As Diablo 4 items Season 8 brings back Belial, one burning question is starting to take over player conversations: Is Lilith still the greatest threat, or has Belial just pulled the ultimate deception?
The battle for Sanctuary’s soul has never looked more complicated.

Lilith’s Reign of Terror

When Diablo 4 launched, Lilith was positioned as the ultimate antagonist. Her philosophy of independence, her hatred of the Heavenly and Hellish order, and her tragic past made her a compelling and terrifying figure. She wasn't interested in conquest in the traditional sense — she wanted liberation through chaos.

But with her apparent defeat at the end of Diablo 4's main campaign, a power vacuum opened. And in Sanctuary, a vacuum never lasts long.

The Return of the Prime Evils

Enter Belial — the Lord of Lies — one of the surviving Prime Evils. His reappearance hints that Lilith was just the beginning. If Belial has been operating from the shadows, orchestrating events while Lilith distracted humanity, then Sanctuary’s real enemy has been lurking the whole time.

Remember: Belial’s greatest weapon isn't brute strength — it’s manipulation. If players are fighting battles based on false information, if alliances are being brokered with enemies in disguise, then Belial might already be more deeply entrenched than Lilith ever was.

Who Controls Sanctuary Now?

The situation boils down to two massive possibilities:

  1. Lilith's Death Was a Lie: Belial, master of illusions, could have crafted an elaborate narrative where players believe they defeated Lilith — only for her to be secretly alive and altered.

  2. Belial Usurped Her Work: Alternatively, Belial might have let Lilith do the heavy lifting — destabilizing Sanctuary, weakening both Heaven and Hell — and now steps in to claim it all with minimal effort.

Either way, control over Sanctuary has shifted, and humanity might be even more vulnerable than it was under Lilith's direct influence.

Clash of Philosophies: Chaos vs. Deception

Another fascinating angle is how Lilith and Belial represent different philosophies of evil:

  • Lilith’s chaos was personal. She believed in free will at any cost, even if it meant bloodshed.

  • Belial’s lies are systemic. His goal is to create a world where truth is subjective, loyalty is impossible, and hope withers under endless doubt.

With Belial taking center stage, expect Diablo 4’s world to feel colder, more suspicious, and increasingly hopeless. Not every enemy will wear a monstrous face. Some will smile like old friends.

Season 8 Clues: Who’s Winning?

So far, the early leaks and teasers for Season 8 suggest Belial has the upper hand:

  • New “Mirage” mechanics hint at his influence spreading unchecked.

  • Sanctuary's leaders (Lorath, Neyrelle, Donan’s descendants) seem confused or misled.

  • Pacts once considered sacred are breaking apart, and alliances are crumbling over false information.

If this trend continues, Belial could achieve what no demon ever truly managed: ruling Sanctuary not through war, but through lies.

A Possible Twist: Are They Working Together?

One wild theory gaining traction among lore nerds: What if Lilith and Belial are secretly allies?
Think about it:

  • Lilith weakens Sanctuary's faith and order.

  • Belial manipulates the survivors, ensuring no strong leaders emerge.

  • Together, they could forge a new world order, where the old Heavenly/Hellish systems are utterly destroyed.

It’s speculative, but Diablo has never been shy about big reveals late in a season.

Player Role: Choosing the Lesser Evil?

In classic Diablo style, players may face a terrible choice by the end of Season 8:

  • Support fragile alliances based on half-truths to push Belial back.

  • Or trust in Sanctuary’s resilience, even if it means risking total collapse.

Neither choice will be clean. That’s the beauty of Diablo’s dark fantasy — sometimes, you lose a piece of yourself no matter what you choose.

Final Thought: The Puppetmaster Steps Forward

Lilith fought with blood and rage. Belial fights with whispers and smiles.
In Season 8, it’s not the monster under your bed you need to fear — it’s the friend at your side.

And if the hints are buy diablo 4 items true, Sanctuary has already fallen — it just hasn’t realized it yet.