Borderlands 4 Could Have Answered a Huge Siren Query, However Its Left Me With a New One

Whereas Borderlands 4 followers actually didn’t anticipate to get up to an enormous Siren lore drop on social media, that’s precisely what occurred, as the sport’s Narrative Director Sam Winkler made a groundbreaking X put up about this specific class of Vault Hunters. Per Winkler, whereas there can solely be six Sirens at a time, once they move on their powers to a brand new wielder, the brand new Siren doesn’t must inherit the identical set of skills. It is a enormous reveal, because it basically provides Gearbox the liberty to design new Siren powers for years to return. Nevertheless, I’m extra occupied with Winkler’s follow-up feedback about Borderlands 4’s new Siren, Vex.

Whereas Vex isn’t the Siren I wanted, I’m nonetheless excited to study extra about her, as she seems to be like an superior character because of her summoning skills. Winkler’s preliminary put up basically opened Vex as much as having inherited her skills from Tyreen Calypso or Commandant Steele. Nevertheless, Winkler later replied to a different touch upon X and clarified that neither of those late Sirens handed on their powers to Vex – one thing that has me very curious to study the place precisely her powers got here from. In spite of everything, one choice can be a huge spoiler, one other can be a lore deep minimize, and the ultimate selection would please a big chunk of the fan base, however would depart some followers like myself disenchanted. Proper now, I can’t actually inform if these selections (or one thing else solely) would be the path Gearbox takes.

Whereas Commandant Steele died over a decade earlier than Vex will get her Siren powers, a well-liked fan idea argues Steele’s powers weren’t launched till the Destroyer was absolutely killed in Borderlands 3, because the monster had killed and eaten Steele on the finish of the unique recreation.

The Origins of Vex’s Borderlands 4 Powers is Unclear, However There Are Three Clear Contenders

Choice 1: Lilith

Maybe the only reply is that Lilith really did die on the finish of Borderlands 3 when she “Firehawked” Elpis. Whereas her “death” scene was actually obscure, and appeared like setup for a future return – an idea that the ending of Ava’s Mysteriouslier missions solely additional supported – maybe Gearbox will kill off its authentic playable Siren in any case. If this have been the plan, then the studio might actually say that Vex obtained her powers as quickly as Lilith sacrificed herself, offering a easy justification for the brand new character being empowered. Whereas this might be fascinating within the sense that Vex would naturally really feel pressured to reside as much as the legendary character that enabled her to ascend, that already appears like Ava’s function, as she was mentored by Maya and was given Lilith’s function as Crimson Raider chief. It additionally appears like an excessive amount of work has been achieved to organize for the seek for Lilith, so to me, tossing out the “seek for Lilith” story would really feel like a waste of the earlier recreation and an iconic character.

Choice 2: Emily Swan

One contender for Vex’s predecessor is Emily Swan, a personality even hardcore Borderlands followers is probably not conversant in (and that Winkler himself does not appear to know, although this was possible mentioned in jest). It is because she comes from the divisive game Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, together with her story additionally being restricted to audio recordings. Nonetheless, as a result of mentioned story concerned the mysterious Watcher, a personality many followers took curiosity in, those that did take discover of Emily Swan’s story actually keep in mind it. Basically, Emily’s backstory is as follows:

• Emily’s mom, Annie, is a Dahl contractor who’s working to generate income to afford her daughter’s remedy, however is struggling to get the required look after Emily as her situation worsens.
• As she works, Annie notices that she is being watched by a Guardian, with mentioned Guardian being none apart from The Watcher. Ultimately, she is visited by the alien, who tells her Emily will reside and that Annie ought to depart Elpis.
• Certain sufficient, Emily survives, with a “purple light” filling her room in Nurse Nina’s hospital earlier than the younger woman wakes up. The mom and daughter then depart collectively to go to Pandora, thanking The Watcher for his or her kindness.

Given the purple gentle and Vex’s purple tattoos, some followers have argued that Emily Swan could also be Vex’s actual identify, and that she had been marked to be a future Siren by the Watcher. Whereas this might technically nonetheless develop into true, primarily based on Vex’s animated quick exhibiting her backstory, the 2 seem to be totally different characters. Maybe Emily Swan died off-screen because of all of the chaos discovered round Pandora, with Vex gaining her skills after the minor background character’s demise.

Choice 3: Ava

Although Emily Swan is a safer wager since she’s not an on-screen character, which means she has only a few die-hard followers, maybe Ava’s many haters will get their want, and he or she’ll be killed off-screen to permit a unique Siren to take her place. Personally, I feel Ava can be redeemed, and that it will solely make Borderlands 3’s story even worse in hindsight to provide her an unceremonious dying in between BL3 and BL4. Certain, it will be simple to say she died whereas trying to find Lilith on a far-off planet, however then Maya’s sacrifice would actually have been for nothing. Moreover, with Amara pet-sitting Hermes for Ava in Borderlands 4, it’s actually implied that she’ll be again ultimately. Hopefully, she will probably be improved upon in Borderlands 4, with a unique Siren falling so Vex can rise. She is actually an choice obtainable to Gearbox, although.

Borderlands 4 Will Must Clear Up The Siren Confusion

It could have been easy sufficient for Gearbox to only outright say that the sixth unknown Siren died to provide Vex her powers, or that she inherited them from Tyreen or Steele. As a substitute, Borderlands 4’s narrative director crossed out the ultimate two choices and did not take the possibility to say Vex obtained them from an unknown Siren, suggesting that there are plans in place for a extra fascinating “donor” of Vex’s powers. Possibly there will probably be some leeway with Lilith, like her surviving the Firehawking of Elpis however shedding her powers within the course of. Regardless, a extra concrete have a look at Sirens goes to be obligatory sooner moderately than later.

If Emily Swan is certainly a Siren like so many followers have assumed, and he or she hasn’t been killed, then there could also be six energetic Sirens popping out of Borderlands 4: Emily, Tannis, Amara, Lilith, Ava, and Vex. Which means Gearbox wouldn’t solely be caught answering what occurred to Tyreen’s powers, however that it must make a personality with beforehand featured powers playable (Ava), give Emily Swan a correct function, or kill off one among its present Sirens to make room for a brand new playable hero. There’s additionally the entire Seventh Siren prophecy to think about, however with Sam Winkler saying there can solely be 6 Sirens at one time, it doesn’t seem to be Nyriad’s scenario will probably be explored anytime quickly. Finally, whereas it’s thrilling to know that there will probably be loads of new Siren powers down the street, I’m extra nervous about proper now. Particularly, who died to provide Vex her powers and whether or not I’ll be unhappy (Lilith), content material (Emily), or irritated (Ava) by their loss.