Borderlands 4's Vex Proves the Series Still Hasn't Played the Ace Up Its Sleeve

The following contains spoilers for the Borderlands series.

The reveal of Vex’s skill trees in Borderlands 4 has given players their first look at the game’s newest Siren. From controlling Phase Clones to unleashing powerful Eldritch Blasts, her new abilities are diverse and set her apart from the Sirens of the past. For lore-minded Borderlands 4 fans, however, it isn’t what Vex can do that’s intriguing, but what she can’t do, and what that might mean for the franchise’s future.

Vex’s new abilities in Borderlands 4 are creative, but they confirm that she didn’t inherit one of the most powerful Siren abilities in the series. For all of her new action skills, Vex doesn’t wield Phaseleech, the Siren ability once possessed by Tyreen Calypso in Borderlands 3. The implications of that omission run deep, and it might hint that Gearbox Software is keeping its most powerful card hidden for a future installment.

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Phaseleech and Siren Lore in Borderlands 4

The mechanics of Siren power inheritance have been an interesting quirk in Borderlands lore since the series began exploring the mystical nature of Siren lore in Borderlands 3. As demonstrated through Maya passing her powers to Ava and Angel’s being passed to Tannis, Siren powers don’t disappear when their wielder dies; they actually find a new host.

While the exact process is a mystery, this succession in practice means that each Siren ability continues to exist within the universe. The implications of this system, when considering the fate of Tyreen Calypso’s devastating Phaseleech ability following the events of Borderlands 3, become especially significant with Phaseleech being an ability that defined Tyreen Calypso as the largest in scale of the series’ antagonists.

Phaseleech allowed Tyreen to drain the life energy of all living beings, growing stronger with each absorption and even stealing unique abilities from her victims. This power enabled her to strip Lilith of her Phasewalk ability and ultimately merge with The Destroyer itself, a power that dwarfs most other Siren abilities, because it can essentially become most other Siren abilities. The fact that Vex doesn’t possess this power, considering the lore presented in the previous Borderlands, should imply that someone else inherited it after Tyreen’s death.

The significance of Phaseleech in the lore extends far beyond Tyreen and Troy, back to the ancient Siren Nyriad in Borderlands 3. Nyriad’s use of Phaseleech was so devastating that she drained the entire Eridian civilization’s energy into herself, effectively ending an entire species to power the vault system and lock away the final boss of the original Borderlands, the Destroyer. The Calypso twins’ use of Phaseleech and this precedent establishes the ability as perhaps the most dangerous Siren ability, capable of apocalyptic destruction.

Vex Expands Borderlands’ Siren Archetype

Vex’s action skills in Borderlands 4 introduce three new action skills, none of which include Phaseleech. Her Dead Ringer skill allows her to spawn Phase Clone minions in the form of either a taunting Reaper or a stationary gun-wielding Specter. The Phase Phamiliar skill centers around her companion Trouble, allowing her to teleport and transform this minion into a more powerful form.

Meanwhile, the Incarnate skill transforms Vex herself, fully restoring her health while granting access to devastating Eldritch Blast attacks and increased mobility.

These skills reveal a departure from the gameplay philosophy of the former Vault Hunters in that role. Her abilities emphasize self-buffing and summoning over the more direct elemental or dimensional abilities seen in the Sirens of the past. The skill trees make Vex reminiscent in some ways to Zane and FL4K from Borderlands 3, allowing Vex to play a unique role in Borderlands 4.

The Borderlands Series Is Still Holding Something Back

Vex’s lack of Phaseleech, combined with the lore around Siren inheritance, mean Gearbox may be saving the ability for a future installment. The logical progression would see Borderlands 5 introduce a new playable Siren wielding Phaseleech, potentially creating the most powerful Vault Hunter in the series.

Otherwise, it’d remain attached to a non-playable character. The latter approach would allow the developers to continue exploring the implications of wielding such an ability, while the former would provide players with new abilities beyond Borderlands’ most powerful Sirens. A Phaseleech-wielding Vault Hunter could create entirely new gameplay possibilities, like potentially absorbing traits of defeated enemies or even temporarily draining power from allies.

Considering what players know about Siren abilities in Borderlands, Vex’s lack of Phaseleech powers implies more than any skill tree tooltip ever could. There’s no denying Vex’s impressive toolkit, but a devastating Siren ability is still yet to be utilized, and when (or if) Gearbox finally plays that card, it could redefine what it means to be a Siren in the Borderlands universe.