Borderlands Ending Explained: Lilith's Transformation & The Franchise's Future (2024)

The following contains spoilers for Borderlands, now playing in theaters

Borderlands' ending sets up a potentially bright future for the Vault Hunters while setting the stage for other events seen in the video games. Based on the game franchise of the same name, Borderlands takes place on the brutal alien world of Pandora. Overrun with ruthless bandits and monstrous wildlife, Pandora is also home to a mysterious Vault. The ancient gateway is said to lead to powerful lost technologies, making it the ideal target for forces like the Atlas Corporation. It also serves as the driving motivation for Borderlands' cast of unlikely heroes.

Over the course of the film, Cate Blanchett's Lilith works through her loss and develops bonds with the rest of the group. She also learns her true destiny, which sets up a major element that the character had in the original games. While the long-awaited Borderlands movie doesn't leave many open threads to be resolved in future stories, it does set the stage for the plot shifts that occurred in the game continuity. Here's how the ending of Borderlands sets up the future of the franchise on film.

Lilith's Transformers Into A Siren In Borderlands' Ending

Lilith Finally Becomes A Siren In The Climax

The big twist in Borderlands' narrative is the reveal that Lilith is the true "Daughter of Eridia" instead of Tina, setting up her transformation in Borderlands' ending. For much of the film, the heroes and Atlas alike are operating under the assumption that Tina being a genetically modified clone with potential Eridian blood makes her capable of opening the Vault. In reality, it was Lilith all the time. Unaware of her potential until the end of the film (as opposed to her more openly empowered game counterpart), Lilith uses her newfound abilities to turn the tide against Atlas.

Lilith's newfound powers are reflective of her Siren class in the Borderlands videogames. A rare power-set that occurs in a handful of characters across the series, Lilith's Siren's abilities appear as firey wings that form on her back. With her powers, she's able to fly, create shields, and use telekinesis. Lilith's big power boost is also revealed to connect her directly to the Eridians, as she's seemingly the new incarnation of the Firehawk, a protector deity the ancient alien race believed in.

Why Lilith Stays On Pandora After Defeating Atlas

Lilith Embraces Being The Firehawk

After defeating Atlas, Lilith seemingly decides to remain on Pandora with her newfound friends. This is a far cry from the version of Lilith the film introduced, who repeatedly commented how much she hated her homeworld. Lilith's origins are reimagined in the film. As a girl, Lilith was raised by her mother. A DAHL-employee who worked with Tannis researching the Eridians and the Vault, she was seemingly killed during a bandit attack. Growing up with a group of mercenaries that Tannis left her with, Lilith repeatedly expresses no desire to return to Pandora.

However, the emotional arc of the film gives Lilith a reason to relocate back to the planet. Although she's initially distant with Moxxi and angry with Tannis when she reaches Sanctuary, Lilith's growing bond with Tina becomes the film's central emotional throughline. Along with her friendships to the rest of the group, Lilith decides to fight against the Atlas's machinations and ultimately protects Pandora from him attempt to mine the Vault for weapons. Although she seems to be nominally embracing her role as protector, the film's ending implies Lilith stays for Tina and the others.

Everyone Who Dies In Borderlands' Ending

Atlas And His Allies Don't Survive Pandora

None of the central heroes of Borderlands die, although Roland comes close when he's briefly overwhelmed by Psychos. However, several of the film's villains are dispatched by the end of the film. Atlas, who is the architect behind much of Borderlands' plot, personally leads an attack on the Vault Hunters at the end of the film. After having lost some of his henchmen to Lilith earlier in the film, it becomes clear he isn't messing around. He's joined by many of the Psychos (dozens of whom the Vault Hunters killed earlier in the film), led by Krom.

The first notable named character to die in Borderlands is Knox, who briefly tries to switch sides to join Roland but is disintegrated by Atlas. Thanks to Lilith's newfound powers, the entire main group lasts long enough to thin out the Crimson Lancer forces. Krom fights Krieg and is ultimately brought down by the heroic brawler. Atlas himself is killed by the creature within the Vault. This sets up the ending of the film, where Sanctuary celebrates the collapse of Atlas.

