Psychos are utterly sunbaked, completely insane Pandoran pirates. In a scrap, they’re entirely close combat brawlers, with no sense of honor and even less of a sense of self-preservation.
They’re human (well, human-ish) just like you, Vault Hunter, and so they have the same strengths and weaknesses in the wild. They’re nimble and quick, able to dodge attacks and sprint when they sense a clear path. Hits to the legs will hobble them as they maneuver; hits to the face will register as critical damage, while temporarily stunning them. Psychos who happen to be carrying aloft grenades can have the explosive shot from their hands.
And apart from their suicidal grenadiers, the psychos do not partake of any other technology better than the occasional rudimentary shield module. You won’t find gun-wielders here. Ask a psycho why, and he might lament that guns are too quick, that you can’t savor all the little emotions. But he’s more likely to rave about his mother before trying to viciously headbutt you. These are not well-adjusted men who can be reasoned with. So instead, shoot them.
Psychos will work together with other bandits—marauders, goliaths, nomads, and rats. Together, the bandit clans form Pandora’s most globe-girding society, and if a place lacks for all manner of these strays, beggars, crazies, thieves, and murderers, it’s only because either Hyperion forces or inhospitable wildlife forced them out.
Psycho
TVHM name: Maniac
Psychos will approach, buzz axe in hand and maniacal sneer behind mask. If they get close enough, they’ll naturally slash with that nasty axe. From further away, if they can’t get at a Vault Hunter directly, they’ll toss their buzz axe with practiced accuracy. These weapons can be shot out of mid-air, but it’s harder than against bullymong rocks, as buzz axes make a smaller, quicker target.
| Health Multiplier | Shield Level | DMG. Multiplier | XP Value | CRIT. Areas | Weak./Res. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | — | 2 | Normal | Head |
Location: Southern Shelf, Three Horns, Southpaw, Frostburn Canyon, The Dust, Bloodshot Stronghold/Ramparts, Tundra Express, The Fridge, Thousand Cuts, Lynchwood, Sawtooth Cauldron
Psycho Midget
TVHM Name: Maniac Midget
Psycho Midgets are diminutive, height-challenged variants of your standard psycho. They behave in the same way, charging and attacking maniacally with a buzz axe. They’re just a tad more… precious? …while they do so.
| Health Multiplier | Shield Level | DMG. Multiplier | XP Value | CRIT. Areas | Weak./Res. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.75 | — | 1 | Chump | Head |
Location: Southern Shelf, Three Horns, Southpaw, Frostburn Canyon, The Dust, Bloodshot Stronghold/Ramparts, Tundra Express, The Fridge, Thousand Cuts, Lynchwood, Sawtooth Cauldron
Suicide Psycho
TVHM Name: Maniac Bomber
Suicide Psychos make a beeline straight for the closest Vault Hunter, live grenade in hand. They really like things up close and personal, so they resort to tossing their grenades like a sane person would only if they don’t have an immediate path to kamikaze run it in. Once they’re close, they set off the grenade, killing themselves and dealing heavy damage nearby. As these psychos charge, shoot their heads for critical damage, shoot their legs to trip them up, or shoot the grenades out of their hands!
If you realize a Suicide Psycho has made it all the way near you, at least try to sprint away just before the grenade actually blows, to get some distance. If you’re quick, you can make it away without damage.
| Health Multiplier | Shield Level | DMG. Multiplier | XP Value | CRIT. Areas | Weak./Res. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | — | 2 | Normal | Head |
Location: Southern Shelf, Three Horns, Southpaw, Frostburn Canyon, The Dust, Bloodshot Stronghold/Ramparts, Tundra Express, The Fridge, Thousand Cuts, Lynchwood, Sawtooth Cauldron
Suicide Midget
TVHM Name: Midget Bomber
These pint-sized Suicide Psychos act just like their larger brethren, although it may be harder to intercept them on the way, as their size may actually conceal them behind cover as they make their way toward you!
