Spoilers for Borderlands 4 Ahead
In the universe of Borderlands, only six sirens can exist at any given time. These Sirens sometimes pass on their powers to others, such is the case with Maya to Ava, but should a Siren die without naming a successor, the next one may receive any kind of power. However, that’s not entirely accurate. There is a Seventh Siren warned about in Borderlands 3, and that Siren appears to be the strongest in the universe based on the events of Borderlands 4.
In-universe, at least from Amara’s perspective and that of many fans, Lilith could be the strongest siren. No doubt, she is up there, but based on the story of Borderlands 4, it’s clear she may no longer be the strongest. She is certainly the strongest playable Siren, at least according to lore, but this mysterious Seventh Siren is likely the catalyst for all the doomsaying attributed to Lilith.
Why Lilith Is Considered the Strongest Siren
Lilith is so strong that she manages to save Pandora from Elpis, although of course it ends up in Kairos’ orbit. That alone is a strong case for her power, but most of the Borderlands 4 campaign is spent building up Lilith’s mythology, her power, and her as an end for all things. The Ripper Queen, for example, believes herself to be a prophetic conqueror of the universe, but in her final moments, she supposedly realizes that it was always Lilith and never her. That may seem like outright confirmation that Lilith is responsible for the end of the universe, but this is an interpretation of a prophecy we never see. Likewise, the experimented-upon Arjay, who has powers like a Siren, attempts to stop the Vault Hunters from saving Lilith because, in doing so, he believes that something catastrophic will happen.
All of this is compounded in the defeat of the Timekeeper near Borderlands 4‘s ending, and the subsequent defeat of Arjay and the opening of the Vault. After claiming victory, players enter the Vault to find that it contains the literal End of Time. There, players and Lilith meet a presumably future version of Lilith who watches over the End of Time. Something obviously happens between now and then, and this level of dimensional/time travel is obviously another remark of Lilith’s power. Yet, it’s worth noting that the future Lilith gives the present Lilith a deodand she also calls the Spark, saying present Lilith will know when to use it.
One important aspect to remember about this object is that it is, effectively, traveling back from the end of time. It is called a Spark, logically suggesting that this Spark leads to the End of Time. It is also called a deodand, which by definition, is an instrument forfeited to God because it has caused a person’s death. Future Lilith owning this object means someone was killed with this Spark, but that’s not true when it comes into possession of the present Lilith. All of this is an incredible display of power, but there are two points here worth considering:
- Borderlands 4 goes to great lengths to convince players that Lilith is somehow responsible for the end of the universe. This isn’t foreshadowing, and it isn’t subtle. It is the most obvious red herring to ever red herring.
- The Spark could easily be interpreted as a way to restart, or save, the universe. Lilith using it should save the world, not doom it, so she may be the savior, but she cannot be the only one based on The Watcher’s prophesied war (more on this in a moment).
The Living Sirens (And Why That's Important)
As of Borderlands 4, players know of five living Sirens. It is possible that Asha, from the comics, still lives, but it is more likely that her storyline is written off than it is she returns. The fact that we know of five living Sirens is an important number.
- Lilith (Phasewalk)
- Tannis (Phaseshift)
- Ava (Phaselock)
- Amara (Phasetrance)
- Vex (Phase Convenant)
- Powers such as Phaseleech have no current Siren. Presuming that Asha is killed off, neither does Animal Control. There are plenty of other possible powers that have not yet been seen.
While the upcoming Borderlands 4 DLC may tease and further set up the Seventh Siren, it is unlikely that it explores this story to its full extent. Chances are, this is something that would be done in Borderlands 5. Sure, Gearbox could decide to develop this story to its inclusion throughout the DLC, but history would suggest that they are more standalone than that. As such, Borderlands 5 could introduce a new playable Siren (bringing the living, known Sirens to six) as they face the Seventh Siren.
For example, the first Borderlands 4 DLC is Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned, which could tease and further set all this up, but it does not sound like a development of the overarching story.
But Why Lilith Isn't The Strong Siren
Despite Borderlands 4‘s insistence that Lilith is the strongest Siren, capable of ending the world, the on-the-nose hints likely imply someone else. Meanwhile, the Seventh Siren’s worldbuilding has also been slower and more in line with a destroyer of the universe than Lilith. In the final Eridian writing of Borderlands 3, dubbed Warning, Nyriad talks about Sirens and says, “You must never find the Seventh.” This means that the Seventh Siren is definitely something special, out of the gate, and it’s more likely that this Siren is the one who destroys the entire world while, somehow, Lilith remains at the end of time. Lilith may carry the spark of a new universe, but it also means she doesn’t save it. It also doesn’t make much logic for Lilith to be the one to end the universe if she is also the one to carry a spark at the End of Time.
Nyriad is a Siren who lived among the Eridians, the one who sealed away the Destroyer in Pandora. Her recordings, found both in BL3 and BL4, often reveal new Siren/Eridian lore.
Instead, with this knowledge of the Seventh Siren, it’s easy to see how all the teases about Lilith may actually apply to her. After all, as The Seer says in Borderlands 3, Sirens do not operate by cause and effect. That means we cannot prescribe to these depictions of power as being outright related to Lilith (as that would be a cause) and her destroying the world (an effect). Interestingly, the Seer says that Sirens are chaos incarnate, which lines up similarly to how the Timekeeper describes Vault Hunters. Combine this with the prophecy of The Ripper Queen, the fears of Arjay, and the new lore drops from Borderlands 4, and it seems likely that The Seventh is in the Phase Dimension, as if that may be her power overall even. After all, there’s the Six Galaxies and the Six official Sirens, but the existence of a mysterious Seventh Siren and The Phase Dimension.
The Seventh Siren is The Most Powerful
Nyriad knew of the Seventh, implying either that she is immortal and existed at Nyriad’s time OR the Eridians knew that the Seventh was dangerous. This warning sets the stage for a powerful new Siren to appear on the field. The Ripper Queen saw this prophecy of herself becoming the conqueror of the universe, which she later attributes to being Lilith. But just because this event happens to some degree doesn’t mean she was right on who the conqueror was (her or Lilith). Just that there was a conqueror. Secondly, Arjay believed that rescuing Lilith would doom the Six Galaxies and attributed that directly to Lilith, but that’s only one interpretation (and the most obvious one). It could be that the very act of rescuing someone, permanently, from the Phase Dimension is what causes it. That would still line up with everything being bad or wrong about the Borderlands 4 Vault Hunters rescuing Lilith. And if the End of Time exists in a Vault, there’s every chance that someone causes the End of Time across the Six Galaxies.
If the Phase Dimension is the source of the Siren’s powers and is, indeed, connected to the Seventh Siren, it makes sense that the Seventh has power over or related to the Phase Dimension. If anything, the lore here could be terrifying. If there are a bunch of Siren powers, not just six, and they are connected to the Phase Dimension, it could be that the Seventh has this power or wants it, and that the events of Kairos will lead to them ending the world.
All of this is to say, Lilith and the other Sirens may save the entire universe/existence after the destruction of the current thanks to the Spark, but she and the others are not powerful enough to stop its destruction. The one who destroys this universe, likely following the War the Watcher warned of since The Pre-Sequel, would have to be more powerful than Lilith, those involved in the war, and likely the collective Sirens altogether. That would be the Seventh Siren. It remains to be seen how Gearbox further develops this Borderlands storyline, but ultimately, the warnings about Lilith appear to be red herrings and the Seventh Siren, wherever she may be, is the powerhouse everyone needs to fear.