Borderlands 3 Characters: A Guide to the Vault Hunters

Introduction

Welcome, Vault Hunter, to the chaotic and loot-filled world of Borderlands! This franchise, renowned for its irreverent humor, explosive combat, and an endless supply of guns, has captivated players for years. At the heart of this experience lies a diverse cast of characters, each with their own distinct personalities, abilities, and playstyles. These aren’t just your typical protagonists; they are dynamic individuals with compelling backstories, ready to dive headfirst into the insanity that is Pandora (and beyond).

In Borderlands 3, Gearbox Software provided us with four exciting playable characters, known as Vault Hunters, who are at the forefront of fighting against the Calypso Twins and their Children of the Vault. This article serves as your ultimate guide to navigating the character selection in Borderlands 3. We will delve into the unique skills, skill trees, and recommended playstyles of each Vault Hunter, helping you choose the perfect character to suit your preferred brand of mayhem. From the Siren’s mystical powers to the Beastmaster’s companion-based tactics, we’ll explore the vast array of options available to you, the player. Get ready to discover which Vault Hunter will become your champion in the relentless pursuit of loot and glory. The fate of the galaxy rests on your choice, so let’s dive in!

Amara the Siren

Amara, the Siren, is a powerhouse of raw, elemental energy. Hailing from the planet of Eden-6, Amara embodies the Siren’s ability to manipulate the very fabric of reality. She’s a fearless brawler who thrives in the heat of combat, dishing out devastating damage with her fists and her Phase abilities. Her story is one of self-discovery, determination, and an unwavering belief in her own strength. Amara’s a force to be reckoned with, a whirlwind of color and carnage.

Her signature skill is the Action Skill Phase, which allows her to summon a powerful ability that she can use in different ways, depending on the chosen variation. Here’s a closer look at her options:

Phasegrasp

Locks an enemy in place, making them vulnerable to attacks. This is great for crowd control and isolating priority targets.

Phaseslam

Creates an area-of-effect shockwave by slamming down into enemies. Excellent for dealing immediate damage and knocking back enemies.

Phasecast

Summons an ethereal projection of Amara, which then flies forward and deals damage to enemies.

Amara’s skill trees offer a diverse range of customization options that allow you to lean into different playstyles. Let’s explore her skill trees:

Mystical Assault

Focuses on increasing Amara’s Action Skill damage, reducing its cooldown, and granting her a chance to inflict status effects with her Phase abilities. This tree is great for those who enjoy using her Action Skills frequently and focusing on elemental damage. This is great for beginners, as her abilities make crowd control and damage easy.

Brawl

Is all about close-quarters combat and maximizing melee damage. This tree increases Amara’s survivability with bonuses to health regeneration, and gives her access to abilities that trigger when she takes damage.

Anima

Empowers Amara to boost her elemental damage, with a focus on status effects and applying different elemental damage types, especially corrosive and shock. This skill tree allows players to focus on creating powerful status effect builds.

Playstyle

Amara is versatile, but she excels in close-range combat. Players can build her for melee, elemental damage, or a mix of both. For melee builds, players should focus on skills in the Brawl tree to enhance her survivability and damage output. For elemental builds, consider skills in the Mystical Assault and Anima trees to maximize elemental damage and status effect application. Don’t be afraid to experiment with your builds, since she is a powerhouse.

FL4K the Beastmaster

FL4K, the Beastmaster, is a unique character who is a robot. He’s a hunter who is accompanied by loyal pets and is a master of taking down enemies. FL4K enjoys using his ability to fade from sight and then pounce on his enemies, and he’s a master of taking down enemies with a mix of stealth, precision, and the help of his loyal companions.

His Action Skills all feature a companion:

Rakk Attack

Summons Rakks to attack enemies. Good for dealing damage, and are very good for inflicting elemental effects and applying status effects.

Gamma Burst

Creates a radiation burst that deals damage and heals his pet.

Fade Away

Become invisible and allows you to get critical hit bonuses, perfect for stealth-based playstyles.

Let’s look at his Skill Trees:

Hunter

Gives FL4K bonuses to critical hit damage and bonuses to the pet’s attack damage. This is a good tree for building damage output, particularly with guns that focus on critical hits.

Master

Enhances the abilities of his pets, increasing their health, damage, and utility. Great for players who want their pets to do more damage, and a good way to focus on dealing damage with your allies.

Stalker

Improves FL4K’s survivability and stealth abilities, along with enhancing the pet’s power. This tree makes FL4K a good choice for players who like to pick off enemies from a distance or use his stealth for a tactical advantage.

