Borderlands 4 Characters: Every Vault Hunter + Tier List
Welcome to Kairos, Vault Hunter. It seems like you’ve taken the courageous path of picking a Borderlands 4 character who doesn’t die a million deaths and manages to make every loot count. Thankfully, the roster shines a spotlight on some of the most unique playstyles in the series, giving you endless freedom.
Before you rush into the game, it’s a fairly good idea to take a look at every character, their core abilities, unique skill trees, and general playstyle. They may seem emotionally disturbed, but for good reason. Vex, Rafa, Amon, and Harlowe have special skills that fit a playstyle unique to you, so pick wisely.
Our goal is to help you find the perfect Vault Hunter for your style, and also aim for a gameplay experience that keeps you coming back. Borderlands 4 is a highly replayable game, so feel free to experiment.
Borderlands 4 Tier List
The tier list represents a Vault Hunter’s build and overall power, ranging from meta-defining to situational or gear-dependent characters. However, as is true with every Borderlands game, we should be clear about something: Every Vault Hunter is awesome and viable when played with the right build.
It’s important to note that we aren’t ranking the four characters; rather, we are ranking each of their individual skill trees. Each grade represents an average of their potential. For instance, a character might have one S-tier tree that makes them a boss-killer, but two B-tier trees that are just OK.
| Tier | Vault hunter and skill tree build |
| S Tier | Vex – Incarnate, Rafa – Peacebreaker Cannons, Vex – Dead Ringer |
| A Tier | Amon – Crucible, Vex – Phase Familiar, Rafa – Arc-Knives |
| B Tier | Amon – Scourge, Harlowe – Flux Generator |
| C Tier | Amon – Onslaught, Harlowe – Zero-Point |
| D Tier | Rafa – Apophis Lance |
Borderlands 4 Characters at a Glance
| Character | Playstyle | Best build | Ideal for |
| Amon | Builds heat to empower melee and defensive abilities | Crucible: reliable sustain and strong crowd control | Players who like brawling and absorbing hits for the team |
| Harlowe | Control-oriented, excels at setting up combos and supporting the team | Gravity Well: maximize enemy grouping, cooldown reduction, and elemental synergy | Players who enjoy creative combos and environmental manipulation |
| Rafa | Fast-paced, relentless gunplay with tactical gadgets and bursts of mobility | Overdrive + Peacebreaker: sustain DPS through exo-suit cooldowns and weapon heat management | Players who enjoy constant shooting and leading team assaults |
| Vex | Flexible builds, elemental swapping, and pets/minions summoning for exceptional solo and high-DPS plays | Elemental attunement: Large focus on Phase Covenant, minion augments, and weapon element synergy | Players looking for adaptability and strong solo performance, with a mix of control and burst damage |
Amon
As a Forgeknight, Amon is an essential bruiser built to live in the heart of every firefight. His kit revolves around a high-risk, high-reward, and close-range playstyle. Bullets do little damage to him when played right, making him the ideal tank in most scenarios. Between smashing hordes of Psychos and holding the line against bosses, Amos is a rewarding pick.
Amon in Borderlands 4 is the new definition of indestructible. Instead of just soaking up damage, he lets himself absorb and redirect enemy fire. He forms a distinctive identity within upcoming PC games in the shooter genre as a tank who isn’t a glass cannon, but a rhythmic damage dealer, with a skill tree that lets you customize explosive bursts and slams.
| Class | Forgeknight |
| Combat role | Tanking and close-quarters combat |
| Primary abilities | Crucible, Scourge, Onslaught |
| Playstyle | Builds heat to empower melee and defensive abilities |
| Best build | Crucible: reliable sustain and strong crowd control |
| Ideal for | Players who like brawling and absorbing hits for the team |
Harlowe
Harlow in Borderlands 4 stands as the cerebral force of nature who masters control over gravity. She draws enemies into singularities, suspending them mid-air, and amplifying team damage potential. Her skills expose enemies to critical hits, and her kit lets you command space, momentum, and opportunity during each fight.
