Let’s be real for a second. Most people play Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel for exactly ten minutes before they start wondering why they aren't just playing Borderlands 2. I get it. The moon gravity is floaty, the oxygen mechanic (O2 kits) feels like a chore at first, and the Australian accents are... a lot. But if you actually sit down and look at the Borderlands The Pre Sequel classes, you realize something kind of wild. This game has the best mechanical design in the entire franchise.
Wait. Don’t roll your eyes.
In the other games, skill trees often feel like "get 5% more gun damage." In the Pre-Sequel, the developers at 2K Australia went absolutely feral. They built characters that talk to each other, characters that change how the game's physics work, and one literal robot that is a walking RNG nightmare. Picking the right vault hunter here isn't just about a playstyle; it’s about how much chaos you’re willing to tolerate while jumping around in a vacuum.
The Athena Problem and Why She’s the GOAT
If you ask a veteran which of the Borderlands The Pre Sequel classes is the "best," they’ll almost always say Athena. She’s the Gladiator. She’s also arguably the protagonist of the story, considering she’s the one narrating the whole thing from a chair while being interrogated by Lilith and Brick.
Athena’s Kinetic Aspis is the most "complete" action skill ever put in a Borderlands game. You press a button, you pull out a shield, and you become basically invincible from the front. But it’s not just a defensive tool. It absorbs damage. When you throw it, it deals all that energy back to enemies. It feels like playing Captain America if Steve Rogers had a serious grudge and a plasma sword.
Here is the thing people miss about Athena: her Ceraunic Storm tree. Most players stick to the Xiphos (melee) or Phalanx (tank) trees because they’re safe. But Ceraunic Storm turns you into a literal god of lightning. You build "Maelstrom" stacks by dealing shock or incendiary damage. Once those stacks get high—and they get high fast—your fire rate and damage go through the roof. You aren't just shooting guns anymore. You are a walking electrical storm. Honestly, it’s a bit broken. If you’ve ever wanted to delete a boss in three seconds while hovering in mid-air, Athena is the choice.
Wilhelm is Boring (And That’s the Point)
Wilhelm is the Enforcer. He’s the guy who eventually becomes the giant robot boss you kill in Borderlands 2. In this game, he’s still mostly human, but every time you spend a skill point in his "Cyber Commando" tree, his voice actually changes. It gets more metallic. More robotic. It’s a tiny detail that makes the progression feel heavy.
His action skill summons two drones: Wolf and Saint. Wolf flies around and shoots things. Saint stays near you and heals you.
It sounds simple. Boring, even.
Compared to a shield-throwing gladiator or a doppleganger, Wilhelm feels like the "tutorial" character. But he’s the most consistent. If you hate dying and you hate micromanaging your health, Wilhelm is your guy. He is a wall. By the time you reach the end-game, you have so much damage reduction and automated assistance that you can basically walk through the Helios space station like you're going for a Sunday stroll. You’re a tank. A very loud, very angry, semi-mechanical tank.
Claptrap is a Social Experiment
I need to warn you about Fragtrap.
Playing Claptrap is a choice you make when you no longer care about winning and only care about making your friends angry. His action skill, VaultHunter.EXE, "analyzes" the current combat situation and gives you a random ability. Sometimes it gives you a massive disco ball that shoots lasers. Sometimes it turns you into a rubber ducky that bounces uncontrollably.
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Sometimes it gives everyone in your party a "buff" that forces them to fire their guns constantly until the magazine is empty.
Your friends will hate you. They will scream at you over Discord. But Claptrap is also the only character who doesn't need oxygen. Since he’s a robot, you don’t have to worry about O2 canisters or suffocating. That alone makes him one of the most unique Borderlands The Pre Sequel classes. He also has a "Sub-Routine" mechanic where he gets massive bonuses for using a specific weapon type (like pistols) but massive penalties for using anything else. It forces you to swap your loadout every few minutes. It’s exhausting. It’s chaotic. It is peak Borderlands.
Nisha and the Ethics of Aimbot
Nisha the Lawbringer is the "glass cannon." If you like the feeling of "Showdown"—which is basically a legal aimbot—Nisha is the answer. Her action skill automatically locks your reticle onto enemy heads. You just pull the trigger as fast as you can.
- Pros: You have the highest DPS in the game.
- Cons: You have the durability of a wet paper towel.
