Diablo 4 has one of the most compelling stories in the series. In the past games, lore was more of an important feature. There were some classic characters to cling onto beloved by the fans like Deckard Cain, but Diablo 4 brings so much more emotion to the table.
Diablo 4 also advances the storytelling techniques of the series. Before, most conversations were played out through dialogue boxes with static top-down viewpoints and an occasional CG cutscene thrown in for variety. The camera angles in this game are now more dynamic. The narrative would be nothing without its characters though, so let’s highlight some of the best. There will be spoilers.
8 Elias
Elias is the man behind Lilith and the one that seemingly starts the game properly by releasing her. His character design makes him look like a Sith Lord from the Star Wars universe. He may not have a lightsaber but he certainly has his fair share of powers via magic powers like being able to resurrect himself.
He’s not as menacing as Lilith, but his work behind the scenes does put the heroes at a disadvantage. The best scene in the game involves getting to his city wherein players will see the townsfolk brainwashed into thinking he is like a god.
7 Meshif
Meshif has a minor role in the game that is tied to this aforementioned city to Elias. Players will find him in a drunken state, confused about who the player character is along with who Lorath is. He keeps thinking that Lorath is Deckard Cain who has been dead for quite a while.
His brain may be in shambles, but he is reliable enough to get the team across the desert. He has an unfortunate end, but at least he gets to die with dignity, unlike some other characters in the game. The body horror in Diablo 4 is more twisted than in some recent horror movies.
6 Taissa
Taissa is one of the many characters in the game that are almost sacrificed for Lilith. Elias is trying to create a host in her body to resurrect Andariel, one of the demons of Hell. Thankfully, the player and Lorath arrive in time to rescue her from inside a volcano of all places.
Taissa spends the majority of the game being rescued or catered to in case Elias and the others return. Unfortunately, Andariel does get resurrected for a boss fight but Taissa does not die. Without spoiling anything, Taissa eventually gets to one-up the villains in a cool way.
5 Vigo
Vigo is not Vigo the Carpathian from Ghostbusters 2 although that would have been a cool tie-in. Vigo is instead a knight with a conflicted conscious. He wants to do the right thing but when faced with overwhelming odds, he turns to the dark side via Lilith behind the scenes.
Before he can do anything reckless though, Vigo sees the error of his ways and comes to rescue the player during a boss fight. He is inside a medieval-looking mech that is almost like an iron maiden construct. He dies inside this mech but at least he had a worthwhile last stand.
4 Donan
Donan used to be one of the legendary warriors that protected Sanctuary alongside Lorath. He’s hesitant to believe Lilith has returned but he eventually wisens up quicker than most characters in Diablo 4. That is until his son, Yorin, gets sacrificed via a Soulstone to resurrect Astaroth.
Players have to kill Yorin as they have no other way of stopping the fused characters from aiding Lilith. This puts Donan in a dark place, giving him one of the best arcs in the game. Also, he’s the one who gives players a horse in Diablo 4, so he’s like a god.
3 Neyrelle
Neyrelle is first introduced when she is trying to get into some ruins Vigo is protecting. She is both an adventurer and a scholar interested in the dark history of Sanctuary. Her main goal is to find her mother, which she does, but not in the state she wants.
Neyrelle’s mom believes in the lies of Lilith thus dying in a demonic state before the player. After this quest completes, it seems like her role is done in the game but Neyrelle bounces back with the full force of a thousand daughters seeking both revenge and answers.
2 Lorath
Lorath is a great character in Diablo 4 thanks to the voice acting of Ralph Ineson. He starts out as a hermit who winds up behind the key to this whole game. Like Doran, he was once a legendary warrior serving the people of Sanctuary in the shadows.
This aged mage is over being a hero but that doesn’t stop him from doing the right thing. To bring it back to Star Wars, Lorath is like Obi-Wan Kenobi except with a more fierce tongue. Funnily enough, Ineson is also going to be a prominent character in another June RPG via Final Fantasy 16.
1 Lilith
Lilith may be the villain, but she is the star of Diablo 4. One of the downfalls of the past games was a lack of a central villain. Lilith is almost omnipresent in the story and is not some faceless entity awaiting players as the final boss. She has a complicated history and isn’t evil for the sake of being evil.
She has her goals and will sacrifice anyone in her way, sure, but there is a good reason for it. Lilith is the compelling reason why players are going to want to mainline and complete this game as fast as possible.
Diablo 4 was released on June 6, 2023, and is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
#Characters #Diablo #Ranked
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