History Characters / BorderlandsBanditsAndBanditFactions

* PreAsskickingOneLiner:

rapid volley of rockets instead of pellets.

* TheBerserker: They charge at enemies with absolutely no regard for their own safety no matter how outclassed or overwhelmed they are and will not stop attacking you until they die, you die or if you run far enough from them.

* IShallTauntYou: A Psycho who sends a Vault Hunter into FFYL in ''3'' will start doing gladiator-like posing and gloating to an invisible crowd.

* NoIndoorVoice[=/=]MotorMouth: Doesn't shut up about how he wants you to shoot him in the face.

* MadeOfIron[=/=]NoSell: Shooting him in the face is the ''only'' way to kill him. Shooting him elsewhere just angers him.

'''Weapon Brands''': [[Characters/BorderlandsAtlas Atlas]] | [[Characters/BorderlandsDahl Dahl]] | [[Characters/BorderlandsHyperion Hyperion]] ([[Characters/BorderlandsHandsomeJack Handsome Jack]]) | [[Characters/BorderlandsMaliwan Maliwan]] | [[Characters/BorderlandsTorgue Torgue]] | [[Characters/BorderlandsTediore Tediore]] | [[Characters/BorderlandsWeaponBrands Other Weapon Brands]]\\

* GutturalGrowler: He has a rather raspy voice.

* GutturalGrowler: All Bruisers speak in a gruff and boisterous voice that constantly shouts death threats at you.

* GutturalGrowler: They speak in a deep, gruff and southern drawl.

* CoolGuns: A given for a ''Borderlands'' weapons manufacturer, but the rough and slapdash Bandit weapons with huge barrels often make for some of the most badass weapons in the game.

* CoolGun: His BoomStick, which is [[Franchise/EvilDead beyond Groovy]]. It's basically a Torgue shotgun that fires a rapid volley of rockets instead of pellets.

* CoolGun: As seen in ''Poker Night 2'', he owns a rocket launcher that shoots relatively harmless confetti rockets![[note]]Not in the picture we provided here however, which comes from that game, but it's of the only elimination where Steve [[Franchise/SamAndMax just walks in to eliminate a player]] [[http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/borderlands/images/6/6a/Steve_Heyo.png/revision/latest?cb=20130812064006 instead of firing a rocket at one.]][[/note]]

--> Return within thirty days for a full refund, I smeared my diarrhea on the handle! That's ''[[IncrediblyLamePun viral marketing]]''!

* WordSaladHorror/WordSaladHumor: Tend to flip-flop between these two a lot. Little to none of their bizarre diatribes follow any coherent pattern.

* MemeticBadass: In the second game, there's Bandit graffiti about "Steve the Lion-Heart" to suggest he's one in-universe.

'''Weapon Brands''': [[Characters/BorderlandsAtlas Atlas]] | [[Characters/BorderlandsDahl Dahl]] | [[Characters/BorderlandsHyperion Hyperion]] ([[Characters/BorderlandsHandsomeJack Handsome Jack]]) | [[Characters/BorderlandsMaliwan Maliwan]] | [[Characters/BorderlandsTorgue Torgue]] | [[Characters/BorderlandsWeaponBrands Other Weapon Brands]]\\
'''Other''': '''Bandits and Bandit Factions''' ([[Characters/BorderlandsChildrenOfTheVault Children of the Vault]]) | [[Characters/BorderlandsHodunkAndZafordClans Hodunk and Zaford Clans]] | [[Characters/BorderlandsCreatures Creatures]] ([[Characters/BorderlandsEridiansAndVaultMonsters Eridians and Vault Monsters]] | [[Characters/BorderlandsRaidBosses Raid Bosses]])-]]]]]

* Word-SaladHorror/Word-SaladHumor: Tend to flip-flop between these two a lot. Little to none of their bizarre diatribes follow any coherent pattern.

!! Forces
[[folder:Marauders]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bl2_marauder.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:250: "Shotty's been achin' for somethin' to kill!"]]

The unmutated human populace of any Bandit clan, Marauders form the bulk of their clan's fighting force, heading into battle with a variety of weapons and varying levels of toughness. After the events of ''Borderlands 1'', some former Crimson Lancemen took to adopt the Bandit life rather than join with the Crimson Raiders.
As of ''Borderlands 3'', the grand majority of Bandits joined under the Children of the Vault cult, renamed as Fanatics.

