WARNING: Major spoilers ahead for Borderlands 3. Proceed at your own risk.There has yet to be any official word on Borderlands 4, though it's a sure bet that Gearbox isn't just going to abandon its tentpole franchise, especially after some comments made by Randy Pitchford online. The relatively recent release of the spinoffs Tiny Tina's Wonderlands and new Tales From the Borderlands probably means that Borderlands 4 isn't coming for some time. Still, fans can make some assumptions about what the new game might be like, including which characters will likely reappear.
This includes some who aren't the most popular with the community, such as the Borderlands 3 NPC Ava. While she played a significant role in Borderlands 3, many players were not impressed with the character. And while Gearbox has attempted to make her a bit more likeable with the new content from Borderlands 3: Director's Cut, it's debatable how effective those efforts were. Assuming that Ava continues to play a prominent role in the Borderlands series, her unpopularity is a significant hurdle developers must clear in Borderlands 4.
Ava's Unpopularity in Borderlands 3
Borderlands 3 players first met Ava after arriving on the planet Athenas to recover the Promethean Vault Key there. She's the teenage apprentice of the returning character Maya, the playable Siren character in Borderlands 2. Maya tells Ava to stay behind while she assists the Vault Hunters in opening the Vault on planet Promethea. However, Ava disobeys this order and follows behind. The villain Tyreen Calypso then takes her hostage, with the resulting confrontation leading to Maya's death. And while it's debatable if Maya could have defeated Tyreen and her brother alone, it's not hard to see why many Borderlands fans hold Ava responsible for Maya's death.
Some fans don't think that Ava ever acknowledges her responsibility in Maya's death in Borderlands 3, increasing their dislike of her. In addition, the fact that she inherits Maya's powers at the end of Borderlands 3 might, fairly or not, give the impression that Gearbox intends her as Maya's "replacement." Then there is the fact that the game ends with Lilith giving Ava her ship, The Sanctuary, before flying off to sacrifice herself to save Pandora. The implication here is that Lilith is naming Ava her successor as leader of the Crimson Raiders, an appointment that many feel the Siren hasn't earned, especially given her lack of character development.
Now, it's not as if Gearbox didn't notice the significant pushback against Ava's character. Borderlands 3's Director's Cut DLC featured a series of quests where players help Ava solve a series of murder mysteries, in what was presumably Gearbox's attempt to make her more endearing. That seems to have worked on certain players, with some fans saying they found her significantly likeable and less annoying in the new content. If so, that is a good sign that she might receive a more positive reception whenever Borderlands 4 comes around.
Ava in Borderlands 4
However, that still does not directly address many fans' criticisms of Ava's character arc in Borderlands 3. Fortunately, Gearbox does have a few options for where to take the character. One would be to make Ava playable in Borderlands 4. While it might seem strange to promote a divisive character to playable, this may be what developers always intended. Apart from The Pre-Sequel, the non-spin-off Borderlands games have always featured one playable Siren, and there's no reason to assume that trend wouldn't continue. Making Ava a playable character would give fans more time to get to know her through her combat quips and interactions with other characters.
Regardless of whether Gearbox takes that road, Borderland 4 would also benefit from depicting Ava once she's an adult. Fans don't know how much time it will pass between games, but Borderlands 4's time skip may offer plenty of time for Ava to grow up a bit. However, players might find the Sanctuary's new captain more palatable once she's out of her awkward teen years. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean Gearbox should rewrite her into a totally new character. Still, a more mature, self-reflective Ava, perhaps even one who acknowledges her role in Maya's death, might go over better.
Borderlands 4 also needs to show that Ava deserves to lead the Crimson Raiders, especially if Gearbox decides not to make her playable and instead have her inherit Lilith's role as the main quest giver. This does not mean making her perfect. Rather, depicting Ava as struggling with but rising to the challenges of leadership would do a lot to humanize her. But whatever happens, Gearbox will need to develop Ava properly if fans will appreciate her in Borderlands 4.
There is no official information about Borderlands 4.