History VideoGame / TalesFromTheBorderlands

* LifeOrLimbDecision: In Episode 5, after Jack tries to kill Rhys by forcing him to choke himself to death, Rhys backs up into a piece of rebar and spears his cybernetic arm on it. He immediately begins to viciously rip out the wires connecting it to his flesh shoulder, and once it's finally disconnected and he pulls it off, blood comes gushing out. Jack waxes on about how as long as Rhys is still part-machine, Jack will be inside him and waiting to kill him. Rhys immediately realizes what's about to happen and doesn't hesitate to pull out his temple port and ECHO eye.

** [[spoiler: "An early QTE sequence in ''Atlas Mugged'' has Fiona digging out the eyeball of a general in order to access a retinal scanner. Rhys startles her by screaming, so that she slips and cuts one eye in half. By the time she succeeds and accesses the retinal scanner, it turns out the general was alive all along, in suspended animation. And he was possibly a last hope for the universe.]]
** Later, [[spoiler:Rhys ripping out his ECHO eye in Episode 5 is milked for all it's worth.]]

* SeriousBusiness: Hyperion takes their pretend finger gunfights extremely seriously. [[spoiler:To the point that if you refuse to take part or even fail the [=QTEs=], they'll pull out real guns and kill you.]]

-->'''Sasha:''' What are you doing?
-->'''Rhys:''' There are all these stories where—where someone's tears heal people. I really feel like that's a thing.
-->'''Sasha, wistfully:''' Well, ''(wipes his tears away)'' this isn't one of those stories.

* TearOffYourFace: In Episode 4, Rhys is witness to the aftermath of the sacred psycho ritual of "[[NonindicativeName Skin Pizza]]".
* TookALevelInJerkass: [[spoiler: Yvette shows her true colors in episode 4 and doesn't pretend to hide her disdain for Rhys]].

-->'''Sasha:''' What are you doing?\\
-->'''Rhys:''' There are all these stories where—where someone's tears heal people. I really feel like that's a thing.\\
-->'''Sasha:''' Well, this isn't one of those stories.

** Sasha does one to a bandit. Rhys attempts to do the same to another bandit [[spoiler:and fails hilariously]].

* NotQuiteTheRightThing: In Episode 4, while playing as Rhys, you finally get the opportunity to [[spoiler:tell Fiona and Sasha that you have Handsome Jack in your head. Unfortunately, if you do choose to tell them, it turns out to be a ''very'' bad idea, as Fiona and Sasha will get angry, yell at you for not telling them about this earlier, and say they thought you were their friend but now they can't trust you]]. [[spoiler: However, you do get an opportunity to smooth things over with Sasha just before you equip your Vas-guise, and dialogue between the three while on Helios suggests that, ultimately, Rhys' honesty is appreciated.]]
* NotSoDifferent:
** Sasha and Rhys talk for a bit where she asks some {{Armor Piercing Question}}s about what it's like to work for a horrible corporation. A few conversation options reveal that the environment may be less dusty but it's now just as much of a shark tank up on Helios as it is down on Pandora.
** [[spoiler:Jack]] loves to point out how he and Rhys are so similar, from Rhys' ambition to climb to the top of the corporate ladder, to how he's willing to step over a number of corpses to get there. [[spoiler:He [[InvertedTrope goes back on this]] in episode five after the destruction of Helios, where he decides that Rhys was much better at killing people than he ever was.]]

* SheCleansUpNicely: Although Sasha always looked reasonably attractive, her makeover in episode 5 was a major upgrade, commented on by all. For that matter, Vaughn looks really buff in his post-apocalyptic warrior outfit, and Loader Bot's new chassis is quite spiffy.

---> '''Rhys''': You're uh... you're really cool. Ah ha ha... I just... I wanted you to know that.\\

---> [[spoiler: '''Rhys:''' [=ZER0=] WOULD BE IN HERE? THAT'S-that's nice. Would he-could? He? Sit next to me?]]

* SwissArmyTears: This gets a DeconstructiveParody in the middle of the story's [[MoodWhiplash most tear-jerking scene]], when Rhys tries to get some of his tears to fall on the face of someone who's dying.
-->'''Dying Person:''' What are you doing?\\
'''Rhys:''' There are all these stories where... where someone's tears heal people. I really feel like that's a thing.\\
'''Dying Person:''' Well, this isn't one of those stories.

* BroadStrokes: Within the game itself, no matter how the game is played, there will likely be a number of instances where neither Rhys or Fiona's stories [[UnreliableNarrator add up to each other]] (especially given that Rhys is a braggart and Fiona is a con artist), but the general events of the story can still be inferred to have happened. In the greater Borderlands canon, Rhys' return as [[spoiler:The CEO of Atlas]] in ''VideoGame/Borderlands3'', as well as the Hyperion Moonbase no longer visible in Pandora's sky in the prologue of ''VideoGame/BorderlandsThePreSequel'' and the return of Vaughn and Cassius [[spoiler:and memorial for Scooter]] in the ''Commander Lilith'' DLC confirms that the events of this game happened.

