Claptrap gives one of the best speeches in Borderlands when he takes the Vault Hunter to Hero's Pass. "You hear me Jack? You killed my friends! You destroyed my product line! I am the last Claptrap in existence. AND I AM GOING TO TEABAG YOUR CORPSE!" Hell yes Claptrap- hell yes!
Only for the writers to follow it with him being unable to climb stairs and at least token participate in the final fight. Least he ruined Jack's statues :3
and joke aside we don't know how he did it. hes literally not allowed to fight. if this was pre sequale then it would be a different question, as that claptrap probably could just steamroll anyone brave enough to get in his way on his quest from his frends. but 3 claptrap, dude cant even clime stairs
So much of my respect for Moxxi came from the fact the she didn’t treat him like a complete piece of garbage like almost everybody else did. Like in the second game when he sends out his birthday invitations and everyone laughs and doesn’t show up-except for Moxxi. She said sorry that’s she’s working but she “sends her love” and gives him free pizza for the party, instead of acting physically repulsed by the prospect of spending time with him
I love claptraps birthday bash mission. Whenever you're playing it with people it's really funny, but when you play that mission solo, it just feels a little personal with how palpable that awkwardness becomes
This, this, this. I was raised to ALWAYS go to a birthday party when I was invited, worst comes to worst it'd just be an intimate affair for whoever's birthday it was. But you never forget how happy someone gets when you show up and you're one of the only ones who did.
I never played borderlands with friends, so i always felt so bad for claptrap because he was so adorable and kind. I hate that the writers are so mean to him and make him so stupid nowadays. Back when he was introduced he was a nice, funny, and helpful friend. Now he’s just a joke for the writers, and they were all horrible in borderlands 3.
the saddest part is that even loader bot units and constructors dislike claptrap despite having structurally similar AI systems (A trashed Claptrap unit's AI is used for a contructor in the Handsome jackpot DLC and it seems to have no problem controling the new body despite just being recently installed into it and had barely any time for getting used to)
Shadow Trap giving his life to save Claptrap and give him another chance was easily the best dlc ending for this franchise. Shadow trap cared a lot about Claptrap and only wanted him to succeed and be treated properly and not constantly dumped on like in every other game. Claptraps are basically cannon fodder in every game and their corpses are everywhere. Shadow Trap is an underrated villain who was totally right about everything that would happen after his defeat.
I gathered all the dead claptrap parts for him so he could have a friend in a world where he’s that last of his kind. You have no idea how pissed I was when Veronica ditched him for no reason. That’s just mean-spirited on behalf of the writers. They wasted my time with a terrible resolution to a long-form side quest, and one again denied Claptrap even the smallest measure of happiness because reasons. Veronica is worse than Ava.
To be honest Claptrap built her for the sole puropose of being HIS girlfriend so he was acting entitled. It's again a situation where his loneliness got the better of him. I don't think it would have turned this way if he did it to have a friend or just to redeem himself from casing the destruction of all other claptraps.
@@BogySC At the very least, Veronica doesn't hate the BL3 Vault Hunters for gathering the parts for her new body. If I recall, I think she hangs out at Moxxie's bar after she ditches Claptrap.
For all its flaws, Borderlands 3 had this moment I will never forget. It's after you come back from Athenas and there is this little scene where Claptrap welcomes Ava. To his surprise, she is a total fangirl and she asks him to tell more stories. It's double sweet because it means Maya actually included Claptrap when she told everything she did in Borderlands 2 without forgetting him and also because someone for once actually appreciates him for his actions. I always watch them walking away with a big grin and a teary eye.
“If I sound pleased about this, it’s only because my programmers made this my default tone of voice! I’m actually quite depressed!” That’s very crushing. He’s stuck with this happy, cheery voice, and no one realizes that he’s suffering due to said voice.
True but he does it to himself 90% of the time and we still keep him around don’t think u really deserve an apology when u either hurt ppl or put ppl in terrible situations whether it was an accident or not
Hard disagree. Being pushed away is what causes him to make mistakes. People hate him for no reason which makes him try to be loved, and when that goes wrong they now have a reason to hate him. It's a fucked up cycle of endless suffering and the only reason he hasn't killed himself is cuz he's a robot@@bigounce8301
A daunting realization happened when I was playing Pre-Sequel. I always enjoyed Claptrap. I wasn't sure why people made fun of him or were so angry with him. Then I realized something about my character choice. *You're either making fun of Claptrap...* _Or you ARE Claptrap._
yeah as someone who got to play a game from the series for the first time at the start of this year i have to say I FREAKING LOVE Claptrap so when everyone turns him down i was shocked and when he said he was the very last one of his product line because Jack destroyed his product line i was pissed, so i T-bagged jack for him and after that i wacthed vids of the pre-sequel and saw how every thing happen and i gotta say all vault hunters are just god awful as persons not only the pre-sequels vault hunters at that
@@infamous-drive6299 The Borderlands 2 were actually the NICEST to him... As all of the borderlands 2 vault hunters actually went to his birthday party. The Pre-Sequel ones make me sad. Borderlands 1 and 2 was the best of Claptrap, but... If only he still has his vault hunter exe program... He would able to menace again.
@@MaoRatto still is quite sad that only characters that the player can control where present in his birthday party like the VH from BL1 don't show up even when they should be the nicest to him because they have know him for a good amount of time, Moxxi/Marcus/Scooter also don't show up, if he still had his vault hunter exe maybe other characters wouldn't see him as a joke but a valuable ally and then would care for him
Claptrap's like Caboose. A lot of people in-universe don't really care for him, while everyone in the fanbase loves him and think's he's a great guy to be around.
I like how when the fake reds and blues werent seen as good villains, they had one of them bully caboose and everyone IMMEDIATELY hated those villains! Nobody should try to hurt caboose!
In the beginning of the second game he said he’d be depressed if he wasn’t programmed to be happy all the time, which I’m pretty sure is how most people describe depression
Yeah my friend recently got a switch and we running bl2 atm so it's fresh in my mind. He basically said he sounds happy all the time bcuz that's how his voice is programmed but he's actually quite depressed. Point stands tho some of the most depressed people seem to be the most "lively" in the room, sometimes.
@@walkingmarshmallow6895 yeah, the exact quote is “if I sound pleased about all this, it’s because my programmers made this my default tone of voice! I’m actually quite depressed.”
I'm 100% convinced that if we told Claptrap that his friends need him to kill the Destroyer in its own prison dimension, he would do it within the hour and bring home its still beating heart as proof
do we not talk about how when ava first joins us on the ship in BL3 she is thrilled to see claptrap and want to hear about all his stories ? to the point even he is surprised about it
@@A5H_01 Agreed, Ava honestly wouldn't be as bad a character if she stuck to side quests or maybe if we got to see her from Claptrap's perspective as someone who genuinely acknowledges his existence and be one of the few who gives him a true sense of belonging
@@A5H_01 Ava IS Claptrap. She made a bad choice trying to help, trying to prove herself. Nothing more. She doesn't deserve the Haye she gets either. And wouldn't had Maya survived. Though I'd argue that Maya would have died either way.
Honestly, I always hated the way he is treated. I've always loved the little goofball and wished I could have more interaction with him. I loved playing as him in the Pre-Sequel
@@dasnomessan4568 wait they did ? ....then agen i mean its randy so ehh.. but still... as far i can spy rather then kill.. leet the way overdue ''wait ,your soding forced annoyance is literally just ...circuits.. or software , leets adress that'' :/
It makes it even more depressing when you realize the events of Fall of Fyrestone happened before the events of the first game. Meaning that it had been many many months since Clap had seen anyone, and his only friend never came back. I imagine that that's the reason he was so quiet and reserved in the first game. He didn't know what it was like to have a friend anymore.
That seems to be how most of the community views him. Only the in-game characters seem to actually dislike him. I’m glad the community gives him the love he deserves
One thing people forget about claptrap in bl3 is that after the way veronica treated him, he went to help the player with the last mission of his list. In that mission he reignited this woman's love for dancing as she lost the use of her legs. It is because of claptrap that she is able to dance. I think this is the core aspect of claptrap, the fact that he does not let everything drag him down and still finds way to be positive.
Let us all not forget that both canon and voice actor for the original claptrap in the first game we’re responsible for the Eulogy and celebration of a Fallen Vault hunter as he died of cancer before the release of Borderlands 2, they let him play an unfinished copy in the hospital as I heard. And they immortalized him forever as an NPC traveler who occasionally visits certain cities and offers a free weapon. May the fallen Brother Rest In Peace…and a big Salute to both the company and the claptrap voice actor who did so much for that young man. 🫡
Kinda sad that Athena is the one who’d probably like Claptrap the most, but she isn’t nowhere to be seen on BL3. She’s one of the ones that went into his mind, after all.
That mission, _Dance Baby_ made me so happy when I played it, to see somebody genuinely enjoy Claptrap's company. I got so happy as soon as Claptrap told me that he was going to show her how to dance.
