Warning: Spoilers ahead for New Tales from the Borderlands.New Tales from the Borderlands, for the most part, tells a straightforward story that leaves little up to speculation. Throughout their 10-hour adventure, Anu, Octavio, and Fran become close friends, with Anu in particular growing as a person and receiving a lot of character development. The unlikely heroes manage to defeat the Tediore corporation, savingPrometheain the process. Beyond that, only a few plot threads are left dangling for future games - though one could have been hiding in plain sight.
Alongside TIMM-E getting ahold of the Anahatium and possibly becoming a villain, as well as Fiona’s long awaited return,New Tales from the Borderlandsmight have teased the main threat of the next entry in the series. If players keep an eye on the final shot of the game, they may notice what looks like a character teaser, with all the images from the episode intros and outro coming together to create a silhouette of someone’s head. Intriguingly, this outline looks eerily similar to Handsome Jack.
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Could New Tales from the Borderlands Be Teasing Handsome Jack’s Return?
WhetherBorderlandsshould bring back Handsome Jackis a consistent debate among the fan base. On one hand, some players seem to think that bringing Jack back would be a cop out, showcasing a lack of originality and proving that the series cannot thrive withoutBorderlands 2’s villain. On the other hand, some gamers simply want more of Jack, missing the iconic antagonist and wanting to see even more character development for him.
Regardless of where players fall on this topic, it is hard to argue against the idea that the head at the end ofNew Tales from the Borderlandsis startlingly similar to Handsome Jack. Not only is the hairstyle on top of the head familiar, but so too is the thin head shape and pointed chin. While there is unfortunately no face to see, as the collage of images shows various moments andcharacters fromNew Tales, the outline is certainly reminiscent of the masked leader of Hyperion.
Though there are ways Handsome Jack could come back, like possessing Timothy or via Rhys’ old cybernetic eye, the phrase “time heals all wounds” could be key. While this is obviously a nod to Felix, a key figure in the lives of Fiona and Sasha, it could also hint at something even bigger. Time could heal the wounds Handsome Jack suffered, with a time-bending narrative forBorderlands 4providing an opportunity for Handsome Jack to come back from the dead. While players knowthe search for Lilithwill likely be a key plot point, perhaps the characters come across a device that enables time travel. This could not only lead to funny moments like parodies of older games and characters interacting with themselves, but it would give every dead character a second chance.
New Tales from the Borderlands Could Be Hinting at a Different Character
While the first character that players will likely think of when they see the image is Handsome Jack, there is always a chance that this is misdirection, with the outline teasing a completely different villain or even a new hero. After all,Borderlands 3’s focus on the Calypso Twinsshows that Gearbox is trying its best to pull the franchise out of Handsome Jack’s shadow, so it would make sense to continue those efforts and avoid bringing Jack back in the nextBorderlandsgame.
It is also worth mentioning that this hidden image could just be pareidolia, and there could actually be no secret behind this final shot. While the zoom out does make it seem like the images were intentionally brought together to look like a face and get fans talking, perhaps players are looking too much into the final collage of images. Still, if it is subtly hinting at a new character or Handsome Jack, it is a clever move on Gearbox’s part to tease the community in such a way. ThoughFiona’s returnhas understandably gotten players hyped, the hidden face at the end of the game might just be an even bigger clue about what’s next forBorderlands.
New Tales from the Borderlandsis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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