* BroadStrokes: Within the game itself, no matter how the game is played, there will likely be a number of instances where neither Rhys or Fiona's stories [[UnreliableNarrator add up to each other]] (especially given that Rhys is a braggart and Fiona is a con artist), but the general events of the story can still be inferred to have happened. In the greater Borderlands canon, Rhys' return as [[spoiler:The CEO of Atlas]] in ''VideoGame/Borderlands3'', as well as the Hyperion Moonbase no longer visible in Pandora's sky in the prologue of ''VideoGame/BorderlandsThePreSequel'' confirms that the events of this game happened.

* BrickJoke: In Episode 1, Rhys practices his game face for his meeting with his boss. The expression you chose will show up in Episode 4 when Rhys [[spoiler:disguises himself as Vasquez]].

* BroadStrokes: Within the game itself, no matter how the game is played, there will likely be a number of instances where neither Rhys or Fiona's stories [[UnreliableNarrator add up to each other]] (especially given that Rhys is a braggart and Fiona is a con artist), but the general events of the story can still be inferred to have happened.

* CuttingOffTheBranches: Considering that Tector and Jimbo Hodunk are alive, the Vault Hunters evidently killed the Zafords at the end of the Clan Wars questline of [=BL2=]. Which makes sense, considering how popular the Maggie was in [=BL2=] at launch and how many people sided with the Hodunks to get it (at least until people realized how disgustingly powerful the Unkempt Harold was and the Torgue DLC provided an easy way to get one).

* DeadGuyOnDisplay: There's a dead psycho hung on the Prosperity Junction billboard.

* DefeatMeansFriendship: A strange example, when a Psycho is threatening Vaughn for the theft of his 'doom buggy', Fiona has the opportunity to headbutt him, which almost immediately results in the Psycho joining their race team.

* EnhanceButton: Parodied in the beginning of ''Atlas Mugged'', in which Sasha's first instinct on seeing the holographic map is to yell "Enhance!" as much as she can, something that Fiona can play along as well. Eventually Vaughn tells them to cut it out and how computers don't work like that.

** The Stranger's shotgun appears to be the legendary Conference Call. He shoots it into the air and near Fiona and Rhys repeatedly without turning them into swiss cheese.
*** The Stranger's Conference Call lacks an accessory, which purple and legendary weapons always have.

* HeroOfAnotherStory: [=Zer0=], while given for being a PreviousPlayerCharacterCameo, also plays this regularly because it is clear he has his own mission he is on that only crosses paths with the point of view characters rather than involving them directly. [[spoiler:That is, until you find the Gortys core he was looking for.]]
** Zero even gets his Villain Of Another Story, Bossanova, who never directly threatens (or is aware of) Rhys or Fiona at all but is presented as a formidable foe who can blast things to pieces with his chest-mounted soundblaster.

* {{Jerkass}}: Standard M.O. for Hyperion suits. With the right dialog choices, you can make Rhys into a proper Jack wannabe.

* ManChild: Hyperion's entire Accounting Branch. They will use a LARP gunfight when confronting their boss about $10 million transfer.

* NeckSnap: Sasha does one to a bandit. Rhys attempts to do the same to another bandit [[spoiler:and fails hilariously]].

* NestedStory: Marcus sums up the game's narrative as "two unlikely versions of one impossible story" that he is in turn telling to you.

* NotQuiteTheRightThing: In Episode 4, while playing as Rhys, you finally get the opportunity to [[spoiler:tell Fiona and Sasha that you have Handsome Jack in your head. Unfortunately, if you do choose to tell them, it turns out to be a ''very'' bad idea, as Fiona and Sasha will get angry, yell at you for not telling them about this earlier, and say they thought you were their friend but now they can't trust you.]]
** [[spoiler: However, you do get an opportunity to smooth things over with Sasha just before you equip your Vas-guise, and dialogue between the three while on Helios suggests that, ultimately, Rhys' honesty is appreciated.]]

* OhCrap: [[ConMan Con woman]] Fiona very subtly panics when August shoots a man dead in front of her for "dishonesty". Comes complete with a twist on Telltale's familiar dialog pop-up.

* PoorCommunicationKills: [[spoiler: The whole reason why Rhys and Fiona are mad at each other in the present. In Episode 5, Kroger and Finch betrays Fiona and Sasha by trying to take Gortys away and abandoning them on Helios. After a gunfight, Finch escapes taking Gortys and Sasha with him on their ship. In another part of the station, Rhys sees the ship leaving and assumes Fiona abandoned him.]]
** Averting this is also why [[spoiler: Loader Bot captured and interrogated Rhys and Fiona about the events of the game up until that point without revealing his identity. He knew he only had one side of the story when he say Fiona kill Gortys and wanted to know why she had done it without letting their prior relationship cause her to lie.]]

