Borderlands 4 Classes Tier List - Which Class Is Best?

Borderlands 4 gives players four distinct classes to choose from at the very start of a new playthrough. Those classes are Rafa the Exo-Soldier, Vex the Siren, Harlowe the Gravitar, and Amon the Forgeknight. All four are brand-new characters to the Borderlands universe, with the exception of the Siren archetype, which longtime fans will recognize from previous games in the franchise.

Before locking in your choice for your Borderlands 4 journey, you can review detailed descriptions for each class, including their elemental affinities, abilities, and the unique traits that define their playstyles. While you’re more than welcome to jump in blind and pick whichever character looks coolest, some players may prefer a bit of extra insight before committing.

We’re not here to tell you which class you must play, but Gamer Choice has put together a Borderlands 4 class tier list to help give you a clearer picture of how each character performs overall. Below, you’ll find the full tier list along with explanations for why each class landed in its respective tier.

Borderlands 4 Class Tier List

Since Borderlands 4 only features four playable classes, this tier list is fairly compact. It’s also important to point out that there truly isn’t a “bad” class in the game. Every character offers a distinct playstyle, and all of them are perfectly viable across all difficulty levels. That said, some classes provide more flexibility, power, or ease of use than others.

For this tier list, we’ve placed each of the four classes into a separate tier based on how well their abilities, traits, and skill trees perform in Borderlands 4. We also considered how each character’s skill trees interact with their core mechanics and overall versatility.

• S Tier: Rafa, Vex
• A Tier: Harlowe
• B Tier: Amon

The lowest tier we’ve used is B, as no class in Borderlands 4 falls below that level of effectiveness. We’ve also placed two characters in S-tier, as both Rafa and Vex offer exceptional versatility and consistently strong performance. Below, you can find a more detailed breakdown of each tier and the reasoning behind every placement.

S Tier - The Best Borderlands 4 Classes

Rafa and Vex stand at the top of the Borderlands 4 class hierarchy. Both characters excel whether you’re playing solo or teaming up with others, and neither struggles when facing tougher enemies or higher difficulty settings.

Starting with Rafa, every one of his abilities is built around dealing damage in some form. His standout ability, Peacebreaker Cannons, is especially devastating. These cannons mount onto his back and relentlessly fire at any enemy you’re aiming at, applying constant pressure during combat. With the right upgrades, the cannons can deal incendiary damage and fire at an increased rate, turning many encounters into effortless victories.

Rafa’s entire kit revolves around his Overdrive Trait. When Overdrive is active, Rafa gains increased damage output and movement speed. Through upgrades, Overdrive can also grant bullet regeneration and shield regeneration, further enhancing his survivability and sustained damage potential. Altogether, Rafa plays as a fast, aggressive powerhouse who dishes out massive damage while staying highly mobile. On top of that, he delivers some memorable Spanish and English dialogue throughout Borderlands 4’s story.

Vex, on the other hand, represents the newest Siren to join the Borderlands lineup. What sets her apart is her unmatched elemental flexibility. Vex has access to every elemental type in the game and can attune her abilities to match the element of the weapon you’re currently using. For example, if you’re fighting an enemy with a heavy shield, switching to a shock weapon allows Vex to convert all of her ability damage to shock, shredding shields in moments.

Most of Vex’s abilities revolve around summoning spirits that fight alongside you and deal consistent damage throughout an encounter. She also has access to an ability that restores health, which is incredibly valuable for solo players who need extra sustain during tough fights.

Whether you prefer playing alone or as part of a group, Rafa and Vex are excellent choices for players who want a smooth, powerful, and flexible experience in Borderlands 4.

A Tier

Harlowe earns the sole spot in A-tier. She leans more toward a defensive and control-oriented playstyle, making use of cryo and radiation elemental damage to dominate the battlefield. Her Vault Hunter Trait, Entanglement, allows her abilities to bind enemies together, causing shared damage among nearby foes. This makes her extremely effective at crowd control, especially when you’re overwhelmed by large groups.

Harlowe’s abilities generally focus on launching or manipulating powerful energy forces around enemies. One of her most notable abilities, Zero-Point, places a target into stasis, completely immobilizing them for a short time. You can reactivate the ability to slam the enemy into the ground, dealing additional damage. Her other two abilities are better suited for handling clusters of enemies, as both deliver solid area-of-effect damage.

If you’re interested in a more tactical approach to combat with creative ability usage, Harlowe is a strong contender. While she naturally plays on the defensive side, investing in the right skills can turn her into a highly aggressive controller who overwhelms enemies across Kairos.

B Tier

Rounding out the list is Amon, Borderlands 4’s dedicated tank-style class. Borderlands games traditionally include a heavily armored front-line character, and Amon the Forgeknight fills that role perfectly. Compared to the other classes, Amon can absorb significantly more damage, though this durability comes at the cost of reduced mobility.

Amon specializes in incendiary and cryo elemental damage, both of which are deeply tied to his Forgeskill Trait. This trait allows Amon to activate different Forgeskills depending on which ability he uses. Each Forgeskill is designed to complement its associated ability, encouraging you to chain them together for maximum effectiveness.

All of Amon’s abilities are built to deal damage while simultaneously improving his survivability. One standout ability, Scourge, grants Amon a powerful shield that absorbs incoming damage and converts it into Vengeance. This stored Vengeance can then be unleashed in a destructive wave, dealing heavy damage to all enemies caught in its path.

If you enjoy a methodical playstyle where positioning and timing matter, Amon may be the right fit for you. His durability makes him an excellent front-liner in group play, while his survivability also makes him appealing to solo players, particularly those who are new to the Borderlands series or first-person shooters in general.