Borderlands Game Characters: Vault Hunters, Villains, and Companions Explained
Explore the greatest characters to come out of the Borderland's Universe.
Explore the iconic Borderlands characters. From Vault Hunters and villains to quirky companions. Learn their backstories and abilities.
Since its explosive debut in 2009, Borderlands has built a cult following with its blend of frantic gunplay, dark humor, and distinctive cel-shaded visuals. But beyond the bazillions of guns and chaotic co-op gameplay, it's the characters, quirky, unhinged, heroic, and villainous, that have defined the series and captured fans' hearts.
Across multiple mainline titles and spin-offs, Borderlands introduced a sprawling cast of Vault Hunters, big-bad villains, and unforgettable side characters. Each one brings unique abilities, distinctive personalities, and a flair for the ridiculous, helping shape the franchise’s wild, wasteland-infused identity.
We’re breaking down the most iconic Borderlands game characters, from the original Vault Hunters to the galaxy-threatening antagonists and fan-favorite NPCs that bring Pandora and beyond to life.
Vault Hunters by Game
Across each Borderlands title, players step into the boots of unique Vault Hunters, each with their own abilities, backstories, and playstyles. Whether you're a fan of high-damage snipers, elemental casters, or pet-wielding tanks, every game introduces new characters to master. Here's a breakdown of every playable Vault Hunter, organized by game.
Borderlands (2009) Characters
The original Borderlands introduced players to four playable Vault Hunters, each with distinct abilities and personalities. While the first game kept their backstories relatively minimal, these characters laid the foundation for the series’ future heroes.
Roland
Class: Soldier
Action Skill: Scorpio Turret – Deploys an automatic turret that fires at enemies and provides cover.
Playstyle: Versatile and team-friendly, ideal for solo or support-focused players.
Personality: Once a member of the Crimson Lance, now the voice of reason among the group.
Legacy: Roland returns as a central NPC in Borderlands 2, becoming a key leader in the resistance against Handsome Jack.
Lilith
Class: Siren
Action Skill: Phasewalk – turns invisible, increasing movement speed and causing a damaging shockwave upon exit.
Playstyle: Hit-and-run tactics with elemental damage potential.
Personality: Mysterious and confident, with powers that set the tone for Sirens in later games.
Legacy: Lilith is a major figure throughout the series with deep ties to the Borderlands mythos and Vault lore.
Mordecai
Class: Hunter
Action Skill: Bloodwing – summons a deadly pet bird to attack enemies.
Playstyle: Long-range sniper expert with critical damage bonuses.
Personality: Dry-witted, sharpshooter with a soft spot for his feathered companion.
Legacy: Reappears in later games as a helpful (if slightly unhinged) ally.
Brick
Class: Berserker
Action Skill: Berserk – goes into melee rage, punching enemies with powerful fists.
Playstyle: Close-range tank with high health and pure chaos energy.
Personality: Loud, emotional, and comedically violent.
Legacy: Returns in Borderlands 2 and 3, where his unexpected poetry skills and loyalty shine through.
Borderlands 2 Characters
Borderlands 2 expanded the series in every way—bigger world, deeper story, and a more colorful cast of characters. The six playable Vault Hunters each brought new skills, backstories, and bold personalities that helped define the game’s success.
Axton
Class: Commando
Action Skill: Sabre Turret – deploys an automatic turret with customizable firepower.
Playstyle: All-around adaptability, great for both beginners but also a favorite with veteran players.
Personality: A disciplined ex-soldier with a sarcastic streak.
Legacy: Although Acton doesn’t appear in Borderlands 3, he is referenced multiple times and featured in spin-off materials like the Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Bunkers & Badasses game manual.
Fun Fact: Axton’s backstory reveals he was court-martialed for enjoying combat too much.
Maya
Class: Siren
Action Skill: Phaselock – suspends enemies mid-air for crowd control and elemental combos.
Playstyle: Crowd control and elemental power, especially in co-op.
Personality: Wise and composed, but struggles with the expectations placed on sirens.
Legacy: Maya plays a major role in Borderlands 3, mentoring the next generation of Sirens, especially Ava.
Salvador
Class: Gunzerker
Action Skill: Gunzerking – wield two guns at once, regen health and ammo.
Playstyle: Pure offense and aggression – ideal for players who like to charge into the fray.
Personality: Small in stature but massive in firepower. Is wildly enthusiastic about violence and blowing things up.
Legacy: Salvador is mentioned in Borderlands 3 as having gone on more chaotic adventures, though he doesn’t appear in the game directly.
Zer0
Class: Assassin
Action Skill: Deception – creates a hologram decoy and becomes briefly invisible.
Playstyle: Precision-based sniper or melee stealth attacker.
Personality: Enigmatic and poetic. Speaks mostly in cryptic one-liners and haikus.
Legacy: Zer0 returns in Borderlands 3 as a supporting character and operative of Atlas Corporation, continuing his quiet war against corruption.
Want to land more critical hits like Zer0 or FL4K?
Master your aim across any FPS with SteelSeries’ 3D Aim Trainer. It’s free, browser-based, and designed to sharpen your reflexes—so you’re always ready for your next Vault Hunter run.
