Goliath

The Goliath is an enemy in Borderlands 2. They are first seen in Frostburn Canyon, and can be found in many other bandit encampments from then on.

Strategy
The goliath appears wearing a large metallic helmet that gives tunnel vision and helps control his rage. Goliaths typically duel-wield large assault rifles in combat. However, Badass Goliaths typically wield a single large minigun, whlie Caustic goliaths dual-wield melee weapons. The helmet can be shot off, at which point the Goliath will go into a rage, regenerating all lost health (the rare shielded goliath will not have his shield restored), casting his guns aside and charging his foes, attacking with powerful melee strikes. During a rage, the goliath will attack everything in his range, friend and foe alike. Goliaths that lose their helmets lose all of the dopiness in their voice and begin to speak in more violent, complex, and complete sentences. Goliaths start out leveled to their area and can level up four times from their starting level. Once their helmet is shot off they become a "Raging Goliath" (with some name variation depending on the goliath in question's original type). When they kill one target they become a "Badass Goliath"; two more kills, a "Super Badass Goliath"; three more kills, an "Ultimate Badass Goliath". After four more kills it levels to a "GOD-liath" and killing the goliath in this form will unlock the "Goliath, Meet David" achievement.

Goliaths' exposed heads are malformed and seem to blend into the top of their torsos. When one flies into rage, his skull bursts up and out of his distended mouth as his spine reforms into a stalk above his body. The high critical hit damage accrued from shooting the skull is offset by the difficulty of hitting the small, waving target.

Upon killing enemies the Goliath will gain levels, have their health replenished, and become physically stronger. With each level gained, they become much more dangerous. A beneficial aspect of this is that the goliath will drop much better loot upon death, and the experience points from the enemies he killed are tripled and added to his own. At the GOD-liath level, drops are greatly increased in value, to the point where he will almost always drop Eridium along with items of blue quality or higher.

Once a Goliath rages, they gain three ways of attacking. The first and weakest is a series of quick punches that will knock back even very heavy enemies but deals a moderate amount of damage. The second type of attack is when a Goliath leaps a considerable distance before landing on a target and dealing medium AoE damage. Goliaths also use this technique to get to unreachable locations or to engage slow air units. Goliaths are capable of jumping ridiculous distances. The third and final attack is their slowest, but also their most dangerous, a Goliath will raise his arms into the air before slamming the ground, dealing tremendous damage in a large radius. It is worth noting that the ground slam is easily read and slow to wind up but can put a Vault Hunter into Fight for Your Life in a single hit (barring health gating), especially once they get to Super Badass and above. A Caustic Goliath will rarely use melee hits, opting to use their short range vomit attack, making them easier to deal with compared to the regular Goliaths.

Goliaths can be used both as a distraction and as a way to save ammunition, so long as the proper weaponry is at hand to take care of a Raging Goliath. It is also vital to pay attention to where the Goliath is at all times and start attempting to kill him once he reaches Super Badass. It is possible for a Goliath to gain enough levels to gain a skull by their level and become a greater threat than any other enemy in the area.

