Borderlands/Characters

Mordecai
"As "The Hunter""

"Knoxx: Troops will deploy today if all goes to plan. Just met a man named Mord-ee-kai. Dude, eat something."
 * The Beast Master: Mordecai, barring its cooldown, has a skill which allows him to sic a bird on his enemies.
 * Badass Longcoat: His original model used this, and the influence can still be seen in the vest combo he sports.
 * Cool Mask
 * Big No: Whenever Mordecai dies. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! I NEVER DIE!!!"
 * Evil Laugh: Mordecai employs this trope quite often when he scores a kill.
 * Friendly Sniper
 * His victory dialogue against elite mooks ("Nothin' like a challengin' kill!"; "Yeah, not bad! Not bad."; "Heh; another trophy for my wall.") seem to imply that he regards his enemies as sport, as challenges that he is excited to meet. As opposed to, y'know, people.
 * The Gunslinger: Every playable character can use guns and has skill trees relating to them, but Mordecai actually gets a skill tree that's called this, specifically with pistols.
 * The Lancer
 * Noodle People: Mordecai is a lot thinner than the other player characters (including Lilith) Knoxx even comments on it in one of his tweetergrams


 * Sarcasm Mode: Some of Mordecai's lines when standing still. HE LOVES IT!

Lilith
"As "The Siren""


 * Action Girl
 * Badass Boast: After scoring a critical hit she sometimes says: "[laugh] I'm really good at this!"
 * The Chick
 * Flash Step: Her special ability allows her to step into an alternate dimension (causing an explosion that helps discourage her enemies from attacking), run quickly to her target, pop out with an energetic shockwave that stuns her foes, and then proceed to mow them all down.
 * Incendiary Exponent: Her Phoenix skill sets her on fire (with only beneficial effects). It also allows her shots to cause fire damage, acquainting their targets with the Man On Fire trope (with harmful effects).
 * She is also an expert with elemental guns and can crank the elemental damage done by them Up to Eleven. A Maliwan Hellfire submachinegun turns Lilith into a firebreathing goddess of pure destruction.
 * The Smurfette Principle: Out of the playable characters.
 * Touched by Vorlons: The source of her powers, although she insists it's because she's crossed the "Hotness Threshold."

Roland
"As "The Soldier""

""Hold still while I heal you..." BRAKKA BRAKKA BRAKKA. "There, all better.""
 * Combat Medic: Roland has a skill tree called 'Medic' that helps him heal his allies, but that doesn't mean he's any less capable of shooting you. The tree has other abilities that specifically make him hardier, increases his weaponry's magazine size. and actually has an ability that requires him to kill an enemy to activate it.
 * ...and one of the ways he can heal allies is by shooting them, giving the term new meaning.
 * Plus he can upgrade his turret to heal allies while unhealing everyone else
 * There is an insane medic 'build' which is perfect for arena fighting. Getting healed by your turret and a healing boost from killing enemies... Hitting level 45 pretty much allows you to run around in the thick of battle without a shield running from enemy to enemy and shoot them point blank (who cares about weapon accuracy?) for continued ownage. Question is: are you able to reach level 45 in your first playthrough?
 * Defector From Decadence: A former member of the Crimson Lance.
 * The Engineer
 * Healing Shiv: Roland can access Cauterize, a special ability that makes his weaponry heal allies. The text of the skill states this also works with rockets and grenades.
 * Healing Shiv: Roland can access Cauterize, a special ability that makes his weaponry heal allies. The text of the skill states this also works with rockets and grenades.


 * The Hero
 * The Medic
 * Still Wearing the Old Colors
 * The Turret Master
 * This Is for Emphasis, Bitch: Roland is known to say "Critical, Bitch!"
 * Token Minority

and

Brick
"As Himself"


 * The Big Guy
 * Big Word Shout: Whenever he uses his Action Skill, he will shout one of these three every time he kills someone:
 * "BLOOOOOOOOOD!"
 * "MOOOOOOOOORE!"
 * "KIIIIIIIIIILL!!!"
 * Dumb Muscle: Barely literate, but is described as having "rhino-like" strength
 * Good Old Fisticuffs: He can specialize in hand to hand combat. Keep in mind the planet is populated with gun toting road warrior type bandits and assorted monsters. Good thing Brick hits like a train.
 * Invulnerable Knuckles: Brick can beat alien monsters, bandits with various head gear, and other things to death with his bare hands and not bat an eye. He even regenerates while he does it.
 * Laughing Mad: When he uses his Action Skill.
 * Mighty Glacier
 * Pipe Pain: His melee weapon.
 * Screaming Warrior: Brick becomes this whenever he uses his Action Skill, to either annoying or hilarious effect.
 * Tragic Keepsake: The paw necklace he has used to belong to a dog he had when he was young.

