Along with its massive arsenal of awesome weapons, theBorderlandsseries has been known for its slew of memorable characters. There are few figures more iconic than Lilith; the Siren, Crimson Raider, and Firehawk whose history extends across all three mainline games in theBorderlandsfranchise.
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There is no shortage of information revealed when it comes to this prominent character. Yet, with such unique traits and a rich backstory, it’s no surprise that there are also some details about Lilith that are more obscured and largely unknown.
8Religious And Mythological Name Origin
As is the case with manywell-crafted fantasy films, game designers and writers often provide names for chief characters that are symbolic or meaningful on one level or another. This is certainly the case with the series' resident Siren. As it happens, the name “Lilith” is derived from a religious and mythological feature whose Judeo-Christian origins span thousands of years.
Fittingly portrayed by a red-haired woman with elemental powers, the mythological Lilith had been banished from the Garden of Eden for rebelling against the first human Adam. At this point, she comes to symbolize a mischievous or demonic figure. While this is, of course, a far cry from the heroic Siren in theBorderlandsseries, there are nonetheless a few parallels when it comes to the winged Renegade.
7She Never Quite “Fit In” As a Kid
While the fan-favorite DLC,Assault on Dragon Keep, highlights the quirky anarchist Tiny Tina, it also provides a few more details when it comes to Lilith.
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As Lilith explains, she was given a fair bit of grief as a child for two key reasons—her unique tattoos, and her socially-isolating love for the fantasy game Bunkers and Badasses. During the DLC campaign, she expresses displeasure to Tina for essentially “appropriating” her geeky culture, when she was the one who had to “suffer” through it as a kid.
6Boosted Powers Later In Her History—Thanks To A Key Element
Lilith’s super-human powers date back decades; being one of justsixSirens on the planet Dionysus. However, during the start ofBorderlands 2, when she resides on Pandora, her powers growmassively, as she’s able to absorb theabundant supply of precious Eridium on the planet. This element does, in fact, hold more significance beyond a simple slot machine currency and a means to buy character upgrades.
This huge boost in power is illustrated particularly when the Siren is able to transport the entire city of Sanctuary via Phasewalk inBL2.
5The Subject Of A Strange Continuity Error
Being one of the more powerful beings on Pandora and elsewhere, there remains quite a bit of mystery when it comes to Lilith. One of these oddities kicks off mere minutes into the beginning scene of the firstBLgame. Players might notice that Lilith is introduced while her Phasewalk ability initiates, taking the form of an emanating purple glow.
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But as it happens, she doesn’t actuallyregainthis ability until hitting level 5—as this is the point where each character unlocks their action skill. This cinematic was likely just shown as a means for flashy imagery, and fans will—not unreasonably—shrug off this small detail as nitpicking. Still, it remains a curious continuity error in a series thatthrives on its lore and world-building.
4A Humorous Easter Egg On Her Computer
During the memorable first meetup with Lilith inBorderlands 2’s Frostburn Canyon, players may notice what appears to be the dreaded “Blue Screen of Death” that plagues ailing computers. Upon closer inspection though, some amusing text can be seen, which colorfully spells out the issue with this machine.
An excerpt from the screen reads as follows:“So, hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your system is pretty hosed. Maybe if you’d download less of that illegal Truxican porn, your machine wouldn’t be all jacked up.“Of course, this is all inconsequential, but it remains anamusingBorderlandseaster egg, to say the least.
3Began With Different Designs And Backstory
It’s hard to imagine the now-iconic Siren taking on any other form. But as it happens, Lilith had been conceptualized quite differently in the early phases ofBorderlands' game design.
As discovered by at leastone dedicated fan and YouTuberby way of old, unused assets, Lilith was imagined as a Mercenary Scientist who “views traditional humanity with a bit of melancholy for what she has lost and can never have again.”
In another early design, Lilith had white hair, pale skin, and yellow pupils, with an appearance somewhat resembling an alien. Interestingly, this design was relegated to Crimson Lance officer Commandant Steele—but Lilith’s trademarked yellow eyes remained.
2Exploits To Maximize Phasewalks
Lilith’s Phasewalks can be quite useful in getting out of a pinch, though they typically need to be used wisely—on account of lengthy cooldown time. Luckily, it would seem that the Siren holds some untapped, and often undiscovered potential in the firstBL, evenifshe’s not at the height of her power yet.
Using a combination of the skillsHard to Get, Hit & Run, Blackout, and Inner Glowwill enable far more frequent usage and healing from this skill. In fact, using the right set of skills—along with a cooldown-cutting COM—Phasewalk can be completely recharged while still phased. To use this to the fullest, players will want to use damage-over-time attacks on a few enemies before activating this action skill.
Players can also take advantage of an exploit that allows them to fall off a cliff while phased, to respawn with full health and shields absent pesky reconstruction fees. This can work as a makeshift shortcut to nearby spawn points, and grant quick health restoration when clashing with bosses in co-op.
1Signs That She May Be Returning
With the plethora of characters, lore, and world-building inBL, it’s not surprising that there are many subjects of debate and varying fans theories on this front. One comes in the form of Lilith, who closes out the epic finale ofBorderlands 3by seemingly sacrificing herself—flying towards the moon Elpis, which is on a crash course with Pandora. With her newly regained powers, she engulfs the moon in flames, sealing it and stopping the devastating collision.
This would seem to be the end of her, and many fans claim thatshe would surely be destroyed after this sacrifice. However, there are at least a couple of indications that Lilith may in fact live on, at least in some form.
In thefour-issue comic series by Mikey Neumann,Borderlands: Origins, Lilith describes the state of Phase Shifting, in which her bodygoes into another dimension. In this form, she is virtuallyindestructiblefrom any violent dangers. This would seemingly open the door for a potential Lilith return. This is given further credence by way of theDirector’s CutDLC, by way of The Seer’s premonition to Ava.
Then, of course, there is the prominent glowing Firehawk signal on the moon. This may be a subtle, but significant message, as the image resembles thePhoenix, which symbolizesrebirth and the act of “rising from the ashes.“With all this in mind, it’s seeming increasingly likely that she could beback forBorderlands 4.
Borderlands 3is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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