This Borderlands 4 Quest Had Me on the Edge of My Seat, But It Fumbled a Golden Opportunity

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Spoilers ahead for certain Borderlands 4 side quests.

A standout feature of *Borderlands 4* is how well Gearbox balances humor and seriousness throughout the game, and I completely agree. There are plenty of genuinely funny moments, like the Vault Hunters using silly voices during combat or a side quest that references a joke from *The Pre-Sequel* after ten years. But when the story turns dark – whether it’s the unsettling experiments of Vile Lictor in the main quest, or the disturbing cases in side quests about a dangerous serial killer – the game maintains that serious tone perfectly. You won’t find any jokes that feel out of place.

I was especially intrigued by two side quests: “Meat is Murder” and “A Call For Help.” The first one immediately grabbed my attention with a truly dangerous villain who tortured and killed a farmer, then easily defeated a group of attackers. It turned out the killer wasn’t motivated by typical malice, but driven insane by a rhyming madman preaching a twisted philosophy of freedom through death. Because of this villain’s unique way of speaking, I thought the story would connect to Zer0, one of my favorite characters. Unfortunately, the follow-up quest didn’t deliver on that expectation, which was disappointing. It’s a shame, because another optional quest in a different *Borderlands* game proved Gearbox is capable of adding surprising and enjoyable moments to side content.

Borderlands 4’s Serial Killer Quests Should Have Involved Another Rhyming Assassin

Even though Amon is becoming increasingly popular, Zer0 will always be my favorite character in *Borderlands*. *Borderlands 2* came out when I was a teenager, and I was really into creating video game theories, so a mysterious robotic assassin was exactly what I loved. I was already a fan of cyborg ninjas like Gray Fox from *Metal Gear Solid*, so Zer0 fit right in. Plus, his red face displays were great for funny moments, his unusual speech was unlike anything I’d heard in a game, and the mystery surrounding his identity made him incredibly appealing to me – it was a perfect combination!

Zer0 speaks exclusively in haikus, Japanese poems of seventeen syllables.

I was immediately hooked by Zer0’s relentless combat style and unique way of speaking in these quests. The fact that the killer in “Meat is Murder” spoke in rhymes – even if it wasn’t quite like Zer0’s poetic style – made me suspect a link between them. When the first quest finished and we learned the killer hadn’t been caught, I started imagining all sorts of possibilities.

  • I wondered if the killer was Zer0 himself, driven insane by some kind of malfunction, killing at random instead of taking out select targets he was paid to eliminate. It wouldn’t be the first time his voice changed, after all, as Tales from the Borderlands saw his voice software briefly altered.
  • I wondered if the killer was someone who idolized Zer0, trying to copy his speech patterns as a disturbing tribute of sorts. I thought that the killer’s real goal may have been to get Zer0’s attention by leaving bodies in his wake.
  • I wondered if the killer was another numbered assassin like Zer0. After 0ne helped him in Borderlands 2, it’s clear that there are others like him out there, but perhaps some of them don’t share Zer0’s code.

The real killer turned out to be a minor, almost unimportant character disguised as someone who worked at a frozen yogurt stand. While it was a clever idea to have the killer hidden in plain sight, the final confrontation in “A Call for Help” was surprisingly underwhelming – players defeated him too easily. I might have expected a more dramatic reveal, especially after seeing a disguised version of The Watcher appear in another memorable side quest, which made the actual reveal feel a bit disappointing considering all the build-up.

Borderlands 4’s Serial Killer Quests Missed a Golden Opportunity

For years, fans have been curious about the backstory of Zer0, the mysterious character from the *Borderlands* series, and FL4K. While Gearbox developers have hinted that Zer0 is a robot – pointing out the same number of fingers as FL4K – his origins remain unknown. After more than ten years, players are hoping for some clear answers. A recent questline presented an opportunity to explore Zer0’s past, perhaps by having him confront or even *be* the killer. However, revealing the villain as a seemingly random ice cream vendor feels like a missed opportunity. The villain’s initial mysterious nature suggested a connection to the larger *Borderlands* universe, and this potential was ultimately wasted.

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2025-09-20 21:34