With every new Borderlands game, the same debate fires up: which character is the best for playing by yourself?
Honestly, you don’t need a full team to have fun—the right character can turn Borderlands 4 into an awesome power trip where you crush bosses, wipe out groups of enemies, and take on the whole galaxy alone.
This guide will look at every class and pick the single best choice for solo players, explaining why it’s better than the rest.
The Vault Hunters: A Powerful Lineup
Borderlands 4 gives you a group of very different characters to choose from, each with three skill trees and their own special action skill. Every one of them is powerful in their own way.
But what makes a character truly great for playing alone?
They need to be tough, able to handle crowds easily, work well on their own, be able to use many types of guns, and stay strong in the late-game.
Let’s examine each Vault Hunter to see how they stack up—and reveal our top choice for solo carnage.
Vex the Siren
Vex is perfect for players who like to cause chaos from a safe spot.
Her “Phase Covenant” trait makes her action skill and melee attacks match the element of whatever gun she is holding.
This means she isn’t limited to one gun type. She can use any loot she finds to cause elemental havoc, and can even make regular (non-elemental) guns cause damage-over-time effects.
For a solo player, being able to adapt is a huge advantage.
Skill Trees and Action Skills
Dead Ringer
Vex makes clones. Some clones shoot from one spot, while others move around and attack up close. You can have up to three clones at once.
These clones can draw enemy fire away from you, keep enemies busy, and give you damage bonuses.
This tree is great for players who like to plan their fights. The clones take the hits so you don’t have to, letting you attack safely from cover.
Incarnate
Vex powers herself up, causing a big explosion and getting a special off-hand attack.
She is the only Siren who can make regular guns cause enemies to Bleed. Doing well in a fight lowers the cooldown of her special attack, letting you use it over and over.
This is for the aggressive solo player who wants raw power without managing minions.
Faze Familiar
Vex has a powerful pet named Trouble that follows her.
You can command Trouble to teleport, explode, or become invincible. You can also make it tougher or better at scoring critical hits.
For solo players who like a pet but don’t want to manage a bunch of clones, this is a great choice.
It gives you one strong partner to help with damage or distraction.
Why Vex is Strong for Solo Players?
Her ability to have AI allies take damage for her, adapt to any element, and her options for both pet builds and personal power make Vex a top-tier solo pick.
The “Dead Ringer” tree means you’re never really alone; you can beat tough fights by letting your clones take the heat while you attack.
Amon: ForgeKnight Class
If you like running straight into a fight and surviving anything the enemy throws at you, Amon is your pick.
He is great at staying alive and causing massive close-range and explosive damage (fire and ice).
Skill Trees and Action Skills
Onslaught:
This skill is for players who want to feel unstoppable.
Amon charges at enemies, which constantly recharges his shields, adds extra elemental damage to his guns, and gives him a powerful rocket punch.
With the right upgrades, getting kills can fully heal him or make the charge last longer, making him incredibly hard to take down.
For solo play, this means you can control any fight by constantly moving forward, healing yourself, and dealing tons of damage
Vengeance:
Amon puts up a shield that absorbs damage and stores it as “vengeance.” He can then release that stored energy in a massive flail attack.
Another part of this skill lets him create a wall of fire to block off areas or boost damage.
While good for teams, it’s also a great solo tool for when you need to block a big attack or just take a quick break to heal
Cybernetic Crucible:
This skill lets Amon summon two throwing axes, each with a different element.
Upgrades let you freeze, burn, or shock enemies, or even make the axes bounce between them.
It’s less about pure survival than Onslaught and more about planning your attacks to deal massive critical damage.
Why Amon is Strong for Solo
His Onslaught build is just incredibly tough and delivers some of the most fun mixed melee and gun damage.
If you love being in the enemy’s face and never want to run from a boss, Amon is almost impossible to beat.
Rafa: The The Exo-Soldier
Did you like Axton’s turrets or Zero’s ninja style from Borderlands 2?
Rafa mixes both ideas into one character. He’s a fast-moving soldier who uses automated turrets and can also get in close for melee fights.
His special trait, Overdrive, makes him move and shoot faster when using his action skills.
Skill Trees and Action Skills
Apous Lance:
This skill trades careful aiming for pure firepower.
Rafa dual-wields a gun in one hand and an energy cannon in the other. You can change the cannon to shoot fire lasers or acid bombs.
It’s best for players who want to keep moving and shooting without slowing down to aim
Peace Breaker Cannons:
These are Rafa’s classic turrets. They sit on his shoulders and automatically target and shoot enemies on their own.
You can upgrade them to shoot grenades, rockets, or even detach them to guard a specific area.
For a solo player, this is a dream—it’s damage you don’t have to think about, it draws enemy fire, and it lets you attack while you find cover or heal
Ark Knives:
This skill switches Rafa to a full melee mode (and the camera to third-person view), giving him big knives to dash between enemies.
The knives cause shock damage, and attacking with them sends out drones for extra area damage.
This makes Rafa incredibly mobile and great for wiping out groups of enemies by himself
Why Rafa is Strong for Solo
If you like moving fast, dealing damage on the run, and covering the battlefield with your own automated weapons, Rafa is a powerful choice.
His mix of direct attacks and “set-it-and-forget-it” turrets allows for a very aggressive and unique solo style.
Harlowe
Harlowe is the perfect pick for players who love huge explosions, damage-over-time effects, and using elemental powers to control large crowds of enemies.
She’s not focused on taking down one big enemy at a time; she’s built to wipe out entire groups all at once.
Chroma Accelerator
Shoots ice to freeze enemies, then a huge radiation blast. The short cooldown lets you use it often to clear large crowds. Upgrades make the blast bigger or add elemental damage to your guns.
Zero Point
Freezes an enemy in mid-air, then slams it to damage others. Bullets can ricochet to the frozen target for more damage. Perfect for solo play to remove big threats and set up area attacks.
Flux Generator
Freezes an enemy in mid-air, then slams it to damage others. Bullets can ricochet to the frozen target for more damage. Perfect for solo play to remove big threats and set up area attacks.
Why Harlowe is Strong for Solo
Damage sharing (via her “Entanglement” trait) and her potent crowd skills allow one player to melt mobs, chunk bosses, and survive almost any situation.
Why Vex is the Best Class for Solo Players?
Every character can be strong, but for the most unstoppable solo experience, Vex the Siren is the best choice.
Here’s why:
Survive: Her clones and pet draw enemy fire away from you.
Any Gun Works: Her powers adapt to your current weapon.
Your Choice: Build her for minions, a single pet, or pure personal damage.
Endgame Ready: Her skills scale powerfully to handle the toughest bosses.
Conclusion
Borderlands 4 is a great game for playing solo, and while every character can be powerful, Vex the Siren is the best choice for playing by yourself.
Her mix of minions, personal power, and ability to use any gun means you can win any fight, and usually look good doing it.
So if you want to be a one-person army, control the fight, and feel unstoppable, choose Vex.
