The Borderlands franchise has seen the comings and goings of many great and unforgettable characters. Aside from formerly playable characters like Lilith, these include the airheaded but oddly lovable Scooter, and the megalomaniacal but charismatic Handsome Jack. It is likely that this trend will continue in Borderlands 4.
Story-driven video games often have characters die or otherwise leave the story permanently. There is no better way to drive up the stakes of a story than to let the player know that they and the surrounding characters are not invincible. In the case of the game after Borderlands 3, maybe it's time to let Lilith become one of those characters.
Why Lilith Should Take Her Leave in Borderlands 4
The end of Borderlands 3 sees Lilith saving the Borderlands by sealing the moon of Elpis away to stop the Destroyer from returning. At that moment, players may have believed that the beloved character -- who has been with players since the very first installment -- had finally made her exit. Her sacrifice would change the future of the franchise going forward, making it arguably one of the most important events in Borderlands history. However, something strange happens that shifts the mood and implications of the scene. Ava, another Siren, confesses her confidence that Lilith is still alive. In later content, she even proclaims that Sanctuary must look for their "lost" leader.
This seemed like the writers were signaling to the players that Lilith might still be alive. They did so immediately after fans just watched a fan-favorite Siren perform an impossible feat that seemed like it would cost Lilith everything. This somewhat dampens the gravity of the situation, turning what might be a great sacrifice into somewhat of an ex machina moment. It signified that Lilith still had a role to play, despite performing one of the greatest sacrifices found throughout the franchise. For now, it is not known for sure if Lilith is alive. It is likely Borderlands 4 will solve that mystery.
With all of that said, Borderlands 4 should close the curtain on Lilith's involvement with the franchise. Even if it doesn't, it should still result in some kind of consequence that came as a result of her actions. Borderlands 2 already has a good example of this with the Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep DLC. In it, players saw how Roland's death was a heavy burden that all the characters shared. The death of Roland had a genuine impact on Borderlands and the characters that cared about him. Lilith was loved by the people around her similarly, as she took on Roland's role as the leader of Sanctuary.
There are a variety of ways Borderlands 4 could confirm these things or include Lilith without her actually being in the game. It could feature another Siren who bears the same abilities as her, as either an NPC or a playable character. There could also be a subplot about characters discovering secrets about Lilith, which would eventually lead to finding the truth about her final moments. Bringing her back to the main story itself may an odd move, considering she was given a good conclusion to her story and her role as the leader of Sanctuary is essentially over.
Borderlands 4 should move on to investing in new characters for the future of the franchise. Focusing on characters from previous games would be a shame, considering the franchise is known for regularly introducing fan-favorite Borderlands characters. Lilith has had her time in the spotlight as a powerful protagonist, but maybe it's time for her to give it up for future generations in Borderlands 4.