* AirborneMooks: Buzzards are armored and well armed flying machines that are piloted by Marauders (their pilot share the health bar with their Buzzard, but they're clearly Marauders).
* FromCamouflageToCriminal: Some of them are former Crimson Lance soldiers. Many of them are still wearing the old armor and several audio logs from Roland refer to Lancemen who decided not to join the Crimson Raiders and join the bandits. This generally doesn't make a difference gameplay wise, but most Badass Marauders you see are more likely to have Lance Armor (and much more likely to be former Lancemen).
* GrenadeSpam: If a Nomad issues a grenade order, all Bandits in the area will begin to toss a massive amount of explosives your way to flush you out of cover.
* MetalSlime: They have a MiniMook variant called Loot Midgets, who hide in containers (particularly treasure chests) to ambush anyone who opens them. They're treasured greatly by players grinding for Legendary items for their generous drop rates, though they can pack quite a punch for such small enemies.
* MiniMook: The Shotgunner Midget, a somewhat slow and hobbling Bandit that falls backwards when they fire their shotguns at you.
* {{Mooks}}: They're the basic and most numerous Bandit type you'll be facing in most situations, and typically aren't a huge challenge in comparison to other threats.
* OhCrap: Sometimes it's their reactions to seeing a Vault Hunter using their action skills (if it isn't foolhardy taunting in the face of it), but what does consistently get them worried is [[BerserkButton shooting a Goliath's helmet off]], which causes most of them to beg you to stop or remind you why that's a terrible idea.
* PaletteSwap: In just about every DLC, if there's a human population with guns trying to kill you, they're going to be Marauders in different outfits even if they're not bandits. They use the same animations and AI too.
* ShotgunsAreJustBetter: Plenty of Marauders brandish shotguns as part of their arsenal, but one voice variation you can hear a Marauder sport in ''Borderlands 2'' takes this to an obsessive and CompanionCube degree.
--> '''SHOTGUUUN RHINOPLASTY!'''
--> ''I'll let my shotgun do the talkin'!''
--> ''You lookin' at my shotty?!'' '''Don't look at my shotty!'''
--> '''(While dying)''' ''Bury me with shotty...'''
* StupidEvil: It's a universally shared trait for most Bandits, but one voice variation a Marauder takes it to a new level in battle.
--> '''(When a live grenade lands at their feet)''' ''Hey, is that a grenade? / Weird. Grenade. / Hey what are you throwing rocks at me for?!''
--> '''(Allies are getting shot all around him)''' ''Why is everybody dying?! / They killed one of us! That's bad right?''
--> '''(Following a Nomad's cover/focus fire/grenade order)''' ''Cover! Right! What's cover? / I didn't hear that! Focus on who?! / How long do I wait after pulling the pin?!''
* SuicidalOverconfidence: Many Bandits are foolhardy, attacking even the famous and notoriously dangerous Vault Hunters despite the low odds of them winning, for no good reason other than a sincere belief in their skill.
* ZergRush: Averted most of the time, as most Marauders prefer keeping at least a little bit of distance normally, but if a Nomad issues a charge order, then all Bandits in the area will puts their weapons away, pull a buzz axe out and rush you down. This can be a little deadlier than it sounds because unlike Psychos, they're protected by both better HP and shields.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Psychos]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bl2_psycho.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:250:''"Strip the flesh! Salt the wound! [[LaughingMad *crazed laughter*]]"'']]

The insane and motor mouthed sociopaths among the Bandit ranks, all Psychos share the combat philosophy of charging directly at their targets at high speeds to hack them apart with their buzz axes with no sense of personal safety.

* ActionBomb: Suicide Psychos will either bomb you with an endless grenade supply, or run up to you to blow themselves up on top of you for a massive amount of damage.
* AgonyOfTheFeet: Players are encouraged to shoot Psychos in the feet / legs to make them stagger, slowing them down when they're chasing after you in a full sprint.
* AxCrazy: Completely off their gourd and they're brandishing axes to boot.
* BatterUp: Sluggers are a variant in ''3'' that wield spiked baseball bats. They will also bat grenades at the player if they can't easily reach them.
* BodyHorror: Badass Psychos have mutated to gigantic sizes, with one arm becoming muscle bound and twice its length while the other has atrophied considerably.
** Slagged Psychos are extremely thin and sickly, glow eridium/slag purple and can puke up a torrent of slag as an attack.
* CloudCuckooLander: They boast the most bizarre quotes in the game, featuring such gems as Borderlands 2's "[[MindScrew You can't kill me, I'm already dead tomorrow!"]]
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: There's a rare midget psycho who wears a skull for a helmet and throws bones at you. His name? "Midget Boner".
* EditorialSynaesthesia: {{Invoked}} and PlayedForLaughs by the Psychos. One of their in-game banters is "I can hear with my teeth!"
* TheGoomba: Psychos aren't very tough at all, they go down in a few hits and if they do manage to beat you into a Fight For Your Life they're easy Second Wind targets thanks to their habit of standing within gunfire range to ineffectually toss axes at you. Later on into the game/playthroughs the game throws special variations to up their threat levels, such as [[LightningBruiser Badass Psychos, Armored Psychos]], Slagged Psychos, and [[ActionBomb Suicide Psychos]].
* GroundPound: In ''3'', Badass Psychos gain the ability to slam the ground for a damaging shockwave, and even drive their axe into the ground hard enough to make an earthquake that travels in a straight line.
* MascotMook: The Psycho is featured prominently on all four games' box cover art (even in The ''Pre-Sequel'' where you don't even find any in-game), and as such they're one of the series' most iconic enemies.
* InsaneProprietor: A [[https://youtu.be/ILpqqRFvsZI cut vending machine]] that seemed to have deal exclusively in Bandit equipment had a Psycho conducting the sales pitch. Naturally, they're extremely vulgar and threatening.
--> Return within thirty days for a full refund, I smeared my diarrhea on the handle! That's ''[[IncrediblyLamePun viral marketing]]''!
* IShallTauntYou: A Psycho who sends a Vault Hunter into FFYL in ''3'' will start doing gladiator-like posing and gloating to an invisible crowd.
* TalkativeLoon: They're loud, motor mouthed psychopaths who babble bizarre or violent threats at you while they hack you apart with their axes.
* ZergRush: Their favorite tactic and is shared across all variants. Many battles against Bandits will have you have to deal with a wave of Psychos rushing you down at some point or another.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Bruisers]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bl2_bruiser.png]]
[[caption-width-right:250: ''"C'mon, little one! Time to die!"'']]

