Borderlands: 5 Characters Who Are Smarter Than They Seem (& 5 Who Definitely Aren’t)

The Borderlands video games have a lot of crazy characters. Yet some of them are incredibly smart, while others are really stupid.

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Borderlands is the result of if Mad Max and Deadpool mixed together with a sci-fi twist for a crazy, high-octane adventure on alien planets. Also from that mixture comes a delicious treat: the cast of many memorably quirky and downright insane characters.

From the heroes, the villains, to even the random enemies and bosses: everyone leaves their mark. Across the five Borderlands games (Telltale game included), there are many characters who can be deceiving. Some appear to be too dimwitted to even open a door but turn out to be complete geniuses. On the other hand, there are just as many characters that are obvious in who they are.

10 Smart: Patricia Tannis

Tannis got her debut in Borderlands is central to the main storyline of Borderlands. Later is an ally to the people of Sanctuary. At first, she just comes off as a snooty character with a psychotic ego that could fill a football stadium. However, she is one of the brightest minds on Pandora and is a huge help for Lilith and Sanctuary.

Tannis would return as a major player in the story in Borderlands 3. She doesn’t like people or anything really but she has a reason for her madness and it’s all because of Handsome Jack.

9 Definitely Not: Roland

Roland is far from an idiot but it’s pretty obvious what he is from his introduction as a playable character in the first Borderlands: a soldier. A good one but he is a military grunt nonetheless who can lead Sanctuary.

This is further displayed in Borderlands when he is an NPC. Roland is a great fighter but a bit of an absent mind when it comes to his love life with Lilith. He’s like a Borderlands equivalent to Captain America: he’s not an idiot but he’s probably the best soldier to have on one’s side.

8 Smart: Tiny Tina

Some characters may have small roles but end up stealing the entire story; that is the case with thirteen-year-old Tiny Tina from Borderlands 2. At first, she just seems like a total lunatic like most characters on Pandora but a cute one. However, she is one of the best demolition experts in the universe.

Tiny Tina is like if Newt from Aliens lost her mind and learned to fight back. Bandits killed Tina’s family and since then, she’s lived alone in the borderlands with her stuffed animals. Fans loved the character so much that she made a glorious return in Borderlands 3.

7 Definitely Not: Vaughn

Vaughn began as an accountant working for Hyperion and is the best friend of Rhys. Introduced in Tales From The Borderlands, Vaughn helped Rhys in his journey to take over Hyperion. In many ways, Vaughn is smart but just like everyone on Pandora, he goes crazy.

Vaughn became a bandit leader and a very neurotic one at that. With one look at Vaughn, everyone expects him to be the typical brainiac of the group but he’s actually a bit of an idiot, especially after becoming a bandit. However, he is a likable idiot hence his return in Borderlands 3.

6 Smart: Ellie

Ellie is the sister of Scooter who runs a scrapyard in Borderlands 2. She’s adorable and loving as a character but she’s deadly. Most people would not expect her to be a genius, but she helps the heroes by building cars such as Bandit Technicals for them.

On top of that, she is also a surprisingly great manipulator and strategist that creates a war that would end two Bandit clans. Later on, she would return to the story with Borderlands 3; she is the main mechanic for the new ship Sanctuary. She even takes over Scooter’s Catch-A-Ride business after his unfortunate demise.

5 Definitely Not: Brick

Much like Roland, it’s pretty obvious what kind of character Brick is. He’s a huge bruiser and a bandit who just so happens to be with the good guys. He solves everything through his fists, feet, and very large head.

However, he’s not a total loss in the brains department: he managed to take over an entire gang and use them to his advantage. So far, Brick has appeared in every game of the franchise with his debut in the first being a playable character.

4 Smart: Scooter

The first impression of Scooter is obvious: he’s a country bumpkin of Pandora and a grease monkey who operates Catch-A-Ride. This was pretty much all fans saw him as in the very first Borderlands. He was a funny and crazy NPC that provided cars and missions.

In Borderlands 2, Scooter surprised everyone by showing his capabilities; he turned Sanctuary into a flying fortress. However, he’s still a bit of a silly hillbilly as the heroes help him out find girlfriends which typically lead to their deaths. Speaking of, Scooter met his end in Tales From The Borderlands when he sacrificed himself for the heroes.

3 Definitely Not: Rhys Strongfork

One of two protagonists in Tales From The Borderlands, Rhys is an employee of Hyperion that wants Handsome Jack’s old job. With his stylish suit and cybernetic implants, one would expect Rhys to be a cyberpunk James Bond kind of character.

Instead, Rhys is just an average guy who is in way over his head from beginning to end. He’s far from being the brightest character on Pandora, he’s a bit of a scaredy-cat, and he tends to fail at whatever he’s doing. However, he has a good heart and a plucky attitude with the voice of Troy Baker that leads to a funny and engaging character who also returns in Borderlands 3.

2 Smart: Handsome Jack

The best comparison to another character with Handsome Jack is The Joker from the Batman mythos. On the surface, he’s got a lot of charisma for a murdering psychopath which makes it difficult to hate him; a testament to Dameon Clarke’s performance.

However, on the inside: he is one of the most disturbing, twisted, and deranged villains in video game history. At first, he just seems like an eccentric idiot who is killing for more money and fame. Typical villain stuff but throughout Borderlands 2, more and more is revealed about Handsome Jack. By the end, players are ready to kill him without a second thought.

1 CL4P-TP “Claptrap”

Claptrap is the robotic mascot of the entire Borderlands franchise and it’s clear what he is from the start: imagine if R2-D2 had a voice and was completely incompetent. That’s what makes Claptrap so enjoyable to watch in every game of the series.

In Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, Claptrap’s infamy was so massive that he actually became a playable class. Claptrap is both the best and the worst guide a hero could want at the beginning of their journey.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/borderlands-characters-smart-arent/