The Differences between the Released Diablo 3 Characters

If in the slightest chance you haven’t been living under a rock these past few months, you will have heard the announcement of the future release of Diablo 3.  To the uninitiated, here are the essentials you need to know to relate to all the gamer talk going around you.

Diablo III is the third installment in the highly successful Diablo franchise from Blizzard Entertainment Inc. It is a hack-and-slash game that puts you in control of a hero of your choosing bent on saving the mythical world of Sanctuary.  You will battle creatures that range from hordes of the undead to demonic bosses whose sole existence is to break your bones.

There are several classes available, each with their own attributes and abilities to help them fight across the world of Sanctuary. Unlike the previous games, Diablo 3 lets players choose a gender for their character class. There have been rumors that 5 classes will be available on the game release but so far Blizzard has only officially unveiled 4 of them.

The Barbarian is the only character class that was carried over from Diablo 2. They hail from Mount Arreat which they consider as a sacred part in their culture. The only class capable of dual wielding, they are built to absorb tremendous punishment and excel at melee combat.  Their skills are centered on their immense size. Their ground stomp paralyses enemies which leaves them vulnerable to attack. Whenever they leap, their size causes earthquakes and seismic damage. These skills are effective for area damage and combined with the Barbarian’s unrelenting whirlwind, makes this class unstoppable.

Monks are Diablo 3’s counterpart of the Paladin class from the previous game. They have no worldly desire except to train their mind and body to defeat any unholy creature that comes their way. Years of brutal training have transformed the Monk’s body into a living weapon. Because of this, this class is capable of unbelievable physical feats. The Monk doesn’t need any weapon to deal damage.  His exploding palm destroys opponents with a single blow. He is capable of moving so fast it would seem his seven-sided strike comes from seven different people while his way of the hundred fists will render his opponents incapable of defense. Give the monk a weapon and he creates an impenetrable defense that no weapon could penetrate.

The Wizard is to Diablo 3 what the Sorceress is to Diablo 2. The Wizard’s abilities come from his manipulation of primal forces.  Capable of controlling the elements, the wizard’s power is only limited by his mind and desires. By focusing his will, the wizard can command fire to disintegrate his enemies. Electricity is also used to electrocute those unfortunate enough to stand in his way. His knowledge of the fabric of space and time allows him to teleport and slow down his opponents making any attacks useless.

The Witch Doctor is the class that derives its power from the Unformed land. Diablo 3’s version of the Necromancer, the Witch Doctor summons the undead and harvest opponent’s souls to fight for him. He controls the mind power of causing mass confusion and horrifying anyone near his power’s influence, making the witch doctor one of the deadliest class in Diablo III.