I know, right? Wish it was handled differently or something. Like maybe Veronica rejecting being his GF in a comedic way, but still willing to be a friend to him
@@granmastersword I know I'm late but This It is just Claptrap being used as an emotional punching bag again instead of making a joke about the situation or doing real character development
Yeah, it's funny to have a character like claptrap who is just "The annoying one" and everyone hates him despite him trying his best. But at some point when that joke just keeps going on, year after year, game after game, it looses its humor, and you start to see how much emotional damage is being inflicted. The writers compensate by making him even more sad in the hopes that you'll remember how funny it was, but it only makes most players feel worse for him. I never fully constructed Veronica so I didn't know that happened until watching this video. Honestly, I think the writers should have let him win this one. Let him have just one real friend who sees him for who he is and provides sympathy from time to time.
@@frigidofdoom7191 Borderlands 3 is a mess in general so not surprising also her saying "I'm a strong independent woman" just... god it makes my fucking blood BOIL
the part with veronica was like watching someone take a joke waaay too far, to the point that it gets really concerning. like yeah, you'd expect the game to slap claptrap with misfortune and him to get upset about it, but then it just keeps going, and going, and going... it just feels so mean spirited, and it's uncomfortable to watch
That side quest made me feel extremely guilty for laughing at his misfortune over the games. It used to be a "haha look at the funny robot" joke but now it's just sad and I want a game where he gets a damn win for once
That's exactly how I felt when watching Joe Dirt 2... Like, I know it's a dumb character and movie, but in the second one it just wasn't funny, just mean spirited.
You spend the entire game harvesting parts from dead units, and while he does mock them relentlessly for dying, he seems genuinely excited over the parts you're finding - because they'll make the friend he's trying to build the best bot they can be. He's genuinely surprised upon the first bootup to learn that Veronica has a female personality - her being "his girlfriend" wasn't the original intent behind his desire, he just wanted a friend who was the best they could be. The ultimate outcome feels like whoever was responsible for the mission on the dev team really had a problem with the guy who previously voiced Claptrap (before he left Gearbox,) and did it purely out of spite.
Claptrap wanting ice cream is what made it stupid Claptrap led a revolution and hunted a vault, and all he can do is ask for ice cream? He’s nearly mythological and would have responded otherwise instead of asking for a thing he can’t even use Claptrap should have had his processor fried, you kick him and he wakes up and swears without a censor as his processors, well, got fried He is a sentient punching bag, not comical relief on a single wheel
Ok so call me a pussy but I cried watching this. This resonates with me so much, in 2021 I went into a coma, and even though it was just for a month and a half (due to Covid), I woke up to most of my friends being gone. You see I'm a gamer, always have been, this means most of my friendships are virtual, well...when I came back, most of the groups were at war with each other, some left, some quit, most disbanded our groups. Here I was sitting, staring at my hands that were trembling with the loss of muscle and dexterity, wondering if I'm ever gonna do the one thing I loved again, and meanwhile they were shredding each other over a video game. So I had noone except my boyfriend as my gaming partner, some of my friends even said that their time was valuable, and although they understand I'm trying to get back to normal, that they weren't obligated to wait. Yea....I know.... In the end I still game on ps4 and am new to pc, don't have many friends there, felt I had nothing to lose, but this whole situation taught me to appreciate who is here for you, not regretting the ones who weren't. Thanks for trying to show me that lesson early claptrap, we love you.
I know how it feels. Having someone you used to play with everyday, laughing until you cried to someone you don’t even acknowledge when their online anymore
Not gonna lie, seeing Markus, Asha, and scooter Dancing after Cl4pt's Death actually made me so emotional. What a sweet thing, really hope we can see more of things like this in the franchise!
The part of the CL4PTRAP DLC where he finally snaps on everyone really hit hard. It was one of the few times CL4P really got out of character and I was so happy to see a change like that.
I actually started crying when Veronica left claptrap and he was ugly crying. Just thinking about all he’s gone through and how much he wanted somebody with him, it just hit really hard.
I feel even worse to the fact that I took that mission as a joke and laughed first. I didn't hear the crying and everything afterwards. I'm glad I watched this video.
Worst part is, he didnt JUST rebuild her, but he UPGRADED her to the point she was a 100% upgrade over claptrap. Claptrap COULD have installed the stair-climbing wheel on himself to become FR4G-TP again, but it went to feronica instead. He COULD have installed ALL the upgrades you found on himself, and give the old ones to feronica, but he didnt. Hell, in that game he lost his antenna, and despite finding a 1:1 replacement for it that he could for himself, he gives it to feronica instead, rocking whatever you gave him instead. Feronica is a total bitch. Imagine: you just suffered a heart attack and died. And one day you wake up again cause 1 person you dont know brought you back to life. You basically start with a beaten and scarred version of your previous body, but every day he's able to he gives you improved versions of whatever you had before. New eyes, arms, legs, organs: everything gets a tune-up. Eventually, dude's done, and your brand new body is a 200% done, complete with so many upgrades you are even a improvement over the guy who brought you back to life. Dont know 'bout you, but i'd at least be thankful.
I'm so glad this video exists. I've always found Claptrap to be more of a tragic, sad, lonely fellow than annoying. He goes through a lot of shit and rarely experiences success or any form of appreciation, he very rarely has any "real" moments with the people around him. But he still seems happy that there are people around him. He got so little from life and yet he is so grateful for all of it. In a way he is the most relatable and most human character of the series and I cant help but see him as a clumsy and sometimes annoying friend. But a true friend nonetheless.
A little late to the discussion, but Claptrap still, to my knowledge, has a damaged central processor, which make him constantly think out-loud. A one-off line directly afterwards goes, "I wonder what it's like to have a belly button?" There are many many moments I could think of where Claptrap could intend to keep his thoughts to himself but be unable to.
I'm pretty sure it's the same Vault Hunter unit that Jack shot in TPS. It would explain the damaged processor as it wasn't fried from the inside, and why shadow Trap was able to save it.
I absolutely love Clap-Trap. It honestly still baffles me how people can hate him when he has been through so much shit that he didn't deserve to go through. The loneliness is something I can sympathize and emphasize with... He is a precious box that needs alot more love that he deserves
What I love from BL3, Maya tells Ava all about Claptrap in a way that makes him a hero. Even after everything and the time skip between the games, Maya gave Claptrap happiness and joy from the adventures he had with them and passed them along to Ava, who genuinely loved Claptrap's stories.
The way Clap tp was crying in BL3 is the way i was crying when i found out that they replaced the original voice actor when all that controversy happened
Cl4ptrap was always the character I always felt would be a great friend. He reminded me of those people and kids with specials needs who don't mean any harm. They just want to help and be friends, and I wish I had a friend as cool and helpful as that Uniwheeled badass.
honestly, ever since pre-sequel my view of Claptrap changed from "for some reason, worlds punching bag" to "just a slightly silly veteran, trying his best" i mean, i can say with full confidence that out of all the vault hunters in TPS he genuinely was the most badass. The fact that he finds the goddamn made up pearl just cements him as a guy who, while sometimes not quite competent, can flatten mountains for his friends if they need it.
Ironically, I like the little guy, even despite him being annoying. I get it's part of the joke but.. Christ, I just want the little robot spongebob to be happy, god dammit.
Hes a robot with no emotions yet out of the borderlands characters he is the most sentient, and I just relate to him. It's like you relate to the villain and might even root for them or like them more than the hero because the hero is often perfect while none of us are, but the villain is flawed while all of us are so we side with what's most like us sometimes, I always dance and listen to claptraps dubstep song in borderlands 2 and for a robot that can be annoying, he's definitely my best friend throughout the series
Claptrap is like the little kid in a squad with the other players who are in their 20s. Claptrap tries to be a part of the squad even though they have their differences
This genuinely made a 26 yr old man cry. Huge fan since the first game. Was just 11 or 12 years old and played it every single day after school. My bestfriend would stay over 3 nights a week on school nights to play co op with me. We were both raised by single mothers, so I guess you could even say the series helped our parents get some time to relax with us taking turns spending nights at each others houses during school weeks and weekends.
The writers had no damn clue how sympathetic some of us players were to Claptrap. I felt just like him as a kid. It felt like 2 peas in the same pod behind the screen. Sure, it may seem sad, but that's what makes you realize how empathy and sympathy are amazing tools to have, especially in childhood. Like how everyone else watches movies or shows for action, I watch them for story, atmosphere, and character.
I feel the exact same way, claptrap always was a safe feeling character for me. Whenever he was around It’s always a good time for me . Almost started crying at work watching this video on my break haha
Same, clap-trap making a companion only for them to insult and abandon him. And the cry clap-trap let’s out afterwards, can’t help but want to comfort the metal box man.
i've always loved claptrap since day one, never laughed at his pain, he's an amazing little robot and his personality is amazing, i always felt bad for him and never laughed at him while playing BL, i just wish he wasn't a punching bag for everyone
The Claptastic Voyage from Borderlands: Pre-Sequel, and his "false" memories was so sad, the party at Overlook and the Claptrap song, the balloons and fanfare. All made up in his mind. So well done. If you think about his birthday at Sanctuary in Borderlands 2, that's how he actually views his birthday, not just the two of you, some pizza, music, and a party horn he can't blow. Being alone. No one wants to help him. No one want to come to his celebration party. No one want to give him the love he deserves, even though he is a robot. No one want to give him high-five. No one cares about him. Only Shadow-Trap, and you - the Vault Hunter that is played by you.
