Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands introduces several new characters to the mix, many of which make the most of their screentime. Valentine and Frette are both entertaining and serve as good contrasts to Tina, with their impact on the Bunkermaster’s story being clear. The Dragon Lord’s backstory makes him a strong villain, while characters like Wastard also stand out from the usual NPCs players meet.

Despite all these fresh faces, a handful of beloved Borderlands characters make an appearance in Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands. Torgue’s position as a bard leads to the funniest moment in the game, while Brick’s role as the Fairy Punchfather is also hilarious. Roland as the Notetaker provides some more poignant moments with Tina, with Gearbox further highlighting their bond. However, with three characters that Tina cares deeply about appearing in the game, it is odd that Lilith and Mordecai were left out.

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Lilith and Mordecai Appearing in Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Would Have Made Sense

borderlands 2 mordecai and lilith

Borderlands 2’s Assault on Dragon Keep DLC saw Mordecai and Lilith playing along with Tina. While the former did it just because he was her friend, the latter clearly loved Bunkers and Badasses, so it would make sense for her to want a place in Tina’s next campaign. The same could be said for Mordecai, who is incredibly close with Tina and fights alongside her in the B-Team during Borderlands 3. While he may not be an experienced Bunkers and Badasses player, he would likely be on board with Tina making a character inspired by him.

Tiny Tina gave key roles to Torgue, Brick, and Roland, so it is odd that she left out Mordecai and Lilith. After all, none of the returning characters were actually playing the game with Tina like Frette and Valentine were, as past characters served as board game pieces that Tina incorporated into her story. It would have made perfect sense for Tina to make characters based on Lilith and Mordecai just like she did with her other friends, and it is easy to imagine the roles that they could have had.

Mordecai would have functioned well as a legendary archer, with Gearbox leaning into his role as a sniper in the Borderlands series. He could have run a school that trained Spore Wardens to master their bows. Mordecai could have also had an aviary where he raised baby wyverns like the ones the Clawbringer class brings along with them on their adventures. While he would not have needed a major role, giving him a quick cameo in a side area could have been fun.

Lilith is even easier to imagine, as the Siren would be a natural fit for a Spellshot mentor. Making her a witch feared by some and worshipped by others could have been a fun tribute to her status as the Firehawk in Borderlands 2, and she could have been used as a master of magic that helped players improve their spellcasting. Even having Lilith appear in an off-screen role like Roland’s where she reads off some dialogue would have made sense. Lilith or Mordecai visiting Tina mid-game could have worked, too.

Ultimately, Mordecai and Lilith skipping out on Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is not a huge negative, as the story is still enjoyable without them. It does seem like an odd oversight, though, as a cameo from these two characters seemed like a given since Brick and Torgue were featured. While Borderlands 4’s search for Lilith could certainly lead to more interactions between these characters, it still would have been nice to see Lilith and Mordecai make an appearance in Tiny Tina’s spin-off game.

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

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