Highlights

  • Bringing back Dr. Zed in Borderlands 4 could enhance the series' connectedness and add depth to the wacky Pandora resident.
  • Bringing back the insta-health items associated with Dr. Zed, or letting him heal up the new Vault Hunters early into the game, could give his return in Borderlands 4 more narrative weight.
  • Dr. Zed's presence in Borderlands 4 could open the door to Dr. Ned's return, too, who would be a perfect antagonist for the next Bloody Harvest event.

In some ways, the third game was a significant departure from its predecessors in the Borderlands series, but in other ways it stuck to convention. The gameplay is tremendously similar, and the loot-based progression system remains largely the same, but there are some stark differences in the characters and locations in Borderlands 3 that make it feel like a new game. Borderlands 4 will likely want to shake things up once again, and one of the ways to do this is to shift the characters around even more, potentially finding interesting ways to bring some familiar faces back into the fold.

Dr. Zed in Borderlands is one such personality. The characters that litter Pandora are essential to the success of each release, no matter how seemingly inconsequential. While Dr. Zed doesn't have as much of an impact as the likes of Lilith or Handsome Jack, seeing him return in Borderlands 4 would be a good way to make the series feel even more connected, and would also serve to bring back a character who has a lot of potential for more development. How he is implemented will also be key, however, and fortunately, seeing him return could correct a big issue with the franchise.

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How Zed Could Return to Borderlands 4

Borderlands 2 Dr. Zed

One way that players could recover from damage in the older Borderlands games is by way of the Insta-Health items that were left lying around Pandora. They are instantly recognizable from other loot because of their specific shade of red, and are often a welcome sight, but they were not present in Borderlands 3 apart from the sparely-used Nasty Meals. Borderlands is a series that doesn't take meticulous storytelling too seriously, so it's easy to suspend disbelief that they're just present in every area, but bringing Dr. Zed back to Borderlands alongside these health items could see Gearbox killing two birds with one stone. Like Petruccio's feathers in Assassin's Creed 2, having collectibles and items associated with a specific character helps give them context, and just a shred more narrative weight.

Dr. Zed is a resident of Fyrestone, later relocating to New Haven, and appears in both Borderlands and Borderlands 2 , but is absent from the third game.

There are more conventional ways that Dr. Zed could return in Borderlands 4, like being the on-site doctor at Sanctuary or as a consistent quest-giver like he is in previous games, but if Borderlands 4 wants to take a step up in quality, making returns more meaningful through seamless integration, as opposed to a haphazard cameo for the sake of a cheap chuckle, would be a big help.

Borderlands 4 Could Use a Doctor's Touch

It could be a compelling narrative choice to see the Vault Hunters experience some kind of injury or battle scar early in the game, adding to the sense of urgency and potentially bringing some new presentational flourishes. Like Atreus in God of War, or Joel in The Last of Us, it shows that the protagonist isn't unbeatable or impervious to harm. Like players met Zed early on in the original Borderlands, they could go to him near the start of Borderlands 4 to get patched up, owing him a debt that they pay up on later in the story or through side quests.

Even if he admittedly isn't actually a real doctor, having him return to provide medical attention to the new Vault Hunters would do well to justify his existence instead of just shoehorning him into the plot with little reason for him to be there, or leaving him out of the game completely like Gearbox did in Borderlands 3. He's a character that is a shining example of Pandora's mad inhabitants, and would be a welcome addition to Borderlands 4, as Borderlands 3 lacked the presence of a doctor throughout its narrative. Plus, Dr. Zed returning would open the door to a comeback for Dr. Ned, a character who would be a perfect fit for a new Bloody Harvest event in Borderlands 4.

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Borderlands

Video Game(s)
Borderlands , Borderlands 2 , Borderlands 3 , Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! , Tiny Tina's Wonderlands , Tales From The Borderlands
Creation Year
2009
Publisher(s)
2K , Telltale Games