Types

 * Goliath- The basic and most common type of Goliath. They dual-wield assault rifles and move at a slow pace, making them easy targets to hit despite their high health. Like most forms of Goliaths, when their helmets are shot off they cast aside their weapons and go berserk, which fully heals them, slightly increases their overall health and completely changes their attack pattern.
 * Caustic Goliath- Caustic Goliaths dual-wield two buzz-axes and deal corrosive damage. They have higher health than a standard Goliath and resist corrosive attacks, but this is offset by their limited range and movement speed, which make them vulnerable at range. Though they are resilient, they still do not pose much of threat unless enraged. Upon becoming enraged, Caustic Goliaths will cast aside their axes and vomit a corrosive substance at their enemies. The corrosive spray deals significant, constant damage, especially to unshielded enemies, but leaves the goliath open to attack at the same time and is overall a much slower way to level up than normal Goliaths and as such will very rarely live to become Super Badass or higher.
 * Loot Goon Goliath- Loot Goon Goliaths are a powerful variant of Badass Goliath bearing a red Dahl weapon crate on their back, lootable on their demise. This variation dual-wields assault rifles like regular goliaths, but inflict significantly more damage and have greatly increased health. They are more aggressive than other types, pursuing their enemies steadily and only stopping to reload. When enraged, Loot Goon Goliaths' melee attacks inflict even greater damage than Badass Goliaths, and at Ultimate Badass or higher they are almost guaranteed to dwarf all other foes in the area. Loot Goon Goliaths are immune to Maya's Phaselock. The chest's loot value depends on the initial level of the Goliath; it does not increase as it levels up. The Loot Goon Goliath is a spiritual successor to the Loot Goon from The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned.
 * Midget Goliath- Midget goliaths are simply smaller, weaker goliaths, and aside from wielding pistols instead of assault rifles, are not much different from their regular-sized kin. Their melee attacks are comparatively weak when enraged, and their speed and health are significantly lower than regular enraged goliaths.
 * Loot Midget Goliath- Loot midget Goliaths are another form of the Loot Midget and are extremely rare to spawn. Their health and damage attributes are the same as a Badass Goliath. Loot Midget Goliath's are also counted as a human badass and they have a higher chance to drop legendaries and pearlescent weapons. They act just like normal Goliaths, but can be seen wearing a backpack which cannot be looted, unlike a Loot Goon Goliath's. Instead they drop weapons upon death.
 * Badass Goliath- A Badass Goliath is a large, even more muscle-bound Goliath that wields a huge minigun instead of two rifles. They are deadly when fought on lower levels, especially when enraged. Their minigun, however, is quite weak at long range, useful to players who prefer sniping. When enraged, badass goliaths can dish out heavy hitting melee attacks. Badass goliaths are not quite as dangerous as loot goon goliaths, but can level up just as quickly due to the damage of their melee attacks.
 * One-Armed Bandit- One-Armed Bandits are a unique type of goliath. They do not wear helmets and therefore cannot be enraged, making them a much more simple fight. To offset this, they have far higher health than most variants of goliath, rivaling that of a raging badass. As the name implies, they do not have left arms, and wear metal seals around their arm joint to compensate. Furthermore, one armed-bandits wear a slot machine on their back identical to those found in Sanctuary. One-Armed Bandits are in and of themselves a reference to the first slot machine ever invented, nicknamed the "One-Armed Bandit".
 * Heavy Goliath- Heavy goliaths are a version of Badass goliaths that appear exclusively in the Circle of Slaughter. In True Vault Hunter Mode, they are replaced by Mega Goliaths, which behave in the same manner.
 * Goliath Digger- Another version of a basic goliath that appears exclusively in the Eridium mine in the Tundra Express. They have slightly higher health than the standard variant, and behave identically.
 * Juggernaut- Juggernauts are dangerous, well-armed goliaths that appear in True Vault Hunter Mode. They stand around the same height as loot goon goliaths and have small heads, making critical hits difficult. They dual-wield shotguns, which cause heavy damage at close range. Even more deadly is the fact that some juggernauts dual-wield explosive shotguns that can kill targets instantly at close range, and can deal moderate damage at long range as well. Juggarnauts cannot be enraged, so critical hits can slowly put them down despite their small heads. Juggernauts also wear armor on parts of their body that repel bullets, and the armor cannot be damaged by corrosive attacks.
 * Blaster- Blasters are a version of normal goliaths appearing in True Vault Hunter Mode that dual-wield rocket launchers, making them deadly with ranged attacks. Their launchers deal substantial damage, and also cause additional splash damage to nearby targets. Some blasters dual-wield elemental launchers, increasing their threat level. However, at a distance their rockets are easily dodged or shot out of the air. Blasters act like most goliaths when enraged, making them much easier to deal with unless allowed to level up.
 * Gladiator- Only found in Mister Torgue's Campaing of Carnage add-on as part of the Horde of Horrors. They behave exactly like standard goliaths.

Level Progression
The names of the Goliaths differ depending on their type. But they all follow a similar sequence:
 * Lv.1 - Goliath
 * Lv.2 - Raging Goliath
 * Lv.3 - Badass Goliath
 * Lv.4 - Super Badass Goliath
 * Lv.5 - Ultimate Badass Goliath
 * Lv.6 - GOD-liath

The actual possible outcomes are:

Source

Notes :
 * Smash-Head, Juggernauts, and One-Armed Bandits are listed as Goliaths in the code but have no leveling. They cannot be enraged or leveled.
 * Heavy Goliaths are replaced with Mega Goliaths in True Vault-Hunter Mode. According to the code, it can be assumed that Mega Goliaths are only possible encounters in True Vault-Hunter Mode, and they replace all Heavy Goliaths.
 * Heavy and Mega goliaths are the only goliaths that can be enraged, but not beyond ultimate badass.
 * Caustic Goliaths are also noted for True Vault-Hunter Mode in the code but their names are not changed. They are likely simply more powerful versions of the Caustic Goliaths found in normal mode.

