The Borderlands series has always been known for its standout villains, many of whom balance a sinister persona with a whimsical sense of humor. Gearbox has kept this tradition alive with the debut of the unique antagonists in BL3, Troy and Tyreen Calypso.
This dynamic duo share some of the wit and goofiness that Handsome Jack was renowned for in the previous game - with a tinge of Millenial-era dialect. At the same time, they also have the intimidating traits of being among a select few Sirens in the Borderlands universe.
Given the odd nature and powerful mystique of these two villains, there's no shortage of interesting tidbits regarding the Calypso Twins. Let's take a look at 10 of the most interesting details now.
10 The Calypso Name Origins
While there is little on record when it comes to the Calypsos' name origins, it's very likely that the last name is based on the nymph of Greek mythology by the same name. This would seem to make sense, given that the Calypsos are Sirens, which are also a reference to the singing enchantresses of Greek lore.
You've also got the parallel trait of the mythological Calypso being a god-like figure that also has one foot in the realm of mortal humanity. Additionally, you have the parallels of Calypso bearing twin sons to Odysseus. This is fitting, given that the Calypsos of BL3 are twins themselves.
9 Almost Pushed Aside For A Handsome Jack Return
One of the many reasons Borderlands 2 is so renowned is because of its chief villain, Handsome Jack, whose sadistic craziness and charming wit made him a fan-favorite.
As it happens, Gearbox initially had thoughts of bringing this Hyperion overlord back once again. This likely means we wouldn't have even seen the Calypso Twins in this third entry of Borderlands, or they would have at least played a far less prominent role.
Luckily for Troy and Tyreen, this idea to bring Jack back was ditched rather early in the development process, as the team felt that, despite his popularity, we had seen quite enough of him. After all, not only was he a major player of BL2, but he was also a centerpiece of The Pre-Sequel and Tales from the Borderlands.
8 The "Children Of The Vault" Origins
Looking back to prior entries in the BL series, society and culture is in a pretty anarchic state, on account of various tribes and factions at odds with one another. While these chaotic conditions are prominent in BL3, the Calypsos have managed to consolidate their power by unifying most of the bandit tribes under one massive banner - The Children of the Vault.
These violent foes have now become even more dangerous and fanatical, following their unshakable devotion and willingness to fight for this cult, led by Tyreen and Troy. This drive is motivated by their goal in finding and opening every single vault in the galaxy.
7 A Relationship Between Troy and Hammerlock's Sister
Those who have played through BL3 may have noticed a particular dislike to Troy expressed by Sir Hammerlock. There's a reason for this aside from the simple fact that these twins are troublesome and tyrannical.
As revealed in an ECHO log which can be found on Eden-6, it would seem that Troy was involved in a brief romance with Aurelia. As a wealthy Vault Hunter and power-hungry antagonist to her brother, she would seemingly make a natural match for this Calypso twin.
6 Tyreen Can Taste Those She Leeches Life From
Sirens possess unique abilities which only a handful of people in the Borderlands universe are capable of - but they also hold distinct, exclusive powers even amongst themselves. When it comes to the sinister Tyreen, she fittingly possesses the ability to leech power from life forms and apparently even tasting that which she draws from.
This is alluded to with her quotes referencing Tinks as "popcorn shrimp, but screamier" and proclaiming "your dumbass friend looks delicious!"
5 Troy Stands As The Only Male Siren
If you thought being one of only a handful of Sirens in the Borderlands universe was exclusive, try being the only known male Siren in the universe! This is the case for Troy, who's described as being the manifestation of "unlikely circumstances."
These unique circumstances have allowed Troy to possess powers that are similar to his female counterparts, while also granting him unique traits that allow him to stand out and shine in his own way. This is illustrated in a physical feature which will be described in greater detail a bit later.
4 The Peculiar State Of Tyreen's Victims
As we've touched on - Tyreen can essentially siphon life energy off her victims like some sort of majestic human leech. Though players of BL3 eventually find that that the end product of this manifests a pretty unique visual.
Specifically, the remains of her victims take on a life-like statue that's covered in Eridium-esque crystals. These part-human and part-Eridium structures are referred to as "husks" in the game.
3 The Prominent Voices Behind The Twins
The Borderlands games have been known for some memorable and amusing voice performances, thanks in part to celebrity appearances like Ice-T and Penn and Teller. Though the voice of Troy, Max Mittelman, should also be fairly recognizable to those who've experienced their share of cartoons and video games.
He's taken on major roles of well over 100 games, cartoons, and anime, including Saitama from One Punch Man, Ryuji Sakamoto from Persona 5, and King from The Seven Deadly Sins.
The voice behind Tyreen is also significant in her own way. While she's quite new to the voice-acting scene, Elisa Melendez takes on the dual roles of Tyreen in addition to being the New Media Manager of Gearbox Publishing.
2 Tyreen Is The Source Of Troy's Life
Similar to Tyreen leeching off others, Troy is also co-dependent on his sister, who essentially provides the life source for himself. Basically, Tyreen is the reason that Troy is able to survive, at least according to her. This likely explains the reasoning behind Troy's existence as a siren despite being male.
As Tyreen states, "I'm the Siren, he's just a parasite. Literally. When we were born, our father had to cut him off me. Now I'm the only thing keeping him alive." It's a pretty peculiar relationship, to say the least.
1 The Unique Nature Of Troy's Siren Tattoos
Tyreen's distinct characteristics among the already exclusive group of Sirens is literally illustrated in his tattoos.
While all Sirens possess the recognizable wing image that's a key trait to Sirens in BL, Troy comes with a unique variant of this design. His tattoos are naturally blood-red rather than blue, and take on a larger, messier and more "violent" appearance overall. This is in contrast to the cleaner, swooping shapes found on the other female Sirens.