Summary
When the firstBorderlandsgame was released in 2009, it was revolutionary. Whether it was the first looter shooter is debatable, but it was responsible for bringing the genre into the public eye. Since then, the franchise has produced some ofthe best looter-shooters ever madeand introduced mechanics countless other games have copied mercilessly. Yet however good it might be, it’s not the franchise gameplay or mechanics that makes it so beloved.
Instead, it’s the franchise’s writing. The original game’s story might have been fairly bare-bones but subsequent entries have had thrilling stories full of great writing and well-constructed characters.Borderlands' sense of humor might be on the immature side for some, but many of its characters are brilliant. They’re often weird, wacky, and totally psychotic. But they’re not all bad. Many of them have redeeming traits. For example, the characters below are really, really smart.
Tannis first appeared in the originalBorderlandsand has been a key character ever since. She’s a paragon of intelligence and scientific brilliance and an expert in Sirens, Eridian technology, and the Vaults. And boy does she like telling people how smart she is.
Despite having next to no interpersonal skills, Tannis is one ofthe best femaleBorderlandscharacters. She’s a key ally of the Vault Hunters in every game, deciphering alien languages and artifacts as well as providing the Hunters with crucial insights into the vaults. As one of the franchise’s smartest characters, it’s often her job to offer exposition dumps. Alongside her academic background, Tannis has also proven adept at using her intellect for survival and has managed to survive countless threats and used her wits and brains to thrive in Pandora’s harsh and chaotic environment.
2Moxxi
Not Just A Pretty Face
Mad Moxxi made her debut appearance in the originalBorderlands' DLCMad Moxxi’s Underdome Riotand then appeared again in the game’s second DLC,The Secret Armory of General Knoxx. Ever since, she’s been an integral part of the series. While she was originally defined by her savvy business practices and sex appeal, subsequent games have proven that Moxxi is a bona fide genius.
Asone of Borderlands' best LGBTQ characters,Moxxi frequently uses her feminine charms and smarts to manipulate powerful figures like Handsome Jack, whom she once dated. Throughout the games, she proves herself to be a strategic genius, sending the Vault Hunters out on pivotal quests to defeat enemies like Jack. But Moxxi is book-smart too. Like her children, Moxxi is a gifted engineer, and her designs were so good that Dahl stole them and integrated them into the Stingray hoverbike.
Child characters are famously difficult to pull off, but 13-year-old Tiny Tina has been a fan favorite since she debuted inBorderlands 2. While the franchise’s humor can be a little hit-and-miss, Tina is a scene stealer and is largely responsible forBorderlands 3beingone of the funniest games on PS4. Tina is a weapons and explosives expert who proves her genius by helping the Vault Hunters inBorderlands 2and joining the Crimson Raiders inBorderlands 3, essentially becoming their quartermaster.
Tina’s real genius, however, lay in her imagination. She acts as the dungeon master throughoutBorderlands 3’s excellentAssault on Dragon KeepDLC and even got her ownDungeons and Dragons-themed spin-off game. Her DM skills are enough to make the legendary Matthew Mercer blush. On top of all of this, before joining the Crimson Raiders, the young Tina was bright enough to survive in the wastelands alone after losing her parents at a young age. That takes real brains.
Upon first meeting Scooter in the originalBorderlands, it’s easy to confuse him for a complete idiot. This Pandoran country bumpkin sounds like an extra fromDeliverance. The game depicts him as little more than the local mechanic responsible for keeping the Catch-A-Ride system up and running. In reality, he’s much more than that.
Scooter isn’t just a mechanic, he invented many of the vehicles the Vault Hunters use to get around Pandora, and he created Catch-A-Rde. Even more impressively, he assisted in the construction of the Helios space station inBorderlands: The Pre-Sequeland turned Sanctuary into a flying city inBorderlands 2. Not just a mechanical mastermind, Scooter proved himself to be one ofBorderlands' most heroic characterswhen he sacrificed himself inTales from the Borderlands, showing he had brains and heart.
It wasn’t all that surprising to learn that Ellie was Scooter’s sister. It was a bigger shock, however, to learn the two were Moxxi’s children. At least until they reveal how smart they are. If anything, Ellie is an even better mechanic and engineer than her brother, providing the Vault hunters with impressive Bandit Technicals throughoutBorderlands 2.
She’s also got her mother’s knack for manipulation and strategy. Ellie’s storyline inBorderlands 2revolves around her sparking a war to wipe out two troublesome bandit clans. She even has business acumen, taking over Catch-A-Ride following Scooter’s death. InBorderlands 3she went from mechanic to full-fledged rocket scientist as she helped design, construct, and run the Sanctuary III spaceship.
6Handsome Jack
An Evil Mastermind
Handsome Jack is easily one of the best things about theBorderlandsfranchise, and his presence was sorely missed inBorderlands 3. At first, he appears to be little more than an average corporate scumbag, willing to do anything for money, fame, and power. But appearances can be misleading, and Vault Hunters underestimate Jack at their peril.
He’s one ofthe most evil characters inBorderlandsand behind his charismatic visage hides a heart of ice. Jack takes glee at sadistically killing those who cross him and is responsible for some of the franchise’s most tragic deaths. InBorderlands: The Pre-Sequel, he masterminds the takeover of the Helios station and manipulates those around him to achieve his goals. He’s always one step ahead, and his creation of the Warrior, a massive Eridian weapon, as well as his development of Hyperion’s robots, shows just how smart he is. Jack was the ultimate villain for the series, and it’s hard to know where it will go without him.
7Gaige
A Teenage Prodigy
Borderlandsis a weird series in that the player-controlled characters often get the least amount of backstory in their games. Fans have to wait until the next entry to learn much about them. Although Gaige first appeared as a DLC character inBorderlands 2, players haven’t seen that much of her. What fans have been shown, however, proves she’s a teenage prodigy when it comes to robotics.
As a geeky high school student, Gaige developed and built Deathtrap, originally called her Mechanized Anti-Bully Deterrent Test, or Project DT, to win the school science fair and help stop bullying. She builtone of the best robots inBorderlandsout of scrap. More than a little crazy, she then chopped off her arm and replaced it with an impressive robotic one. Besides robotics, Gaige is a bit of an expert when it comes to the vaults, Eridium, and Pandora in general. With a few more years under her belt, who knows what wonders (or terrors) she’ll create?
8Angel
Her Father’s Opposite
Angel is so smart that for much ofBorderlands 1and2, she does an excellent job of tricking other characters, and the player, into thinking that she’s an AI. Instead, she’s actually a Siren and the daughter of Handsome Jack. For years, he’s had her hooked up to Hyperion’s network doing his bidding.
Angel’s siren powers make her a technopath - she can control technology with her mind. Tied into Hyperion’s systems, she’s the ultimate multitasker and is almost omniscient as she uses the company’s technology to spy on all of Pandora. At one point, Handsome Jack even says she has a brain “as big as a planet,” showing even he can see her true potential. Like her father, Angel is always one step ahead and is a skilled manipulator. It’s revealed in the first two games that she was manipulating the original Vault Hunters because she needed the eridium inside the vault to survive. InBorderlands 2she betrays the new Vault Hunters but ultimately changes sides, having seen the error of her ways. While Jack likes to think he’s always ahead of everyone else, Angel proves she’s even smarter than him and her actions lead to his ultimate demise.
