Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands features a mix of old and new characters, with fresh faces like Frette and Valentine appearing alongside fan favorites like Torgue and Brick. As for the Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands character Paladin Mike, he is a unique combination of old and new.
Technically speaking, Paladin Mike is a new character, as nobody in the Borderlands universe is seen sporting his blue hair or his colorful Butt Stallion armor. However, he sounds the exact same as Lorelai from Borderlands 3, and this is for a good reason. During the main story of the game, it is revealed that Paladin Mike was Lorelai’s Bunkers and Badasses character, with Tiny Tina reusing Mike in this new campaign. Paladin Mike then goes on to assist the protagonist in some main and side missions, with the character also voicing one of the machines that players can use to purchase new equipment or sell their gear.
This explanation behind Paladin Mike’s origins could explain some odd movement that a Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands player recently stumbled upon. A video was posted by Reddit user wontrememberusername, and it begins with them leaping across a broken bridge. This fairly simple jump is one that many will make throughout their Wonderlands playthroughs, so the Redditor makes it with ease. However, Paladin Mike seemingly forgets what jumping is, as that is not what he does.
Paladin Mike essentially slides across the gap, floating in the air before landing on the other end of the platform. His arms and legs also come together so that it looks like he is standing completely still and not moving at all. Obviously, this is not the normal NPC jump animation, though it does still get Mike to the other side of the bridge. Once there, his animations return to normal and he begins walking like he normally would, with the rest of the Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands mission likely progressing as intended.
In the comments, Reddit user gr33ngiant makes a good argument to justify the bug, arguing that this strange occurrence fits with Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands’ style of comedy. According to the player, the process of a jump would see Tina moving the Paladin Mike piece herself, explaining why it becomes still and floats across the gap. According to the player’s theory, Mike becomes a game piece while in the air but returns to being a character in Tina’s campaign when they land - or are “placed” - on the other side.
Obviously, this is just a silly justification for a minor issue with Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, though the player’s logic is solid enough. If Gearbox wanted to make this type of jump a proper feature instead of a bug, they could work perfectly fine after Tina explains why they are happening.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.