Lily Chan is Devs' determined investigator and unlikely free-will champion — a software engineer at Forest's company whose boyfriend's apparent suicide, after he's transferred to the secretive Devs division, sets her on a dangerous quest for the truth. Grieving and suspicious, Lily becomes the human variable in a story obsessed with whether anything is truly a choice.
Her arc is a thriller wrapped around a philosophical question. As Lily digs into the conspiracy, evades surveillance, and uncovers what Devs is really building, she becomes the figure on whom the show's debate about determinism versus free will pivots — the one person whose actions might, or might not, defy the system's predictions. Her pursuit of the truth drives the plot and embodies its central stakes.
Sonoya Mizuno's intense, soulful performance made Lily the show's beating human heart.
Key Episodes
S1 E1
Episode 1
Lily's boyfriend vanishes, launching her investigation into Devs.
S1 E8
Episode 8
Lily becomes the pivot of the show's determinism debate in the finale.
Lily Chan is one of the central figures in Devs, a sci-fi/thriller/drama series that aired on FX on Hulu from 2020. Within the narrative of Devs, Lily Chan serves as a pivotal character whose decisions and relationships drive key story arcs throughout Limited Series (2020). The character's journey has been central to many of the show's most memorable and discussed moments.
Portrayed by Sonoya Mizuno, Lily Chan has become one of the most recognizable characters in modern television. Sonoya Mizuno's performance brings nuance and depth to the role, creating a character that resonates with audiences on both intellectual and emotional levels. Sonoya Mizuno's work has been recognized with 1 major award, reflecting the critical acclaim their portrayal has received.
Explore More on TVCeleb
TVCeleb.com is the internet's most comprehensive resource for television character fandom, covering 165 acclaimed TV series with 572 detailed character profiles and 483 actor biographies. Our coverage spans 31 genres across 35 networks and streaming platforms, with content organized to help fans discover, explore, and engage with television from every angle.
Browse our collection by genre to find shows in your preferred category, by network to see what's available on your streaming platform, by decade to explore different eras of television history, or by curated lists that group characters by archetype and achievement. Each show page features expanded synopses, production details, and video content, while character pages include detailed arc analysis, key episodes, quotes, trivia, and fan ecosystem mapping.
Every character on TVCeleb is scored using our proprietary Fan Heat Index, which measures engagement, social activity, meme velocity, fan art density, and fandom longevity on a scale of 0 to 100. This data-driven approach provides objective insight into which characters have inspired the most passionate and active fan communities. Use the search page to find any character, show, or actor instantly, or start browsing from our homepage to discover what's trending in television fandom today.
? Frequently Asked Questions
Sonoya Mizuno plays Lily Chan, the engineer investigating the Devs division.
Lily investigates her boyfriend's death and becomes the human variable in the show's debate over determinism and free will.
