Borderlands 4 only has four different characters, called Vault Hunters, while each class has three action skills to choose from. Which Vault Hunter is the most powerful, and which skill tree should you pick? Check out these BL4 tier lists to see the best Vault Hunters, skill trees, and builds ranked.

Borderlands 4 Vault Hunter (Character) Tier List - BL4 Best Vault Hunters Ranked

There are four Vault Hunters to choose from in Borderlands 4; one class has 3 distinct skill trees, each derived from a specific Action Skill and represented by a different color (blue, green, and red). You can select only one active skill at a time, then slot any one Augment, and finish with one Capstone. Augments and Capstones are both enhancements to modify the functions of your action skills. To unlock a tier on the skill tree, you need to invest 5 points. 

1. Rafa - S Tier

When it comes to solo play in Borderlands 4, Rafa is probably the best Vault Hunter you can pick. He strikes an ideal balance between accessibility and effectiveness, and suitable for both beginners and experienced players who want a dependable character that simply works. Rafa’s core trait, Overdrive, grants him increased damage and movement speed whenever he activates an action skill, and this boost persists even after the skill ends, giving him sustained offensive momentum throughout fights.

Rafa’s three action skills each bring something unique to the table while remaining easy to grasp. His Arc-Knives let you switch to a close-quarters melee style with shock damage, marking enemies to deal extra damage, perfect for players who enjoy some aggression without the need for complex combos. The Peacebreaker Cannons provide an automatic pair of cannons that fire at enemies you’re targeting, offering consistent damage output without demanding too much finesse. Lastly, the APOPHIS Lance fires piercing shock orbs that can be charged for greater damage, seamlessly integrating with your gunplay.

What makes Rafa especially ideal for solo is that you don’t need to constantly micromanage companions or juggle weapon types. His abilities complement each other well and provide reliable damage against both mobs and bosses. 

2. Harlowe - A Tier

Harlowe shines as a highly flexible class who excels in co-op scenarios but also offers solid solo potential for players willing to invest in understanding her unique mechanics. Her defining trait, Entanglement, causes enemies hit by her action skills to share damage with each other, amplifying the overall damage you deal when enemies group together. This makes her incredibly effective at managing crowds and maximizing damage in team fights, though it requires some tactical positioning and timing.

Her action skills cover a broad spectrum of playstyles. The CHROMA Accelerator is flashy and offensive, firing an unstable energy orb that travels through enemies and explodes, dealing cryo and radiation damage. The Flux Generator is a utility-focused skill that deploys a protective field, granting overshields to allies and dealing steady cryo damage, ideal for supporting teammates. Finally, Zero Point offers crowd control by suspending a single enemy in stasis, allowing you to control the battlefield strategically.

While Harlowe offers great utility and adaptability, she demands a bit more game knowledge, especially regarding niche damage types like cryo and radiation. Her skills require careful placement and timing to maximize their potential, which can be challenging but rewarding. She’s a fantastic pick if you enjoy a more tactical, team-oriented approach or want a Vault Hunter with a wide variety of tools, though she might not be as immediately powerful as Rafa for solo players.

3. Vex - B Tier

Vex introduces a more complex and tactical playstyle to Borderlands 4, focusing heavily on managing companions and weapon synergies. Her trait, Phase Covenant, ties her action skills and melee damage to the type of gun she currently wields, which means she demands a deep understanding of damage types and enemy weaknesses to be truly effective.

Vex’s action skills revolve around summoning and commanding spectral companions. Dead Ringer allows you to spawn either a melee-oriented Reaper that taunts enemies or a ranged Spectre that deals gun damage, you can play different roles depending on the situation. Phase Phamiliar summons Trouble, a persistent companion that fights alongside you and can be commanded to taunt or explode, offering continuous battlefield support. Lastly, Incarnate transforms Vex into a powerful form capable of casting AoE Eldritch Blasts, focusing more on raw offense.

Due to her reliance on weapon swapping and companion management, Vex has a steep learning curve and is less approachable for casual or new players. Solo play with Vex requires you to constantly adapt your arsenal and tactics, so this may not be the best choice for starters.

4. Amon - B/C Tier

Amon is the melee specialist of the Borderlands 4 roster, offering a playstyle that revolves around aggressive close combat combined with defensive mechanics. Unlike other Vault Hunters, Amon’s playstyle changes dramatically depending on which action skill he has equipped, each tied to a unique active trait that shapes his combat approach.

His Scourge action skill deploys a shield that absorbs incoming damage and converts it into a resource called vengeance, which you can then unleash offensively with powerful forge waves. This requires mastering the balance between defense and offense, making the skill feel a bit awkward early on but rewarding as you improve. The Crucible skill lets you throw elemental axes that prime enemies for explosive combos. Onslaughter, his most aggressive skill, boosts shield regeneration and movement speed while enabling devastating rocket punches that stagger enemies in close range.

While Amon can be incredibly powerful in the right hands, his melee-centric playstyle demands mastery of positioning, timing, and skill synergy. He may feel clunky or challenging during the early game but can shine in both solo and co-op once you fully unlock his potential. 