* SequelHook: Events at the end of Episode 5 leave things open for a potential Season 2: [[spoiler:After entering the Vault of the Traveller and opening the cache they find there, Rhys and Fiona are ''teleported away''.]] Roll credits.

* {{Squee}}: Rhys may do this a few times towards [=Zer0=].
--> '''Rhys''': You're uh... you're really cool. Ah ha ha... I just... I wanted you to know that.\\

* TattooAsCharacterType

* TookALevelInJerkass: [[spoiler: Yvette in episode 4]].
* TrailersAlwaysLie: Most of the in-game episode trailers have featured Jimbo riding on the shoulders of Tector Hodunk, who's firing a heavy machine gun at something. This never shows up.

* UnfoldingPlanMontage: Happens when Rhys comes up with a plan to break into the Atlas warehouse. By the time he's done, everyone else has found another way to get in.

* UnreliableNarrator: Both of the protagonists are not above embellishing or outright making stuff up about the story if they can get away with it, either to stroke their own ego or to humiliate the other. However, anything too outrageous will be pointed out by The Stranger or the other narrator and the story continues. [[spoiler: This is actually the reason why the Stranger is disguised, as he was afraid that if they knew his identity, Fiona and Rhys will lie to him about what happened to Gortys. Fiona actually lying to him about how Loader Bot punches Athena away only vindicated his fears, since he knows it's a lie but can't call her out on it without revealing he IS Loader Bot]]

* MercyKill: Discussed in Episode 4 [[spoiler:if you told Fiona and Sasha about Holo-Jack's existence. The former later offers to put a bullet through Rhys' head if his brain gets taken over by Jack.]]

* BreakingTheFourthWall: Invoked very briefly by Jack in Episode 3, where during a conversation with him he'll point out the "Handsome Jack will remember that" popup in the top left of the screen and ask what it is.

[[caption-width-right:350:''Never have things for a normal life, it's time, too busy earnin'...'']]

''I won't take the easy road...''

* ThrowItIn: [[WordOfGod According]] to [[https://twitter.com/llyann/status/1043967746717802496?lang=en Molly Maloney]], in chapter 5; when they said "Rhys flips off the monitors as he runs past", they ''meant'' that he turns them off. [[FlippingTheBird What they got]], they kept.

* RealSongThemeTune: As per Borderlands tradition, changing from episode-to-episode:
** ''[=Zer0=] Sum'' has "Busy Earnin'" by Jungle.
** ''Atlas Mugged'' has "Kiss the Sky" by Shawn Lee.
** ''Catch a Ride'' has "Pieces of the People We Love" by The Rapture.
** ''Escape Plan Bravo'' has "To the Top" by Twin Shadow.
** ''The Vault of the Traveler'' has "Retrograde" by James Blake as the opening theme, and "My Silver Lining" by First Aid Kit as the ending theme.

''"I won't take the easy road..."''

* IndyPloy: The gang pulls this off the help of Atlas's statue of its mascot, which is basically a smiling [[VideoGame/BioShock Frank Fontaine]] {{Expy}} holding a giant globe. Said globe falls off, crushes a bandit and smashes the exit open.

* TrailersAlwaysLie: Most of the in-game episode trailers have featured Jimbo riding Tector Hodunk. This never shows up.

* TheNothingAfterDeath: [[spoiler:Jack begs Rhys not to kill him because he doesn't want to return to the afterlife, which is nothingness.]]

* MeaningfulName: Bossa nova is a genre of music. Bossanova is a bandit ''boss'' who is also a musician. Whether or not he has a Nova shield equipped is unknown, as is [[TheCasanova his sucess with the ladies.]]

** [[spoiler: Handsome Jack's majority shares in the Atlas corporation and the same Conference Call rifle used by The Stranger are both hanging in the trophy case of Jack's old office in Helios near the end of Episode IV. Both are fired in the final episode; it can be pointed out after the Children of Helios take The Stranger captive that he has the same gun and Rhys recovers the shares to take control of Atlas himself.]]

* TheBigBadShuffle: Originally, [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Vasquez]] is set up as the main villain of the game. By the end of Episode 2, [[spoiler: he makes an alliance with August to force Rhys and Fiona to put together the Gortys pieces for them, and make clear that they'll kill them afterwards]]. By Episode 3, [[spoiler: Vallory takes over, kills Vasquez, and August follows her orders]]. By Episode 4, [[spoiler: Vallory forces the group to infiltrate Hyperion for the next Gourtys upgrade. Yvette serves as the greatest threat until AI Handsome Jack plugs himself in and takes over the whole base, trying to kill Rhys while Vallory double-crosses the group and has her men attack them and try to take the upgrade and leave them to die.]] In Episode 5, [[spoiler: Rhys defeats Handsome Jack, and Vallory gets killed by the FinalBoss, The Traveler.]]