Claptrap

CL4P-TP General Purpose Robots, more commonly known as Claptraps, serve as the stewards of Pandora. They may be found in populated areas or guarding access points between different maps, but are more commonly found in need of repair.

Role in Storyline

Clapninja — Claptrap:Interplanetary Ninja Assassin

Claptraps are met throughout the storyline, and are used to open the travel points between new areas. They also notify the player when new missions are available, from either bounty boards or NPCs like Scooter or Helena Pierce. Most Claptraps are painted standard colors such as green with white stripes, Blue with white stripes, Orange, and some purple can be viewed in Crimson Fastness (destroyed).

Damaged Claptrap Rescues

Main article: Claptrap Rescue missions

Despite their friendly nature, Claptraps are typically abused and used as target practice by bandits. Players are alerted of the presence of damaged robots by their moaning and complaining ("I'm leaking! Leeeaaaking!"). Talking to the Claptrap triggers a mission to find and return with a Repair Kit. Once the Claptrap is fixed, it may give a Backpack SDU on the first play-through. As an additional reward, certain Claptraps will also lead you to hidden chests by unlocking a door or removing a concealing panel. On the second play-through, the Claptraps generally give grenade or shield mods.

Map Unlocking

Claptraps prevent travel between two different areas until proper clearance has been given. For example, Helena Pierce blocks travel to the Salt Flats to prevent citizens from being killed by Baron Flynt. Gameplay wise, this technique is used to corral players into areas of a suitable difficulty level for them, as well as for maximizing game performance. Claptraps grant access to more dangerous maps once certain mission objectives have been completed. While they usually just enable a travel point, a unique Claptrap controls the drawbridges separating the two halves of Rust Commons East.

Jakobs Claptrap — A claptrap from Jakobs

Quotes

"Don't forget to check out Marcus's store!" (Heard from the Claptrap in Fyrestone, likely referring to the weapon shop across from the Bounty Board)
"There are new bounties available in Fyrestone!" (Heard from the Claptrap in Fyrestone)
"Wow! You're not dead?"
"Hey, check me out everybody! I'm dancin', I'm dancin'!" (Seems to be a reference to a line spoken by the character Bobby C. from the movie "Saturday Night Fever.")
"Oh my God, I'm leaking! I think I'm leaking! Ahhhh, I'm leaking! There's oil everywhere!" (damaged)
"I can see through time..." (reference to 'The Simpsons,' damaged)
"I can see... the code"
"Good as new, I think. Am I leaking?" (after repair)
"Rrrrrgh...this isn't working!"
"Unce! Unce! I think I lost the beat... but, Unce! Unce!" (beatboxing)
"Unce! Unce! Unce! Unce! Ooo, oh check me out. Unce! Unce! Unce! Unce! Oh, come on get down."
"Yoo hoooooooooo!"
"Ooookay... this is making me nervous... take a deep *gasp* breath-- I can't breeeeathe! This is just a recording of someone breathing! It's not real! It's just making me more nervous!"
"I'll lead the way!" (Claptrap about to unlock or open something)
"The box is awaiting your attention." (Chest revealed)
"I am the best robot. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I am the best robot. Ooh, ooh, here we go!"
"Hey! Over here! I'm over heere!" (Claptrap being attention starved)
"I'm detecting a motor unit malfunction... I can't move! I'm paralyzed with fear!"
"Please don't shoot me, please don't shoot me, please don't shoot me, please don't shoot me..."
"Turning off the optics... they can't see me..."
"Still haven't found the Vault?" (Can be heard from the Claptraps in Fyrestone and Jakobs Cove)
"Yeah? Well, hmph!" (emphasising a parody action of giving the finger to a bandit camp after being rescued)
"I'm over here!
"The traveler will protect me. The traveler will protect me."
"Administrator Pierce has determined the Dahl Headland(s) to be a Class B danger zone. You may not enter until your DNA has been given adequate clearance. Attempted passage without clearance could result in death without resurrection. This would be undesirable." (Claptrap at the transition between the Arid Badlands and Dahl Headland before the player is allowed to enter the latter.)
"Oh look, it's another stinking flesh bag. Unless you have something Taylor Kobb needs to hear, you can bugger off like all your other walking shit containers." (Taylor Kobb's hacked Claptrap before being able to access the Trash Coast.)
"Without a master I have two options. I can listen to you move your disgusting meat flaps... OR... I could stick an electrode up my back panel and call it paradise. I will comply with what you need, then get out of my scan range." (Upon talking to Taylor Kobb's Claptrap to turn in Jaynistown: Cleaning Up Your Mess.)
"Nobody move! I dropped my contact lens!" (Can only be heard from Jakobs Cove Claptrap in Jakobs Cove)
"Hey. Hey. I pooped right where you're standing." (Can only be heard from Jakobs Cove Claptrap in Jakobs Cove)
"Don't look at me like you've never double crossed adventurers for financial gain!" (Can only be heard from Jakobs Cove Claptrap in Jakobs Cove)
"Phew, that was intense. I'm sure glad I'm not made of tasty flesh like you." (After completing first Jakobs Cove mission)
"Dood doo doo" or, "Doomy doom doom." Either way it seems to sound like Gir from Invader Zim.
"Unce! Unce! Unce! Unce! Unce! Unce! Unce! Unce! Everybody's doin' the Claptrap! Ninja-kickin' zombies for the thrill! Chicks and shorties up in my grill! But the alive kind!" (Can only be heard from Jakobs Cove Claptrap in Jakobs Cove)
(While Tied Up In Jakobs Cove.) "I will literally murder the person of your choosing if you just let me out of here. I never even liked Marcus, just, just say the word."(Can only be heard from Jakobs Cove Claptrap in Jakobs Cove)
"Aim for the head! That's where the pudding is!"(Can only be heard from Jakobs Cove Claptrap in Jakobs Cove)
"Dr. Ned gave me the following awards this year; 'Most Effective Claptrap in Life-Threatening Situations', 'Hardest Performer of Mid '80s Breakdance Fighting', 'Master Orator' and 'Best Kisser'. (Can only be heard from Jakobs Cove Claptrap in Jakobs Cove)
"I don't suppose you brought a spare exorcist with you? No, nothing? Ok." (Can only be heard from Jakobs Cove Claptrap in Jakobs Cove)
"Have you killed Ned yet?" (Heard from Jakobs Representative Claptrap in Jakobs Cove)
"It'll be nice when the mill is back up and running." (Heard from Jakobs Representative Claptrap in Jakobs Cove)
"Sometimes there's nothing like exposing a traitor to make your circuits all warm and fuzzy." (Heard from Jakobs Representative Claptrap in Jakobs Cove)
"Jakobs would like to thank all the suckers - I mean, generous people - that have helped eliminate the zombies!" (Heard from Jakobs Representative Claptrap in Jakobs Cove)
"Been a long time since I came back here. Feels like coming home again, except for the zombies." (Heard from Jakobs Representative Claptrap in Jakobs Cove)
"All this humidity is going to make me rot!" (Heard from Jakobs Representative Claptrap in Jakobs Cove)