Borderlands 4 Skill Tree Tier List - Best Action Skills Ranked in BL4

1. Rafa Red Tree (Peacebreaker Cannons) - S Tier

The red skill tree of Rafa is amazing and one of the strongest in the entire game. Focus on it, you can summon shoulder turrets that automatically shoot enemies nonstop. These turrets do huge damage, heal Rafa, and can even shoot elemental lasers or firebombs. The action skill of this tree, Peacebreaker Cannons, is also a great DPS option. This skill tree makes bosses fall fast and is great for both mobs and single targets, so it’s ranked at the S tier.  

2. Vex Green Tree (Incarnate) - S Tier

When it comes to Vex, the green skill tree is extremely powerful. It lets her grow magical skeletal wings and shoot energy blasts that deal huge damage. She also gains strong buffs like life steal and can cause enemies to bleed, which deals damage over time. This tree melts bosses quickly and gives her great survivability.

3. Harlowe Red Tree (CHROMA Accelerator) - S Tier

Harlowe’s red skill tree fires a big orb that freezes enemies and explodes with radiation, causing massive damage. She can chain explosions for continuous damage, making this one of the highest damage skill trees in the game. While it lacks some defense, its raw power for both mobs and bosses is great. CHROMA Accelerator is the best action skill for Harlowe as it offers the highest damage and easiest leveling.

4. Amon Green Tree (Crucible) - A Tier

Amon has no skill trees ranked at S tier; its green tree is placed at A tier. With this, you can throw elemental axes that freeze or burn enemies. It also has cool skills that boost his shock damage and make his guns shoot lightning bolts for extra damage. This tree works well for both freezing enemies and dealing heavy damage, making it a strong choice for most fights and boss battles.

5. Vex Blue Tree (Dead Ringer) - A Tier

The blue skill tree summons clones called Specters and Reapers that fight for Vex. Specters attack from a distance but don’t move, while Reapers are melee fighters who chase enemies. These clones deal a lot of damage but are fragile, so you have to be careful where you place them. This tree is powerful but can struggle if the clones die too fast.

6. Harlowe Green Tree (Flux Generator) - A Tier

Harlowe’s green skill tree lets her drop a gadget that freezes enemies and links them with a status called Entangle, so damage done to one enemy spreads to all linked enemies. It also gives overshields to teammates inside the area. This makes her great at controlling crowds and helping allies, especially in team play.

7. Rafa Blue Tree (APOPHIS Lance) - B Tier

The APOPHIS Lance tree of Rafa lets him use a giant arm cannon that shoots piercing shock blasts. You can charge the shots to make them stronger. It’s a solid choice that can handle most fights once you get the right gear, but it doesn’t have much survivability, so you can get hurt if you get too close. It’s good overall but not the strongest or easiest to use in every situation.

8. Amon Blue Tree (Scourge) - B Tier

Amon’s blue skill tree grants him a giant shield that blocks attacks and builds up energy to release a freezing wave. It’s more defensive and tanky than his other trees, but has a long cooldown, which limits how often you can use it. It’s decent for survival but doesn’t deliver the highest damage, placing it in the middle tier.

9. Harlowe Blue Tree (Zero Point) - B Tier

Another blue skill tree, also ranked at the B tier, traps enemies in stasis bubbles, freezing them mid-air. You can slam them into others for extra damage, but it doesn’t work well on some bosses and has cooldown limitations. This skill is good for crowd control but less effective in tougher fights.

10. Rafa Green Tree (Arc-Knives) - C Tier

The green skill tree gives Rafa big melee blades called Arc-Knives to slice through groups of enemies. It’s very fun for fighting many small enemies quickly, but struggles against flying bosses or tough single targets. Rafa can also be pretty squishy here, so you might get knocked down a lot. Because of these problems, it’s the weakest of his skill trees.

11. Amon Red Tree (Onslaughter) - C Tier

The red skill tree of Amon Vault Hunter focuses on melee combat, giving him fiery punches and fast movement. It’s fun and powerful in close fights, but struggles a lot against bosses because the damage is slower and less effective. This makes it one of the weaker skill trees for tougher battles.

12. Vex Red Tree (Phase Phamiliar) - C Tier

Vex’s red skill tree centers around her pet Trouble, who fights alongside her and can turn into a stronger version for a short time. The pet supports her well, but sometimes gets stuck or dies easily, which can leave Vex on her own. 

Borderlands 4 Build Tier List - Best Builds Ranked in BL4

1. Minion Dead Ringer Vex - S Tier

The first and one of the best builds in BL4 is going to be Minion Dead Ringer Vex build, which shifts the focus away from direct combat and instead empowers your Vex companion to lead the fight. By summoning specters that scale seamlessly with your weapon damage and critical multipliers, this build handles everything from massive crowd control to boss damage effortlessly. What makes it especially powerful is its smooth scaling, every Borderlands 4 weapon and augment you acquire boosts your minions’ damage, so it can perfrom well throughout the game from early levels to endgame without needing rare legendary gear. 