| Health Multiplier | Shield Level | DMG. Multiplier | XP Value | CRIT. Areas | Weak./Res. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | — | 1 | Chump | Head |
Location: Southern Shelf, Three Horns, Southpaw, Frostburn Canyon, The Dust, Bloodshot Stronghold/Ramparts, Tundra Express, The Fridge, Thousand Cuts, Lynchwood, Sawtooth Cauldron
Burning Psycho
TVHM Name: Hellborn Maniac
Burning Psychos act just like Psychos, only on fire. Their axes are also burning, so melee attacks and tossed axes from Burning Psychos may light their targets on fire. Since this flesh-and-blood enemy is abnormally acclimated to heat, switch to normal or Explosive rounds. During True Vault Hunter Mode, Burning Psychos may come equipped with a relatively weak shield, making Shock weapons another good choice against them.
| Health Multiplier | Shield Level | DMG. Multiplier | XP Value | CRIT. Areas | Weak./Res. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 | TVHM: 0.25 | 1.5 | Normal+ | Head | —/ |
Location: Southern Shelf, Three Horns, Southpaw, Frostburn Canyon, The Dust, Bloodshot Stronghold/Ramparts, Tundra Express, The Fridge, Thousand Cuts, Lynchwood, Sawtooth Cauldron
Flaming Midget
TVHM Name: Inferno Midget
Flaming Midgets are a lot like Burning Psychos, if Burning Psychos were smaller and easier to kill. Shields that include spike damage against melee attackers can be especially useful against chump enemies like melee-happy midgets—your shield might kill enemies you didn’t even realize were assailing you!
| Health Multiplier | Shield Level | DMG. Multiplier | XP Value | CRIT. Areas | Weak./Res. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.75 | — | 1 | Chump | Head | — / |
Location: Frostburn Canyon
Slagged Psycho
TVHM Name: Slagged Maniac
This psycho has been infected with Slag, so his attacks will inflict Slagged status on his victims. In addition to tossing the axe from far away and swinging up close, the Slagged Psycho may also spit up Slag goop. The prolonged exposure to Eridium has made this creep tougher to kill than his companions.
| Health Multiplier | Shield Level | DMG. Multiplier | XP Value | CRIT. Areas | Weak./Res. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | TVHM: 0.25 | 1 | Normal+ | Head |
Location: Thousand Cuts, Sawtooth Cauldron
Freezing Psycho
TVHM Name: Arctic Maniac
Maybe some psychos aren’t so bad once you get to know them, but the right time to get to know them is probably not right after you destroyed their heating unit and forced them outside to avoid freezing to death.
| Health Multiplier | Shield Level | DMG. Multiplier | XP Value | CRIT. Areas | Weak./Res. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | — | 2 | Normal+ | Head |
Location: Three Horns - Divide, mission: “Ice Man Cometh”
Dubert, Hubert, and Lubert
The Psycho Midgets selected by the nomads for use as inhuman shields are people too, you know. Well, sort of. In any case, if you can manage to free these little dudes from their bondage to a nomad’s shield, they’ll (usually) realize who has the upper hand and join your assault on the nomad.
Or, you can just shoot them, too, on the shield or off it. They’re still bandits, after all. It’s not really known why nomads secure midgets as shields, when they’re such ineffective deterrents for keeping people from shooting at the nomads in the first place. They must just be sadists. The nomads, that is. Well, the midgets are sadists most of the time, too; they’re just not exhibiting that severe character flaw when they’re tied up and being used as a meat shield.
| Health Multiplier | Shield Level | DMG. Multiplier | XP Value | CRIT. Areas | Weak./Res. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | — | 1 | Normal | Head |
Location: Tied to Bad Maw’s shield
Psycho Miner
TVHM Name: Maniac Miner
These prospecting psychos make an appearance during a Tundra Express mission.
| Health Multiplier | Shield Level | DMG. Multiplier | XP Value | CRIT. Areas | Weak./Res. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 | TVHM: 1 | 3 | Normal | Head |
Location: Tundra Express, mission: “Mine, All Mine”
Tea Party Guest
Waves of these eager party-goers show up during Tiny Tina’s tea party in Flesh-Stick’s honor. It’s your job to make these Tea Party Guests into dead Tea Party Guests. That makes you kind of a bad Tea Party Host, but no one is counting except Tina, and let’s assume her counting isn’t terrific.
