Guided by the Light: The Paladin Joins Diablo IV
- Chelsea Leah, Blizzard Entertainment
Published
December 16, 2025
Summary
- The Paladin class arrives in Diablo IV with the pre-purchase of Lord of Hatred.
- The Paladin comes with unique skills, the Oath System, and transformative angelic powers.
- Celebrate with the Goblin Greetings holiday event, featuring fun festive rewards.
Since
Diablo IV launched, we’ve heard your voices echo across Sanctuary. The community has been loud and clear: you wanted the Paladin. Your prayers have been answered – they’re finally here! Get ready to wield divine power and become a shining beacon of hope in the Eternal Conflict.
The Paladin is a holy champion whose faith is both a weapon to strike down enemies and a shield to protect themselves. They are devout followers of the Light, channeling divine energy through powerful auras, sacred conjurations, and even angelic transformations.
Honoring the Legacy, Elevating the Fantasy
We’ve built the Paladin to honor its legacy while embracing
Diablo IV’s modern, visceral style. Classic skills like
Zeal return with a fresh twist, rebalanced for intense combat and stunning visuals. The Paladin is pure faith incarnate—a conduit of holy magic, divine wrath, and iconic knighthood.
As Mephisto’s shadow looms over Sanctuary, the Paladin answers the call. Bound by sacred oaths, this warrior turns every battlefield into consecrated ground. Community-favorite mechanics like Auras and Holy Conjurations pay homage to past iterations of the Paladin in
Diablo titles, but we didn’t stop there. Inspired by Tyrael’s iconic presence, we’ve introduced
Angelic Transformation, letting you ascend into a divine avatar. This is your chance to feel like a sanctified force of nature in the ultimate struggle against evil.
When designing the Paladin, we focused on three core pillars:
- The Indomitable Guardian: Immovable and unwavering, the Paladin defends the innocent and shields the Light.
- Divine Empowerment: Classic medieval weaponry—sword, shield, and holy hammers—infused with celestial energy.
- Holy Conduit: A living channel of heavenly power, brought to life through rich sound design and grounded animations that make every strike feel monumental.
Combat, Skills, and Oaths
The Paladin is the quintessential “sword and board” class, built for players who love tactical combat with a divine edge. Expect iconic abilities like
Blessed Hammer,
Blessed Shield,
Condemn,
Zeal, and
Heaven’s Fury, alongside new skills that channel celestial energy for devastating effect.
To deepen customization, we’re introducing the
Oath System as the unique class mechanic specific to Paladin—four thematic paths that define your playstyle:
- Juggernaut: Turn defense into offense with Shield Bash and activate Fortress, making you nearly unkillable for a short time.
- Zealot: Embrace frenzied melee combat powered by an updated Zeal skill, culminating in Zenith, a whirlwind of holy blades.
- Judicator: Deliver righteous judgment with sacred conjurations like Consecration and Heaven’s Fury to dominate the battlefield.
- Disciple: Fully embrace your divine connection with angelic transformation. Unleash Spears of the Heavens and soar in Arbiter Form, wings unfurled.
Your Faith Is Your Weapon
The Paladin is a promise that even in the darkest hour, the Light endures. Whether you’re smashing demons with a blessed hammer or taking flight as an angelic arbiter, this is your chance to stand against the encroaching darkness like never before. For more, watch a full Paladin cinematic
here (or above) and check out
everything coming with pre-purchase of Lord of Hatred.
And that’s not all – there’s plenty of festive cheer coming your way. Starting today,
Goblin Greetings bring together
March of the Goblins,
Gift of the Tree, and free holiday-themed cosmetic gifts in one massive celebration.
For a limited time, expect mischievous Holiday Goblins to replace the usual treasure goblins, with six unique variants tied to individual kills. Each defeat pushes you along an infinitely repeatable reward track, and progressing through new reputation tiers boosts your drop rate. If you’re lucky enough to run into Fancy Old Fedric, he’ll reward you with an extremely rare Mythic item.
Sanctuary has cried out for a hero. The Paladin has answered. Will you?