Boss

 * Smash Head

Quotes
Normal Throwing Grenade
 * "How are you?"
 * "You die now!"
 * "Free time already?"
 * "Why you here?"
 * "Let's make face gravy!"
 * "Time for kill!"
 * "Time for squishing!"
 * "I will crush!"
 * "New present?"
 * "New friend!"
 * "Another bitch?"
 * "Welcome to pain!"
 * "Welcome to die!" (A reference to the infamous line in the X-Men arcade game)
 * "Always kill!"
 * "Satisfy me!"
 * "Punch your skull into your tum-tum!"
 * "Prepare for die!"
 * "Hugs time!"
 * "This the best!"
 * "This fun!"
 * "Fantastic!"
 * "I am great!"
 * "You're so dumb!"
 * "Get ready for hurt!"
 * "Killing time!"
 * "Dying time!"
 * "Don't run!"
 * "Stop fight so hard!"
 * "Quit fight so much!"
 * "Squish you!"
 * "Scream...scream!"
 * "Crush your teeth!"
 * "Boom time!"
 * "Play catch!"
 * "Enjoy gift!"
 * "Enjoy grenade!"
 * "Throwing boom-rock!"
 * "Explosion!"
 * "Grenade throw!"

Attacked - Normal Hit with a critical - Normal At critical health - Normal Losing shield
 * "Stop it! STOP IT! STOP! STOP! STOP!"
 * "Why are you so mean?"
 * "But they said to keep it on."
 * "No! I keep brain there."
 * "Get this stupid thing off!"
 * "Yes! YES!"
 * "Yes! Shoot there."
 * "Take it off."
 * "Ow! I kinda felt that!"
 * "What is this feeling...?"
 * "Not feeling good..."
 * "It hurts..."
 * "Owwwww..."
 * "I miss shield!"
 * "Losing shield!"
 * "No shield!'
 * "Shield gone!"
 * "Shield worthless!"
 * "Where's shield?"
 * "Where shields go?"
 * "Stupid shield!"
 * "Why you hate shields?"
 * "Why you murder a shield?"

Going into a rage
 * "Gotta kill... GOTTA KILL... GOTTA KILL!"
 * "Mistake! BIG GOD DAMN MISTAKE!"
 * "Gonna... FLOSS WITH YOUR SPINE!"
 * "Angry! I'M SO GOD DAMN ANGRY!"
 * "HATE-SPLOSION!"
 * "Hate... HATE! HATE!!!"
 * "Playtime... IS OVER!"
 * "Not a good idea... NOT A GOOD IDEA!"
 * "Should not...YOU REALLY SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT!"
 * "Hey... Hey! HEY! HEY! HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!"
 * "It's... OH, IT'S SERIOUS NOW!"

Raging

Raging - upon leveling up Raging - upon reaching Ultimate Badass
 * "Get ready to feel my fingers in your eyeballs!"
 * "You're gonna be screamin'!"
 * "Try breathing through crushed lungs!"
 * "I'll crack your skull open with my thumbs!"
 * "Get on your goddamn knees!"
 * "Ever been strangled with your own intestines?!"
 * "You better GODDAMN scream for me!"
 * "I'm gonna gouge your eyes out!"
 * "Die for me, bitch!"
 * "Sweet mother of GAAH!"
 * "Murdering you is gonna feel so RIGHT!"
 * "Mother FUUUUUUAAAAHHHH!"
 * "POWER!"
 * "YES!"
 * "More! YEAH!"
 * "More Power! MORE!!!"
 * "Fear your master, bitches!"
 * "Alright... I'm just gonna EAT YOU ALIVE!"
 * "I'M UNSTOPPABLE!"
 * "COME AND PLAY! COME ON!"
 * "I CAN'T BE STOPPED!"
 * "I AM A GOD!"

Hit with a Critical - Raging
 * "That tickled a little!"
 * "I'll kill you slower for that, bitch!"
 * "Hahaha - Didn't even feel it!"
 * "That helmet AIN'T going back on!"
 * "You're not cutting MY playtime short!"
 * "I can take it. I'LL TAKE IT ALL!"
 * "You can't stop me! Nothing can stop me!"
 * "I'll rip you apart! Piece by piece!"
 * "Pathetic!"

