Summary
When Blizzard releasedDiablo 2in 2000, fans immediately clamored for a sequel. After all, there seems to be more to theDiablofranchise after defeating the three Prime Evils. WithDiabloand his siblings Mephisto and Baal gone, just what happens to the world of Sanctuary? Thankfully, in 2012,Diablo 3gave players their much-needed answers. Additionally, it seemsDiablo 3opened the doors to more questions that the player’s characters will hopefully be able to resolve.
As with the otherDiablotitles,Diablo 3gives players the option to choose one of several playable classes. Some of these classes have come fromDiablo 2, with some new additions. Interestingly, despite the versatility of these classes, some seem to dominate the rest. Here are thebestDiablo 3classes.
Updated July 13, 2025 by Rhenn Taguiam:With the Spiritborn Class being introduced in Diablo 4, fans of the Blizzard ARPG will have a new way to play the most recent entry in the fan-favorite series. While the Spiritborn’s special animal companions and fast-paced gameplay offer a change of pace compared to traditional Classes in the game, fans might want to take a step back and enjoy the much older Diablo 3. However, fans just getting back to the game might want to consider the overall weaknesses of the title’s iconic Classes.
7Demon Hunter
TheDemon Hunter will remindDiablofans of both the Amazon and the Assassin, thanks to their weapon specializations. However, Demon Hunters weren’t “raised” by a group to be fighters of evil. Instead, the story of Demon Hunters is that they were once ordinary humans who lost their loved ones to demons - and now they’re back with a vengeance. Demon Hunters use crossbows and cloaks to hide while stalking their prey, mercilessly slaughtering them.
Demon Hunters use two resources in battle - Hatred and Discipline. With Hatred, Demon Hunters become merciless and empowered to defeat their foes. It’s a quick-generating resource, giving Demon Hunters plenty of opportunities to experiment with their skills. Their second resource, Discipline, builds up much slower.
However, it does grant Demon Hunters more powerful attacks and specialized skills. Others might say Demon Hunters lack that oomph in firepower. However, players simply need to be more calculated with the Demon Hunter. Their arrows can slow down mobs, giving them great crowd control potential. Unfortunately, it takes mastery of their mobility and skill set to fully synergize with the Demon Hunter.
Notable Skills
To combat the forces of Hell, Demon Hunters capitalize on their ranged weapons alongside traps and melee attacks. They have a dual resource, called Hatred and Discipline, that becomes the cost of offensive and defensive skills, respectively:
Demon Hunter Weakness
Being equivalent toDiablo 2’s Assassin and Amazon Classes combined, it makes sense for the Demon Hunter to also suffer from its predecessors' resource management woes. Having to juggle between two resource pools can be difficult for players in high-stress situations, especially when coupled with their heavy reliance on mobility to escape enemy attacks. Their inclination toward ranged combat and dependence on slowing and stunning abilities can make their gameplay timing-heavy and synergy-reliant.
Gameplay: Timing Is Crucial
The Demon Hunter’s main claim to fame is their attachment to humanity, relying on speed and ranged attacks to eliminate demons at a safe distance. This, however, does mean the Demon Hunter can be rather squishy and heavily reliant on their mobility and timing for survival. While their Hatred and Discipline resources are tricky to manage, their constantly-generating nature makes the Demon Hunter the equivalent ofDiablo 2’s Amazon orDiablo’s Rogue - newcomer-friendly Classes that unfortunately suffer in more technical setups.
Key to theDemon Hunter’s kitis their vast array of combat options, with a tool built for every scenario. Their Defensive actions are generally relegated to slows, invisibility, and heals that ensure contingencies for high-risk situations. Meanwhile, actions in Hunting and Devices are generally used for setups, either positioning the Demon Hunter or their enemies for combos. Archery offers the Demon Hunter’s best slate of attacks, often serving as finishers or follow-throughs.
6Crusader
Champions of justice, the Crusader serves as the Paladin’s counterpart inDiablo 3. It’s revealed that both the Crusaders and Paladins were once companions, eventually separated by their duties. Either way, Crusaderspass down holy judgmentwith their shields and flails, with the former acting as both a weapon and a means of defense.
Empowered by Wrath, Crusaders use heavenly Light to both buff themselves and eliminate enemies. They can empower their strikes with Wrath, or use the Light to bless themselves and their allies. Despite being a melee class, some Crusader abilities give them decent range thanks to Blessed Shield and Smite. Moreover, given their ability to soak damage and still accumulate heals and buffs, they make far more resilient solo characters compared to Barbarians.