Honestly, I never hated claptrap though out my time with the series, but this video really made me sympathise with claptrap and made me feel bad for laughing at his antics
Everytime I get to the level where you set up and try to gather people for Claptraps birthday party I cry ugly tears. I know personally the feeling of having spent alot of money getting food and things. Doing everything to make a party for others to enjoy, only for not a single person to come. Damn, I am getting tears just typing this.
That pain deeply resonates with me too and I almost teared up just reading that comment lol. I really hope that wasn't a recent experience for you and you've had many fun filled parties since :)
Yeah happened to me at my last birthday... I really did my best to prepare something and I really thought about 7 people would come and got me enthousiastic because that would be the first time ever. Only for no one to show up... Half of them didn't even bother to tell me that they weren't coming. So I just went to a rave that night and danced my sorrows away. I brought party hats and let random people wear them at the rave to sort of make that rave my birthday. And yeah there are loads of pictures online of that rave and you can constantly see people wear party hats so that at least made my birthday a little better. But just like Claptrap, I am also an overly optimistic annoying screw up with an ego that will inflate once I get praised, while all I want is to just have friends and be the best possible friend you can get. I guess this is why I always felt bad for Claptrap no matter how much I was supposed to see him as a joke.
I don't care what some people say about Claptrap. He may be obnoxious sometimes but he's as loyal as a dog and always tries to help out. My boy just needs a hug and a high five.
The biggest reason I love Claptrap is because I understand his issues. I understand his loneliness and desire to help people and failing every time. Claptrap was always my favorite character in the series and I loved playing AS him in TPS. It genuinely hurts to see him treated so harshly but I get the ego thing... sucks
Remember the line at the start of borderlands 3 when you meet clap trap Lilith speaks to you in your head and says "I know clap trap can be a little... clap trap but he one of us"
One of my favorite quests relating to Claptrap is the last Clapslist mission where you visit a girl on Pandora who is bound to a wheelchair. That mission was entirely wholesome where Claptrap showed the girl how to have fun dancing again despite her handicap.
@@curtisjackson4090 I rarely do that mission because it requires you to do that awful AR game mission on the Eridian homeworld first. It doesn't appear until the other Clapslist missions are completed.
@@Techhunter_Talon I hate those AR missions too! The way they pixilate the screen so badly ends up starting to give me an eye strain headache by the time I finish the mission each time.
Claptrap is actually my third favorite character in the series, he was my favorite character to play as in pre sequel, but overall I see him as THE most loyal character in the series and I wish he could fight alongside us in Future games cause despite his despite his cowardice he’s always someone you can count on to try to help. Also I think there are a couple characters that actually care about him even if they don’t admit it: Lilith, Marcus, Scotter, Hammerlock, Janey, Athena, Axton and Gauge
@@janschievink1586 i'd argue that gaige doesn't reall need citation and is kinda like lilith and athena. Like, in hamerlock dlc in bl3 she purposedly decieve him eah, but she does in a way that does not hurt his feelings.
I always followed Borderlands narrative that Claptrap was an annoyingly loveable character, but something about how he him saying "I love you guys" at Roland's funeral and everyone groaning always felt so mean spirited.
In some cases you can only be that mean to people you love the most. i am british and we have a kind ribbing, sounds mean to outsiders but its just how we brits do it sometimes
As someone who was emotionally abused, I feel like I have to love the things that people hate. Rats, certain weapons in games, and characters... And I love Claptrap. I would always go to his birthday on every character I played in BL2, I would travel far and wide. I would love to sit by him and indulge in his interests. I love learning and listening, so being able to lend someone a shoulder to climb on would make me feel fulfilled while Claptrap has someone to lift him up.
Wow. Watching this video made me realize exactly what the creators had in mind. They literally hide all of this from you basically unless you do research. Some is obvious but most is made to be jokes. Im so sorry Claptrap. Literally crying right now. Wow.
It is especially ironic that he is called "useless" and VaultHunter.exe is considered a failure, when the middle skill tree for CL4P-TP is such a ridiculously strong support tree. The Gun Wizard action package by itself breaks several boss fights
i remember so vividly my Great Grandfather telling me something that has been with me ever since. he said "just because someone doesnt show you emotions doesnt mean they do not have any, or are incapable of having any. they are just stuck in a war with themselves." and i asked him "a war? what kind of war?" and he said to me "the kind of war i wish noone had to go through in their life. the kind of war that can destroy a person from the inside out. the kind of war, that kills the very person they are, and the person that someone loves..." and he just looked sad afterwards. i didnt understand it then, but i do now. i understand it because i have been through it. Claptrap had to go through it as well. difference is, as an imaginary character, he was forced to do it. me and countless others however, we are real, and our experience with it is quite different.
If you select Athena, Janey, and Claptrap at the end of Tales from the Borderlands, they acknowledge working with each other again. That's always the team I select because I like the callback to TPS.
What makes his struggle for friendship worse is that he's been trying, ABSOLUTELY full heartedly *trying* so dang hard to make friends for several uncountable years for who knows how long he's been trying. He doesn't give up, but the amount of weight among guilt and depression he hides behind his software to have a cheerful voice when he's sad would make someone want to just give up so unknowingly badly that it's kinda achieving the impossible for why he continues to keep going despite all his sorrow that no human being can comprehend to handle.
I don't think you should speak for everyone, I actually had sympathy for claptrap. Especially when I was a kid and played borderlands 1 for the first time I actually remember genuinely feeling bad whenever claptrap got hurt or I found one of the clones knocked out.
I think Angel is a special person who understand claptrap, she ist the one who says to the vault hunter in the First game to take care of him. She hast the sirenability to talk in some mystic sirenway to mashines and to feel the mashines. She understand in an echo from the pre sequel, that Jack must work with the way claptrap is to make him a good fighter. I think she knows claptrap the most. In the end she gave her powers to Tannis the Person who was isoliated like she was her full live.
OMG you're right and whether or not the prequel comics were cannon or not that ability could help Tannis and claptrap become closer. I would be welcomed to see that.
Oh my, those side quests with dancing objectives now look at lot different. I agree that Claptrap is the embodiment of Borderlands series: a dark and traumatizing experience hidden beneath the layers of comedy and fantasy
UVHM is the canon difficulty in my opinion (At least in the first 2), considering how awful everyone in the games describes Pandora, and let me tell you, trying to Solo UVHM really is traumatizing
Claptrap is the zoidberg of this world. The most genuinely nice, albeit misguided, individual who everyone just hates because they find him annoying but won't help improve him. The difference is, he doesn't get the happy end he deserved (also side note loved the use of octopath traveler music)
I, as a player, take no joy in mocking Claptrap. Maybe that's because I just really love little robots and maybe it's because I definitely had a birthday party as a child that like 1 person showed up to but props to you for making a video about this, you're a real one.
Most people find the quest mission for claptrap's birthday party as funny but it made me truly feel bad for the little robot. It kind of emphasizes how lonely he truly is. That quest is probably the reason I always give him a high five.
I felt so terrible for Claptrap during the Claptastic voyage. Enough that when Shadow-trap said something like "You cause misery to all around you! ACCEPT IT!" I was like "...What the fuck kind of advice is that?! This was the worst moment of his life and Claptrap's just supposed to accept that his mere presence makes things worse for everyone?!"
Deadass, I cried watching this. The ONLY time I’ve cried over a video or movie. ONLY TIME. And it’s not because the story of claptrap is so sad (it is) it’s because I can relate. It seems like everyone dislikes me for things I didn’t do, or things I did do, but they did the same thing too, so I thought it would be great to do the same thing, but got ridiculed for it. All I have to say, is same bro.
One very interesting little bit of fridge horror that I almost never see anyone talk about is one particular minor quirk in Claptrap's post-genocide characterization versus his pre-genocide one. That being Claptrap's affinity for referring to the player characters as his 'minions', and himself as the brave hero guiding them. Most noticeable in the first few missions of BL2, but present throughout afterwards. This is only really notable because of the fact that the other character notable for thinking and referring to people in similar ways is none other than Handsome Jack. While this was likely just intended by the developers to solely be for the purpose of making the players find Claptrap annoying, if you view it from a purely narrative and character perspective, then, considering the nature of how Claptrap sees Jack, and what Jack has done to him, the fact that Claptrap would emulate one of Jack's most well-known traits only after Jack completely ruins his life has some very dark implications. Fun fact: There's a phenomenon in psychology, commonly (but incorrectly) referred to as 'the cycle of abuse', in which victims of trauma will adopt the traits of those who harmed them as a sort of psychological armor, making the victim feel stronger and more in control, like the one who hurt them always was. Just some food for thought.
