Hey, yeah, you're right. It's kind of like it's just easy for them to get along and talk to each other. That's gotta be a big part of why I like them as friends, too.
Well this is a Borderlands game so violence is to be expected especially on Pandora. And I guess a defining moment for me would be after the intro for episode 2 when they get separated Sasha asks Fiona if she thinks they will be okay and you can choose to say that they will be fine which shows that they both think they will actually survive.
Oh, yeah! There's also the moment when Rhys picked up Dumpy and said something like, "I'm taking you with me...for some reason." Adorable and sweet of Rhys.
Rhys is a rather sarcastic and duplicitous fellow. Mockery and condescenscion drip from his every word if he thinks he can get away with it. The pinky promise he makes with Sasha about his Stun Baton initially seems to be yet another extension of his snark. The quote above though, reveals that the gesture was actually sincere and he views Sasha's acceptance of it and growing tolerance of him to be indicative of a burgeoning friendship. At the end of the day, Rhys, like Jack before him, is an overgrown dork that just wants to be liked. It's just that, like his idol, he's semi-clueless on how to do so and willing to do terribly things to make that happen.
Vaughn
"But he can't defuse the bomb synced to my bio-signature."
It sounds like a threat. He says it very pointedly and there's a hint of spite peeking through his fear. The statement causes Fiona to drop her composure as she quickly processes that if she and Sasha had managed to get the case back in Prosperity Junction or attempted to screw these two (apparently) hapless Hyperion code monkeys, they would've gotten blosn up. Vaughn's a pretty cool guy, but that doesn't automoatically make him a totally good guy. Does he get a raw deal a lot of the time? Yes. But he stole ten million dollars in a blink of an eye and killed his fair share of bandits during the race. He doesn't seem all too fond of violence, yet he can be incredibly crafty and vicious if need be. And that makes him a more layered character in my opinion.
Fiona
"Cut her out of the deal/Make her head spin"
In the present day, Rhys and Fiona hate each other. The two of them also think they are better than the other. Due to her greater combat prowess and practical cunning, the deck seems rather stacked in Fiona's favor on this front. However, events in the Tale hint that she's just as out of her depth as the Hyperion corporate climber she has contempt for. From potentially activating the EMP while Rhys was holding the fake Vault key with his mechanical arm to digging out the eyes of a still-alive General Pollux, this seasoned con artist isn't above the occasional and very catastrophic screw-up. She even has more opportunities to stretch the truth than Rhys as they're telling the story to the Stranger, culminating in her highly exaggerated and fraudulent murder of Vallory at the start of episode 3, mirroring Rhys' own preposterous lie about how his deal with Felix went down, a fib she lambasted him for with her first spoken lines in the game. The moment also foreshadows her future animosity towards Vallory herself.
Sasha
"We had it...we had it in our hands, Fiona. Ten million dollars. Enough to get off this planet. Enough to...buy a new life..."
Sasha might resent Hyperion for trying to kill everything on Pandora (and holds this against Rhys for much of the first episode), but this anguished lamentation makes it clear that she despises the place all the same. The planet's all well and good when you're a Vault Hunter, corporate agent, or a player because they can come and go from this world at their leisure; shoot some thugs, loot some chests, have a good time, and skedaddle. All the exiles and natives aren't that lucky. The former are stuck there because they've got no place else to go and the latter have it worse since they had the misfortune of being born on that cosmic wasteland filled with dangerous creatures, remorseless criminals, and air that "smells like hemorrhoids wrapped in bacon," while knowing that there are in fact better worlds out there. She might love guns and can snap a guy's neck in an instant, but Sasha doesn't want to be on Pandora, her ability to survive on it be damned. She wants a new life that is definitely divorced from someone else's idea of a post-apocalyptic wet dream.
I'm also rather keen on this scene, because until that point, Sasha was a completely secondary character in a number of respects. Her splash screen lists her as "(Fiona's) kid sister, partner-in-crime" and once seperated from her she becomes the Pandoran spitfire that Rhys has to win over (also a potential love interest in the third, but that's getting ahead of ourselves). It was good of the writers to give her this little moment to express her own dreams, hopes, and regrets, even if she shares some of them with Fiona; it helps flesh her out and Erin Yvette's delivery was top shelf.
