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Diablo 4 classes – the best builds for all five

Get an overview and rundown of all the unique Diablo 4 classes to see which one is for you in Blizzard's demon slaying ARPG on PS5, PS4, Xbox, and PC.

Diablo 4 classes: From left to right, a male Necromancer, male Barbarian, and female Sorcerer standing against a blurred background of the game.

Diablo 4 is almost here after years of waiting and ahead of jumping in you will want to know what Diablo 4 classes you can play. Well, this guide will help you out by giving you a brief on all of the initial Diablo 4 classes, as well as any that are added after launch.

Below, you can find a brief overview of each one’s playstyle in Diablo 4, as well as any unique aspects they have to their class that aren’t available with the others. We will also run through basic skills and character traits to get you up to speed for when you jump into Diablo 4’s map and take on tougher Diablo 4 World Tiers or the challenging Diablo 4 world bosses.

Diablo 4 classes

There are five Diablo 4 classes to play as at launch, though the roster is likely to expand over time. These classes are:

  • Barbarian – melee focused brute
  • Druid – animal-transforming hunter
  • Sorcerer – elemental ranged mage
  • Rogue – fleet-footed backstabber
  • Necromancer – master of the undead

Below, you can find a deeper dive into each one and what you can expect from their gameplay:

Diablo 4 Classes: The Barbarian can be seen

Barbarian

The Barbarian is a brutal and physical warrior that dishes out heavy damage with a wide variety of weapons across the battlefield. They are able to wield a wide variety of weapons in a fight which means that you can switch between one-handed weapons, two-handed weapons, blades, maces, and more. Check out our Diablo 4 Barbarian weapons guide to learn more about their unique Arsenal System.

  • Playstyle – Close range bruiser
  • Resource – Fury
  • Builds – Whirlwind, Bleed

However, with its brute strength, the Barbarian is largely focused on physical damage and aims for defence and blunt force, rather than incorporating any complex skills and strategies. Likely, you will either go for a Whirlwind build or a Bleed build using Flay, Rend, and other slashing skills. Some of the core skills are:

  • Flay
  • Frenzy
  • Bash
  • Lunging Strike
  • Whirlwind
  • Upheaval
  • Hammer of the Ancients
  • Double Swing
  • Rend

Our best Diablo 4 Barbarian build guide also has a number of tips and tools to utilise within your setup.

Diablo 4 Classes: The Druid can be seen

Druid

The Druid is a master of shapeshifting and he makes his return in Diablo 4 being able to switch from human to Werebear to Werewolf. With command over storm magic and earth magic, the Druid is able to annihilate hordes and maintain powerful effects on the battlefield.

  • Playstyle – Shapeshifter
  • Resource – Spirit
  • Builds – Tornado, Shapeshifting

The Druid’s skills can all be cast in the various forms the class can turn into but they are locked to individual forms. So, you aren’t able to freely cast spells in any form, unlike in Diablo 2. These are the main skills you will use as a Druid:

  • Earth Spike
  • Claw
  • Storm Strike
  • Maul
  • Wind Shear
  • Lightning Storm
  • Tornado
  • Pulverize
  • Shred
  • Landslide

Our best Diablo 4 Druid build guide will also help you craft an excellent loadout for the class.

Diablo 4 Classes: The Sorceress can be seen

Sorcerer

The Sorcerer is a high-risk high-reward class focused on strong elemental magic at the cost of being a delicate character. In Diablo 4, the spells are centred around Lightning, Fire, and Cold, similar to its Diablo 2 and 3 counterparts.

  • Playstyle – Ranged elemental expert
  • Resource – Mana
  • Builds – Chain Lightning, Firewall, Ice crowd control

Crackling Energy gives the Lightning spells a ball of energy which is left behind on the battlefield after casting and can be collected to restore Mana. Chill from Cold spells can stack on enemies, freezing them after they are hit enough times while Fire spells deal damage over time. This gives the Sorcerer several distinct playstyles. Here are some of the key skills you’ll be using as a Sorcerer:

  • Arc Lash
  • Spark
  • Fire Bolt
  • Frost Bolt
  • Incinerate
  • Fireball
  • Frozen Orb
  • Chain Lightning
  • Ice Shards
  • Charged Bolts

Our guide on the best Diablo 4 Sorcerer build will also give you some pointers as to what to run and use in the class while you are playing.

Diablo 4 Classes: The Rogue can be seen

Rogue

The rogue is a stealthy assassin able to switch between a number of fast, powerful weapons like ranged bows and crossbows, or up close and personal with daggers, swords, and more. They can alternate between the weapon categories, which gives them a wide variety of options and choices in combat.

  • Playstyle – Agile hybrid damage dealer
  • Resource – Energy
  • Builds – Twisting Blades, Flurry, Penetrating Shot

However, the Rogue also has high mobility up their sleeve, combining aspects of various classes from the past including the original Rogue. There are also elements of the Amazon, Assassin, and Demon Hunter here in Diablo 4 rendition of the Rogue. Take a look at the main skills of the Rogue:

  • Invigorating Strike
  • Blade Shift
  • Puncture
  • Heartseeker
  • Forceful Arrow
  • Rapid Fire
  • Barrage
  • Twisting Blades
  • Flurry
  • Penetrating Shot
  • Poison Trap
  • Dash
  • Concealment

Our best Diablo 4 Rogue build also has some great skills and items to use to make the most of the strengths on offer with the nimble class.

Diablo 4 Classes: The Necromancer can be seen

Necromancer

The Necromancer class is built on a number of different playstyles: Bone, Darkness, Blood, and the Army. Within these playstyles, there are resources the Necromancer can utilise. Essence is a slowly regenerating resource gained by using basic skills, while Corpses generate a variety of effects from fallen enemies. For instance, they can summon minions or create traps from these Corpses.

  • Playstyle – Adaptable summoner and brawler
  • Resource – Essence
  • Builds – Undead Army, Bone, Blood

Perhaps the most iconic weapon of the Necromancer are the scythes they can wield. But, in addition, they can also use items like as shields, daggers, wands, swords, and focuses. Here’s a look at the main skills you will be using as a Necromancer:

  • Reap
  • Decompose
  • Hemorrhage
  • Bone Splinters
  • Blood Lance
  • Blood Surge
  • Blight
  • Sever
  • Bone Spear
  • Corpse Explosion
  • Bone Spirit

Our Diablo 4 best Necromancer build guide will help you create an excellent army of the dead.

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And that covers what we know about all five of the launch Diablo 4 classes. Get a look ahead at the Diablo 4 endgame to see what you’ll be taking on once you finish the campaign of what is shaping up to be one of the best PS5 RPG games and best Xbox RPG games right now.