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[[Category:Film and Media]]
{{Infobox character
| colour      = Black
| colour text = White
| name        = Lilith
| series      = Supernatural
| image       = [[Image:LilithSupernatural.png|220px]]
| caption     = Lilith, as played by Katherine Boecher in Supernatural
| first       = Jus in Bello
| last        = Lucifer Rising
| creator     = 
| portrayer   = {{nowrap|Rachel Pattee (Season 3)}}<br>{{nowrap|Sierra McCormick (Season 3/4)}}<br>{{nowrap|Katie Cassidy (Season 3)}}<br>{{nowrap|Katherine Boecher (Season 4)}}
| nickname    = 
| species     = Demon
| gender      = Female
| occupation  = 
| title       = 
| family      = 
| children    =  
| relatives   = 
| lbl1        = Abilities
| data1       = Demonic possession<br>Invulnerability<br>Superhuman strength<br>Telekinesis<br>Teleportation<Br>Demonic pacts<br>Energy rays<br>Occult knowledge
}}
''For other uses of the name Lilith, see [[Lilith (disambiguation)]]''


'''Lilith''' is a fictional character on The CW Television Network's drama and horror television series ''Supernatural''. She serves as the primary antagonist during the third and fourth seasons. The first demon created by Lucifer, she attempts to free the fallen angel from his imprisonment in Hell. The series' writers introduced Lilith to stabilize the storyline by giving the demons a new leader. As a "destroyer of children and seducer of men", the character initially possesses little girls but is later depicted as possessing young women to avoid showing violence towards children on-screen. Making only a few, brief appearances in the series, the character received generally favorable reviews from critics for her role in the third season finale.

==Plot==
According to series creator Eric Kripke, the archangel Lucifer "twisted and mutilated" the human Lilith's soul into the first demon "to prove a point to God...that human souls were...inferior to God and the angels".<ref name="myth">{{cite video|people=Eric Kripke, Jeremy Carver|date=September 1, 2009 |title=Supernatural season 4 DVD featurette "The Mythologies of Supernatural: From Heaven to Hell"|medium=DVD|publisher=Warner Brothers Video}}</ref> Having been freed from Hell in the second season finale,<ref name="allhell"/> the white-eyed Lilith debuts in the final moments of the third season episode "Jus in Bello". Possessing a little girl portrayed by Rachel Pattee, she searches a police station for the series protagonists Sam and Dean Winchester, brothers who hunt supernatural creatures. Having just missed them, she proceeds to torture everyone in the station for nearly an hour, eventually destroying the station in a massive explosion. The Winchesters' demonic ally Ruby explains that Lilith sees Sam as a rival, as he has demonic abilities and was intended&mdash;but unwilling&mdash;to lead the demonic army of the previous series antagonist Azazel.<ref>Jus in Belo</ref>

Dean previously sold his soul through a demonic pact to save Sam,<ref name="allhell">All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 2</ref> and the brothers eventually learn that Lilith holds that contract.<ref>Time Is on My Side</ref> In the third season finale "No Rest for the Wicked", the Winchesters track her down in New Harmony, Indiana, where she is on "shore leave". For fun, she has taken over the body of another little girl, portrayed by Sierra McCormick, and is holding the girl's family hostage, forcing them to act as if she is their daughter. When Sam and Dean confront her, however, Lilith secretly expels Ruby and takes over her host. Dean is ultimately killed by one of Lilith's hellhounds. Lilith then tries to kill Sam by blasting him with deadly white light, but finds she is powerless against him. Horrified, she leaves the host and escapes before he can retaliate with Ruby's demon-killing knife.<ref>No Rest for the Wicked</ref>

Throughout the fourth season Lilith attempts to break the 66 mystical seals keeping Lucifer imprisoned in Hell.<ref name="areyouthere">Are You There, God? It's Me, Dean Winchester</ref> She is opposed by angels of Heaven, who resurrect Dean to assist them.<ref>Lazarus Rising</ref><ref name="areyouthere"/> However, she eventually learns that she is destined to die if Lucifer is released. In "The Monster at the End of This Book", she appears to Sam in the form of a young woman portrayed by Katherine Boecher, and offers to stop breaking the seals in exchange for his and Dean's lives. Sam refuses and a struggle ensures, with Lilith gaining the upper hand. However, Dean tricks an archangel into coming to the location, forcing Lilith to flee.<ref>The Monster at the End of This Book</ref> In the season finale "Lucifer Rising", her death is revealed to be the final, remaining seal. Sam, having been tricked by the double agent Ruby, uses his demonic abilities to kill Lilith. The blood from her body forms the gateway for Lucifer's escape from Hell.<ref>Lucifer Rising</ref>

