Considering thatBorderlands 4has not even been officially announced yet, it is hard to predict what the game will be like. Part of the story will surely see players tracking down Lilith, though it is unclear what will be happening beyond that. Similarly, though it can be assumed that a Soldier and Siren will feature asVault Hunters, it is impossible to predict their specific playstyles or what the other two classes that feature in the game will be like.
The main villain of the nextBorderlandsgame is also a mystery. While it would be interesting to see another threat like the Seer, or a super-powered Siren, there is no telling who Gearbox will be serving up as the primary antagonist. Regardless of who or what the developer chooses, though, it is all but guaranteed that the villain will be compared to Handsome Jack. This is the exact same issueBorderlands 3’s Calypso Twins had to deal with, as no matter what Gearbox does, it seems impossible to escape Handsome Jack’s shadow.
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Borderlands’ Handsome Jack Problem May Never Go Away
Handsome Jackis considered by many to be one of the best villains in gaming, and this comes with the natural drawback of future enemies being compared to him. The strengths of Jack were plentiful, as he managed to be a serious threat, a hilarious adversary, and a relatable figure all at the same time. Given how well-written Handsome Jack was, and how later appearances fleshed out his story even further, replicating that success seems like an impossible task.
Gearboxwanting to move away from Handsome Jack is admirable, as the series should be defined by more than a single character. After all, going back to the well and bringing back another clone of Handsome Jack could be seen as repetitive, with other properties like Star Wars showing how cheap resurrections can feel when they have not been earned.Borderlandsthrived before Handsome Jack, and it needs to be able to do so after he is gone, so the only logical step forward is new villains.
Unfortunately, for several reasons,Borderlands 3’s Calypso Twinsdid not capture the same magic that Jack did. Though it was a smart move to give them different personalties instead of making them copies of Jack, Troy in particular felt underdeveloped, with his foreshadowed betrayal of Tyreen never taking place. The Twins often came off more annoying than threatening, which was another issue. From the joke about Butt Stallion to Jack’s threats after Angel dies, countless moments featuring the villain are memorable, but the same cannot be said for the Calypsos.
Perhaps the best bet would be to create a villain that is nothing like Handsome Jack, with a non-human threat such as aGuardianbeing a possible approach to take. However, if this character lacks the depth and complexity of Jack, they could end up following in the footsteps of the Calypso Twins. Crafting a character with as many defining traits as Handsome Jack truly is a lightning in the bottle moment. That does not mean Gearbox should stop trying to craft new characters that are just as good asBorderlands 2’s villain, but it should be expected that every fresh face will be compared to what came before - especially when what came before was so iconic.
Ultimately, no matter what Gearbox does, many gamers are still going to think of Handsome Jack whenever they are playingBorderlands. The developer could stop making references to Jack and characters likeTimothyin hopes that fans move on from him, but his impact on theBorderlandsuniverse and its inhabitants is too great to avoid entirely. At the same time, making him the focus of another game could feel like a retread of the same story. Gearbox was not only stuck in a tough spot withBorderlands 3, but it will be back in that same position forBorderlands 4and other future releases due to Handsome Jack’s greatness.
