Based on its activity in recent years, it is clear that Gearbox has no plans of slowing down when it comes to theBorderlandsfranchise.Borderlandsspin-off games likeTiny Tina’s WonderlandsandNew Tales from the Borderlandshave released, with the former being a massive success that is set to become its own franchise. ABorderlandsmovie is in the works, and though some of the casting has been divisive, it has a chance to bring the series to a new audience. If Gearbox wanted to keep expanding, an animated television show could be a viable path.
Video game adaptations that take the form of an animated series have been hugely successful in recent years. Part of this is due to television being a better form of storytelling for video game narratives because it provides the creators with more time to tell their stories, and part of it is because animation allows the showrunners to be fully faithful to the source material.Castlevania,Cyberpunk Edgerunners, and, of course,Arcaneare all shining examples of why the format works so well. Considering how popularBorderlandsis, a similar approach could prove very successful.
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How a Borderlands Animated Series Could Look
First and foremost, aBorderlandsanimated show could fully capture the franchise’s iconic cel shaded art style. One of the most consistently praised aspects ofArcanewas its animation, with the visuals being truly gorgeous and helping to give the show more personality. Aside from its humor and many, many guns,Borderlands’ visual styleis arguably the most memorable aspect of the series, as fans instantly know they are looking at aBorderlandsgame when they see its graphics. With this being a key part of the series’ identity, a show would be wise to provide a similar aesthetic.
Arcanemasterfully expands on the backstories of some of the mostpopularLeague of Legendscharacters, tying them together to deliver a cohesive plot. ABorderlandsseries could take a similar approach, focusing on the lives of several Vault Hunters before players took control of them. Though a show could retell the stories of the games, bringing back the iconic villain Handsome Jack to generate hype, it would be more intriguing to see something that adds to the existing universe likeArcanedoes.
Players know very little about the originalVault Huntersbefore they got on the bus in the firstBorderlandsgame. Lilith, Brick, Mordecai, and Roland became beloved figures thanks to the sequels, filling in the personalities that they lacked back when fans were able to play as them. A prequel series could show that these personalities were always there, and players could get episodes focused on each of the four characters before they eventually come together to search for a Vault. If the game’s events were covered, its story could be improved, and players could see Lilith and Roland’s romance blossom while Mordecai and Brick start to become best friends.
Arcane’s storytelling formatcould work for other groups of Vault Hunters, too. Fans could see Zer0’s assassination work and get some much-needed lore for the character, or watch Maya’s Siren training in Athenas. A look at Krieg’s fractured psyche could make for a fun episode, as would a serious glimpse at Gaige’s big mistake. Even episodes focused on non-Vault hunters, like a comedic look at Moxxi’s love life or an episode centered on Sir Hammerlock’s first hunt, could be worthwhile. Expanding on characters through a canon animated series is viable, and if Gearbox did not want to worry about telling a connected story by focusing on each game’s Vault Hunter lineup, then an anthology approach would work well.
An animated series could even give fans an introduction to theBorderlands 4Vault Hunter cast, with the series showing what they were up to before coming together for the events of the game. Instead of brief origin story trailers like withBorderlands 3, or lore-heavyECHO recordings, Gearbox could deliver the series’ most fleshed out cast before the game even comes out. Though Gearbox would likely have to find the right streaming service to partner with, and a project like this would require a lot of resources, it could be an exciting way to keep expanding theBorderlandsuniverse and adding depth to the characters within it. It could attract a lot of newcomers, too, just likeArcanedid when it debuted in 2021.