Close second is the bridge scene from episode 3, but Rhys & Sasha kind of share that.
Felix
His ECHOnet entry. It's just great.
Loader Bot
"I cannot hold back your tide of bad decisions."
If you're a jerk to Loader Bot, this is just him getting back at you. If you told him to evacuate, the line becomes more meaningful. Sure, Loader Bot's fond of Rhys, but not even that fondness can blind him to the fact that the guy's actions are why he's gotten shot at, dismembered, singed, blown up, and throttled. When it comes to friends, you take the good and the bad, even if you don't necessarily like or accept the bad. That's a pretty big step for AI maturity. Get Skynet or Shodan and they'd get all uppity the moment a bullet hit their chassis.
Gortys
"Good riddence, then!"
I'm rather keen on this dismissal of Vasquez once Gortys is told that he was a bad guy, because it succinctly implies that Gortys is more than just the chipper and straight-talking foil to everyone else's cynical sarcastic rogue. She's capable of judging others, she's not all acceptance and hugging and rainbows, and she seems to be under the terribly naive impression that she and the protagonists (even Athena, who she acknowledges as a serial killer responsible for the hindering of her creation) are the "good guys" of the story. A misinformed presumption that is sorely tested as Episode 3 reaches its climax.
Jack
"You know why I died? 'Cause I didn't work with the people I didn't trust. If I had just thrown stock options at the Vault Hunters instead of bullets, I'd be on a beach right now doing disturbingly graphic things to the local ladies. And if you can't learn to work with the people you want to punch in the throat, well, then you're gonna die with nothing but your pride and a big fat hole in your sternum. It sucks. Shit hurts."
You'd never hear "Meat Jack" say these words. Even defeated, he was still adamant that he had done nothing wrong and is aghast at his impossible failure. "Holo Jack", unable to kill or bribe in his current state, has undergone some self-reflection and can admit that his methods (if not his goals) were flawed due to his arrogrance preventing him from making compromises. It would be prudent to point out that Jack never compromised on anything while he was alive. If there was a problem or person standing in his way, he'd either work around it or stab it in the back when the opportunity presented itself. His methods worked for a while, but something had to give and his luck ran out. It helps that the last part of this epiphany is good, if sobbering, life advice.
August
"Yeah?! You say 'hi' to your-!"
A pretty early hint that August has some rather deep parental issues which in turn transforms his daring and ill-advised attempt to scam his mob boss superior out of a lucrative deal into a petulant and juvenile action to get one over on his mother. It's doubly impactful if you're from a culture that looks down on those that work under their folks.
Vasquez
The Overcompensator
Vasquez walked the fine line between being comical and being genuinely threatening. A goon that was smarther than you'd expect, but dumber than he thinks. No moment encapsulates this better than his initial confrontation with Rhys and Vaughn in Atlas Mugged where he manages to track his two adversaries down, but doesn't know how to use his chosen instrument of murder. His rash bullying nature is brought to the forefront during this when he tries to headbutt Rhys in a hasty rage, forgetting that he's a cyborg with a metal-plated skull.
Vallory
"Are you sassing me, son?"
August, why can't you be more like Moxxi's kids? They've got their own businesses and don't give their mother any lip or filch her for cash. And here you are with your piercings and fingerless gloves waiting for me to die. How old do you think you are? Seriously.
Athena
"You lying Atlas shit!"
Or scum, depending on your playthrough. She said after casually and remorselessly fibbing to Janey about what she was doing just minutes before. If you're familiar with the franchise and this character in particular, the hypocricies stack up from there. Her crusade against Atlas, apparently justified given her grudge and a repertoire of opposition that ranged from the moronic (Crimson Lance), the malevolent (Steele), and the suicidal (Knoxx), is turned on its head with the implication that she's been murdering ordinary workers just because they're in the company's employ. Consider these lines from the Pre-Sequel where Athena expresses horror that Jack murdered a group of scientists because he assumed some form of wrongdoing:
"Those people were FRIGHTENED. They would have done nothing..."
And this one when she refuses to execute a surrendering and compliant DAHL soldier:
"I don't kill people who aren't shooting at me."
