Gizmo is the wealthy owner of Gizmo's Casino and its adjacent boxing ring in Junktown in Fallout.
Background
The richest man in Junktown, Gizmo is also the biggest figure in Junktown. His large influence is a result of his owning the casino and the boxing ring, two entertainment venues that bring plenty of visitors to Junktown and lots of money to Gizmo's coffers. Despite his already influential standing and an abundance of wealth, Gizmo has a desire for more. His ambition is simple: Control Junktown and turn it into a true economic oasis. This makes Killian Darkwater a natural rival of Gizmo's, particularly for his attempts to shut the entrepreneur down.[1] He has attempted to have Killian eliminated on several occasions, but has also managed to keep his hands relatively clean in each attempt, preventing him from being properly convicted.
Killian's opposition to Gizmo is not baseless. Gizmo favors direct action, in the sense of taking the kneecaps of those who try to cheat him,[2] anatomy-based art executed by Gizmo's personal bodyguard, Izo,[3] and political assassination by hired hitmen.[4] When it comes to Killian, of course, he prefers the assassination to be done in a way that prevents him from being connected to it.[5]
Gizmo's greatest weakness is his sheer size. Years of prosperity left him a giant, fat man who can't move on his own. If he wants to get anywhere, he has to be helped by his guards and even then, they have to use a little tricycle to ease the process.[6]
Gizmo often has the Skulz do his dirty work. His bodyguard, a master martial artist named Izo, rarely leaves his side. He partakes in numerous illicit businesses on the side, and has several trading partners in the Hub. Due to his aspirations of assuming power in Junktown, he is portrayed as the nemesis of the town's mayor, Killian Darkwater. If Killian were to "disappear," Gizmo would be allowed to take over the town unimpeded.
Interactions with the player character
Interactions overview
| Interactions | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
This character has a talking head. | |
 |
This character starts quests. | |
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This character is involved in quests. | |
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This character is allied with the following faction(s). | |
Quests
- Kill Killian: There's some bad blood between Gizmo and Killian Darkwater. Gizmo wants him dead.
- Get Gizmo's confession: Mayor Darkwater will then ask the Vault Dweller to obtain a confession from Gizmo so he can lock him up or take him down.
- Stop Gizmo: Killian has enough evidence why Gizmo wants him gone, the time for payback has come.
Death animation
- Gizmo has a unique death animation:
| Gizmo's death animation |
|---|
|
Tell me about
| Gizmo's Tell-Me-About's | |
|---|---|
| Query | Response |
| Casino, Gizmo's, Gizmos, Junktown | "Well, most people gamble here. You ask stupid questions." |
| Darkwater, Killian | "[Gizmo grunts.] Killian's the mayor of this town. Thinks he knows everything... well, [Gizmo laughs] we'll just see how much he knows, won't we?" |
| Darkwaters | "That's Killian's place the north end of town. He sells crap." |
| Gizmo | "[Gizmo coughs.] That's me, stupid. I run the . . . gambling establishment here." |
Inventory
| Apparel | Weapon | Other items |
|---|---|---|
| Gizmo's outfit | 9mm Mauser | 9mm ball x27 Iguana-on-a-stick x3 |
Notes
- After death, Gizmo's corpse is left where it is, keeled over on his desk. If the Vault Dweller visits the casino some time later, his corpse appears changed, rotting, with insects flying above it. Should the Vault Dweller return a long while later, Gizmo's corpse will no longer be present.
- Gizmo is much larger than most non-player characters in the game.
- He never walks, and attacks from his table, making him an easy target.
- He, along with the Vault 13 overseer, are the only two people in the game that are seen sitting down.
- In Fallout 2's game files, Gizmo's remains exist as legacy content.
- Despite Gizmo's greedy disposition, he is impressed by a Vault Dweller that manages to raise the price for their assassination job on Killian.
Appearances
Gizmo appears only in Fallout. He is a talking head voiced by Jim Cummings.
Behind the scenes
- In early designs, the results of dealing with Gizmo and Killian were intended to be less black and white. In the cut endings, a victorious Gizmo would turn Junktown into a flourishing trading center, albeit for entirely self-serving reasons; whereas a victorious Killian would gradually become a well-intentioned tyrant, whose strong "frontier justice" style discouraged trade, grinding the town slowly into the dust. However, this was deemed unsatisfying and the results were reversed.
- Gizmo's name comes from Tim Cain's childhood pet skunk; Cain specifically clarified this to debunk a common misconception that Gizmo was a reference to the 1984 film Gremlins, which was not the case.[Non-game 1]
- Gizmo is referred to as "Don Gizmo" in an ending slide. Don is an Italian honorific, a title given to people in positions of influence, power or respect, and is not Gizmo's first name.
Gallery
References
- ↑ The Vault Dweller: "{109}{}{You're right, I'm sorry. So let's talk business.}"
Gizmo: "{110}{gizmo_4}{All right, [Gizmo snorts] here's the deal. Junktown, it ain't what it used to be. The only reason it's still here is because of my gambling establishment. Even so, Killian's been breathing down my neck, and I'm starting to take it personal. [Gizmo snorts] And that's where you come in, slick.}"
(GIZMO.MSG) - ↑ The Vault Dweller: "{117}{}{Sure. I can use the money.}"
Gizmo: "{127}{gizmo_7}{[Gizmo wheezes.] I knew you'd see it my way. As proof, I want the dog tags Killian wears around his neck. Ya' get them, ya' get your money. Now, just get. And don't cross me. I still got the kneecaps from the last one who tried.}"
(GIZMO.MSG) - ↑ The Vault Dweller: "{142}{}{Nope, not yet.}"
Gizmo: "{164}{gizmo_20}{No tags, no money. You come back without the tags again and Izo gets creative with your anatomy. Now get out!}"
(GIZMO.MSG) - ↑ Kenji: "{103}{}{Gizmo sends his regards!}"
(KENJI.MSG) - ↑ The Vault Dweller: "{115}{}{Why don't you send one of your own goons in?}"
Gizmo: "{120}{gizmo_6}{I would, but there must be no connection between me and Killian's unfortunate demise.}"
(GIZMO.MSG) - ↑ The Vault Dweller: "{159}{}{Does he have any weaknesses?}"
Sinthia: "{163}{}{Only that he thinks he doesn't have any. Well, that and he's a fat slob, who can't move for a damn. He's got to have his guards help him move around. Even then, they gotta use a little tricycle. Heh heh.}"
(SINTHIA.MSG)
Non-game
- ↑ Tim Cain GDC talk, @25:27–25:53: "Another example that probably no one would no about because it's so deeply embedded was Gizmo, which is one of the main characters who had a voice-over and nice 3D-generated head, he was one of the people who could fight for control of a place called Junktown. Well, Gizmo is a good name for somebody running a place called "Junktown" – a lot of people think it's a reference to the movie "Gremlins"; it's actually an inside joke: it was the name of the skunk I owned when I was twelve years old."
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