The giant and muscle-bound heavy hitters of the Bandits, Bruisers march forward in a slow but steady pace towards their targets while filling them with lead from their assault rifles/shotguns, and sometimes in the first game, [[StuffBlowingUp with an endless supply of rockets.]] Their positions as the local leaders of Bandit clans was usurped by the Nomads in the sequel, only to be undone come the third game.

* GiantMook: They are bigger and bulkier than typical bandits.
* GlowingEyesOfDoom: Badass Bruisers in the first ''Borderlands'' had a helmet that glows white around the eyes, marking them as dangerous foes. In ''Borderlands 2'', this is one of their default helmets.
* GutturalGrowler: All Bruisers speak in a gruff and boisterous voice that constantly shouts death threats at you.
* MightyGlacier: Bruisers will never move beyond their steady marching, but they have the health to back up their strategy of constantly pushing forward towards you.
* {{Nerf}}: Their overall toughness and potential arsenal was decreased between the first game and the sequel, have some of their innate resilience taken away and can no longer wield rocket launchers to bombard even the toughest of players to death. That position was taken by the Nomads instead. This would be reversed in ''3'', where some Bruisers would [[CompositeCharacter carry shields similar to Nomads]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Nomads]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bl2_nomad.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:250: ''"[[FantasticRacism Midget lovin' taint-sack]]!"'']]

Introduced in ''Borderlands 2'', Nomads are the commanding presences that organizes the Bandit rabble into something resembling a fighting force, shouting orders at their subordinates to change tactics on the fly while slowly pushing forward. Basic Nomads are comparable to Bruisers in toughness and tactics, but later variants bring elemental specialization and even giant shields into battle to make them impervious from the front.

Nomads are replaced by Enforcers in ''3'', which essentially fill the same role, but always have a shield. As for the Nomads, they joined the Maliwan Army as Heavies for better pay and not being SurroundedByIdiots. Ironically they now work alongside the N.O.G.s which remind them of the midgets they once despised.

* AttackAttackRetreatRetreat: Capable of doing both interchangeably, they can command their men to either storm your position with full throttle or shout at them to fight defensively.
--> '''CHAAAARGE!''' '''/''' '''Overrun 'em!'''
--> '''Take cover boys! / Get behind something you morons!'''
* BadBoss: They're very cruel to their men, but they hate Midgets in particular, to the point where they either torture them endlessly or tie them to the front of their shields to cover up the hole in their defense they can't be bothered to fix properly.
* DeathSeeker: Nomads will generally express relief when they finally die, because [[SurroundedByIdiots of all of the idiots and lunatics they have to deal with every day]].
* DrawAggro: Not to themselves (it'd still be a wise idea to take them out first though), but among their many commands is for them to call out one player in particular for all Bandits in their area to focus fire on. If you hear your Vault Hunter's name or description get called out, expect a lot of pain to suddenly be drawn to you.
--> Get that Assassin!
--> Men! Shoot the Siren!
--> Somebody take that Commando down!
--> The little girl![[note]]The Mechromancer/Gaige[[/note]] ''Kill her!''
* FantasticRacism: Again, they ''hate'' midgets and find any excuse to torment them, and in battle they love comparing their opponents to those horrible and worthless midgets.
--> You're worse than the ''midgets''!
--> ''Die'', midget lover!
--> Midget lovin' taint-sack!
--> ''(If their midget escapes from their shield)'' '''I. FREAKIN'. HATE MIDGETS!''' / ''You're not getting fed this month!''
* GrenadeSpam: One of their commands is to get all Bandits to hang back and start chucking grenades like there's no tomorrow in order to flush you out.
* GutturalGrowler: They speak in a deep, gruff and southern drawl.
* HumanShield: Nomad Torturers use midgets to cover their shield's weak spot, partly out of cruel pragmatism, but mostly due to their sheer hatred of midgets.
* InTheBack:
** The advisable strategy for dealing with the shield bearing variations, and is practically a requirement for killing a Badass Nomad because their shield has no weaknesses from the front.
** In the case of Pyro and Shock Nomads, shooting them in the back will case their fuel tanks to explode and damage everyone around them for the former and cause the tesla coils on their backs to shock everyone indiscriminately for the latter.
* KillItWithFire: Nomad Pyros wield incendiary bullet spewing machine guns that can double as a traditional flamethrower if you get too close.
* MightyGlacier: They're all rather slow (but the unshielded variants can enter a full sprint for a full body tackle if they feel like it), but their HP means you'll need to put in a little more effort to take down their basic variants, and need then later have to adopt entirely new strategies for dealing with their special versions.
* MookLieutenant: Nomad Torturers and Taskmasters can give commands to fellow bandits, such as ordering them to focus one specific player, charge, or take cover. Inexplicably, they feel the need to wave their shields around while doing so, giving you an opening to shoot them in the face.
* PragmaticVillainy: What do they most want you to do besides die and let them take your gear? Leave their territory, and they definitely won't object if you decide to scram off their property.
--> JUST ''LEAVE!''
--> '''(If the player runs away and disengages from combat)''' Aaaand stay out! / Stayin' back here!
* ShieldBearingMook: Their toughest variants come equipped with giant shields that block the front of their bodies. In the case of Nomad Torturers, they have a hole in their shields that they were too lazy to fix, so they used it as an excuse to tie a midget up over the hole to block it. Get rid of the midget and you can fire through that hole to hurt them.
* ShockAndAwe: Shock Nomads have giant tesla coils on their backs that will shock you if you get too close.
* StuffBlowingUp: The Heavy Nomad goes into battle with a rocket launcher, and seeing how enemies can't run out of ammo, you can expect to be dodging a lot of rockets if you don't take him down.
* SurroundedByIdiots: Nomads generally despise every other bandit in their clan, frequently insulting them while giving them orders. They'll even express relief when they die, as at least they won't have to deal with the morons in their gangs anymore.
* ZergRush: Not by themselves, they're too slow for that, but they cause one by commanding all Bandits to charge you with their axes.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Goliaths]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bl2_goliath.png]]
[[caption-width-right:250: ''"[[YouNoTakeCandle Quit live so much]]!"'']]