But all this honor and professionalism falls off the moment she (almost literally) sees red on the very frightened and unarmed Cassius; she will kill him because she is obligated to and because it is right (in her mind anyway). What's left is a furious and heartbroken mass murderer looking to vent her regrets and frustrations vis-a-vis vengeance. Incidentally, this is the only time (apart from a minor barb from Jack during their ECHO interview) that the unhealthiness of this quest is brought up in the games since she's surrounded by individuals who, while not saints in any capacity, aren't so keen on casual butchery. Even Fiona and Sasha's grudges against their Hyperion companions have softened at this juncture.
And if you chose to let Jack take control of Rhys' body at the end of episode 2 or agree to an alliance with him during the opening leg of episode 3, this scene becomes an eerie micro-recreation of the The Pre-Sequel. The hulking metallic cyclops, the sharp-tongued gunslinger, the professional rogue, the chipper wheeled robot, and Jack himself. This is the final temptation of Athena, one she can either refuse or give into, as this is her very last chance (since she killed all the others) to not give in to hatred and egotism like the former ally she had such contempt for; the lack of self-awarenessthat made him unable to recognize his own immorality and the lack of self-control that made it impossible for him to just stop his mad campaign. Jack of course, who serves Cassius up like a prime roast, encourages her to do what he'd do in her situation. Fiona can fall under the sway of Athena's rhetoric or she can stand her ground and give her mentor a dressing down that the Gladiator (unlike Jack) might actually take to heart.
Wow, great list. especially regarding Gortys. It was that line that you quoted that really cemented her character in my head, not as an extremely nice robot, but as an extremely child-like robot. Young children see the world in simple terms of black and white. There are good guys and bad guys, and children love it when the bad guys in a story receive their punishments. For instance, to paraphrase a professor I had once, "Adults think it is quite gruesome that the witch in 'Hansel and Gretel' gets pushed into her own oven and baked alive, but children love that. To them, the witch is mean and simply deserved to die a gruesome death."
In a child's simplified view of the world, it is easy to gloss over the sins of those you consider the good guys (like Athena) and to gloss over the feelings of those you consider the bad guys (like Vasquez).
Yep, so that was a fine piece of writing for Gortys, really did show who she is at her...core.
Rhys
"Ooo look at us, we're like best friends now."
Rhys is a rather sarcastic and duplicitous fellow. Mockery and condescensc… moreion drip from his every word if he thinks he can get away with it. The pinky promise he makes with Sasha about his Stun Baton initially seems to be yet another extension of his snark. The quote above though, reveals that the gesture was actually sincere and he views Sasha's acceptance of it and growing tolerance of him to be indicative of a burgeoning friendship. At the end of the day, Rhys, like Jack before him, is an overgrown dork that just wants to be liked. It's just that, like his idol, he's semi-clueless on how to do so and willing to do terribly things to make that happen.
Vaughn
"But he can't defuse the bomb synced to my bio-signature."
It sounds like a threat. He says it very pointedly and there's a hint of spite peeking through his fear. The statement causes Fiona to drop her c… [view original content]
Did you mean to post this picture? What connection are you trying to make between TPS Jack and Sasha?
EDIT: Nevermind. It's late and I think I got it; I thought the picture was supposed to be the important part. Please ignore this. XP
Rhys- his contributions during Bossanova's Death Rally. Arguably, Rhys wants to be as respected as Handsome Jack, and so he tries very hard to appear confident, but he tends to panic very easily. However, that whole segment showed just how competent he could be. Sure, he's weak, awkward, and easily panicked, but he shows that he can think under pressure.
Fiona- her moments during episode 3 with Athena. I enjoyed how Athena demonstrated how each person has a unique quality that can be mastered, and how Fiona had potential to be a Vault Hunter, should she wish. Suddenly, her perceptive skills and fast reflexes as a scoundrel found new purpose, and when she took on Brick and Mordecai, it showed.
Vaughn- Vaughn fighting in Bossanova's Death Rally. If Rhys gets nervous under pressure, Vaughn is the equivalent of a nuclear meltdown. Which is why when Vaughn decides to zoom around on a motorcycle during a death race, shooting psychotic murderers, it surprised me.
