Lilith is one of the most popular characters in the Diablo series, and this is despite being a demon and undoubtedly evil. In Diablo 4, however, the focus of the narrative is on her perspective, even more so in Lord of Hatred. Some players empathize with the Mother of Sanctuary.
As a major antagonist in Diablo 4 and the daughter of Mephisto, Lilith is a favorite in the community. She is considered a well-written villain, as she blurs the lines between classic good and classic evil.
Her charisma even leads to many players wanting to help Lilith, even though they know how evil the demon is – especially since she made innocent citizens kill a priest in the intro of the original Diablo 4 campaign.
In Lord of Hatred, Lilith returns, but this time not as an antagonist, but as an ally of the player, with her own perspective. During the campaign, you learn more about her motives and character. This has sparked discussions.
“I believe she loved her son”
Minor spoiler warning: This concerns the story of Diablo 4 and Lord of Hatred. If you haven’t completed the campaign yet and want to experience it yourself, you should not continue reading. Instead, feel free to watch the cinematic for the “new” Warlock.
On Reddit, a user writes that he can’t blame Lilith for hating Inarius so much. Inarius is the angel you meet in Diablo 4 and the “father” of Sanctuary. Along with Lilith, he created the world on which the entire series takes place and the humans who inhabit it.
During the campaign, you dive into various memories, including how Inarius is tortured and how his wings are burned off – by Lilith. All of this follows the death of Rathma, their first son, the first Nephalem, and the first Necromancer, one of the key figures in the lore.
Inarius, believing himself to be the chosen one to destroy Mephisto, killed Rathma because he did not want to give his father the keys to Hell. According to the Reddit user, Lilith’s reaction to this is understandable:
Lilith is undoubtedly evil, undoubtedly driven by too much ambition, but I believe she loved her son. That’s why she tortured Inarius and burned off his wings. I also believe that she didn’t kill him sooner because […] she wanted him to suffer.
gaymbit on Reddit
Many users agree and assert that Lilith – though evil – has always been honest and has allowed people to make their own choices. That makes for a good evil character – or a “grey” one. Others point out that the narrative is not necessarily reliable:
- The discussed scene takes place in Inarius’s memories.
- Lilith herself seems to have some power over these memories.
- How much of it is true and how much is deceit is difficult to say.
The story is more or less the “female perspective” on a difficult separation. The message could have been conveyed with less drastic means. Nevertheless, Inarius is in no way the “angel” he is portrayed as, but rather far from being “morally good”, as he sacrifices his own children without much remorse.
What do you think of the story? Are you more on Inarius’ side or on Lilith’s? How would you, as a Nephalem, deal with such a dispute between your parents? Please leave us a comment!
The discussion about whether Lilith is good or evil and how Blizzard has written her into the game has been going on for years in Diablo 4 – just as the question arises about what really speaks against joining her. However, that would probably not be a good idea: Players think we are all too mean to Lilith in Diablo 4, getting cynical mockery: “You missed a few details”
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