Introduced in ''Borderlands 2'', Goliaths are very large and muscular simpletons who hobble slowly towards their enemies with dual assault rifles, making childish threats. Their most peculiar trait lies in what's under their bulletproof helmets though. For one reason or another, their Bandit allies have tamed the Goliaths by placing a heavy helmet over their heads, but if it were to ever get shot off, the Goliath will fly into a screaming rage, pop their skulls and spine from their skin and begin attacking everything indiscriminately. The more kills they earn, the stronger they will get, increasing in level, size and power. They return in ''Videogame/{{Borderlands 3}}'' a little chubbier, but are still a force to be reckoned with along with a few new attacks and a far more dangerous variant in Anointed versions.

* AGodAmI: When reaching the level of God-liath:
--> '''BOW TO YOUR NEW GOD!'''
* TheBerserker: If you shot its helmet off, a Goliath will drop its guns, [[TurnsRed changes its appearance, tone]] and opting to fight any nearby targets in melee combat instead.
* BodyHorror: The Goliaths' mutations has caused their skulls and spines to pop out from their necks and out the deflated skin that use to be their face/mouth hole, which enrages them to a bloodthirsty rampage. This can apparently be solved by shoving their skull back in and preventing it from popping back out via a heavy helmet, but anyone who wants to incur their wrath is free to shoot it off.
* TheDreaded: Among Bandits, who will plead and helpfully let you know why shooting a Goliath's helmet off is a terrible idea and promptly freak out if they start getting too powerful. For the players though, Goliaths can be a fun distraction to take the edge off of themselves in a gunfight.
--> '''(Nomad)''' ''G-Goliath! I order you to stop!'' / ''We're all gonna die!''
--> '''(Psycho)''' ''This isn't fun anymore!''
--> '''(Marauders)''' "Head for the goddamn hiiills!'' / (Speaking to it like a pet dog) ''No Goliath, bad!''
* FatBastard: All Goliaths are packing a noticeable amount of fat on top of their muscles. They've gotten even fatter in ''3'' with a gigantic hanging gut, [[{{Acrofatic}} not that it's made them any less acrobatic.]]
* GatlingGood: Badass Goliaths wield miniguns (actually those stationary turrets you can sometimes find in Bandit strongholds).
* GroundPound: When enraged, Goliaths can wind up a powerful ground pound that kill many targets at once and will probably [[BlownAcrossTheRoom blow away a Vault Hunter]].
* GunsAkimbo: In their initial "calm" form, Goliaths double-wield guns
* InASingleBound: When enraged, Goliaths can jump massive distances to reach their target, doing a GroundPound when they land.
* IncomingHam: You'll know when they're about turn into a berserking monstrosity when you hear a distinctive and metal ''PING!'' sound and when they have a drastic change in voice tone.
--> Mistake!~ ''(Pause)'' '''...BIG,''' '''''GOD DAMN MISTAKE!'''''
--> Angry! ''(Pause)'' '''''I'M SO GOD DAMN ANGRY!'''''
--> It's- ''(Pause)'' ''Oh!'' '''''IT'S SERIOUS NOW!'''''
* ItemFarming: It's not a bad idea to try and protect/help the Goliath level up to their full potential. Whatever they kill, they multiply their EXP value by x2 and add it to their own EXP, and the higher of a level they reach, the better chances they have of dropping rare loot and valuable items such as Eridium. Just know you'll have to put him down yourself (as the enraged Goliath [[FriendlyFire can be killed by other enemies]]) if you want that payout when you're done.