Gaige (DLC)
Class: Mechromancer
Action Skill: Summon Deathtrap – a powerful robot companion who assists in combat.
Playstyle: High-damage potential with chaotic mechanics like the “anarchy” stacking system.
Personality: Tech-savvy rebellious teen with a heart (and a robot) of gold.
Legacy: Gaige appears in Borderlands 3's Guns, Love, and Tentacles DLC, helping to plan a wedding with her usual chaotic energy.
Krieg (DLC)
Class: Psycho
Action Skill: Buzz Axe Rampage – increases melee damage and health regen in the berserk state.
Playstyle: Unpredictable melee madness, with a skill tree that rewards taking damage.
Personality: A dual-voiced psycho battling inner demons quite literally.
Legacy: Krieg becomes the focus of Borderland’s 3 Psycho Krieg and the Fantastic Fustercluck DLC, exploring his mind and emotional depth in a surprisingly heartfelt way.
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel Characters
Set between the events of Borderlands and Borderlands 2, The Pre-Sequel explores Handsome Jack’s rise to power through the eyes of his unlikely allies. This time, the Vault Hunters are characters players had previously fought against, or alongside. Gravity-shifting gameplay and laser weaponry were added to the chaos, but it’s the morally gray cast that really stands out in this part of the story.
Athena
Class: Gladiator
Action Skill: Kinetic Aspis – a shield that absorbs incoming damage that can be thrown back at enemies.
Playstyle: Defensive with strong melee and elemental options, which is great for tankier roles.
Personality: Disciplined and principled ex-Crimson Lance soldier who’s tired of taking orders from tyrants.
Legacy: Athena appears in Tales from the Borderlands and is referenced in Borderlands 3, where her fate is left intentionally ambiguous.
Wilhelm
Class: Enforcer
Action Skill: Wolf & Saint – summons two drones: one for attack, one for healing and support.
Playstyle: Balanced hybrid of offense and defense with cybernetic upgraders that make him increasingly robotic.
Personality: Initially human, but Wilhelm gradually loses his humanity both physically and mentally.
Legacy: Appears as a boss enemy in Borderlands 2, already transformed into a Hyperion cyborg. RIP
Nisha
Class: Lawbringer
Action Skill: Showdown – auto-aim and increased gun stats for a brief time which is perfect for dueling.
Playstyle: DPS-heavy (damage per second), best suited for aggressive gunslinging and pistol-focused builds.
Personality: A ruthless sheriff with a love of violence and zero patience for lawbreakers.
Legacy: Becomes Jack’s lover and second-in-command but is killed by Brick and Lilith before Borderlands 2 begins. However, Nisha is frequently referenced in the games.
Claptrap
Class: Fragtrap
Action Skill: VaultHunter.EXE – randomly selects a combat subroutine, mimicking other Vault Hunters' abilities.
Playstyle: High-risk, high-reward. Claptrap is unpredictable and absurd in true Claptrap fashion.
Personality: Over-the-top, eternally optimistic, and completely unaware of how annoying he is.
Legacy: Appears in every main Borderlands game. In Borderlands 3, he's still trying to make friends… with limited success.
Jack (DLC)
Class: Doppelganger
Action Skill: Digi-Jacks – summons two holographic clones to fight alongside him.
Playstyle: Minion-based gameplay with powerful synergy and absurd commentary.
Personality: A corporate yes-man who mimics Jack’s ego while slowly unraveling.
Legacy: Offers a satirical look at Jack’s influence. Not the real Handsome Jack, but a chilling echo of his manipulation tactics.
Aurelia (DLC)
Class: Baroness
Action Skill: Cold as Ice – throws frost shard at enemies for cryo damage and debuffs.
Playstyle: Focused on cryp elemental effects and critical hits.
Personality: Wealthy, arrogant, and heartless. She is also Sir Hammerlock’s estranged sister.
Legacy: Appears in Borderlands 3 as a Calypso-aligned antagonist and boss, continuing her streak of being terrible to everyone.
Borderlands 3 Characters
Borderlands 3 introduces a new crew of Vault Hunters with even more customization and flexibility than its predecessors. Each character comes with three distinct skill trees and Action Skills, allowing for deeper builds and wildly different playstyles. The story takes the fight beyond Pandora and brings these new heroes face-to-face with the fanatical Calypso Twins.
Amara
Class: Siren
Action Skill: Multiple options including Phasegrasp (ethereal fist grabs enemies), Phasecast (projected astral punch), and Phaseslam (ground pound).
Playstyle: Elemental powerhouse with great crowd control and melee synergy.
Personality: Confident, charismatic, and loves a good fight. A “punch first, ask questions never” kind of hero.
Legacy: As the new Siren of the Vault Hunters, Amara continues the tradition of powerful female mythics central to the Borderlands universe.
Zane Flynt
Class: Operative
Action Skill: Can equip two gadgets at once (Drone, Barrier, or Clone), offering unique strategic flexibility.
Playstyle: Tech-savvy and tactical. Great for hit-and-run solo play, and disruptive builds.
