Warning: Spoilers ahead for Borderlands 2 and Borderlands 3.Borderlands 2 and Borderlands 3 are both strong games with vastly different strengths. The former featured the best storytelling in the franchise, both in the main game with Handsome Jack and through its brilliant expansions like Assault on Dragon Keep. Borderlands 3 struggled in this area due to the lackluster Calypso Twins and some key moments being rushed. However, it offered far smoother gameplay with several quality-of-life upgrades and cleaner visuals, even if it was lacking in areas like traditional raid bosses. Intriguingly, one trait both games share is a strength for one and a weak point for the other.
Both Borderlands 2 and Borderlands 3 feature a tragic death several hours into their stories, but while one of these moments got fans emotionally invested in the story, the other led to outrage. Part of this was undoubtedly due to how the deaths and their aftermaths were handled, as one was better constructed than the other. However, another issue that Borderlands 3’s big death had was that it felt forced and repetitive coming after Borderlands 2’s sequence.
Maya’s Death in Borderlands 3 Felt Like a Poor Imitation of Roland’s
In the back half of Borderlands 2’s story, the devious Handsome Jack shoots the Crimson Raiders leader Roland from behind, killing him with the cheap shot and leaving both his girlfriend Lilith and the player devastated. In Borderlands 3, The Calypso Twins kill Maya and drain her of her power, but the moment led to complaints from players as opposed to sad comments about losing Maya.
Many have pointed out different problems with Maya’s death, ranging from Borderlands 3’s cut funeral scene to Ava’s reaction during the cinematic to the way in which Maya was killed. The Calypso Twins rubbing the death of a fan favorite character in with their video montage did not help matters either, as while it could have worked if Gearbox had given Maya a better sendoff, it instead came off as a slap in the face and an insult to fans of the blue-haired Siren. Still, though there are a number of issues with the death, the biggest is that it felt too much like something fans had already seen.
While Handsome Jack killing Roland felt like a major turning point in the story, Maya’s death added nothing, meaning that all it did was remind fans of how much better the previous game handled the concept of killing off an old character. Maya’s death did not feel earned, with the scene it took place in feeling awkward on top of that. The Vault Hunters being nowhere to be seen was odd, and the entire moment felt like a rough attempt to recapture the magic of Roland’s death. Though Gearbox’s goal was the same, and the similarities range from how the moment is framed to the main villains being behind the characters’ deaths, the difference in quality is clear. Going to the well another time would feel even more rushed and pointless, so it is something Borderlands 4 has to steer clear of.
Another Vault Hunter Death in Borderlands 4 Would Be a Mistake
Though the cast of characters in Borderlands has only continued to grow, deaths need to be rare and meaningful when they do happen, as fans have grown to love minor and major characters alike. In particular, the trend of killing a Vault Hunter from the previous game in the latest release is something that should be avoided, at least for the time being. Thanks to Roland and Maya, fans will be expecting a Borderlands 3 Vault Hunter to die in BL4, so Gearbox subverting those expectations is important.
If the Vault Hunter death pattern continues in Borderlands 4, it is hard to imagine many fans being pleased with Gearbox, as that part of the story would feel painfully repetitive. Just like with Maya, fans would feel more annoyed than devastated, especially with a lot of stories still able to be told about the Borderlands 3 Vault Hunters. Players should never come into a game predicting a death, as a big reason why Roland’s death worked is because it was so shocking. Killing another Vault Hunter in Borderlands 4 would not only be uninspired, but it would be boring. With the next entry in the series, Gearbox has to find a different way to get fans invested, as using the old playable characters as cannon fodder for the main villain is in danger of becoming too formulaic.
Borderlands 3 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.