I feel like Pandora's reputation for being lawless and violent is so strange considering most of the people perpetuating this violence are A) Corporations who are in the process of extracting resources from it, usually for means of colonization (Atlas, Dahl, Hyperion, Marcus also but we won't get into that), or B) Vault hunters (Who provoke bandits into attacking, usually in self-interest or in the interest of corporations). When bandits aren't being put into situations where they have to kill, they'll usually just like, be chilling at their base or walking around patrolling. They literally have politics between territories and distinct leaders who communicate with one another as you go between them. There's clearly Laws in there. And the violence is majorly as a response to those laws being disrespected.
Also like, given the corporations profit off of war and off of people's paranoia, it only feels fitting that having a planet be deemed THE MOST DANGEROUS in the entire galaxy would bring profit, no ? People are naturally bored under capitalism because they're at their most profitable at that state, so they look for ways to entertain themselves in anything, even if it's in the detriment of others... so having someplace you can indiscriminately shoot and loot feels like a perfect opportunity on behalf of corporate interest. You sell tourists guns, and in a desperate attempt to stay afloat amidst it, bandits also buy from you to protect themselves. Even if they nuy through other sources, you're still getting commission on their suffering because there's nowhere else to turn. To keep the planet dangerous, you also advertise local mythos as something real, something full of treasure that can be pursued by both your competitors and the locals on their toes. Things get way more interesting that way, which goes all the way back to the first point.
All I'm saying is if *I* was a bandit I'd also try to kill the Vault Hunters on sight. Girl fuck you AND your Atlas sponsor