Personality: Charming, sarcastic Irishman with a morally gray past as a corporate hitman.
Legacy: Zane is the brother of villains Baron Flynt and Captain Flynt. Zane’s arc gives a rare look at the Flynt family, showing one of them is at least not totally evil.
Moze
Class: Gunner
Action Skill: Summons a mech called Iron Bear, which can be outfitted with various heavy weapons.
Playstyle: High-damage tank with massive firepower and explosive capabilities.
Personality: Stoic former soldier with a soft spot for both her mech and mowing down bandits.
Legacy: Moze’s partnership with Iron Bear (and later Iron Cub) cements her as one of the franchise’s most iconic soldier-class Vault Hunters.
FL4K
Class: Beastmaster
Action Skill: Chooses from three pets (Spiderant, Skag, or Jabber) and abilities like invisibility or damage boosts.
Playstyle: Summoner with stealth and crit-based options—ideal for solo or sniper players.
Personality: Mysterious, robotic, and obsessed with hunting. Non-binary and philosophical.
Legacy: FL4K brought both representation and emotional depth to the Vault Hunter roster, becoming a fan favorite for their unique voice and introspective lines.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Characters
This game is a fantasy-themed spinoff set inside one of Tiny Tina’s chaotic tabletop RPG campaigns, Wonderlands offers a completely different cast of playable classes. Instead of named Vault Hunters, players create their own custom characters using flexible class combinations, but key NPCs anchor the story.
Main Playable Classes
Brr-Zerker, Stabbomancer, Graveborn, Spore Warden, Spellshot, Clawbringer – each has a unique fantasy flavor and magic-focused skill trees.
Multiclassing System: Players choose a secondary class, creating hybrid builds unlike anything in previous games.
Notable Characters
Tiny Tina: The unpredictable Bunker Master who guides the story.
Frette & Valentine: The player's AI and ship captain companions, offering comic relief and moral grounding.
Captain Valentine (voiced by Andy Samberg) and Frette (Wanda Sykes) help ground the story while Tina runs wild with the fantasy setting.
Legacy
Wonderlands reimagines the Borderlands formula through a D&D lens, blending humor, chaos, and magic. While the Vault Hunters are technically replaced by custom characters, this game expanded the series' tone and storytelling potential, and a sequel is already in development.
Tales from the Borderlands Characters
Developed by Telltale Games, Tales from the Borderlands is a story-driven, choice-based adventure set in the aftermath of Borderlands 2. Unlike the mainline games, it doesn’t feature first-person shooting or loot mechanics—instead, players guide characters through dialogue choices, exploration, and quick-time events.
Main Playable Characters
Rhys: A Hyperion employee with big ambitions and a questionable moral compass.
Fiona: A sharp-witted con artist trying to protect her sister and survive on Pandora.
Vaughn: Rhys’s nerdy best friend who later becomes a bandit leader.
Loader Bot: A surprisingly endearing robot companion with excellent comedic timing.
Legacy
Tales is beloved for its humor, emotional depth, and strong writing. Rhys returns in Borderlands 3 as the CEO of Atlas, while Vaughn appears as a bandit-turned-hero. Though its gameplay differs from the looter-shooter formula, Tales from the Borderlands made a lasting impact on the series' worldbuilding and character arcs.
A Vault Hunter for Everyone
From its chaotic roots in the original Borderlands to the fantasy realms of Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, the franchise has introduced a wildly diverse roster of heroes, outlaws, and absolute weirdos. Each Vault Hunter brings a distinct personality and playstyle to the fight, whether you’re into elemental Sirens, damage-soaking Gunners, or unpredictable psychos.
No matter your playstyle or sense of humor, there’s a Vault Hunter (or two) out there waiting for you. And with Gearbox showing no signs of slowing down, it’s only a matter of time before we meet the next legends of the Borderlands.
Borderlands Game Characters: FAQs
How many playable characters are in Borderlands?
Across the main games and DLCs, there are over 20 playable Vault Hunters, not including custom characters from Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands. Each one comes with unique skill trees, action abilities, and combat roles.
Who are the main characters in the Borderlands games?
Each Borderlands game features a new set of playable Vault Hunters. Some of the most iconic include Lilith, Zer0, Handsome Jack (as an NPC and DLC character), and Tiny Tina. The series is known for its deep roster of characters with distinct playstyles and personalities.
Can you play as Handsome Jack?
Not in the mainline games, but in The Pre-Sequel, you can play as Jack’s Doppelganger, a body double with skills and voice lines modeled after Handsome Jack.
Are there female Vault Hunters in Borderlands?
Absolutely. Female Vault Hunters like Lilith, Maya, Amara, Gaige, Athena, and Fiona play major roles in the story and offer powerful gameplay options. Borderlands has a strong track record of including diverse and capable female characters.
What’s the best Borderlands character to play solo?
It depends on your playstyle, but popular solo-friendly characters include Moze (high survivability and damage), FL4K (pet support + stealth), and Axton (turret-focused defense). Each game has at least one Vault Hunter that’s beginner-friendly for solo players.
Wordsmith at SteelSeries. Enthusiastic about Dota 2 and fighting games. A cat dad.
