The
Borderlands franchise has always been defined by its mind-boggling array of guns, and
Borderlands 4 is no exception. A fan-favorite from the previous installment, the Kaoson Legendary SMG, makes a triumphant return, bringing its unique brand of explosive chaos back to the world of loot-and-shoot. This submachine gun is not just a high-speed bullet hose; it fires sticky grenades that latch onto their target before detonating with a fiery blast. This combination of a high fire rate and explosive projectiles results in a massive, consistent damage output, making it one of the most powerful and satisfying weapons in the game.For any Vault Hunter looking to dominate the battlefield, acquiring the Kaoson is a top priority. This in-depth guide will cover everything you need to know, from where to find it and how to farm for it, to its unique stats and synergistic builds that can turn you into an unstoppable force.
Guide to the Kaoson Legendary SMG in Borderlands 4
Finding Your Kaoson: Locations and Farming Strategy
While the Kaoson can theoretically drop from any world boss or be found in red chests, these methods have an extremely low drop chance. The most efficient and reliable way to obtain this legendary SMG is by farming a specific boss:
Primordial Guardian Origo.The Kaoson is one of three dedicated legendary items in Origo's loot pool, giving you the best odds of adding it to your arsenal. To face this formidable guardian, you’ll first need to gain access to its lair.
Primordial Guardian Origo: Location and Access
Primordial Guardian Origo resides in the Arch of Origo Primordial Vault, which is situated in the Low Keys area of the Terminus Range. However, the path to the vault is not as simple as walking in. To access it, you must first collect three hidden Vault Fragments scattered throughout the Terminus Range. The locations of thesefragments are marked by large search areas on your map in three distinct regions:
- Cuspid Climb: The first fragment can befound in this area. Look for a glide lift north of the Reliquary Silothat takes you to a long ledge jutting out from the cliff. The fragmentis located there.
- The Pit: The second fragment isin this area, southeast of the main location. Look for a small openingin the cliffs that you can climb and grapple up to.
- Windspear: The final fragment is on the border of Windspear and Low Leys, inside the Vestal Garrison building on the lower level.
Once you have all three fragments, you can use them to activate the Arch ofOrigo and enter the vault. Inside, you'll have to fight through achallenging gauntlet of enemies before you face the guardian itself.This makes farming the Kaoson a significant undertaking, but the rewards are well worth the effort.
Tips for Defeating Primordial Guardian Origo
Primordial Guardian Origo is a powerful boss that can prove to be a challenge ifyou are unprepared. The guardian has two Shield health bars, making Shock damage almost essential for this fight. As a bonus, you can easily use Torguesticky projectiles to destroy the crystals on Vile enemies during themobbing sections of the vault, allowing you to breeze through. Origo'sattacks are a mix of Cryo and Incendiary damage, so having someelemental resistance can be helpful.
During the fight, if you get downed, you can shoot one of the Kratches (small, flying enemies) that spawn around the arena to get a Second Wind and get back into the fight. The key to this fight is to have a weaponwith good Shock damage to quickly strip the shields, allowing you todeal maximum damage.
Kaoson Legendary SMG: Stats, Unique Effects, and Synergies
The Kaoson is more than just a powerful gun; it's a weapon with unique mechanics that can be leveraged for devastating results.
Weapon Breakdown
- Type: SMG (Submachine Gun)
- Rarity: Legendary
- Manufacturer: Vladof
- Unique Effect: Torgue - Licensed Sticky Magazine
- Red Text: "Twice the Power!"
The "Licensed Sticky Magazine" part is what makes the Kaoson truly special. It causes the weapon to fire sticky gyrojets. These projectiles do notexplode on impact like a typical explosive weapon. Instead, they embedthemselves in the target, and only detonate when you either reload orswap your weapon's firing mode. This allows for a strategic playstylewhere you can stack dozens of gyrojets on a single enemy beforetriggering a massive, simultaneous explosion.
A Torgue-Licensedpart on a Vladof weapon is a powerful combination, as Vladof guns areknown for their incredibly high fire rate. This synergy allows you toapply a massive number of sticky projectiles in a very short amount oftime, leading to explosions that can one-shot bosses.
Perfect Synergies with Vault Hunters
The Kaoson's unique mechanics make it a perfect fit for certain Vault Hunter builds, particularly those of Rafa and Harlowe.
- Rafa (Exo-Soldier): Rafa's skill tree has several skills that synergize perfectly with the Kaoson. The "El Paraguas" skill, for example, increases splash damage and its critical chance.Since the Kaoson's explosions are considered splash damage, this skillcan significantly boost the gun's already immense damage output.Combined with Rafa's ability to maintain sustained fire, the Kaosonbecomes an absolute monster in his hands.
- Harlowe (Gravitar): A Flux Generator build for Harlowe can create a truly broken synergy with the Kaoson.The build's high fire rate and increased critical chance already workwell, but the real magic comes from a capstone skill. Harlowe's "Excited State" skill transforms all attacks into critical hits if you have dealt Action Skill Damage. The "Group Study" capstone skill makes all of your attacks deal Action Skill Damage. When these two skills are combined, every single bullet from your Kaoson—and by extension, every single explosive sticky projectile—will be aguaranteed critical hit. This synergy effectively turns the Kaoson into a guaranteed boss-melting machine, ensuring consistent and ludicrouslyhigh damage numbers.
Conclusion
The Kaoson Legendary SMG in Borderlands 4 is a weapon that rewards smart, synergistic play. While farming for itrequires a significant time investment, the power it provides is wellworth it. Its unique ability to fire sticky, explosive projectiles,combined with the high fire rate of its Vladof manufacturer, makes it atop-tier choice for any Vault Hunter. Whether you’re looking to dominate with Rafa's splash damage builds or create a guaranteed-crit monsterwith Harlowe's skills, the Kaoson is a must-have for your legendarycollection. Start your hunt for the Vault Fragments today, and get ready to unleash a new level of explosive mayhem.
Platform(s): PlayStation 5 PS5, Microsoft Windows PC, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X/S
Genre(s): First-person shooter, action role-playing
Developer(s): Gearbox Software
Release date: September 12, 2025
Mode: Single-player, multiplayer
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