Welcome to the Borderlands 4 Trophy and Achievement Guide, your one-stop resource for conquering the planet Kairos and earning that coveted Platinum trophy. This guide provides a straightforward, four-step roadmap that will take you from the game’s opening mission to 100% completion, covering everything from unmissable story trophies to the challenging endgame grind. We’ll also pinpoint the single missable trophy, “All Things Vend,” ensuring you don’t have to worry about a second playthrough.
Key Takeaways
- Total Trophies: 36 (1 Platinum, 4 Gold, 14 Silver, 17 Bronze)
- Estimated Time to Platinum: 100-150 hours
- Difficulty: 5/10 (Time-consuming, not technically difficult)
- Missable Trophies: 1 – “All Things Vend”
- Co-op Required: None
What’s in our Borderlands 4 Trophy and Achievement Guide?
The Ultimate Vault Hunter’s Platinum Roadmap
Getting the Platinum in Borderlands 4 is more of a marathon than a sprint. The journey is designed to make you experience everything the game has to offer. Following this optimized path will minimize backtracking and ensure a smooth path to 100%.
Step 1: Liberate Kairos (Main Campaign)
Your first goal is to focus entirely on the 21 main story missions. Don’t get distracted by side content just yet. Completing the campaign will naturally unlock all story related trophies and get you close to level 30. This sets a solid foundation for the rest of your journey.
Step 2: A Planet of Stories (Post-Campaign Cleanup)
With the main story done, it’s time to dive into the rich world of Kairos. This step involves completing all 98 side missions, including the unique faction questlines for the Outbounders, Augers, and Electi. Most importantly, this is where you’ll tackle the “Vend of the Line” side quest to secure the missable “All Things Vend” trophy.
Step 3: Ruler of Everything (World Completion)
Now it’s time to become a true master of Kairos. You’ll systematically clear all four major zones: The Fadefields, Terminus Range, Carcadia Burn, and Dominion, discovering every named location. You will also complete all 53 world activities, like Order Silos and Safehouses, to pop the “Ruler of Everything” trophy.
Step 4: The True Endgame (UVHM Grind)
This is the final and most challenging phase. Your focus will be on the “Gear Five!” trophy, which requires reaching level 5 in Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode (UVHM). This grind will test your build and gear, pushing you to farm for legendary items and perfect your character to overcome the massive enemy health and damage scaling.
Critical Alert: The Only Missable Trophy
Unlike previous games, Borderlands 4 is very forgiving, with only one trophy you can permanently miss in a playthrough.
How to Correctly Unlock “All Things Vend”
This trophy is tied to the side mission “Vend of the Line.” After you defeat the boss, Vend Zane, you must interact with the special vending machine in a specific order.
- SELL three green (Uncommon) items to the machine.
- BUY one orange (Legendary) item from the machine.
- This will cause a unique mission item to drop. Pick it up and deliver it to Zane to complete the quest and secure the trophy.
Story Trophies (Unmissable)
You’ll earn these automatically just by playing through the main campaign. No special effort is needed.
| Trophy Name | How to Unlock |
|---|---|
| False Idolator | Complete “Rush the Gate.” |
| As If Moved by an Occult Hand | Complete “His Vile Sanctum.” |
| Long Live the Queen | Complete “Her Flaming Vision.” |
| Howling on the Moon | Complete “Another Day, Another Universe.” |
| Everything Breaks | Complete “The Timekeeper’s Order.” |
Leveling and Progression Trophies
These trophies track your character’s journey from a fresh-faced Vault Hunter to a legendary warrior.
| Trophy Name | Rarity | How to Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Crimson Rising | Bronze | Reach player level 10. |
| Good Hunter | Silver | Reach player level 30. |
| Master of Death and Dance | Gold | Reach player level 50. |
| Gear Five! | Gold | Reach level 5 in Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode. This is the biggest grind of the game. |
Exploration and Collectible Trophies
Gearbox wants you to see every corner of the world they’ve built. These trophies are your reward for doing just that.
Discovering Kairos
You’ll need to uncover every single named location in each of the four main zones. Just keep exploring until the map is clear of any fog of war.
| Trophy Name | Rarity | How to Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Unfaded | Silver | Discover all named locations in The Fadefields. |
| The Mountain Provides | Silver | Discover all named locations in Terminus Range. |
| Churn the Burn | Silver | Discover all named locations in Carcadia Burn. |
| Useful Citizen | Silver | Discover all named locations in Dominion City. |
Cosmetics and Vehicles
| Trophy Name | Rarity | How to Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| The Lookbook is the Cookbook | Bronze | Collect 60 cosmetic items. You’ll likely get this naturally while playing. |
| Catch A Ride | Silver | Collect all 10 personal vehicles. |
Side Content and Activity Trophies
The heart of Borderlands lies in its side stories and world activities. These trophies ensure you experience it all.
Side Missions and Faction Quests
| Trophy Name | Rarity | How to Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Grassroots Campaigner | Silver | Complete all 98 side missions. |
| Pale Blueberry Dot | Bronze | Complete all Outbounder faction missions. |
| Who’s the Boss? | Bronze | Complete all Auger faction missions. |
| Mole Money, Mole Problems | Bronze | Complete all Electi faction missions. |
| Widely Beloved Mascot | Bronze | Complete all of Claptrap’s missions. |
World Activities and Random Events
| Trophy Name | Rarity | How to Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Ruler of Everything | Silver | Complete all 53 world activities. |
| Arena Grande | Bronze | Complete the Goredello world event. |
| Reverse Abduction | Bronze | Complete the Airship world event. |
| Shoot the Moon | Bronze | Complete the Creep Impact world event. |
Combat and Gear Trophies
It wouldn’t be Borderlands without a focus on loot and blowing stuff up.
| Trophy Name | Rarity | How to Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Pop Out | Silver | Defeat a World Boss. These powerful enemies appear randomly in the world. |
| Nothing Left to Guard | Gold | Defeat all Guardians in the Primordial Vaults. |
| I Earned This | Silver | Equip a Legendary item in every gear slot simultaneously. |
| Area of Expertise | Bronze | Complete one category of Gear Challenges. |
| Brand Equity | Bronze | Complete one category of Manufacturer Challenges. |
Hidden Trophies and Fun Easter Eggs
These secret trophies reward you for interacting with the world in unique ways.
| Trophy Name | Rarity | How to Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Glucose Guardian | Bronze | Find Moxxi’s bar in Carcadia Burn and use the tip jar on her counter. |
| Cut That Out | Bronze | Find a cardboard cutout of Tannis. Shoot colored barrels in order: Corrosive, Cryo, Incendiary, Shock, Radiation. |
| All Things Vend | Bronze | The missable trophy! Follow the specific steps in the “Vend of the Line” side quest. |
| Rift Incompatible | Bronze | During “Exit Through the Rift Shop,” choose the option to PUNCH Francis Oddman. |
| Guac is Extra | Bronze | Find the hidden NPC, Dave the Burrito. |
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