The following contains spoilers for Borderlands, now playing in theaters
Summary
Borderlandsincludes lots of easter eggs and references to the original game series of the same name. Based on the first-person shooter series,Borderlandsbrings audiences to the world of Pandora. The gritty alien wasteland is populated by bandits, monsters, and all sorts of wannabee treasure hunters. The film takes a lot of liberties with the original game storyline, introducing new versions of classic characters with entirely new dynamics.
However, it’s clear the worldbuilding for the film paid plenty of attention to the game’s most memorable visual elements.TheBorderlandscast of charactersencounter plenty of people, weapons, creatures, and locations from the original game, which helps flesh out the cinematic approach to the series. Here are all the biggesteaster eggs hidden throughoutBorderlandsthat reference the original games, and how they fit into the adaptaiton’s plot.
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15Skags Are All Over Pandora
Skags are seen throughoutBorderlands, and are one of the more prominent easter eggs seen throughouttheBorderlandsadaptation. Skags are a native race of pack hunters on Pandora. They serve as frequent minor enemies players encounter during the game, with many side-missions focusing on clearing out large groups of them.
Skags are seen throughout the film scavenging for food, in the wilds of Pandora. They don’t offer much of a direct threat to the film’s main characters. However,they add to the visual flavor of the film and highlight Pandora’s harsh elements.
14Rakk’s Are Flying Around Too
Another common form of wildlife found inBorderlandsare the Rakks. The Rakks are large flying creatures who descend from the sky to attack creatures and humans. Similar to the Skags, they are a frequent minor threat in the games who are often a target of side-missions.
While much of the wildlife of Pandora doesn’t play a role in the plot,one shot does highlight the potential danger of Rakks. A Rakk can be spotted during Lilith’s travels through Pandora, with a shot lingering on a Rakk attacking a Skag and carrying it off. They’re particularly dangerous in packs, which don’t appear in the film.
13The Sniper Scopes
At one point inBorderlands, Lilith spots a group of bandits who have been rounding people up for the Crimson Lance. Using a sniper rifle,Lilith ends up liberating the captured people. She also shoots the bandit from afar, cutting to a shot from her perspective.
The scope of the sniper rife has a small star within the center for aiming.This shares a design with some of the scopes players can utilize in the original game. Notably though, the Lilith of the games wasn’t as adept with sniper rifles as other characters like Mordecai were.
12The Bandits Use Catch-A-Ride Runner
Although Claptrap initially believes Lilith shot the bandits as an act of mercy towards the captured people, she reveals she did it primarily to steal the bandits' transport.The vehicle is one of the Catch-A-Ride transports that are littered across Pandorain the games. The model of vehicle resembles the Runners.
The Runners were used by players in the originalBorderlands, making traversing Pandora easier.The film implies that the Runners are still the creation of Scooter. There are signs littered across the world with his catchphrase of “Catch a Ride” in the film.
11Scooter & Ellie Show Up In Sanctuary
Borderlandsincludes a cameo appearance from Scooter and Ellie celebrating in Sanctuary alongside Moxxi.The two are far more important in the original games. Two of the children of Moxxi, Scooter and Ellie are engineers who construct many of the vehicles that can be used throughout the games.
Scooter debuted in the first game and was a memorable reoccurring character until his death inTales From The Borderlands. His sister Ellie was introduced inBorderlands 2, and provided other vehicle resources to the Vault Hunters.Their cameo acknowledges their existence in the film’s universe.
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10The DAHL Company Is All Over The Place
While the Atlas Company is a major threat throughoutBorderlands, it’s far from the only mega-corporation within the universe. ThroughoutBorderlands, other companies can be seen referenced across locations like Sanctuary.However, among the most prominent is DAHL.
Another weapons and shield manufacturer in the game, it’s revealed during theBorderlandsfilm thatLilith’s mother previously worked for them. It appears the film’s version of the company has abandoned Pandora much like the game equivalent, as many of the DAHL-branded objects are covered in dust or found among wreckage. This underscores Atlas' power on Pandora in the film.
9Acid Damage
In theBorderlandsgames, the various firearms are capable of dishing out different types of damage. This includes fire, electric, and acid damage.The green acid damage type is a particularly effective one against enemies.
While the guns of theBorderlandsmovie don’t seem to have those same elemental effects, the escape from the underground bandits does reference this kind of damage. While fleeing the horde of bandits, Roland shoots the pipes and sprays them with green chemical waste.This effectively dishes out plenty of acid damage as he can in the game.
8ECHO
InBorderlands,access to the ECHO system is a minor but crucial ability that Claptrap brings to the table. Using that digital system, Lilith is able to locate Tina and continue the plot of the film. Tannis also uses the system as a means of locating the Vault Key and later the Vault itself.
The ECHOnet was a key tool in the originalBorderlandsgame as well. It serves primarily as a form of wireless communication throughout Pandora. The film turns ECHO into an overarching technological answer.
7Fyrestone
The first location Lilith ends up inBorderlandswhen she returns to Pandora should be familiar to fans of the original game.Fyrestone was the first setting players encounteredwhile making their way through the game. The layout of the area is similar, including the remains of a few businesses.
However, the version of the town that appears in the film appears almost completely abandoned. While Fyrestone wasn’t a bustling metropolis in the game,it did introduce players to some important supporting NPCswho lived nearby, including Claptrap and Dr. Zed (who doesn’t have a notable role in the film).
6Sanctuary
Sanctuary ends up being a crucial location inBorderlands. It serves as Tannis' home and a safe haven for the Vault Hunters to regroup after escaping the Crimson Lance. Sanctuary is also the name of an important settlement in the game series.
However, its role is different. While the massive city is established before the heroes arrive in the film, it was only mentioned in the first game.The Sanctuary introduced inBorderlands 2was actually the base of operations for the Crimson Raiders, the splinter group formed by Roland.
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