Some consider the Borderlands series to have revolutionized the FPS looter genre. The cel-shaded looter shooter has tickled the explosion-based funny bone of video gamers for years now. Its mix of unique characters, brash humor, and vibrant graphics make for enjoyable gaming experiences.
With the recent release of Borderlands 3 DLC featuring crowd favorite character Krieg, fans are abuzz once again. The indomitable Vault Hunters of Pandora have overrun the galaxy now instead.
While the newer Vault Hunters certainly kick ass, the one old ones might kick a bit more. After all, the Borderlands franchise has had some seriously powerful and awesome heroes and anti-heroes. But how do all the past Vault Hunters stack up against each other?
Here are The 14 Best Vault Hunters, ranked.
Updated by Juliet Childers on December 2nd, 2020: The revelations about the Sirens revealed in Borderlands 3 established many unique options for the world's lore moving forward. But it also revealed the OG Vault Hunter Typhon Deleon. He showed us that Vault Hunting takes good guns and the right attitude. How does he stack up in comparison to Vault Hunters throughout the series?
15 Brick, The Berserker
Brick debuted in the original game as the melee muscle head in a world full of OP guns. But Brick never let a little thing like bullet barrages get in the way of his will. Though he made for just an okay playable Vault Hunter, he deeply enriched the Borderlands world and lore.
He features many times as an NPC in the series sometimes working alongside the player. "My Siren's name is Brick and she is the prettiest," he says during the Tiny Tina Dungeons and Dragons DLC. Even if his skills weren't always the most powerful, Brick is someone people would want on their team in a crisis.
14 Zane Flynt, The Operative
Many fans speculated about who exactly Zane might be before the game's official release. After all, he bore a decent resemblance to Rhys from Tales From The Borderlands and had a hologram AND robotic arm. But Zane, The Operative, proved to be an entirely unique character that fans love.
Despite feeling a bit underpowered compared to other Vault Hunters, Zane's panache is undeniable. Some of his abilities are nice callbacks to ones from previous Vault Hunters like Zer0. Others, on the other hand, are completely unique and it's that originality that fans love about Zane's abilities.
13 Krieg, The Psycho
In a game filled with psychos wielding axes, it took a long time for the guys to get any good press. The developers eventually understood the affection fans had for the group and gave them a DLC to play their own psycho named Krieg.
A little too obsessed with self-immolation and meat, Krieg may not be all there. However, he does fight against the riff-raff of Pandora and seems to have a soft spot for Maya. This gets reinforced over the course of Borderlands 3 as Maya teaches Krieg more as he grows in knowledge and understanding.
Between his power and his unique-ness, playing as Krieg is an awesome experience. And, of course, all the interactions between his inner voice and his psycho one are absolute gold.
12 Axton, The Commando
At first glance, Axton can totally pass for a white boy Roland knock off. He's an ex-soldier with a protective turret system. Look deeper, though, and Axton is much more complicated. For example, he has a much more... intimate relationship with his turret.
Between the pet names and compliments, Axton treats his turret like a beloved custom car, not a violent weapon of mass destruction. That's not to say that he belongs on an episode of My Strange Addiction, but hey: stranger things have happened in the Borderlands world.
11 Athena, The Gladiator
A woman of justice turned mercenary, Athena is a complex lady with a lot of baggage. She juggles between intimidating bandits with her Captain America shield and trying to keep the heart of her girlfriend, Janey Springs.
Athena is full of contradictions, so not everyone loves her. After all, she was a bad guy in the first game working for Atlas. But her turns in Pre-Sequel and Tales From the Borderlands really opened up her character. She's a fun spin on a military-trained anti-hero and at least isn't just an ex-soldier with a turret this time.
10 Roland, The Soldier
A Borderlands list of incredible Vault Hunters would not be complete without the hero and commander that we never deserved. Looking at all the Vault Hunters, Roland is by far the most classic hero out of the bunch. The rest have all their anti-hero flaws, but Roland was the best of the best sir (with honors).
Even though losing Roland was a serious trauma in Borderlands 2, playing as him in the original game was a blast. His turret had an amazing shield that made fighting off waves of enemies as a solo player much less stressful. Players deserve a utility hero like him and the Borderlands universe needs his influence.
After all, he wanted to create a refuge for discarded Atlas soldiers. He was, by far, the noblest character in the franchise to date.
9 Gaige, The Mechromancer
Fans often make fun of the tropes that Borderlands stories display (tough girl Siren, ex-soldier with turret, berserker big guy with incredible fists, etc). But each character still shines in proving themselves as unique Vault Hunters. One of the most unique is Gaige, the mechromancer.
