The best classes in Diablo 4 have changed somewhat since the most recent update for the game. However, we at TRG have broken down all the changes so as to give you the best possible guide.
In Diablo 4 your choice of class has a huge impact on your game experience. As with many of the best RPGs the classes of Diablo 4 play remarkably differently, offering distinctive ways to enjoy the title's dynamic open world and gorgeous gothic art style. This is especially true in multiplayer, where different classes synergize together in powerful and sometimes unexpected ways.
With Diablo 4's first season of content already released, players across the world are rolling up new characters to get the most out of the Season of the Malignant. Whether or not they want to experience the new story, or unlock some new outfits for their characters with Diablo 4's transmog system, there's still plenty of choice out there for players old and new.
When building this tier list, we've not only considered the power of these classes at endgame, but also their learning curves, accessibility for new players, and how fun they are to level. Our holistic approach ensures that you'll be able to make the best decisions possible when it comes to Diablo 4 classes. Read on to find out more.
Diablo 4 class tier list
Here's our Diablo 4 tier list, ranked from best to worse. Read on for more info on why we've placed each of the classes where they are in the list.
1 - Necromancer
2 - Barbarian
3 - Sorcerer
4 - Druid
5 - Rogue
Diablo 4 best classes: Necromancer
The Necromancer has earned a special place at the top of our Diablo 4 best classes guide. With its wide variety of playstyles on offer, unique class mechanic and stunning visual design, the Necromancer is, undoubtedly, the cream of the Diablo 4 crop.
Each of the three main playstyles available to Necromancer players are easy to learn and hard to master, accessible for new players, while also rewarding veterans who spend time tweaking their character’s skills around certain gear or playstyles. Bone specialists dole out large bursts of damage relative to their Essence pool, while Blood Necromancers place an emphasis on mobility, spawning Blood Orbs for buffs and healing. Lastly we have Shadow Necromancers, who deal out damage over time spells and area of effect damage with ease.
On top of all this, Necromancers have access to minions. Raised from the corpses of slain enemies, these skeletons can be tweaked to suit your playstyle or dismissed entirely in exchange for a passive buff. You can also manipulate corpses, turning them into traps or explosions. If that’s not enough for you, Necromancers can also summon massive golems, which, like their smaller counterparts, can be tailored to your whims.
Necromancer is a solid, distinctive class, with a great deal to offer for beginners and veterans alike.
Diablo 4 Barbarian
Easily one of the best Diablo 4 classes, Barbarian has made up for its poor reputation in the beta, with numerous world-first players choosing to use the class. Having played Barbarian a great deal, we can confirm that it is, in fact, highly underrated. The Barbarian allows you to be a tough, tanky powerhouse – invaluable in multiplayer and hard as nails when solo.
Though choice of skills is very important for the Barbarian, their unique class mechanic adds another layer of decision-making. The Arsenal system means that Barbarians can equip up to four different weapons simultaneously, allowing them to tailor their weapons to their different attacks. This means that, when a Barbarian player picks a skill, they also need to consider which weapon will best allow that skill to reach its full potential.
Barbarian skills are less clearly divided between different schools, instead focusing on a mishmash of area of effect, defensive, buff-based, and debuff-inflicting abilities. Barbarians are extremely versatile, able to be built to be mobile killing machines or stoic tanks that support their allies.
Diablo 4 Sorcerer
The Sorcerer ranks respectably amongst the best Diablo 4 classes, offering a degree of breadth and depth that’s comparable to the Necromancer, along with a suite of different builds which serve to take the class in wildly different directions.
Sorcerer abilities come in one of three flavors: Pyromancy, Frost, and Shock. Each element plays distinctively, albeit in a way that feels very intuitive. Pyromancy has an emphasis on area of effect and damage over time abilities, as well as limited crowd control. Shock is excellent for dishing out status effects and injuring multiple targets in a fast-paced, frenzied playstyle. Frost, my personal favorite, makes ample use of the protective barriers as well as freezing enemies in place with cumulative debuffs.
The sorcerer, perhaps more than other classes, rewards players for mixing and matching. It’s extremely satisfying to use blizzard to pin a group of enemies in place before roasting them with a fireball. Though all of Diablo 4’s classes allow for some degree of mixing and matching, it feels the most fluid with the Sorcerer. This is especially true in light of their unique class mechanic, which lets you seamlessly swap in passive bonuses between fights based on your existing spell loadout.
Unfortunately, Sorcerers have been on the receiving end of more than a few nerfs in recent updates, ensuring that the class is no longer as rewarding at high level or as durable as it once was, forcing us to bump the class down a notch.
Diablo 4 Druid
Though the Druid is by no means a disappointment to play, its status as a hybrid class can sometimes muddy the waters. However, if you can make sense of the different tools in the Druid’s arsenal, then you’ll find it to be one of the best Diablo 4 classes.
The Druid uses a combination of shapeshifting and elemental magic, crossing the streams between the Barbarian and the Sorcerer in terms of feel. Druids also have access to a variety of companions, making them reminiscent of the Necromancer in some respects, too.
Druid skills come in four types: Earth, Storm, Werebear, and Werewolf. Though undoubtedly extremely versatile, this quality can be something of a double-edged sword, leading to a character who’s a jack of all trades, and master of none. Though this style very much suits some players, it can make the Druid a difficult point of entry for newcomers.
Visually speaking, however, the Druid is spectacular, offering rapid, dramatic animal transformations and distinctive, naturalistic armor. If you’re a confident Diablo 4 player and want to cover all of your bases, then the Druid may well be for you.
Diablo 4 Rogue
It pains me to put the Rogue at the bottom of our Diablo 4 class tier list. Personally, I loved playing this class in early access. However, though it has a very distinct class identity, the Rogue is extremely fiddly and rarely flashy, especially compared to the ostentatious lightning storms of the Sorcerer or the undead hordes of the Necromancer.
However, if you’re looking for a precise, detail-oriented class and don’t mind being more understated in your approach, the Rogue may well be the right fit for you. On the surface, the Rogue looks as though it offers a contrast between close and long-range playstyles, embodied by the Cutthroat and Marksman skills, respectively. However, scratch the surface of the skill tree and you’ll find traps and embuements. Both very situational groups of skills, traps allow you to lay down obstacles on the battlefield while imbuements allow you to attach elemental effects to your attacks.
Rogue skills are highly situational compared to other classes, making them difficult to use correctly. Successfully use Caltrops to disengage and lure your enemy into a poison trap, though, and you’ll feel like a sneaky genius.
Looking for more great titles? Check out our list of the best co-op games and the best horror games if you're looking to double down on Diablo 4's gothic multiplayer goodness.
