Feral ghoul ( Fallout 4 ) Feral ghouls are creatures found in the Commonwealth , on the Island and in Nuka - World in 2287 . Background . Ghouls are former human s who have become horribly irradiated by the radioactive fallout covering the wasteland from the Great War . Many ghouls are pre - War humans who survived the initial nuclear bombardment during the Great War . Becoming permanently irradiated , they were horribly disfigured and their lifespans were increased virtually indefinitely . In most cases , exposure to radiation in the post - War Commonwealth wastes degenerated their brains , causing them to lose their higher cognitive functions , turning them into mindless , radiation - resistant cannibals . Characteristics . Gameplay attributes . It is now possible to dismember ghouls , however they will continue to chase and bite the Sole Survivor even if they lose both of their arms . When losing a leg , however , they will become docile and will no longer try to attack , allowing the player to quickly dispatch them and handle any uninjured ghouls . Rarely , a feral ghoul will still attack after its head is decapitated . It is unknown if this is a bug . A notable difference between the Massachusetts feral ghouls and feral ghouls seen throughout New California , the Mojave Wasteland , and the Capital Wasteland , is that they have glowing yellow eyes . Sometimes feral ghouls will lie on the ground , either to rest or play dead . Once the player character gets close enough or they are otherwise alerted , they get up and attack . These ghouls can sometimes be targeted in V . A . T . S . and if spotted , attacked before they rise . They also show up as living actors on the HUD if the Sole Survivor is wearing power armor with a targeting HUD - equipped helmet or aims at them with any kind of Recon Scope . Occasionally , they will start to run faster at the player moving erratically to dodge incoming attacks , suggesting some form of intelligence , and will eventually lunge at their attacker once they ' re close enough . A gurgling roar is heard when a ghoul charges at the Sole Survivor . This attack can sometimes be difficult to dodge without sprinting , but it can however be blocked or interrupted with a melee strike . Additionally , when feral ghouls lunge at the player , they often fall down beside or behind their target , giving the player a brief chance to strike while the ghoul is getting back to its feet . In some locations , particularly indoors , ghouls will also emerge from windows , ductwork , etc , to attack when a victim comes close . Ghouls hiding in this sort of ambush cannot be detected even by V . A . T . S . before they begin emerging - however while they are emerging they are helpless while climbing into the room and can be freely attacked if one is quick . They very rarely travel alone , and it is quite unusual to encounter a single ghoul . This behavior has lead to groups of ferals often being called " packs " or " hordes " by wastelanders . Another notable difference from previous versions of ferals is that they inflict radiation damage as well as physical damage . Variants . Feral ghoul . Typical feral ghoul , exhibiting zombie - like behavior . These are more than likely the first type of creatures the Sole Survivor will encounter as they can be found all over the Commonwealth . Feral ghoul roamer . Roamers appear to be somewhat older and consequently sturdier ferals . They are still somewhat weak however compared to other types of ferals . Pink ghoul . This type of ghoul is found exclusively in Suffolk County charter school . They appear pink because of a food paste served by the school before the War . Feral ghoul stalker . Stalkers are a variant of feral ghouls that can easily be distinguished by their bloody mouths and paler skin . They often pretend to be dead or hide amid rubble until an enemy is detected , where they then attempt to quietly ambush their prey without revealing themselves , usually in success . There are generally at least a few stalkers mixed into larger groups of weaker ferals . As they wear the same tattered clothing as roamers and normal ferals , they can be difficult to spot until they ' re damaged . They will also sometimes serve as a " boss " in locations populated by ferals . If the player is of a high enough level , the boss may instead be a glowing one , which the stalker will still accompany . Feral ghoul reaver . Reavers usually have pieces of post - war metal armor attached to them as in Fallout 3 and New Vegas , possibly implying these are rather recent victims of ghoulification . As in New Vegas , they lack a projectile attack , and are generally the ones in a pack to reach better - equipped targets thanks to their respectable amount of HP . They are much easier to deal with than past versions . Unlike the ones in Fallout 3 and New Vegas , their corpses do not emit green fumes . Withered feral ghoul . Withered feral ghouls are slightly skinnier , with a yellowish leathery - looking skin , and wear no clothes . These ghouls are likely fairly old compared to others , as their clothing has rotted away and they appear to be severely sun - damaged . A withered feral ghoul can be found inside the power armor storage in the national guard armory . Their eyes and mouth also appear severely damaged and shriveled . Gangrenous feral ghoul . Gangrenous feral ghouls are considerably rarer and stronger than the previous variants , with torn rags like common variants , and yellow skin . They can be hard to defeat even for some mid / high level player due to their aggressive attacks and high health . A gangrenous feral ghoul can be found inside Croup Manor ' s basement guarding a chest with some expensive loot . One also exists within O ' Neill Family Manufacturing in the Glowing Sea . Rotting feral ghoul . Rotting feral ghouls have a bloated appearance , indicating that their bodies have begun decomposing , also suggested by the name . Although their offensive capabilities are on par with gangrenous feral ghouls , they have almost twice the amount of health . Charred feral ghoul . Usually found in the Glowing Sea and more rarely in other locations in the Commonwealth where ghouls appear , this variant of feral ghoul is covered by a thick layer of rust and is much tougher to kill than a normal feral . Glowing one . A highly irradiated version of a feral ghoul , they glow with green light emitting from within , and just being near them causes radiation damage . They can perform an area of effect radiation attack indicated by the raising of their arms which releases radiation around them . This radiation also heals nearby feral ghouls , and glowing ones can even sometimes revive recently killed allies . They are potentially more dangerous than past iterations , especially against low - level players , due in part to their radiation - fueled healing , although their passive radiation radius is smaller and thus they are easier to dispatch without taking any radiation . Putrid glowing one . A higher level version of glowing one , covered in glowing green blisters of radiation . Its radiation aura is almost twice as strong , but it is no longer capable of performing its area of effect radiation attack . This is the strongest type of feral ghoul in the game , damage - wise . Bloated glowing one . A higher level version of glowing ones . Its body is bloated and swollen with radioactive material . It gives off more radiation than its counterparts and the melee attack is a little weaker , compared to a putrid glowing one . However , it does have the highest health of all feral ghouls . Fog ghoul . A variant only found on the Island and mutated by the island ' s radioactive fog . Fog ghouls are much paler than ghouls found in the Commonwealth , with black burns on certain parts of their skin and fishing nets draped over their chest . Their eye sockets are quite large , with the eyes sunken in , and their teeth are permanently gritted , exposing the gums , which seem inflamed , and the teeth sunk in as well . Black soot is also smeared across their faces . Painted ghoul . Painted ghouls are found in Kiddie Kingdom and are painted in bright colors by Oswald the Outrageous , usually with forced smiles or bright eyes . Charred painted ghoul . Just like regular painted ghouls , charred painted ghouls have been painted on by Oswald , except they are much larger and bloated in appearance . Appearances . Feral ghouls appear in " Fallout 4 " and its add - ons " Far Harbor " and " Nuka - World " .