Borderlands 4 Vault Hunters Ranked: Who’s the Strongest and Who Falls Short?
➞ When I first loaded into Borderlands 4, the hardest choice wasn’t which gun to grab—it was which Vault Hunter to play. If you’ve played the series before, you know this decision shapes your entire journey. In Borderlands 4, each of the four new characters feels unique, with their own mechanics, playstyles, and learning curves.
After spending hours testing every single one, I’ve put together my personal ranking of the Borderlands 4 Vault Hunters. This isn’t just about raw power—it’s about survivability, solo vs co-op performance, and overall fun. So if you’re debating who to main, here’s how I think each Borderlands 4 character stacks up.
Quick Rankings at a Glance
➞ Before diving deep, here’s my tier order from strongest to weakest:
S-Tier (Strongest): Vex the Siren, Amon the Forgeknight
A-Tier (Strong but situational): Rafa the Exo-Soldier
B-Tier (Falls Short Solo): Harlowe the Gravitar
Now let’s break down why I placed them this way.
Vex the Siren – The All-Rounder Queen (S-Tier)
➞ If you ask me who’s the most complete Vault Hunter in Borderlands 4, I’d pick Vex every time.
Why She’s So Strong:
Her Phase Covenant ties her action skills and melee to her weapon’s element, giving her insane adaptability.
She summons a familiar called Trouble, who can heal, distract enemies, and even revive her.
Her clone ability (Dead Ringer) lets her send out a Specter for ranged fights or a Reaper for close-quarters mayhem.
My Experience with Vex:
Playing Vex feels safe but never boring. She can heal, summon, and phase-blast her way through encounters without ever feeling squishy. For solo players, she’s almost a cheat code.
👉 Verdict: If you’re new to Borderlands or prefer survivability without sacrificing fun, Vex is the best Vault Hunter in Borderlands 4.
Amon the Forgeknight – The Hybrid Powerhouse (S-Tier)
➞ If Vex is about safety, Amon is about versatility. He’s built like a tank but still deals great elemental damage.
Why He’s S-Tier:
Onslaught boosts shield regen and movement speed while letting you throw rocket punches.
Crucible lets you toss flame and cryo axes, detonating enemies for insane AoE.
Scourge absorbs bullets and fires them back as vengeance damage.
My Experience with Amon:
I loved how I could switch roles mid-fight—sometimes tanking hits for my team, other times unleashing fiery chaos. He doesn’t lock you into one playstyle, which makes him incredibly fun for long playthroughs.
👉 Verdict: If you want a flexible, high-survivability character who works in both solo and co-op, Amon belongs at the top of your list.
Rafa the Exo-Soldier – The Risky DPS Monster (A-Tier)
➞ Now let’s talk about Rafa—the flashy Exo-Soldier. He’s fast, he’s deadly, but he’s also risky.
Why He’s A-Tier:
His Overdrive trait boosts speed and damage during action skills.
Apophis Lance turns his arm into a shock cannon—amazing for burst damage.
Peacebreaker Cannons summon dual shoulder turrets that melt enemies in seconds.
Arc-Knives allow insane melee DPS but put you in dangerous range.
My Experience with Rafa:
I had some of my flashiest moments with Rafa, slicing through mobs like a cyber-ninja. But if you miss an ability window or overextend, you’re in trouble fast. He’s not as forgiving as Vex or Amon.
👉 Verdict: Rafa is perfect for skilled players who love high-risk, high-reward gameplay. He’s explosive, but he’s not the easiest Vault Hunter to master.
Harlowe the Gravitar – The Crowd Control Specialist (B-Tier)
➞ Finally, we’ve got Harlowe, and this is where I had mixed feelings. She’s not weak, but compared to the others, she feels limited.
Why She’s B-Tier:
Entanglement spreads damage across linked enemies, which is great for mob fights.
Chroma Accelerator creates cryo pockets that can explode into radiation AoEs.
Zero-Point and Flux Generators offer crowd control and support shields for allies.
My Experience with Harlowe:
In co-op, she shines—freezing mobs and giving shields makes her a valuable support. But when I tried running solo, she just couldn’t keep up with the survivability or raw damage of the other Vault Hunters.
👉 Verdict: Harlowe is the best pick if you always play with a squad. But if you’re a solo grinder like me, she’s easily the weakest Vault Hunter in Borderlands 4.
How I Ranked the Borderlands 4 Vault Hunters
➞ To make this ranking fair, I considered:
Survivability: Can the character handle solo play?
Damage Potential: Burst damage and sustained DPS.
Utility: Team support, crowd control, or unique traits.
Fun Factor: Because Borderlands is about style as much as numbers.
By combining these factors with hours of gameplay, I landed on the rankings above.
Final Thoughts on Borderlands 4 Characters
➞ At the end of the day, every Borderlands 4 character has a niche. If you want my personal advice:
Pick Vex if you want survivability and versatility.
Pick Amon if you enjoy flexible, tanky gameplay.
Pick Rafa if you’re an experienced player who thrives on risk.
Pick Harlowe if you mainly play with friends and like support roles.
That’s how I see the current Borderlands 4 Vault Hunters ranking. Of course, Gearbox could patch or balance them later, but right now, this list feels the most accurate to me.
Thank you for reading.
➞ I appreciate you taking the time to go through my ranking of the Borderlands 4 Vault Hunters. Hopefully, this guide helps you choose the character that matches your playstyle best. If you’ve got your own ranking or experiences, I’d love to hear them. Thanks again for your valuable time—see you out there, Vault Hunters!