Zer0 is easily one of the most popular Borderlands characters in the franchise, and that's saying something considering how beloved so many Vault Hunters are. His popularity in Borderlands 2 saw his story continue in Borderlands 3his appearance in Fairy tales game, and his likeness/presence is replicated in Borderlands Mobile time limited test.
As it turns out, Borderlands Mobile is a real game that was shaded with some caveats. It's simply a test that will be removed later this month, but it seems to pass the test with how fans have reacted positively to most components. However, it is clearly not done, and it seems Borderlands Mobile may not even be the official name. There are four Vault Hunters currently planned for the game, but only one – the Summoner – has seen any action. That doesn't mean fans can see what they bring to the table though, and Assassin Vault Hunter brings “Zer0 at Home” energy to the table.
Borderlands Mobile already beats Borderlands 4 to the punch
A new Borderlands game suddenly appeared in the iPhone App Store, and it bumped Borderlands 4 (and BL3) into a very important type of content.
Zer0 vs. The New Borderlands Mobile Assassin
First, the visual similarities between Assassin and Zer0 (whose class name is Assassin) are striking. The Zer0 rocks a muted steel/black color scheme with just a few bolder colors to make them stand out. It's the red on his mask and the blue on his sword. In the meantime, Borderlands Mobile's Assassin has the same steel aesthetic but complements it a bit more with the same blue color as Zer0's sword. Really, Borderlands Mobile could say that this was a new version of Zer0, and that would make perfect sense. As of this writing, however, that does not appear to be the case.
On top of that, the ability to act too Borderlands Mobile's Assassin and Borderlands 2's Assassin (it's Zer0) is very similar. Zer0's Decepti0n class ability allows him to hide, launch a clone for aggro, and sneak up for massive damage. While it can be included Borderlands 2s weapon, the biggest bonus went to melee damage (up to +650%). BLM's Assassin, meanwhile, uses the Slice and Dice action skill to wipe out enemies in melee with auto-battle and improved dodging. They are different, sure, but two sides of the same coin in a way: one is stealth killing, one is continuous killing.
Of course, there's an “Assassin” or stealth-oriented Vault Hunter in pretty much every game. It was Mordecai in the original Borderlandswith Zane's Operative class being very similar to an Assassin i Borderlands 3and Borderlands 4's Rafa is a bit of an Assassin/Soldier crossover. They may all come from similar design trees, but that's also clear BLM's Assassin is the closest Borderlands 2's Zer0 than others in the franchise. Ultimately, it feels like a deliberate, modern reinterpretation of Zer0 and is the reason for the “Zer0 at H0me” vibe.
Overall, the similarities between Borderlands Mobilee Assassin (which will hopefully get a name with the full release) and Zer0 suggest a clear design line rather than accidental overlap. Each Borderlands the game has evolved the concept, and while Assassin is falling a little too close to Zer0 right now, it's entirely possible that both design and ability will change over time. Unless they are more closely related to Zer0 than we could know for now. Perhaps this new Assassin is an apprentice to Zer0, similar to how Ava was a Siren apprentice to Maya. Fans will just have to wait and see, as chances are this Mobile Assassin will have little to no significance to the franchise, but it would undoubtedly be a lot cooler if it did – if there was a reason it was so similar to Zer0.