CL4P-TP (Claptrap)

 * Cyber Cyclops
 * Master of Unlocking: A mild example. Claptraps guard the gates to new areas of the world, and must grant the player access for them to continue.
 * Robot Buddy: Deconstructed to a degree. The player characters bear no ill will towards the Claptraps, but both the bandits and Lance do. There are multiple side quests involving Claptrap repair, since people tend to use them as target practice. In one of the DLC, one Claptrap goes mad and starts a robot revolution in retaliation for all the mistreatment.
 * Series Mascot: The first of two. The second one is Steve.
 * Stop Helping Me!

The Guardian Angel

 * Mission Control
 * Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette
 * Voice with an Internet Connection

Dr. Zed

 * An Axe to Grind
 * Back-Alley Doctor
 * Deadly Doctor
 * Shout-Out: To Pulp Fiction

Mad Moxxi
SWF LOOKING 4 STR


 * Black Widow
 * Genki Girl: Whatever else you say about her, she is EXTREMELY enthusiastic about what she does in the Underdome.
 * Gold Digger: She spared her last ex, because he was good with money (and his hands.)
 * Hot Mom:
 * Ms. Fanservice
 * Really Gets Around: Hot dog down a skag den, y'know what I'm sayin?

Marcus Kincaid
"Marcus: The Vault Hunters had stopped the evil doctor Zed from- Child: I thought his name was Ned. Marcus: Yes, yes. Whatever you say. Where was I..."
 * Arms Dealer
 * Corrupt Corporate Executive: Has no problem hiring the Vault Hunters to eliminate his competition.
 * Gold Tooth
 * Skunk Stripe
 * Unreliable Narrator: Marcus narrates the beginning of the main game, the beginning of the Zombie Island and New Robot Revolution DLC, as well as the credits for Zombie Island, in the form of a story for a young child. However, he often messes up details or contradicts himself.


 * At one point, he explicitly says he is lying when he is talking about Patricia Tannis rejecting him.

Patricia Tannis

 * Apocalyptic Log
 * Alpha Bitch
 * Ax Crazy
 * Bitch in Sheep's Clothing
 * Companion Cube: Her data recorder.
 * Cloudcuckoolander
 * Goggles Do Nothing
 * Go Mad From the Isolation
 * Hot Scientist
 * I Just Want to Have Friends: She repeatedly claims this, but ends up murdering potential friends.
 * Insufferable Genius
 * It's All About Me: She was overjoyed when her colleague died so she could take his chair, tells you whatever else you are doing is pointless and to drop what your doing to help her, and is all around selfish.
 * Psychopathic Woman-child: A female, Type C version.

Scooter
Get you one!

"Scooter: Lucky's an old buddy of mine - and by old buddy I mean "asshole what ruined my momma's girl parts". Sounds like he's in trouble so you go on ahead and try and keep him alive long enough so I can kill him at a later occasion."
 * American Accents: Has a strong hillbilly/Appalachian accent.
 * Berserk Button: Destroying his runners, "breaking his mama's girl parts".
 * Catch Phrase: "Catch a ride!" and "Get you one!"
 * Grease Monkey: Works as a mechanic.
 * Metaphorgotten: He makes quite a few of these.
 * The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: To Lucky.

TK Baha

 * Handicapped Badass: Implied to be one.
 * Sdrawkcab Name
 * Sdrawkcab Name
 * Sdrawkcab Name
 * Sdrawkcab Name

Nine-Toes
Also, he has three balls.


 * Badass Boast: "You woke the wrong dog."
 * "I'm gonna' rip your arm off and beat your baby with it!"
 * The Dragon: To Sledge.
 * Too Much Information: Just read his title!
 * King Mook
 * Spikes of Villainy

Sledge
P.S.: You guys aren't friends.