Sasha- clearly, Sasha is the muscle of the group. Every time she fights, it's pretty cool. Her bias against Hyperion also defines her, but it's a shared opinion with nearly everyone on Pandora. I'd say her most defining moments are when she relates to Rhys, and feels guilt towards August. It's reflective of how good she is at manipulating those around her, but how little she knows about those closest to her, as evidenced by Felix and Rhys. In a way, she is the one who feels manipulated, and so I think she is sort of divided by herself and seeks escape from it.
Loader Bot- every time he helps someone. Loader Bot is a loyal bot.
Athena- when she talks about those she cares about, but also how she is torn between them and Vault Hunting. She is a thrill-seeker, and she struggles with how her addiction ultimately harms people she cares about, such as her sister or Janey Springs.
Handsome Jack- the conversation he has with Rhys on the roof. It reveals how fragile and unstable Jack is; here is a guy who has been damaged and betrayed, has committed atrocities, and he genuinely wants to believe that he's the solution to everything wrong...but his hesitation when talking about Athena betrays that he knows he's made mistakes. He won't admit it, or can't, but he acknowledges that something is wrong.
While I can't think of a list at the very moment there was one little snippet I saw on my first playthrough.
After the scene on the roof when you make your decision on whether to trust jack or not and when it cuts to
The present. Fiona will judge based on whatever thing you did and make a snarky comment at Rhys.
However Rhys doesn't even acknowledge her and Fiona kinda averts her eyes and raises and eyebrow. If anyone has a gif of that'd be great but I thought it was interesting. The present relationship dynamic is so interesting to me and I hope we can forge the relationship they have.
While I can't think of a list at the very moment there was one little snippet I saw on my first playthrough.
After the scene on the roof wh… moreen you make your decision on whether to trust jack or not and when it cuts to
The present. Fiona will judge based on whatever thing you did and make a snarky comment at Rhys.
However Rhys doesn't even acknowledge her and Fiona kinda averts her eyes and raises and eyebrow. If anyone has a gif of that'd be great but I thought it was interesting. The present relationship dynamic is so interesting to me and I hope we can forge the relationship they have.
A defining character moment for Handsome Jack (i.e. Jack being the most Jack he could possibly be) is probably when he takes control of the sentry bots and shouts, "Get ready to lick my boots you raging douchebags!" before maniacally lauging.
loaderbot is awesome (blew him up on my first playthrough lol) my official playthrough he lives to see another day
p.s couldn't find any decent pictures so heres something random
Rhys
"Ooo look at us, we're like best friends now."
Rhys is a rather sarcastic and duplicitous fellow. Mockery and condescensc… moreion drip from his every word if he thinks he can get away with it. The pinky promise he makes with Sasha about his Stun Baton initially seems to be yet another extension of his snark. The quote above though, reveals that the gesture was actually sincere and he views Sasha's acceptance of it and growing tolerance of him to be indicative of a burgeoning friendship. At the end of the day, Rhys, like Jack before him, is an overgrown dork that just wants to be liked. It's just that, like his idol, he's semi-clueless on how to do so and willing to do terribly things to make that happen.
Vaughn
"But he can't defuse the bomb synced to my bio-signature."
It sounds like a threat. He says it very pointedly and there's a hint of spite peeking through his fear. The statement causes Fiona to drop her c… [view original content]
Comments
Hey, yeah, you're right. It's kind of like it's just easy for them to get along and talk to each other. That's gotta be a big part of why I like them as friends, too.
Well this is a Borderlands game so violence is to be expected especially on Pandora. And I guess a defining moment for me would be after the intro for episode 2 when they get separated Sasha asks Fiona if she thinks they will be okay and you can choose to say that they will be fine which shows that they both think they will actually survive.
Oh, yeah! There's also the moment when Rhys picked up Dumpy and said something like, "I'm taking you with me...for some reason." Adorable and sweet of Rhys.
