Tales From The Borderlandsis often heralded as one of the best, narrative video games ever made, and is widely regarded as the pinnacle of the originalTelltale Games' existence. It introduced wonderful new characters to theBorderlandsuniverse, filled in gaps in the franchise’s overarching story, andeven set up new plot threadsfor the eventual sequel,Borderlands 3.
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Gearbox and 2K recently announced thata newTales From The Borderlandsis in development and that it will feature new characters and new stories set within the world ofBorderlands. But, even with a fresh cast and possibly an entirely new location, fans are undoubtedly still expecting to see a few fan-favorite characters return for this unexpected sequel.
10Vasquez
Vasquez was Rhys' main rival at Hyperion and a thorn in his side for part of the game’s first season. It’s a bit of a long shot to expect to see Vasquez again,considering he’s definitely dead, but he’s (sort of) cheated death once before, and there’s no reason to believe Gearbox couldn’t bring him back.
Vasquez was an exceptional villain brought to life byTelltale Games' excellent writing and the sweet, dulcet tones of Patrick Warburton’s expert voice acting. To see him again, even just in an homage to the lunchroom finger gunfight, would be well worth the price of admission.
9Athena
Athena is one of the most interesting characters in the entireBorderlandscanon: she first appeared as a friendly NPC inThe Secret Armory of General Knoxxbefore going on to work for Handsome Jack inBorderlands: The Pre-Sequel. After leaving Jack’s employ out of disgust for his behavior, she takes a job from Felix to keep Sasha and Fiona safe during the events ofTales From The Borderlands.
The last time players saw Athena, though, was in a post-game cutscene forBorderlands: The Pre-Sequelwhere she’s whisked away from her imprisonment in Sanctuary by an alien being known as the Watcher. Depending on where in the timeline the new game is set, fans might just get to find out what happened to her andwhere that storyline was leading.
8Zero
Zero might just be the coolest character theBorderlandsseries has ever produced, bar none. He’s a cybernetic ninja with the ability to turn invisible, create a holographic duplicate of himself, and express emotion using emoticons projected on the outside of his helmet. Oh, and he only speaks in haiku.
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Zero features prominently in the first episode ofTales From The Borderlands, helping the heroes survive the onslaught of Bossonova and hisMad Max-esque death race. Players even have a few dialogue options that can ingratiate them to Zero, and he’s later seen working for the Atlas Corporation under Rhys' leadership inBorderlands 3.
7Tiny Tina
Tiny Tina has become something of a mascot of theBorderlandsseries in recent years and even headlined her own game this year withTiny Tina’s Wonderlands. She made her first appearance inBorderlands 2, and her quirky nature and explosive personality instantly made her a fan favorite.
While Tina doesn’t appear at all in the originalTales From The Borderlands, her role in the larger universe makes it hard to argue with her inclusion in this new game. Whether the new game takes place after the events ofBorderlands 3or in the lengthy, time gap between the second and third entries, Tina will undoubtedly be up to something interesting that players won’t want to miss.
6Vaughn
Vaughn is the accountant-turned-bandit leader who once worked for Hyperion and helped Rhys kick off the events ofTales From The Borderlandsway back in 2014. As one of the four main characters of the original game, Vaughn features prominently across every episode and, at one point, reveals thathe’s surprisingly buff under his short, stoop-shouldered exterior.
The last players saw of Vaughn, he’d set himself up as a wannabe bandit leader on Pandora, reveling in his mostly naked freedom. Since Gearbox hasn’t announced when and where this newTales From The Borderlandswill take place, the game could easily show how Vaughn became a bandit leader or what he’s been up to since the latest batch of Vault Hunters left him on Pandora.
5Rhys
One of the two protagonists from the firstTales From The Borderlands, Rhys is a character Gearbox simply can’t leave out of their new entry. He’s the suave, smooth-talking, slightly pathetic hero fans need, and his robotic arm and cybernetic eye are some of the coolest character enhancements on any character in the series (except Zero. Zero is the coolest).
There’s a bit of a disconnect in Rhys' story, as well, with the originalTales From The Borderlandsending in a pretty spectacular cliffhanger only for Rhys to pop back up inBorderlands 3no worse for wear. This newTales From The Borderlandscould answer a few questions about the ending of the first game and what Rhys was up to before taking control of the Atlas Corporation.
4Sasha
Sasha was another pivotal character inTales From The Borderlandswho made an impression on fans and Rhys alike. As Fiona’s younger sister and partner in crime, Sasha featured heavily in the first game, and many of that game’s decisions had a direct impact on her life.
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Sasha is last seen at the end ofTales From The Borderlandsafter sacrificing herself to distract a Vault Guardian long enough for the rest of the gang to defeat the beast. She canonically survived the explosion, though, but her whereabouts are unknown during the events ofBorderlands 3. The new game could easily intersect with her story at a variety of points, showing players where she’s been or where she might be headed.
3Fiona
Fiona is Rhys' counterpart as a player-controlled protagonist in the firstTales From The Borderlands, and her ingenuity and street smarts complement his technical prowess and quick-thinking beautifully. They’re an exceptional pair, and it’s a shame Rhys was the only one of the two to make an appearance inBorderlands 3.
Fiona hasn’t been seen since the final episodeofTales From The Borderlandswhen she and Rhys walked into the Vault together and disappeared in a flash of blinding light. Rhys survived whatever was on the other side of that door, so it’s safe to assume Fiona did as well. Fans have been clamoring to know where she’s been ever since, and this new game is the perfect opportunity for Gearbox to answer that question.
2Handsome Jack
Okay, yes, he’s canonically died twice now, and bringing him back for another round might cheapen his previous appearances, but he’s alsothe best villain the series has ever produced. Not only that, he’s one of the best villains in all gaming, a status he achieved largely thanks to the vocal performance of Dameon Clarke.
Handsome Jack’s surprise reappearance in the originalTales From The Borderlandswas a stroke of brilliance that took an already great game and elevated it to another level. It cast the entirety ofBorderlands 2in a new light and had the potential to dramatically alter the events of the entire series. Fans of the series love Handsome Jack and bringing him back in even a small way would make many gamers very happy.
1Loader Bot
Loader Bot is easily the best characterTales From The Borderlandsgave to the franchise, distilling the best comedic and dramatic qualities of theBorderlandsseries into a single, mechanical frame. Loader Bot goes from a simple robot unable to act without Rhys' express commands to a true AI with the ability to think, feel, and form honest attachments.
Loader Bot is never treated like anything less than a fully realized character in the original game, and frequently asks poignant, controversial questions that showcase its evolving intellect. At the end of the game, Loader Bot departs Pandora with his new, robot girlfriend for parts unknown, leaving plenty of room for more stories in its fascinating life.
