Borderlands is a series known for its flair for the unhinged. But in reflecting on the looter-shooter’s long, gorey, and downright wrong history, there are several moments that stand out even within a series where derangement is the status quo. Twelve of them, in fact. Here’s Borderlands’ most outrageous moments, in order of ascending wildness.
12. Attending Claptrap’s Birthday Party (Borderlands 2)
Claptrap is a pretty divisive character in the Borderlands community. Some find him hilarious, while others just think he’s annoying (they’re both right). But regardless of where you stand on his comedy chops, it’s pretty undeniable that he’s one of the most depressing characters to spend time with. The wheeled trashcan often goes out of his way to draw out awkward moments and instigate a full-body cringe in the nearest vault hunter.
Few such moments are more hilariously depressing than when a side quest in Borderlands 2 called “Claptrap’s Birthday Bash” has you spending time with the dorky little robot while organizing his birthday party. After extending invitations to everyone in Sanctuary, attendance is predictably dismal and you’re forced to stand around for several minutes in awkward silence. We’ve all been to a birthday party like this one before, right? Pure pain.
11. Marcus Aggressively Denies Request for a Refund (Borderlands 2)
Everyone’s favorite entrepreneur, firearm salesman, and series narrator, Marcus, is best-known for his love of cold hard cash and violent disagreement with anyone who tries to get in the way of him and his quest for moolah. His introduction video from Borderlands 2 perfectly demonstrates this when he proves his guns work just fine and refuses a refund by shooting a customer in the knee with said "faulty" weapon.
The iconic line “Looks like it works to me” lives rent free in my head every time I see that sadistic businessman’s grin, and perfectly encapsulates the greedy capitalist in his purest form.
10. Rhys and Vaughn Bro Down Hard (Tales from the Borderlands)
One of the best parts of Telltale Games’ Tales from the Borderlands is how it leans on its unreliable narrators to surprise the player in interesting ways. My favorite example of this is in Episode 2 “Atlas Mugged” when a moment between Rhys and Vaughn starts feeling very odd. They suddenly start overusing “bro” in their dialogue, begin fist-bumping one another, then go cross-eyed and lose their minds... before the scene cuts to Fiona, who reveals she made it all up. If I hadn’t already been endeared to this lovable cast of misfits by the second episode, this moment solidified my love for them.
9. Claptrap is Bested by Stairs (Borderlands 2)
Probably the best Claptrap moment in all of Borderlands comes during the climax of Borderlands 2 as the vault hunters begin their final assault against the vile Handsome Jack. After an epic battle sequence and an inspiring speech delivered from our robot friend, Claptrap is suddenly confronted by a foe too great for him to overcome: a flight of stairs. The wheelbound little guy has no way of navigating such an incline.
Naturally, he has to stay behind while the vault hunters go on to face off against the big bad. And we thank those stairs too, because spending more time with Claptrap probably would have thrown a wet blanket on a pretty awesome conclusion.
8. Finding the Thirsty Shotgun (Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel)
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel sometimes gets a bad rap for its comedy chops, but some of its gags stand out among its series peers. My personal favorite is a side quest called “Another Pickle” that rewards the player with a sentient Scav shotgun called Boganella. The weapon’s special effect, called “Rack off ya dag!” increases the scattershot’s potency and also makes it talk every time you fire or reload it.
And to our surprise, dear old Boganella seems to only have one thing on her mind, as she shouts “get in there,” “jam another in me,” and much more explicit phrases I dare not repeat. This thirsty shotgun easily goes down as one of the most unique and memorable weapons ever to appear in a video game.
Also, since The Pre-Sequel was made by 2K's now-defunct Australian studio, there’s a little easter egg in there for those familiar with local slang. The name “Boganella” is a reference to the Australian and New Zealand term “bogan”, which describes "an uncouth or unsophisticated person regarded as being of low social status," according to Oxford Languages. Naturally, the weapon’s constant cursing and vile charm perfectly encapsulates that stereotype.
7. Mr. Torgue Blows Up the Ocean (Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands)
Mr. Torgue was an instant hit the moment he first showed his mustachioed face and glistening muscles in the Borderlands 2 DLC, Mr. Torgue’s Campaign of Carnage. Over time, the character became more and more of a mainstay to the series, including in the Borderlands spinoff, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands.
Of all the moments for which Mr. Torgue’s high-octane energy and foul mouth is known, though, none strike me as being quite as wild as that time he cast “Magic bonk-ing Missile” and launched a dozen nuclear warheads that blew up the entire ocean. Not only do we get a memorable rock concert beforehand, but this explosion has a massive impact on the rest of the game, as you’re then forced to walk through the now-empty ocean bed to get from one area to the next. Thanks a lot, Mr. Torgue.