* LargeHam: Without a doubt sports the largest ham of any Bandit when their helmet is off.
--> '''I'M GONNA GOUGE YOUR EYES OUT!'''
--> '''MURDERING YOU IS GONNA FEEL SO RIGHT!'''
--> '''YOU BETTER GOD DAMN SCREAM FOR ME!'''
* MetalSlime: The rare Loot Goon Goliaths and the One Armed Bandits are these. The former is a Badass Goliath with a large Dahl weapons chest strapped onto their backs, killing them lets you open the treasure chest, and farming the Goliath himself by letting him rampage lets you reap the rewards of both the Goliath's drops and his treasure chest. The latter is a Goliath with a slot machine strapped to his back, killing him allows you to play the slot machine for however long you wish, complete with all the rewards they normally give back at Sanctuary.
* MyRulesAreNotYourRules: Enraged Goliaths will attack any nearby target whether it be friend or foe. Maya's "[[SetAMookToKillAMook Thoughtlock]]" ability temporarily turns any enemy into an ally, but this will have no effect whatsoever when the brainwashed Goliath is already Enraged, it will still attack both you and its friends.
* ShoulderTeammate: Psycho Midgets can hop up on a Goliath's shoulders and start chucking buzzaxes on top of the Goliath's gunfire. If the helmet comes flying off and the Midget hasn't died yet, [[HoistByHisOwnPetard he's typically the first kill the Raging Goliath will go for]].
* SimpletonVoice: When not enraged, Goliaths speak like simpletons and make equally as simple threats.
--> Squish you!
--> Let's make face gravy!
--> Prepare for die!
* StuffBlowingUp: Blaster Goliaths come with dual rocket launchers that can quickly and instantly blow away a Vault Hunter in all but extreme ranges, and god help you if he's got dual [[MacrossMissileMassacre Vladof launchers]]. They're so dangerous that you're better off just shooting the helmet off so they'll throw their launchers away and switch to melee.
* TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou: In ''3'' they may have this to say on death, so Jeremy should probably find a place to hide.
--> ''I am real! Now I'm coming for you, Jeremy!''
* ThisIsForEmphasisBitch: The Raging Goliaths have quite a few of these.
-->''(After [=Zer0=]'s [=Decepti0n=] Fades)'' "Avoid me all you want, '''BITCH!'''"\\
''(When Salvador is Gunzerking)'' "I'll take your bullets, '''BITCH!'''"\\
"I'll kill you SLOWER for that, '''BITCH!'''"\\
"Fear your master, bitches!"\\
"Die for me, '''BITCH!'''"
* TurnsRed: Literally. Shoot their helmet off and their skin turns blood red in rage, giving them a playstyle of TheBerserker.

[[folder:Rats]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bl2_rat.png]]
[[caption-width-right:250: ''"I'm [[{{Sssssnaketalk}} SSSSTARVING]]!"'']]

A variant of Bandits that can commonly be found either fighting alongside them or nearby in optional areas that split off from Bandit camps, the Rats are degenerated and emaciated opportunists who are, above all else, desperate for a meal. Specifically, human flesh. They are absent in ''Videogame/{{Borderlands 3}}'' due to either being killed off by the New Pandora Army or The Calypso Twins finding them too creepy or thin to assimilate into the Children of The Vault.