Related Achievements

Fully Loaded

Main Menu Claptrap

Main Menu Claptrap does variety of things if you have patience to watch them, with more added with every DLC downloaded, including:

Michael Jackson's Moonwalk.
Bounce from Left to Right.
Claptrap doing the famous Hamlet pose with a human skull (Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio).
Dragging bandit corpse.
Casually crosses the screen, lets out some exhaust (Claptrap fart), groans and checks to see if anyone is watching while he dissipates it.
Sneak peek at the player from the right side of the screen.
Sneak peek at the player from the left side of the screen.
Falling on back. "Oooooohhhhh".
Pops out from left of the screen "I'm over here!" "Over here!"
Windmill and Freeze!
Claptrap can also sneeze! But it spews the claptrap's power cords, resulting in the claptrap running after its cord in a circle.
"Oh come'on let's get down come'on everybody I'm dancin' I'm dancin'!"
Running around in a funny manner with a Mohawk on.
Runs around very fast on fire. "Aaahh! I'm gonna DIE!!!" "Oh, no... Oh, no. Oh, no! Oh, NO! OH NO!!"
Falling from the top of the screen to the ground
Thrusting (Some sort of CD tray pops out when he does this)

Web Series

Main article: Claptrap Web Series

Trivia

A second claptrap in Fyrestone can be viewed by jumping on top of the weapons shop, however there is no use in reaching him as it yields nothing but grenades.
The claptraps' actual name designation is CL4P - TP, "but the locals call them claptraps", which may be a shortened or easier way of saying CL4P-TP, which seemingly refers to using numbers as letters.
Claptraps fear bandits as they use them as target practice, as heard by the initial claptrap you follow before letting you into Fyrestone.
"Claptrap" is an archaic word synonymous with drivel or babble, which is clearly not coincidental, since in-game claptraps ramble on and are rarely not speaking.
Taylor Kobb has a hacked red-colored claptrap that has stripped down bandit armor plating and the claptrap will also speak like a bandit, leading to some humorous lines. Some of its comments may reference HK-47, from Bioware's Knights Of The Old Republic Star Wars series. This claptrap is also the gatekeeper for the Trash Coast.
A special Jakobs Claptrap appears in the Zombie Island of Dr. Ned with a wooded body and a golden inlay.
In the second DLC for Borderlands (Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot) there appears to be a Claptrap Banker with a tuxedo design on him along with a mustache and a top hat who runs the new Bank.
In the third DLC for Borderlands (The Secret Armory of General Knoxx) there is a claptrap in the Lockdown Palace that gives a claptrap rescue mission, but unlike most claptraps that give a rescue mission this one seems in perfect condition except for it being tied to a chain ball and wearing black and white colors, also much lke the Jakobs Cove claptrap, this one has it's own set of dialouge.
You only see the yellow-colored claptrap twice in-game; there is one in Fyrestone and there is the destroyed yellow-colored claptrap in Crimson Fastness (without the glitched yellow claptrap appearing instead of the normal blue one for Rescue Missions). This Claptrap is back in the third DLC's T-Bone Junction.
Claptrap sees everyone with mustaches as seen in the PC Launch Trailer on the 0:26 mark.
At the end of the game a Shock Element Effect appears to transform the Fyrestone claptrap into an 'Interplanetary Ninja Assassin'.
All Claptraps are voiced by David Eddings (not the author).

Whenever a Claptrap is hiding (usually due to nearby enemies) he folds his wheel and arms into a box much like Disney's Wall-E does.
The claptraps coloring, constant foul language in the "claptrap webseries" may be a refrence to a game by the name of Metal Arms, in which the main colors of the good robots(rebels) are yellow-orange with some white highlights, and the mechanic of the rebels swears a ridiculous amount.