6. Handsome Jack Kills Bloodwing (Borderlands 2)
Handsome Jack is without question the best bad guy the Borderlands series has ever had (and one of my favorite gaming villains in general), and the reason he’s such a strong antagonist is the ease with which he wears his sadistic nature. Instead of being a maniacal edgelord, he pulls off his sociopathic ways with the tone and pageantry of a game show host telling the audience to look under their chairs for his latest work of deviousness.
One moment that always stands out to me is when he does the unthinkable and kills off Mordecai’s beloved bird companion, Bloodwing, in the most disrespectful way imaginable. Not only does Handsome Jack kidnap the winged friend and use her to taunt the vault hunters, but he also mutates her with slag to turn her into one of the story’s main boss fights. As he toys with the player and prepares to cut Bloodwing’s life short, he recounts all the damage elements found in the Borderlands series and leaves out just one: explosive, before making the bird’s head pop like a balloon. I still occasionally find myself shouting “EXPLOSIIIIIVE” to this very day.
5. Face McShooty Requests a Bullet to the Face (Borderlands 2)
You knew this one was going to make the list, right? Yes, as you probably suspected, the infamous two-second-long side quest where a throwaway character named Face McShooty demands you shoot him in the face absolutely belongs on the list. It perfectly encapsulates the silly, irreverent tone which sets Borderlands apart from other looter shooters.
Farewell, Face McShooty! We didn’t know you well, but we know enough to conclude you died doing what you loved: getting shot in the face. Rest in peace, dear friend.
4. Throwaway Gag, Butt Stallion, Becomes Full Blown Character (Borderlands 2)
Butt Stallion, Handsome Jack’s horse made entirely of diamonds, was first mentioned in the opening moments of Borderlands 2 as a way for the antagonist to show himself to be the ritzy, detached one-percenter that he is. But you may not know that Borderlands 2 writer Anthony Burch has said in interviews that the gag was actually added last-minute and many on Gearbox team didn’t even know of its existence until the game was in the hands of the public.
This makes it all the more crazy that, after the fabled steed became a hit with fans, the horse was added to the game as a principle character, first in the Borderlands 2 DLC Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep, then in Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands. Oh, Butt Stallion, may your reign last one thousand years, you glorious diamond pony.
3. Handsome Jack Tells His Spoon Story (Borderlands 2)
Okay, okay. This will be the final Handsome Jack-focused moment. I promise! But it’s hard to make a list of best moments from Borderlands without talking about one of the most memorable monologues the series has. Partway through the Borderlands 2 story, Handsome Jack chimes in over the radio to lament how tenacious you are, before launching into a monologue that so perfectly showcases his psychopathy, his horrid view of the world, and somehow makes all that genuinely funny with his almost scary levels of charm. The story involves a raided village, a man who tries to attack Handsome Jack with a spoon, and Jack’s violent response that follows, all of which is presented as a hilarious joke.
He ends his tale by telling you the moral of the story, which is honestly the most deep and meaningful part of it all – really makes you think. It’s also the moral of this article, dear reader.
2. The Legendary Finger Gun Fight (Tales from the Borderlands)
Perhaps one of the most shocking and bizarre sequences in Borderlands history, I still can’t really tell you how or why this Tales from the Borderlands combat encounter exists. In Episode 4: Escape Plan Bravo, Rhys and Vaughn take on a whole army of accountants in a make-believe game of finger guns. It’s truly the stuff of legends.
I didn’t know that, in a world where the wildest weapons are easily accessible, I would be more entertained by the simplest of children’s games. But seriously, this is up there with the best things Borderlands has ever given to the world.
1. Nakayama Is Fatally Bested by Stairs (Borderlands 2)
Borderlands really seems to have a thing with stairs, as Claptrap isn’t the only one being given trouble by these right angles. In Borderlands 2: Sir Hammerlock’s Big Game Hunt, we learn a lot more about the obsessive lackey of Handsome Jack, Professor Nakayam, who hopes to seek revenge on the vault hunters who cut his idol’s time short. But after throwing all manner of vicious beast in our path to no avail, he has no choice but to face us himself. The boss fight that would have followed never happens though, as the dear professor trips and falls down some stairs, dying instantly.
In Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel we become better acquainted with Nakayama, his obsession for his boss, and his incompetence that ultimately results in his clumsy demise. But he’ll be best remembered in the same breath as Rick the Door Technician from Star Wars: Jedi Survivor – a gag boss who never stood a chance.
What are your favorite Borderlands moments? Are there any major ones we left out? Share your thoughts in the comments below! And if you’re as excited as we are to see how the upcoming Borderlands movie turns out, be sure to sound off about it!
Travis Northup is a writer for IGN based in San Francisco. He's been writing about games for over a decade and enjoys everything from strategy games and platformers to shooters and open-world RPGs. He also has an unhealthy relationship with Destiny 2.
