The Fish Queen being memorable despite hilarious characters like Mancubus being introduced says quite a bit, as the gag is an example of Borderlands humor at its finest. While it can be viewed as a quick, one-off joke, it would be a lot of fun to see it build up to a proper reveal in Borderlands 4 - as such a reveal could introduce some memorable new gameplay mechanics to the Borderlands franchise.
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Why The Fish Queen Gag Should Return
The Borderlands universe’s Fish Queen is mentioned once when visiting a grave in Guns, Love, and Tentacles, and it also serves as the main focus of the side quest Call of the Deep. In the quest, the Vault Hunters need to help a man named Omen descend into the waters below Xylourgos to meet a Fish Queen that he is utterly obsessed with. While this obsession supposedly led to at least one person’s death, as alluded to by the grave, Omen cannot be swayed and demands that the Vault Hunters assist him.
The funny Borderlands 3 side quest sees players getting Omen the items he needs to enter into the frozen water of Xylourgos. This includes a massive fish, with players reeling it in so that Omen can step inside and wear it as a new body. Headlights are then added onto his new form so he can see in the dark waters below, and players use a crane to lower him into said water. Omen is never seen again after this, and players are left to laugh at the absurdity of the quest and ponder over whether the Fish Queen is actually real.
Whenever Borderlands 4 releases, it would be a lot of fun to see the Fish Queen teased further. These teases could come from some items scattered around the map, characters mentioning her existence, or quests that see more NPCs attempting to meet her. If Gearbox wanted to, it could even find a way to tie the Fish Queen gag to the easter egg where Tannis rides a fish, a secret that can be found in each of the mainline games.
After continuing to hype up the Fish Queen, Borderlands 4 could allow players to meet her, adding an underwater area to the series for the first time ever. While a swimming mechanic would surely take some work, Gearbox could use it to create some underwater Vaults or for a fully underwater planet like Junpai-7. Plenty of unique creatures could be added to Borderlands’ underwater areas, from terrifying sea monsters to basic fish.
The Fish Queen herself could be some kind of sinister threat, a regal leader, or a complete fool, and it would still be hilarious. No matter what the outcome actually is, Gearbox turning a running gag into a proper plot point would undoubtedly get a laugh out of some longtime Borderlands fans. It would also fit perfectly with the type of humor that is seen in Borderlands, as the concept of a real Fish Queen is not too over-the-top considering that the same series allows players to enter a Psycho’s mind.
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