Diablo 4: best starting class

Your starting class will depend on how experienced you are and how you want to play

Diablo 4 has five starting classes, much like Diablo 3 before it, and all of these classes are unique and interesting both visually and mechanically. Every character class plays completely differently, and some are much easier to get a handle on than others.

Because of this, different classes will be better for players of different skill levels, and depending on your skill level and whether or not you’re playing multiplayer, some classes are much harder or easier to play. We’ve tested out all of the classes in Diablo 4, and have come up with the best Diablo 4 class for beginners, the best class for series veterans, and the best class for those playing multiplayer.

Be sure to check out our Diablo 4 tips and tricks for more handy pointers to make your time in Sanctuary a little bit easier, and read our Diablo 4 review if you’re still on the fence about jumping in.

Diablo 4: best class for beginners – Necromancer

Diablo 4's Necromancer is very powerful, but also simple to master

Diablo 4 can be very overwhelming if this is your first foray into the series, but one class stands above the rest as welcoming for beginners, and that’s the Necromancer. Those who’ve played past games will know that the Necromancer is quite different from its previous iterations, as it now plays like a cross between the Necromancer from Diablo 2 and 3, and Diablo 3’s Witch Doctor.

There’s a heavy focus on summoning and commanding minions, as well as inflicting status conditions like poison on enemies, which can help massively over time even if you’re not dealing big damage straight up. The Necromancer also has health-stealing abilities, which is good for staying alive when you’re low on potions.

The reason the Necromancer is perfect for beginners is largely due to its minions — while the Necromancer has fairly low health compared to a few other classes, its minions mean that it can stay away from the action and let the minions do most of the attacking. It has a host of effective long-range abilities, and the aforementioned life-steal should keep you alive for a long time. Minions can also draw aggro away from the player character, helping your survival chances even further.

Diablo 4: best class for veteran players – Rogue

The Rogue is a challenging class with a high skill ceiling and very satisfying payoffs / Blizzard

If you’re a veteran Diablo player, you’re likely looking for a bit of a challenge. No matter which class you play, you’re likely to find some of the boss fights very tough, especially if you raise the world level above the minimum. With great challenge comes great satisfaction, however, and the Rogue embodies that better than any other character in the roster.

The Rogue hasn’t really had much love in recent years, being absent from Diablo since the first game in the series. Sure, Diablo 3 had the Demon Hunter, but it wasn’t quite the same, y’know? Now, the Rogue is back with a devilish bag of tricks, but it’s also far and away the hardest class to get a handle on.

The Rogue can attack at a distance with bows or up close with daggers, and will often switch between the two to build up combo points, which can then be used to activate powerful abilities. Rogues also have the ability to imbue their weapons with poison, ice, or shadow energies, as well as lay traps, and knowing when to use all of these skills requires a high level of situational awareness. Still, veteran players should appreciate the challenge and payoff that comes from mastering the Rogue’s tactical gameplay style, so it’s worth trying out.

Diablo 4: best classes for multiplayer – Druid and Sorcerer

The Druid is an excellent all-rounder with tonnes of utility and options for different play styles

The Druid took a well-deserved rest between Diablo 2’s expansion and Diablo 4, but it’s back and better than ever with a tonne of new tricks up its sleeve. In Diablo 2, the vast majority of your damage as a Druid came from shapeshifting, and that’s still somewhat of a viable option here, but the Druid’s nature skills are the main draw in Diablo 4.

Storm abilities are excellent for weakening enemies, allowing your fellow players to deal big damage in the follow-up, and the Druid’s higher defense and protective abilities go a long way in keeping you alive while acting as a support. Earth-based skills are also excellent for crowd control, as you can use rock walls to split enemy groups up and keep your allies safe.

Diablo 4's Sorcerer plays well in groups, with lots of utility and a high damage output

The Sorcerer plays into this too, with high damage output but very low health — a glass cannon if you’ve ever seen one. The Sorcerer is a tough character to play solo, but surrounded by other characters that can pull aggro away and keep enemies distracted, there’s plenty of opportunity to dole out massive combos and shred through enemies.

We’d recommend going with ice magic if you’re running a Sorcerer in a group. Yes, blasting lightning bolts at enemies is a heck of a lot of fun, and makes you feel very powerful, but ice magic also slows enemies, giving your allies time to hit hard with their own skills.