Borderlands' Vault Hunters have always been a big part of its gameplay, but not necessarily as big as its guns. For the most part, the series' Vault Hunters have been largely interchangeable and arguably little more than a unique face to put behind the trigger — with the exception of Zer0, Salvador, and Claptrap, perhaps. However, Borderlands 4 seems to be changing that narrative by featuring playable characters that appear to be more diverse and powerful than their predecessors, with a stronger emphasis on RPG-style progression and multi-layered character building than ever before serving as their foundation.
At this point during its pre-release marketing phase, Borderlands 4 has given three of its Vault Hunters big reveals in the form of multiple gameplay and lore showcases. Those three characters include Vex, Rafa, and Amon, all revealed in that order, and each of whom has proven to be a compelling choice for players. Now, with three of Borderlands 4's Vault Hunters having received some time in the spotlight, that leaves one more: Harlowe, the Gravitar. What's most interesting about these rollouts, though, is their order. "Saving the best for last" naturally comes to mind here in the context of Harlowe, and while there really shouldn't be a Vault Hunter in Borderlands 4 who is objectively "best," Gearbox might feel differently about it.
Borderlands 4's Harlowe Might Be Its Best Vault Hunter
Gearbox's Randy Pitchford Hinted at Harlowe's Intentional Positioning in Borderlands 4's Marketing
Whether Harlowe truly is the best Vault Hunter in Borderlands 4 really does come down to how Gearbox has designed her to perform on the battlefield. At the end of the day, no amount of effort from players can prevent that if she has been intentionally created to come out on top. Of course, it would still be a balance issue that Gearbox would need to address to avoid inevitable criticism from players, but that doesn't rule out the chance that she is the most powerful Vault Hunter in the group.
Interestingly enough, Gearbox's Randy Pitchford actually hinted at this being a possibility in a recent interview with IGN at Gamescom. "Maybe we've been holding out, saving her for the end," said Pitchford, clearly hinting at an intentionality behind her order in the Borderlands 4 Vault Hunter reveal rollout. He even went so far as to say, "Right now, I think she's my favorite," before talking about how much fun he has had playing with her. He then confirmed that early on in development, he was "certain" that Vex was going to be his character. However, that apparently changed, as he ended with, "Now, I'm pretty sure it's going to be Harlowe."
Harlowe's Crowd Control Abilities Do Make Her a Compelling Choice
And it would make sense that Harlowe might be Pitchford's favorite Vault Hunter in Borderlands 4, as her AoE-based crowd-control abilities theoretically make her a viable choice for both solo and cooperative play. Gearbox has already confirmed that Borderlands 4, while it can be played solo, was built for co-op from the ground up. And with Harlowe's Entanglement mechanic, which allows damage to be spread across enemies who are entangled with one another, it's easy to see why.
Perhaps Gearbox, then, really is saving the best for last when it comes to Borderlands 4's Vault Hunter reveals. There is clearly something special about Harlowe that no other playable character in the game can match, and given Randy Pitchford's remarks, it seems the developer knows something the Borderlands community doesn't, even with the info it currently has on the character's skills. This isn't anything that even her official reveal can prove, though. That day will come once Borderlands 4 launches and players finally get a chance to test out the Gravitar in combat.
Borderlands 4
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 88%
- Released
- September 12, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Gearbox Software
- Publisher(s)
- 2K
