Since its inception in 1997, there has been no shortage of villains within the world of Diablo, from the titular Lord of Terror to the most recent threat🍨, Lilith, the daughter of Hatred and mother of the Nepha🅺lem. Diablo has been lauded for its intricate storytelling, violent hack-and-slash/dungeon-crawling gameplay, and dark tone inspired by various forms of theology.
As Diablo 4 comes to a close and Lilith is put to rest, there is a new power vacuum in the Diablo world. All sorts of powerful creatures have the potential to vie for domination over Sanctuary, Hell, or the High Heavens, from angels to demons to ancient forces long forgotten. In this list, we explore who might be the entity to fill Lilith's shoes and become the villain for Diablo 4 DLC or a potential Diablo 5.
10 Anu
This choice is a long-shot, but Diablo's universe leaves room for countless possibilities. Anu, a reference to the Mesopotamian sky-father god, is the progenitor god of the Diablo world, the first entity to emerge from the void (known as the pearl according to in-game sage Lam Esen).
A diamond warrior constantly changing his facets to achieve perfection, Anu's fight with the evils he cast out of himself caused the creation of the Heaven and Hell paradigm within Diablo. Though he is now rumored to be in a paradise beyond the universe, Anu left a crystalline structure called the Worldstone or the Eye of Anu. A being of such unimaginable power would make a worthy adversary if we were to see him return.
9 Tathamet
This one would take some work to implement as well, as this creature is long-dormant. The dark side to Anu's light, Tathamet is the second being ever created: a fearsome seven-headed dragon comprised of Anu's evils. Tathamet was so fearsome that its body became the foundation for Hell and its heads gradually evolved into the seven Great Evils.
There have been in-game notions that Diablo was attempting to reunify the beast by absorbing the other Great Evils. It🦩 would be a hellish phenomenon and a dark day if we were to ever see a being like Tathamet revived in the Diablo series, as this scenario is equivalent to having to fight the entirety of Hell itself.
8 Baal
Our eighth entry on the list would be a little more realistic than the ancient creatures. Baal is one of the three Prime Evils, specifically the Lord of Destruction. Brash and bent on fighting for control over the Burning Hells and bringing about Heaven's destruction, Baal is often seen as the simplest of the trio.
Having been infused into the flesh of sorcerer Tal Rasha and then transformed into a Soulstone to be used by Diablo upon release, it is likely that the Lord of Destruction is somewhere in Hell, waiting for an opportunity to wreak havoc again. While it is possible that the Lord of Destruction might have more up his sleeve than it seems, it's unlikely that he will be the next game's main antagonist - but he could be, and it would be threatening.
7 Diablo
Of course, the Lord of Terror appears on the list as a potential return villain. Since Diablo's failure to destroy High Heaven and reunite the Great Evils to revive Tathamet, the series has not heard much from its flagship lord of hell. The main villain of Diablo 3 was able to accomplish incredible feats, being th🐟e first demonic presence to make it past the heavenly gate🐼s of the Silver City in the history of the Eternal Conflict.
If Diablo were to rear his head and begin collecting the essences of Great Evils again, it would be a dire situation for any future protagonists. While Diablo 4 did not feature the Lord of Terror's machinations, it would not be too much of a stretch to see him return in another installment.
6 King Fahir 🅰 ꦚ
Fahir, unlike many of the entities littering this list, was a human being. The ruthless king of the now-splintered Fahiran Empire, his reign was marked with acts of cruelty like blood sa✃crifice and necromancy in order to extend his own life and manufacture a godlike image of himself in the minds of his subjects.
Though long dead, Fahir's undead remains have haunted his tomb since the fall of his empire, watching closely over his scepter, a valuable and sought-after treasure. Since he was saved in Diablo Immortal by his servant Segithis, Fahir's whereabouts are a mystery. It could be that this once-mighty king will strive to recreate his lost empire or seek godhood again in the next title.
5 Lucion
The son of Mephisto and sister of Lilith has yet to make a substantial appearance within a main Diablo title. A powerful and intellectual demon, Lucion vehemently opposes angels and has a distaste for humanity. In order to sway the inclination of Sanctuary's population towards sin, Lucion established the Triune, a seemingly peaceful religion that in actuality was devoted to worshiping the Prime Evils.
Inarius, a high-ranking angel, countered Lucion with the Cathedral of Light religion, perpetuating their subtle battle until the outright Sin War. During this war, Lucion was slain by Uldyssian, a powerful Nephalem. However, Lilith's defeat in Diablo 4 likely would not sit well with her thwarted brother. Perhaps he will reemerge from the void with a vengeance.
4 Ithereal
The Archangel of Fate and the lore-keeper of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:the Angiris Council takes the next position on the list. Despite Ithereal commanding legions of the Heavenly Host, his alliance with angeliꦛc forces and Heaven does not ensure his virtue. Ithereal is able to view and decipher the Scroll 📖of Destiny, granting him unique insight that no other Archangel can access.
While Itherea𓆉l has not๊ shown any hostility towards humanity as yet, perhaps his entanglement with destiny and his alliance with other members of the Council will put him in a difficult spot in a later installment. Though Ithereal has maintained that he is an observer before a fighter, one can imagine that a foe with his insights would be fearsome indeed.
3 Trag'Oul / Priests of Rathma
Instead of aligning with angelic entities or demons, this entry in the list thrives in the balance. Trag'Oul is the protector of Sanctuary, a gargantuan dragon whose purpose is to keep the Nephalem world free of angelic and demonic influences in order to protect The Balance. The Priests of Rathma are a group of mortal necromancers and other mages located in Sanctuary who also value The Balance and worship Trag'Oul.
While the Priests of Rathma have been featured in the Diablo games, Trag'Oul has not made a significant appearance thus far. It would be a fascinating narrative route to see how an obsession with balancing light and darkness could lead the Priests or Trag'Oul himself down a villainous path. Perhaps the dragon will soon bare its fangs.
2 Imperius
Taking the second spot on the list is the mightiest angel in the High ♉Heavens, the Archangel of Valor himself. Imperius is the effective leader of the Angiris Council, the commander of the Heave👍nly Host, and one of the greatest warriors of creation. Imperius has a mind for war and tactics, daring to invade the Burning Hells and train other angels in combat.
Despite his angelic status, Imperius hates humanity: blaming them for Diablo's invasion of Heaven, resenting their free will, and envying their strength in the fight against the Lord of Terror. If this hatred were to move Imperius to action in a subsequent title, he would undoubtedly be a force for the ages and a worthy final boss.
1 Mephisto
Coming as no surprise to anyone who has played Diablo 4, the Lord of Hatred seems to be the most likely entity to become the next large-scale villain. Lilith's father and Diablo's brother, Mephisto functions as a puppet master of sorts in Diablo 4. He appears to the player character several times in the form of the Bloodied Wolf while strategically keeping his soul locked in a Soulstone in the Cathedral of Hatred.
Mephisto is considered the most cunning of the three Prime Evils. Similar to his son, he prefers a strategy of manipulation and coercion as opposed to brute force, forcing dueling parties to come to blows at his behest. And, in the wake of his daughter's defeat, it is likely that the Lord of Hatred will break free from the stone and stir up a conflict again.