==Characterization==
{| class="toccolours" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 2em; font-size: 85%; width:27em; max-width: 40%;" cellspacing="5"
| style="text-align: left;" | "I see Lilith...and a lot of the characters who play our most powerful roles as a little cult of demonic true believers. Lilith really believes that the purpose of all of their work, the way the universe should be, is for Lucifer to be in control. Ultimately she's a true Satanist."
|-
| style="text-align: right;" |&nbsp;— Co-executive producer Ben Edlund<ref>Knight, Season 4, p.121</ref>
|}
Kripke noted that Lilith is "a combination of all myths concerning [[Lilith]]", and posited that the show would in particular explore her two main mythological roles of "destroyer of children and seducer of men".<ref name="eclipse">{{cite web|url=http://eclipsemagazine.com/hollywood-insider/supernatural-creator-eric-kripke-answers-fan%E2%80%99s-questions-%E2%80%93-part-iii/5639 |title=Supernatural Creator Eric Kripke Answers Fan's Questions – Part III |first=Liana |last=Bekakos |date=April 26, 2008 |accessdate=May 25, 2008 |work=Eclipse Magazine}}</ref> The former characteristic is demonstrated through her possession of children, which writer Sera Gamble considered "creepy and kind of molesty".<ref>Knight, Season 3, p.99</ref> Actress Katherine Boecher supposes that aspect to be "part of the mischievous side of her", feeling that "maybe there are a lot of demons out there that wouldn't go ''that'' far to take over a child".<ref name="p135"/>

The writers set out to make Lilith's motivations "as logical as possible", with Kripke explaining that "everyone sets out thinking they're doing the right thing". He noted that in the fourth season finale "Lucifer Rising", "There's a private moment with Lilith when she says to her minion, 'Don't be afraid... we're going to save the world,'" and he believes in her sincerity.<ref>{{Cite journal | last = Knight | first = Nicholas | title = Shout at the Devil | date = October/November 2009 | magazine = Supernatural Magazine | publisher = Titan Magazines | issue = 12 |page =6 }}</ref> Boecher, too, thinks that the character is "super-confident in what she's doing" and feels that "she really believes that she's going to fix things in her own way and that she has to take it into her own hands to do so".<ref name="p135"/>

==Development==
[[File:LilithByCollier.gif|thumb|140px|alt=A nude woman in a forest with a snake wrapped around her.|The demon Lilith is based on the [[Lilith|mythological being of the same name]].]]
The third season of the series initially focuses on the Winchesters fighting small, independent groups of demons, an attempt by the writers to reflect terrorist cells.<ref name="p11">Knight, Season 3, p.11</ref> When Kripke felt that this format was not successful,<ref>Knight, Season 3, pp.11-12</ref> however, the writers chose to introduce a new lead villain to stabilize the demon storyline.<ref name="p1314">Knight, Season 3, pp.13–14</ref> Although the character had the working title of Zarqawi during the planning stages, writer Sera Gamble insisted that the demon be female.<ref name="juscloser">{{cite video|people=Sera Gamble|date=September 2, 2008 |title=Supernatural season 3 DVD featurette "Scene Specifics: Jus in Bello"|medium=DVD|publisher=Warner Brothers Video}}</ref> She eventually suggested the mythological [[Lilith]],<ref name="juscloser"/> who the writers had previously learned was in part the basis for the Bloody Mary legend in conducting their research for the first season episode "Bloody Mary".<ref name="myth"/> For writer Jeremy Carver, the debate about what form Lilith would take quickly ended when they realized a little girl "would be the most powerful representation of evil".<ref name="myth"/> As Kripke noted, "I think it's just something about the innocence of a child saying truly awful, horror things."<ref name="myth"/> Much of Lilith's actions in the third season finale "No Rest for the Wicked" served as a homage to the ''Twilight Zone'' episode "It's a Good Life", in which a powerful child terrorizes his town.<ref>Knight, Season 3, p.97</ref>

The writers initially intended for Sam to potentially defeat Lilith in the third season, but the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike prevented them from fleshing out Sam's demonic abilities until the fourth season.<ref>{{Cite journal | last = Knight | first = Nicholas | title = Habeus Supernatural | date = February/March 2009 | magazine = Supernatural Magazine | publisher = Titan Magazines | issue = 8 |page=46 }}</ref> Realizing that they could not depict Sam killing a child, the writers had her possess an adult body in subsequent appearances. Katherine Boecher received the part for the episode "The Monster at the End of This Book", with Kripke feeling that she fulfilled Lilith's myth of being a "seducer of men" by bringing a "a sexuality and a menace to the role".<ref>Kripke, Season 4, pp.96-97</ref> Boecher attempted to maintain some childlike quality for the character to "bring out more sides of Lilith".<ref name="incarnate">{{Cite journal | last = Knight | first = Nicholas | title = Lilith Incarnate | date = December 2009/January 2010 | magazine = Supernatural Magazine | publisher = Titan Magazines | issue = 13 | page=20}}</ref> Although demons typically rotate through their hosts, production asked her to return for the finale "Lucifer Rising". Admitting the benefit of having a familiar face return for the finale, Kripke further explained, "We really liked what she did, and we thought she had such a fascinating look. She's beautiful, but there's something really menacing in her performance as well, and the camera just loves her."<ref>Knight, Season 4, p.120</ref> The opportunity to reprise the role both surprised and excited Boecher.<ref name="incarnate"/>

