The Agonizer 9000 | Opponent in Borderlands 3 Borderlands 3 guide, walkthrough

Last update: 01 October 2019

This page of the guide to Borderlands 3 contains a description of the boss fight with The Agonizer 9000. It is a machine with a huge skull controlled by bandits Pain and Terror. Our description of this battle focuses on the basic rules of this fight, ways of avoiding the traps and tips on how to weaken The Agonizer.

The battle with The Agonizer 9000 happens in the final part of Blood Drive main quest available after your return on Pandora. Before you face the boss, you will have to sabotage the big Carnivora machine. This will allow you to board the vehicle.

Unfortunately, you can't use vending machines before the boss fight. Try to collect as much ammo from the area as possible before pressing one of the three buttons shown in the picture above. Performing this action will allow the hero to get to The Main Stage - this is where the boss fight begins.

The boss fight takes place in a round arena and you have to move a lot to avoid traps and the big skull's attacks.

One of the most common attacks of the boss is setting fragments of the floor on fire. This works similarly to the battle with the Mouthpiece from the early parts of the campaign. Glowing floor informs you that this part of the floor will soon be covered in fire. This attack comes in two versions:

1. Setting the entire fragment of the floor on fire - Start moving left or right.
2. Burning "lines" - Stand on safe strips and if necessary run quickly to those that have just gone out.

Another frequent and very annoying boss attack is the retractable rotating blades. The Agonizer performs one or more spins, which means that the blades will reach every place in the arena.

At first, the blades only move close the ground and you have to jump over them at the right moment. Later on, The Agonizer will get an "improved" version of this attack. The blades will be able to travel to a higher position - you avoid them by crouching down. Getting hit by the blades may deal massive damage.

Other dangerous attacks are:

1. Releasing blades that travel in a straight line.
2. Hitting the arena with a large melee weapon.
3. Hitting the arena with a spiked plate - you can recognize this attack by the spikes appearing above the hero (see the picture).

In each of these situations, the universal solution is to start running left or right as soon as notice that the boss plans to perform an attack.

You can attack the boss continuously. However, a better strategy is to attack its weak points. They are:

1. Skull's eyes.
2. All red objects on The Agonizer's armor. The largest of these is the big red tank on the back of the boss - see the picture.

Each shot aimed at a weak spot guarantees critical damage. This can significantly reduce the time of this battle, which by default should take more than 10 minutes.

Fanatics, the boss's minions, appear regularly in the arena. Use the familiar tactic - don't attack them unless you are directly threatened. They can "help" you if you get knocked down and you go into the Fight for Your Life mode. Quickly track down a minion and shoot him with the best weapon you have to get Second Wind.

You first need to deplete the boss's yellow bar. When you start depleting his purple bar, you will move to the second phase which is much shorter.

Wait until the boss is no longer immortal and only then proceed to attack it again. Locate Agonizer's Eridium Core and attack it with the best weapon. The core will shoot a purple energy beam that can do a lot of damage. Try to shot the core while you are standing a little to the side. Also, remember to run to the sides to avoid the beam.

After defeating The Agonizer 9000, you also have to finish off Pain and Terror. They are defenseless.

Remember to collect the loot that appeared in the area - credits, eridium and rare equipment.