Lili ("The Crone")

Lili is a character in the 2022 Disney+ television series, Willow. She is portrayed by Rosabell Laurenti Sellers.

Character history[]

One night, when Lili was a young princess, the Order of the Wyrm fought their way into the Ivory Tower of Cashmere, killing the guards and kidnapping Lili, taking her to the Immemorial City.^[1] She was indoctrinated into the Order, becoming the High Priestess of the Wyrm and a powerful sorceress who mastered taboo dark magic.

She had her minions of the Order abduct the young Tir Asleen sorceress Bavmorda. Lili indoctrinated and radicalized her, teaching her dark, forbidden magic, shaping her into the Harbinger of the Wyrm.^[2]

She also created The Gales, which were four monstrous creatures that include The Scourge, The Doom, The Lich, and The Dag.^[3]

The defeat of Queen Bavmorda forced Lili, now known as "The Withered Crone" or just "The Crone", to change her plans and seek out Bavmorda's grandchildren and the Blood of the Six they inherited from their grandmother. 200 moons after the defeat of Bavmorda, she sent The Gales to abduct Airk Tanthalos, Bavmorda's grandson, from Tir Asleen Castle and bring him to the Temple of the Wyrm in Immemorial City.^[3]

While journeying to find and rescue Airk, Kit Tanthalos, the granddaughter of Bavmorda and Airk's sister, discovered a tapestry in Nockmaar Castle with images of Lili and Bavmorda that illustrated Bavmorda joining the Order.^[2]

Lili, using an illusion of her younger self instead of her true form as The Crone, was discovered by Airk Tanthalos while being held captive in the Immemorial City.^[4] She told Airk she was a princess of Cashmere and she had been kidnapped just like he was.^[5] She made it clear to Airk that she wasn't going to fall for his princely charm, however that was just a ploy to draw him in and convert him to the Order.^[1]

When Kit and Elora Danan arrived in the Immemorial City to rescue Airk, they found that he was a member of the Order, and he introduced them to Lili. Lili tried to coerce them into the Order, but both refused, enraging her. She called the Gales to her, and moved to kill Kit, Elora, as well as Willow Ufgood, Thraxus Boorman, Jade Claymore and Graydon Hastur who had also made it to the city. Graydon unsuccessfully attacked Lili, however she banished him to the realm of the Wyrm. Elora and Lili engaged in magical combat, with Elora striking mortal wound against Lili. Before dying, Lili transferred her power to Airk, making him the Harbinger of the Wyrm.^[6]

Personality, appearance and traits[]

Over the many, many years of serving in the Order of the Wyrm, she changed from a young, beautiful woman to a moldering abomination, thus becoming known as The Withered Crone.^[7] When she is in her true form, she wears a crown on her head similar to the one worn by Bavmorda.