Let’s be real. When most people first booted up Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, they looked at the character select screen and immediately skipped over the middle-aged guy with the buzzcut. Compared to a literal law-keeping gunslinger or a double of Handsome Jack, Wilhelm looks like a generic security guard.
He’s not. Not even close.
In a game set on a low-gravity moon where everyone is double-jumping and dashing, Borderlands Pre Sequel Wilhelm is the ultimate anchor. He is the relentless tank that simply refuses to die, turning himself into a walking tank one robotic limb at a time. If you’ve ever wondered why the guy who dies in ten seconds as a boss in Borderlands 2 is so hyped up in the lore, you probably haven't played his Pre-Sequel version correctly.
The Tragedy of the "One-Turn Boss"
Gaming history hasn't been kind to Wilhelm. In Borderlands 2, Jack talks him up as this unstoppable monster who nearly killed the original Vault Hunters. Then you meet him at the End of the Line and... you probably killed him in under a minute with a corrosive Teapot.
It felt like a joke.
But Borderlands Pre Sequel Wilhelm reveals the truth. You’re playing him at his peak—before he became a bloated, poisoned loader-hybrid. He’s a mercenary with a bone wasting disease who realized early on that meat is weak and metal is forever. The way Gearbox handles his progression is honestly one of the coolest mechanical storytelling tricks in the series. As you spec into the Cyber Commando tree, his voice actually changes. It gets more metallic. More distorted. By the time you reach the capstone, he doesn't even sound human anymore.
How to Actually Play Wilhelm Without Dying
Wilhelm is defined by Wolf and Saint, his dual drones.
Most pet classes in Borderlands (looking at you, Gaige) have pets that act like autonomous distractions. Wilhelm is different. His drones are extensions of his own stats. Wolf is the aggressor, flying around and marking targets, while Saint stays glued to your shoulder, keeping your health and shields from bottoming out.
If you want to dominate, you have to lean into the synergy.
The Skill Tree Split
Honestly, don't try to be a jack-of-all-trades early on. It doesn't work.
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- Hunter-Killer (The Red Tree): This is all about Wolf. If you like seeing a tiny robot red-mist enemies while you sit back, go here. The skill Laser Guided is non-negotiable. You paint an enemy, Wolf focuses on them, and they take 25% more damage from everything. It’s a boss-melter.
- Cyber Commando (The Blue Tree): This is where Wilhelm becomes the Terminator. You get a Power Fist that deals explosive melee damage and Vengeance Cannon, a shoulder-mounted laser that triggers whenever your shields break. It makes you feel like a walking battleship.
- Dreadnought (The Green Tree): Total survivability. If you’re playing solo or on Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode (UVHM), you’re going to want termination protocols. Instead of a standard "Fight for Your Life" where you crawl around with a pistol, you walk at full speed and fire electrical bolts from your eyes. It’s hilarious and effective.
Why Lasers are Wilhelm’s Best Friend
You can use whatever you want, but Wilhelm is the undisputed king of lasers.
Specifically, look for Maliwan Blasters or Hyperion Railguns. Because of the skill Laser Focus, he gets massive boosts to laser damage and magazine size. While other characters are struggling with reload speeds, a well-built Wilhelm can fire a continuous beam of death for what feels like an hour.
Don't sleep on the Eddie Oz Kit either. It’s a legendary item that basically acts like a third drone, restoring your shields and occasionally zapping enemies. When you combine Saint, Wolf, and Eddie, you aren't just one guy—you’re a mobile computer cluster.
The "Poison" Theory: Why He Was Weak in BL2
There’s a bit of "cut" ECHO log dialogue that seasoned fans always bring up. It suggests that Handsome Jack actually poisoned Wilhelm before his fight with the Vault Hunters in the second game. Why? Because Jack needed the Vault Hunters to take the power core back to Sanctuary to disable the shields.
If Wilhelm had been at his Borderlands Pre Sequel strength, the Borderlands 2 crew would have been wiped out before they reached the Tundra Express.
Playing him in the Pre-Sequel lets you experience that "un-poisoned" power. He is one of the most balanced characters in the franchise. He doesn't have the insane one-shot potential of Nisha, but he also doesn't have her glass-cannon fragility. He’s a relentless, grinding force.
Essential Gear for the End Game
To make Borderlands Pre Sequel Wilhelm truly "broken" at level 70, you need a few specific pieces of kit:
- The Absolute Zero: A legendary cryo laser from the Claptastic Voyage DLC. It has a massive freeze chance. Since Wilhelm’s Cold War skill allows him to freeze enemies with non-cryo elements, adding an actual cryo laser into the mix turns the battlefield into an ice sculpture gallery.
- Prismatic Bulwark: This shield increases laser damage and gives you a chance to absorb laser fire. It’s almost mandatory.
- Celestial Enforcer Class Mod: This is his "holy grail" mod. It boosts his damage, shield capacity, and gives him health regen while the drones are out.
Final Actionable Insights
If you're starting a new run today, do these three things:
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- Get Laser Guided immediately. It's at the end of Tier 2 in the Hunter-Killer tree. It changes how the drones function and makes your targeting much more deliberate.
- Spec into Power Fist for the movement. The punch has a slight dash forward. In the moon’s low gravity, you can use it to bridge gaps or close the distance on enemies faster than jumping.
- Watch your voice. Keep an eye (or ear) on Wilhelm's dialogue as you put points into the middle tree. It’s one of the best bits of attention-to-detail in the entire series.
Once you stop treating him like a generic soldier and start treating him like a cybernetic god, the game completely opens up. He’s not boring; he’s just efficient.
Next Steps for Your Build:
- Locate the Excalibastard: Travel to Triton Flats with at least 2,500 Badass Rank to pull this legendary cryo railgun from the stone. It’s a perfect match for a Cyber Commando build.
- Farm the Holodome: If you want the Chronicler of Elphis class mod, you'll need to complete the Holodome DLC rounds. This mod is arguably better than the Celestial Enforcer for pure cryo-damage builds.
- Prioritize Weapon Swapping: Use the Suppression kill skill to boost your fire rate, then swap to a high-damage weapon like a Torgue Ravager to capitalize on the speed while the buff lasts.