The Borderlands franchise may be known for its over-the-top humor and billions of guns, but the series also has its fair share of emotional moments. The Borderlands games do a good job of making players attached to its characters, so whenever one of them meets their untimely demise, it's always heartbreaking to see. The upcoming Borderlands 3 is likely to kill off even more fan favorite characters, courtesy of the villainous Calypso Twins, and while we prepare for those shocking moments, we thought we'd take a look back at the saddest deaths in the series to date.
In anticipation of Borderlands 3, here are the saddest characters death in the Borderlands series.
5 5. Handsome Jack
Handsome Jack is a homicidal maniac throughout Borderlands 2, but Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel succeeds in showing a somewhat different side to him, and paints him in a less antagonistic light. Even so, Handsome Jack's death in Borderlands 2 isn't sad at all because it comes after he was directly responsible for killing some of the Borderlands franchise's most beloved characters. However, his second death that comes at the end of Tales from the Borderlands is quite emotional.
In Tales from the Borderlands, Handsome Jack gets a second shot at life in digital form. Digital code of his personality winds up implanted in the cybernetics of Tales from the Borderlands protagonist Rhys, and it allows him to communicate to Rhys as a hologram. Jack eventually uploads himself into Helios and regains control over the Hyperion corporation, but eventually Rhys realizes what must be done to destroy Jack. Depending on player choice, Rhys may very well crush his cybernetic eye, destroying Jack and ending the evil villain's life for a second time. Jack's pleading for mercy is what makes this scene so sad, especially since the digital Jack seen in Tales from the Borderlands is much more sympathetic than the human Jack from Borderlands 2.
4 4. Angel
In the first Borderlands, the mysterious Guardian Angel is what guided the original Vault Hunters to the Vault. The Vault Hunters in Borderlands 2 are also contacted by Angel, who guides them on their journey as well. However, it's revealed that Angel is actually Handsome Jack's daughter, and she ends up betraying the Vault Hunters. This leads the Vault Hunters to confront her, where it's revealed that Angel actually wants them to kill her so that her father can't take advantage of her Siren powers. Ever since her powers accidentally caused her mother's death, Angel has been kept in captivity by Jack, who has kept her powers under control while also using them to his advantage. Jack wants to use Angel's abilities to charge the Vault Key, but instead Angel asks the Vault Hunters to kill her. While Angel's betrayal stung, having to kill someone who has been actively communicating with the player since the start of the first Borderlands is still heartbreaking.
3 3. Scooter
In the main Borderlands games, Scooter is the quirky mechanic who provides the Vault Hunters with the vehicles that they use to traverse Pandora's desert wastelands. We learn more about Scooter as the games progress, and even meet some of his family members along the way. Tales from the Borderlands expands on Scooter's character even further, and it's in that game where he develops a crush on Fiona. Scooter assists the Tales from the Borderlands gang with getting to Helios, but has to sacrifice himself so that the spaceship can make it there safely. While Scooter's sacrifice is sad, he at least goes out in the most appropriate way possible - screaming his "Catch a ride!" catchphrase while hurtling to Pandora's surface on the back of a rocket.
2 2. Roland
Roland was one of the original playable characters in the first Borderlands, so it's safe to say that some fans that have been with the series since the beginning had an attachment to him. This combined with the fact that Roland was the first playable character killed off in Borderlands history made his death all the more shocking. Roland's death comes shortly after the Vault Hunters kill Angel, when he is shot through the back by Handsome Jack, who then escapes with Lilith in tow.
Roland's death is made even more depressing by the Borderlands 2 DLC expansion Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep. The expansion is a game of Dungeons & Dragons ran by Tina, who is in denial that Roland won't be joining them for the game. She eventually makes Roland into a powerful NPC to help the players in their quest, and by the end of the expansion, finally comes to terms with the fact that her friend is gone.
1 1. Bloodwing
Mordecai, the sniper character from the first Borderlands, is known for his pet bird Bloodwing that he uses in combat. Players who played through the entirety of the first game may have become attached to Bloodwing, and for them, it was especially shocking when the bird was captured by Jack's men and transformed into a monster. What's worse is that players are forced to fight the mutated Bloodwing, and just when they think they've managed to save the bird, Jack blows up the explosive collar around its neck. Mordecai's reaction to Bloodwing's death is heart wrenching, and it's a truly vile act that solidifies Handsome Jack as the series' best villain.
Borderlands 3 launches on September 13 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, with a Stadia version also in development.