Spotting Players Activating Action Skills - Normal Spotting Players Activating Action Skills - Raged Player retreating Crippling a Player - Normal Spotting a grenade - Normal
 * (Sentry deployed) "What that?"
 * (Sentry deployed) "Where that from?"
 * (Sentry deployed) "Autogun? Classy."
 * (Sentry deployed) "Cute turret. I hate turrets!"
 * (Sentry deployed) "I not buy ticket to gun show!"
 * (Sentry deployed) "What that gun?"
 * (Sentry deployed) "Sir, you drop gun!"
 * (Sentry deployed) "This toy turret is fun!"
 * (Sentry deployed) "Turret is pain town!"
 * (Gunzerking) "Ooooh! Can I have one?"
 * (Gunzerking) "Gunman has many guns!"
 * (Gunzerking) "How guns in both hands?"
 * (Gunzerking) "I love guns too!"
 * (Gunzerking) "It gun time already?"
 * (Gunzerking) "Oh, wow!"
 * (Gunzerking) "Gunzerker man has double pleasuring!"
 * (Gunzerking) "Too much gun!"
 * (Gunzerking) "Many gun!"
 * (Gunzerking) "Why so much guns!"
 * (Phaselocked) "I believe I can fly!" (Reference to the song of the same name)
 * (Phaselocked) "I... float?!"
 * (Phaselocked) "Magic lady stop!"
 * (Phaselocked) "Why I fly?!"
 * (Phaselocked) "Freedom!"
 * (Phaselocked) "Confuuused!"
 * (Phaselocked) "Feels funny!"
 * (Phaselocked) "Oookay, put down!"
 * (Phaselocked) "Stupid blue bubble!"
 * (Fooled by Deception) "Okay, where go?"
 * (Fooled by Deception) "Goliath extremely confused!"
 * (Fooled by Deception) "Tall man, fast move! Was there, now there! How?"
 * (Fooled by Deception) "Where come from?"
 * (Fooled by Deception) "Goliath was tricked!"
 * (Fooled by Deception) "Assassin make head hurt!"
 * (Fooled by Deception) "GHOST PERSON!"
 * (Fooled by Deception) "What just happened to Assassin?"
 * (Fooled by Deception) "How move so fast?"
 * (Sentry deployed) "I'll shove that sentry right up you!"
 * (Sentry deployed) "That's a cute little pop-gun!"
 * (Sentry deployed) "You're a coward, commando!"
 * (Sentry deployed) "I'll cram that down your THROAT!"
 * (Sentry deployed) "You're gonna need more than THAT, commando!"
 * (Gunzerking) "That's just two more things for me to shove up your ass!"
 * (Gunzerking) "You're gonna need a lot more than two guns!"
 * (Gunzerking) "I'll take your bullet, bitch!"
 * (Gunzerking) "Two guns won't be enough!"
 * (Gunzerking) "I'm gonna rip you a third ASSHOLE!"
 * (Phaselocked) "I'll make you scream!"
 * (Phaselocked) "Die screaming!"
 * (Phaselocked) "I'll BREAK you in half!"
 * (Phaselocked) "I'll deal with you later!"
 * (Fooled by Deception) "A decoy!? Pathetic!"
 * (Fooled by Deception) "You're just delaying the inevitable!"
 * (Fooled by Deception) "You BETTER hide from me!"
 * (Fooled by Deception) "Avoid me all you want, bitch!"
 * (Fooled by Deception) "I SEE you, asshole!"
 * "Running away? Hah!"
 * "Why so coward?"
 * "Come back!"
 * "Aww, come back!"
 * "Stop running!"
 * "I am disappoint."
 * "Not yet!"
 * "A present?"
 * "Boom-boom!"
 * "Boom!?"
 * "Gift for me?"
 * "Thank you!"
 * "What that rock?"

Ally killed - Normal
 * "Where... friend?"
 * "Why shoot friends?"
 * "He die... okay."

Slagged - Normal
 * "Please not switch gun!"
 * "Make pain worse..."
 * "Nobody slag Goliath!"
 * "Uh oh..."
 * "This going to hurt..."
 * "Slag?"
 * "More painful..."
 * "Yes... YES!"
 * "Makes it hurt more!"

Dying - Normal
 * "Goodnight... sweet prince..." (A line from Shakespeare's Hamlet)
 * "Now ladies say I hottie!" (When killed by fire damage)
 * "If you can't take heat... make... kitchen!" (When killed by fire damage)
 * "I hot to trot!" (When killed by fire damage)
 * "I have... an electric... personality!" (When killed by shock damage)
 * "It's so 'lectric!" (When killed by shock damage)
 * "My life..."
 * "I am... slain..."
 * "Feels... different..."
 * "Okay..."
 * "Ouch..."
 * "No..."
 * "Time for go to bed..."
 * "Why... hurt?"
 * "Why can't stay?"
 * "Not again..."

Dying - Raged
 * "I'll... kill... you...!"
 * "I'll... tear you apart...!"
 * "I was so... close..."
 * "I... feel... everything..."
 * "I'm unstop... able..." (reference to Juggernaut's line from X-men)
 * "That... won't... stop... ME!"
 * "You... lucky... bastard..."

Trivia

 * In the ECHO recording for the mission Note for Self-Person, Marcus talks to a Goliath named Crank about giving a stash of guns to his brother, Smash-Head . Due to his short memory, Crank repeatedly asks Marcus to tell him again or he will "take his helmet off".
 * Goliath was a giant from the Bible who was known for his strength and size. He was killed by David. The achievement Goliath, Meet David is also a reference to this.