The lore of Magic: The Gathering is packed with various characters who have shaped the Multiverse into what it is today. The great artificer Urza is an early example, not to mention the all-powerful dragon overlord, Nicol Bolas and the villainous Yawgmoth. More recently, a powerful planeswalker named Liliana Vess has stepped onto the scene and made a huge impact on the lore.
Game-wise, Liliana first appeared in 2007's Lorwyn set as the first black Planeswalker card, though within the lore, she is older than most other Planeswalkers. Despite her appearance, she's over a century old. Liliana may be a necromancer, but she is not a cheap villain; she's a complex character who has experienced hope, heartbreak, tragedy, triumph, friendship and more.
When Liliana Accidentally Poisoned Her Brother Josu
Liliana Vess didn't originally plan on being a necromancer or a wizard of the dark arts. Instead, she grew up on the massive plane of Dominaria as a trainee healer, and she had a beloved brother named Josu. However, an enemy of the Vess family, the Raven Man, tricked Liliana into using a false cure on her sickly brother. Liliana poisoned Josu with the brew the Raven Man offered, leaving him in agony.
Liliana desperately accessed black mana to fight off her out-of-control brother with zombies. In this moment of distress, her planeswalker Spark ignited, and she found herself on the gothic horror world of Innistrad. This sinister plane would soon inspire Liliana to embrace the dark side of magic rather than fear it, shaping her as a planeswalker and as a person.
When Liliana Made a Pact With Four Demons
After a point, Liliana became totally comfortable with her status as a dark wizard. As a true practitioner of black mana, she sought more strength, influence and arcane knowledge. Her greed and ambition led her to approach the mighty Nicol Bolas, and have him broker a deal between Liliana and four powerful demons across different planes. The deal was done, and Liliana acquired eternal beauty and strength -- but at a serious price. She used this power to become the Multiverse's best necromancer, all while trying to figure out a way to escape the dark deal she made. Liliana was trying to have things both ways, and that would not prove easy.
When Liliana Joined the Gatewatch on Innistrad
Liliana Vess was self-absorbed and sought only to exploit other people for her own gain. Deep down, however, she was not a fully-fledged villain. Liliana had a shred of her humanity left, and this compassion led her to sympathize with the Gatewatch when they took the fight to Emrakul, the Eldrazi titan that was wreaking havoc on Innistrad.
Of course, Liliana was not being entirely altruistic; she took advantage of the situation to create a massive zombie army and help defeat Emrakul, all so she could maintain Innistrad as her favorite stomping ground. Liliana enjoyed her time on Innistrad, and losing it to Emrakul would be a real shame. In the process, Liliana formally joined the Gatewatch, impressing Jace Beleren and the rest with her power. This led Liliana to help take the fight to Nicol Bolas on the desert world of Amonkhet, though that mission ended in failure for the Gatewatch.
When Liliana Freed Herself of Her Dark Contract on Ravnica
Liliana painstakingly hunted down and destroyed the four demons to which she was bound, but that did not set her free. Instead, the dark deal was transferred to Nicol Bolas, the deal's broker, binding Liliana to the vastly powerful Bolas. Fighting him was a hopeless proposition, even for Liliana, but there was no escaping him. Eventually, the Gatewatch and many other Planeswalkers gathered on the urban world of Ravnica to face Nicol Bolas and his army of Eternal warriors. The Planeswalkers, including Liliana, gave it their all to fight back.
Liliana fought for Bolas at first, then switched sides and defied him. Gideon Jura, the heroic planeswalker, gave his life to help protect Liliana and injure Nicol Bolas. Then Ugin the spirit dragon finished the job by imprisoning Bolas on his meditation world for all time. At last, Liliana was free of all contracts and deals, and she savored her freedom. Tragically, this came at the cost of Gideon's own life, a fact that Liliana did not take lightly.
When Liliana Became a Professor at Strixhaven
Liliana was desperate to bring Gideon back to life to repay him for his noble sacrifice, and that led her to the plane of Arcavios, home of the ultra-elite Strixhaven university. Liliana assumed the name Serafina Onyx and became a professor at the Witherbloom school. She ransacked the great Biblioplex library to find the secret to bringing Gideon back, but ultimately learned that this was impossible. Gideon could not be returned, meaning it fell to Liliana to live a life of virtue and generosity to honor his memory.
To that end, Liliana fought hard when the vengeful Extus Narr arrived with his Oriq army to assault the Strixhaven school. In fact, she personally watched over Will and Rowan Kenrith to ensure their survival. Once the battle was over, Liliana reverted to her original name and continued to teach at the Witherbloom school, mainly to teach necromancy. At last, Liliana is fighting for the sake of others.