Highlights

  • Borderlands 4 is an anticipated game that has not been confirmed by Gearbox, but leaks suggest it is in development along with Tiny Tina's Wonderlands 2.
  • The success of BL4's villain is crucial, as previous villains in the Borderlands series have been hit or miss, with Handsome Jack being the standout favorite.
  • To succeed, BL4's villain needs to be deeply flawed, funny, menacing, and capable of surpassing the legacy of Handsome Jack, possibly by making a beloved past Borderlands Vault Hunter the new villain.

Borderlands 4 is one of the most anticipated games that has yet to be officially confirmed by Gearbox, although a recent report leaked its existence as a work-in-progress title. It's not surprising that Borderlands 3 would eventually get a sequel, especially since Randy Pitchford himself stated that the studio was indeed "working on the next big one," which could only be Borderlands 4. The same leaks for Borderlands 4 also indicate that Gearbox might be working on Tiny Tina's Wonderlands 2, and with a lot on the company's plate, including the possibility that Embracer Group might sell Gearbox, BL4 needs to deliver. The main issue is that its villain is in a no-win situation, and that's concerning for various reasons.

The Borderlands series has had a complicated history with its villains, as the first game's big bad was mostly disappointing and forgettable, whereas BL2's Handsome Jack still sits atop many lists of the best evil characters in video games. Handsome Jack was not just evil, but a very complex human character whose humor made him endearing and simultaneously the perfect video game taunt, making players want to thwart his plans at any turn. As much as Handsome Jack was and still is revered, Borderlands 3's villains fell short - and now BL4 is in a rough spot.

RELATED: The Leaked Tiny Tina's Wonderlands Sequel Shouldn't be 'Tiny Tina's Wonderlands 2'

Recent Leaks Indicate Borderlands 4 is in The Works, And Its Villain Needs Help

How Borderlands Games Made it Hard for BL4's Villain to Succeed

In truth, the Borderlands 3 Calypso Twins vs. Handsome Jack debate was never going to let the former win, both because Jack is such an iconic baddie and because Troy and Tyreen couldn't possibly top him in any way. It's something Gearbox itself knows, as the studio has brought Handsome Jack back one time too many, with him appearing in every big game since, including the spin-off Tales From the Borderlands. The Calypso Twins weren't all bad, but the legacy of Handsome Jack was just too strong for them to stand out, something that the entire Borderlands 3 story can feel like when compared to BL2's.

What follows is that Borderlands 4 needs to go big or go home with its villain (or villains), and not only top the Calypso Twins, but also try and take a jab at Handsome Jack's overwhelming presence in the series. Although Gearbox may have dug Borderlands 4's grave on its own by featuring Handsome Jack in every game before it, the game's big bad has the perfect blueprint to succeed, and that's making them deeply flawed, annoying and yet funny, and menacing enough to up the stakes of the story.

How Borderlands 4's Villain Can Succeed Against All Odds

This is easier said than done, but it's exactly what Handsome Jack brought to the table, and it's why he is such a compelling villain. With the way Borderlands 3's boss battles tied some ends with recurring or returning characters, such as with Aurelia Hammerlock, Borderlands 4 can't really pull old enemies and give them enough screen time and narrative relevance to surpass Jack. A good out would be to make a past Borderlands Vault Hunter, possibly a beloved one, into BL4's own villain.

The reason why something like this could work is that as much as Jack has been present in every game since his introduction, some older Borderlands Vault Hunters have had their fair share of screen time and presence in the series as well. Characters like Mordecai or Brick could pull at the emotional strings of long-time players if they became villains, for example, and the same could hold true for Lilith if she somehow came back after Borderlands 3's ending. Something similar could happen with other characters as well, such as Tannis, Sir Hammerlock, or even Moxxi - but the character's motives would need to be believable above all else.