There are a lot of questions surrounding Borderlands 4, and one of them regards what Patricia Tannis' role could be in the new game. While she has not been one of Borderlands' more important characters for most of her run, Borderlands 3 changed that with a major reveal about her character. As a result, Borderlands 4 will be the series' chance to find a new role for her after showing her in a new light. What she ends up doing in Borderlands 4 could affect the trajectory of her character for the rest of the series.
While Tannis is a character from Borderlands' oldest days, debuting in the first game, she was more of a side character for most of the series' run thus far. Introduced in a set of audio logs that the player had to collect, Tannis is a brilliant scientist who went on an ill-fated expedition with traumatic results. When the player meets her for real, she turns out to be extremely anxious and awkward, in addition to a mad scientist of sorts. Her biggest development came in Borderlands 3, where she turns out to have inherited Angel's Phaseshift ability and become a Siren, making her a powerful figure.
Becoming a Siren Could Bring Big Changes for Tannis in Borderlands 4
Tannis' elevation as a character would let Borderlands 4 do something new compared to her past roles. One potential idea would be for her to become a more active participant in the Crimson Raiders' actions. After all, Phaseshift is one of the most powerful Siren abilities, letting the user control almost any form of technology. While Tannis still probably need time to train with her powers, the scene where she reveals them show that they are already remarkably powerful as is. In fact, depending on whether Lilith managed to survive the events of Borderlands 3, Tannis could step into a major leadership role in the sequel.
Another possibility for Tannis comes from the Siren whose power she received. Out of the Sirens shown in Borderlands, Angel was one of the most important, as well as one of the most tragic. She played a major role in the first two games up until her death, acting as a guide to the Vault Hunters despite her connection to Handsome Jack. Her Phaseshift power enabled her to communicate to the player directly and direct them on their adventure. Now that Tannis has the same power that Angel once held, she could take up a similar presence during Borderlands 4.
One idea for Tannis may be the most far-fetched of the bunch, but also has the potential to be the most exciting. If Tannis is Borderlands 4's new playable Siren, then players could finally have a chance to get their hands on one of the strongest abilities of the series. Not to mention, Tannis will have had more history than any previous character before being elevated to playable status, with the possible exception of Claptrap. It would be a big shift in norms to elevate Tannis to playable status. At the same time, succeeding as a Vault Hunter could be a satisfying ending for her arc.
Tannis is an interesting character who is in an interesting position. After she became a Siren, it feels like Borderlands 4 will have to follow up on that development. It would be a missed opportunity for Borderlands 4 if nothing was done with Tannis' new powers, especially after how impressive her initial showing of them was in the last title. Even so, there are several potential roads to go down with this development. When it comes to Tannis' future, Borderlands 4 has a chance to make her character arc satisfying with a new role.
Borderlands 3 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
