Lilith (Supernatural)

Did You Know?

• In season 15, Lilith is resurrected by God from The Empty only to be killed once again by the archangel Michael.
• In Hebrew tradition, Lilith is considered Adam's first wife, who became a demon after refusing to submit to him.
• Some scholars interpret Lilith's refusal to submit as a rejection of patriarchal marriage, while others see it as an adaptation of older Sumerian and Babylonian goddess figures into Jewish mythology.

Plot

Lilith, the first demon, was created when the archangel Lucifer twisted and mutilated a human soul named Lilith. Series creator Eric Kripke explained this was done to prove to God that human souls were inferior to angels. After being freed from Hell in the second season finale, Lilith first appears at the end of the third season episode Jus in Bello as the new leader of a demon army that also escaped Hell. Earlier in the season, the death of the previous demon general Azazel created a power vacuum, leading to conflicts between demon factions that ended when Lilith emerged victorious.

In Jus in Bello, she searches a police station for the Winchesters, and after missing them, she destroys the station in a massive explosion and tortures everyone inside for nearly an hour. The Winchesters' demon ally Ruby explains that Lilith sees Sam as a rival because he has demonic abilities and was meant to lead Azazel's army, though he was unwilling. To secure her position as general, Lilith orders Sam's death. She tricks the thief Bela Talbot into attempting to kill Sam by promising to release Bela from her Faustian deal, but then breaks her word.

In the third season finale No Rest for the Wicked, the Winchesters track Lilith to New Harmony, Indiana, where she is holding a family hostage while disguised as their daughter. Before Sam and Dean can attack, Lilith secretly takes over Ruby's host body. She then commands a hellhound to kill Dean and drag his soul to Hell for torture by Alastair, Hell's chief torturer, as part of her plan to break the 66 seals imprisoning Lucifer. Lilith tries to kill Sam with destructive white energy but finds she is powerless against him. Horrified, she escapes before Sam can strike back with Ruby's demon-killing knife.

Characterization

Eric Kripke, the creator of the show, described Lilith as a blend of every legend about her, with the series focusing especially on her roles as a child-killer and a temptress. That first trait shows up when she takes over children’s bodies in her earlier episodes, something writer Sera Gamble found unsettling and almost predatory. Actress Katherine Boecher saw that behavior as part of a mischievous streak, suggesting that many demons would not go as far as possessing a kid. Kripke also pointed to the traditional origin story as a key influence: Lilith is widely considered one of the first demons, certainly the first female one, and may have been Adam’s first wife before being cast out and turned into a demon.

Though Lilith is evil, Nicholas Knight, who wrote several companion books for the series, noted she can feel love. He said she adores her creator, Lucifer, so completely that she willingly lets Sam kill her in order to free him. The writers aimed to make her motives as reasonable as possible. Kripke explained that everyone believes they are doing the right thing, and he pointed to a scene in “Lucifer Rising” where Lilith tells a minion not to be afraid because they are going to save the world, insisting she is sincere. Boecher agreed, saying the character is extremely confident and genuinely thinks she can fix things her own way.

Lilith is older and more powerful than Azazel, also known as Yellow Eyes, and holds a higher rank. Kripke remarked that you do not get much more powerful than her until you reach Lucifer himself. Knight added details about her position in Hell: she serves as a demonic chief of staff, rules over witches, and is the Queen of the Crossroads. All crossroads demons make deals on her behalf, which is why she ultimately controls Dean Winchester’s soul. Knight also mentioned in-universe rumors that Lilith might be the Queen of Vampires and the mother of djinn fathered by Lucifer.

Development

The third season of Supernatural had always intended to bring in a new demon to take over as the main villain after Azazel. The season originally had the Winchesters fighting small, scattered demon groups, meant to mirror terrorist cells, but creator Eric Kripke felt that approach wasn't working. So, halfway through the season, the writers introduced a new leader for the demons to give the storyline more focus. The character was first given the working name Zarqawi, but writer Sera Gamble insisted the demon be female.

She then suggested using the mythological Lilith, whom the writers had already learned was partly the inspiration for the Bloody Mary legend while researching the first-season episode "Bloody Mary". According to writer Jeremy Carver, the debate over Lilith's appearance ended quickly when everyone agreed that a little girl would be the most powerful symbol of evil. Kripke supported this, noting that there was something unsettling about a child saying truly horrible things.

Much of Lilith's behavior in the episode "No Rest for the Wicked" was a deliberate nod to the Twilight Zone episode "It's a Good Life", where a powerful child terrorizes his town. Kripke found writing Lilith's scenes among the easiest in the season finale, calling her a really effective villain. Gamble also enjoyed the character, finding the choice to have a demon that liked possessing little girls interesting, and described Lilith as a cool demon to work with.

When Lilith briefly took over Ruby's body, executive producer Kim Manners was amazed by actress Katie Cassidy's performance, calling her transition between the two characters astounding. After realizing they couldn't have Sam kill a child, the writers decided that in future appearances, Lilith would possess adult hosts instead.

Reception

When Lilith first appeared in the episode "Jus in Bello," BuddyTV's senior writer John Kubieck was taken aback by the reveal that she was a little girl. Tina Charles of TV Guide noted that this choice played to the show's talent for making children terrifying, though she was surprised by Lilith's white eyes, which broke from the usual demonic eye color, and she wondered what that meant for the character. Still, she considered Lilith's introduction a highlight of the episode.

Even though the role switched from Rachel Pattee to Sierra McCormick between "Jus in Bello" and "No Rest for the Wicked," Charles thought the result remained just as creepy. Sandrine Sahakians, Editor-in-Chief for TV Equals, agreed, calling the scene where Lilith emerges with her dress soaked in blood one of the freakiest moments ever. In her review of "The Monster at the End of the Book," Sahakians was surprised by how scared Lilith seemed of her own fate, suggesting the character was not as invincible as previously believed.

She also found it interesting that while Lilith was immune to Sam's powers, Sam was immune to hers. Don Williams of BuddyTV described Lilith in "No Rest for the Wicked" as an extremely scary little girl. He wrote that watching her snap her grandpa's neck for fun was creepy, but her takeover of Ruby's body was truly frightening. Karla Peterson of the San Diego Union-Tribune praised Katie Cassidy for doing a terrific job of making it seem like a completely different character was inside her body during that possession.

Diana Steenbergen of IGN appreciated seeing Cassidy get to act so differently, and she found Lilith's little girl mannerisms in Ruby's body far more chilling and interesting than Ruby's usual tough chick persona.