When the original Borderlands launched, there was not much to say about its four playable Vault Hunters. Roland came off as a generic soldier, Brick felt like a loud hulk-like character, Mordecai resembled any other Sniper, and Lilith was portrayed as the token attractive female character that was so prevalent in the 2000s. However, the Borderlands games that came next added depth to all four of these characters, making them beloved figures with unique personalities - and Lilith is arguably the most important of them all.
While Roland’s impact on Tiny Tina has endeared him to many players, and the camaraderie between Brick and Mordecai is hard not to appreciate, it is Lilith who consistently finds herself at the heart of the story. For a majority of the games released since the first Borderlands game, Lilith makes the narrative tick, and that seems unlikely to change as the story moves into its next chapter.
Lilith’s Continued Impact on the Borderlands Universe
Not only did Lilith canonically battle the Destroyer in the first game, making her important from the very beginning, but her rivalry with Handsome Jack ensured she was present in both Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and Borderlands 2. In the Pre-Sequel, it is her betrayal of Jack that ultimately leads to his villain turn, and her decision to attack him as he was taking in the Vault’s knowledge fractured his mind and scarred his face.
Without Lilith, Jack may have never become as villainous as he did, and the conflict between the two continues to be shown in Borderlands 2. Not only is Lilith key to moving Sanctuary and thwarting Jack’s initial attack, but he eventually kills her boyfriend before taking her hostage. While Lilith ultimately kills Jack for what he did, her hatred for him is unparalleled. With the Firehawk constantly butting heads with Borderlands’ greatest villain, it is fair to view her as the protagonist in those two games.
Lilith is even more prominent in Borderlands 3, as a large part of the narrative focuses on how she struggles to lead the Crimson Raiders after losing her powers. Coming to grips with going from one of the most powerful in-universe characters to someone far weaker is an interesting concept, and though Borderlands 3’s story came under fire, the idea was sound. With Lilith sacrificing herself at the end of Borderlands 3’s story, she is the final thing players will be thinking about, and they are constantly reminded of her post-game when glancing up at the moon.
Considering how Borderlands 3’s Director’s Cut DLC ends, it seems like Lilith will once again be the focus of the narrative whenever Borderlands 4 is released. Ava finds out she is still alive in the final moments of the Mysteriouslier mission chain, so it can be assumed that she will lead the Crimson Raiders in a search for her friend and mentor in the next game. With Lilith’s location and reason for not coming back sure to be big plot points, she once again finds herself at the center of the story.
With Lilith having key roles in the Assault on Dragon Keep and Fantastic Fustercluck DLCs, as well as her own Borderlands expansion in Fight For Sanctuary, she is constantly making meaningful appearances. Though she may not be as outlandish as Tina or as funny as Rhys, she is incredibly important, and it is hard to imagine the series without her being a part of it. With Lilith set to have a big role in Borderlands 4, and likely to be the main character of the Borderlands movie based on Cate Blanchett's casting, fans will be seeing plenty more of her in the years to come.