Looking for the best class in Diablo 4? There are five classes available at launch in Diablo 4, and let’s make one thing clear: they all feel incredibly powerful. Diablo 4 is a demon-slaying power fantasy, after all, so whichever class you think looks fun should be able to slaughter the hordes of hell.
However, if you want to dive into the toughest endgame content, push to level 100 in Hardcore mode, or rise the ranks when leaderboards eventually arrive in future seasons, then you’ll want to use the best class in Diablo 4. Fortunately, that’s where we come in!
In this guide, you’ll find the best class in Diablo 4, alongside a full ranked list covering the strengths and weaknesses of each class. This is based on the current launch build, so things may change with future updates to Diablo 4’s class balancing.
Best class in Diablo 4
The best class in Diablo 4 is the Barbarian. This is almost entirely because of the Whirlwind Barbarian build, which is so good at endgame that nothing else compares. The Whirlwind Barbarian is, to put it simply, absolutely busted.
It’s a melee powerhouse with minimal issues for resource generation, meaning it can hold Whirlwind for an incredibly long time to mow down dungeon mobs and bosses alike, and lots of utility to buff itself and allies thanks to its various Shout powers.
However, there’s one big caveat here. While it seems there will not be a balancing patch for the early access launch, it’s possible that nerfs could arrive in the coming days. If the Whirlwind Barbarian gets hit by those nerfs, it will tumble down this list. We’ll see how things shake out, but for now, the Barbarian takes the top spot.
Below, you can find a ranked list of all five classes, from best to worst:
- Barbarian
- Druid
- Sorcerer
- Rogue
- Necromancer
Below, we’ll break down each class, covering their strengths and weaknesses so that you can see why they’ve ranked in the order listed above.
Diablo 4 best class: Barbarian
The Whirlwind Barbarian is a Diablo classic, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Barbarian takes the top spot on this list. It’s an incredibly powerful melee class that can tank enemy hits without breaking a sweat, making it easy to pilot for newcomers and perfect for clearing endgame dungeons for veterans.
The Whirlwind skill really needs no introduction. It, unsurprisingly, makes your Barbarian spin around with their weapon, damaging anything that comes close. It costs Fury, but the beauty of the Barbarian is that this class has so many ways to increase Resource Generation, meaning Fury really won’t be a problem late-game.
When paired with Legendary Aspects such as Aspect of the Dire Whirlwind (which increases Crit Chance) and Uniques such as Gohr’s Devastating Grips (which makes Whirlwind explode after it ends), Whirlwind really does feel unstoppable in any scenario.
The Barbarian isn’t all about big damage numbers, though. It also has impressive utility options, such as Rallying Cry and War Cry, that will improve Movement Speed, Resource Generation, and even total Damage for you and your allies. That makes the Barbarian invaluable in a group, and the clear best class in Diablo 4 at launch.
Druid
The Druid is the most varied class in Diablo 4, with plenty of wildly different playstyles to try out. Want to command wolf pets on the battlefield? Druid! Want to become the wolf? Druid! Want to forget all of that and use a combo of Earth and Storm spells to bend nature to your will? Druid!
That variety is great, but more importantly, the Druid’s many potential builds are also ridiculously powerful. Raw skill damage aside, they also have ways to inflict debuffs such as Vulnerable and Immobilized on enemies, offering vital Crowd Control that’ll make it easier than ever to clear demon hordes.
Unlike other casters, such as the Sorcerer, the Druid is also rather tanky. They have a lot of health and high defense, making it easier to soak enemy hits when you find yourself swarmed in late-game content. This makes the Druid a lot easier to use, and this ease of play and the high number of powerful endgame builds on offer combine to make the Druid one of Diablo 4’s best classes.
If controlling storms and becoming a bear sounds like something you’d enjoy, take a look at our Diablo 4 Druid build.
