In honor of the new Borderlands movie, we recount the 10 most shocking moments in the franchise

Borderlands is home to a very quirky universe with a very quirky sense of humor. Whether listening to Krieg scream about poop trains or watching Rhys get into a finger-gunfight, we’ve often found ourselves howl-laughing at some of the most ridiculous antics in all of gaming history. Yet for all the laughs (and groans), the series has also provided several moments that left us gasping (or sobbing). 

Not everyone agrees on what counts as the funniest scene in Borderlands, but most fans are united when it comes to the moments that shook them to the core. With that in mind, (and in anticipation of the new Borderlands movie coming out this summer), we thought we’d relive the 10 most unexpected moments in the franchise’s history. Warning: Spoilers ahead!
 

10) Anu kills a Psycho (New Tales from the Borderlands)

Anu is probably the most duck-out-of-water character to ever exist in Borderlands. A peaceful do-gooder by nature, the goofy scientist absolutely hates violence and does everything she can to avoid it, which is why it’s so unsettling to watch Anu stab a Psycho right in the face after it attempts to “spin” her teeth. (It was self-defense, of course.) Anu’s ally Stapleface declares the moment a “glorious prelude of viscera and confetti,” but the gentle genius doesn’t share the sentiment. In fact, she lets out a horrified scream and passes out. Believe us, Anu—we’re just as shocked as you are.
 

9) The origin of Handsome Jack’s mask (Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel)

If Handsome Jack is so handsome, why does he wear a mask? We never learn the answer in Borderlands 2, but if players manage to beat Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and help Jack open the Vault on Elpis and obtain a powerful Eridian object, they’ll learn the shocking truth: It turns out the Vault Hunter Lilith is responsible! 

While Jack was receiving visions from the alien object, Lilith used her Phasewalk ability to teleport to Hyperion’s Helios space station and punch Jack right in the face! By that point, Jack had already learned the location of a second Vault on Pandora (which led to the events of Borderlands 2), but the powerful blow stopped the rest of the visions and left an imprint of the Vault symbol on Jack’s face. (The knock-out punch also caused Jack to lose an eye.) To hide his injuries, Jack had a mask grafted onto his skin, which is why the Handsome One looks so distinct. The CEO of Hyperion definitely didn’t see Lilith coming, and neither did we.
 

8) Timothy Lawrence returns (Borderlands 3 DLC: Moxxi’s Heist of the Handsome Jackpot) 

Speaking of Handsome Jack and the Pre-Sequel, whatever happened to Jack’s clone, Timothy Lawrence? He’s nowhere to be found in Borderlands 2 or Borderlands 3, so many players just assumed he was simply MIA (or another victim of Jack’s brutality). To the delight of Pre-Sequel fans, however, it turns out Timothy is very much alive! As we learn in Moxxi’s Heist of the Handsome Jackpot, the poor clone was trapped in Handsome Jack’s space casino for a whopping seven years. It’s only when the Vault Hunter rescues him that he’s finally free of the casino and Jack’s evil influence. 
 

7) The Vault is a monster (Borderlands)

When players first heard they were going to be a Vault Hunter in the original Borderlands, many assumed they would be hunting for treasure. After all, Borderlands is a looter shooter after all, where defeating enemies causes them to explode in a shower of cash, guns, and ammo. When players finally reached the much-vaulted Vault, however, they were in for a surprise. Instead of cold hard cash and weapons, they came face to face with a giant monster called the Destroyer. The decision to swap out treasure for a menace with teeth caused quite a bit of controversy, but to be fair, the main planet in Borderlands is called Pandora. What did we think was going to happen when we opened the Vault?
 

6) Angel’s heel turn (Borderlands 2)

Navigating the wastelands of Pandora is no easy task, but from the moment they stepped onto the hostile planet, Vault Hunters knew they could rely on Angel, a mysterious digital entity that acts as a guide for the antiheroes (and the player by extension). Or so everyone thought. As revealed in the Borderlands 2 mission Rising Action, Angel was actually working for Handsome Jack, the notorious head of Hyperion. Though players later learn Angel is actually a Siren being held captive by Jack, it was still a major blow to learn she was working for the villain all along. 
 

5) The death of Bloodwing (Borderlands 2)

Bloodwing was the beloved pet bird of Mordecai, an unrivaled marksman and one of the four original Vault Hunters. In the original Borderlands, Mordecai could summon Bloodwing to maul enemies or heal him during firefights. Bloodwing was more than just a sidekick, though. Bloodwing was Mordecai’s best friend, and the two went everywhere together. So when Handsome Jack managed to kidnap the avian, mutate it with Slag, and then kill Bloodwing out of spite, the shock and grief Mordecai experienced was felt by players as well. 
 

4) Lilith loses her powers (Borderlands 3)

Legendary Vault Hunter. Slayer of the Destroyer. Firehawk. Everybody’s favorite red-headed Siren has an impressive résumé! Some have even called her the most powerful Vault Hunter in existence. That’s what made it so jaw-dropping to watch Tyreen Calypso—a fellow Siren and one of the two main antagonists in Borderlands 3—leach Litlith’s powers and take them for herself. It’s a surreal moment in Borderlands history and a reminder of just how scary Borderlands villains can actually be. 
 

3) Roland’s murder (Borderlands 2)

A former Atlas soldier and the leader of the Crimson Raiders, Roland was an indispensable part of the Vault Hunter brotherhood. It was easy to assume that he would always be around, especially after players managed to save him from captivity in Borderlands 2. Alas, in Borderlands, nobody is safe. In fact, it was only hours after rescuing Roland that players were forced to watch Jack kill the stoic soldier in a fit of rage. It was a death that fans weren’t expecting at all, and it was the first time we realized that past Vault Hunters aren’t immune to the brutal violence endemic to Pandora.
 

2) Maya’s death (Borderlands 3)

Roland’s death was shocking enough, but Maya’s death shook us to the core. When the blue-haired Siren appeared as a mentor and friend in Borderlands 3, we were certain she’d help carry the new Vault Hunter to victory. After all, she was already a powerful hero in Borderlands 2, and it certainly seemed like she would be an intricate part of the series moving forward. But then Troy Calypso literally disintegrated her, and suddenly nothing was certain anymore. It’s one of the most disturbing moments in the entire series. 
 

1) Scooter’s sacrifice (Tales from the Borderlands)

There have been a lot of unexpected moments in Borderlands, but the one nobody saw coming was Scooter’s sacrifice in Tales from the Borderlands. The manic mechanic never struck us as the heroic type, and he was usually the butt of somebody’s joke—even his own. (“Aww, man. I just realized I insulted myself.”) But when the cast from Tales from the Borderlands find themselves in danger of getting blown up by a faulty rocket while trying to reach the Helios space station, it’s Scooter who steps in to save the day, even knowing it will cost him his life. This stunning moment didn’t just shoot Scooter into space; it shot him to the top of our list of favorite Borderlands characters. Catch-a-riiiiiiiiiiiiiiide!