Is Tannis a Siren?

In the chaotic world of Borderlands, Sirens stand out as extremely rare and uniquely powerful women possessing awe-inspiring mystical abilities. Throughout the looter-shooter franchise from Gearbox Software, we‘ve been introduced to a number of these exotic Sirens, from the fiery Lilith to the phaselocking Maya. But when it was revealed that the scientific genius Dr. Patricia Tannis had become a Siren as well, it raised a lot of questions from us Borderlands superfans about how exactly this came about.

As a huge Borderlands nerd myself, I‘ve done some deep digging into Tannis‘ mysterious transformation in an effort to better understand the nature of Sirens across the series‘ lore. How did the socially awkward archaeologist suddenly gain superpowers? Does this mean there are now more than six Sirens in the universe? And what might the future hold for Tannis now that she can call herself one of these rare wonders? Grab your Eridian artifacts and let‘s dive in!

All About Sirens

Before we analyze Tannis specifically, it helps to understand some Siren basics first. According to Borderlands lore, Sirens are women who are born with incredible supernatural abilities. They are described as "creatures of legend" and are exceptionally rare – there can only ever be six Sirens present in the universe at any one time. When one Siren dies, her powers pass on to another worthy recipient somewhere in the cosmos.

Sirens seem drawn to the alien Vaults scattered across the galaxy, and many have made it their mission to locate and unlock these puzzle-filled chambers. Pandora seems to be a particular hotspot, having hosted at least three known Sirens across the span of the games. Let‘s take a quick look at the abilities of some of the major Sirens we‘ve met so far:

Based on what we‘ve seen, most Sirens tend to have one dominant ability or focus, along with other supplementary powers and effects. For instance, Lilith is an expert Phasewalker, while Maya has mastered Phaselock. Their powers seem suited to their personalities and areas of interest.

Now let‘s look at how our studious scientist Tannis unexpectedly joined the ranks of these badass women.

Inheriting Angel‘s Powers

One of the biggest plot twists in Borderlands 3 is the revelation that leading archaeologist Patricia Tannis has become a Siren. She unveils her newfound abilities to the Vault Hunters after they encounter her hiding beneath a remote mining complex on Pandora. Shocking stuff from the normally reserved researcher!

So how did Tannis go from bookish academic to supernatural powerhouse? Well, it turns out she inherited her powers from the late Siren Angel after the events of Borderlands 2. For those who need a refresher, Angel was a hugely powerful Siren under the control of Handsome Jack, who forced her to charge the Vault key and conceal his cruel plans. She was more integrated with technology and machinery than other Sirens we‘d seen, and could control entire computer networks with her mind.

After Angel tragically died at the hands of the Vault Hunters, her abilities evidently passed on to the next worthy host – Tannis. Given Angel‘s digital affinity, it makes some poetic sense that her skills would transfer to the scientifically-minded Tannis. But it was still a huge surprise given we thought there were already six existing Sirens in the universe!

Apparently there was some cosmic loophole that allowed Tannis to inherit Angel‘s dormant powers after her death. It just shows there is still much to learn about the mysterious nature of Sirens and the arcane rules governing their abilities.

Tannis‘ Secret Training

When Tannis first acquired Angel‘s formidable Siren powers, she faced the daunting task of trying to control and master abilities she never asked for. Wisely, Tannis chose to isolate herself from the world while she trained to handle her newfound skills.

Tannis reveals she spent years working in secret deep beneath an abandoned Dahl mining installation on Pandora. Far from prying eyes, she worked to unlock the mysteries of Angel‘s siren skills and gradually harness them for herself.

Given Tannis‘ scientific background and relative inexperience with combat, it‘s no surprise she took a more measured, methodical approach to managing her powers. She ran countless experiments to determine her new limitations and abilities. It was surely a frustrating process – in Eridian writings she rambles about struggling for control and snapping test dummies in half!

But eventually her efforts paid off, and she emerged with a solid mastery over abilities that once seemed wild and uncontrollable. The focused scientist was able to tame the raw Siren powers that fell into her lap.

Tannis‘ Siren Powers

So what exactly can Tannis do with her Siren abilities? From what we‘ve seen, her powers seem similar in nature to Angel‘s talent for technological manipulation and telepathy. Tannis is shown summoning and levitating various objects in her lair, including Eridian artifacts, guns, and robot parts. She also demonstrates the ability to generate a protective energy orb around herself for defense, implying some telekinetic control.

She may not be phaseshifting enemies into another dimension or raining elemental death from above. But Tannis‘ powers over machinery could make her instrumental in cracking ancient Eridian secrets and unlocking the mysteries of Vaults. Her technical application of Siren skills in a supporting role has tons of strategic potential.

Compared to offensive heavy-hitters like Lilith or Amara, Tannis is definitely on the weaker end of the Siren power scale, at least for now. But given time to practice and experiment, who knows how much she could refine her abilities? She may never reach Lilith‘s sheer destructive capabilities, but as a Siren support specialist, her skills could prove invaluable.

Was Tannis Always a Siren?

An intriguing fan theory I‘ve seen floated around the Borderlands community is the idea that Tannis may have actually been a Siren all along, and was simply concealing her powers prior to Angel‘s death. Her convenient acquisition of abilities has led some to speculate there‘s more than we‘re being told. There are a few tidbits that could support this theory:

• Tannis has mysterious tattoos that resemble Siren markings, though their meaning is unclear. Perhaps a hint she was a Siren before Angel‘s passing?

• She was strangely drawn to Pandora years ago to study Vaults and Eridian relics. Typical behavior for a Siren?

• She adjusted to her powers faster than expected for someone supposedly new to being a Siren. Maybe she already had experience?

Personally, I‘m not fully convinced by this idea – I think the narrative makes it pretty clear Tannis only gained her abilities after absorbing Angel‘s. But it‘s fun to speculate on the possibilities, and a clever fakeout like this would be very much in line with the Borderlands style of humor and storytelling! Until Gearbox confirms or denies it, fans will surely continue cooking up their own theories.

The Future of Tannis the Siren

Regardless of whether she was previously a Siren or not, Tannis unlocking these incredible powers opens up some exciting possibilities for the future. Tannis has grown from a minor NPC in the first Borderlands to one of the core Vault Hunters leading the charge against the Calypso Twins. And now, embracing her identity as a Siren sets her up to play an even bigger role going forward.

With her unmatched genius and scientific knowledge combined with nascent Siren abilities, Tannis is arguably the most uniquely equipped Vault Hunter yet for unravelling Eridian mysteries. As she continues honing her skills, she could become an invaluable support tactician capable of cracking puzzles and technological hurdles her fellow Vault Hunters can‘t. Manipulating machinery and unlocking long lost secrets – sounds perfect for our resident archaeotech expert!

And on a more personal level, it‘s wonderful to see Tannis finally finding a sense of belonging with the other Vault Hunters after so many years spent in studious isolation. As a fellow geek, I‘m excited to see where Tannis‘ continuing evolution as both a Siren and makeshift family member leads in future Borderlands adventures!

So in summary, while Tannis receiving Angel‘s old Siren powers raises some fascinating questions, I believe the most logical explanation is that she inherited them after Angel‘s death created an opening for a new Siren. How she handles these new abilities remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Pandora better watch out, because Tannis is ready to kick some bandit butt! Got any other theories on Tannis‘ new Siren status you want to share? Let me know, I could talk Borderlands lore all day!