Gearbox Software's Borderlands universe is rich with chaotic mayhem, dangerous creatures, and gun-toting Vault Hunters who scour the world in search of endless loot. Beyond its much-acclaimed humor and impressive gameplay, Borderlands also boasts a richly crafted lore featuring a mysterious alien civilization called Eridians.
Through the gameplay, players encounter several links to the Eridian race, whose influence extends far into the history of the universe. However, despite their teased importance to the central Borderlands plot, much about the Eridians remains shrouded in mystery. With the release of Borderlands 4 scheduled for next year, it's imperative to get up to speed on the facts behind the Eridians' foundational presence before Gearbox flips the page on a new chapter.
Eridians are Borderlands’ Ancient Architects Of Power
The Eridians are an ancient alien race that once wielded incredible power and advanced technology. While they have been extinct for many years, their influence can still be felt across Pandora and other planets within the Borderlands universe, as they are responsible for creating notable energy-based weapons and, most importantly, the Vaults, around which most of the game’s story is based. These Vaults are dimensional containment chambers that hold valuable loot and relics of the ancient civilization. As such, the Eridians created automated warriors in their image -- Guardians -- to protect their treasures long after their absence.
Of all the worlds they settled on, Pandora appears to have the most substantial Eridian presence, as several of their ruins lie scattered in different locations across the planet. The Eridians operated in a class-based society and were incredibly gifted at designing and developing advanced weapons systems to defend themselves. Most of what is known of the Eridians comes from notes on stone slabs written by a Siren who lived among them, alongside the other artifacts they left behind.
From the evidence, it is clear that they once dominated many worlds through their superior intellect. They were first believed to be natives of Nekrotafeyo, but it was later discovered that the planet was only their first point of contact and subsequent colony after reaching the Six Galaxies from their unknown origin.
The Truth Behind The Eridians’ Vaults And How It Might Have Brought About Their Extinction
The truth behind the Vaults puts into context just how powerful the Eridians were before their extinction. Rather than being massive storage rooms for valuables, the Eridians built the Vaults to bind powerful eldritch monsters that still threaten the world. One such monster is the Destroyer, which players encounter as the final boss of the first Borderlands installment after opening the Vault of Pandora. It was later revealed in Borderlands 3 that the entire planet of Pandora is a Great Vault, a prison specifically designed to hold the Destroyer, and its moon, Elpis, is the key to unlocking it.
The Destroyer's intergalactic threat was so grave that they had to enlist the help of the ancient Siren Nyriad as a last resort to seal him in the vault. This was a pyrrhic victory, however, costing the lives of Nekrotafeyo’s entire Eridian populace via self-sacrifice. Since the Borderlands universe has many more Vaults containing similarly nefarious creatures like The Destroyer, it stands to reason that similar heroic exploits resulted in the collapse and eventual extinction of the Eridian race's population.
The Ruins Of Eridian Civilization And Their Technology Form The Base Of Borderlands’ Setting
Following their extinction, ruins of the Eridian race were first discovered in Eridanus and several other planets. The pursuit of their advanced technology formed the basis for most of the conflict between Corporate Manufacturers, who would do anything to get their hands on powerful weaponry. Atlas Corporation, the most influential corp in the galaxy, only attained that position because they were the first to acquire Pandora and reverse-engineer Eridian technology, bringing about immense technological advances that would have taken ages through natural progression.
However, this race to acquire Eridian technology has proven to do more harm than good. The Vault Hunters' search for technology across the galaxy only unleashes the evils that the Eridians kept locked up for a reason -- a lore detail Borderlands 4 could expand on in the future.
Borderlands 4
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 88%
- Released
- September 12, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Gearbox Software
- Publisher(s)
- 2K
WHERE TO PLAY
Borderlands 4 brings intense action, badass Vault Hunters, and billions of wild and deadly weapons to an all-new planet ruled by a ruthless tyrant.
Crash into Kairos as one of four new Vault Hunters seeking wealth and glory. Wield powerful Action Skills, customize your build with deep skill trees, and dominate enemies with dynamic movement abilities.
Break free from the oppressive Timekeeper, a ruthless dictator who dominates the masses from on high. Now a world-altering catastrophe threatens his perfect Order, unleashing Mayhem across the planet.
- Franchise
- Borderlands
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
