Choosing the best class in Diablo 4 isn’t as simple as choosing a class you think sounds cool.
Blizzard’s isometric dungeon-crawler features six classes: Barbarian, Necromancer, Rogue, Sorcerer, Spiritborn, and Druid. Each class has a unique class mechanic along with a skill tree equipped with a variety of spells. All of their playstyles are different — and compounded by Diablo 4’s complex game of numbers — but which one is the best class for you?
In this Diablo 4 guide, we’ll explain each of the classes to help you decide how to pick the best class. We’ll also tell you the best Diablo 4 class for solo players, and the best class for beginners.
Update (Jan. 22): Updated with our class recommendations for Season 7.
How to make the class choice in Diablo 4 f0r you
There are six Diablo 4 classes, and all of them have their own unique playstyle. But before you dive into the game and pick your class, you may be wondering: Which class is the best class in Diablo 4?
You may be surprised to learn that this is an impossible question to answer — at least in such simple terms.
The best class changes season to season. And while Blizzard typically doesn’t make big balance changes during the season itself, it will rebalance classes that are overperforming too much. So it’s best to avoid picking a class for a specific build and instead try and pick based on the class that interests you most. Plus, the power level differences between the classes really only start to matter at the highest levels of play, which is something most players will never even get close to.
All that said, if you do want to know what the “best class” is and which you should choose for the current season we’ve got some advice for you below.
What is the best class in Diablo 4 season 7?
With the Spiritborn getting a significant smack from the nerf bat between seasons 6 and 7, all of the classes are in a more equal place, so you shouldn’t worry too much about what the “best” class is unless you want to compete with other players.
However, it’s worth keeping in mind that all of this is based off of the public test realm and Blizzard’s official patch notes for season 7, which is only representative of the start of the season. These rankings could change over the coming days, weeks, and months.
At a glance, here’s our ranking of the best class in Diablo 4 season 7:
6. Sorcerer5. Druid4. Spiritborn3. Barbarian2. Rogue1. Necromancer
If you’re looking for additional resources and breakdowns on the best builds, Diablo 4 content creator Rhykker has a great video ranking the Diablo 4 classes going into season 7. And while his order sometimes varies slightly from ours, he’s got some interesting perspectives from his time on the public test realm. We’ve also got a video below from Diablo 4 content creator Raxxanterax , a very reliable voice in the community, showcasing his picks for the strongest class.
6. Sorcerer
After some time in the sun, Sorcerers are getting a bit of a nerf this season. This is ultimately to help the class get more build diversity, rather than having players take the same abilities season after season. However, things will probably feel bad in the meantime while Blizzard adjusts the Sorcerers. This class seems to be feast or famine every season, so it’s always possible something emerges that makes them the best class in the game, but that’s always true of Sorcerer.
5. Druid
Druids continue to be strong and “fine.” They’re not very flashy compared to the fellow classes and continue to need a bit of help in the leveling department. However, their companion build will continue to be very strong this season, especially with the addition of the Witch powers, which allows a Druid to make their dogs get real big, which is at least fun for canine enjoyers.
4. Spiritborn
Spiritborn were doing absurd damage in their debut season, and Blizzard understandably went in to target several bugs and unintended interactions that were causing numbers to skyrocket. The nerfs were pretty huge, but the class is inherently strong from a design perspective, so it’s very possible people are underestimating the Spiritborn in its sophomore season. But just the way things look at launch, it’s in a much weaker place than it was in Vessel of Hatred and season 6.
3. Barbarian
The Barbarian is constantly on the move on this list, but always seems to find some build to skyrocket near the top. It’s starting in a pretty good place in season 7, with the Earthquake build looking very promising. It lacks some of the build diversity that you’ll find even for classes lower on the list, but the builds that are strong are very, very strong this season.
2. Rogue
Rogues are getting a big upgrade to its Shadow Clone Ultimate skill this season, which now directly copies the Rogue’s attacks and movements. Paired with one of the new Unique items from season 7, the Rogue is looking very powerful indeed, and should provide a slightly different playstyle than previous seasons, which is always a bonus.
1. Necromancer
Necromancers find themselves with a ridiculously powerful build this season in Blood Wave, one of their Ultimate skills. Ultimates got a major glow up in season 7, and Blood Wave is the biggest beneficiary of those changes. There are other bonuses for the Necromancer on top of that, with companions and minions getting a big buff. And while that’s good for Druids, Necromancers are still the minion class, so there are lots of potentially powerful setups this season.
What is the best class in Diablo 4 for solo players?
The Rogue is likely the best solo class for skilled players looking to bring themselves through the game — even if you’ll eventually have to work harder in the endgame to compete with Barbarians.
As a Rogue, you’re highly mobile, stealthy, and are able to fight from both range and melee. You’re also the most versatile class with a huge variety of builds. You are easy to kill, which can make your class difficult to master, but once you’re practiced, you can take on an army of monsters by yourself without slowing down.
Of course, like the “which class is best for you” section, there is no right answer. You can play all six classes solo, and there is no support class in Diablo 4, only support builds.
What is the best class in Diablo 4 for beginners?
The easiest class for beginners is either the Necromancer or the Barbarian, and there are pros and cons to each.
The obvious boon for Necromancer players is the army of skeletons you have at your disposal. These minions will attack things alongside you and, depending on your build, they can deal very high damage. As a new player, being able to lean on some AI allies all the time is a huge stress reliever. If you mess up your abilities or aren’t sure how to attack and stay alive, you can just focus on keeping yourself safe while your buddies clean out the dungeon.
The con here is that Necromancers technically have two resources to manage, as they cast spells using Essence as well as their unique Corpse mechanic. This can make things a bit overwhelming for new players, as Corpses complicate certain skills and can also visually obscure the ground in dungeons.
