Borderlands 3 Vault Hunters are each unique, and choosing between them can be one of the most difficult decisions in the entire game - despite the fact it literally has millions of equipment permutations to sort through and the most highly customizable skill trees the franchise has ever seen. While choosing a Borderlands 3 character based on reviews or their backstory is a valid way to go about it, there's a lot of depth to each class they represent, and they appeal to different sorts of players.
For those unfamiliar, Borderlands 3 makes some big changes to the way players build a character out. The game has added depth to the skill tree system that allows for further customization, and in essence, has created a number of different viable builds for each Borderlands 3 character that can alter their playstyle even further. It's a lot of number-crunching and experimentation, but it's also a lot of fun, and can result in some truly powerful one-Vault Hunter armies. That, coupled with the decision to have Borderlands 3 span multiple worlds across the galaxy and introduce two new and immediately easy-to-hate villains, has made Borderlands 3 one of the most exciting releases this year.
So what to make of each character, who, even visually, couldn't look more different from each other? It's a big decision and it's one fans shouldn't make in the dark. Here's a quick rundown of each character's basic playstyle and who they might appeal to as a result.
Borderlands 3 Vault Hunter - Amara, the Siren
Amara is the Borderlands 3 character that fills the Siren role. Historically, that's meant that she'd be the best spellcaster of the group, with a wide range of magical abilities that make her great at long-distance AoE. In Borderlands 3, however, Amara is a new spin on the Siren that sees her using physical prowess thanks to her magic fists, and it's totally shaken up what to expect from Sirens. Amara has three diferent abilities to help her navigate combat, and all of them are viable. She has a ground slam that can be modified for further stuns and AoE damage, a ranged projection of herself that helps mitigate the need to close in on enemies, and a Phaselock freeze that is reminiscent of the crowd-control Maya had in Borderlands 2.
Amara is pretty heavily focused on elemental damage, which makes her very good at mowing through enemies of all kinds, provided the elements match up properly. Mixing up damage and paying close attention to the battlefield are two skills Amara players definitely need to learn quickly. Amara is, of course, a weaker character at distance-closing and dealing damage to enemies that can fly or are otherwise highly mobile. For people who like to get up-close to their targets in Borderlands 3 though, Amara is the clear front-runner.
Borderlands 3 Vault Hunter - FL4K, the Beastmaster
FL4K is basically the same as the hunter class from previous iterations of the Borderlands franchise, with one key difference - they have an animal companion at all times rather than calling one in key moments (although that is also possible, based on skills). FL4K is Borderlands 3's first and only pet class Vault Hunter, which makes them extremely good at soloing through content. FL4K has a range of action skills they can use, like using invisibility to set up a strong critical and allowing their pet to establish damage or using Rakks as long distance spray damage to help find cover.
FL4K is a very well-rounded character. If anything, FL4K is basically good at all elements in Borderlands 3 if players want them to be, but will never really be the best at any one thing - except the skills that are unique to them, of course. FL4K can especially be appealing to newer players who aren't confident in exploring solo but don't have friends to play with just yet. The pets really do a good job of increasing FL4K's survivability relative to the other Borderlands 3 Vault Hunters, and the ability to go stealth can't really be overstated as an "oh no" button if things go south in a hurry.
Borderlands 3 Vault Hunter - Zane, the Operative
Zane is a lot like the soldiers from previous Borderlands games in that he doesn't have quite the same amount of flash as the other characters until players dig a little deeper into his repertoire. Once they have, though, Zane becomes one of the most compelling character choices and likely the best option for players who want to go solo all the way through their Borderlands 3 story mode. Zane can use two different Action Skills at once at the cost of his ability to use grenades, but it makes him one of the most powerful characters as a result, because he has three of the best Action Skills in the game to choose from. Players can use a drone to help his DPS, a clone that helps tank damage, deal it, and can swap positions with Zane in an instant, or a shield that can be dropped down to protect and buff Zane and other players.
It's a lot to choose from, and having two at once genuinely feels overpowered at times. Zan is very forgiving to play for new players but offers a lot of flexibility for veterans thanks to being able to swap with his digiclone. It's a great balancing act and it immediately makes Zane one of the most fun characters to level - not to mention the fact that, as the crew's "wise-guy" type, he also tends to have some of the more interesting dialogue during questing.
Borderlands 3 Vault Hunter - Moze, the Gunner
Moze is often unfairly relegated to being the least-discussed Borderlands 3 Vault Hunter of the bunch. Somehow, her ability to pilot a giant mech called the Iron Bear is the least flashy or appealing option among Borderlands 3 characters to some, and it's led to a misunderstanding behind Moze. Moze isn't just a mech pilot, and she's actually a great AoE damage dealer with some serious tankability. Her survival is second only to perhaps FL4k (and even then, it's possible as the game becomes more understood she surpasses him) and she is great at taking on groups of enemies all at once.
Moze has three Action Skills with Iron Bear that revolve around different weapon types. This can involve a gatling-gun-like damage dealer or a rocket launcher that's better at AoE damage. Between the Iron Bear customization and Moze's own skill trees, she's extremely fluid as a character and can do a lot with very little. Moze is another great choice for new players thanks to how rarely she actually perishes on the battlefield, although it's worth noting that veterans might find Moze a little more repetitive than other character options, so it's worth keeping an eye on for experienced Vault Hunters.