Vex is the breakout pick. The others? It’s complicated.
After months of trailers, lore teases, and Reddit speculation, Borderlands 4’s is only a month out from launch. Gearbox has promised deeper customization, layered skill trees, and new class synergies, but not every new hero is landing equally with players.
From elemental sirens to armored bruisers, Borderlands 4 opts for a “safe but stylized” cast this time around. Gone are the over-the-top gimmicks of earlier entries. In their place: a calculated mix of archetypes meant to appease longtime fans while broadening the game’s appeal. Here’s how the four Vault Hunters stack up.
1. Vex (The Siren)
The Goth Girl Fan Favorite
Goth, snarky, and part-eldritch entity, Vex is dominating discussions online. Players are saying ‘Borderlands 2’s Maya with a necromancer twist’—which is a compliment. Her skills mix summons, combos and buffs, plus she has a pet ghost panther named Trouble (after a dev’s cat). Overall, Vex is looking like the many-talented, superpowered siren that fans have always wanted.
“She’s what everyone drew when they were 14,” one Reddit user quipped, “and it finally works.”
2. Rafa (The Exo-Soldier)
A Stylish Return to Basics
Rafa’s story is an odd one. Despite looking like regular guy #3, he’s more like Robocop. Growing up in low-gravity meant his body wasted away to the point that he became a soldier just for the exo-suit. Gameplay-wise, he’s the classic soldier-type (think Roland, Axton, and Moze) but with some Zer0-style swordplay mixed in for taste.
His skill trees revolve around shoulder-mounted cannons, Arc Knives, and a high-tech exo rig that lets him slide between cover and mid-range chaos. Gameplay footage shows a clean, kinetic rhythm to his kit, and the ability to customize his gear—including a hooded redesign that’s earned praise—gives Rafa some welcome flair.
“He looked so boring at first, I thought he was DOA,” one Redditor said. “But the cosmetics and arm blades turned me around fast.”
Personality-wise, he’s not breaking new ground—his most distinctive feature is his spanish accent— but maybe he’ll turn out to be a madman badass like Salvador (we can only hope).
3. Amon (The Forgeknight)
Tanky, Stoic, but a Little Too Familiar?
A vault viking out for revenge after his cult’s vault monster widowered him (try saying that out loud), Amon is like Nordic Brick. The melee brawler plays almost like a wizard in disguise with his elemental skills and flaming axes, but plays the tank too (obviously).
Fans are calling him a remix of Krieg, League of Legends‘s Braum, and TF2’s Heavy—it’s not quite clear yet if he’s meant to be the comic relief or the philosophical center— apparently he’s a “warrior-poet”.
“He’s Kratos with social skills,” one commenter joked. “But I still want to hear him read poetry before I decide.”
4. Harlowe (The Gravitar)
A Misfire in the Making?
The Maliwan mechanic has 5 PhDs and “a sunny disposition“? Her backstory is ‘she got tired of being a Traunt‘1. Fans are confused where she fits and what she brings to the table. Citing a bland costume, underwhelming energy, and generic, toothless personality, she looks more like NPC material.
“Feel-good ray of sunshine? In my Borderlands?” asked one commenter. “Does she have a swear jar too?”
To Gearbox’s credit, her skills may still surprise players once they get hands-on. And some fans are holding out hope that alternate hairstyles, outfits, and voice lines will give Harlowe the edge she’s missing on paper.
The Verdict: A Safe Lineup With Room to Grow
While Borderlands 4’s cast may lack the instant iconicism of past characters like Zer0 or Tiny Tina, it’s a calculated roster built for depth over novelty. Customization, skill trees, and voice acting will likely define who players bond with over time. But early impressions? Vex is already a star, Rafa’s a solid utility pick, Amon’s polarizing, and Harlowe… has some work to do.
Or, as one user put it: “These guys feel like a DnD party from a podcast—and maybe that’s not such a bad thing.”
Borderlands 4 launches September 2025.
Footnotes
- The Traunts were a couple of fan favourite bosses in Borderlands 3 that would spout quips and shout TRAUNTT!
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