Borderlands 3 featured several new characters, many of which were heavily criticized by the fan base. While Wainwright Jakobs was viewed as a great addition, both Ava and Lorelai were heavily criticized for being annoying - with the former being viewed as unlikable and the latter’s obsession with coffee making up too much of her dialogue. The Calypso Twins were not free from this criticism, either.
While the main antagonists of Borderlands 3 were not nearly as despised by the community as Ava, many felt that they were a major step down from Handsome Jack. While some issues with the characters are subjective, like a dislike for Tyreen’s parody of streamers, other issues like their rushed deaths are more widely agreed upon. On paper, The Calypso Twins should be great villains, and a few changes to their stories would have made them far more memorable.
Fixing Borderlands 3’s Calypso Twins
The biggest example of The Calypso Twins’ shortcomings is seen with Troy, as the decision to not have him properly turn on Tyreen is strange. Throughout the game, a huge focus is placed on the spats between the characters, with Tyreen constantly making Troy play second fiddle to herself. However, as Troy gains power, he begins to talk back to Tyreen, and there are several points where it seems like the two are being set up to fight one another.
However, this twist never comes, even when Tyreen shouts that her brother is killing her when leeching her power and opening The Great Vault. This would have been the perfect moment for Troy to become the main villain, either killing his sister intentionally for always putting him down or doing it accidentally when fighting the Vault Hunters. Instead, this never happens, as all the quarreling between The Calypso Twins never actually goes anywhere. This is a genuine shame, as Troy Calypso had all the motivation he needed to emerge from his sister’s shadow and become the leader of the COV.
Aside from wasted foreshadowing regarding Troy’s rise to power, the deaths of The Calypso Twins are extremely lackluster. Troy dies after his boss fight, with Tyreen and the Vault Hunters moving on quickly once he is gone. As for Tyreen, she becomes a husk of herself when attempting to drain the Destroyer, which is a boring sendoff for the character. Given that she had stolen Lilith’s powers and was responsible for Typhon DeLeon’s death only moments prior to her boss fight, the lack of closure or an emotional battle feels odd. This is a far cry from Borderlands’s 2’s final fight with Handsome Jack, where players got to battle the villain one on one prior to taking on The Warrior. A similar clash with Tyreen where she exchanges dialogue with the Vault Hunters and uses her stolen Siren powers should have happened before she merged with the Destroyer.
The Calypso Twins actually have an interesting and emotional backstory, but this is only revealed at the end of the game when players go to Nekrotafeyo. This is a major issue, as it is too late for fans to form any time of attachment to the villains. Troy is dead by this point, and a boss fight with Tyreen is right around the corner. Had players gotten insight into what made The Calypso Twins tick earlier on, they could have understood their motivations and cared more when Troy died. Instead, The Calypso Twins look like one-dimensional Psychos for almost the entire runtime of the story.
Delivering on the Troy vs. Tyreen teasers, giving the villains more memorable deaths, and introducing their backstories earlier would have gone a long way to improving their story. On top of this, simply making The Calypsos more competent villains would have made a difference. Troy accidentally killing Maya fails to make him imposing, with players instead just being angry that Maya died so pointlessly. However, had Troy killed Maya intentionally, players would have instantly had a reason to hate him - meaning that her death would have served a purpose. Troy would have been more intimidating than ever, making it more believable for him to turn on Tyreen. All the pieces needed for The Calypso Twins to be standout villains were present, but sadly, they were not put together in the right way.
Borderlands 3 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