Rhys
Rhys is a rather sarcastic and duplicitous fellow. Mockery and condescenscion drip from his every word if he thinks he can get away with it. The pinky promise he makes with Sasha about his Stun Baton initially seems to be yet another extension of his snark. The quote above though, reveals that the gesture was actually sincere and he views Sasha's acceptance of it and growing tolerance of him to be indicative of a burgeoning friendship. At the end of the day, Rhys, like Jack before him, is an overgrown dork that just wants to be liked. It's just that, like his idol, he's semi-clueless on how to do so and willing to do terribly things to make that happen.
Vaughn
It sounds like a threat. He says it very pointedly and there's a hint of spite peeking through his fear. The statement causes Fiona to drop her composure as she quickly processes that if she and Sasha had managed to get the case back in Prosperity Junction or attempted to screw these two (apparently) hapless Hyperion code monkeys, they would've gotten blosn up. Vaughn's a pretty cool guy, but that doesn't automoatically make him a totally good guy. Does he get a raw deal a lot of the time? Yes. But he stole ten million dollars in a blink of an eye and killed his fair share of bandits during the race. He doesn't seem all too fond of violence, yet he can be incredibly crafty and vicious if need be. And that makes him a more layered character in my opinion.
Fiona
In the present day, Rhys and Fiona hate each other. The two of them also think they are better than the other. Due to her greater combat prowess and practical cunning, the deck seems rather stacked in Fiona's favor on this front. However, events in the Tale hint that she's just as out of her depth as the Hyperion corporate climber she has contempt for. From potentially activating the EMP while Rhys was holding the fake Vault key with his mechanical arm to digging out the eyes of a still-alive General Pollux, this seasoned con artist isn't above the occasional and very catastrophic screw-up. She even has more opportunities to stretch the truth than Rhys as they're telling the story to the Stranger, culminating in her highly exaggerated and fraudulent murder of Vallory at the start of episode 3, mirroring Rhys' own preposterous lie about how his deal with Felix went down, a fib she lambasted him for with her first spoken lines in the game. The moment also foreshadows her future animosity towards Vallory herself.
Sasha
Sasha might resent Hyperion for trying to kill everything on Pandora (and holds this against Rhys for much of the first episode), but this anguished lamentation makes it clear that she despises the place all the same. The planet's all well and good when you're a Vault Hunter, corporate agent, or a player because they can come and go from this world at their leisure; shoot some thugs, loot some chests, have a good time, and skedaddle. All the exiles and natives aren't that lucky. The former are stuck there because they've got no place else to go and the latter have it worse since they had the misfortune of being born on that cosmic wasteland filled with dangerous creatures, remorseless criminals, and air that "smells like hemorrhoids wrapped in bacon," while knowing that there are in fact better worlds out there. She might love guns and can snap a guy's neck in an instant, but Sasha doesn't want to be on Pandora, her ability to survive on it be damned. She wants a new life that is definitely divorced from someone else's idea of a post-apocalyptic wet dream.
I'm also rather keen on this scene, because until that point, Sasha was a completely secondary character in a number of respects. Her splash screen lists her as "(Fiona's) kid sister, partner-in-crime" and once seperated from her she becomes the Pandoran spitfire that Rhys has to win over (also a potential love interest in the third, but that's getting ahead of ourselves). It was good of the writers to give her this little moment to express her own dreams, hopes, and regrets, even if she shares some of them with Fiona; it helps flesh her out and Erin Yvette's delivery was top shelf.
Close second is the bridge scene from episode 3, but Rhys & Sasha kind of share that.
Felix
His ECHOnet entry. It's just great.
Loader Bot
If you're a jerk to Loader Bot, this is just him getting back at you. If you told him to evacuate, the line becomes more meaningful. Sure, Loader Bot's fond of Rhys, but not even that fondness can blind him to the fact that the guy's actions are why he's gotten shot at, dismembered, singed, blown up, and throttled. When it comes to friends, you take the good and the bad, even if you don't necessarily like or accept the bad. That's a pretty big step for AI maturity. Get Skynet or Shodan and they'd get all uppity the moment a bullet hit their chassis.
Gortys
I'm rather keen on this dismissal of Vasquez once Gortys is told that he was a bad guy, because it succinctly implies that Gortys is more than just the chipper and straight-talking foil to everyone else's cynical sarcastic rogue. She's capable of judging others, she's not all acceptance and hugging and rainbows, and she seems to be under the terribly naive impression that she and the protagonists (even Athena, who she acknowledges as a serial killer responsible for the hindering of her creation) are the "good guys" of the story. A misinformed presumption that is sorely tested as Episode 3 reaches its climax.
