Prior to Borderlands 4, guns may have always been at the center of its core gameplay loop, but behind every one of those guns with a finger on the trigger is a Vault Hunter — the playable characters of the Borderlands series. While Borderlands 4 has yet to launch, it has been rolling out extensive looks at its four new Vault Hunters, with Vex, Rafa, and Amon now having received the spotlight and Harlowe's moment still to come. Already, it looks like each of these characters will be bringing something refreshing to the table in terms of gameplay that the series has never before seen, but Rafa may still end up being the odd one out if history has proven anything.
All of Borderlands 4's Vault Hunters are unique in what they offer, and they already look like they have more depth than any Vault Hunters before them. However, while they may each be unique, that doesn't automatically make them equal. Vex has her iconic Siren capabilities, as well as an adorable yet powerful pet named "Trouble," Amon looks like one of the most diverse Vault Hunters in the series yet, and Harlowe seems like she will be excellent for co-op and crowd control. Rafa, on the other hand, almost resembles past Vault Hunters a little too much, to the point that he could be the one apple that falls farther from the tree than the rest. Hopefully, that doesn't turn out to be the case.
Borderlands 4's Rafa Could Break the Vault Hunter Curse
A History of Underwhelming Archetypes
Regardless of which Borderlands game it is, there is always at least one Vault Hunter that the community generally agrees underperforms, whether it's in damage output, survivability, utility, or even personality. Borderlands' Brick, despite being beloved for his personality, was actually one of the worst Vault Hunters to play as, especially in the game's higher difficulties. Borderlands 2 kept that trend up with Axton, whose turret occasionally proved to be useful but lacked the punch that other characters like Salvador and Zer0 brought to the table. Then there's the Pre-Sequel's Aurelia, who had a lot of style but lacked the substance necessary for efficient co-op or high-level gameplay.
Borderlands 3 did improve balance across the board, but even then, Zane (a returning character in Borderlands 4) lagged behind. His gadget-based combat was interesting, but it fell short of the damage output the likes of Moze, Amare, and FL4K could consistently dish out. As a result, he was lumped in with "reject" Vault Hunters like Brick, Axton, and Aurelia, inadvertently establishing an unofficial "weakest Vault Hunter" archetype, where characters can talk the talk but often fail to walk the walk.
Why Rafa's Hybrid Build Raises Questions
This is ultimately where Borderlands 4's Rafa comes in, as his combat kit appears strikingly similar to the rejects of the past. With his deployable tech, mid-range combat focus, and utility-heavy abilities similar to Axton, as well as certain skills that echo Aurelia's situational control and Zane's gadget swapping, he offers a great deal of flexibility. However, should he be too much of a "jack of all trades," he might also end up being a "master of none," weakening his chances as a top-pick for players. This is, in short, the same trap that similar Vault Hunter archetypes have fallen into.
In the end, the real test for Rafa will be how well his damage and survivabilty are balanced with his support skills. If he's able to stand on his own without the perfect set of gear, he could finally break generations of Vault Hunter trauma and change the narrative around what his archetype is capable of. On the other hand, should he launch in an underpowered state, it won't take long for players to write him off as the weakest and see the other three Vault Hunters getting far more playtime.
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
WHERE TO PLAY