2. Bleed Dead Ringer Vex - S Tier
Currently considered the most overpowered build as well, the Bleed Dead Ringer Vex thrives on a synergy of penetration augments and droving knives that allow every single damage source to critically hit. This creates a nearly infinite critical hit feedback loop, where each crit triggers another, leading to exponential damage scaling. When paired with Contamination for a flat status effect chance, almost any weapon becomes a devastating DPS machine. Shotguns, with their naturally high base damage, become particularly lethal here. Although it relies on RNG to secure the perfect knives and augments, once you do, it’s easily the game’s strongest build.

3. Onslaughter Amon - A Tier
The Onslaughter Amon build is all about aggressive momentum and speed. Combining the Onslaughter and Pyroclass trees, it rewards players who chain kills by keeping the action skill active indefinitely. This unleashes fiery melee rockets and instantly refills shields, encouraging fast-paced movement and continuous offense. The more you keep moving and attacking, the stronger you get, turning the character into a relentless melee juggernaut. 

4. Cannons Rafa - A Tier
With the Cannons Rafa build, your deployable Peacebreaker turrets become fearsome damage dealers rather than mere support tools. These turrets scale directly with your weapon damage, benefiting from critical hit bonuses and elemental effects just like your guns. Thanks to skills that keep these turrets active nearly all the time, you can rapidly clear mobs and bosses alike. This straightforward yet highly effective damage output makes it one of the best Rafa builds in BL4.

5. Chroma Accelerator Harlowe - A Tier
The Chroma Accelerator Harlowe specializes in stacking radiation status effects and converting acceleration damage into flat weapon bonuses. This means every bullet fired after activating acceleration is imbued with radiation, causing constant explosions across the battlefield. The build shines with high fire-rate weapons, rapidly melting groups of enemies with elemental procs. Its smooth performance from early to late game is impressive, though it does rely on having reliable radiation weapons to reach its full potential. 

6. Flux Generator Harlowe - A Tier

Flux Generator Harlowe is a burst-focused build that excels in delivering short, powerful damage windows. By stacking sturdy and radiation grenades, it deals overwhelming DPS in quick bursts. Frequent action skill recharges ensure the buffs keep flowing, while radiation procs maintain sustained AoE damage. This build shines in group because its buffs extend to teammates, multiplying the group’s damage output. Best paired with SMGs, fast assault rifles, or multi-pellet shotguns, it’s a highly effective and satisfying choice.

7. Phase Phamiliar Vex - B Tier
Phase Phamiliar Vex leans into cryo elemental synergy alongside its minion damage, offering a strong blend of survivability and crowd control. Its companion acts like a tank, soaking up damage while you deal consistent AoE damage through frozen enemies. However, the build’s single-target damage doesn’t quite match the higher-tier setups, which limits its overall effectiveness in tougher fights. Still, its mobility and sustain make it a solid and comfortable option.

8. Forgedrone Minion Amon - B Tier

The Forgedrone Minion Amon build embraces chaos by flooding the battlefield with forge drones that prime and detonate enemies in a continual loop. It excels at crowd control and chaining explosions, creating a spectacular visual and gameplay experience. However, the tradeoff is lower personal damage output compared to builds where you’re the main source of firepower. Managing drone uptime can feel a bit hectic, but for players who enjoy commanding an army of minions and explosions, it’s a very entertaining mid-tier pick.

9. Overdrive Rafa - B Tier

Overdrive Rafa is a run-and-gun oriented build focused on speed and relentless fire. By stacking gun damage buffs and activating Peacebreaker Cannons, you can keep overdrive nearly permanent. The playstyle emphasizes flooding the battlefield with bullets while your shields recharge quickly behind the scenes. It’s fun and surprisingly tanky due to shield barrier investments. However, it lacks the deep synergy and scaling power of higher-tier builds.

10. Arc-Knives Rafa - C Tier

The Arc-Knives Rafa build revolves around corrosive melee damage, enhanced by stacking bonus corrosive damage and sustain skills. While it starts off slow and feels limited due to being locked into melee range and corrosive element, once fully ramped up, it can dish out brutal damage through critical hits, triggering corrosive explosions and life steal. The damage scaling is incredible late-game, but the build lacks versatility and a narrow focus.

11. Crucible Amon - C Tier

Crucible Amon revolves around spawning forge drones that prime and detonate enemies in a chain reaction. The build’s synergy is clever, creating an almost infinite cycle of explosions and crowd control. However, in practice, the drone management can feel a bit clunky and requires precise timing and investment to really shine. While it looks flashy and is satisfying to play, it isn’t quite meta-defining.

12. Grenade Rafa - D Tier

Grenade Rafa centers on throwing grenades enhanced by various modifiers to melt enemies and sustain health through life leech. Although grenades can deal impressive damage with the right setup, the build is very simple. It also requires careful aiming since grenades don’t track targets, which can slow down gameplay.