Borderlands was chock full of pop culture references and easter eggs. Like the game’s predecessor, Borderlands 2 offers even more of them—and thanks to the game’s much bigger budget, they’re implemented to an impressive degree. Hell, they even “fit” into the world because the planet of Pandora’s crazy like that. The only other series of games to flaunt its wealth of cultural currency is Fallout, but I digress.
There’s no doubt that there are way more easter eggs than I could possibly list in this article, but here are some of the biggest ones that have been discovered thus far.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Tannis has a mission for you to hunt down and kill a “Splinter Group” of mutants that’ve managed to run amuck. The only way to lure them out of hiding is to get one of Moxxi’s pizzas and deliver it to them in their sewer hideout. Their names are Lee, Mick, Ralph and Dan. Sound familiar?
Oh, and if you kill them, Flinter will attack you.
Top Gun
In the quest “Too Close for Missiles”, you’ll get a quest from none other than a pilot named Kenny Loggins who goes on about how he’s in the Danger Zone. The mission is simple: steal a bunch of volleyballs, burn a volleyball net, and kill a bunch of shirtless men.
Arrested Development
The game’s full of Arrested Development references but two which manage to stick out are the “I Blue Myself” skin for Salvador and a reference to there always being money in the paper stand, a line spoken by a guy standing around the ECHO news stand in Sanctuary.
Batman
A psycho named Rakkman haunts an area known as The Fridge. He wears a Batman-like outfit and spouts lines from the movies. Killing him will sometimes get you a Legendary weapon.
Arrow to the Knee, Skyrim
Occasionally, civilians will say the line, “I used to be a Vault Hunter like you until I took a bullet to the knee,” referencing Skyrim.
Minecraft
There’s an entire area in the Caustic Caverns dedicated to Minecraft. Here’s a guide on how to get to it.
X-Com
One of the missions you receive has you testing out alien e-tech weaponry. The mission’s title references X-Com.
Claptrap’s stained mattress
One of the earliest easter eggs in the game is Claptrap’s motor oil-stained mattress, which is no doubt the byproduct of his sexual urges. Prints of bikini-clad Claptrap robots can be found decorating his walls.
Mordecai’s mission layout
A small, but interesting detail lies etched on the wall at Mordecai’s sniping point in the Wildlife Preserve. It displays a map of the area and Mordecai’s plan of attack as a sniper. The man does his homework, and it shows.
Bad time
One of the tips in the loading screens makes a reference to South Park’s “you’re gonna have a bad time” ski instructor meme. Okay, so this one’s not that great.
Breaking Bad
There’s a good number of Breaking Bad references in the game, some of which include lines spoken by angry midgets: “I am the one who knocks!”. The biggest reference rests with one of Salvadore’s selectable heads. Titled “Breaking Bald”, the head makes you look like the show’s protagonist Walter White.
All the things Crazy Earl says
Crazy Earl’s the guy who sells you upgrades for your ammunition and storage packs. He also speaks lines from games like The Legend of Zelda and his achievement, a reference to Resident Evil, is titled “What’re ya buyin’?”
My favorite? “It’s dangerous to go alone, Jerkwad!”
Dark Souls
In the Caustic Caverns, there’s a place located somewhere outside the boundaries of the map where you can find two characters—one of which is translucent—perched around a campfire. Praise the sun!
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
A group of appropriately named midgets happen to make their home in The Fridge. You’ll even find their little beds.
Donkey Mong
You can find this unique bullymong in the Eridium Blight. He’ll even throw barrels at you instead of rocks.
Se7en
A reference to Brad Pitt’s speech at the end of Se7en. Open the box for a gun.
Hamlet
Psychos recite Shakespeare. Some of them will speak lines from Hamlet’s first speech: “O, that this too too solid flesh would melt.”
Lynchwood Movie References
Lynchwood’s a scary place. It’s like Wild West, complete with a town full of gunslingers, a corrupt sheriff, and a nearby mine.
Quests in the entire town of Lynchwood are named after classic Western films and follow the same plotlines, including Last Man Standing, A Fistful of Dollars. Yo' Jimbo, 3:10 to Yuma, and more.
Double Rainbow
You can find this particular easter egg in The Highlands. Jack will speak into your ECHO to say so, and you’ll get an achievement.
