Diablo 4 players are noticing a gap in the character class roster, one usually held by a Holy Warrior character from one of Sanctuary’s various temples.
Since Diablo 2, the Holy Warrior has been a character type comprising each game’s roster, usually filled by the Paladin or the Crusader class, depending on the game. The Paladin took a backseat to the Crusader in Diablo 3 and Immortal, but the Holy Warrior slot has continued to be filled. That is until Diablo 4.
While more character classes are coming to the game, starting with the Vessel of Hatred expansion in 2024, the absence of a Paladin, Crusader, or even Templar class was a notable omission in Diablo 4. However, it wasn’t alone, as the martial artist character type (Assassin, Monk) was also missing.
No Holy Warrior class
The rest of the class types were included though, such as Rogue, Barbarian, and Sorcerer. Diablo 4 even offered two different summoner classes (Necromancer and Druid), with each offering different playstyles.
Players who generally opt for the Holy Warrior character type have vented their frustrations online with one Reddit user saying:
“Just got this game, and saw there’s no holy warrior. Except in D1 where I played as a fighter, I’ve always played as some type of Holy Warrior in Diablo. I got D4 today, logged in just to see there’s none of that. The character selection is as bare-boned as D1.”
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Another player speaking on Blizzard’s forums said:
“Now that some time has passed and people have been able to let it sink in, is anyone else disappointed about the absence of a Holy Warrior class? I know that everyone has their preference, and Holy Warriors aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but to me, it just feels a bit odd.”
Blizzard has said that the next character class will be “something players have never seen before,” so those expecting a return of the Paladin or Crusader may be out of luck when Vessel of Hatred rolls around.
However, the next character class added to Diablo 4 is unlikely to be the last, as the game will be receiving annual expansions for the foreseeable future. As the Crusader class is especially popular, we’d wager that a Holy Warrior could still make their presence felt in Sanctuary, bringing divine justice to the forces of Hell.