Blizzard released Diablo 2 in 2000 and it remains one of the best CRPGs of modern gaming. Set after the events of the first Diablo, Diablo 2: Resurrected tasks the player with eliminating not just Diablo, but his siblings and fellow Prime Evils- Mephisto and Baal.
Within this highly acclaimed sequel are seven character classes players can choose from. Every class has special skills and its own approach to battle. As such, all these classes add a unique flavor that spices up anyone’s Diablo 2: Resurrected experience. Thing is, just what are the best classes in the game?
7 Barbarian
The Warrior from Diablo takes on the form of the Barbarian in Diablo 2. Serving as the game’s heavy melee tank, Barbarians dominate physical battles. Serving as guardians of Mount Arreat in the game’s story, Barbarians heed the call for help when they sense the threat of the Lord of Terror.
If this list was a ranking of the best support builds, the Barbarian would flip from the bottom to the top. His shouts make him a must-have for parties. He can still carry his own thanks to the Whirlwind build, but his soloing capacity isn’t on par with the others. His Leap is a great mobility skill for when enemies do get too dicey, though!
Skill Trees
Barbarians use their fierce training to dominate foes with sheer power. They capitalize on their brutal combat tactics, weapon masteries, and fabled warcries to overwhelm enemies with strength and aggression. Barbarian Skill Trees emphasize these elements to enable a Barbarian to conquer any challenge.
6 Assassin
Assassins were introduced to Diablo 2 in the Lord of Destruction expansion. Having come from a secret mage-slaying order, Assassins operate from the shadows. They avoid the use of magic and instead rely on magical equipment and traps. As such, they specialize in close quarters combat with their techniques and special abilities.
Unless playing on the easiest settings, playing a light-armored melee character is a recipe for disaster. Most heavily-armed builds don’t even opt to stay in melee range for long without serious group buffs. The Trapper Assassin “Trapsin” build works incredibly well for those gamers who are alright with turning the Assassin into a caster.
True to their nature as Mage Slayers, Assassins received remarkable training in using martial arts, traps, and the shadows themselves to eliminate their enemies. Their Skill Trees tap into these unique disciplines to give them a unique edge without having ever to rely on magical abilities.
5 Druid
Companion to the Assassin in Lord of Destruction, Druids specialize in manipulating nature and wildlife. Despite being kin to the Barbarians, Druids have remarkable control over nature. They can amass the power of the wind & plants around them and take on the form of animals.
Being heralds of nature itself, Druids have access to a wide array of abilities. Aside from their unique relationships with animals, Druids have access to shapeshifting skills and powers of the elements. Their Skill Trees emphasize this unique set of skills, allowing Druids to become tough tanks, potent damage-dealers, and efficient support units.
3 Sorceress
The Sorceress serves as the counterpart to Diablo’s Sorcerer class. As a member of one of the most powerful mage clans in Sanctuary, the Sorceress is a master of the elements. She’s capable of amassing power from fire, lightning, and ice– helping her easily dominate the battlefield.
It can be argued that the Sorceress is the best class in the game. Her lightning build is the fastest clearer in the entire game on the toughest difficulties, but there is a catch; if she gets bad luck and runs into monsters with magic resistance or immunities, she’s in a lot of trouble.
Thanks to their mastery over magic, the Sorceress has access to the fiercest spells the elements have to offer. Her control over Fire, Lightning, and Cold allows Sorceress to command the very nature of matter itself and cast them in the form of vicious spells. The Sorceress Skill Trees embody the elemental-heavy toolkit that builds up her naturally-high DPS.
2 Necromancer
Necromancers study the “Great Cycle of Being.” As such, these mages have slowly honed power that links life and death, and death back to life. Thanks to their training, Necromancers are calculating and pragmatic, using everything at their disposal to eliminate threats. As such, they use curses, hexes, and even the dead as their weapons.
With a character build a strong as the summoner or the poison build, the Necromancer is impossible to counter on a literal level. There are only four ways to break enemy immunities and the Necromancer has three of those four, including ways to break both physical and magic immunities. From start to finish, the Necromancer feels stronger than the competition.
Skill Trees
With their control over life and death, the Necromancer can tap into forbidden magics to uphold the Great Balance. In turn, their Skill Trees give Necromancers access to spells that raise the dead, poison enemies, and even curse their foes with debilitating conditions.
1 Paladin
Both knight and priest, Paladins defend the land from the forces of evil with their military training & faith. Unfortunately, a civil war within this Paladins order has forced the player to venture West to seek the Prime Evils and vanquish them once & for all. As such, Paladins arm themselves with weapons that help them smite their foes and auras that help them dominate in combat.
There are some great character builds in Diablo 2: Resurrected, but if the community had to narrow the best ones down to a single, consensus pick, the winner would be the “Hammerdin” Paladin. It takes a while to get geared up with very particular Runewords, but once the players have what they need, the Paladin is difficult to argue against.
Paladins use their connection with the Light to imbue their abilities with blessings from the High Heavens. As a result, they unleash Auras that help their allies and repel demons, as well as charge their attacks with the fierceness of angels. Their Skill Trees demonstrate these prowesses and their martial training.
Diablo 2: Resurrected was released on September 23rd, 2021, and is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
NEXT: Diablo 2: Resurrected - Leveling Tips And Tricks
