Synth

Synths are androids found in the Commonwealth created by The Institute.

Background
Synths are the creation of the mysterious Institute. Synths are classified into one of three generations depending on their level of complexity. Generation 1 synths are crude mechanical humanoids with a skeletal appearance; they bear little resemblance to living humans. Generation 2 synths are also mechanical, but have a more advanced frame that is partially or fully covered in plastic panels that serve as "skin"; they might pass for humans if not closely inspected. Generation 3 synths represent the pinnacle of synth technology, with bio-mechanical bodies capable of imitating most of the biological functions of a living human; they can respire, bleed, consume food and drink, feel emotions and pain, and appear indistinguishable from a true human.

Although it is unknown when each successive generation was developed, the people of Diamond City reportedly first encountered a synth that was for all appearances a normal human in 2229, in an incident called the "Breaking Mask". The synth, which called itself Mr. Carter, may have represented an early Generation 3 model in that it was outwardly human, but internally still artificial. Many people of the Commonwealth have since become paranoid and prejudiced against synths, fearing they might be secretly kidnapped by the Institute and replaced with identical copies of themselves. Their paranoia has been justified to a certain extent, as some of the most sophisticated synths encountered act like spies and can fool the unaware, replacing indeed some people such as Roger Warwick.

Characteristics
Most encountered hostile synths are Generation 1 or 2, and are armed with Institute laser weapons.

As evidenced in the mission Call to Arms, some Institute synths display an often disturbing level of sentience, eerily treading the line between man and machine. This can clearly be seen in their dialogue, such as when the synths call out to both the Sole Survivor and Paladin Danse when in the ArcJet Systems building, stating that "whoever you are, I know you're there". They will also question themselves if they have detected but cannot uncover a target, commenting that their systems may be in need of recalibration. This, perhaps more than anything, hints heavily at the level of potential independence possessed by the synthetic humanoids.

Notable synths

 * Nick Valentine
 * X6-88
 * Danse
 * McDonough
 * Roger Warwick
 * Magnolia (Implied)

Appearances
Synths appear in Fallout 3 and Fallout 4. The two synths encountered in Fallout 3, Armitage and Harkness, were ostensibly Generation 3 synths, and Generation 1 and 2 synths were not introduced until Fallout 4.

Behind the scenes

 * Synths share many similarities with the terminators from the Terminatorfilm franchise. The most notable one being that the Generation 1 synths are nothing more than endoskeletons that loosely resemble a human skeleton, just like the majority of terminators created by SkyNet. The Generation 2 synths differ in that they possess artificial skin like the T-600 terminators shown in Terminator Salvation. The Generation 3 synths were designed to look exactly like human beings so that they can infiltrate human settlements undetected, which is the exact purpose of the T-800 infiltrator seen in every Terminator film. As if this weren't enough, sometimes when in combat with Gen 1 and Gen 2 synths, they will say to the player "You must be terminator." Finally, the biggest similarity is that both the Fallout and Terminator franchises both depict a post apocalyptic America destroyed by nuclear war.
 * The Generation 3 synths are much like Replicants from Blade Runner in that they are synthetic humans genetically engineered entirely out of organic substances and are virtually indistinguishable from real human beings.
 * The hunting of rouge synths somewhat references the movie Artificial Intelligence. The movie depicts a futuristic America where androids are used as servants for various jobs, but they commonly gain self awareness and run away only to be hunted down and destroyed.

Gallery
Synth Синт