One prominent fan theory is that FL4K and Zer0 are somehow connected in the world of Borderlands 3, and there's a lot of evidence to suggest so.
In the build up to Borderlands 3's release, many began to postulate that FL4K the Beastmaster was somehow related to Borderlands 2 character, Zer0 the Assassin. Now that the looter shooter threequel is out, it seems as if the game does more to confirm this theory than anything, hopefully meaning something could come of it at some point. SPOILER WARNING: Due to the content of this story, there will be minor story spoilers, so for those who want to experience this for themselves, please turn back now.
Before diving into how Borderlands 3 supports this theory, it's important to understand the origins of the theory and how the two were seemingly related prior to the release. This mostly comes from a design perspective, and the long-running theory that Zer0 is a robot. Reasons for this being that he only has 4 fingers on each hand, he does not run out of breath when sprinting compared to other characters, Zer0 voice is robotic-sounding (though this may be tied to a helmet filter), and Zer0's mask quickly displays its communications.
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FL4k, on the other hand, is clearly a robot, having the same qualities and a similar design to Zer0 (they both have 4 fingers). FL4K without their coat in Borderlands 3 also has a smaller frame, akin to Zer0's, and they both have the ability to cloak. Assuming the Zer0 robot theory is true, this means that the two being related is not that much of a stretch.
First, each have a number in their name, and it's not uncommon for characters to be somewhat related design-wise in Borderlands. Ignoring the Pre-sequel, each mainline entry has had an operative style class (Mordecai, Zer0, Zane) and a commando style class (Roland, Axton, and Moze). This can be more oriented toward design than classes, though, and it would be interesting if a robotic theme was being established (Claptrap was playable in the Pre-Sequel).
Then, on top of that, Zer0 is assisted by a figure known as 0ne in the Son of Crawmerax DLC, meaning that these robots could have been, in some way, mass produced -- or at the least, produced beyond just one robot. If this was all there was to support the theory, though, then it could easily be dismissed, but as players began to dive into Borderlands 3, it was clear there was a little more to it.
Both Zer0 and Fl4K'sskills include one called Two Fang, except of course, each has the letters properly replaced: Tw0 Fang and Two F4NG. Borderlands 3 players who main FL4K were also quick to realize some interesting dialogue between the two, with FL4K referring to Zer0 as "familiar" upon meeting him. This theory would also quickly imply two things: Zer0 and FL4K have the same creator, and there are generation 1, 2, and 3 robots missing from the equation.
Zer0 seemingly hints at this following the defeat of Katagawa Jr. He is seen asking himself how Katagawa was able to mimic his suit, wondering if "she" could have done something while dismissing the idea at the same time. This unanswered question hopefully gets the proper attention soon, but assuming Katagawa did manage to seize the same tech that created Zer0, then this would make for prime DLC content to follow the forthcoming Bloody Harvest event.
In the end, it's hard to imagine Zer0 and FL4K as anything but related. It'll be interesting to see if Gearbox pursues this any further and gives players any more context, or if it simply keeps Borderlands 3 players in the dark and teased.
Borderlands 3 is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