* AnimalMotif: [[YouDirtyRat Rats]], as shown by their masks resembling a rat's face, their overgrown nails resembling claws, their tactic of hiding underground, and their nature of opportunists. In real life, rats are also known to band together and form cannibal clans that target other rats, something the Rats in Borderlands do as well.
* AnimalThemeNaming: Their faction are called Rats because they live underground and are opportunistic cannibals.
* BanditMook: Nearly every Rat is capable of stealing items off the floor. Did you see a nice, blue or purple rarity weapon fall onto the floor? Better grab it before any of the Rats can, or else you'll have to kill them to get it back.
** Playing this more straight is the Rat Thief, a small and mutated Rat who sneaks up on the Vault Hunters to pickpocket their money. If you just saw a couple thousand dollars suddenly vanish from your wallet, check behind you and you'll see a Rat Thief making off with your cash. Kill him before he reaches his burrow to get it back or else your money is lost for good.
* BodyHorror: No human being should be that thin. A more straight forward example is the Lab Rat: a person who presumably fell under Hyperion experimentation and has grown a single gigantic arm and a gauntly tall and bloodied body.
* CurbStompBattle: Rats are seen ambushing Maya in the ''A Meat Bicycle Built For Two'' cinematic, and might've come close to killing her, but they're no match for a [[TheBerserker rampaging and lovestruck Krieg]] [[BigDamnHeroes rushing in to save her]].
* EliteMooks: Field Rats are noticeably tougher than regular Rats. They're not quite as tough as Badass Bandits, but are considerably more commonplace.
* EyeBeams: For one reason or another, Lab Rats can fire a blue ray from their eyes when they get close enough. It hits devastatingly hard, and is one of the strongest attacks in the game as far as Mook-tier firepower goes.
* FantasticRacism: Even among bandits, the Rats are considered exceptionally disgusting and in many cases they are segregated into their own parts of bandit camps. They aren't even a part of the COV in ''3'' because the Calypsos refused to work with them.
* FragileSpeedster: The majority of Rats fought are nimble and weak opponents who go down easy under gunfire. The exceptions to this are the Field Rats and the Lab Rats.
* FrightDeathtrap: While cutting down Rats in ''A Meat Bicycle Built For Two'', Krieg grabs a Rat and starts shouting insanity into his face, making him fall over in fear. Given that he doesn't get up later, it's a safe bet to think he died from terror.
* GasMaskMooks: Unlike the Bandits who prefer face masks, nearly all Rats don gas masks.
* GiantMook: Lab Rats are larger and more durable than most bandit enemy types and prefer to slowly limp towards you before blasting you with their Eye Beams. They're tough enough to consistently win a one-on-one fight with raging Goliaths of Badass, Super Badass, and even Ultimate Badass rank.
* GoMadFromTheRevelation: Lab Rats are being tortured by visions of 'something', which judging from their quotes are glimpses into whatever alternate dimension The Destroyer came from. Worst yet, they slip into sheer panic if Maya uses her Phaselock on them, causing them to apparently get a deeper look into their visions.
* ImAHumanitarian: Even moreso than other bandit types, the Rats absolutely love eating human flesh, including that of other Rats. Dying Rats will even demand that their brethren eat them, which they'll gladly oblige if they get close to the corpse.
* ITasteDelicious: A variant if you burn them alive with fire.
--> '''I SMELL DELICIOUUUUS!'''
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: For a loose definition of "hero", but the events of ''The Pre-Sequel'' go into how the Rats might've came to be. Colonel Zarpedon of the Lost Legion introduced a disease known as Space Hurps into the Hyperion Moonbase, getting their work force diseased with symptoms that are almost identical to the Rats from ''Borderlands 2''. The Vault Hunters get infected with the disease while working under Hyperion CEO Tassiter to quarantine the area and its victims, and find out that the disease can be vented by leaving the infected area before it can settle to its final stage. Had Tassiter and the Vault Hunters not quarantined the Infected, they likely would not have led to the condition spreading down onto Pandora and creating the Rats.
* NoodlePeople: They're unnaturally thin, down to the bone.
* ToServeMan: All of their quotes and taunts make it clear that they want to eat you. And if they die, they beg their Rat allies to eat them to gain their strength. Naturally they'll oblige; if they get near a dead body a Rat can begin eating them to regain health.

!Scavs (''The Pre-Sequel!'')
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/scav2.png]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/scav.jpg]]

Scavs, short hand for Scavengers, are the bandit equivalent on Elpis, with the primary differences being space suits, [[EnergyWeapon laser weapon technology]], and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking Australian accents]] [[note]]Or at least ''Borderlands'' equivalent of it[[/note]]. While they're not as heavily mutated as Pandoran bandits thanks to a lack of exposure to Eridium, their sanity has taken a massive toll due to being forced to survive in the open space of Elpis.
Scavs go into battle with a variety of weapons, using the low-gravity environment to their advantage.
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[[folder:In general]]
* TheBogan: As the Elpis equivalent to Pandora's [[DeepSouth bandits]], the Scavs are this character type [[RecycledInSpace in a sci-fi setting]]. Then there's [[TalkingWeapon Boganella]], whose demeanor and voice [[Series/{{Housos}} should ring a bell or two if you're familiar in any capacity with Australian TV shows created by Paul Fenech]].
* BoomHeadshot: It's openly encouraged in every ''Borderlands'' game, but there's another good reason to aim for head when fighting Scavs: the protective bubble their Oz Kits provide are vulnerable to gun fire, and blowing it out can expose them to the airless space, letting them potentially die from asphyxiation like a layer of DamageOverTime. Early on, this can save you some bullets, but later their pained reactions to this can be useful in keeping them open to more headshots.
* EnergyWeapon: The main difference they bring to combat is the possibility that they're equipped with laser weapons.
* GlowingEyesOfDoom: Not that it can be helped. The space suits they rely on to survive have helmets with visors that glow white
* JetPack: A variant of them called Raiders slowly hover into battle with jet packs to get a high ground advantage on the Vault Hunters.
* {{Mooks}}: They're the most common variety of Scavs faced, with their primary advantage coming from their numbers and their variance in ordinance.
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Functionally they're just Bandits with Australian accents.

!! Individuals
[[folder:Deadlift]]
!Bucephalus Deadlift [=McElroy=]
!!The Boss Fight Has Landed
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/deadlift.png]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Justin S. Cotta
-->"''DEADLIFT TIIIIMEE!!!''"

The first Scav boss you deal with, Deadlift is a Scav with a personal guff against Janey Springs. He likes jump pads. He likes them A LOT.