| Health Multiplier | Shield Level | DMG. Multiplier | XP Value | CRIT. Areas | Weak./Res. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | — | 1.5 | Normal | Head |
Location: Tundra Express, mission: “You are Cordially Invited: Tea Party”
Armored Maniac
( TVHM ONLY)
Armored Maniacs show up only during True Vault Hunter Mode. These psychos are sporting old, looted Atlas Crimson Lance armor. This means that, unlike other psychos, they’re weak to corrosive attacks rather than fire. They attack like non-armored psychos, except they deal increased damage and take more punishment before dying, which means they have extra time to get in for some quality face punching. Shoot their legs out from under them and swap to corrosive to dust these high priority foes quickly.
| Health Multiplier | Shield Level | DMG. Multiplier | XP Value | CRIT. Areas | Weak./Res. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | — | 3 | Tough | Head |
Location: Southern Shelf, Three Horns, Southpaw, Frostburn Canyon, The Dust, Bloodshot Stronghold/Ramparts, Tundra Express, The Fridge, Thousand Cuts, Lynchwood, Sawtooth Cauldron
Gravedigger
(TVHM ONLY)
Gravediggers are even-less-scrupulous-than-usual psychos who appear only during True Vault Hunter Mode. In addition to providing the primary tool for their graverobbing efforts, their shovel provides the oomph behind their melee attacks. From a distance, they can lob corrosive skulls.
| Health Multiplier | Shield Level | DMG. Multiplier | XP Value | CRIT. Areas | Weak./Res. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 1 | 2 | Normal+ | Head |
Location: Tundra Express, The Fridge, Thousand Cuts, Sawtooth Cauldron
Midget Boner
(TVHM ONLY)
This cheekily-named, skull-wearing wastrel only appears during True Vault Hunter Mode.
| Health Multiplier | Shield Level | DMG. Multiplier | XP Value | CRIT. Areas | Weak./Res. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.75 | — | 1 | Normal | Head |
Location: Southern Shelf, Three Horns, Southpaw, Frostburn Canyon, The Dust, Bloodshot Stronghold/Ramparts, Tundra Express, The Fridge, Thousand Cuts, Lynchwood, Sawtooth Cauldron
Badass Psycho
TVHM name: Super Badass Maniac
This psycho means serious business, and is deceptively fast… although his gait looks sort of slow, that’s overshadowed by how friggin’ big he is, so Badass Psychos can move around just fine. They approach relentlessly and try to swat you with their enormous pipes. If they can’t get their hands on their targets, they also toss their pipes from far away. Either way, they do tons of damage with successful hits, so shoot them in the legs to trip them up and slow them down as they approach.
| Health Multiplier | Shield Level | DMG. Multiplier | XP Value | Crit. Areas | Weak./Res. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | TVHM: 1 | 5 | Badass | Head |
Location: Southern Shelf, Three Horns, Southpaw, Frostburn Canyon, The Dust, Bloodshot Stronghold/Ramparts, Tundra Express, The Fridge, Thousand Cuts, Lynchwood, Sawtooth Cauldron
Chubby Midget
Although sustenance is generally scarce on such a resource and agriculture-poor frontier planet, a few specimens in some families still manage to get obese. Chubby midgets are regular midgets who ate two extra skag burritos a day all through Psycho Midget junior high. So now they’ve developed a bit of a weight problem, slowing them down, but all that heft also translates into more staying power and harder hits. Don’t underestimate a Chubby Midget just because you’re so surprised to see one waddle into view.
Chubby versions of various enemies have a chance to drop Bouncing Bonny, the legendary Dahl grenade.
| Health Multiplier | Shield Level | DMG. Multiplier | XP Value | Crit. Areas | Weak./Res. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | — | 5 | Super Badass | Head |
Location: Southern Shelf, Three Horns, Southpaw, Frostburn Canyon, The Dust, Bloodshot Stronghold/Ramparts, Tundra Express, The Fridge, Thousand Cuts, Lynchwood, Sawtooth Cauldron
Loot Midget Psycho
Gaining a breather to loot containers and treasure chests is always such a relaxing experience. Except for the times when a Loot Midget pops out from hiding amongst the spoils, trying to take you down! Be prepared to deploy your action skill and go to work immediately whenever opening chests, because loot midgets are no joke.
