BALEX is a Tediore branded artificial intelligence NPC featured in Borderlands 3.

Quick Answers

Who is the voice actor behind BALEX in Borderlands 3?

Ice-T provides the voice for BALEX in Borderlands 3. BALEX is an artificial intelligence character, associated with Tediore, Jakobs, and the Crimson Raiders.

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How did BALEX get his name in the Borderlands 3 storyline?

In Borderlands 3, BALEX is a Tediore-branded artificial intelligence without a specific backstory for his name. Montgomery Jakobs acquired him as a cost-effective navigation AI, after allocating most of his budget to the Maliwan combat AI GenIVIV. The character's voice is provided by Ice-T.

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What is the relationship between BALEX and GenIVIV in Borderlands 3?

In Borderlands 3, BALEX and GenIVIV have a strained relationship. After disagreements led to a ship crash on Eden-6, GenIVIV ejected BALEX, placing him into a teddy bear plush. BALEX later assists the Vault Hunters in defeating GenIVIV and retrieving the Vault Key Fragment. When GenIVIV hacks Sanctuary III, BALEX is installed into the ship, expels GenIVIV into a hard drive, and restores the ship, continuing to serve his original function.

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What type of artificial intelligence is BALEX in Borderlands 3?

In Borderlands 3, BALEX is a character that represents a Tediore branded artificial intelligence. Originally purchased by Montgomery Jakobs as a budget navigation AI, BALEX is now stationed on Sanctuary III, where he broadcasts announcements through the PA system. The voice behind BALEX is provided by Ice-T.

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Why did Montgomery Jakobs choose a Tediore AI for BALEX?

Montgomery Jakobs opted for a Tediore AI, BALEX, due to financial constraints. He had exhausted most of his budget on the Maliwan combat AI, GenIVIV, and needed a cost-effective solution for navigation. BALEX, named after Montgomery's indecision between 'Alex' and 'Barry', initially had a good rapport with GenIVIV, but their differing manufacturers led to a strained relationship.

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Background

After Montgomery Jakobs spent most of his ship-building budget on the Maliwan combat AI GenIVIV, he resorted to purchase a budget Tediore navigation AI to save his remaining funds, naming the AI "BALEX" due to Monty being unable to decide between the names "Alex" and "Barry". Both GenIVIV and BALEX soon took a liking to each other and started a relationship, but it soured thanks to their frequently clashing personalities (as BALEX puts it later, their manufacturer differences prevented them from getting along). Their acrimonious parting of ways came when BALEX crashed the ship on the surface of Eden-6. GenIVIV ejected BALEX and inserted him into a teddy bear plush before leaving him to the mercies of the local fauna.

Involvement

BALEX first appears during The Family Jewel as an unknown user attempting to call for help and the Vault Hunters save him after killing the saurian that ingested him. After revealing their allegiance to Wainwright Jakobs, BALEX agrees to help the them in retrieving the Vault Key fragment. With his knowledge of the ship, he walks them through GenIVIV's defenses and occasionally assists in direct combat whenever he is capable, despite GenIVIV's impediments including destroying the physical robotic bodies he is operating. When GenIVIV surrounds herself with an impenetrable shield, BALEX disables it, allowing the Vault Hunters to destroy GenIVIV's body and retrieve the Vault Key Fragment. They then take BALEX with them back to Sanctuary III.

After returning to the ship, GenIVIV hacks the ship, causing the machines to massacre the crew and extensive damage to its windows from asteroids. BALEX has the Vault Hunters install him into the ship. He kicks GenIVIV into a hard drive and restores the ship. BALEX remains aboard serving his original purpose and will occasionally broadcast announcements through the PA system.

Appearances

• Borderlands 3

Notes

• Once installed on Sanctuary III, BALEX will occasionally give comments while on board the ship and during certain missions. He will always tell the character not to touch the ship's engine while passing it.
• BALEX will usually ask the character to go to the ship's bridge to squeeze him. His dialogue appears to be bugged, as he will always repeat the mission dialogue (from The Family Jewel) that he shoved GenIVIV into a hard drive right after the intended lines end.

Trivia

• BALEX is the first character in the Borderlands franchise to use an uncensored version of the word "Fuck". He does so when warning the Vault Hunters about a saurian approaching (the quote in part is "...a fucking dinosaur..."). In previous uses of the word, it is censored as "F**k" or "F*ck"
  • However, the "fuck" he says at the end of the story is censored for unknown reasons.
• The pink plush that contains BALEX uses the same model as the green plush bear found during Childhood's End. Tannis mentions that it is based off a "Thracian Tetrabear", a species of bear with toxic claws.
• When BALEX appears as a mission item, picking him up will produce a light rubber ducky sound.
• BALEX never leaves the plush he was installed in, so his appearance prior to the events of the story is unknown. His ECHO image is also the plush bear he resides in.
  • Unlike GenIVIV, BALEX is never seen projecting physical manifestation of himself.