However, add onto that that he can no longer summon his minion-traps (Blight Trap, Punk Trap, Missile Trap, etc). I'd say that while he's certainly emulating the 'style' of Jack, he's not emulating the meaning in the slightest. Rather, he's twisting it into a positive bend, as he always looked at the minion traps as more of close friends/allies as well as (in some fashion) his 'kids'. Referring to the vault hunters in that way in BL2 onwards, to me, seems more like him being clingy & protective, but also trusting of the vault hunters (after all, how often in TPS did you rely on the aid of a lucky selection of a Minion-trap to take on enemies in a pinch?)
@@DBArtsCreatorsClaptrap was honestly the most fun character I've played as in the Borderlands series. The subroutines added a little element of chaos that just let you learn how to "go with the flow".
I never knew claptrap was such a relatable character. As someone who suffers from severe depression, I compensate w humor and (used to) go too far to please others in hopes of lasting friendships or romance. I wonder if gamers would be more receptive of him if they knew his humor was only w cover for his depression.
Honestly claptrap is one of my absolute favourite characters in borderlands, he gets beaten down and gets threatened but still gets back up and has a good time, a role model to show that no matter what, you can still find a reason to smile
Years. I have waited YEARS for someone to make this video. I have felt bad for claptrap for so long and I was conflicted as to whether I should feel that way or not. Thank for finally putting this burden to rest
I can't help but sympathize for cl4p-trap with Veronica. As soon as I hear the sniffles and crying after being rejected I remember imediatly saying to myself "let it out man, I've been there" and I immediately discovered how 'human' cl4p-trap is :(
I came to the Borderlands band wagon pretty late and started by joining a couple friends of mine when they got Borderlands 3, so I played split screen with them for a bit and really couldnt understand the ClapTrap hate at all. I pretty much liked him from the start. Glad to see somebody give him the kindness he incredibly deserves
I kinda hope the character of Claptrap gets retired without the old voice actor. He just makes the character so human and likable. The new actor isnt bad but he just doesnt have the same energy. The writing of games after pre sequel really took a dive and made him way too unlikable like with him trying to join the Twins which felt grossly out of character imo.
Ive grown from loving and laughing at claptrap as a kid playing the game with my step dad to loving and empathizing for him as ive grown up. The more ive played the games and the older i got the more i noticed these things you pointed out in the video and it made me love him more as a character and im proud to be one of his minions/friends lol
im not sure if this was mentioned anywhere, but the reason why claptrap killed everyone in the overlook is because it happened right after jack installed the vaulthunter.exe into him and when it was deemed a total failure, the killer instincts were kicking into his programming and started intentionally messing things up. one detail that supports this theory is during the donk fight, where he summons a rubber ducky in his fight, which is also one of the possible skills found in the vaulthunter.exe
16:14 I remember when I first heard Athena apologizing, brought tears to my eyes. Everyone else didn't seem to be bothered about Claptrap's feeling at all. Even though I read what she was going to say before she said it, that anticipation only made the moment stronger
Claptrap gives one of the best speeches in Borderlands when he takes the Vault Hunter to Hero's Pass. "You hear me Jack? You killed my friends! You destroyed my product line! I am the last Claptrap in existence. AND I AM GOING TO TEABAG YOUR CORPSE!" Hell yes Claptrap- hell yes!
Well deserved teabagging of a corpse. Jack had it a commin
Only for the writers to follow it with him being unable to climb stairs and at least token participate in the final fight. Least he ruined Jack's statues :3
@@rockyclouds2 tell when you do it
That shit really got me hype on my way to the heroes pass! But the stairs took me out 😂
His best speech is about a player who died, I don't know how to activate it in game but I watch the speech so often
Teacher: "If you have 12 apples and you give 6 to your friend, what do you have?"
Claptrap (through tears): "A friend"
This made me quite sad.
OMG NOOOOOOOOOOOO
that hits way harder than it needed to 😥
How i imagine it: claptrap: *sniff* uh *cry* um… a ferend?
made me tear up
Claptrap went on an interdimensional adventure to give me the best relic in BL3. He's a real one
He'd probably do the same thing if you said you wanted a sandwich, it's not about what he was asked to get but that his friends asked him to do it.
@@Nyghtking maybe he'll even get you a 95% Sham
omfg his dialogue in that is so fucking funny
@@Mara_thorn claptrap farming BUNKR would be hilarious
and joke aside we don't know how he did it. hes literally not allowed to fight. if this was pre sequale then it would be a different question, as that claptrap probably could just steamroll anyone brave enough to get in his way on his quest from his frends. but 3 claptrap, dude cant even clime stairs
So much of my respect for Moxxi came from the fact the she didn’t treat him like a complete piece of garbage like almost everybody else did. Like in the second game when he sends out his birthday invitations and everyone laughs and doesn’t show up-except for Moxxi. She said sorry that’s she’s working but she “sends her love” and gives him free pizza for the party, instead of acting physically repulsed by the prospect of spending time with him
Moxxi is the mother of Sugar.. what do you expect 😁
she’s ‘working’ eh
Just her purely platonic love
My 2 favorite characters
@@Jake-vg2oq i think you mean platonic but its funnier to think her love is so vast and endless that it's planetary (pluto , plutonic love)
I love claptraps birthday bash mission. Whenever you're playing it with people it's really funny, but when you play that mission solo, it just feels a little personal with how palpable that awkwardness becomes
This, this, this.
I was raised to ALWAYS go to a birthday party when I was invited, worst comes to worst it'd just be an intimate affair for whoever's birthday it was.
But you never forget how happy someone gets when you show up and you're one of the only ones who did.
claptrap’s birthday bash is a must do mission , it’s become routine in every play through
I never played borderlands with friends, so i always felt so bad for claptrap because he was so adorable and kind. I hate that the writers are so mean to him and make him so stupid nowadays. Back when he was introduced he was a nice, funny, and helpful friend. Now he’s just a joke for the writers, and they were all horrible in borderlands 3.
Headcanon: Krieg danced for the first time at the birthday bash
I was playing it with my friend and we were just quiet at how sad it was 😂
"Sometimes I forget you're not an Hyperion robot"
Hits different once you realize its the last of his kind.
the saddest part is that even loader bot units and constructors dislike claptrap despite having structurally similar AI systems (A trashed Claptrap unit's AI is used for a contructor in the Handsome jackpot DLC and it seems to have no problem controling the new body despite just being recently installed into it and had barely any time for getting used to)
He's not though. You build him a girlfriend, remember? He still doesn't get a happy ending, but he's not the last.
@@AngelusNielson one comment down on this video says that *didn't go so well*
@@PattPlays I know that. But that doesn't mean he's the last anymore. There's another one out there.
@@AngelusNielson it's cannon that she dies in one of the comics
Shadow Trap giving his life to save Claptrap and give him another chance was easily the best dlc ending for this franchise. Shadow trap cared a lot about Claptrap and only wanted him to succeed and be treated properly and not constantly dumped on like in every other game. Claptraps are basically cannon fodder in every game and their corpses are everywhere. Shadow Trap is an underrated villain who was totally right about everything that would happen after his defeat.
_"Damn right!"_
I mean outside of Dragon Keep. IMO claptastic Voyage is my favorite dlc of the series
The dude deserves respect for saving Pandora. he was literally the only one that could.
I would have to give top spot and DLC endings to dragon keep but the flap testic voyage ending was also really really amazing so it's number two
Exactly, without him you can't get past the first map
I gathered all the dead claptrap parts for him so he could have a friend in a world where he’s that last of his kind. You have no idea how pissed I was when Veronica ditched him for no reason. That’s just mean-spirited on behalf of the writers. They wasted my time with a terrible resolution to a long-form side quest, and one again denied Claptrap even the smallest measure of happiness because reasons. Veronica is worse than Ava.
Wow. I actually got all the parts too. How’d you find out she ditched him?
To be honest Claptrap built her for the sole puropose of being HIS girlfriend so he was acting entitled. It's again a situation where his loneliness got the better of him. I don't think it would have turned this way if he did it to have a friend or just to redeem himself from casing the destruction of all other claptraps.
@@BogySC At the very least, Veronica doesn't hate the BL3 Vault Hunters for gathering the parts for her new body. If I recall, I think she hangs out at Moxxie's bar after she ditches Claptrap.
yea and sounded like a anoyying feminis that i to punch and make say sorry to poor claptrap
@@hecklejack7726 cuz it will happen after go give the last part to him like the video
For all its flaws, Borderlands 3 had this moment I will never forget. It's after you come back from Athenas and there is this little scene where Claptrap welcomes Ava. To his surprise, she is a total fangirl and she asks him to tell more stories. It's double sweet because it means Maya actually included Claptrap when she told everything she did in Borderlands 2 without forgetting him and also because someone for once actually appreciates him for his actions. I always watch them walking away with a big grin and a teary eye.
