If you're serious about optimising your build with the best gear, then knowing how to use Aspects in Diablo 4 is crucial. Aspects allow for some of the most powerful gear buffs in the game, and you should definitely be making use of them as soon as you get access.
The Aspect system in Diablo 4 can be a bit confusing, and involves a certain amount of RNG. However, there are some mechanics in place such as the Codex of Power, which will give you a bit more consistency. So let's see everything we know so far about Aspects in Diablo 4, including what they do and how to farm them.
What is an Aspect in Diablo 4?
An Aspect is an item that you can use to add a Legendary Power to a piece of gear in Diablo 4. Legendary Powers are powerful effects that can grant you additional stats, damage, and defences depending on how powerful the Legendary Power is. Aspects come in five different categories: Offensive, Defensive, Resource, Utility, and Mobility. However, each type only goes on a certain type of gear.
See below for a breakdown of the types of Aspects in Diablo 4:
Aspect Type | Available Gear Type |
|---|---|
Offensive | Weapon, Glove, Necklace, Rings |
Defensive | Shield, Helmet, Chest, Legs, Necklace |
Resource | Rings |
Utility | Shield, Helmet, Chest, Legs, Necklace, Gloves, Boots |
Mobility | Necklace, Boots |
Note that Necklaces increase Aspect effectiveness by 150% and Offensive Aspects gain a 200% bonus on two-handed weapons. Furthermore, the same Aspect will not stack, regardless of how many pieces of gear you have it on.
A piece of gear can only have a single Aspect effect active at a time. Aspects are only found on Legendary items. However, you can imprint them onto rare items to upgrade them to Legendary status.
How to get Aspects in Diablo 4
There are two primary methods of gaining Aspects in Diablo 4. The first method is completing dungeons and story missions, which adds certain Aspects to your Codex of Power. However, this method is limited to certain Aspects only.
The second method is to strip an Aspect from the Legendary Gear it is already imprinted on. This method is not limited to a pool of Aspects; however, it will destroy the piece of gear and has its own drawbacks when we get to the imprinting phase.
How to imprint Aspects in Diablo 4
There is an NPC called the Occultist who handles everything related to Aspects in Diablo 4. The Occultist can be found by looking at the three linked circles icon on the map. You'll find him on the top-left side of Kyovashad. Once you interact with him, it will open up the Aspect management screen, and you can start imprinting Aspects by paying a Gold fee and with veiled crystals.
There are two kinds of imprinting options available. The first is through the Codex of Power, which allows you to use its Aspects and imprint them as many times as you'd like.
The second method uses the Aspects that you extracted from Legendary Gear. These Aspects can only be used once, and after imprinting them onto a piece of gear, they will disappear from your inventory.
An additional thing you need to keep in mind is that Aspects will display a range of values for their effects. Aspects rolled from the Codex of Power will always have the lowest possible value, whereas extracted Aspects will roll a random value from within the range.
That covers everything you need to know about Aspects in Diablo 4! For more information, you should check out our Diablo 4 review and how long the game takes to beat. If you're looking for even more helpful Diablo 4 guides, check out the game's microtransaction policy and learn how to get seasonal rewards.