Borderlands 3’s upcoming DLC will take players on a Lovecraftian-inspired wedding story, complete with all kinds of baddies, legendary weapons, and more. It even helped cement one certain postulation that has been around since the first: each DLC may actually bring back a former Vault Hunter as an NPC. Mad Moxxi’s Heist of the Handsome Jackpot brought back Timothy from the Pre-Sequel, for example, and Guns, Love, and Tentacles is stationed to bring back Gaige the Mechromancer.
As such, many Borderlands 3 fans are hoping to see their favorites return in some capacity, whether that’s Axton, Fiona from Tales of the Borderlands, or everyone’s favorite psycho, Krieg. There have been rumblings, in fact, that the final DLC would include him to some capacity, which isn’t surprising since he was originally supposed to be in the base game, or so it has been said.
Who is Krieg?
For those who are just recently checking out the franchise, Krieg was the last DLC character to come to Borderlands 2. It’s unknown how he became a psycho, but there is a remnant of his former self trying to dictate his actions. This former identity seemed to be long to a Vault Hunter and constantly tries to curb Krieg’s rampages. In true Borderlands fashion, Krieg only goes psycho on those who deserve it; he is introduced via a cutscene with Maya (seen above), setting up a powerful friendship, if not a romance.
After Borderlands 2, Krieg exiles himself while his inner voice tries to coach him back to better conversations, an effort more or less wasted. It’s during this time that he becomes more associated with Tiny Tina, and when Maya goes to leave Pandora, he finds him and tries to tell her to stay. This conversation is his last with her, where he does express that he doesn’t like to be “TORN APART…from pretty lady.” However, due to the events of Borderlands 3’s story, it’s clear that Krieg doesn’t get closure.
After Maya left for Athenas, Krieg’s trail goes cold in Borderlands lore. There were little mentions of him in the base game, aside from the conversations found between he and Maya, and none in the first DLC. It’s unlikely that second DLC will mention him either, instead focusing on what became of Gaige prior to Borderlands 3. It may not be until the fourth DLC, as has been postulated, that he does return, but regardless, it seems rumors may be corroborated by the upcoming DLC…at least somewhat.
Borderlands 3 DLC NPC Pattern
Assuming that this pattern turns out as expected, that means there’s only a handful of characters left to appear in Borderlands 3: Krieg, Salvador, Axton, Athena, and perhaps Telltale’s Fiona. Obviously, there’s more characters than DLC, so unless DLC doubles up (Guns, Love, and Tentacles could bring back more than just Gaige) there’s no telling who gets left out of the picture.
However, in the name of fan service, it seems likely that Krieg would be one of them. This pattern sets up the possibility, and the high-demand for the character—much like Gaige—also guarantees his return at some point. On top of that, it makes sense to save him for last, as it would end the entire BL3 DLC on a high note, presumably. Despite there being no concrete information to confirm his return, the pattern and fan demand suggests otherwise, so fingers crossed that Krieg’s story continues after plays finish with the Eldritch horrors of the Guns, Love, and Tentacles: Marriage of Wainwright and Hammerlock DLC.
Borderlands 3 is out now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
