After the deaths of Angel and Roland, Handsome Jack captures Lilith and forces her to be the catalyst that opens the Vault, making her rescue the driving force behind the last portion of the plot. Upon meeting the Vault Hunters, Lilith returns to Sanctuary and provides various missions for them. Having faked her death in the early stages of Hyperion's invasion, Lilith initially operates as "The Firehawk", a deadly bounty hunter who makes the local bandits worship and fear her so that the Crimson Raiders can fully focus on Hyperion without their interference. In Borderlands 2, Lilith is a non-player character. Warping in and out of dimensions also creates a shockwave that damages nearby enemies. When Phasewalking, Lilith is invisible to enemies, moves faster, and cannot be hurt. She can also use her Siren powers to "Phasewalk", an ability that lets her temporarily enter another dimension. Lilith favors weapons with elemental properties (fire, acid, electrical, and explosive), and some of her skills focus on improving her "damage over time" with elements. Lilith is wanted by Atlas for "conspiracy, witchcraft, theft, and murder", and her main motive for traveling to Pandora is to learn more about her Siren powers. She is a Siren, one of six women in the universe that are born with mystical powers and recognized by various tattoos on their body. Lilith is the second playable character in the first Borderlands. During the final assault on Control Core Angel, Roland helps the player in shutting down Angel and retrieving the Vault Key from her, but he is killed by Handsome Jack shortly afterwards. Upon rescue, Roland fills the Vault Hunters in on Hyperion's plans and hands out various missions to help the Crimson Raiders with the war effort.
Roland is initially captured by a local gang of bandits, and the first part of the game is centered around his rescue. In the time since the Hyperion Corporation's arrival and invasion of Pandora, Roland has assembled the Crimson Raiders, Pandora's anti-Hyperion resistance that operates from the city of Sanctuary. In Borderlands 2, Roland is a non-player character. It can be upgraded with a wide range of offensive and defensive abilities that can aid both Roland and his teammates.
He can also deploy an automated Scorpio Turret that tracks and fires at enemies while providing an energy barrier to take cover behind. Roland specializes in the use of combat rifles and shotguns, though he, like all the playable characters, is proficient with all weapons. Originally a member of the Atlas Corporation's private army, the Crimson Lance, Roland deserted his post when he attacked a fellow officer, and Atlas has since put out a bounty for his capture. Roland is among the four playable characters in the original Borderlands, along with Lilith, Mordecai, and Brick.