The Borderlands series is known for a lot of things: cartoony graphics, ridiculous humor, and an absolutely stupid amount of unique and deadly weapons for players to use.
It’s also known for its boss battles. The iconic shoot-and-loot series has a reputation for boss battles that are both over-the-top and notoriously hard. With three games already and a fourth on the way, there certainly isn’t any shortage of bad guys to fight. Here’s our list of the 10 best boss fights in the Borderlands series.
The 10 best Borderlands boss battles
10. The Sentinel- Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel
After finally arriving at Eleseer after fighting your way through the hordes of enemies littering Pandora’s moon Elpis, you encounter The Sentinel. This ancient vault guardian is a tough, agile opponent with a wicked looking energy axe.
Once The Sentinel lies defeated, then you get to the real boss battle: a massive version of The Sentinel, known as The Empyrean Sentinel, emerges from the floor of the Vault. Then the true fight begins: a long, three-stage clash with this colossal and intimidating opponent.
9. Sledge- Borderlands
By all accounts, Sledge isn’t a nice dude. He makes his living terrorizing the people of Fyrestone and engaging in all sorts of atrocities, such as reportedly skinning an entire family alive . He antagonizes the players for most of the opening stages of the game before you eventually gather your strength and head to his hideout to take him down. If you can avoid his brutal hammer and survive waves of bandits, you’ll get to land a satisfying final blow on this brute.
8. BNK3R- Borderlands 2
About midway through Borderlands 2, you and your team of Vault Hunters set out to rescue Angel from the Handsome Jack’s bunker. Upon arrival at the fortress, you find that the bunker isn’t actually a bunker at all: it’s a giant combat drone dubbed BNK3R. What ensues is a tough, drag-out fight against a flying opponent bristling with deadly weapons. Though it can be a frustrating battle, seeing the loot raining from BNK3R’s flaming husk after finishing it off is worth the struggle.
7. The Destroyer- Borderlands
For most of Borderlands, it’s assumed that your final fight will be with the ruthless Commandant Steele, a Siren and leader of the Atlas Corporation’s Crimson Lance commando unit. At the game’s climax, Steele beats you to the Vault and opens it, only to be impaled and devoured by the game’s true final boss, The Destroyer.
This godlike, interdimensional being is a disgusting sight to behold: a mass of writhing flesh and bone with a single beady eye at the center. The fight against The Destroyer can be one of the hardest in the game, and you’ll want to be sure that you have plenty of ammo on hand. You’ll need to whittle down The Destroyer’s health bar while dodging devastating attacks to claim your final victory.
6. Hyperius the Invincible- Borderlands 2
To say that Hyperius is a tough fight might be underselling it a bit. Added as part of the “Captain Scarlett” DLC, Hyperius is a raid boss in the truest sense of the term. Even with a full squad of four players, defeating Hyperius is still a monumental feat . The key is taking out the deranged Hyperion engineer’s squad of shield-generating robots, and each one is tough enough to be a boss by itself. It’s a frustrating, rage-inducing battle, but making it to the end will net you some truly sweet loot.
Borderlands 2 gets DLC leading up to Borderlands 3
5. Wilhelm- Borderlands 2
This fight carries a lot more weight if you’ve played The Pre-Sequel. Handsome Jack’s most vicious and ruthless enforcer, Wilhelm is actually a playable character in The Pre-Sequel. A mercenary with a surgical addiction , Wilhelm is constantly searching for ways to cybernetically enhance his body to get an edge on the battlefield. Mostly human in The Pre-Sequel, by the time you encounter him in Borderlands 2 Wilhelm is more machine than man. You’ll be forced to take on Wilhelm in the wreckage of a crashed train and bring the mercenary’s story to its final conclusion.
4. Crawmerax- Borderlands
For a creature that’s essentially nothing more than a giant lobster, Crawmerax poses a pretty big threat. Added as part of a DLC expansion, Crawmerax was the first raid boss of the Borderlands series. Players take on this gargantuan shellfish as part of the aptly titled mission “You. Will. Die.” Easily one of the most time-consuming bosses in the entire series, taking Crawmerax down is a challenge even with a full party.
3. Terramorphous- Borderlands 2
A worthy predecessor to Crawmerax, Terramorphous is a giant thresher that spawns only after beating the main storyline of Borderlands 2 . The fight is essentially impossible unless you’ve got a full party of max level characters with some pretty hefty equipment. However, legend has it that one Gearbox employee figured out a build that allowed him to take on the fight solo. That said, we don’t recommend trying it at home. After all, there’s a reason the Terramorphous mission is called “You. Will. Die. (Seriously.)”
2. Bloodwing- Borderlands 2
No matter the game, the most memorable boss battles are more than just shooting up tough opponents. Veterans of the original Borderlands know Bloodwing as Mordecai’s beloved animal companion. Playing through the game as Mordecai allowed players to level up their avian pal and eventually form a tight bond with him. In Borderlands 2, you aid Mordecai in a rescue mission with the intent of freeing the captured Bloodwing from the clutches of Handsome Jack. Unfortunately, Jack forces Bloodwing to fight the players and Mordecai. What follows is an emotional and agonizing fight that eventually ends when Jack remotely detonates Bloodwing’s explosive collar, bringing the loyal bird’s story to a heartbreaking end.
1. Handsome Jack- Borderlands 2
After taunting you, killing your friends, and attempting to stop you over the course of the entire game, you finally get to take on Jack face-to-face in the depths of the Warrior Vault. It’s a hard but cathartic fight; Jack battles viciously, mocking you the entire time . Taking out an entire game’s worth of aggression on Jack is immensely satisfying. Once you have Jack on his last legs, you’re presented with a choice: kill Jack yourself, or let Lilith have the honor. Regardless, listening to the egomaniacal Hyperion CEO whimper out his last words is a sweet, sweet reward for making it to the end of the game… even if you do have to turn around and fight another boss right after he goes down.
Wrapping up
With a roster of impressive fights and memorable bad guys already, Borderlands 3 has quite a high standard to live up to. Be sure to check back with Softonic for more news and updates about the forthcoming Borderlands title.
More from Softonic
What to expect in Borderlands 3 ►
The top 10 video game series of all time ►
4 best games like Super Smash Bros. on PC ►
5 spells you need to beat Magicka ►