Being forces of light,a Crusader depends on Wrath as a resource to eliminate the forces of evil. Through Wrath, they can invoke Laws, Convictions, and attacks that deal heavenly justice to their targets:
Crusader Weakness
Despite their tendency to be built to strike fast, the Crusader does this to ensure enemies are downed before they deal enough damage to them. And despite their abilities transforming them into versatile melee fighters, this is a double-edged sword. First, their Wrath resource regenerates slowly and can only be boosted by certain attacks that demand fixed rotations. Secondly, as the only Class in the game with no inherent Damage Reduction items, the Crusader’s limited Damage Reduction means their exposure in melee leaves them wide open to being overwhelmed by attacks.
Gameplay: Best Defense Is A Good Offense
Unlike their thematic basis inDiablo 2’s Paladin, the Crusader’s lack of active damage mitigation puts them in a precarious position when it comes to fights against much tougher foes, something that their immense attack speed and generous Wrath resource mechanics circumvent with a high damage output. While the Crusader is a decent enough Class when played solo, the potential for team play suffers as both tankiness and DPS are negligible when placed beside Classes that specialize in these departments.
Laws become the Crusader’s equivalent of the Paladin’s Auras, each of which provides Crusaders and their allies with buffs that also serve as the basis of their core gameplay. Defensive skills become their key buffer against damage, be it through shields or crowd control. Utility will see theCrusader conjure gimmicksthat boost their damage potential via setting up combos, while Conviction serves as mighty finishers.
5Witch Doctor
The Witch Doctor serves as another new class introduced inDiablo 3. Unlike other classes, not everyone can become a Witch Doctor. Rather, only talented individuals with battle history and the capability of communicating with spirits can become Witch Doctors. Akin toDiablo 2’s Druids,Witch Doctors are intimately connected to nature, this time using the spirits of the dearly departed to aid them in battle.
The Witch Doctor uses Mana, a popular resource in theDiabloseries. With Mana, Witch Doctors can use hexes and attack spells to devastate enemies. However, they can also summon gargantuans and mongrels to protect themselves and their allies. Witch Doctors offer a diverse set of skills that make them suitable for both solo and team play. Like the Druid, Witch Doctors are extremely versatile characters. However, like the Wizard, Witch Doctors tend to be fragile especially as summoners, and as such need to consider their distance.
TheWitch Doctor can tap into the worlds of both the living and the spiritsto combat the forces of evil, providing them with unique ways to approach combat:
Witch Doctor Weakness
While the Witch Doctor’s extremely potent crowd control and damage-over-time specialist makes it an asset in group fights and when fighting large mobs, its kit isn’t naturally built against single targets - making the Witch Doctor not as ideal against bosses. Although players can build a Witch Doctor that can contend with bosses, it’s very likely that the kit will still be more efficient when facing groups of enemies instead of that one foe.
Gameplay: Minions Can Do The Work
ReplacingDiablo 2’s Necromancer when it comes to having minions is the Witch Doctor, whose Mana resource is more than enough for constant summons but also slowly regenerating that it requires careful management. Being able to task their summons to do much of the work meansthe Witch Doctoralmost always has an opening to regenerate Mana, but they’re left virtually defenseless. The Mana-reliant nature of the Witch Doctor can make them somewhat fragile in fast-paced setups.
All of the Witch Doctor’s actions have a means of summoning creatures or forcing enemies to fight on their behalf, especially within Voodoo. Their slate of Defensive actions helps the Witch Doctor evade combat through backup, teleports, or crowd control. Enemies are hexed further with Terror skills that focus on halting their progress, leaving them wide open for Decay skills concentrating on damage-over-time Poisons.
4Wizard
Wizards inDiablo 3are the game’s counterparts to the Sorceress class inDiablo 2. Not only do theybelong to separate classesof spellcasters, but they are also familiar with the workings of their other magic-user comrades. Wizards possess flair and are natural rebels, and as such show disdain over the strict nature of their studies. However, they do have a natural talent for magic, capable of using powerful spells.
Contrary to other spellcasters, Wizards use raw Arcane Power. This resource regenerates quickly, enabling Wizards to cast weaker spells that can still pick off multiple enemies. They have a natural mastery over the elements, giving them access to fire, lightning, and frost spells. Moreover, they have a healthy mix of AOE and protective spells, making them great support characters.
