Borderlands 4 is taking the series in a somewhat refreshing direction, returning to the slightly more grounded roots of the original, and telling a more mature and darker narrative that fans can really get behind. It is also spicing up gameplay with several important tweaks, introducing fans to an all-new planet, and finally tearing them away from the series' staple setting of Pandora. However, while there are plenty of changes happening, there's a lot that's remaining the same, including some very familiar faces that are making a comeback.

A lot of important Borderlands 4 information has already been officially revealed, including a large selection of from the game's expansive roster. This obviously includes the new Vault Hunters, such as Rafa and Vex, as well as a handful of minor and major characters, like the main villain, the Timekeeper. However, what will likely be of more importance to fans are the returning characters, and there are many of them. While only a handful have been announced, teased, or speculated about so far, these are the returning characters we know about.

7 Claptrap Returns Yet Again

You Can't Escape Him

Of course, this wouldn't be a Borderlands game without the inclusion of everyone's favorite - or least favorite, depending on who you ask - character, Claptrap. This one-wheeled robot has been a key part of the Borderlands experience since the very first game, and has been considered the series' mascot ever since. While his voice can be somewhat grating and the source of unfortunate Borderlands controversy, it is still fun to see him pop up in Borderlands 4, for good or ill.

Claptrap's overarching role in Borderlands 4 hasn't been fully revealed by Gearbox, but a brief description on the official Borderlands 4 website states that he is recruiting resistance fighters to help free Kairos from the evil clutches of the Timekeeper. It's a noble goal, one that will likely see you get wrapped up in the whole affair and kickstart your adventure. As always, Claptrap is eager to make friends and continues to spurt out his trademark quips and humor, whether you want to endure it. Essentially, nothing has changed, at least where Claptrap is concerned.

Claptrap is a staple of the franchise, so it is no surprise to see him here. He has been officially confirmed to be a part of the adventure, so there's no hoping he somehow died between Borderlands 3 and 4. However, for fans, his inclusion will help not only connect the two games but also offer a reassurance that even though Borderlands 4's tone is different, it'll still retain a lot of the humor that made it so popular in 2009. Newcomers will also get a chance to finally learn all about the infamous Claptrap and his never-ending monologues.

6 Moxxi Is Here To Help The Vault Hunters

She's A Borderlands Original

Moxxi, or Mad Moxxi as she is often known, is another staple character in the Borderlands series, having appeared in almost every game, including its spin-offs. She is a fan-favorite character thanks to her many utterly unsubtle innuendos, penchant for violence, and general demeanor, so it makes sense that she'd pop up to lend a hand to Borderlands 4's new Vault Hunters. Moxxi first popped up in the Borderlands DLC, Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot, and has since been an important fixture that Gearbox can't let go of.

As aforementioned, Moxxi appears in Borderlands' DLC, Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot, but not the original game, as well as Borderlands 2 and its DLC, Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, Borderlands 3, and as a voice cameo in Tales from the Borderlands. She does not appear in Tiny Tina's Wonderlands.

She will likely play a minor role in Borderlands 4, potentially having some connection to Zane, as they were seen together in the Borderlands 4 State of Play sitting at a bar. Of course, one has to wonder how she got to Kairos in the first place, much like the rest of the returning cast. Regardless, her inclusion is a lot of fun and reason enough to pick up Borderlands 4. If Gearbox nails her characterization as it has done with every other entry, she'll be a memorable part of the overall experience.

5 Zane Is Back With A New Look

The Borderlands 3 Vault Hunter Returns

Zane, one of the best Vault Hunters from Borderlands 3, is also returning in Borderlands 4. This, like Moxxi and Claptrap, has been confirmed, with the character appearing in multiple trailers, including the aforementioned State of Play, as well as getting his own biography, albeit a brief one, on the Borderlands 4 website. For those who skipped Borderlands 3, Zane was a drone-wielding Vault Hunter who played a major role in the narrative. He's looking a little different in Borderlands 4, however.

In Borderlands 3, Zane sported a short gray haircut and an eyepatch, but in Borderlands 4, he has long hair tied up in a bun. He is still wearing the same black and yellow jacket, although he dons it more like a cape. Frankly, it's a much better look for him, giving him an air of Geralt from The Witcher 3, although slightly less impressive-looking. Still, this is the same gun-wielding Zane we all know and love, and he's here to help the player however he can.