That actually made me even more angry because it meant they had the chance to write great moments like that, but we only got like 1 or 2.
Makes me wonder how she (Ava) would've viewed Krieg without having met him
@@discipleofdagon8195 He'd probably hear his sane side say "Yep, she's deserving." and show her his meat bicycle.
@knock1007fr, her one redeeming moment in the game
Ultra pearlescent ava w
“If I sound pleased about this, it’s only because my programmers made this my default tone of voice! I’m actually quite depressed!”
That’s very crushing. He’s stuck with this happy, cheery voice, and no one realizes that he’s suffering due to said voice.
True but he does it to himself 90% of the time and we still keep him around don’t think u really deserve an apology when u either hurt ppl or put ppl in terrible situations whether it was an accident or not
Hard disagree. Being pushed away is what causes him to make mistakes. People hate him for no reason which makes him try to be loved, and when that goes wrong they now have a reason to hate him. It's a fucked up cycle of endless suffering and the only reason he hasn't killed himself is cuz he's a robot@@bigounce8301
Just like me!
He seems to be learning how to play around his coding in BL3, as he expressed different tones of voice. Kinda cool continuation.
A daunting realization happened when I was playing Pre-Sequel.
I always enjoyed Claptrap. I wasn't sure why people made fun of him or were so angry with him.
Then I realized something about my character choice.
*You're either making fun of Claptrap...*
_Or you ARE Claptrap._
And that's why I only play Claptrap in BL Pre Sequel
To me, I sort of cried during that.
yeah as someone who got to play a game from the series for the first time at the start of this year i have to say I FREAKING LOVE Claptrap so when everyone turns him down i was shocked and when he said he was the very last one of his product line because Jack destroyed his product line i was pissed, so i T-bagged jack for him and after that i wacthed vids of the pre-sequel and saw how every thing happen and i gotta say all vault hunters are just god awful as persons not only the pre-sequels vault hunters at that
@@infamous-drive6299 The Borderlands 2 were actually the NICEST to him... As all of the borderlands 2 vault hunters actually went to his birthday party. The Pre-Sequel ones make me sad. Borderlands 1 and 2 was the best of Claptrap, but... If only he still has his vault hunter exe program... He would able to menace again.
@@MaoRatto still is quite sad that only characters that the player can control where present in his birthday party like the VH from BL1 don't show up even when they should be the nicest to him because they have know him for a good amount of time, Moxxi/Marcus/Scooter also don't show up, if he still had his vault hunter exe maybe other characters wouldn't see him as a joke but a valuable ally and then would care for him
Claptrap's like Caboose. A lot of people in-universe don't really care for him, while everyone in the fanbase loves him and think's he's a great guy to be around.
Oh I see, a fellow rvb fan as well
Caboose and claptrap r my favorite characters in both stories
Sadly they ruined claptrap in borderlands 3
Edit: they didnt ruined it, they just where mean to him some more
I like how when the fake reds and blues werent seen as good villains, they had one of them bully caboose and everyone IMMEDIATELY hated those villains! Nobody should try to hurt caboose!
I like caboose
In the beginning of the second game he said he’d be depressed if he wasn’t programmed to be happy all the time, which I’m pretty sure is how most people describe depression
He wasn't really programmed to _be_ happy, he was more programmed to *sound* happy.
Yeah my friend recently got a switch and we running bl2 atm so it's fresh in my mind. He basically said he sounds happy all the time bcuz that's how his voice is programmed but he's actually quite depressed. Point stands tho some of the most depressed people seem to be the most "lively" in the room, sometimes.
@@walkingmarshmallow6895 yeah, the exact quote is “if I sound pleased about all this, it’s because my programmers made this my default tone of voice! I’m actually quite depressed.”
Actually he says that he is depressed but he doesn't sound that way because of the voice module he was given
I came to his birthday as a mechromancer specifically for him.
I'm 100% convinced that if we told Claptrap that his friends need him to kill the Destroyer in its own prison dimension, he would do it within the hour and bring home its still beating heart as proof
What about stairs in that dimension?
@michaelbowen4060 well then obviously he'd need a ramp or a lift
And they’d still find a way to clown on him
he (technically) defeated the vault gaurdian on Elpis. He could 100% kill the destroyer
Claptrap is just the living personification of the Power Of Friendship
Only true vault hunters remember when claptrap spoke out on a fallen vault hunter. A real heartfelt tribute to a fan who died immortalized forever
😢
That's true😢
do we not talk about how when ava first joins us on the ship in BL3 she is thrilled to see claptrap and want to hear about all his stories ? to the point even he is surprised about it
Ava's only redeeming quality lol
Claptrap is treated the way Ava should be lol
@@A5H_01 Agreed, Ava honestly wouldn't be as bad a character if she stuck to side quests or maybe if we got to see her from Claptrap's perspective as someone who genuinely acknowledges his existence and be one of the few who gives him a true sense of belonging
Amazingly so considering she became one of the most top hated characters in the Borderlands franchise.
I actually just noticed that
@@A5H_01 Ava IS Claptrap. She made a bad choice trying to help, trying to prove herself. Nothing more. She doesn't deserve the Haye she gets either. And wouldn't had Maya survived. Though I'd argue that Maya would have died either way.
Just imagine if ClapTrap's voice matched his emotions. That would be a completely different character
i guarantee that if they made him have a normal voice that many, MANY, more people would feel sympathy for him
3mo tp
@@sketchthespirit Maybe when he's shocked by Sir Hammerlock's fence, that removes the lock on his voice, and maybe also reactivates VaultHunter.exe.
If he was voiced by Alan Rickman, you mean
Honestly, I always hated the way he is treated. I've always loved the little goofball and wished I could have more interaction with him. I loved playing as him in the Pre-Sequel
same i was really sad taht they "killed him" at the end of the dlc
omg same, my save as claptrap is my fave character in the pre sequel
Big agree!
@@dasnomessan4568 wait they did ? ....then agen i mean its randy so ehh..
but still... as far i can spy rather then kill.. leet the way overdue ''wait ,your soding forced annoyance is literally just ...circuits.. or software , leets adress that'' :/
I started Pre-Sequel as Claptrap and pretty much exclusively played him mainly because of how bad I felt for him. Claptastic Voyage hit HARD.
It makes it even more depressing when you realize the events of Fall of Fyrestone happened before the events of the first game. Meaning that it had been many many months since Clap had seen anyone, and his only friend never came back. I imagine that that's the reason he was so quiet and reserved in the first game. He didn't know what it was like to have a friend anymore.
I genuinely loved Claptrap since the very start I met him I just starting adoring him more and more. Never understood what people had against him
Same...his always been my favorite character and idk why people find him annoying
That seems to be how most of the community views him. Only the in-game characters seem to actually dislike him. I’m glad the community gives him the love he deserves
One thing people forget about claptrap in bl3 is that after the way veronica treated him, he went to help the player with the last mission of his list. In that mission he reignited this woman's love for dancing as she lost the use of her legs. It is because of claptrap that she is able to dance. I think this is the core aspect of claptrap, the fact that he does not let everything drag him down and still finds way to be positive.
And remember, according to claptrap when feronica claims "im sad now" he feels like that ALL the time. So its pretty impressive
I received this quest way before collecting all parts
The birthday bash is actually so depressing, it made my heart wrench.
Not gonna lie, first time I played that I had to step away from the game for a bit.
I can't play that mission after the first time, but this video really helps contextualize it.
Still not playing it.
@@DamienDarkside I always play the mission so he can have a friend to hang out with him, it's sad that he has no one
One of my favorite missions to do even if I was speed running the game I would still give claptrap the birthday he deserves
@@QueenOnyx064 Samee! I always give Claptrap a high five too.
Let us all not forget that both canon and voice actor for the original claptrap in the first game we’re responsible for the Eulogy and celebration of a Fallen Vault hunter as he died of cancer before the release of Borderlands 2, they let him play an unfinished copy in the hospital as I heard. And they immortalized him forever as an NPC traveler who occasionally visits certain cities and offers a free weapon. May the fallen Brother Rest In Peace…and a big Salute to both the company and the claptrap voice actor who did so much for that young man. 🫡
michael malmari i will always remember his name
Achievement unlocked: Tribute To A Vault Hunter
Feck, I thought it was a fan. Or was that in the first game?
@Funny Flashstarrr apparently not since it's Michael Mamaril.
May his name be written in the stars with Dan Johnson
Kinda sad that Athena is the one who’d probably like Claptrap the most, but she isn’t nowhere to be seen on BL3. She’s one of the ones that went into his mind, after all.
And the only one who wasn't smiling as he was shot. The only one who saw that and felt disgust.
That mission, _Dance Baby_ made me so happy when I played it, to see somebody genuinely enjoy Claptrap's company. I got so happy as soon as Claptrap told me that he was going to show her how to dance.
Clap-trap dancing with the lady in the wheelchair made me shead a tear
🤝
🫂
Omg true i forgot this was way too cute from him
Damn, seeing him cry that much after Veronica ditched him actually hurts a lot to see and hear.
