Yao Guai

The Yao Guai are are some of the fiercest animals that The Lone Wanderer comes across in the Capital Wasteland.  Yao Guai are fast and powerful melee fighters that often travel in groups of two.  They walk on all fours, but can leap and strike quickly, like a bear.  They are very hostile and powerful enemies, but they can be pacified (or even made allies) by the Animal Friend perk.

"Yao guai" is actually a Chinese phrase that translates to "monster."  In the Fallout universe, the nuclear holocaust was triggered by a war between the USA and China, and there are numerous Chinese front companies found in the Capital Wasteland.  However, no connection is made between the yao guai and the Chinese, despite their name. 
 

Fun Fact

• In Fallout 3, if a player uses VATS to kill a Yao Guai with a headshot using a Combat Shotgun at very close range, most of the time the Yao Guai will launch impossibly far into the air and sometimes will fling backwards great distances.