His role in Borderlands 4's main story hasn't been completely revealed, but his official biography does state that he has the player's back. It is likely that he will be assisting the player in taking down the Timekeeper on Kairos, just like another Borderlands 3 Vault Hunter that's confirmed to be returning. He may even be aiding in the search for Lilith after she disappears at the end of Borderlands 3, or maybe he's got his own agenda that the player will slowly uncover throughout the game. Regardless, it is a lot of fun to see him back.

4 Borderland's First Boss, Nine-Toes, Is Back

He Somehow Survived The First Game

One character that fans think is making a comeback, but hasn't been officially confirmed, is Borderlands' first-ever boss, Nine-Toes. Many may not even Nine-Toes, or killing him alongside his pet skags, but those dedicated, keen-eyed fans believe they spotted him in the background of one of the game's many trailers. Whether that's true or not remains to be seen, but it would be interesting to see this minor boss return in Borderlands 4, if only for a short while, or even a nice callback to the original game.

He isn't even all that challenging to fight, making him one of the more unremarkable enemies, beyond the fact that he is missing a toe and has three balls.

Nine-Toes doesn't play a major role in Borderlands, really only serving as the first Bandit Lord players need to kill at the start of the game. He isn't even all that challenging to fight, making him one of the more unremarkable enemies, beyond the fact that he is missing a toe and has three balls. We'll see if this enigmatic character reappears in Borderlands 4 and if the mystery of his missing toe is ever resolved. One can only hope so.

3 Gaige From Borderlands 2 May Have Already Made An Appearance

Her Hand Has Popped Up

Much like Nine-Toes, Gaige hasn't been officially confirmed to be returning in Borderlands 4. However, unlike Nine-Toes, there is actually a good reason to expect Gaige to appear. In the original teaser trailer for the game, we see a metal hand holding a psycho's mask. That same hand and mask then reappeared in the official first-look trailer that dropped a short while later. While many had first assumed that this was the Timekeeper's hand - after all, we see him crush a psycho mask in that same trailer - it turns out it belongs to someone else entirely.

Gearbox has not confirmed that this hand belongs to Gaige, but it does look remarkably like her robotic arm in Borderlands 2. While the fingers are a tad more spindly and have sharper nails, the general aesthetic is practically the same. Borderlands 4 features several changes, including to the designs of returning characters, so it wouldn't be surprising to see Gaige get a slight tweak. The clips we see of this hand are somewhat menacing, so it'll be interesting to see how she factors into Borderlands 4, especially as we don't really know what happened to her post Borderlands 2.

2 The Legendary Lilith Plays A Big Role

She's A Key Part Of The Narrative

Gearbox hasn't mentioned whether Lilith will appear in Borderlands 4 - after all, we're supposed to think she died sacrificing herself to save Pandora at the end of Borderlands 3 - but it has mentioned how she's at least connected to it. The moon Elpis, which Lilith teleported away from Pandora, is what causes the rift in Kairos and ruins the Timekeeper's previously untouchable control over the planet's people. At the very least, she is the inciting incident for all the drama that will ensue in Borderlands 4.

However, it seems hard to believe that Lilith dies in Borderlands 3, especially as she's one of Borderlands' best characters. What is more likely is that Lilith teleported with the moon and was then stranded on Kairos in the intervening years, likely held prisoner by the Timekeeper or lying low somewhere. It seems extremely likely that she'll make another appearance in Borderlands 4, if only because she's so beloved by fans, but, at the very least, she is connected to the game's main story, and that's fun in its own right.

1 Borderlands 3's Siren Amara Helps You Out

She's Assisting Vault Hunters However She Can

Lilith isn't the only Siren returning in Borderlands 4, as Amara, the playable Vault Hunter from Borderlands 3, is also in the game. Unlike Lilith, Amara has been confirmed to be in Borderlands 4 as an NPC, assisting the player and the other Vault Hunters with their quest to take down the Timekeeper. In the game's State of Play presentation, Amara helps the player infiltrate a blacksite in the mission Dark Subject. She'll likely appear more, alongside a few animal companions she's made along the way.

While, like Zane, it remains to be seen just how much involvement Amara ultimately has in the larger story, she'll likely be a minor NPC that pops up occasionally to help complete a mission or access a new area. Nevertheless, it is great to see one of Borderlands' best Sirens make a comeback, especially as she was such a highlight of Borderlands 3. More characters will likely return alongside her and the others, but even if these are the only returning characters, Borderlands 4 will have a truly impressive cast.

Source: Borderlands