While the quality of writing in Borderlands games draws out some very divisive opinions on the internet, nobody can argue that the games feature some very colorful characters. Like anything in the medium that tries to be as humorous as possible, missing the mark can lead to some very annoying characters that just don't know when to quit.
Borderlands does manage to hit the mark quite often, however, producing some great and well-written characters that fans adore. Sometimes those annoying characters can be just as unforgettable as their well-written counter-parts. Here are 5 Borderlands characters that are just perfect and 5 that are really anything but perfect.
10 Perfect: T.K. Baha
One of the first characters you meet in the original Borderlands, T.K. Baha starts the tone of the game off strong. His playfulness about his missing leg and sight is both incredibly dark and super endearing, especially given the tragic backstory of Scar the Skag killing his wife, and T.K.'s several clashes with the beast after the fact leaving both of them in pretty rough shape.
T.K. also served to show that Borderlands wasn't afraid to go there, with T.K. eventually being found hanging from his ceiling fan.
9 Annoying: Professor Nakayama
Borderlands 2 features some very well put together large DLC expansions, but one of those sits a peg below the other three. Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt features a hunting expedition between the Vault Hunter and Sir Hammerlock, interrupted when former Hyperion employee and Handsome Jack superfan interrupts the trip looking for revenge.
Professor Nakayama is a character who is, by design, annoying. Everything from his story to his banter and his missions is not only annoying but wildly disinteresting, for some. Even at the end of the DLC, his demise does nothing but make Vault Hunters wish they'd had that hunting trip.
8 Perfect: Mad Moxxi
While originally appearing as the proprietor of the Underdome in the Borderlands DLC, Moxxi has gone on to be one of the characters that players spend the most time with and know the most about. While the Moxxi spends much of her time dealing with ex-lovers and ex-husbands, she also is incredibly helpful to you throughout your journey.
Her previous life as a mechanic give her some depth that makes a perfect character. Every interaction with Moxxi proves to be an enjoyable experience, for all parties. Plus, she gave us Scooter and Ellie, who are also great.
7 Annoying: (Tiny) Tina
While children being annoying shouldn't be a huge surprise to anybody, Tiny Tina takes that to the extreme, being her "random" self. While Tiny serves as a parody of teenagers thinking they are funny by being "random," the joke overstays its welcome very quickly.
At a certain point, doing something ironically just turns into doing something. While her story in the Borderlands 2 DLC Bunkers and Badasses serves to give her more depth, any goodwill earned gets taken right back when she starts talking again.
6 Perfect: General Knoxx
Everybody has had a least one job that they hate or a boss they hate. General Knoxx has both at once in Borderlands DLC The Secret Armory of General Knoxx. Knoxx leads the Crimson Lance, the elite force that is part of the Dahl Corporation, which later becomes the Crimson Raiders under Roland.
Knoxx hates Pandora and hates his child supervisor very, very much. While he is unimpressed by the vault hunters, he wants this interaction to end as soon as possible so he can leave. We can empathize, Knoxx, we really can.
5 Annoying: Vaughn
After a strong outing in Tales from the Borderlands, Vaughn has gone downhill quite a bit in his Borderlands 2 DLC and Borderlands 3 appearances. Vaughn has become a one-note character, only concerned with being a bandit boss.
While this obsession wouldn't be that big a deal for a character with less screen time, much of a player's time on Pandora in Borderlands 3 revolves around Vaughn. Some might be glad he came into his own as a bandit, but it would be more enjoyable if he didn't act like it was Crossfit.
4 Perfect: Scooter
The legend himself, Scooter is one of the most lovable characters in the franchise. He appears in the first two games and Tales From the Borderlands. Scooter maintains and builds vehicles for the player with his Catch-a-Ride system.
From professing his love to getting the first Sanctuary to fly, Scooter is involved in many great moments. His send-off in Tales is hard breaking, but also a perfect end for the man who just wanted to ride a rocket. Ultimately, Scooter managed to catch-a-ride into our hearts.
3 Annoying: Ava
Sometimes the Internet takes hating something in a video game much farther than it should. In the case of Ava though, they are right on the money. In Borderlands 3, Ava feels like a stand-in for the no-longer-tiny Tina. As the game progresses, though, it becomes clear that she is her own brand of annoying, with entitlement and edge to spare.
Even when her actions have dire consequences, she continues being a know-it-all and never learns her lesson. Ava falls into the category of difficult characters that solely exist to move the plot along and she never accomplishes much outside of that.
2 Perfect: Handsome Jack
Everybody loves a good villain, and Handsome Jack is more than a great one. The big bad of Borderlands 2, Jack manages to be incredibly evil and menacing, while also being very personable with the Vault Hunters. Jack makes his goal clear and never wavers from it, or his disdain for bandits.
As the story progresses, Jack becomes noticeably more unhinged and much less comedic with his threats. Even with a full character story given in the second outing, The Pre-Sequel gives a look at the man before his complete turn to darkness. While it certainly didn't make him sympathetic, it gave the whole picture of the man who was going to save Pandora.
1 Annoying: Captain Scarlett
The second Borderlands 2 DLC antagonist on this list might be one of the most boring pirates to ever sail the sea (or sand). Captain Scarlett is pretty devoid of any swashbuckling shenanigans or pirate shanties. She is also, despite ultimately betraying the Vault Hunter, really nice and really honest.
While the joke here might be that Scarlett is the exact opposite of what pirates are expected to be, that still makes her a very disappointing pirate. Captain Jack Sparrow would be ashamed.