Playstyle

FL4K excels in various playstyles. You can focus on making the pets do more damage, focusing on critical hits, or embracing stealth. Pet-focused builds emphasize the use of FL4K’s animal companions to deal damage and distract enemies, while critical hit builds focus on dealing high burst damage with weapons. Stealth builds prioritize FL4K’s Fade Away ability for tactical positioning and critical hits. There are a few great options for building FL4K, making him a great option to fit your play style.

Moze the Gunner

Moze, the Gunner, is an unstoppable force when inside the Iron Bear mech. With a vast arsenal of weapons at her disposal, she’s the queen of firepower, a fearless fighter, and a true believer in going big. Moze is a character who lives for destruction, always looking for a new weapon to test on her enemies.

Moze’s action skills revolves around the Iron Bear, which is a massive mech suit that grants her access to a powerful arsenal.

Iron Bear

Summons the Iron Bear, which will give players access to a range of powerful weapon customizations.

Let’s look at her skill trees:

Demolition Woman

Focuses on increasing explosive damage and reducing cooldown times.

Shield of Retribution

Boosts Moze’s survivability.

Bottomless Mags

Increases magazine sizes and reduces reload times, ideal for players who like to keep the bullets flying.

Playstyle

Moze is a fantastic choice for players who love to create massive explosions, deal consistent damage, and use large weapons. She is excellent for those who want to go big and blast their way through enemies. She has a few different builds, so you can experiment with her skills.

Zane the Operative

Zane, the Operative, is a smooth operator. He is a character defined by his gadgets, tactical prowess, and ability to be in two places at once. His Action Skills and skill trees are designed to be flexible and versatile, allowing players to adapt to any combat scenario.

Zane’s Action Skills:

SNTNL

Deploys a drone that provides extra firepower.

Barrier

Deploy a barrier that can be used to provide cover or deal damage to enemies.

Clone

Creates a decoy that can be swapped with, allowing for tactical positioning.

Let’s look at his skill trees:

Hitman

Focuses on damage output and reducing cooldown times.

Under Cover

Enhances his survivability with bonuses to health and shield regeneration.

Doubled Agent

Allows you to deploy two action skills at the same time, which provides extra firepower and versatility.

Playstyle

Zane is a versatile character who offers a tactical approach. His ability to use two Action Skills at once allows for many different playstyles. He’s a great choice for players who love gadgets, tactical thinking, and flexibility. The best part about him is that you can change how you use his abilities.

Other Important Characters

While the Vault Hunters are the stars of the show, many other characters breathe life into Borderlands 3. These characters are crucial to the story, providing context, guidance, and, of course, an abundance of comedic relief. Here’s a glimpse at some of them:

Lilith

The former Siren and leader of the Crimson Raiders. She plays a significant role in the main story.

Tyreen and Troy Calypso

The primary antagonists and leaders of the Children of the Vault.

Sir Hammerlock

A refined gentleman with a passion for hunting rare creatures.

Marcus

The ever-present vendor, always ready to sell you new weapons.

Moxxi

A seductive and charismatic bartender with a penchant for helping Vault Hunters.

Zero

A silent assassin from Borderlands 2 who makes a return.

Maya

A Siren from Borderlands 2, who helps in the main story.

Brick

The lovable brute from Borderlands 2 who always causes mayhem.

Mordecai

The sniper from Borderlands 2 who always has a witty remark.

These characters enrich the world, providing humor, emotional resonance, and memorable interactions that contribute to Borderlands 3’s unique charm.

Choosing Your Character

Choosing your first Vault Hunter is a significant decision. While you can always create additional characters later, your initial pick will set the tone for your early adventures. Here’s some advice:

If you love close-quarters combat, Amara and Moze might be a good fit for you, with their abilities to smash your way through enemies.

If you prefer to focus on ranged combat, FL4K and Zane offer a great combination of skills to take down your enemies from afar.

Also, if you enjoy using allies to do damage, FL4K and Zane are great choices.

Consider experimenting with multiple characters. This is the best way to find out who you are most comfortable playing with.

Character Customization

Borderlands 3 offers extensive character customization options, allowing players to express their individuality. You can modify the appearance of your Vault Hunter with skins, heads, and body customizations. You can also customize your vehicle’s appearance with skins and decals. You can personalize your character with different weapon skins. Cosmetics can be obtained through in-game challenges, as well as by purchasing DLC.

Community and Meta

Borderlands 3 has a large community, with players constantly sharing builds, strategies, and tips. Online forums, YouTube channels, and social media platforms are the go-to places to find the latest trends. Players are always testing builds and strategies, which adds to the diversity of the game. This helps provide valuable knowledge to players. This is a testament to how passionate the community is.

Conclusion

Choosing the right character is the first step in an amazing journey. With each Vault Hunter offering a unique playstyle and a diverse set of abilities, you will find yourself immersed in the chaos. Remember to experiment with builds, and enjoy the process of discovering new strategies. Which Vault Hunter will you choose to begin your adventure?