 * Came Back Wrong: Can be faced as a DLC boss as "Motorhead".
 * Drop the Hammer: As indicated by his name, he has a rather large sledgehammer as a melee weapon.
 * Hulk Speak
 * Lightning Bruiser
 * Spikes of Villainy

Mad Mel

 * Cool Car: A skeletal repaint of the Monster (which you can access in the 3rd DLC)
 * Shout-Out: Everything about him is a Shout-Out to Mel Gibson.
 * Vehicular Assault

Krom

 * Bald of Evil: He has a few hairs, but other than that, he's bald.
 * Kick the Dog: Randomly shoots a Claptrap before fighting you.
 * No Mouth
 * No Shirt Long Sleeves
 * The Turret Master

Taylor and Jaynis Cobb

 * Cain and Abel:
 * Crazy Prepared: Taylor apparently puts armed midgets in storage containers (complete with beds and toilets) in case he has a sudden need to betray someone.
 * King Mook
 * Shout-Out: Jaynis Cobb? Jayne Cobb? Anyone?

Baron Flynt
That's Medicinal.


 * Cool Gun: His Boom Stick, which is beyond Groovy.
 * Disc One Final Boss
 * Orcus on His Throne: He sits up on his chair even after you reach him. The only time he gets up and attacks you is after you kill Hanz and Franz.
 * Shout-Out: He, his gun, and the gun's Flavor Text are all Shout Outs to Evil Dead.
 * Smoking Is Cool
 * Those Two Bad Guys/Co-Dragons: His two assistants, Hanz and Franz.

Mr. Shank

 * Meaningful Name: Shank is a term for a prison stabbing, or a weapon used for stabbing someone in prison. Mr. Shank runs a prison.
 * Suspiciously Specific Denial:.
 * Meaningful Name: Shank is a term for a prison stabbing, or a weapon used for stabbing someone in prison. Mr. Shank runs a prison.
 * Suspiciously Specific Denial:.

Commandant Steele

 * The Baroness
 * Evil Albino
 * The Unfought
 * The Unfought

General Knoxx
Doesn't like Mondays


 * Affably Evil
 * Deadpan Snarker: In his ECHO recordings.
 * Death Seeker
 * Eyepatch of Power
 * Large and In Charge
 * Only Sane Man: Sees himself as this among the Crimson Lance leaders.
 * Punch Clock Villain

Dr. Ned
I'm Helping!


 * Affably Evil
 * Badass Mustache: One that's apparently growing out of his surgical mask.
 * Berserk Button: His assistant, Bill, making popcorn when people are trying to work.
 * Deadly Doctor
 * Evil Twin: Of Dr. Zed. At first, it can be assumed that Ned is Zed in a ridiculous disguise and who spouts many suspiciously specific denials ("I am Dr. Ned, who is totally not Dr. Zed in disguise."). However, other sources (such as the Game Of The Year Edition Guide and a launch trailer) confirm that they are indeed two different people.
 * I Need a Freaking Drink: When you first meet him.
 * Laughably Evil
 * Mad Scientist
 * Morally-Ambiguous Doctorate:
 * Morally-Ambiguous Doctorate:

Interplanetary Ninja Assassin Claptrap
Viva la Robolution!


 * A.I. Is a Crapshoot: Led the Claptraps in a (not entirely unjustified) revolt against the humans.
 * Big Bad: Of the Claptrap's New Robot Revolution DLC.
 * Early-Bird Cameo: Appears at the end of the main game.
 * Fantastic Racism: Really doesn't like humans, referring to them as "fleshbags."
 * Final Boss, Flunky Boss.
 * Gatling Good: His Humongous Mecha form has NINE gatling turrets mounted on it.
 * Humongous Mecha: Fights the Vault Hunters in one.
 * If You Die, I Call Your Stuff: He'll sometimes yell "I got dibs on his socks!" when you die during the Humongous Mecha battle.
 * Metaphorgotten: Does this a couple times.
 * Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot
 * One-Winged Angel: His Mega Interplanetary Ninja Assassin Claptrap form.
 * Rebel Leader
 * Red Eyes, Take Warning: A trait he shares with all the Claptrap rebels.
 * Voice of the Resistance
 * You Will Be Assimilated: He and his revolutionary buddies do this to the local people/wildlife, turning them into cyborg slaves for the robolution.

Steve the Bandit

 * British Accent: Revealed to have one in the 3rd Claptrap webisode.
 * Catch Phrase: "Heyoo!"
 * Cool Gun
 * Ensemble Darkhorse
 * Memetic Badass
 * Series Mascot: The second of two. The first being Claptrap.
 * Stupid Statement Dance Mix: "Heyooo!" The Remix. It must be heard to be believed.