Sorcerer
The Sorcerer is a strong, varied caster in Diablo 4, largely thanks to some powerful spell combos that will tear through enemies with ease. Chain Lightning and Fireball was a big favourite in the Betas earlier this year, thanks to Fireball’s Enchantment effect that made enemies explode on death, and even more fantastic builds are appearing at launch that use Enchantments in creative and efficient ways.
A solid all-rounder, we expect the Sorcerer to prove incredibly popular in the early-game. It’ll probably drop off late-game, as it’s far less tanky than the Barbarian or Druid, but various ways to activate Barriers and Crowd Control enemies should help it stay alive. Bringing these abilities into a group scenario, where you also have a Barbarian or Druid to tank some of the bigger damage late-game, will help the Sorcerer a lot.
Overall, we think the Sorcerer fits perfectly in the middle of this list. It doesn’t have the tankiness or the unfathomably high damage potential of the Barbarian and Druid, but it’s also able to circumvent some of the issues that drag down the Rogue and Necromancer. It’s casual friendly, easy to pilot, and a solid class for anyone starting out in Diablo 4.
If you want to play as the ultimate Lightning mage, take a look at our Diablo 4 Sorcerer build.
Rogue
The Rogue is a high damage, high mobility class in Diablo 4, and it has a few different playstyles of varying power. Trap-based and ranged Rogues can be fun, and quite powerful, but we think its melee Shadow skills are best.
Endgame Rogues have access to a powerful synergy using Twisting Blades and Shadow Imbuement. This allows you to deal massive damage to enemies and cause them to explode, getting the best bits of the Necromancer’s Corpse Explosion or the Sorcerer’s Fireball Enchantment while still dealing huge melee DPS. Combined with the Rogue’s high movement speed, this build can be incredibly strong.
Rogues also have strong Crowd Control capabilities, able to inflict a wide array of status effects on enemies to keep them in a weakened position. Whether you want to Slow, Stun, Daze, or Infect enemies, while also making them Vulnerable so that they take more damage, Rogue is the class for you.
However, Rogues cannot soak enough damage to easily survive endgame content. When you reach those Nightmare Dungeons and are fighting enemies at the highest levels, Rogues will struggle to survive without the best players at the helm. You need to be fast, reactive, and constantly prepared to dodge a wide array of attacks from various enemies. If you can’t keep up, you’ll die, and that makes the Rogue a really tricky class to use. It is viable with a really good player, but otherwise you should probably look elsewhere.
If you’re excited to stab from the shadows, check out our Diablo 4 Rogue build.
Necromancer
At the bottom of the pack comes the Necromancer, which we’ve found pales in comparison to other classes at launch. The various Necromancer builds on offer, including the infamous Corpse Explosion build that has proven popular in past Diablo games, might feel powerful early on, but they drop off at endgame.
Much of that is due to the skeleton minions, which are a core part of the Necromancer experience. Minions got buffed in the Server Slam after some negative feedback, and they certainly feel sturdy and survivable on lower difficulties at launch, but they aren’t able to handle Diablo 4’s Nightmare and Torment difficulties.
As you progress past World Tiers 1 and 2, managing your corpses to keep minions alive and continue spamming Corpse Explosion also becomes harder as larger demon hordes swarm your character. In co-op it’s a lot better, as you can have a Barbarian or Druid friend tank the damage, but the Necromancer alone doesn’t hold up against the other classes.
Corpse management aside, though, the Necromancer is often one of the simpler classes. You can sit back and focus on spamming corpses, using them for Corpse Explosion or to raise minions as needed, as these are your primary sources of damage. That simplicity makes it an excellent pick for those new to the Diablo franchise, but the more monotonous nature of this playstyle makes it a less exciting pick as you progress towards the endgame experience.
If you want to control the dead, take a look at our Diablo 4 Necromancer build.
That wraps up our guide on the best class in Diablo 4. For more, take a look at our guide on the max level in Diablo 4 so that you can better understand your journey to endgame. If you’re interested in other goodies you’ll unlock as you level up, make sure to check out our guide on the Diablo 4 battle pass.
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