Loot Midget Psychos will rush you and try to do heavy melee damage, so waylay them with leg shots, and deceptive/paralyzing techniques. A loot midget of any stripe may drop Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, the legendary Dahl shield.
| Health Multiplier | Shield Level | DMG. Multiplier | XP Value | Crit. Areas | Weak./Res. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | — | 4 | Tough+ | Head |
Location: Loot containers
Flesh-Stick
During an optional mission cascade from Tiny Tina in Tundra Express, you are tasked with luring Flesh-Stick to Tiny Tina’s, during a segment in which you mustn’t kill him. Just keep him interested. Can you imagine that at some point in your future you might have to take him head-on? No, of course that wouldn’t happen.
| Health Multiplier | Shield Level | DMG. Multiplier | XP Value | Crit. Areas | Weak./Res. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | — | 1.5 | Super Badass | Head |
Location: Tundra Express, mission: “You are Cordially Invited: Tea Party”
Shirtless Man
These bros just want to play some volleyball, but you insist on doing things faster and more dangerous, at least insofar as you torch their volleyball net. These psychos looking for some R&R actually have very large health pools, so don’t let them take you to the danger zone.
| Health Multiplier | Shield Level | DMG. Multiplier | XP Value | Crit. Areas | Weak./Res. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | TVHM: 1 | 1 | Badass | Head |
Location: The Dust, mission: “Too Close For Missiles”
Incinerator Clayton
Incinerator Clayton is a literal flaming lunatic who leads you along an elaborate mission series originating in Frostburn Canyon. This powerful baddie also brings along quite a bit of help. Incinerator Clayton has a small chance of dropping a legendary weapon.
| Health Multiplier | Shield Level | DMG. Multiplier | XP Value | Crit. Areas | Weak./Res. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 1 | 1.5 | Super Badass | Head/tank |
Location: Frostburn Canyon, mission: “Cult Following: The Enkindling”
McNally
McNally is one of a few bandit psychos whose fate is tied up with one of the most storied of Pandoran firearms, The Bane. This gun is rumored to carry a curse, a pox it places upon its owner. Odd that it would still be sought out, then… McNally has a small chance of dropping a legendary weapon.
| Health Multiplier | Shield Level | DMG. Multiplier | XP Value | Crit. Areas | Weak./Res. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | TVHM: 1 | 1.5 | Super Badass | Head |
Location: The Dust, mission: “The Bane”
Mad Dog
You need explosives to realize one optional mission, and Mad Dog happens to be the supplier. The question is, is he a willing supplier? Might makes right on Pandora, so it doesn’t much matter. Mad Dog has a small chance of dropping the legendary Bandit assault rifle, Madhous!
| Health Multiplier | Shield Level | DMG. Multiplier | XP Value | Crit. Areas | Weak./Res. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | — | 1.5 | Super Badass | Head |
Location: Lynchwood, mission: “Breaking the Bank”
Assassin Reeth
The third of four Badass assassins you face in Southpaw Steam & Power, Reeth is a frenzied psycho with a big health pool. During the mission “Assassinate the Assassins,” finish Reeth off with a melee attack to complete a bonus objective! Assassin Reeth has a decent chance of dropping a legendary weapon.
| Health Multiplier | Shield Level | DMG. Multiplier | XP Value | Crit. Areas | Weak./Res. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 1 | 2 | Super Badass | Head |
Location: Southpaw Steam & Power, mission: “Assassinate the Assassins”
Shorty
Scooter asks that you get Shorty, but in order to get Shorty you must free him. You’ll see what we mean. The quest is called “Swallowed Whole,” after all, and a certain family of Pandoran fauna can cloak itself…
| Health Multiplier | Shield Level | DMG. Multiplier | XP Value | Crit. Areas | Weak./Res. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | — | 2 | Tough | Head |
Location: The Fridge, mission: “Swallowed Whole”