The Borderlands 4 story has a lot of interesting things to tackle. Ava coming into her own as the leader of the Crimson Raiders, and redeeming herself in the eyes of fans, will surely be an interesting theme. The journey to find Lilith will surely serve as the main thread throughout the story’s acts, while the focus on Guardians in the Director’s Cut content has some interesting implications regarding The Watcher’s War.
While all of this is interesting, Borderlands 4 fans will surely be experiencing this narrative through the eyes of four distinct Vault Hunters. Four-player co-op has been the backbone of the looter shooter franchise since it first began, and that is unlikely to change in the next game. However, based on past entries in the Borderlands series, it is not too difficult to predict certain aspects of these four new Vault Hunters.
A Siren And A Soldier
First and foremost, Borderlands 4 having a playable Siren seems like a no-brainer. The original Borderlands made Lilith playable, with the Firehawk’s Phasewalk ability available to use and upgrade. Borderlands 2 featured Maya, with the Siren’s Phaselock power on display. Finally, Borderlands 3 gave players access to Amara’s Phasetrance power. Assuming this theme continues, a Siren is a lock, and they will likely feature a different power from the three mentioned above.
One option would see the Borderlands character Tannis being playable, as the mad scientist was confirmed to be a Siren in the main story of Borderlands 3. With her power being Phaseshift, players could mess with the technology of their foes, disabling guns and shields. Another option would see a brand-new Siren introduced. With the Calypso Twins now dead, the Phaseleech power is now free to find someone else in the universe to attach to. Lastly, there is still one unknown Siren power, which Gearbox could also use for the Borderlands 4 Vault Hunter.
A Siren is not the only Borderlands 4 class that is all but guaranteed. Equally likely is a Soldier, as one has appeared in the Vault Hunter group for all three of the numbered Borderlands games thus far. Roland brought a turret to the fight in the original game, as did Axton in its sequel. While Moze changed what it meant to be a Soldier in Borderlands 3, as her mech made her very different from Roland and Axton, her role as the Gunner made her very similar. As such, no matter how different they play in Borderlands 4, one of the characters will likely follow this archetype.
A Robot And Something Different
While the other two categories are a bit less consistent, players should expect one to be taken up by a robot like Zer0 or FL4K. Gearbox is clearly building to something involving these two characters, as their origins and purpose have remained mysterious despite their similarities. Players can expect the robot to have cloaking abilities like FL4K and Zer0, as well as characteristics like a slim body and four digits on each hand. Beyond that, though, they will likely boast a different playstyle, as the Hunter and Assassin share little in common besides a cloaking ability.
While a cloak-using robot, Soldier, and Siren are all locks, the final class could be anyone or anything. As such, while it is a lot harder to speculate on, one interesting possibility does present itself. None other than Tiny Tina could become playable, as she is fully grown by the point of Borderlands 3. The leader of the B-Team could have a moveset focused on explosives, with her skills showing her personality clearly. This would let players spend a lot of time with Tina, as she could comment on every moment of the story. If Borderlands 4 really is about finding Lilith, she would have every reason to go on that adventure alongside the other unknown Vault Hunters. While she is far less likely than a new Siren or Soldier, a playable Tina in Borderlands 4 should not be ruled out.
Borderlands 4 is rumored to be in development.