Preston Garvey

Preston Garvey is a vigilante member of the Commonwealth Minutemen and potential companion of the Sole Survivor in 2287.

Background
Armed with a laser musket and a healthy respect for American revolutionary history, Garvey is the last Minuteman in the Commonwealth. He idolized the Minutemen since childhood, as the only good guys all across the Commonwealth. He joined Ezra Hollis' company as soon as he turned 17 and for a few years he was part of something bigger, trying to make a difference and the Commonwealth a better place. His idealism caused him to turn a blind eye to the politicking and rivalry between various groups of the Minutemen that emerged after General Becker's death. By the time he finally realized the Minutemen were rotten to the core and falling apart, it was too late for him to reverse course.

That moment was the Quincy Massacre. Garvey's was the only Minutemen unit to respond to a call for help. The other Minutemen turned their backs on each other and the people of Quincy. With not enough bodies or firepower, a battle turned into a massacre. By the time Preston led the last survivors out of the city into the wastes, with Gunners in pursuit, only a handful remained. Preston Garvey: "There's something I need to ask you. I guess you know I'm one of the last of the Minutemen, but I never really told you what happened to us." The Sole Survivor: "Are you really the last Minuteman?" Preston Garvey: "Maybe not literally. There must be a lot of former Minutemen out there who gave it up in disgust after the Quincy Massacre. But we were the last active group of Minutemen. And now, well... it's just me." The Sole Survivor: "What was the Quincy Massacre?" Preston Garvey: ''"I thought everyone in the Commonwealth knew about that by now. Where the Minutemen betrayed each other, and the people they were supposed to protect. I was with Colonel Hollis's group. A mercenary group called the Gunners was attacking Quincy; the people there called for the Minutemen to help. We were the only ones that came. The other groups... they just turned their backs. On us, and the folks in Quincy. Only a few of us got out alive. Colonel Hollis was dead. So I ended up in charge of the survivors. We never found a safe place to settle. One disaster after another... you saw how it ended, in Concord."'' (Preston Garvey's dialogue) After losing them in Jamaica Plain, he tried to find a safe harbor for him and the refugees. Passing over Diamond City and beleaguered Bunker Hill, he was looking for a new home and a fresh start. Lexington looked attractive, until the feral ghouls infesting the ruins of the town forced them to flee, killing most of the 20 people remaining after the long flight. Concord was the next stop, but they ran afoul of raiders. The day before the Sole Survivor came there were still eight people trying to hold out against the onslaught. By the time they arrive in the town, Preston's group shrunk to five, with only the former Minuteman in fighting shape.

Preston considers himself unfit to remake the Minutemen. He knows he is a good soldier, able to hold a position for as long as necessary, but he doesn't think he has the necessary qualities to make a good leader. That's why he offers the position of General to the Sole Survivor, whom he believes can make a difference and bring the Minutemen back from the brink. However, that's not the whole story. The Quincy Massacre and the ensuing desperate flight across the Commonwealth resulted in severe posttraumatic stress disorder. His last stand at Concord was the lowest point of his life and he was ready to die, considering it just punishment for the mistakes he made, for failing people who relied on him, for the deaths of his friends and the death of all he believed in.

Even if he survived Concord, Garvey was ready to end his life through other means, not necessarily nine grams of lead to the temple, but allowing the wasteland to kill him in one last fight. The Sole Survivor's intervention and rebuilding of Sanctuary is the first step in healing these wounds. It would also allow him to explore the Commonwealth proper and see places he's never been to, like Goodneighbor.

Quests

 * When Freedom Calls: Preston is encountered fighting the raiders and asks the player to help save them by retrieving the fusion core from the Basement of the museum. The player discovers a functioning suit of T-45 Power Armor, allowing them to take the fight to the enemy and wipe them out.
 * Home Sweet Home: If the player leads the raiders and takes over even a single settlement in the Commonwealth, Garvey will leave permanently. He will still offer Minutemen quests, but won't be available as a companion.

Effects of player actions

 * If the Sole Survivor becomes the Overboss of Nuka-World and begins to push into the Commonwealth, Garvey will instantly hate them, and irreversibly become unavailable as a companion.

Other interactions

 * Preston's Friend

Appearances
Preston Garvey appears in Fallout 4 and Fallout Shelter as a legendary Vault dweller.