I know, right? Wish it was handled differently or something. Like maybe Veronica rejecting being his GF in a comedic way, but still willing to be a friend to him
@@granmastersword I know I'm late
but
This
It is just Claptrap being used as an emotional punching bag again instead of making a joke about the situation or doing real character development
I think It could have (emphasis on could) have been funny if the crying wasn't so heart-wrenchingly real sounding or lasted for a rather long time
Yeah, it's funny to have a character like claptrap who is just "The annoying one" and everyone hates him despite him trying his best. But at some point when that joke just keeps going on, year after year, game after game, it looses its humor, and you start to see how much emotional damage is being inflicted. The writers compensate by making him even more sad in the hopes that you'll remember how funny it was, but it only makes most players feel worse for him.
I never fully constructed Veronica so I didn't know that happened until watching this video. Honestly, I think the writers should have let him win this one. Let him have just one real friend who sees him for who he is and provides sympathy from time to time.
@@frigidofdoom7191 Borderlands 3 is a mess in general so not surprising
also her saying "I'm a strong independent woman" just... god it makes my fucking blood BOIL
the part with veronica was like watching someone take a joke waaay too far, to the point that it gets really concerning. like yeah, you'd expect the game to slap claptrap with misfortune and him to get upset about it, but then it just keeps going, and going, and going... it just feels so mean spirited, and it's uncomfortable to watch
That side quest made me feel extremely guilty for laughing at his misfortune over the games. It used to be a "haha look at the funny robot" joke but now it's just sad and I want a game where he gets a damn win for once
@@eliaspanayi34654 gatsu or deference of darkness starts playing in the background
That's exactly how I felt when watching Joe Dirt 2... Like, I know it's a dumb character and movie, but in the second one it just wasn't funny, just mean spirited.
You spend the entire game harvesting parts from dead units, and while he does mock them relentlessly for dying, he seems genuinely excited over the parts you're finding - because they'll make the friend he's trying to build the best bot they can be. He's genuinely surprised upon the first bootup to learn that Veronica has a female personality - her being "his girlfriend" wasn't the original intent behind his desire, he just wanted a friend who was the best they could be.
The ultimate outcome feels like whoever was responsible for the mission on the dev team really had a problem with the guy who previously voiced Claptrap (before he left Gearbox,) and did it purely out of spite.
Claptrap wanting ice cream is what made it stupid
Claptrap led a revolution and hunted a vault, and all he can do is ask for ice cream? He’s nearly mythological and would have responded otherwise instead of asking for a thing he can’t even use
Claptrap should have had his processor fried, you kick him and he wakes up and swears without a censor as his processors, well, got fried
He is a sentient punching bag, not comical relief on a single wheel
Honestly always loved claptrap, I stayed for his whole birthday party everytime
Ok so call me a pussy but I cried watching this.
This resonates with me so much, in 2021 I went into a coma, and even though it was just for a month and a half (due to Covid), I woke up to most of my friends being gone.
You see I'm a gamer, always have been, this means most of my friendships are virtual, well...when I came back, most of the groups were at war with each other, some left, some quit, most disbanded our groups.
Here I was sitting, staring at my hands that were trembling with the loss of muscle and dexterity, wondering if I'm ever gonna do the one thing I loved again, and meanwhile they were shredding each other over a video game.
So I had noone except my boyfriend as my gaming partner, some of my friends even said that their time was valuable, and although they understand I'm trying to get back to normal, that they weren't obligated to wait.
Yea....I know....
In the end I still game on ps4 and am new to pc, don't have many friends there, felt I had nothing to lose, but this whole situation taught me to appreciate who is here for you, not regretting the ones who weren't.
Thanks for trying to show me that lesson early claptrap, we love you.
I know how it feels. Having someone you used to play with everyday, laughing until you cried to someone you don’t even acknowledge when their online anymore
@@sawyer_chill I feel you. 💖
I kind of have to agree with you there
Dam
My man you can’t be saying shit like that and making me sad on a borderlands video
Not gonna lie, seeing Markus, Asha, and scooter Dancing after Cl4pt's Death actually made me so emotional. What a sweet thing, really hope we can see more of things like this in the franchise!
I would like to ask you to reread what you wrote and think about it one more time.
@@dragonlex4 agreed.
@@dragonlex4 they danced out of respect, not like they were celebrating his death
who tf is Asha lol
@@spimbles the purple siren woman
The part of the CL4PTRAP DLC where he finally snaps on everyone really hit hard. It was one of the few times CL4P really got out of character and I was so happy to see a change like that.
Which one
Robolution or Voyage?
@@quinnholloway5400 voyage
I actually started crying when Veronica left claptrap and he was ugly crying. Just thinking about all he’s gone through and how much he wanted somebody with him, it just hit really hard.
I feel even worse to the fact that I took that mission as a joke and laughed first. I didn't hear the crying and everything afterwards. I'm glad I watched this video.
Worst part is, he didnt JUST rebuild her, but he UPGRADED her to the point she was a 100% upgrade over claptrap.
Claptrap COULD have installed the stair-climbing wheel on himself to become FR4G-TP again, but it went to feronica instead.
He COULD have installed ALL the upgrades you found on himself, and give the old ones to feronica, but he didnt.
Hell, in that game he lost his antenna, and despite finding a 1:1 replacement for it that he could for himself, he gives it to feronica instead, rocking whatever you gave him instead.
Feronica is a total bitch. Imagine: you just suffered a heart attack and died. And one day you wake up again cause 1 person you dont know brought you back to life. You basically start with a beaten and scarred version of your previous body, but every day he's able to he gives you improved versions of whatever you had before. New eyes, arms, legs, organs: everything gets a tune-up.
Eventually, dude's done, and your brand new body is a 200% done, complete with so many upgrades you are even a improvement over the guy who brought you back to life.
Dont know 'bout you, but i'd at least be thankful.
This is why women suck
@@MrMoron-qn5rx I shot her when this happened lol how you gonna do clap trap like that.
I'm so glad this video exists. I've always found Claptrap to be more of a tragic, sad, lonely fellow than annoying. He goes through a lot of shit and rarely experiences success or any form of appreciation, he very rarely has any "real" moments with the people around him. But he still seems happy that there are people around him. He got so little from life and yet he is so grateful for all of it. In a way he is the most relatable and most human character of the series and I cant help but see him as a clumsy and sometimes annoying friend. But a true friend nonetheless.
A little late to the discussion, but Claptrap still, to my knowledge, has a damaged central processor, which make him constantly think out-loud. A one-off line directly afterwards goes, "I wonder what it's like to have a belly button?"
There are many many moments I could think of where Claptrap could intend to keep his thoughts to himself but be unable to.
I'm pretty sure it's the same Vault Hunter unit that Jack shot in TPS. It would explain the damaged processor as it wasn't fried from the inside, and why shadow Trap was able to save it.
I absolutely love Clap-Trap. It honestly still baffles me how people can hate him when he has been through so much shit that he didn't deserve to go through. The loneliness is something I can sympathize and emphasize with... He is a precious box that needs alot more love that he deserves
I just want to give him a hug god dammit
@@fernadogonzalez2940 #hugsforClap-Trap
YES
Not after 3 though. After genuinely sympathetic in previous games, the one in 3 is a bonafide jerk. Makes me wonder why Lilith is keeping him.
Ppl hate Claptrap?
I didn't know most of this but I'm glad that I never passed up giving him a well deserved high-five.
Always give the high five
Sad fact: if you have scorn on maya and try to high five him it bugs out his hand's hit box and you can't complete the high five :(
@@Dee-jp7ek
Oh boy, here I go resetting my skill points again!
What I love from BL3, Maya tells Ava all about Claptrap in a way that makes him a hero. Even after everything and the time skip between the games, Maya gave Claptrap happiness and joy from the adventures he had with them and passed them along to Ava, who genuinely loved Claptrap's stories.
the one redeeming quality about Ava: Not being an ass to Claptrap just because and see him in a different light
In the comics (may or may not be canon) Lilith actually likes claptrap
@@dannyfonseca07 she’s not mean to him in the games that I can remember so she’s fine with him I guess
@@dannyfonseca07 In BL3 one of the first things she says is "Claptrap is annoying, but he is one of us." So yeah she considers him family.
The way Clap tp was crying in BL3 is the way i was crying when i found out that they replaced the original voice actor when all that controversy happened
They replaced his va?????
@@sethisevilone02 yea because of something about payment
@@sethisevilone02 replaced at the battle of sanctuary dlc that came out for 2 just before 3 came out.
@@sethisevilone02 yep. Just Randick Bitchford being himself.
@@bruhgod123 Randy Pitchford choked the original VA because he asked to be paid
Cl4ptrap was always the character I always felt would be a great friend. He reminded me of those people and kids with specials needs who don't mean any harm. They just want to help and be friends, and I wish I had a friend as cool and helpful as that Uniwheeled badass.
