Yao Guai

Yao guai are the mutated descendants of the American black bear. These vicious creatures are found in the Capital Wasteland, the Commonwealth, the Island and Zion Canyon. They were named by the descendants of Chinese internment prisoners after the Great War.

Characteristics
Named by descendants of those held in Chinese internment camps before the Great War, yao guai are mutated black bears and one of the more vicious creatures of the wasteland, sporting razor sharp claws and teeth and a nasty temperament. Despite this, yao guai exhibit a gentle, familial bond toward one another when found together and can even be domesticated.

Yao guai will attack nearly any other animals or people they encounter, including deathclaws. The mutation has greatly extended their lifespan, although practical immortality has only been achieved by the extremely rare ghoulified yao guai. Some of these yao guai are bears that have been born before the Great War. 

Biology
 Yao guai are large, ursine animals that are descended from the bears that lived across America before the War. Due to their zombie-like appearance, yao guai may be the bear equivalent of a ghoul, however unlike human ghouls they are not sterile, as evidenced by the presence of cubs. This is further supported by Ruzka, the only yao guai in Point Lookout, who seems to be a ghoulifed pre-War circus bear judging by the ball found in her lair and the posters around the Pilgrim's Landing boardwalk.

Yao guai


A common adult yao guai.

Scavengers' yao guai


A tamed variant of yao guai owned by scavengers, most likely for protection and companionship.

Yao guai cub


A younger specimen of the mutant bear.

Giant yao guai


Larger versions of yao guai.

Ruzka


A unique yao guai found in its lair in Point Lookout.

Ghost of She


A unique yao guai that can be found in Zion Canyon. She is fought under the effects of hallucinations induced by Sacred datura root tea during Rite of Passage, and appears to be a giant Yao Guai with a flaming body as well as the ability to create several copies of herself.

Son of Fluffy


He is the child of Fluffy, a bear that was experimented on before the Great War by Dr. Frank. He can be encountered during Unsolved: Tracking Terror, in the Fallout 76 add-on Wild Appalachia

Behind the scenes
In Mandarin, yāo guài (妖怪) translates as "monster" or "demon." In Chinese mythology, "yao guai" are usually physical manifestations of the spirits of mistreated animals or fallen divine animals.