Borderlands 4 character tier list

Borderlands 4 may be a chaotic looter-shooter adventure, but that doesn’t mean you can just thrive with any character; you need the best.

Sure, tactics aren’t really the forefront of Borderlands 4, but you’ll often find yourself calling out for a revive or using that med-kit a little too often, especially if you don’t optimize your character or pick the strongest choice in the first place.

Naturally, when you’re just starting out, choosing the strongest character can be a little tricky. Luckily, we’ve got a full tier list to ensure you’re able to thrive in Kairos and feel like a true badass Vault Hunter.

Best characters in Borderlands 4

Our tiers explained

• S: The best
• A: Very good
• B: There might be situations where they can perform well

It’s worth noting that the roadmap does highlight that a new Vault Hunter will be coming, so when there’s a patch or a new character, we’ll be updating this article, so check back soon.

S-Tier characters

Harlowe

Dexerto

Harlowe has climbed her way to the top of the Borderlands 4 roster thanks to her insane single-target damage and near-endless crit uptime.

Her green tree build built around Excited State, Nuclear Winter, and Halo gives her infinite ammo, constant shield amp, and deadly precision that only gets stronger the longer you fight.

Her red tree is just as terrifying early on, with Neutron Capture and Demon Core turning her into a boss-melting machine even with basic gear.

Blue still lags behind, but between her red and green setups, Harlowe is one of the most versatile and powerful Vault Hunters you can pick right now.

Check out the best Harlowe build in Borderlands 4 here.

Rafa

Dexerto

Rafa remains the benchmark for raw power and simplicity in Borderlands 4. His Peacebreaker Cannons from the red tree are still some of the best tools in the game, offering huge splash damage, self-sustain, and the freedom to wipe mobs or bosses without even pulling the trigger.

His blue tree adds more depth, packing some of the strongest passive bonuses in the game for gun builds and crit stacking. Green melee setups still struggle to compete, but when you stick to red or blue, Rafa delivers effortless strength and consistency that make him a go-to pick for both newcomers and veterans.

Another reason Rafa is in S-tier is due to how easy he is to play. Vex is here for those tactical players who thrive in their abilities. Rafa is here for those who’ve played Battlefield, CS:GO, CoD, or any FPS. If you play it like that, you’ll be thriving, and you’ll adore how he decimates those bandits and bosses without a care.

Check out the best Rafa build in Borderlands 4 here.

A-Tier characters

Vex

Dexerto

Vex is still one of the strongest Vault Hunters in Borderlands 4, but she’s no longer quite the unstoppable force she once seemed.

Her green tree, built around bleed damage and crit stacking, is absurdly powerful once you get rolling and lets her tear through bosses without breaking a sweat.

The catch is that her other trees don’t keep up. Blue offers great flexibility and build variety but doesn’t hit as hard, and red Trouble still struggles with weak AI and low uptime.

Check out the best Vex build in Borderlands 4 here.

B-Tier characters

Amon

Dexerto

It’s worth noting before we dive into why he’s at the bottom of the pack, Amon is still great, he’s just more of a one-trick pony, which puts him lower than the others.

Amon’s that character you want to love but can’t quite defend when the damage numbers show up. His blue tree is where he finally feels comfortable, turning into this unstoppable ordnance tank that shrugs off hits and blows everything up in return. When it’s working, it really works, and you can almost forget how much effort it takes to get there.

Then there’s the rest of him. The red tree teases greatness with Berserk and Detonations, but the action skill never quite clicks. You want him to be better, because when he’s firing on all cylinders, he’s brilliant. But for now, he’s the scrappy underdog in a cast full of powerhouses.

Check out the best Amon build in Borderlands 4 here.

So, those are the best characters to pick in Borderlands 4. Keep in mind that an upcoming character, C4SH, will be added when the game’s first DLC releases. Based on the early reveals, they looks like a haunted dealer from a forgotten casino, all metal bones and gambler’s charm.

While exploring Kairos, be sure to check out the Maurice Vending Machine location, Wildcard missions, upcoming roadmap, the best settings, and how to get some free rewards through the Twitch Drops and SHiFT codes.