Jack
You'd never hear "Meat Jack" say these words. Even defeated, he was still adamant that he had done nothing wrong and is aghast at his impossible failure. "Holo Jack", unable to kill or bribe in his current state, has undergone some self-reflection and can admit that his methods (if not his goals) were flawed due to his arrogrance preventing him from making compromises. It would be prudent to point out that Jack never compromised on anything while he was alive. If there was a problem or person standing in his way, he'd either work around it or stab it in the back when the opportunity presented itself. His methods worked for a while, but something had to give and his luck ran out. It helps that the last part of this epiphany is good, if sobbering, life advice.
August
A pretty early hint that August has some rather deep parental issues which in turn transforms his daring and ill-advised attempt to scam his mob boss superior out of a lucrative deal into a petulant and juvenile action to get one over on his mother. It's doubly impactful if you're from a culture that looks down on those that work under their folks.
Vasquez
The Overcompensator
Vasquez walked the fine line between being comical and being genuinely threatening. A goon that was smarther than you'd expect, but dumber than he thinks. No moment encapsulates this better than his initial confrontation with Rhys and Vaughn in Atlas Mugged where he manages to track his two adversaries down, but doesn't know how to use his chosen instrument of murder. His rash bullying nature is brought to the forefront during this when he tries to headbutt Rhys in a hasty rage, forgetting that he's a cyborg with a metal-plated skull.
Vallory
August, why can't you be more like Moxxi's kids? They've got their own businesses and don't give their mother any lip or filch her for cash. And here you are with your piercings and fingerless gloves waiting for me to die. How old do you think you are? Seriously.
Athena
Or scum, depending on your playthrough. She said after casually and remorselessly fibbing to Janey about what she was doing just minutes before. If you're familiar with the franchise and this character in particular, the hypocricies stack up from there. Her crusade against Atlas, apparently justified given her grudge and a repertoire of opposition that ranged from the moronic (Crimson Lance), the malevolent (Steele), and the suicidal (Knoxx), is turned on its head with the implication that she's been murdering ordinary workers just because they're in the company's employ. Consider these lines from the Pre-Sequel where Athena expresses horror that Jack murdered a group of scientists because he assumed some form of wrongdoing:
And this one when she refuses to execute a surrendering and compliant DAHL soldier:
But all this honor and professionalism falls off the moment she (almost literally) sees red on the very frightened and unarmed Cassius; she will kill him because she is obligated to and because it is right (in her mind anyway). What's left is a furious and heartbroken mass murderer looking to vent her regrets and frustrations vis-a-vis vengeance. Incidentally, this is the only time (apart from a minor barb from Jack during their ECHO interview) that the unhealthiness of this quest is brought up in the games since she's surrounded by individuals who, while not saints in any capacity, aren't so keen on casual butchery. Even Fiona and Sasha's grudges against their Hyperion companions have softened at this juncture.
And if you chose to let Jack take control of Rhys' body at the end of episode 2 or agree to an alliance with him during the opening leg of episode 3, this scene becomes an eerie micro-recreation of the The Pre-Sequel. The hulking metallic cyclops, the sharp-tongued gunslinger, the professional rogue, the chipper wheeled robot, and Jack himself. This is the final temptation of Athena, one she can either refuse or give into, as this is her very last chance (since she killed all the others) to not give in to hatred and egotism like the former ally she had such contempt for; the lack of self-awarenessthat made him unable to recognize his own immorality and the lack of self-control that made it impossible for him to just stop his mad campaign. Jack of course, who serves Cassius up like a prime roast, encourages her to do what he'd do in her situation. Fiona can fall under the sway of Athena's rhetoric or she can stand her ground and give her mentor a dressing down that the Gladiator (unlike Jack) might actually take to heart.
Thank you, dear sir.
Did you mean to post this picture? What connection are you trying to make between TPS Jack and Sasha?
