The Borderlands franchise is full of interesting lore for gamers to dive into. This ranges from Sirens like Nyriad to villains like Handsome Jack, and the universe has steadily grown larger as time has gone on. As that growth has occurred, some mysteries have started to crop up, with one of the most prominent being the FL4K and Zer0 situation. Though some fans were hoping for answers in the series’ recent spin-offs, they did not come.
Borderlands fans have theorized for years that there is more to Zer0 and FL4K than meets the eye, as both have mysterious origins while sharing clear similarities like the same number of fingers and the presence of digits in their names. While both are seemingly robots, one is a hunter and the other is an assassin, and they have very different appearances on top of that. Gearbox seems well aware that fans are speculating about these two characters, why they were created, and where they came from, as it has kept the discussion going through the addition of two more robots.
Frette and L0U13 Both Sparked Discussions Among Borderlands Fans
Whether it was done so unintentionally or on purpose, the two most recent Borderlands games added standout robot companions, and fans were quick to speculate about whether they were tied to Zer0 and FL4K in any way. They have learned that this is not the case upon playing Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands and New Tales from the Borderlands, but it is no surprise that players are quick to study any new robots that show up in the games.
While Frette just turned out to be a rule-loving robot with a love for Bunkers and Badasses - and she has no number in her name which is key - fans had theorized that she could be connected to Zer0 and FL4K when they first saw her. The same thing occurred with L0U13, especially when gamers learned he had numbers in his name like the two robotic Vault Hunters they have played as. However, since learning that L0U13 is a clumsy robot who dislikes his job as an assassin, and who has the silly requirement of his victims needing to say their own name, it seems less likely that he is cut from the same cloth FL4K and Zer0 share. He also has five fingers, which rules out a connection.
Gearbox did not need to do anything but add more robot characters to keep the discussion about FL4K and Zer0’s origins alive, something that shows just how invested fans are in learning more about them. This is a good sign for the next game, as continued interest in the topic could prove to Gearbox it is something worth focusing on. Though it is unclear whether the developer deliberately added some new robots to pique fan interest, the decision to do so was clearly a wise one, as fans have remained interested in one of Borderlands’ biggest secrets because of it.
Borderlands 4 Will Hopefully Provide Some Answers
Though Gearbox did nothing to suggest that Frette or L0U13 would be connected to FL4K and Zer0, some fans were still disappointed that there was no relation. Still, it always seemed unlikely for answers to come in one of the Borderlands’ series spin-offs. The first entry in the Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands franchise focuses all on Tina’s fictional world, so it would be an odd place for a big lore drop. Similarly, New Tales from the Borderlands’ choice-based style and new cast ensures it will not be for everyone, and a smaller audience means it would be an odd place to bring the Zer0/FL4K mystery to a close.
At most, Frette and L0U13 could have furthered the mystery, as it seems like Gearbox is waiting for a bigger project like Borderlands 4 to provide some answers about its robotic Vault Hunters. While there is no guarantee that the next main game will touch on the subject, as it could add yet another four-fingered bot to the mix to keep fans talking, many are clearly desperate for more than just bread crumbs. Hopefully, Borderlands 4 will finally bring this topic to the forefront of the story, stopping fans from getting overly excited whenever a robot pops up in future Borderlands trailers.