Unlike other classes, there’s no doubt the Wizard reigns in terms of sheer DPS. Unfortunately, their weak constitution does make them glass cannons, capable of dying just as fast as they can kill their enemies. As such, Wizard users need to be careful with the timing of their spells, especially when enemies attempt to get close.
Unlike other spellcasters,Wizards are designed to be more fast and loose with their spellcasting. Their abilities rely heavily on crowd control, debuffers, and defensive abilities to survive wave after wave of enemies:
Wizard Weakness
Being the spiritual successor to the Sorcereress, the Wizard retains not just the Class’s inclination toward heavy-hitting attacks but also their inclination to be rather sensitive to attacks, themselves. Not only is the Wizard rather squishy up close, but they are notoriously sensitive to crowd control - something that can impede their rather limited movement pool as well as ruin their position-heavy kit.
Not to mention, the wealth of Wizard spells comes at a lofty Mana cost. When paired with the fact that their best build at the endgame often demands Spell Damage scaling, it may take a while before players create an optimal Wizard build to take them through multiple playthroughs.
Gameplay: High Energy, High Costs
The Wizard is the equivalent of the glass cannons inDiablo’s Sorcerer andDiablo 2’s Sorceress, this time tapping into an ample supply of Arcane Power to cast debilitating elemental attacks. Despite the robust nature of their roster, the Wizard’s spell does cost quite a lot of Arcane Power, requiring careful management lest risk extremely fragile defenses. However, the Wizard does have a fair number of survival options in emergencies, making their nature as fragile but effective AOE damagers rather promising for some builds.
Much of a Wizard’s build is centered around what Mastery they choose, serving as “ultimates” that turn the tide of battle for a few seconds after already devastating attacks under Force. Afterward, their Defensive actions give them access to teleports, crowd control, and slows that help with damage mitigation. Their Conjuration skills give nifty assets such as shields and attack buffs to aid survivability further.
3Barbarian
The Barbarians return fromDiablo 2, but this time without a home. Regardless of beingseparated from their kin, the Barbarian inDiablo 3remains as ruthless and stalwart as ever. Moreover, due to their nature, they wield large weapons to battle - and some Barbarians wield two-handed weapons on each arm.
Powered by Fury, Barbarians generate energy whenever they damage foes and when they get hit. Moreover, they use Fury to unleash deadly blows and cleaves, as well as leaps that shatter the ground beneath them. As such, players love the Barbarian for their straightforward nature.
Aside from being one of the easiest classes to get intoDiablo 3, it’s also one of the most flexible in terms of builds. Given their penchant for straightforward fighting, fans love the Barbarian for their sheer muscle. Revenge, Rend, and Frenzy easily build a Barbarian tank capable of taking on aggro and still living to fight another day.
Being a deadly damage dealer,Barbarians need ways to generate Fury and spend it properlyto wreak havoc on the battlefield as much as possible:
Barbarian Weakness
The lack of ranged options certainly makes the Barbarian heavily reliant on melee combat, which in turn forces the Class to also heavily rely on damage mitigation, damage resistances, and even lifesteal to ensure survival in high-density fights. While its AOE-specialist comrades like the Wizard far outshine the Barbarian in terms of crowd control damage, the Barbarian is the team’s best bet in anything close-quarters. This requires proper rotation juggling, Fury management, and maximizing anything that boosts survivability as a Barbarian that dies fast won’t be beneficial to a party.
Gameplay: Fury Is The Key
Compared to most Classes in the game, the Barbarian has a somewhat ironic approach to encounters wherein it needs to engage enemies constantly but is relegated mostly to a tank-support role. Key to this is the Fury Resource that deteriorates whenever the Barbarian stays away from combat. The right combination of items (e.g., The Gavel of Judgment, Bul-Kathos’ Oath) and skills (e.g., Unforgiving, Animosity, War Cry) can constantly generate Fury for the Barbarian’s use. It’s this self-sustaining, heavy-damage nature that makes the Barbarian an effective Solo Class but a bit lacking in PVP.
TheBarbarian’s toolkitis heavily reliant on Might actions that dish heavy AOE damage with crowd control penalties supplemented by boosts from Rage and Tactics skills. Meanwhile, the Barbarian’s Defensive abilities either bolster their defenses or allow them to navigate the battlefield to transition from one fight to the next, perpetuating an eternal cycle of combat.
2Monk
Monks serve asone of the new classesintroduced inDiablo 3. A mixture of the Paladin and the Assassin, the Monks are holy warriors with bodies and minds tempered to face the forces of evil. Thanksto their weapon training, Monks specialize in using Fist Weapons and the Daibo, capable of eliminating foes quickly.