Barbarians, on the other hand, are just big, smashy folk trying to do their best to rid Sanctuary of demons. The fantasy and (some of) the playstyles for Barbarians are similarly simple. You’re going to spend a lot of time just running up to monsters and punching them in the face until they die. There are no tricks here. You’re not turning yourself invisible or transforming into a bear. You’re taking a big hammer and you’re smashing stuff.
However, there are two big cons to the Barbarian: one on each end of the play experience. Barbarians are one of the weaker early game classes, and you can die fairly easily when you don’t know what you’re doing. For your suffering, you’ll get to be very powerful in the endgame. But even that comes with a complexity cost, as the reason Barbarians are so strong later in the game is because they are the only class that can wield four weapons at once. This means that you have to find more gear than other classes and you have more powerful Legendary powers to combine together. That’s exciting, but also overwhelming.
The great news about Diablo 4 is all the classes — including Druid, Sorcerer, Spiritborn and Rogue — all have simple builds and complex builds. While Barbarian and Necromancer are probably the easiest for most players, they might not be the best first choice for you.
All Diablo 4 classes summary
Let’s go through the classes in more detail, one by one.
Barbarian
Barbarians in Diablo 4 are fierce warriors who leap into the fray. As a Barb, your main mechanic is the Weapon Arsenal, which allows you to hold four weapons at once. Some of your abilities will require you to have a specific weapon type such as slicing, two-handed, dual-wield, or bludgeoning to use. But for some skills, you can manually switch weapons for different effects. You’ll gain expertise the more you use a certain weapon, which will provide you with buffs like increased critical hit chance or more damage against vulnerable enemies.
Not only are you capable of mastering offensive weapons, Barbarians are meant to be bulky bruisers who can take a hit from any foe. With a plethora of shouts and damage reducing abilities, you’ll be spending a lot of time up close and personal due to your survivability.
Necromancer
The Necromancer is a staple for the Diablo series. As a summoner, you’re able to conjure hordes of undead enemies to do your bidding or sacrifice your minions to empower yourself.
Your unique mechanic is called the Book of the Dead, which allows you to customize your undead army by selecting what type of skeletons you’ll summon (along with a specialization). You can give your pawns more health, increased damage output, or the ability to deal AoE damage. If you don’t want to manage your minions, you can choose to sacrifice either some or all of your minions to gain a permanent buff.
Necromancers have a unique resource that other classes do not have: corpses — which, you guessed it, are left behind when enemies die. You also have Essence, which functions similarly to mana, allowing you to cast your regular abilities, but in order to raise minions, you’ll need a corpse. If you’re going the solo show route, you can also detonate the deceased instead.
Rogue
Rogues are versatile duelists who can specialize in either ranged or close quarters combat. (If you played the Demon Hunter in Diablo 3, this is the most similar class for Diablo 4).
Your unique class mechanic is Specialization, which changes your fundamental abilities and your playstyle. There are three different specializations: Combo Points, Inner Sight, and Preparation.
Combo points will increase the damage output of some of your abilities and change how they function by increasing the number of arrows fired or adding a chance to knock down your opponents. Inner Sight will provide you with unlimited energy for a short amount of time when attacking a marked enemy. Preparation allows you to use your ultimate abilities more frequently after spending a lot of your main resource.
The Rogue is a mobile class that gives you access to stealth, traps, and imbuements, allowing you to take on any kind of content. You’re able to dart in and out of combat with a combination of ranged, melee, and stealth attacks.
Sorcerer
The Sorcerer is your typical ranged caster or fantasy mage. By using the powers of fire, lightning, and ice magic, you can obliterate your opponents. Whether you want to spawn fire hydras or spam chain lightning, you’ll easily take down anyone in your path.
Your unique class mechanic is Enchantment, which will provide your abilities with powerful passive effects that — when slotted into your Enchantment slots — will trigger without you needing to put them on your bar or spend mana. For example, you can cast Fireball using mana to shoot a giant flaming blast at enemies. But you can also place Fireball into one of your Enchantment slots, which will cause all enemies to explode when you kill them.
As a Sorcerer, you’re slightly more frail than the other classes, but you do have a bundle of defensive abilities that can make you (temporarily) unkillable. Encase yourself in ice, surround your body with fire, or simply zip away from danger.
Druid
Druids missed out on Diablo 3, but have been in the Diablo universe since Diablo 2. As a Druid, you’re are shapeshifter who can transform into a savage werebear or a vicious werewolf while also unleashing nature’s wrath to defeat your foes. Your unique class mechanic is the Spirit Animal system, which grants your character a boon such as new passives and stat increases.
Necromancers are not the only summoners in Diablo 4, as you can also call companions to your aid as a Druid. Summon wolves, ravens, and vines to assist you in defeating the demons scattered around Sanctuary. You’ll also be able to bring forth some of nature’s deadliest calamities such as a hurricane to sweep away your enemies.
Spiritborn
Spiritborn isn’t the typical martial arts “monk” class — although that’s certainly how they seem initially. As a Spiritborn, you’re a hyper-mobile melee class who is able to dash between targets and deal out a variety of different kinds of elemental damage.
You can channel these various elements through the four unique animal spirits that Spiritborn are intertwined with. There’s the jaguar (attack speed and fire), gorilla (physical and protection), eagle (lightning and speed), and centipede (poison and healing). You’re eventually able to pledge yourselves to two of these spirits in your Spirit Hall, which is your unique class mechanic, which transforms all of your skills into the spirit of your choosing.
The Spiritborn is one of the most complex and versatile classes in Diablo 4, and it’s extremely rewarding to both learn and play.
Going into this season, here’s the best Spiritborn build, all Tenets of Akarat locations, and guides on how to unlock Mercenaries and get more loot in Kurast Undercity.
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