In all of Borderlands 4’s classes, she stands out uniquely due to environmental control. If you manage to line up things perfectly, you can land one headshot after another. Some of the best shooter games try to implement such mechanics, but Harlow breathes life into them by blending creative combos and synchronized attacks.
| Class | Gravitar |
| Combat role | Crowd control specialist and team support |
| Primary abilities | Flux Generator, Zero-Point, CHROMA Accelerator |
| Playstyle | Control-oriented, excels at setting up combos and supporting the team |
| Best build | Gravity Well: maximize enemy grouping, cooldown reduction, and elemental synergy |
| Ideal for | Players who enjoy creative combos and environmental manipulation |
Rafa
Rafa in Borderlands 4 is the prime example of raw military precision among all BL4 Vault Hunters. His core systems allow him to maintain non-stop offensive momentum, akin to personalities like Moze and Roland. He’s built for a high fire rate and aggressive movement, qualities found in some of the best PC games.
Gadgets in FPS shooters are part of the many gaming trends you’ll notice today, and Rafa makes use of his exo-suit abilities to absorb enemy focus while dealing massive area suppression. This gives your teammates room to reposition or unleash unique attacks. He’s a battlefield tactician at heart, one who transforms chaos into orderly destruction.
| Class | Deadframe |
| Combat role | Heavy DPS and frontline enforcer. |
| Primary abilities | Arc-Knives, Peacebreaker Cannons, Apophis Lance |
| Playstyle | Fast-paced, relentless gunplay with tactical gadgets and bursts of mobility |
| Best build | Overdrive + Peacebreaker: sustain DPS through exo-suit cooldowns and weapon heat management |
| Ideal for | Players who enjoy constant shooting and leading team assaults |
Vex
Sirens have always been a huge part of the series’ soul, and Vex in Borderlands 4 makes her presence known as a versatile Vault Hunter. She used to be a retail worker, awakening her dormant Phase energy that commands minions and self-buffs. Perfect for offline sessions when you’re playing without other team members.
She scales into high DPS builds by constantly syncing your weapon’s element and using her Action Skills alongside augments. Her pet (Trouble) and spectral clones give you autonomous support, letting you reposition when needed. Vex fits beautifully into the mythos of Sirens, delivering a dynamic experience akin to most popular games in the genre.
| Class | Siren |
| Combat role | Versatile elemental controller and DPS specialist |
| Primary abilities | Dead Ringer, Incarnate, and Phase Phamiliar |
| Playstyle | Flexible builds, elemental swapping, and pets/minions summoning for exceptional solo and high-DPS plays |
| Best build | Elemental attunement: large focus on Phase Covenant, minion augments, and weapon element synergy |
| Ideal for | Players looking for adaptability and strong solo performance, with a mix of control and burst damage |
How To Choose Which Borderlands 4 Character Is Right for You
Picking an ideal hero from the Vault Hunters Borderlands lineup depends on how you play, the challenges you enjoy, and how much you’d love diving into a build. Here are some tips to consider before making a decision.
- Decide whether to play solo or co-op: Vex is built for independence, while others like Harlowe and Rafa work well if you’re playing with friends.
- Take your experience into consideration: Every Vault Hunter’s playstyle is built on some of the highest-grossing games you may have played before. Take into consideration what games you enjoyed previously, before diving into Borderlands 4.
- Consider your preferred playstyle: Whether you prefer aggressive plays, defensive tanking, or crowd control tactics, each character offers a unique combat approach.
- Think about replayability: Branching skills, alternate augments, synergize builds, and multiple Vault Heroes can only mean one thing: Experiment! Your time spent playing should feel rewarding and varied.
Build Your Dream Squad in More Games
Squad-based games like RAID: Shadow Legends and Borderlands 4 are vast experiences, and it’s essential to know what you’re getting into. It all begins with understanding the pros and cons of gaming, as well as the characters and squads you wish to be part of on your journey.
We hope you explore a large game collection before trying new things, and make the most of each title. Remember, the next-best game is right around the corner, and there’s a squad designed for every player out there. It’s time to build yours.
Borderlands 4 Characters FAQ
Here’s a quick breakdown of common questions that can help you pick the right Vault Hunter for your playstyle.
Who Is the Best Borderlands 4 Character for Solo Play?
Vex is easily the best character for solo play, thanks to her elemental adaptability and minion-summoning prowess. She’s great for tackling groups of mobs as well as soloing bosses.
What’s the Primary Difference Between Vex and Rafa’s Playstyles?
Vex focuses on elemental synergy and fluid adaptability, while Rafa relies on raw mechanical power and recoil control.
Which Borderlands 4 Character Is Best for Beginners?
Amon is a great beginner-friendly pick, offering simple but highly useful melee-tank gameplay. His “heat-forged” system rewards you for absorbing damage and countering with powerful close-range attacks.