* BerserkButton: He's very sensitive about his jump pads. All Zarpedon has to do to motivate him is say that the Vault Hunters said his pads were stupid.
-->'''Deadlift''': '''I WILL ANNIHILATE THEM!'''
* BoxedCrook / RecruitingTheCriminal: An odd example. Judging by his line about how Zarpedon threw him in prison, she either busted him back out or he broke out on his own. Either way, she does try to have him fight the Vault Hunters, and at first he refuses... until she says they mocked his jump pads.
* BrickJoke: The goal of one of the early side missions is to help him overcome his motivational issues. Later, when you kill him, his last words are: ''"My confidence!"''
* CloudCuckoolander: Illustrated by some of his quotes, as well as his attachment to jump pads.
-->'''Deadlift:''' I can't wait to throw your corpse on to a jump pad, and watch it take to the air like a... ''child's imagination''.
* ClusterFBomb: Sometimes he will tell people he doesn't like to screw themselves.
-->'''Deadlift:''' Screw Zarpedon, screw Springs and screw ''YOU!''
* CompanionCube: He immediately apologizes to the jump pad after disabling it. May or may not be a case of CargoShip.
* DumbMuscle: Being a Scav, he's not very bright, but he ''is'' rather strong, especially to beginning players who face him early on.
* EvilLaugh: He has a rather goofy one.
* GetBackHereBoss: As the game's tutorial on using jump pads in battle, he spends the entire battle jumping around, making it somewhat tricky to keep track of him.
* GroundPound: He threatens to do this to you, although in execution it's more like an electrified GoombaStomp.
-->'''Deadlift:''' I WILL SOAR INTO THE AIR AND CRUSH YOU WITH A BUTT-SLAM! ...'''HIGH-BROW!'''
* HisNameReallyIsBarkeep: He announces his full name is Bucephalus Deadlift [=McElroy=], meaning that Deadlift is his actual middle name.
* IncompatibleOrientation: He once tried to ask out Janey, only to get shot down because she's not into guys. He's still pretty bitter about that and even yells "Tell that Springs she sucks!" during his boss battle.
* {{Irony}}: Deadlift primarily uses shock elemental attacks to kill you, but using shock against him is one of the best ways to quickly kill him as shock elemental attacks will destroy his powerful shield faster.
* {{Jerkass}}: Janey sends you to kill him because he's "kinda a dick."
-->'''Janey:''' Well, he also stole my Moon-Zoomy digistruct key, stranded me out here, and got really rude when I told him I wasn't into guys. But mostly the being a dick thing.
* LargeHam: Every single sentence he says is yelled at the top of his lungs.
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: Downplayed; see IncompatibleOrientation and {{Jerkass}}.
* ShockAndAwe: He carries a pretty powerful shock laser weapon and can fire homing shock missiles. Additionally he can electrify the parts of the floor of his arena.

[[folder:[=RedBelly=]]]
!!Stand and Deliver [Your Life!]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/redbelly.jpg]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Matt Dale
-->'''''Red:''' Finally! A proper bloody fight!''
-->'''''Belly:''' Well, I just ate... buuuuut let's BOOGIE!''

A pair of Scavs, one regular-sized one and one midget, the latter standing on top of the former to initially appear as one armored figure. They've taken over an old Dahl comms base.

* AffablyEvil: Even when they're trying to kill you, they remain perfectly cheery and polite... until one of them gets killed, then the survivor gets angry.
* BigNo: Whenever one of them dies the other will utter a big no.
* DashAttack: Belly has a pretty powerful one that causes a strong nova blast.
* TheDividual: They're actually two separate bandits named Red and Belly who fight together as one.
* DualBoss: While you initially fight them as one unit, Red eventually flies off and attacks you on his own.
* {{Expy}}: Of [[Film/MadMaxBeyondThunderdome Master Blaster]]. Also of Ned Kelly, infamous bushranger most well known for his LastStand in primitive armor that looks very similar to Belly's. His weak points are even a nod to how the historical Kelly was finally defeated--lacking leg armor, Kelly was finally brought down after he took shots to his legs. His "twist" of being two people calls to mind Boom Bewm from Borderlands 2.
* {{Jetpack}}: Once Red flies off he keeps flying around the arena with one.
* TurnsRed: No pun intended. If either Red or Belly dies the survivor literally turns red and becomes stronger and more aggressive.

[[folder:The Bosun]]
!!Time to grow some
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/thebosun.jpg]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Brian Meegan
--> "''Welcome to your death, landlubber!''"

Real name: Keith. A Scav leader based in the former Dahl ship of the Drakensburg, he rules his gang alongside his girlfriend Skipper.

* BewareTheSillyOnes: Although he's made to look ''very'' pathetic, his boss battle can actually be pretty nasty as he has rockets, turrets and a pretty mean shock attack to tear your shields apart.
* CoresAndTurretsBoss: In a fashion; While he does fight you himself from aboard his weapons platform, you also have to deal with shield generators that are constantly recharging his shields, though beating him without dealing with his generators is an in-game challenge.
* CutHisHeartOutWithASpoon: He's constantly making elaborate and ineffective threats as you make your way to him, up to threatening to "squish your brains out your ears and stomp all over your skull with boots made of acid", which Skipper notes would be impossible.
* DitzyGenius: Prior to being a Scav, he was an AI programmer, which is why you're going after him in hopes of getting a military AI. Turns out Skipper is that AI.
* EvilLaugh: All things considered when Pickle's plan to douse the lava lake in liquid methane initially fails he cracks a pretty good one.
* IneffectualSympatheticVillain: He comes off as pretty pathetic all things considered, what with his ineffective and nonsensical threats as well as having his "girlfriend" sabotaging his efforts. The fact that his girlfriend is actually a reprogrammed AI who still despises him speaks volume of how truly pathetic he really is.
* WeHaveReserves: He says he is sending his "best" men after you... after you already defeated his best men. He insists he has more.

