Our Diablo 4 class tier list will rank the classes based on how effective they are at clearing content solo, their damage output, and their performance in difficult content. There are five playable classes in Diablo 4, and a lot of new players are wondering which class should they pick up when experiencing the game for the first time.
We will rank all of the classes in their current state based on their performance in recent betas while also taking into consideration recent balance changes that have been introduced. If you have a class in mind that you enjoy playing, do not let the “meta” define your experience. Feel free to use whichever class you enjoy the most!
Diablo 4 best classes tier list (Season 1)
Here are the current power rankings of the five classes in Diablo 4.
Diablo 4 best classes tier list
S
A
B
Sorcerer and Rogue being in the S-Tier is no surprise if you have participated in the betas. Sorcerer boasts high damage as well as crowd-control capabilities, and even in early- to mid-game situations where your damage might fall short, your crowd-control abilities will help you dominate fights regardless.
Rogue has a high skill ceiling if you opt for melee builds, but you can also go for a ranged build. You sacrifice defensive stats for more damage, crowd control, and utility and rely on your movement and stealth to avoid enemies.
Necromancer is so close to making it to the S-tier, but the damage output of the class falls short against Sorceress and Mage. However, Necromancer is very comfortable to play, and you have high amounts of self-sustain, making it the perfect class for soloing content. The play style is also unique and raising your enemies from the dead to fight by your side never gets old.
Druid is the jack-of-all-trades character in Diablo 4. You can wield different types of magic, act as a support for your allies, or even take on foes in melee combat. The downside of such a versatile class is that it does not quite excel at any one thing. The other classes are far more specialised and have a unique identity. Druid is not bad by any means, but it cannot keep up with the likes of Rogue, Necromancer, and Sorceress.
Finally, we have Barbarian. The class is very tanky and mobile but the damage output is just disappointing. Due to the very slow attack interval and short range, the class feels quite lacklustre. This does not mean that Barbarian is unplayable, or that you won't be able to clear content with the class. Instead, you will just have a much easier time playing classes that are more mobile and have better damage output.
Diablo 4 class overview
Now that we have established the meta, here is a breakdown of what each class brings to the table. Even though some of the classes were rated lower than others in the tier list, they still might offer gameplay experiences that you might be interested in.
Barbarian
The class makes use of the Arsenal system which you unlock at level 5. You can equip four weapons at once and swap between them whenever you want. It is a great class to experiment with all of the weapon types and you also get special bonuses based on which weapon archetype you use.
You also have the Fury meter, which you can build up using your basic skills and there are plenty of skills that synergise with Fury. The goal of the Barbarian class is to juggle abilities, swap weapons, and adapt to the battlefield.
- Recommended builds: Upheaval, Hammer of the Ancients
Druid
Druids take advantage of the Spirit mechanic, which is a class-exclusive resource. If you played Diablo 3’s Monk class, you already know what to expect. Similar to Barbarian’s Fury meter, you are supposed to build up your Spirit meter.
You can build Spirit by using basic skills as well as unlockable skills that are designed to work specifically with Spirit. There are plenty of talents that help you maintain your Spirit meter and gain powerful buffs for your kit.
- Recommended builds: Storm Wolf, Earth Bear Landslide
Necromancer
Unlike other classes, Necromancers have two unique resources. You build Essence naturally over time, and it can be generated faster using certain skills, and you spend the resource to cast powerful Necromancer skills.
Your other resource is Corpses, which you build up by raising fallen enemies as allies. You can either command the undead corpses to aid you in battle, or simply blow them up with Corpse Explosion to deal massive damage.
You also have a mechanic called The Book of the Dead, which unlocks at level 5. You can change how your summons work. You can choose from various types of Skeletal Warriors, Skeletal Mages, and Golems. You can sacrifice these minions to become stronger, or inflict curses and let your minions deal all the damage.
- Recommended builds: Shadowmancer, Bonemancer
Rogue
Rogue is heavily reliant on Energy and Combo Points. You generate Energy automatically, but there are skills and talents that can help you generate the resource faster. Combo Points, on the other hand, are needed for some of your most important skills. Using these points can help you trigger additional effects for some of your skills, and you also get a massive DPS increase.
While it sounds like Rogue is a resource-hungry class, we have not spoken about Rogue’s Inner Sight specialisation yet. You get four seconds of unlimited energy, which enables some insane burst damage combos.
- Recommended builds: Twisting Blades, Flurry
Sorceress
The Sorceress class uses mana, which regenerates on its own, and you can use certain skills to speed up mana regeneration. What sets the class apart is the Enchantment system. You can add Enchantment effects to your skills and essentially add a secondary effect for your kit.
The place where Sorceresses truly shine is the Status Effect application. You can reduce enemy movement speed, freeze enemies in place, make enemies take more damage from all sources, apply damage over time effects, and more.
- Recommended builds: Ice Shards, Firewall
That is all you need to know about the classes and how they rank in our Diablo 4 class tier list For more content, consider checking out our guide on how to reset dungeons. We also have a guide on how to get the Wings of the Creator emote if you are looking for a fancy new cosmetic.