The initial batch ofBorderlands 3DLC focused mainly on existing characters. Aside from utilizing Mad Moxxi, Heist of the Handsome Jackpot brought back Timothy and gave Jack’s Doppleganger a lot of depth. Guns, Love, and Tentacles saw Wainwright Jakobs and Sir Hammerlock get married, with Gaige serving as the pair’s wedding planner. Psycho Krieg and the Fantastic Fustercluck gave its titular lunatic some love, highlighting his inner turmoil and howMaya’s deathimpacted him. While all of these DLCs were great, it was the other expansion that stands out the most.
Bounty of Blood differed from the otherBorderlands 3expansions in the sense that it only featured new characters. As a result, it was able to go all-in on establishing a unique villain, and Butcher Rose certainly stood out. With the DLC also featuring a narrator to help lean into its western inspirations, as well as a serious tone that relied on far less humor than the other expansions, it is easily one of the most uniqueBorderlandsDLCs yet. As such,Borderlands 4should bring back Butcher Rose, making her playable or offering an expansion with a similar style to Bounty of Blood.
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How Butcher Rose Could Be Used in Borderlands 4
The biggest point to make in favor of aBounty of Bloodsuccessor is Butcher Rose’s fate inBorderlands 3. Gearbox makes sure to show that she survived her encounter with the Vault Hunters, as she disappears after her fight and before The Ruiner attacks. Obviously, leaving her alive would be an odd move if Gearbox has no plans to use her in the future.
One way to bring back Butcher Rose would be through a DLC where she teams up with Captain Scarlett. Scarlett had a similar fate in herBorderlands 2expansion, being defeated by the Vault Hunters but living to fight another day. She is even mentioned during the Wattle GobblerHeadhunter Pack, so Gearbox has not forgotten that she is still active somewhere in theBorderlandsuniverse. Whether the pairing is romantic or simply for business, a cowboy and a pirate both have similar goals and values. As such, the two outlaws would make a formidable team.
AnotherBorderlandsexpansionthat focuses on Butcher Rose could bring back the unique narration aspect of Bounty of Blood, as well as the serious tone of the post-launch content. While it is true thatBorderlandsis known for its humor, the series has done a fine job with its more serious bits of storytelling, and Bounty of Blood was refreshing because its jokes were mostly limited to side quests. Further, Gehenna is a gorgeous planet due to its mix of Japanese and Western architecture, so seeing more of it would hardly be a bad thing. However, there is another way to bring back Butcher Rose without making her the antagonist of another expansion.
If Gearbox wanted to see Butcher Rose have a change of heart following her gang’s defeat, or simply wanted to give her a new kind of profit to pursue, making hera playable Vault HunterinBorderlands 4is a possibility. Rose’s ability to control Devils with specific whistles could give her a Beastmaster role like FL4K, and her proficiency with revolvers could give her some skills like Nisha fromBorderlands: The Pre-Sequel. Rose’s speed and the unique moves she threw at players during her boss fight would be fun to mess around with, too. With her standout character design allowing for plenty of cool cosmetics to be added, a playable Butcher Rose could work.
While her story was fairly simple inBorderlands 3, as Rose was seeking to tame The Ruiner to prove her grandmother right, it would be great to see her develop further inBorderlands 4. Her presence added a lot to Bounty of Blood, and Gearbox could take her story in a few different directions with her next appearance. WithpopularBorderlandscharacters like Gortysand Athena seemingly disappearing, it would be a shame if Rose followed in their footsteps and was not seen again.
Borderlands 3is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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