Diablo 4, the latest title in Blizzard’s long-running action RPG series, is expected to arrive in 2021. The new game will maintain the classic Diablo formula, with procedurally-generated dungeons, loot-focused gameplay, and diverse classes, but there’s one area that could and should see some change.
There will be five classes in Diablo 4 at launch, three of which have been confirmed so far. These are the Barbarian, Druid, and Sorceress, and are all returning classes from previous Diablo games. However, there is one type of playable character that the Diablo series has never embraced, and Diablo 4 might just be the time to do it.
The world of Diablo is dark, miserable, and often hopeless. Humanity lives in near-constant danger of predatory monsters and supernatural forces. The playable characters of the Diablo games are a bulwark against that evil, yet remain untainted by it themselves. Though some lean closer to moral greyness in their lore, most remain unquestionably compassionate and noble. Certainly, not one has ever crossed over into anti-hero or justified villain territory. This seems like a strange choice for a world as dark and bitter as Diablo‘s Sanctuary.
There are certainly no shortage of complex characters in the lore, among both mortals and immortals. The Eternal Conflict between angels and demons, along with the humans who get caught in the middle, is populated with morally-divergent figures. Perhaps now, with the fourth title of the series, Blizzard may consider it time to introduce this level of complexity into its playable characters as well.
It’s true that Diablo has had a few morally-grey playable characters in its decades-long lifespan. However, none of them have ever truly crossed into the dark. Even those that are branded as evil by other humans in the world are still motivated by their good nature. For example, although the Necromancers from Diablo 2 and Diablo 3 are shunned by society, their ultimate intentions remain pure.
There is precedent, however, as other Blizzard titles haven’t been so shy about including darker playable characters. For example, the Death Knights of World of Warcraft are a type of undead warrior that feeds off the pain of others. Although each Death Knight has free will, their nature seems to draw them toward malevolence. For example, in their Class Hall live, victims are hung up in the place of target dummies.
Another Blizzard title that doesn’t shy away from darker playable characters is their competitive FPS, Overwatch. Most of these belong to Talon, a shadowy terrorist organization that seeks to sow turmoil across the globe. Characters like Reaper and Doomfist are ruthless warmongers, killing without mercy and willing to do anything to bring about another global conflict.
Blizzard are known for the high quality of its cinematic trailers, and it lived up to that reputation with the announcement of Diablo 4. The game’s first trailer followed a group of treasure hunters, raiding a subterranean temple. Things take a very Diablo-esque turn into horror when their blood is used to summon Lilith, daughter of Hatred.
Despite her gory entrance, Lilith is a very unusual demon in the Diablo 4 lore. Unlike most of her kind, she wants to see an end to the Eternal Conflict between angels and demons. She even took an Archangel, Inarius, for her lover. Together the pair not only created Sanctuary, the mortal world, but also gave birth to the race that would eventually become humanity.
Given her history, fans are already speculating that while Lilith will clearly be a central figure in Diablo 4, she may not be the antagonist. Her love for humanity and ferocious desire to protect them make for a complicated, grey character. And what better story to introduce a morally-uncertain player character into, than one revolving around a demon who loves humanity?
While there have been over twenty playable characters across the Diablo series, most of them stick to the same few archetypes. Getting an entirely new character is fairly rare, and so any villainous new hero will be the exception. The easiest point of connection would be through Diablo‘s demons, particularly with Lilith so prominent in the game.
The Diablo series has spent over a decade revealing that things aren’t as simple as angels = good, demons = evil. Therefore, a player character that is tied to the most reviled of these factions could make for an interesting story. A warlock-type character, drawing power from the Burning Hells for their own purposes would be a good way to do this. Another possible option would be a demon-summoner, binding minor demons to their service in the same way as a greater demon would.
Diablo 4 is a long way off yet, but there should be more character reveals prior to launch. Given everything known so far, it’s quite possible that there’ll be a morally-dubious figure among them.
Diablo 4 is in development for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. PS5 and Xbox Series X versions are not confirmed.
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