What Borderlands' Ending Means For The Team's Future

Borderlands Ends With The Vault Hunters United

The ending of Borderlands sets up the film's central heroes as a collective unit going forward. While Lilith forms the closest bond with Tina, she declares the entire group are her friends during the climax. The film ends with the group celebrating in Tannis' place before heading off to celebrate. It's likely that the team will remain within Sanctuary and work alongside the other citizens to protect the city. While they've angered a number of the bandits and Psychos in the surrounding area, Lilith's abilities should give the group an edge in a fight.

The ending of Borderlands suggests the group will remain together. It's possible that they continue to look into Tannis' research, which could reveal that there are other Vaults on Pandora and other worlds across the cosmos. This was revealed in Borderlands 2 and helped set the stage for the universe to expand in some surprising ways. A possible follow-up could introduce missing Borderlands game characters. Given the bonds formed between the group by the end of the film, it's likely they remain together, whether as an adventuring party or as protectors of Pandora.

How Borderlands Sets Up A Sequel

Borderlands Has Lots Of Potential Places To Go In A Follow-Up

Borderlands ends on a fairly conclusive note, but leaves room open for Lilith and the rest of the group's adventures to continue. Working together as a united group, they are positioned to be heroic guardians of Sanctuary going forward. This means any prospective follow-up could follow the challenges faced by the group. The story from the Borderlands 2 game offers plenty of potential directions for a cinematic sequel too. The existence of other Vaults and Sirens could be introduced, giving the cast a reason to rush off into battle once more.

In Borderlands 2, Roland is revealed to have taken charge of a splinter group of Crimson Lance soldiers and rechristened them the peacekeeping Crimson Raiders. This could give Roland a more authoritative role in a sequel. A follow-up could also explore the romance between Roland and Lilith that occurred between the first and second game. Lilith's ascension as the Firehawk could also see the movie universe recreate the cult that forms around her, who became enemies to the new Vault Hunters introduced in Borderlands 2.

How Borderlands' Ending Compares To The Original Video Game

The Games' Final Boss Only Has A Cameo In The Film

On paper, the endings of Borderlands and the first Borderlands game are functionally similar. In both versions, the Vault Hunters and the Crimson Lance arrive at the Vault and have a giant confrontation. However, this is the climactic confrontation of the film, with the heroes fighting their way through Atlas' forces and weaponry until only he's left. After taking Tina hostage, Lilith drags him into the Vault and leaves him for the monster within it. However, while the creature's tentacles are only seen in the film, the monster is the actual final boss of Borderlands.

Known as the Destroyer, the creature was left by the Eridians within the Vault as a means of containing its' threat to the greater universe. After slaughtering the remnants of the Crimson Lance (including Commandant Steele, who doesn't appear in the film), the Destroyer is brought down by the Vault Hunters. This more explosive ending reinforces the dangerous nature of Pandora and the Vaults, whereas the film is more focused on the threat posed by forces like Atlas, explaining the shift in the final threat.

The Real Meaning Of Borderlands

Finding Bonds In The Wilds Of Pandora

The ending of Borderlands underscores the importance of the bonds formed between the film's central heroes. This is especially true for Lilith and Tina, who end up forming a connection throughout the film. While Roland and Krieg were quick to befriend her after rescuing her, Lilith and Tina's rapport starts out far harsher and steadily develops over time. Lilith's apparent betrayal breaks Tina's heart, and Lilith makes sure to reassure Tina she's special while revealing she's the actual "Daughter of Erdia" that Atlas has been trying to use to open the Vault.

This gives Borderlands its true emotional arc, as the group is defined by their connections to one another and efforts to be better than people like Atlas. With their origins and roles in the universe ranging from cosmic importance to brutal bandit in the right place at the right time, the main group of Vault Hunters in Borderlands come together as a group and pull off the impossible. It's a sweet message, and serves as the thematic core of Borderlands.

Borderlands

Based on the video game franchise, Borderlands is a sci-fi action-comedy film that follows Cate Blanchett as Lilith, a treasure hunter who returns to her home planet, Pandora, to find a tycoon's missing daughter. Together with a group of unlikely allies, such as a soldier, a teenaged demolitions expert, a wise-cracking robot, and an eccentric scientist, the group will work together to save the girl - all while learning to deal with each other's unyielding quirks.

Director

Eli Roth

Release Date

August 9, 2024

Writers

Eli Roth , Joe Crombie

Cast

Cate Blanchett , Kevin Hart , Jack Black , Ariana Greenblatt , Florian Munteanu , Jamie Lee Curtis , Edgar Ramirez , Gina Gershon

Franchise(s)

Borderlands