When Borderlands 3 finally got announced, Gearbox Software and 2K Games were challenging us with all these different hidden codes. Some contained hidden messages others contained SHiFT Codes for Borderlands 2. There are two messages that asked us specific questions.
- where is the first vault hunter?
- who is the destroyer?
While we don’t know the answer to the first question at the moment I did find out who is the first Vault Hunter. For the second question, I do have a theory, however, just like the first question we will probably find the answer when we play the game.
Currently, everyone thinks that the question; who is the destroyer, refers to the final boss from the original Borderlands. This is because the boss is called ‘The Destroyer”. The interesting part then becomes why the question asks us ‘who is‘ instead of ‘what is‘ the Destroyer. While this speculation about the creature is very interesting, I think there is a different interpretation of this hidden message.
The opposition
With all the Borderlands 3 E3 hype that’s going on this week, we are finding out new things every hour. All these new lore teases got me going on who Ava is and what’s the deal with Wainwright Jakob’s. All this puzzle-solving also triggers the ‘who is the destroyer‘ hidden message back into my head.
As I mentioned above, we know what the other creators are thinking. Everyone is interpreting the message literally and is referring it to the final boss of Borderlands 1. However, what if the destroyer isn’t the name but the characterization of someone? Who wants to destroy things or is responsible for great destruction in the Borderlands franchise? I think we can write off Handsome Jack since we won’t encounter him in person in Borderlands 3.
At first, I couldn’t come up with a list of characters that would qualify. Then I remembered that these 2 messages were on opposite sides of the Borderlands 3 artwork. We know that Typhon Deleon is the first Vault Hunter. From the EchoLogs in Meridian Metroplex on Promethea, we learned that Atlan Devega was tagging along with him at one point. While they searched for the Vault, Typhon fell through some middle rock and Atlan abandoned him. When Typhon found the first Vault moments later and therefore got rich and famous, Atlan now claims he also deserves a piece of that pie. To what ends will Atlan go to get what is “rightfully” his? In the EchoLog, Typhon calls Atlan his nemesis.
Conclusion
The 2 messages are on opposite sides of the artwork. The ‘destroyer‘ of the ‘first vault hunter‘ is, therefore, Atlan Devega as he is the person that has a personal vendetta against Typhon Deleon.
But that is my take on this hidden message. What do you think? Let me know in the comments or on social media.