Borderlands 4’s Answer to the Handsome Jack Dilemma Is Truly Terrifying

Alright, so Borderlands 4 has got folks talking. Lots of buzz. You’re probably as stoked as I am, seeing all these glowing previews. And Vex the Siren? Her teaser was spot-on. I mean, it hit that sweet spot between humor and hype. But you know what? I’ve got this gut feeling—the villain might not quite do it for me.

Let’s talk Handsome Jack first. He’s the kind of character that basically became the gold standard, right? The Calypso Twins tried to fill those gigantic shoes but ended up being more miss than hit. Now, we’ve got the Timekeeper. Apparently, this dude’s nothing like Jack. Which sounds good… or does it?

I’m all about Jack, honestly. I’ve followed his story obsessively, even through The Pre-Sequel. Watching him fall from grace? It was like seeing a train wreck in slow motion. You couldn’t look away. And there were those moments with Rhys—those were some chilling, unforgettable scenes. Jack just set the bar crazy high, so new villains have got a real challenge here.

Now, the Timekeeper’s whole shtick is he’s this tyrant with a knack for keeping tabs on everyone. Sounds intense, right? Maybe too intense for Borderlands. Like, it’s veering into serious sci-fi territory. Borderlands is supposed to be fun and off-the-wall, so if the villain’s just this grim dictator, it might not mesh well. Fingers crossed there’s still a mix of madness and mischief.

Here’s the thing: we know very little about this Timekeeper, but there’s also this secondary villain, the Ripper Queen. She’s been through the ringer thanks to the Timekeeper. Honestly, hoping these two together bring some balance. It’s like sweet and sour, you need both.

But hey, I’m always down to be surprised. Maybe they’ll pull off something mind-blowing. Because right now, imagining the Timekeeper as a guy who’s all business, no play? Not quite sold. Let’s see how Gearbox writes this. There’s always room for a twist, right? Anyway—oops, went off on a tangent there. Where was I? Oh yeah, here’s hoping for some memorable chaos!