Dad

James (also known as Dad) is the Lone Wanderer's father and Vault 101's resident doctor in 2277.

Early life and Project Purity
James was born in 2226. Later in his life he met a group of scientists and formed a team. One of them was Dr. Madison Li and another was Catherine, his eventual wife. The group had one goal, to provide clean, free water for the Capital Wasteland, that was soon dubbed Project Purity, and its main objective was to purify all the water in the Tidal Basin at once. James was the chief scientist and leader of the project, however, when his wife died after giving birth to the Lone Wanderer, he left the project to its fate and traveled to Megaton with the help of Star Paladin Cross. He then asked for entry for himself and his child into Vault 101 in return for becoming the vault's new physician, and the overseer granted his request.

Life underground
Upon being accepted by the overseer into Vault 101, James becomes the vault's new physician due to his extensive medical knowledge and training. James never warmed up to the totalitarian state of the vault; his only wish was to return to the Wasteland to bring clean water to the people of D.C. However, because of his love for his child, he decided to stay, raising his child until they became of age. Never forgetting this mission or his deceased love, he reminds himself of her and his mission to give purified water to the Wasteland through his love's favorite biblical quote, Revelation 21:6, which he framed and hung in his living quarters and office in the vault. He went through great lengths to ensure his child's happiness, from throwing them parties even to giving them a BB gun that his best friend found in the reactor room, which he fixed using parts from Butch's switchblade.

Return to the world above
In 2277, James planned to return to the surface, leaving his child in the vault to be safe. His assistant and friend Jonas distracted the guards so he could escape and therefore the overseer had Jonas killed. Despite James' plans, his escape triggered a security crisis in Vault 101, where several security guards and the overseer believed that the Lone Wanderer had something to do with it, but the Lone Wanderer was completely unaware that James had escaped from the vault. However, the Lone Wanderer picked up a holotape recorded by James and discovered a secret passageway in the overseer's office leading directly to the Vault 101 entrance. The Lone Wanderer then escaped the vault and followed his trail. James first went to the small town of Megaton to visit Colin Moriarty, who he had met nineteen years ago on his way to the vault. He asked Colin what's been happening in the wasteland since then and Colin told him about Galaxy News Radio. James left in a hurry and managed to make his way through the ruins of Washington, D.C., and reached the GNR building plaza, where he talked to Three Dog. He told James what had been happening recently in the wasteland, and then James left to find Dr. Li. Arriving at Rivet City, he asked for Madison's help to restore the project but she declined. Then he headed off to the old lab at the Jefferson Memorial. James soon found out he needed a Garden of Eden Creation Kit. He marked his way to Vault 112 to find Stanislaus Braun, the creator of the G.E.C.K., and to learn more about it. James arrived at Vault 112 and entered the Tranquility Lane simulation. He talked with Braun but did not want to play any of his games, so Braun trapped him in the body of a dog named "Doc." The Lone Wanderer arrived in Tranquility Lane and soon frees their father. After a talk, the two return to Rivet City. At Rivet City, James successfully recruits Madison Li and her team and they head to the Jefferson Memorial. After arriving at the memorial, the scientists soon get things back on track, but then the Enclave arrive.

The Ultimate Sacrifice
Augustus Autumn entered the facility under the guard of Enclave soldiers. The activation room had been locked and Autumn begins to threaten James, demanding he hand over the activated Project Purity. James explains that the project is not yet functional, but then, after the other scientist in the room is shot and killed, James submitted and caused a disruption within the activation room. This caused a massive radiation leak that killed everyone in the control room with the exception of Autumn. James then collapses and dies of radiation poisoning, after telling his child to run.

Quests

 * Baby Steps: James puts the one-year-old Lone Wanderer in a playpen in their room which contains the You're S.P.E.C.I.A.L.! book. After a brief absence, James returns and shows the child their mother's favorite Bible quotation, and takes his child to see Amata.
 * Growing Up Fast: James has a small conversation with the Lone Wanderer at the beginning of their tenth birthday party, and later in the party gives them a BB gun as a birthday gift, and tasks them with killing a radroach.
 * Future Imperfect: James has a brief conversation with his now 16-year-old kid before their G.O.A.T.
 * Escape!: James' unexpected absence from Vault 101 prompts a security crisis and propels the Lone Wanderer out into the wastes.
 * Following in His Footsteps: The Lone Wanderer searches for their dad. They can either go straight to Vault 112 (where he is being held); or they can follow the questline, by going to Megaton, which directs them to Galaxy News Radio, which directs them to Rivet City, which directs them to the Jefferson Memorial which then leads them to Vault 112.
 * Tranquility Lane: James finds himself in Vault 112, held prisoner in the form of a dog in a virtual neighborhood created and controlled by Dr. Braun.
 * The Waters of Life: Father and child make their way first to Rivet City, then to the Jefferson Memorial, the site of Project Purity. As the Enclave storms the Memorial, James refuses to cooperate with Colonel Augustus Autumn. In the end, James floods the room with radiation, attempting to kill Autumn but killing himself in the process and with no success in his objectives.

Effects of player's actions

 * When the Lone Wanderer is doing tasks to make Project Purity work, James will say that he heard of their actions. His reaction will change depending on the quest the Power of the Atom's outcome. If the bomb was disarmed, he will ask the Wanderer if they truly did it, and will be proud of them if told a yes. If instead it was Megaton's destruction and it is admitted to James, he will express disappointment (he can be lied to, but he will not believe it without very high karma).
 * If the Power of the Atom quest was not resolved at all, or if James is spoken to again after he comments on the aforementioned quest, he will instead comment on the Lone Wanderer's current Karma level. Good Karma yields, "You're a good person, and it shows." While bad Karma makes him instead comment on the Wanderer "seeming troubled, like there is a cloud hanging over you," and a neutral Karma results in him providing a default greeting.

Other interactions
Birth scene: James delights over the birth of his child, presenting the child to his wife, who expresses pride and happiness before going into cardiac arrest. James then tries, to no avail, to save her.

Inventory

 * Only while in Vault 101.

** On his way back to Rivet City.

Appearances
James appears in Fallout 3 and Fallout Shelter. A photograph of him appears in Fallout: New Vegas.

Behind the scenes

 * James is voiced by actor Liam Neeson, after whom the character is also physically modeled. "This role was written with Liam in mind and provides the dramatic tone for the entire game. Liam is absolutely amazing to work with," said Todd Howard, Executive Producer of Fallout 3. "It’s been a pleasure bringing the father to life and working with the wonderfully talented people at Bethesda on Fallout 3," said Neeson. "I hope the fans of the franchise and the game will be excited by the results."
 * At one point in development, the story of Fallout 3 was different, and James would have become a super mutant. The Lone Wanderer was originally never planned to be involved in Project Purity and was to encounter James in Vault 87, who would be in the process of becoming a mutant and would ask the Lone Wanderer to kill him.

Bugs

 * On the way back to Rivet City from Vault 112, he will sometimes get stuck while traveling with him. If this occurs, fast travel to Rivet City and wait 24 hours in the science lab. He will appear and start talking to Doctor Li.
 * James might disappear if you fast travel to the Jefferson Memorial from Vault 112.
 * If the player glitches into the Citadel and completes the quests Finding the Garden of Eden and The American Dream, they can still go to Smith Casey's garage and take him to Rivet City. Upon arrival, he will state "give me a moment to speak with Madison." At this point, the quest Take it Back! is already started making him unkillable and the quest The Waters of Life will be impossible to complete.