Lilith's demonic eye color&mdash;she is the first demon depicted with white eyes&mdash;originated from Kripke's viewing of the horror film ''I Walked with a Zombie''. He found one of the creatures having all-white eyes to be "really disturbing", and gave Lilith white eyes to indicate her high status within the demon hierarchy.<ref name="p105">Knight, Season 3, p.105</ref>
Lilith holds higher status than the yellow-eyed demon Azazel, with Kripke elaborating, "You don't get much higher than her until you start digging into Lucifer territory."<ref name="eclipse"/> Unlike actors portraying Azazel in previous seasons, Boecher's eyes were colored white using visual effects instead of requiring her to use contact lenses.<ref name="p135">Knight, Season 4, p. 135</ref>

==Reception==
Regarding Lilith's depiction in "No Rest for the Wicked", Don Williams of ''BuddyTV'' deemed her "one extremely scary little girl".<ref>http://www.buddytv.com/articles/supernatural/supernatural-casts-a-powerful-23757.aspx</ref> He found her taking over Ruby's host as "one of the many disturbing moments in [the episode] that helps to make it so unforgettable", and added, "By the end of the episode, it's obvious that the Winchesters have never faced any demon as powerful as adorable little Lilith."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.buddytv.com/articles/supernatural/top-10-supernatural-episodesof-22414.aspx|title=Top 10 'Supernatural' Episodes of All Time: #10 "No Rest for the Wicked"|publisher=BuddyTV|date=September 1, 2008|accessdate=August 22, 2010|first=Don|last=Williams|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5sCvzCr5C|archivedate=August 23, 2010}}</ref> Despite the shift in actresses between Rachel Pattee and Sierra McCormick, Tina Charles of ''TV Guide'' felt that "the results were still as creepy".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvguide.com/episode-recaps/supernatural/episode-recap-of-7481.aspx|title=Episode Recap of Season 3 Finale: "No Rest for the Wicked"|publisher=TV Guide|date=May 16, 2008|accessdate=August 22, 2010|first=Tina|last=Charles|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5sCw3RnM4|archivedate=August 23, 2010}}</ref> Karla Peterson of the ''San Diego Union-Tribune'' noted that Cassidy did a "terrific job of acting like a completely different character is inside her body".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://weblog.signonsandiego.com/tvtracker/archives/023335.html|title=Supernatural: No Rest for the Wicked|work=San Diego Union-Tribune|date=May 16, 2008|accessdate=August 22, 2010|first=Karla|last=Peterson|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5sCw7TKRg|archivedate=August 23, 2010}}</ref> Likewise, Diana Steenbergen of ''IGN'' found it "nice to see Katie Cassidy have a chance to act so differently", and believed that "Lilith and her little girl mannerisms in Ruby's body were far more chilling, and interesting, than Ruby's tough chick persona ever has been".<ref>{{cite web|last=Steenbergen|first=Diana|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/874/874596p1.html|title=Supernatural: "No Rest for the Wicked" Review|publisher=IGN|date=May 16, 2008|accessdate=August 22, 2010|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5sCwCo7q2|archivedate=August 23, 2010}}</ref> Brett Love of ''TV Squad'', however, felt "a little disappointed". He enjoyed her storyline and that she "served as the catalyst for some great Ruby bits" throughout the season, but felt that the shortened season did not allow the proper build up for her character. He also did not like the change in Lilith's host, explaining, "each [body jump] takes away a little bit from the character...Especially if the demon in question keeps jumping into cute little girls". Although McCormick impressed him, he posited that "when it comes to menacing and scary, she's no Fredric Lehne" (Azazel).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvsquad.com/2008/05/16/supernatural-no-rest-for-the-wicked-season-finale/|title=Supernatural: No Rest For The Wicked (season finale)|publisher=TV Squad|date=|accessdate=August 22, 2010|first=Brett|last=Love|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5sCw9eCAc|archivedate=August 23, 2010}}</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== External Links ==
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilith_%28Supernatural%29 The original source of this page at Wikipedia]
*[http://www.cwtv.com/shows/supernatural Official website at CWtv.com]
*[http://tv.yahoo.com/supernatural/show/37502 ''Supernatural''] at Yahoo! TV
*[http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0460681/ ''Supernatural''] at IMDB
*[http://www.itv.com/supernatural ''Supernatural''] at itv.com
*[http://www.supernaturalwiki.com Supernaturalwiki.com]