Summary
Borderlands 4has a lot riding on its new villain, the Timekeeper, primarily due to the massive popularity ofBorderlands 2’s Handsome Jack and the flop that wasBorderlands 3’s Calypso Twins. Comparisons to Handsome Jack are both expected and understandable, as he is widely considered the best villain the franchise has ever had. However, that also means thatBorderlands 4’s Timekeeper will face the same judgment that the Calypso Twins succumbed to, especially considering they seemed to do whatever they could to be the next Handsome Jack.
Despite the dark shadow that Handsome Jack has cast over the series' future villains,Borderlands 4’s Timekeeperhas the potential to be an even better antagonist, so long as the upcoming installment ensures it takes into account what makes a great villain in the first place. Instead of trying to be Handsome Jack or to merely fill his shoes,Borderlands 4’s Timekeeper needs to chart his own path, just as Handsome Jack did before him, and offer players a far more compelling reason to fight, as well as an antagonist who can be understood if players try.
Borderlands 4’s Timekeeper Has Massive Potential
Borderlands 4 Could Make Players Hate the Timekeeper
While Handsome Jack is one of the most beloved antagonists for his charisma and personality, there are plenty of reasons to hate who he is inBorderlands 2. In a lot of ways, Handsome Jack is likeThe Walking Dead’s Negan— both of them charismatic, brutal leaders who mix dark humor with ruthless behavior, all for a cause that they believe makes them a hero. On that note, just as it is easy to love Negan as a character but hate him as a person, it is to both love and hate Handsome Jack.
Instead of trying to be Handsome Jack or to merely fill his shoes,Borderlands 4’s Timekeeper needs to chart his own path, just as Handsome Jack did before him, and offer players a far more compelling reason to fight, as well as an antagonist who can be understood if players try.
In the same way,Borderlands 4could make players truly hate the Timekeeper by making him just as cruel (if not more so) asHandsome Jack, though without the layer of narcissistic charisma that defines Jack. Instead, the Timekeeper’s personality could be much more reserved than Jack’s, making him less of a psychotic villain and more of a confident, calculated antagonist who always has something up his sleeve.Borderlands 4’s Timekeeper has been confirmed to be a ruthless dictator on the new planet Kairos, which already sets him up to commit unspeakable acts against the innocent with no remorse whatsoever, and no exaggerated mannerisms that simultaneously put a morbid smile on the player’s face or a chuckle in their throat.
Borderlands 4 Could Make the Timekeeper a Relatable Villain
Instead of being more like Handsome Jack, perhapsBorderlands 4’s Timekeeper could relate more to a villain likeAvengers: Infinity War’s Thanos. Thanos is often considered one of the most relatable villains in modern cinema, and this all boils down to the motivations of his character and his worldview. Rather than being evil for the sake of being evil, as many antagonists are,Borderlands 4’s Timekeeper could take a Thanos route to be a more relatable villain than the series has had thus far.
Maybe the Timekeeper has ties to Lilith in the past, or perhaps he was once a Vault Hunter but ultimately lost everything and became bitter. The Timekeeper’s story could be tragic too, with his potential experiments with time manipulation beginning as a noble cause (maybe to revive a lost loved one) but ultimately corrupting him. In the same way thatThanos isn’t necessarily the bad guy,Borderlands 4’s Timekeeper could have motivations that are so relatable, it makes it difficult for players to discern whether defeating him is ultimately the right thing to do.
IfBorderlands 4wants the Timekeeper to stand out as a truly memorable antagonist, it needs to avoid the mistakes of the past and focus on offering up a villain who has depth, purpose, and a unique identity. Instead of fruitlessly chasing after Handsome Jack’s legacy,Borderlands 4should lean into the Timekeeper’s potential as a ruthless yet relatable villain, one whose motivations challenge players to see the bigger picture rather than simply fight another over-the-top villain. IfBorderlands 4can achieve this, the Timekeeper could finally break free from Jack’s shadow and redefine what aBorderlandsvillaincan be.
