Edgar Hardin

Head Paladin Edgar Hardin is a member of the Mojave Wasteland Brotherhood of Steel, living in the Hidden Valley bunker in 2281. He can usually be found in his chamber off the left of the main chamber on the bunker's second level.
==Background==
Hardin is the head paladin of the Mojave chapterEdgar Hardin: "So, you're the outsider that's been given leave to wander around freely. Desperate times call for desperate measures, I guess. Name's Hardin. I'm the Head Paladin of this chapter, and I think we might be able to help each other out. I don't know what the Elder talked to you about, but I can tell you this chapter is in trouble, and he's at the center of it. Are you willing to listen to what I have to say?"(Edgar Hardin's dialogue) and its most experienced veteran. He was one of the key advisors of Elder Elijah and attempted to convince the elder to abandon HELIOS One.The Courier: "Tell me about your last Elder."Edgar Hardin: "Elijah was a strange one. His even becoming Elder was highly questionable, seeing as how he was a Scribe. Typically, only Paladins are eligible. But an exception was made in his case, on account of him being a genius. Unfortunately, whatever scientific acumen he had didn't extend to tactics. Trying to defend HELIOS was a blunder of the worst kind, and many brothers lost their lives because of it. Many of the senior paladins, myself included, advised him to fight a retreating action, but he refused to budge. Said he almost "had it working". We never did find out exactly what he was talking about. When the perimeter was finally overrun, the Elder had simply vanished."(Edgar Hardin's dialogue) When defeat became imminent, he followed the new acting elder, Nolan McNamara, in the retreat to the McCullough range and Hidden Valley. 
The enactment of the lockdown and the strain it put on the Brotherhood's resources affected Hardin deeply. McNamara's refusal to lift it or send scouts out has resulted in Hardin becoming disillusioned with the current leadership. The safety came at the cost of not fulfilling the Brotherhood's mission.The Courier: "What do you think of the lockdown?"Edgar Hardin: "It's a travesty, is what it is. Every second we sit on our hands down here is another second that we're not fulfilling our sworn duty."(Edgar Hardin's dialogue)The Courier: "Why do you dislike McNamara so much?"Edgar Hardin: "It's not that I dislike the Elder, but I strongly disapprove of his current style of leadership. We're safe, yes, but at what cost?"(Edgar Hardin's dialogue) Convinced that McNamara was leading the chapter poorly, Hardin took it upon himself to find a way to oust the former. Only his respect for McNamara's actions at HELIOS prevented him from challenging the commander outright.
Hardin's plans for the chapter are to send out scouts to recon the area, resume patrols and start sending out search teams to reestablish the Brotherhood presence. Hardin's uncompromising attitude would preclude a cease-fire or alliance with any of the factions in the Mojave.The Courier: "What would you do if you became Elder?"Edgar Hardin: "After lifting the lockdown, the first thing I'd do is send scouts out to recon the area. We need to know what's going on out there. Next, I'd resume patrols in the near vicinity, and begin sending search teams out to the spots the scouts reported were relatively safe. It's standard procedure when a chapter relocates to an area, but standard procedure wasn't our last Elder's style, either."(Edgar Hardin's dialogue)
==Interactions with the player character==
===Interactions overview===
===Quests===
* Still in the Dark: During this quest, Hardin asks the Courier to help him remove Elder McNamara from power so he can become the new elder.
* Tend to Your Business: Hardin, after becoming the new elder, asks the Courier to kill all of the Van Graffs in Freeside, to prove the player character's loyalty to the Brotherhood.
* For the Republic, Part 2: If the player character has decided to help Hardin in an effort to overthrow Elder McNamara and Hardin becomes the new elder, it will be impossible to complete the quest peacefully. The only option left would be to destroy the Brotherhood.
==Inventory==
==Notes==
* Hardin is mentioned by Father Elijah in the first act of Dead Money. This can be heard when eavesdropping on Elijah through the radio frequency 743.00Hz ULF.Elijah: ""(Elijah's dialogue) 
* With Veronica Santangelo is an active companion, Hardin will tell her that "it's dangerous outside" and that he "hopes she's been practicing her drills."
* Veronica mentions that Hardin taught her how to box when all the other paladins refused.
* During her quest, I Could Make You Care, Veronica describes Hardin as an unyielding man who would charge her with sedition if she continued to push her ideas of getting the Brotherhood to change its course.
* If Hardin becomes elder, the optional objectives of the quest Still in the Dark must be completed.
==Notable quotes==
==Appearances==
Edgar Hardin appears only and is mentioned by Father Elijah in Dead Money.
==Behind the scenes==
Hardin was written by designer Jesse Farrell.J.E. Sawyer on Tumblr: "Jesse Farrell wrote the King, Pacer, a bunch of other Freeside and BoS folks (Hardin, McNamara). Jesse handled the setup of Rex, but I believe Jeff Husges did Rex's brain quest."
==Gallery==
===Magic: The Gathering===
Fallout magic Martial Coup.png|Magic: The Gathering card
Fallout magic Martial Coup Extended Art.png|Extended Art
==References==
Category:Fallout: New Vegas human characters
Category:Dead Money mentioned-only characters
Category:Fallout: New Vegas Brotherhood of Steel characters
Category:Hidden Valley characters
de:Edgar Hardin
it:Edgar Hardin
pl:Edgar Hardin
ru:Главный паладин Хардин
uk:Головний паладин Хардін
zh:埃德加·哈丁