- The Vibe: High-noon cowboy lethality.
Nisha’s "The Riflewoman" tree is where the real magic happens. It rewards you for hip-firing and never aiming down sights. In a game with low gravity where you spend half your time in the air, being able to snap-target enemies without stopping to aim is a massive advantage. She’s the character for people who want to feel like they’re in a John Wick movie, provided John Wick died if a Scav looked at him funny.
The DLC Characters: Why They Change Everything
Usually, DLC characters are just "extra." In this game, they are arguably better designed than the base four.
Jack (The Doppelganger) is a masterpiece of game design. You summon two "Digi-Jacks" that stand near you and shoot. But they don't just stand there. They die, they respawn, and every time they do, they trigger your "on-kill" skills. You can build Jack so that he is constantly triggering buffs without you ever actually killing an enemy yourself. It’s an infinite loop of power. Plus, his dialogue is hilarious. He’s cocky, insecure, and terrifying all at once.
Then there’s Aurelia, Sir Hammerlock’s sister. She’s the "Cold as Ice" sniper. She has a literal "Contract" skill tree where she can pick another player in the lobby to be her "Servant." She gets buffs when they do well. They get buffs when she lets them. It’s the only time a Borderlands game has tried to bake social hierarchy into a skill tree. Also, her ice shard action skill is incredible for crowd control. She turns the entire battlefield into a frozen wasteland.
What Most People Get Wrong About Build Variety
A common complaint about the Borderlands The Pre Sequel classes is that there isn't enough gear to support them. In Borderlands 2, you had the Bee Shield, the Unkempt Harold, and the Grog Nozzle. In the Pre-Sequel, the "meta" is much wider because the characters are stronger on their own.
You don't need a specific legendary pistol to make Nisha work. You don't need a specific shield to make Athena a tank. The skill trees are "fatter" here. There’s more synergy.
For instance, most players ignore the "Slam" mechanic. They shouldn't. Certain Oz kits turn your butt-slam into an elemental explosion. When you combine this with Claptrap’s explosive builds or Athena’s Maelstrom stacks, the ground becomes a weapon. This isn't just a shooter; it's a vertical platformer where your boots are grenades.
Making Your Final Choice
If you are playing solo, pick Wilhelm or Jack. Their summons (drones/clones) act as decoys, which makes the boss fights much less frustrating. Trying to fight the Sentinel as a solo Nisha is a recipe for a broken controller because she can't take a hit.
If you are playing with a group, someone must be Claptrap or Aurelia. The group synergies—whether it’s Aurelia’s "Master and Servant" buffs or Claptrap’s team-wide "Maniacal Laughter" healing—make the game significantly more fun.
The biggest mistake is picking a character based on who they are in Borderlands 2. Just because you liked killing Wilhelm in the second game doesn't mean you'll like playing him here. Look at the mechanics. Do you want to aim? Pick Nisha. Do you want to never aim? Pick Claptrap. Do you want to be an elemental goddess? Athena.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Playthrough
Ready to jump back into Elpis? Don't just wing it. Follow these steps to actually enjoy the grind:
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- Ignore the "Blue" O2 Kits: Focus on Oz kits that boost your specific elemental damage. A "Maelstrom" Athena with a shock Oz kit is 3x more powerful than one with a high-capacity oxygen tank.
- Rush the "Capstone" Skills: Unlike other games, the final skills in these trees are game-changers. For Jack, "Leadership" (which makes Digi-Jacks count as kills) is mandatory for high-level play.
- Weapon Swapping is Key: Because of how ammo works in this game, you can't just stick to one gun. Use the Grinder in Concordia to turn your junk loot into something useful. It’s not just a gimmick; it’s the only way to get reliable gear in the mid-game.
- Experiment with Cryo: Slag is gone. Thank god. Cryo is the replacement, and it’s better. It freezes enemies in place, and frozen enemies take massive increased melee, explosive, and critical hit damage. If your character has an explosive build (like Claptrap or Wilhelm), carry a cryo weapon at all times.
The moon is a weird place. It’s lonely, the air is thin, and the gravity makes every fight feel like a slow-motion ballet. But if you pick the right class, it's the most rewarding combat experience in the series. Stop playing it like it's Borderlands 2 and start leaning into the specific, weird, broken mechanics these six vault hunters offer.