I'm cool!!
honestly, ever since pre-sequel my view of Claptrap changed from "for some reason, worlds punching bag" to "just a slightly silly veteran, trying his best"
i mean, i can say with full confidence that out of all the vault hunters in TPS he genuinely was the most badass. The fact that he finds the goddamn made up pearl just cements him as a guy who, while sometimes not quite competent, can flatten mountains for his friends if they need it.
Ironically, I like the little guy, even despite him being annoying. I get it's part of the joke but.. Christ, I just want the little robot spongebob to be happy, god dammit.
Agreed
Yep let the little guy dance.
Poor claptrap. Such a kind and pure soul. He deserves more friends. I’d love to sit down next to him, and hear the stories he has to tell.
It reminds me when I was a kid I loved to sit on my late grandfather's lap and listen to stories of when he was working on ships.
Hes a robot with no emotions yet out of the borderlands characters he is the most sentient, and I just relate to him. It's like you relate to the villain and might even root for them or like them more than the hero because the hero is often perfect while none of us are, but the villain is flawed while all of us are so we side with what's most like us sometimes, I always dance and listen to claptraps dubstep song in borderlands 2 and for a robot that can be annoying, he's definitely my best friend throughout the series
Claptrap is like the little kid in a squad with the other players who are in their 20s. Claptrap tries to be a part of the squad even though they have their differences
it's kind of like your buddy's little brother. they might fuck up, and annoy you, but at the end of the day you know they're completely harmless lol
This genuinely made a 26 yr old man cry. Huge fan since the first game. Was just 11 or 12 years old and played it every single day after school. My bestfriend would stay over 3 nights a week on school nights to play co op with me. We were both raised by single mothers, so I guess you could even say the series helped our parents get some time to relax with us taking turns spending nights at each others houses during school weeks and weekends.
The writers had no damn clue how sympathetic some of us players were to Claptrap. I felt just like him as a kid. It felt like 2 peas in the same pod behind the screen.
Sure, it may seem sad, but that's what makes you realize how empathy and sympathy are amazing tools to have, especially in childhood. Like how everyone else watches movies or shows for action, I watch them for story, atmosphere, and character.
2 peas in a pod? 2 cannibal midgets in a fat guy's ribcage?
Two peas in a pod, two bolts in a mag, two cannibal midgets in a fat guys rib cage
2 cannibals midgets in a fat guy's ribcage
I feel the exact same way, claptrap always was a safe feeling character for me. Whenever he was around It’s always a good time for me . Almost started crying at work watching this video on my break haha
Its customary for me to give him a high-five every time I pass him in Sanctuary, can't help but love the little guy.
This actually made me tear up holy crap
That's because you've experienced wholesomeness that almost can't be compared.
I actually thought I didn't have anything in common with clatrap now I do
Same, clap-trap making a companion only for them to insult and abandon him. And the cry clap-trap let’s out afterwards, can’t help but want to comfort the metal box man.
Same here!
i've always loved claptrap since day one, never laughed at his pain, he's an amazing little robot and his personality is amazing, i always felt bad for him and never laughed at him while playing BL, i just wish he wasn't a punching bag for everyone
Me too
same
I do claptraps bday every single playthrough on every difficulty no matter what. I feel bad every time but at least someone celebrates his bday.
The Claptastic Voyage from Borderlands: Pre-Sequel, and his "false" memories was so sad, the party at Overlook and the Claptrap song, the balloons and fanfare.
All made up in his mind. So well done.
If you think about his birthday at Sanctuary in Borderlands 2, that's how he actually views his birthday, not just the two of you, some pizza, music, and a party horn he can't blow. Being alone.
No one wants to help him. No one want to come to his celebration party. No one want to give him the love he deserves, even though he is a robot. No one want to give him high-five.
No one cares about him. Only Shadow-Trap, and you - the Vault Hunter that is played by you.
Honestly, I never hated claptrap though out my time with the series, but this video really made me sympathise with claptrap and made me feel bad for laughing at his antics
1000 percent same.This has made me see him in a different way.
Everytime I get to the level where you set up and try to gather people for Claptraps birthday party I cry ugly tears. I know personally the feeling of having spent alot of money getting food and things. Doing everything to make a party for others to enjoy, only for not a single person to come. Damn, I am getting tears just typing this.
That pain deeply resonates with me too and I almost teared up just reading that comment lol. I really hope that wasn't a recent experience for you and you've had many fun filled parties since :)
We'll make it, boyos.
I've gotten used to no one showing up to my birthday parties as a kid shit even now if I throw a party for people or to celebrate something I'm alone
I haven’t even seen this cutscene before and I just sobbed
Yeah happened to me at my last birthday... I really did my best to prepare something and I really thought about 7 people would come and got me enthousiastic because that would be the first time ever. Only for no one to show up... Half of them didn't even bother to tell me that they weren't coming. So I just went to a rave that night and danced my sorrows away. I brought party hats and let random people wear them at the rave to sort of make that rave my birthday. And yeah there are loads of pictures online of that rave and you can constantly see people wear party hats so that at least made my birthday a little better.
But just like Claptrap, I am also an overly optimistic annoying screw up with an ego that will inflate once I get praised, while all I want is to just have friends and be the best possible friend you can get. I guess this is why I always felt bad for Claptrap no matter how much I was supposed to see him as a joke.
I don't care what some people say about Claptrap. He may be obnoxious sometimes but he's as loyal as a dog and always tries to help out. My boy just needs a hug and a high five.
The biggest reason I love Claptrap is because I understand his issues. I understand his loneliness and desire to help people and failing every time. Claptrap was always my favorite character in the series and I loved playing AS him in TPS. It genuinely hurts to see him treated so harshly but I get the ego thing... sucks
If I'm being honest when I actually looked into clap trap I was heartbroken he actually my first favorite character
Remember the line at the start of borderlands 3 when you meet clap trap Lilith speaks to you in your head and says "I know clap trap can be a little... clap trap but he one of us"
Even she had to recognize his loyalty.
One of my favorite quests relating to Claptrap is the last Clapslist mission where you visit a girl on Pandora who is bound to a wheelchair. That mission was entirely wholesome where Claptrap showed the girl how to have fun dancing again despite her handicap.
Same... one of my all time fave missions. Caught me off guard when I first played it. I make sure to do it every time I play thru BL3
@@curtisjackson4090 I rarely do that mission because it requires you to do that awful AR game mission on the Eridian homeworld first. It doesn't appear until the other Clapslist missions are completed.
@@Techhunter_Talon I hate those AR missions too! The way they pixilate the screen so badly ends up starting to give me an eye strain headache by the time I finish the mission each time.
@@NYC-Gardener Plus the escort sections drag on for too long.
Me as well. I nearly cried and couldn't walk away when watching it.
Claptrap is actually my third favorite character in the series, he was my favorite character to play as in pre sequel, but overall I see him as THE most loyal character in the series and I wish he could fight alongside us in Future games cause despite his despite his cowardice he’s always someone you can count on to try to help.
Also I think there are a couple characters that actually care about him even if they don’t admit it: Lilith, Marcus, Scotter, Hammerlock, Janey, Athena, Axton and Gauge
Lilith & Athena: yeah.
Janey: if that's who I'm thinking of she is sort of nice to everyone .
Hammerlock Axton Gauge: citation needed.
@@janschievink1586 i'd argue that gaige doesn't reall need citation and is kinda like lilith and athena. Like, in hamerlock dlc in bl3 she purposedly decieve him eah, but she does in a way that does not hurt his feelings.
@@alilsadpotato plus she gave him an epic fetch quest. One that he FINISHED.
I wish claptrap was taken as less of a joke
It made me happy in bl2 vr where it lets you actually high five him rather than just hitting a button in the birthday mission
when i got to the part where Claptrap hugs and apologizes to Tannis for what happened to her, i pretty much broke down.
Same
🤝
That Borderlands 3 quest where you and Claptrap go to girl's house for a dance was soo wholesome. 😊
I always followed Borderlands narrative that Claptrap was an annoyingly loveable character, but something about how he him saying "I love you guys" at Roland's funeral and everyone groaning always felt so mean spirited.
In some cases you can only be that mean to people you love the most. i am british and we have a kind ribbing, sounds mean to outsiders but its just how we brits do it sometimes
As someone who was emotionally abused, I feel like I have to love the things that people hate. Rats, certain weapons in games, and characters... And I love Claptrap. I would always go to his birthday on every character I played in BL2, I would travel far and wide. I would love to sit by him and indulge in his interests. I love learning and listening, so being able to lend someone a shoulder to climb on would make me feel fulfilled while Claptrap has someone to lift him up.
Wait, you feel that way too? I’m glad to know I’m not alone.
Wump wump
Wow. Watching this video made me realize exactly what the creators had in mind. They literally hide all of this from you basically unless you do research. Some is obvious but most is made to be jokes. Im so sorry Claptrap. Literally crying right now. Wow.
It is especially ironic that he is called "useless" and VaultHunter.exe is considered a failure, when the middle skill tree for CL4P-TP is such a ridiculously strong support tree.
