One of the original Vault hunters was the soldier Roland
Another was Lilith, who has alien powers that turn her invisible
Lilith is a Siren, of which only a handful exist. These are powerful beings, each born with a series of blue tattoos and a unique alien ability. Lilith, for example, can Phasewalk, rendering her invisible and allowing her to sneak up on enemies undetected. Oh, and shes also very fond of catching people on fire, electrocuting them, or dousing them in acid. For fun. She comes to Pandora in search of another Siren, whos rumored to be somewhere on the planet.
So was Mordecai, an alcoholic sniper with an awesome pet hawk
Mordecai, a renowned sharpshooter, is the kind of dude whose daily caloric intake consists solely of booze. This makes us question the fact that hes always carrying around sniper rifles and pistols, but hey. Who are we to judge? If theres one thing Mordecai loves more than alcohol, cash, and guns, its his pet Bloodwing. This falcon-like bird has razor-sharp talons, which it often uses to de-eye bandits and pick up all the piles of loot they drop upon death.
And then theres Brick, who has ultra-brutal fists (told you wed get to it)
What Brick lacks in intelligence he makes up for in size and strength. Hes a pretty scary guy, one that communicates in two-word sentences or guttural grunts and shouts as he punches stuff to death. When hes not using his sledge hammer fists, Brick prefers explosive weapons such as rocket launchers to blow things up in honor of Priscilla, his childhood dog whose dismembered paw he wears on a necklace.
Several companies vie for control of Pandoras weapons supply by the time the Vault hunters arrive
Hyperion, Eridian, Jakobs, and, of course, Atlas and Dahl are but a fraction of the many gun makers whose weapons youll find on Pandora. Some of these companies play a major role in the games story, but all of them imbue their weapons with a unique flavor. Maliwan, for example, manufacturers weapons with elemental properties, such as fire or electric damage, while Tediore guns feature supremely fast reloading times at the expense of damage and accuracy. Nearly all of these manufacturers return in Borderlands 2.
Tannis' call for help also attracted some scumbags
Alas, Tannis transmissions were also heard by the Crimson Lance unit headed by Commandant Steele, who becomes one of Borderlands primary antagonists. She, too, wants to claim ownership of the Vault and its contents. She also bares a striking resemblance to the Sirens, as she is adorned with tattoos similar to those that the rare and powerful beings possess.
Claptraps are goofy, dancing robots forever haunted by bad luck
Upon stepping foot on Pandora, the Vault hunters are immediately introduced to one of Borderlands most storied characters: the CL4P-TP General Purpose Robot. Or, as we better know him/it, Claptrap. These silly robots spout hilarious lines and are huge fans of dance and dubstep. There are many of the adorable one-eyed machines located throughout Pandora, and finding them (and repairing them) often yields rewards in the form of backpack upgrades or weapon caches. Unfortunately, only one claptrap remains functional by the time Borderlands 2 begins. The rest were destroyed when bandits used them for target practice and skags discovered them to be humorously delightful chewing toys.
A mysterious being helps the hunters open the Vault...
Periodically throughout the game, a mysterious woman referred to as the Guardian Angel speaks to the Vault hunters via Pandoras ECHOnet communication system. Often cryptic, her messages eventually lead the Vault hunters to all three of the key fragments.
...which turns out to be a prison for an evil being called the Destroyer
And so, after the four Vault hunters murder thousands of bandits and monsters, they recover all the fragments of the Vault key at last. But before they can celebrate, Commandant Steele and her Crimson Lance unit apprehend them and take the key fragments, declaring them property of the Atlas Corporation. Steele then assembles the key and opens the Vault; but instead of finding a cache of alien tech, she quickly discovers that the Vault is actually a prison meant to cage an ancient beast known as the Destroyer. Its basically a giant eye with tentacles. Lame.
As its name implies, the Destroyers one true purpose is to consume every living thing in the universe. It brutally murders Steele before the four Vault hunters promptly lay the ultimate smackdown upon this horrible creature, which spews a ludicrous amount of purple guns from its gaping, dead maw.
The Guardian Angel works for Hyperion Corporation
Borderlands epilogue reveals that the Guardian Angel operates from or through a satellite belonging to Hyperion Corporation, one of the many weapons manufacturers with a presence on Pandora. It is unclear who, or what, the Guardian Angel is, or whether or not her actions were dictated by Hyperion.