!! Forces
[[folder:Lunatics]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lil_lun.jpg]]
The Elpis equivalent to Pandoran Psychos. Lunatics are deranged killers equipped with jump jets and buzz axes. Badass Lunatics come with dual shock batons.
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* ActionBomb: Suicidal Lunatics come with a large red rocket strapped to their backs. They act like ordinary ones up until they decide that they feel like dying, to which they'll prime their jet packs and fly head on into their target for large amounts of damage.
* LightningBruiser: Badass Lunatics are huge variants that swing their shock batons at their opponents. Unlike their Pandoran equivalent, they're not particularly mutated, keeping their body in proper proportions.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: Their space helmets come with red visors.

[[folder:Outlaws]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/outla.jpg]]
The large and lumbering crooks of Scav crews, Outlaws provide the heavy laser weapons to the fight. Their Badass variants can come with rocket launchers to blow the opposition away.
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* EnergyWeapon: If they're not equipped with laser weapons, it's going to be a rocket launcher instead.
* KingMook: Aside from obvious candidates with their own character entires like Deadlift, there also exists the rare Swagman, who is a regular Outlaw but with buffed health and a hat over his helmet. Curiously, he doesn't seem to drop anything in particular or serve a specific purpose.
* ShockAndAwe: Badass Outlaws come with contraptions that fire electric-orbs at their enemies, dealing massive shock damage if not dodged.
* VocalDissonance: Who would've thought a voice that high pitched can come from men that massive?

* AxeCrazy: Has a rather unhealthy obsession with torture, fire, and gruesome acts of mutilation and murder. He even considers sending assassins after his younger brother Zane as a way of "keeping in touch".

* WeaponOfChoice: Between this and Vladof, Anarchy Mechromancers gravitate to these guns by sheer necessity. When you're firing more bullets than the stockpile of most small countries in an afternoon of adventuring, holding more bullets is always important. And you're not gonna hit anything anyway (except by sheer coincidence or by ricochet), so the low accuracy and bullet drift are just a drop in the bucket. Even the slow reload is undone by a few simple skills that can be boosted to ridiculous heights.
** While not amazing, they can also be put to good use with, fittingly, Krieg. Using Bloodlust, specifically the Blood-Filled Guns skill (boosts magazine capacity for every stack of Bloodlust) means Krieg can boost his stacks, reload a Bandit pistol or SMG and ''[[MoreDakka never stop firing, ever]]''.

* WeaponOfChoice: Fights you armed with a purple-tier Bandit assault rifle and when given the chance uses his anchor to smash you to bits.

** Each has a WeaponOfChoice, or at least a weapon type. An optional objective is to kill them with their favourite type of weapon.

'''Supporting Characters''': ''[[Characters/Borderlands1 Borderlands]]'' | ''Characters/Borderlands2'' (''Characters/TinyTinasAssaultOnDragonKeep'' DLC) | ''[[Characters/BorderlandsThePreSequel The Pre-Sequel]]'' | ''Characters/Borderlands3'' | ''Characters/TalesFromTheBorderlands'' | ''Characters/TinyTinasWonderlands'' | ''Characters/NewTalesFromTheBorderlands'' | [[Characters/BorderlandsOtherCharacters Other media]]\\

[-'''[[Characters/BorderlandsVaultHunters Playable Characters]]''': ''[[Characters/Borderlands1VaultHunters Borderlands 1]]'' | ''[[Characters/Borderlands2VaultHunters Borderlands 2]]'' ([[Characters/BorderlandsKrieg Krieg]]) | ''[[Characters/BorderlandsThePreSequelVaultHunters The Pre-Sequel]]'' | ''[[Characters/Borderlands3VaultHunters Borderlands 3]]''\\
'''Supporting Characters''': ''[[Characters/Borderlands1 Borderlands]]'' | ''Characters/Borderlands2'' | ''[[Characters/BorderlandsThePreSequel The Pre-Sequel]]'' | ''Characters/Borderlands3'' | ''Characters/TalesFromTheBorderlands'' | ''Characters/TinyTinasWonderlands'' | [[Characters/BorderlandsOtherCharacters Other media]]\\
'''Weapon Brands''': [[Characters/BorderlandsAtlas Atlas]] | [[Characters/BorderlandsDahl Dahl]] | [[Characters/BorderlandsHyperion Hyperion]] ([[Characters/BorderlandsClaptrap Claptrap]] | [[Characters/BorderlandsHandsomeJack Handsome Jack]]) | [[Characters/BorderlandsMaliwan Maliwan]] | [[Characters/BorderlandsTorgue Torgue]] | [[Characters/BorderlandsWeaponBrands Other Weapon Brands]]\\