Borderlands 4: Every Vault Hunter Explained

Like previous games in the series, Borderlands 4 will feature four distinct Vault Hunters--and lots of weird weapons--for players to take control of as they explore the dystopian planet of Kairos. Two of these characters were already revealed during a recent Borderlands 4 deep dive, and at PAX East 2025, developer Gearbox revealed more details on all four of these playable classes.

Borderlands launches for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch 2 on September 12, but the final price for the game hasn't been decided yet. For more on the game, you can check out how co-op is being improved, how the loot system has been overhauled, and several other enhancements being made to the core gameplay system.






Vex: Dark Siren






It just wouldn't be a Borderlands game without a Siren in the roster, and that's a role that Vex provides to players. Described as a "Dark Siren," Vex has only recently unlocked her powers, and thanks to her rough upbringing, she has a cynical and sarcastic demeanor.

"She's definitely the spookiest Siren we've ever had," Borderlands 4 lead game designer Nick Thurston said. "She's the first Siren who can manifest physical beings into existence. She can summon Reapers and Spectres, and she's also the first Siren who focuses a lot on kinetic damage. She can switch between all the elements, but there is a heavy hook there for those of you who enjoy life-steal or draining the souls of your enemies."

Vex's third action-skill, Phase Phamiliar, also allows her to summon a gigantic spectra cat named Trouble, based on Thurston's cat. More than just a cute nod to the developer's pet, Trouble helps to reinforce the idea of the witch themes behind the design of Vex. Gearbox also briefly explained how Vex's Dead Ringer skill works, as players will be able to summon a Reaper that can be used to taunt enemies or Specters that can do high damage but are fragile in combat. Vex can also apply elements to her summons, and with the right attunement, she can be a powerful crowd-control character.






Rafa: Exo-Soldier






Tediore is mostly considered to be the runt of the various Borderlands weapons manufacturers, but Exo-soldier Rafa specializes in using that high-tech gear. Born and raised in a micro-gravity environment, Rafa wears an exoskeleton to help him survive on harsher worlds, which was equipped to his body when he signed up to Tediore's military force. Realizing that his tour of duty was indefinite, Rafa went AWOL, an action that will eventually result in his Deadframe exoskeleton killing him. While he doesn't know when that will happen, he still has a positive outlook on life.

"He's really kinetic as a Vault Hunter," associate narrative director April Johnson explained. "It's really reflected in his dialogue, it's so charming that even the enemies have things to say about that. I think that fluidity of his movement, you can see that in his skill-trees and his action skills. Rafa has a variety of weapons he can draw from when his charisma isn't enough, including energy blades, laser guns, and shoulder-mounted cannons.

Thurston added that Rafa is the most agile Vault Hunter to date.








Harlowe: The Gravitar






Hailing from the Traunt family--a lineage that Borderlands 3 players will be very familiar with--Harlowe is described as a genius who can manipulate gravity to her advantage and has a selection of gadgets to help her out in the field. A former Maliwan combat scientist and an outcast amongst her Traunt relatives because of her desire to understand how things work, Harlowe has a sunny disposition when she's not imploding--or exploding--her enemies.

"We've already seen her digistruct in this giant apparatus that fires a disco ball of destruction. She can lift he enemies and slam them into the ground, and she even has quite a few gadgets that we haven't shown you guys yet, but they're pretty sweet," Thurston said.








Amon: Forge Knight






A Vault Hunter with a very tragic backstory, Amon was raised in a Vault monster-worshipping cult. When a Vault was eventually opened and the creature inside killed everyone he loved, Amon swore vengeance and dedicated his life to killing all Vault monsters. Described as a warrior-poet with an introspective nature, Amon has Forge Drones living in his spine and arms that he can psychically control and transform into all kinds of weapons.

"He's got a sword, he's got an axe, he's got a hammer, he's got a shield, he's got a spear, he's got a whip," Thurston explained. "He's got everything that you might expect from a sci-fi Viking."








How is a Vault Hunter made?






"It starts with pitches from within the company," managing director of narrative Lin Joyce explained in a behind-the-scenes video. "Anyone in the company can pitch a Vault Hunter. We play the game so much that we start to think about what we would want to see in it next. We collect pitches at the company level, we review those pitches, and narrow it down. Often we'll take multiple pitches and put them together to make something even more badass, and then it goes to design."








Embacing the power fantasy






One of the other big draws of playing Borderlands is the power fantasy that comes with building a Vault Hunter, and that's an intentional design choice by Gearbox.

"We want them to be somebody that players and ourselves can relate to," art director Adam May said in the developer diary. "We view them as something very similar to a hero in a comic book. You want to get something that feels familiar and play as somebody you want to be in real life."






Vault Hunters aren't made overnight






A solid idea gets the ball rolling on the development of a new Vault Hunter, but it's also a process that takes a very long time to complete. Creative director Graeme Timmins explained that this process goes through multiple departments at Gearbox, and that "Vault Hunters are in constant production over the course of the project" until all of the departments involved are satisfied.


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