5 biggest plot points to know before playing Borderlands 4

Borderlands 4 is set to feature an entirely new storyline that takes the rich and iconic lore of the franchise's universe to another level. For newcomers, understanding the plot is essential to fully immerse themselves in the latest chapter of this saga.

With several narrative threads from previous games confirmed to be open, here’s a rundown of the most important plot points to keep in mind before playing Borderlands 4.

Note: There are major spoilers for all relevant Borderlands games below

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5 key moments in Borderlands history to know before playing Borderlands 4

1) Pandora's moon, Elpis, crashes into Kairos' orbit

New and familiar faces arrive on Kairos (Image via 2K)

In Borderlands 3, players step into the shoes of four new Vault Hunters (Amara, FL4K, Zane, and Moze) after the villain Handsome Jack was taken down in Borderlands 2. These characters must team up with the Crimson Raiders group formed by the remnants of the original Borderlands Vault Hunters to take down the Calypso Twins.

Consisting of Troy and Tyreen, the Calypso Twins are livestreaming psycho siblings who are terrorizing Pandora amid the void left by Jack's death. Their goal is to access Pandora’s Vault, a mysterious chamber full of alien Eridian technology, using Tyreen’s Siren powers.

This Borderlands entry is monumental for the Siren lore side of things, revealing that only six Sirens can exist in the universe and that their powers can be stolen or replicated.

In the game’s climax, the defeat of the Calypso Twins reveals that Pandora itself is not only a Vault, but opening it causes the moon, Elpis, to crash toward the planet.

Lilith, after having regained her powers from Tyreen, sacrifices herself by teleporting herself and Elpis away to save her loved ones. This leads to the events of Borderlands 4 as the moon crashes into the veil surrounding Kairos, bringing the once-hidden planet, governed by the tyrant Timekeeper, into public view.

This doesn't just bring new adventurers and manufacturers to the planet in search of treasure and riches, but also the Borderlands 4 Vault Hunters, as well as those from past games like Zane and Amara.

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2) Ava and Tannis succeed Maya and Angel as Sirens

These two Sirens are likely to appear in Borderlands 4 (Image via 2K)

Borderlands 3 made strides in progressing the role of a well-established character while introducing a new face to the series.

Dr. Patricia Tannis has been a series mainstay since the first Borderlands game. She is an archeologist obsessed with the Eridian alien civilization. Ava, meanwhile, is the young apprentice of Siren Vault Hunter Maya from Borderlands 2. She has been training with her on the planet of Athenas.

Tannis is also revealed to be a Siren, who obtained her powers off-screen from Angel, Handsome Jack’s daughter, after her death in Borderlands 2. On the other hand, Ava replaces Maya as a Siren after she is killed by Troy in Borderlands 3. This revelation upset a lot of fans due to its execution and Ava's divisive personality.

Both these new Sirens should play a major role in Borderlands 4 in their own way.

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3) The Watcher returns from The Pre-Sequel

Despite being fairly underrated, The Pre-Sequel is important to the series' lore (Image via 2K)

One of the least played entries, 2014's Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, takes place between Borderlands 1 and 2, revolving around the rise of Handsome Jack before his reign of terror in Borderlands 2. Despite being a side game, it has major implications for the series’ overarching narrative, including Borderlands 4.

Players explore Elpis as new Vault Hunters working under Handsome Jack before Borderlands 2. However, the main cutscenes are set after the beloved 2012 entry, where the Crimson Raiders interrogate assassin and Vault Hunter Athena in Sanctuary. Lilith, both a Siren and Vault Hunter, leads the questioning.

Their session is interrupted by an Eridian known as The Watcher, whom Handsome Jack encountered during the gameplay events of The Pre-Sequel. In the finale, The Watcher warns Lilith of an impending war. Since he has now been confirmed to appear in Borderlands 4, the conflict on Kairos against the Timekeeper is likely the war he was referring to.

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4) Ellie replaces her late brother, Scooter, as the new mechanic

The spirit of Scooter lives on in Ellie (Image via 2K)

First introduced in Borderlands, Scooter was a mechanic who teamed up with the Vault Hunters, helping them get around with their Runner vehicles. After also appearing in the sequel game, he was killed off in the Tales from the Borderlands cinematic adventure title from Telltale Games. This led to his sister, Ellie, also in Borderlands 2, taking over his responsibilities in future games, including Borderlands 3.

In the latest entry, Ellie is confirmed to get her own story expansion DLC called Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned, revealed as part of the post-launch content for Borderlands 4. She is responsible for the Digi-runners that players will be able to summon in the new game.

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5) Two Tales from the Borderlands

Rhys and gang (left) and Anu (right) (Image via 2K)

Tales from the Borderlands is a canonical entry in the series. It introduced characters like Hyperion employee Rhys, his friend Vaughn, and con artist Fiona, who also appeared in Borderlands 3. As one of the two protagonists in the game alongside Fiona, Rhys battles an AI version of Handsome Jack while searching for a new Vault.

This is followed by a pseudo-successor, New Tales from the Borderlands, developed by Gearbox Studio Quebec. While the previous game is set after Borderlands 2, this one follows the events of Borderlands 3 but features a largely disjointed plot with new protagonists: ex-Atlas scientist Anuradha "Anu" Dhar, her adoptive brother Octavio Wallace-Dhar, and hoverchair-bound Frogurt shop owner Francine "Fran" Miscowicz.

After being fired by the current Atlas CEO, Rhys, Anu invents a device that mimics Siren powers to teleport targets. When the facility is attacked by the Tediore corporation, she teams up with Octavio and Fran to take down CEO Susan Coldwell and uncover a Vault. Anu obtains an Anahatium shard from the Vault Monster dwelling within, which leads to her possession by the entity.

The ending sees the shard flying into space and the trio starting a company to pursue a normal life. This is the last narrative stop before Borderlands 4, so it’s highly likely that characters or plot threads from this game will find their way into the new installment.

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Borderlands 4 is available to buy on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2 platforms.

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