Monks serve as one of the more complicated classes to play, as their Spirit resource can only be regenerated with certain attacks, skills, and combos. However, the sheer versatility of their skills enables them to mess around with foes quickly. Their special combos grant Monks special effects, and their Mantras can buff them and their comrades.
As such, Monks remain one of the most versatile classes in the game. They’re capable of being tanks with Blinding Flashes and Crippling Waves. However, they can also assume crowd control with Cyclone Strike and Dashing Strike. They can also become great healers, especially with Chant of Resonance. This versatility makes them great for both beginners and pros.
Masters of the body, theMonk capitalizes on both speed and strengthto overwhelm foes. Coupled with their keen eye for strategy and aura bonuses, Monks can use Spirit to dominate the battlefield quickly with their skills:
Monk Weakness
Despite their relative strength as a melee damage dealer, Monks suffer not just from a general lack of durability but also resource-generation woes. Spirit being reliant on dealing damage up close means the Monk is always at a risk of being overwhelmed in melee, and their overall DPS being heavily Gear-dependent means it can get tricky to optimize the Monk unless players kitted them properly.
Gameplay: Elaborate Physical Supremacy
Unlike the tanky Barbarian, the physical proximity of the Monk is supplemented by a healthy combination of movement and attacks that put them at the peak of DPS-based solo play. Their primary resource is Spirit which regenerates naturally through combat, supplemented by their heavy reliance on combos. Their builds center around Mantras, granting an assortment of buffs that focus on dealing damage, regenerating health, or boosting resistance.
Survival for Monks is determined by their Defensive skills, proving their resilience through shields or emergency heals. Meanwhile, the core of their combos is spread across Techniques and Focus, both of which enable the Monk to rely on wide-reaching AOE attacks or dash-based hits for constant damage and Spirit regeneration. This fast-paced play can make the Monk a more enjoyable melee Class, with the versatility of their mobility and combo options making them viable in a lot of game modes.
1Necromancer
The Necromancer fromDiablo 2returns inDiablo 3. And despite their heroics in the battle against the Prime Evils, Necromancers are still reviled for their usage of death magic. However, the Necromancer’s mastery of the cycle of Life and Death enables them to use the very forces of darkness against themselves. They use scythes, curved blades, and phylacteries that enhance their abilities.
Necromancers use Essence, the very fabric of life itself. They harvest Essence only through enemies, making them one of the more complicated classes to play. However, they do possess a lot of abilities. They can summon the undead that follows their bidding. Moreover,they can use bloodand bone to destroy and stop enemies in their tracks. Necromancers have great crowd-control potential, making them perfect for both solo and group play.
Like the Wizard, the Necromancer boasts great AOE spells. Moreover, its crowd control potential skyrockets thanks to its skeletons. However, unlike the other classes, the Necromancer seems to be the most technical. Despite its vast potential in team play, Necromancer players need to be wary of how they work with their comrades.
The Necromancertaps on Essence, the very thing that binds all of reality. Depending on the purpose, a Necromancer can call forth blood, bone, and curses to eliminate all who stand in their way:
Necromancer Weakness
While it’s true that the Necromancer’s minions easily make them overpowered against both mobs and bosses, the class suffers from a heavy reliance on these summons. It doesn’t help that these summons tend to have bad AI, requiring players to know how to position themselves in various room layouts to ensure their minions have room to attack.
Their resource management woes also extend to rotation formation, as players now have to consider the order their abilities can get into combat to generate the most Essence. When coupled with their innate glass cannon nature and lack of mobility, the Necromancer’s potential is set back by their technical demand.
Gameplay: Death Is Wealth
Becoming the master of life and death means bargaining in the pursuit of power, and such is thefickle balance the Necromancer is balancing in-game. The Necromancer heavily relies on Essence that is only extracted from dead opponents and their own Life to trigger various effects. Despite this dangerous resource-balancing, the Necromancer’s capabilities of pushing back against foes with a dash of self-sustains and debuffs make them an efficient all-rounder across different game modes.
The Necromancer’s trademark minions are relegated to the Reanimation actions, where they can summon an array of undead for various purposes. Aside from reanimation, the Necromancer can also do an assortment of things to dead bodies via Corpses, using themselves for health or offense. Curses offer the Necromancer’s standard assortment of debuffing hexes, whereas Blood & Bone can provide defenses such as a nifty teleport, a body double, and even armor.