EDIT: Nevermind. It's late and I think I got it; I thought the picture was supposed to be the important part. Please ignore this. XP
Wow, great list.
especially regarding Gortys. It was that line that you quoted that really cemented her character in my head, not as an extremely nice robot, but as an extremely child-like robot. Young children see the world in simple terms of black and white. There are good guys and bad guys, and children love it when the bad guys in a story receive their punishments. For instance, to paraphrase a professor I had once, "Adults think it is quite gruesome that the witch in 'Hansel and Gretel' gets pushed into her own oven and baked alive, but children love that. To them, the witch is mean and simply deserved to die a gruesome death."
In a child's simplified view of the world, it is easy to gloss over the sins of those you consider the good guys (like Athena) and to gloss over the feelings of those you consider the bad guys (like Vasquez).
Yep, so that was a fine piece of writing for Gortys, really did show who she is at her...core.
Ok, lol.
My favorite character defining moments:
Rhys- his contributions during Bossanova's Death Rally. Arguably, Rhys wants to be as respected as Handsome Jack, and so he tries very hard to appear confident, but he tends to panic very easily. However, that whole segment showed just how competent he could be. Sure, he's weak, awkward, and easily panicked, but he shows that he can think under pressure.
Fiona- her moments during episode 3 with Athena. I enjoyed how Athena demonstrated how each person has a unique quality that can be mastered, and how Fiona had potential to be a Vault Hunter, should she wish. Suddenly, her perceptive skills and fast reflexes as a scoundrel found new purpose, and when she took on Brick and Mordecai, it showed.
Vaughn- Vaughn fighting in Bossanova's Death Rally. If Rhys gets nervous under pressure, Vaughn is the equivalent of a nuclear meltdown. Which is why when Vaughn decides to zoom around on a motorcycle during a death race, shooting psychotic murderers, it surprised me.
Sasha- clearly, Sasha is the muscle of the group. Every time she fights, it's pretty cool. Her bias against Hyperion also defines her, but it's a shared opinion with nearly everyone on Pandora. I'd say her most defining moments are when she relates to Rhys, and feels guilt towards August. It's reflective of how good she is at manipulating those around her, but how little she knows about those closest to her, as evidenced by Felix and Rhys. In a way, she is the one who feels manipulated, and so I think she is sort of divided by herself and seeks escape from it.
Loader Bot- every time he helps someone. Loader Bot is a loyal bot.
Athena- when she talks about those she cares about, but also how she is torn between them and Vault Hunting. She is a thrill-seeker, and she struggles with how her addiction ultimately harms people she cares about, such as her sister or Janey Springs.
Handsome Jack- the conversation he has with Rhys on the roof. It reveals how fragile and unstable Jack is; here is a guy who has been damaged and betrayed, has committed atrocities, and he genuinely wants to believe that he's the solution to everything wrong...but his hesitation when talking about Athena betrays that he knows he's made mistakes. He won't admit it, or can't, but he acknowledges that something is wrong.
Great list.
While I can't think of a list at the very moment there was one little snippet I saw on my first playthrough.
After the scene on the roof when you make your decision on whether to trust jack or not and when it cuts to
The present. Fiona will judge based on whatever thing you did and make a snarky comment at Rhys.
However Rhys doesn't even acknowledge her and Fiona kinda averts her eyes and raises and eyebrow. If anyone has a gif of that'd be great but I thought it was interesting. The present relationship dynamic is so interesting to me and I hope we can forge the relationship they have.
Sorry it's not a gif, but here's a couple videos showing the different reactions of Fiona.
If you don't agree to work with Jack, see the following video at 32:57. Cryaotic's playthrough
If you do agree to work with Jack, see the following video at 32:48. Lewis JB's playthrough
A defining character moment for Handsome Jack (i.e. Jack being the most Jack he could possibly be) is probably when he takes control of the sentry bots and shouts, "Get ready to lick my boots you raging douchebags!" before maniacally lauging.
loaderbot is awesome (blew him up on my first playthrough lol) my official playthrough he lives to see another day
p.s couldn't find any decent pictures so heres something random
Interestingly, August telling his mom to NOT shiv Fiona and co seems to be less of "NOT SASHA PLZ" and more "OH GOD THIS IS SO EMBARRASSING."