Borderlands 3is filled with vibrant characters that help the story unfold in ways that nobody expected. Since the release of the originalBorderlandswith characters like T.K. Baha who was so popular, they brought him back during the Halloween DLC inBorderlands 2, Gearbox has been making NPCs that stand out and stay in the minds of fans everywhere.
RELATED:5 Ways Borderlands 2 Was The Best (& 5 Ways Borderlands 3 Was Better)
Borderlands 3is no exception to this with characters that reappear from older titles and new characters that jump out at you and stay in your heart (even when you wish they would shut up).
10Best: Tina
In the newest installment in the series, Gearbox took Tiny Tina and gave her a major growth spurt. She may be all grown up, but she is still that same crazy as hell demolitions expert that everyone loves. She helps to further the plot during the mission “Hammerlocked,” and has her own side missions that you’re able to do later on when you revisit Pandora.
Fans ofBorderlands 2will remember her mainly from her DLC where you had to storm Dragon Keep and rescue the princess. A DLC that, to this day, still holds a special place in many players' hearts.
9Worst: Ava
Ava is one of the new characters added intoBorderlands 3that seems similar to Tiny Tina but completely misses the mark. Ava doesn’t share that same love of killing and explosives that we all love Tina for.
Instead,Ava’s characterfocuses more on the aspect of being a normal teenage girl. She keeps a diary and cowers in fear at the thought that someone might know her inner secrets. She plays the rebellious teenager role which ultimately doesn’t do well in the story. Instead of coming off as cool or hip, she comes off as annoying and doesn’t help in the main story as much as she should.
8Best: Lilith
Lilith is one of the main NPCs fromBorderlands 3and was one of the playable vault hunters in the originalBorderlands.She plays a huge roll in the third installment as the leader of the Crimson Raiders in the fight to take down theCalypso Twins.She is one of the main reasons the plot moves forward at all due to her guiding you through the intro of the game and ultimately losing her powers to the Calypso Twins which sparks the fire that leads to her helping you throughout the game.
7Worst: Vaughn
Vaughn first appeared inTales from the Borderlandsand turned from money man and Rhys' best friend to a bandit running around in his underwear. The change fromhis last appearance in the Commander Lillith and the Fight forSanctuary DLCand his first appearance inBorderlands 3is pretty substantial.
RELATED:Borderlands 3: All Playable Characters, Ranked
This change, however, is not for the best and he appears more inBorderlands 3as a bumbling idiot who you have to save to have the story progress. He runs around the wasteland of Pandora shouting “Blood Feud” to show his hate for the Calypso twins, but the game could ultimately still function without him. Perhaps Krieg would have made for a better bandit leader.
6Best: “Bird-Man” Mordecai
Mordecai is another character who first appeared in the originalBorderlandsand quickly turned into a fan favorite. Players grieved when he lost Bloodwing to the hands of Handsome Jack. He appears again inBorderlands 3under the codename “Bird-man” and sports hisnew animal companion, Talon.
They help you out during the “Hammerlocked” mission and has side quests that you can complete later on when revisiting Pandora. You get a glimpse into his character during these missions and get to personally know him in some instances.
5Worst: Rhys
Rhys, like Vaughn, came fromTales from the Borderlandsand isn’t that great of a character to continue the story with. He offers some funny moments, but they are few and far between.
His main focus seems to always be about his “siege mustache” and never about the actual problem at hand. Even after defeating the boss on Prometheus, his final question is about his mustache. Some of his dialogue comes off as annoying more than anything else.
4Best: Lorelei
Lorelei is a new character in theBorderlandsseries who makes her appearance on Prometheus as she blasts Maliwan soldiers away. This coffee-loving woman makes a great first impression and helps you in your fight on Prometheus against Maliwan.
She hasside missionsyou can complete as well that further her character and show her love for coffee. She also doesn’t take any crap from Rhys when he goes on about his mustache which makes her all the better. She cares about her planet and wants to end the Calypsos as much as you do.
3Worst: Claptrap
Claptrap is a category on his own, but for now, he is placed as one of the worst characters. The reason for this is due to his annoying behavior and lack of story content inBorderlands 3. Sure he has a tedious side mission you can do to find parts so he can build a companion, but other than that he doesn’t do much to help the story progress.
RELATED:10 Surprising Things Borderlands 3 Taught Us About Borderlands Canon
He shined inBorderlands 2where you were first dubbed as his “minion,” and fans absolutelylove to hate him. Some of that hate is rightfully deserved because some of his missions and snippets come off as annoying and listening to him can sometimes be a chore.
2Best: Tannis
Tannis is a character that everyone knows from the first game. She plays the crazy vault lady and scientist who tries to understand everything there is about the vaults. She gets a major upgrade inBorderlands 3and becomes one of the main NPCs that help you throughout your journey. She also keeps the secret well that she is a siren which plays out great in the story.
The only downside is that thereisn’t much explanationabout her connection to Angel. Either way, her witty dialogue, and scientific know-how make her a force to be reckoned with. Even the Calypso Twins realize how much of a threat she is.
1Worst: Clay
Clay is another new addition to the growing list of NPCs thatBorderlandshas to offer. What places him in the category of worst is the lack of time we actually get to spend with him. He isn’t a terrible character, but his execution isn’t amazing.
You only get a few missions with him and then he is gone for almost the rest of the game. Even during those missions, you don’t get much face time with him. Instead, you are met with a bunch of echo communications that make his character less appealing the more you play.
NEXT:Borderlands 3: 5 Characters We Want To See Return In Future DLC (& 5 We Don’t)
