Tales From The Borderlands is often heralded as one of the best, narrative video games ever made, and is widely regarded as the pinnacle of the original Telltale Games' existence. It introduced wonderful new characters to the Borderlands universe, filled in gaps in the franchise's overarching story, and even set up new plot threads for the eventual sequel, Borderlands 3.
Gearbox and 2K recently announced that a new Tales From The Borderlands is in development and that it will feature new characters and new stories set within the world of Borderlands. But, even with a fresh cast and possibly an entirely new location, fans are undoubtedly still expecting to see a few fan-favorite characters return for this unexpected sequel.
10 Vasquez
Vasquez was Rhys' main rival at Hyperion and a thorn in his side for part of the game's first season. It's a bit of a long shot to expect to see Vasquez again, considering he's definitely dead, but he's (sort of) cheated death once before, and there's no reason to believe Gearbox couldn't bring him back.
Vasquez was an exceptional villain brought to life by Telltale Games' excellent writing and the sweet, dulcet tones of Patrick Warburton's expert voice acting. To see him again, even just in an homage to the lunchroom finger gunfight, would be well worth the price of admission.
9 Athena
Athena is one of the most interesting characters in the entire Borderlands canon: she first appeared as a friendly NPC in The Secret Armory of General Knoxx before going on to work for Handsome Jack in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. After leaving Jack's employ out of disgust for his behavior, she takes a job from Felix to keep Sasha and Fiona safe during the events of Tales From The Borderlands.
The last time players saw Athena, though, was in a post-game cutscene for Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel where she's whisked away from her imprisonment in Sanctuary by an alien being known as the Watcher. Depending on where in the timeline the new game is set, fans might just get to find out what happened to her and where that storyline was leading.
8 Zero
Zero might just be the coolest character the Borderlands series has ever produced, bar none. He's a cybernetic ninja with the ability to turn invisible, create a holographic duplicate of himself, and express emotion using emoticons projected on the outside of his helmet. Oh, and he only speaks in haiku.
Zero features prominently in the first episode of Tales From The Borderlands, helping the heroes survive the onslaught of Bossonova and his Mad Max-esque death race. Players even have a few dialogue options that can ingratiate them to Zero, and he's later seen working for the Atlas Corporation under Rhys' leadership in Borderlands 3.
7 Tiny Tina
Tiny Tina has become something of a mascot of the Borderlands series in recent years and even headlined her own game this year with Tiny Tina's Wonderlands. She made her first appearance in Borderlands 2, and her quirky nature and explosive personality instantly made her a fan favorite.
While Tina doesn't appear at all in the original Tales From The Borderlands, her role in the larger universe makes it hard to argue with her inclusion in this new game. Whether the new game takes place after the events of Borderlands 3 or in the lengthy, time gap between the second and third entries, Tina will undoubtedly be up to something interesting that players won't want to miss.
6 Vaughn
Vaughn is the accountant-turned-bandit leader who once worked for Hyperion and helped Rhys kick off the events of Tales From The Borderlands way back in 2014. As one of the four main characters of the original game, Vaughn features prominently across every episode and, at one point, reveals that he's surprisingly buff under his short, stoop-shouldered exterior.
The last players saw of Vaughn, he'd set himself up as a wannabe bandit leader on Pandora, reveling in his mostly naked freedom. Since Gearbox hasn't announced when and where this new Tales From The Borderlands will take place, the game could easily show how Vaughn became a bandit leader or what he's been up to since the latest batch of Vault Hunters left him on Pandora.
5 Rhys
One of the two protagonists from the first Tales From The Borderlands, Rhys is a character Gearbox simply can't leave out of their new entry. He's the suave, smooth-talking, slightly pathetic hero fans need, and his robotic arm and cybernetic eye are some of the coolest character enhancements on any character in the series (except Zero. Zero is the coolest).
There's a bit of a disconnect in Rhys' story, as well, with the original Tales From The Borderlands ending in a pretty spectacular cliffhanger only for Rhys to pop back up in Borderlands 3 no worse for wear. This new Tales From The Borderlands could answer a few questions about the ending of the first game and what Rhys was up to before taking control of the Atlas Corporation.
4 Sasha
Sasha was another pivotal character in Tales From The Borderlands who made an impression on fans and Rhys alike. As Fiona's younger sister and partner in crime, Sasha featured heavily in the first game, and many of that game's decisions had a direct impact on her life.
Sasha is last seen at the end of Tales From The Borderlands after sacrificing herself to distract a Vault Guardian long enough for the rest of the gang to defeat the beast. She canonically survived the explosion, though, but her whereabouts are unknown during the events of Borderlands 3. The new game could easily intersect with her story at a variety of points, showing players where she's been or where she might be headed.
3 Fiona
Fiona is Rhys' counterpart as a player-controlled protagonist in the first Tales From The Borderlands, and her ingenuity and street smarts complement his technical prowess and quick-thinking beautifully. They're an exceptional pair, and it's a shame Rhys was the only one of the two to make an appearance in Borderlands 3.
Fiona hasn't been seen since the final episode of Tales From The Borderlands when she and Rhys walked into the Vault together and disappeared in a flash of blinding light. Rhys survived whatever was on the other side of that door, so it's safe to assume Fiona did as well. Fans have been clamoring to know where she's been ever since, and this new game is the perfect opportunity for Gearbox to answer that question.
2 Handsome Jack
Okay, yes, he's canonically died twice now, and bringing him back for another round might cheapen his previous appearances, but he's also the best villain the series has ever produced. Not only that, he's one of the best villains in all gaming, a status he achieved largely thanks to the vocal performance of Dameon Clarke.
Handsome Jack's surprise reappearance in the original Tales From The Borderlands was a stroke of brilliance that took an already great game and elevated it to another level. It cast the entirety of Borderlands 2 in a new light and had the potential to dramatically alter the events of the entire series. Fans of the series love Handsome Jack and bringing him back in even a small way would make many gamers very happy.
1 Loader Bot
Loader Bot is easily the best character Tales From The Borderlands gave to the franchise, distilling the best comedic and dramatic qualities of the Borderlands series into a single, mechanical frame. Loader Bot goes from a simple robot unable to act without Rhys' express commands to a true AI with the ability to think, feel, and form honest attachments.
Loader Bot is never treated like anything less than a fully realized character in the original game, and frequently asks poignant, controversial questions that showcase its evolving intellect. At the end of the game, Loader Bot departs Pandora with his new, robot girlfriend for parts unknown, leaving plenty of room for more stories in its fascinating life.
Tales from the Borderlands season 2 is in development.