Things That Make No Sense in Borderlands 4

Borderlands 4 had a great story, but some fans might have further questions regarding the plot, certain objects, and character motivations that can poke harmless holes into the design. While Borderlands 4 is great, and its story was a lot of fun, there’s nothing wrong with a deeper dive into some particulars that deserve further elaboration, so we’ve compiled moments and threads from Borderlands 4‘s main campaign that we think didn’t make much sense and could’ve used further explanations.

Where’s the Crew of Sanctuary 3?

Sanctuary 3 Had Iconic Characters That Are Just Gone?

Credit: Borderlands 4 Sanctuary 3 Crash

Amara has been stuck on Kairos for years, ever since Sanctuary 3 crashed here. There have been some named survivors, like Moxxi, Zane, and even GenIVIV, but what of the other characters? Vault Hunters like Moze are mentioned, but never seen or referenced outside of an ECHO Log, and Marcus seems to just be involved as a narrator instead of as the money-obsessed and gun-greedy salesman. There are so many characters from Borderlands 3 that are absent from Borderlands 4, and while it’s good that the campaign isn’t oversaturated with these zany and over-the-top characters, it is strange that the fates of the Sanctuary 3 crew are never really explained. Sure, the Crimson Raiders are exploring the galaxies in search of Lilith, but does that mean only around 3 people were on board Sanctuary 3? That seems unlikely.

How Comes The Timekeeper Didn’t Just Use the Bolts to Kill Everyone?

Bolts Are Used to Oppress the People, But Why Bother?

The Timekeeper doesn’t do much of anything except protect his Vault on Kairos. It is his sole purpose, and he’s structured the planet and its hidden nature around this very purpose. The Timekeeper is so precious about the Vault that free will seems null and void with the use of Bolts, implants that allow him to watch and control all of his citizens. However, these Bolts seem like the easiest way for the Timekeeper to maintain his Order. Since Kairos is hidden from the galaxies (before Elpis crashed here), surely it would make more sense for the Timekeeper to just use the Bolts to kill everyone? It’s not like he has a connection to the people here, and he doesn’t seem at all interested in being a leader, more so a dictator who watches everyone, but he can easily just kill the whole planet to stop people coming for the Vault.

Would Someone as Smart and Immortal as Zadra Not Make Backups?

The Smartest Woman on Kairos Surely Had a Plan Outside of a Computer Cafe

Zadra was the smartest woman on Kairos, and she’s integral to the oppression of the people of Kairos. Zadra’s genius helped the Timekeeper maintain order for centuries, as she had the designs that built the Order troops, and she was responsible for the creation of the Bolt. Zadra left the Timekeeper years ago and has been in hiding ever since. With her constant need to stay away from the politics of Kairos and her striving to remain away from the Timekeeper’s watchful gaze, surely Zadra had a better plan than getting herself killed? Zadra would use Fast Travel stations and backup facilities to keep herself safe, so why didn’t she keep copies of her mind like Vile Lictor did? She’s smart, so a lack of a backup plan seems like a flaw on her part, especially when her dying plan was to reveal a password to a computer terminal when she could’ve just brought herself back with her genius technology.

Arjay’s Evil Motivations & Fate

Will There Be Consequences to Creating a Siren by Manipulating the Phase?

Arjay just wanted to be a hero, a Vault Hunter who freed Kairos from the Timekeeper. That was before the Vault Hunter killed him, and Vile Lictor ran twisted experiments on him to make him a Siren. Arjay’s motivations and tragedy made him the perfect catalyst for a stellar villain, especially since he’s a man-made Siren with powers of the Phase. Sadly, Arjay is reduced in the end to just another psycho with powers. Surely there was more to Arjay other than being fueled by revenge against the Vault Hunters. Surely Arjay must have seen something in the Phase that made his quest noble to himself, even if it was murderous. There needs to be more to Arjay, and repercussions for the universe for creating a new Siren outside of the natural order of things.

What Happened to the People of Elpis and the Great Vault?

Can the Destroyer Never Wake Up?

Due to Callis’ moon-maddened state, she sent Elpis on a collision course with Kairos so that everyone could face one final death. Luckily, Lilith returned to stop Elpis from destroying Kairos, simply by destroying the moon itself. However, that leaves many questions. Since Elpis is just gone, wiped from existence, does that mean the people of Elpis are also all dead? There were some iconic people living on Elpis. Outside of this, what happens to Pandora? Pandora contains the Destroyer, and Elpis was the key to waking the Destroyer up. Does that mean that the Destroyer can never wake, or was the Destroyer killed because of the fusion with Tyreen in Borderlands 3?

What Are the Vault Hunters Going to Do to Stop the Universe From Dying?

The Great War Has Been Teased Forever, But Can Fists and Guns Win It?

The Great War has constantly been teased at the end of Borderlands games since The Pre-Sequel, and every time, the stakes are ramped up, with characters stating that we need every Vault Hunter to stop what’s coming. But… what is coming? It’s been years at this point, and it doesn’t seem like we’re any closer to figuring out who the Great War is going to be against, where it takes place, and what the stakes are other than the fact that the universe somehow dies out. However, if a war is strong enough to destroy the galaxies, how can a Vault Hunter whose gimmick is punching things in the face, or summoning an animal creature, going to make a difference? Of course, outside of gameplay, it’s likely that the Sirens are going to be the most essential for this war.

So… What’s in the Timekeeper’s Vault?

Was the Vault Containing a Future Lilith or a Future Yet Written?

The Timekeeper has been protecting the Vault for a millennium, and perhaps more, so does that mean that the mysterious Siren inside has been there for that long? Does that mean that Lilith (we can assume it’s Lilith as she calls us “killer“) has been trapped here, waiting for freedom, and if so, why does she just explode into a new star just so we can leave? It’s odd that outside of 4 Red Chests, the Vault contains a mysterious object that will become important in the future, along with a notion that the Great War is coming. The contents of the Vault are a strange one indeed, and only time will tell what it all means.

Released

September 12, 2025

ESRB

Rating Pending