The character commonly referred to as Lisa in some localizations is known in the original material as Lyza, a legendary cave raider who holds the rank of White Whistle in the world of Made in Abyss. She is the mother of the protagonist Riko and serves as the primary driving force behind Riko's journey into the Abyss. Lyza's background is defined by her extraordinary achievements as a delver. She became the apprentice of Ozen at a young age and over time rose to become one of the most renowned White Whistles in history, earning the fearsome epithets the Annihilator or the Lord of Annihilation due to her tendency to eliminate any hostile creature or rival delver she encountered during her expeditions. Her greatest feat was making her Last Dive into the Abyss ten years before the story's events, a descent from which no delver is expected to return. Before that final dive, she gave birth to Riko while on a mission in the fourth layer of the Abyss. Riko was stillborn, but Lyza and Ozen revived her using a relic known as the Curse-Repelling Vessel. Lyza then entrusted her daughter to the Belchero Orphanage and set off, leaving behind a legacy of discovery and mystery. In terms of personality, Lyza is described as a fiery, assertive, and highly energetic woman with a love for parties, drinking, and fighting. She is cheerful, optimistic, and carefree, acting on impulse and expressing her thoughts with no filter. Beneath this exuberant exterior, she possessed a deep, unshakable drive to uncover the secrets of the Abyss, a longing for the unknown that she believed no one could stop. Her primary motivation was exploration itself. She felt that if she stayed to raise Riko, she would become distant from the Abyss and would also deprive her daughter of the chance to have great adventures of her own. She left a note and a collection of her findings for Riko, delivered by Ozen, effectively setting the protagonist on her path. Lyza's role in the story is primarily that of a mythic figure and a catalyst. She is absent for nearly all of the events, yet her presence looms over every decision Riko makes. The entire journey of Riko and Reg is framed as an attempt to follow in her footsteps and reach her at the bottom of the Abyss. Her discoveries, relics, and the letter she sent back provide the initial goal and emotional weight for the narrative. In terms of key relationships, Lyza's bond with her daughter Riko is the emotional core of the series, even though they share no on-screen time. Her relationship with her former mentor Ozen is complex; Ozen respected Lyza's abilities and still carries a sense of duty toward her legacy. Lyza also took on an apprentice named Jiruo, who later becomes a caretaker at the orphanage and speaks of her with fondness and awe. Development for Lyza occurs mostly through exposition and flashbacks. The audience learns about her past through the recollections of Ozen, Jiruo, and other characters. Her character is gradually revealed to be more complex than a simple adventurer; her decision to leave Riko was not out of neglect but out of a belief that both she and her daughter needed to follow their own paths. This backstory adds layers of both inspiration and tragedy to the narrative. Regarding notable abilities, Lyza was an immensely powerful delver, known for her combat prowess and her expertise in handling the dangers of the Abyss. She discovered numerous never-before-seen relics from the deep layers, which contributed significantly to the knowledge of the delver community. Her physical strength and survival skills allowed her to descend further than most, and her fearsome reputation as the Annihilator suggests she was capable of single-handedly defeating formidable creatures of the Abyss. She also wielded a White Whistle, the highest rank of delver, which signifies her mastery and authority.