The Gun Wizard action package by itself breaks several boss fights
i remember so vividly my Great Grandfather telling me something that has been with me ever since. he said "just because someone doesnt show you emotions doesnt mean they do not have any, or are incapable of having any. they are just stuck in a war with themselves." and i asked him "a war? what kind of war?" and he said to me "the kind of war i wish noone had to go through in their life. the kind of war that can destroy a person from the inside out. the kind of war, that kills the very person they are, and the person that someone loves..." and he just looked sad afterwards. i didnt understand it then, but i do now. i understand it because i have been through it. Claptrap had to go through it as well. difference is, as an imaginary character, he was forced to do it. me and countless others however, we are real, and our experience with it is quite different.
Athena was the only one in the pre squeal that actually showed she cared about him and it's a shame they haven't interacted ever since then
If you select Athena, Janey, and Claptrap at the end of Tales from the Borderlands, they acknowledge working with each other again. That's always the team I select because I like the callback to TPS.
I personally dislike how much everyone seems to hate him
Annoying or not, I woulda given him a big hekking hug after his birthday party.
What makes his struggle for friendship worse is that he's been trying, ABSOLUTELY full heartedly *trying* so dang hard to make friends for several uncountable years for who knows how long he's been trying. He doesn't give up, but the amount of weight among guilt and depression he hides behind his software to have a cheerful voice when he's sad would make someone want to just give up so unknowingly badly that it's kinda achieving the impossible for why he continues to keep going despite all his sorrow that no human being can comprehend to handle.
I don't think you should speak for everyone, I actually had sympathy for claptrap. Especially when I was a kid and played borderlands 1 for the first time I actually remember genuinely feeling bad whenever claptrap got hurt or I found one of the clones knocked out.
I think Angel is a special person who understand claptrap, she ist the one who says to the vault hunter in the First game to take care of him. She hast the sirenability to talk in some mystic sirenway to mashines and to feel the mashines. She understand in an echo from the pre sequel, that Jack must work with the way claptrap is to make him a good fighter. I think she knows claptrap the most. In the end she gave her powers to Tannis the Person who was isoliated like she was her full live.
OMG you're right and whether or not the prequel comics were cannon or not that ability could help Tannis and claptrap become closer. I would be welcomed to see that.
Claptrap has always been a loved character for me i dont hate him
Me too
i love old clappy I always do his birthday quest in two this made me genuinely sad to watch and I just wanna give him like the biggest hug
Oh my, those side quests with dancing objectives now look at lot different.
I agree that Claptrap is the embodiment of Borderlands series: a dark and traumatizing experience hidden beneath the layers of comedy and fantasy
UVHM is the canon difficulty in my opinion (At least in the first 2), considering how awful everyone in the games describes Pandora, and let me tell you, trying to Solo UVHM really is traumatizing
spiral knights avi found 🙏
Claptrap is the zoidberg of this world. The most genuinely nice, albeit misguided, individual who everyone just hates because they find him annoying but won't help improve him. The difference is, he doesn't get the happy end he deserved (also side note loved the use of octopath traveler music)
When I was playing Borderlands 2, I was the only one who went to claptraps birthday, everyone else did other stuff.
happened to me too, barely anyone actually stayed with him.
31:20 bro can spit bars 💀
I’ve always loved claptrap, he was always loyal your character, and despite his faults, he was there to dance and be good to everyone around him
I, as a player, take no joy in mocking Claptrap. Maybe that's because I just really love little robots and maybe it's because I definitely had a birthday party as a child that like 1 person showed up to but props to you for making a video about this, you're a real one.
Most people find the quest mission for claptrap's birthday party as funny but it made me truly feel bad for the little robot. It kind of emphasizes how lonely he truly is. That quest is probably the reason I always give him a high five.
I felt so terrible for Claptrap during the Claptastic voyage. Enough that when Shadow-trap said something like "You cause misery to all around you! ACCEPT IT!" I was like "...What the fuck kind of advice is that?! This was the worst moment of his life and Claptrap's just supposed to accept that his mere presence makes things worse for everyone?!"
That was when Shadow-trap fucked up honestly.
"if you're wondering why i sound happy its because this is the default voice I'm actually very depressed"-Claptrap borderlands 2
Deadass, I cried watching this. The ONLY time I’ve cried over a video or movie. ONLY TIME. And it’s not because the story of claptrap is so sad (it is) it’s because I can relate. It seems like everyone dislikes me for things I didn’t do, or things I did do, but they did the same thing too, so I thought it would be great to do the same thing, but got ridiculed for it. All I have to say, is same bro.
One very interesting little bit of fridge horror that I almost never see anyone talk about is one particular minor quirk in Claptrap's post-genocide characterization versus his pre-genocide one.
That being Claptrap's affinity for referring to the player characters as his 'minions', and himself as the brave hero guiding them. Most noticeable in the first few missions of BL2, but present throughout afterwards.
This is only really notable because of the fact that the other character notable for thinking and referring to people in similar ways is none other than Handsome Jack.
While this was likely just intended by the developers to solely be for the purpose of making the players find Claptrap annoying, if you view it from a purely narrative and character perspective, then, considering the nature of how Claptrap sees Jack, and what Jack has done to him, the fact that Claptrap would emulate one of Jack's most well-known traits only after Jack completely ruins his life has some very dark implications.
Fun fact: There's a phenomenon in psychology, commonly (but incorrectly) referred to as 'the cycle of abuse', in which victims of trauma will adopt the traits of those who harmed them as a sort of psychological armor, making the victim feel stronger and more in control, like the one who hurt them always was.
Just some food for thought.
That's a very interesting theory
However, add onto that that he can no longer summon his minion-traps (Blight Trap, Punk Trap, Missile Trap, etc).
I'd say that while he's certainly emulating the 'style' of Jack, he's not emulating the meaning in the slightest. Rather, he's twisting it into a positive bend, as he always looked at the minion traps as more of close friends/allies as well as (in some fashion) his 'kids'.
Referring to the vault hunters in that way in BL2 onwards, to me, seems more like him being clingy & protective, but also trusting of the vault hunters (after all, how often in TPS did you rely on the aid of a lucky selection of a Minion-trap to take on enemies in a pinch?)
@@DBArtsCreatorsClaptrap was honestly the most fun character I've played as in the Borderlands series. The subroutines added a little element of chaos that just let you learn how to "go with the flow".
I never knew claptrap was such a relatable character. As someone who suffers from severe depression, I compensate w humor and (used to) go too far to please others in hopes of lasting friendships or romance. I wonder if gamers would be more receptive of him if they knew his humor was only w cover for his depression.
Honestly claptrap is one of my absolute favourite characters in borderlands, he gets beaten down and gets threatened but still gets back up and has a good time, a role model to show that no matter what, you can still find a reason to smile
Claptrap's the truth, I've always loved that humorous chunk of gears.
Claptrap birthday was so sad but every playthough I partied hard after
Years. I have waited YEARS for someone to make this video. I have felt bad for claptrap for so long and I was conflicted as to whether I should feel that way or not. Thank for finally putting this burden to rest
I can't help but sympathize for cl4p-trap with Veronica. As soon as I hear the sniffles and crying after being rejected I remember imediatly saying to myself "let it out man, I've been there" and I immediately discovered how 'human' cl4p-trap is :(
6:00 I'm glad I'm not the only one who dances at his party. He's my favorite character, you see him and groan but you love him all the same ❤️
Claptrap has always been my favourite part of borderlands. This video just makes me love him even more.
I came to the Borderlands band wagon pretty late and started by joining a couple friends of mine when they got Borderlands 3, so I played split screen with them for a bit and really couldnt understand the ClapTrap hate at all. I pretty much liked him from the start. Glad to see somebody give him the kindness he incredibly deserves
I kinda hope the character of Claptrap gets retired without the old voice actor. He just makes the character so human and likable. The new actor isnt bad but he just doesnt have the same energy. The writing of games after pre sequel really took a dive and made him way too unlikable like with him trying to join the Twins which felt grossly out of character imo.
Ive grown from loving and laughing at claptrap as a kid playing the game with my step dad to loving and empathizing for him as ive grown up. The more ive played the games and the older i got the more i noticed these things you pointed out in the video and it made me love him more as a character and im proud to be one of his minions/friends lol
Me as well.
no matter what i’ll always do the claptrap’s birthday bash side mission
im not sure if this was mentioned anywhere, but the reason why claptrap killed everyone in the overlook is because it happened right after jack installed the vaulthunter.exe into him and when it was deemed a total failure, the killer instincts were kicking into his programming and started intentionally messing things up.
one detail that supports this theory is during the donk fight, where he summons a rubber ducky in his fight, which is also one of the possible skills found in the vaulthunter.exe
16:14 I remember when I first heard Athena apologizing, brought tears to my eyes. Everyone else didn't seem to be bothered about Claptrap's feeling at all. Even though I read what she was going to say before she said it, that anticipation only made the moment stronger