A master whiz kid with robotics, Gaige created her own retractable mech buddy to help her destroy the bad guys. She nicknamed him "Deathtrap", but treats him like a puppy with murder claws. Even if people don't vibe with her specific skill trees all the time, it never feels bad to lob a giant destructo-bot to crush everything in the way.
8 Timothy, The Doppelganger
Where is Timothy after Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel? No one may ever know, but fans will always remember him fondly. Not only did Timothy have an amazing, overpowered skill but it was something completely new to the franchise: holographic doubles.
Now, if greenhorn readers haven't figured it out yet, Timothy is the name of the guy that Handsome Jack forced into plastic surgery to become his doppelganger. Timothy is already a great class to experiment with, but more importantly, he's hilarious. A dude pressganged into service trying to make the best of things makes for a solid choice when it comes to anti-heroes.
7 Typhon Deleon
Borderlands 3 introduced Typhon Deleon, the original Vault Hunter, to fans to mixed reviews. Though he was an extremely successful Vault Hunter, he feels a bit forced into the story to explain the Calypso twins. Still, his history and prowess are undeniable.
Though he is not a playable character, Typhon's history is rife with prequel possibilities. He shows off this laser whip gun thing that allows him to swing from ledges and poles. Fans may never get a glimpse of what Typhon was like in his "heyday". But this Typhon can still hang with the best Vault Hunters.
6 Maya, The Siren
Borderlands doesn't always do so well in making its Sirens different. Other than Angel, they're all tough, angry women. But Maya somewhat differentiates herself in that she most of all has reason to be angry. She was kidnapped, held hostage, and gaslighted by a bunch of dudebro monks. Her self-emancipation is a great story that could be explored in a prequel game someday.
Beyond Maya's horribly fascinating backstory as the living goddess/muscle for a cult, she's powerful. Her phaselock ability is way too impressive to ignore and quickly earned her a spot in the fan-favorite category. Even if the Sirens could use some more distinction between one another, who doesn't love crushing enemies in a bubble of raw energy?
5 Mordecai, The Hunter
Mordecai had to be the most broken Vault Hunter in the original game. He had rounds that BYPASSED armor directly and the automatic-win that was Bloodwing.
Borderlands 2 saw poor Mordecai as a hapless drunk, but he also still wanted to help Lilith and Roland. As the resident sniper and animal whisperer, this Vault Hunter can always kick some serious ass. Not only could players pick off bandits with their weapon specialties, but they also could wipe back-lines out with Bloodwing.
As a person, Mordecai isn't perfect. But as a Vault Hunter? He's one of the best.
4 Zer0, The Assassin
With how popular all the wise-talking characters are in the game, it's pretty surprising that one of the best Vault Hunters is a near-silent assassin. Zer0 charms some fans with his robotic, monotone voice while others delight in the emojis that pop up on his face screen.
Zer0's single-minded capabilities make him a hyper-effective NPC and playable character. Like a few other ex Vault Hunters, he's become a staple of the series. Though some of his abilities fell flat, he made a fine addition to a team. Playing him is an honor for any gamer; besides, who doesn't love some sick sword action?
3 Honorable Mention: Claptrap
Even though this entry is hardly a powerful Vault Hunter, Claptrap is too important to Borderlands not to be counted. While he acted as a guide and colorful NPC for most of the series, he took up arms himself in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel.
Characteristically unpredictable, Claptrap isn't a great hero. However, he can be a whole lot of fun. Maybe he won't save the world, but every Borderlands fan should try playing him at least once. After all, he did save the Vault Hunters from hypothermia and invited everyone to his birthday party.
2 Amara, The Siren
Amara joins the Vault Hunter fold as the third playable Siren in the series after Maya and Lilith. Her powers manifest in decidedly more physical ways with shockwaves and ground slams. But she still dishes out that sweet, sweet condition damage and dashes around the battlefield.
Beyond her raw power and abilities, Amara has a zest for life and adventure. She's a natural when it comes to the Vault Hunting challenge. Unfortunately, not much has been revealed about her backstory -- especially in comparison to other Sirens in the series like Angel, Maya, and even Tyreen.
1 Lilith, The Firehawk
While so many Vault Hunters are iconic and powerful, no one can quite match the star power and strength of Lilith. The first Siren fans ever played, the infamous Firehawk exudes ferocity and a love of chaos. However, through her murdered boyfriend Roland, she learns a great deal about responsibility and duty. This prompts her to lead Pandora and the Crimson Raiders towards something better.
Whether fans are playing her themselves against Nine-Toes or fighting bandits at her side, Lilith is the ultimate Vault Hunter. She's become the face of the series and she even has her own cult. How could she be denied the top spot? (And anyway, she would definitely kick anyone's butt who said she wasn't the best...or Brick would do it for her).