (2010) |
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2287 | Brotherhood of Steel (East Coast) | Commonly used on banners and as insignia | Fallout 4 (2015) |
Flags
The Brotherhood has also used a variety of flags. Most simply feature the Brotherhood insignia over a flat-color field. One, featuring a white Brotherhood insignia over a set of 13 red and white stripes, was flown by the Lyons' Brotherhood of Steel in 2277.
| Insignia | First known use | Used by | Notes | Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
c. 2082-2095 [Notes 1] |
Brotherhood of Steel (Appalachia) Brotherhood of Steel (Fallout 4) |
The first known flag of the Brotherhood of Steel, dating back to the original Brotherhood of Steel under Elder Roger Maxson and its Appalachian satellite chapter Paladin Elizabeth Taggerdy. Later used by the eastern Brotherhood of Steel under Arthur Maxson. | Fallout 4 (2015)
Fallout 76 (2018) |
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2277 | Brotherhood of Steel (East Coast) Brotherhood of Steel |
Brotherhood flag flown over the Citadel by Lyons' Brotherhood of Steel in 2277. See also this section for merchandise use. Also used in Fallout (TV series) alongside a different flag (see flag below). | Fallout 3 (2008) Fallout (TV series) |
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2296 | Brotherhood of Steel | Similar to the above flag but with horizontal lines extending behind the emblem and a thinner border around the emblem. | Fallout (TV series) |
Decals
These stenciled Brotherhood decals are seen in the "Brotherhood of Steel, Institute, Railroad, Minutemen Weapon Paint Job" and "Brotherhood of Steel, Institute, Railroad, Minutemen Armor Paint Job" bundles on Fallout 4 's Creation Club storefront, created for Bethesda by the modder Skibadaa. The orientation of the cogs on these symbols alternates between uses. Some of the skins included in these bundles were later repurposed as Overseer rank rewards in Fallout 76's Nuclear Winter game mode. They use primarily light-grey colors with red accents and symbols.
| Insignia | First known use | Used by | Notes | Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Unknown [Notes 2] |
Brotherhood of Steel (Appalachia) [Nuclear Winter 1] Brotherhood of Steel (East Coast) |
This decal is used on Miniguns, Assault Rifles, and infantry armor painted in Brotherhood colors. | Creation Club (2017) Nuclear Winter (2019) |
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2287 | Brotherhood of Steel (East Coast) | This decal is used on various weapons painted in Brotherhood colors, including Laser weapons and 10mm Pistols. | Creation Club (2017) |
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2287 | Brotherhood of Steel (East Coast) | This decal is used on various weapons painted in Brotherhood colors, including Gatling Lasers, Missile Launchers, Sniper Rifles, and captured Institute weapons. | Creation Club (2017) |
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2287 | Brotherhood of Steel (East Coast) | This decal is used on Combat Rifles and Combat Shotguns painted in Brotherhood colors. | Creation Club (2017) |
Merchandise
Bethesda uses a variety of Brotherhood symbols in merchandise for the Fallout series; some of these designs do not appear in the games themselves.
| Insignia | First known use | Used by | Notes | Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
c. 2082 [Notes 1] |
Brotherhood of Steel (Lost Hills) | Variant of the Lyons' Brotherhood flag. Speculated to have been raised over the Lost Hills Bunker at the founding of the Brotherhood of Steel by Roger Maxson himself.[Merchandise 1] | Raising the Flag (2014) Brotherhood of Steel Faction Flag (2020) Galaxy S20+ Fallout - Join the Brotherhood Case (2024) iPhone 15 Fallout - Join the Brotherhood Case (2024) |
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Brotherhood of Steel | Two versions, one with red stripes and a blue emblem and other with blue stripes and a red emblem. | Galaxy S20+ Fallout - Brotherhood of Steel Case, red (2024) S20+ Fallout - Brotherhood of Steel Case, blue (2024) and iPhone versions |
Non-canon
These are variants of the Brotherhood's symbols used exclusively in materials deemed non-canon by Bethesda.
| Insignia | First known use | Used by | Notes | Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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2195 | Brotherhood of Steel (Midwest) | Fallout Tactics (2001) | |
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2208 | Texas Expedition | Solid red color, abandons the sword, wings, and cogs in most Brotherhood Emblems for two pistols. | Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel (2004) |
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 As per the sources outlined on History of the Brotherhood of Steel, the Brotherhood's foundation was not instantaneous and the order as we know it was formally proclaimed ~5 years after Maxson's desertion.
- ↑ The exact timeframe that the Nuclear Winter game mode takes place in, and its relationship to the larger story of Fallout 76, is ambiguous and unclear.
Behind the scenes
Base texture.
Original recreation of the flag, with the oversized sigil in a round field, more saturated colors, and only a single shade of red.
- Shortly after the release of Fallout 3, an upscaled "clean" fan recreation of the flag flown at the Citadel was uploaded to Nukapedia. This recreation possessed numerous differences from the original texture: in addition to a more saturated color palette, the sigil was oversized (terminating on the last, rather than penultimate stripe) and placed in a circular field of the same color as the stripes. The original texture, seen to the right, used a thick, rounded outline (the result of a stroke blend effect being used when applying the sigil) in a darker shade of red. The original texture also possessed a compositional error not reflected in the recreation, where the sigil and its stroke blend were applied on top of the burlap filter used to "weather" the texture. While the altered design was eventually replaced by a more direct recreation of the texture, the original recreation was referenced by Bethesda for various pieces of merchandise.
- Two alternative insignias for the Brotherhood can be seen in concept art for Fallout 4. Both used a skull, sword, and gear surrounded by wings. One version of this was intended to appear as a pre-War tattoo but was cut from the game.[2]
Gallery
Early Fallout 4 insignias
Merchandise
References
- ↑ Fallout scenery description: "{18400}{}{Emblem}"
"{18401}{}{The symbol of the Brotherhood. The gears represent their engineering knowledge, the sword is their will to defend themselves and the wings are the uplifting hope.}"
(PRO SCEN.MSG (Fallout)) - ↑ Early Fallout 4 insignias
- ↑ Brotherhood of Steel minigun paint awarded at Overseer rank 33
Non-game
- ↑ Fallout Bible 6:
"The Brotherhood of Steel: The Brotherhood of Steel (BOS) is a techno-religious organization, with roots in the US military and government-sponsored scientific community from before the war. [...]"
Merchandise
- ↑ Bethesda Store Faction Flag (2020): "Vexillologist
speculate that this very flag raised over the Lost Hills Bunker at the founding of the Brotherhood of Steel; handled by Captain Maxson himself. A rare relic indeed for any Wasteland collector."