Diablo® IV: Lord of Hatred – Ultimate Edition
Blizzard Entertainment
☆☆☆☆☆ 3
★★★★★
$89.99
Get it now
Pre-purchase any digital Edition of Diablo® IV: Lord of Hatred
and instantly receive: – Paladin Class Early Access Diablo® IV: Lord of Hatred
– Ultimate Edition includes: – Diablo® IV: Vessel of Hatred
– Standard Edition for Xbox One / Xbox Series X|S (instant unlock) – Diablo® IV: Lord of Hatred for Xbox One / Xbox Series X|S Plus, immediate access to the below items in Diablo® IV: – The High Heavensguard Paladin Cosmetic Bundle – Skartaran Basilisk Mount Bundle – Skorch, Mini Chimera Pet – Umbral Knights Cross-Class Armor Bundle (6 Class Armor Sets) – Steed of the Shining Realm Mount Bundle – Tymn, Echo of the Spire Back Trophy – Ascent of the Just Town Portal Skin – 1 Extra Stash Tab – 2 Additional Character Slots – Premium Battle Pass Bundle – 3,000 Platinuim – 3 Decor Items in World of Warcraft®¹ Prepare to embark on your next epic demon-slaying journey in the new Diablo IV expansion, Lord of Hatred. Make your final stand against the Prime Evil Mephisto in a rich new campaign, master two new classes, and discover the ancient region of Skovos. With tons of new features, activities, and major updates like an overhauled endgame, transmutation, and set bonuses, this expansion enhances the Diablo IV experience to bring depth, adventure, and the promise of peril at every turn. Lord of Hatred requires Diablo IV base game. Lord of Hatred available April 28, 2026. Internet connection and Battle.net account required to play. If you already have access to Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred, the expansion will not be re-granted. Upgrading editions will not re-grant in-game items already unlocked on your account. ¹World of Warcraft Decor Items require World of Warcraft subscription or game time, sold separately. May require purchase of World of Warcraft: Midnight in some regions, also sold separately. Items are expected to be available with the release of Housing Early Access in the World of Warcraft 11.2.7 content update. © 2025 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. Diablo, Vessel of Hatred, Lord of Hatred, World of Warcraft, and Blizzard Entertainment are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. in the U.S and/or other countries.
Diablo® IV: Lord of Hatred – Deluxe Edition
Blizzard Entertainment
☆☆☆☆☆ 3
★★★★★
$59.99
Get it now
Pre-purchase any digital Edition of Diablo® IV: Lord of Hatred
and instantly receive: – Paladin Class Early Access Diablo® IV: Lord of Hatred
– Deluxe Edition includes: – Diablo® IV: Vessel of Hatred
– Standard Edition for Xbox One / Xbox Series X|S (instant unlock) – Diablo® IV: Lord of Hatred for Xbox One / Xbox Series X|S Plus, immediate access to the below items: – The High Heavensguard Paladin Cosmetic Bundle – Skartaran Basilisk Mount Bundle – Skorch, Mini Chimera Pet – 1 Extra Stash Tab – 2 Additional Character Slots – Premium Battle Pass Bundle – 3 Decor Items in World of Warcraft®¹ Prepare to embark on your next epic demon-slaying journey in the new Diablo IV expansion, Lord of Hatred. Make your final stand against the Prime Evil Mephisto in a rich new campaign, master two new classes, and discover the ancient region of Skovos. With tons of new features, activities, and major updates like an overhauled endgame, transmutation, and set bonuses, this expansion enhances the Diablo IV experience to bring depth, adventure, and the promise of peril at every turn. Lord of Hatred requires Diablo IV base game. Lord of Hatred available April 28, 2026. Internet connection and Battle.net account required to play. If you already have access to Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred, the expansion will not be re-granted. Upgrading editions will not re-grant in-game items already unlocked on your account. ¹World of Warcraft Decor Items require World of Warcraft subscription or game time, sold separately. May require purchase of World of Warcraft: Midnight in some regions, also sold separately. Items are expected to be available with the release of Housing Early Access in the World of Warcraft 11.2.7 content update. © 2025 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. Diablo, Vessel of Hatred, Lord of Hatred, World of Warcraft, and Blizzard Entertainment are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. in the U.S and/or other countries.
Diablo® IV: Lord of Hatred – Standard Edition
Blizzard Entertainment
☆☆☆☆☆ 3
★★★★★
$39.99
Get it now
Pre-purchase any digital Edition of Diablo® IV: Lord of Hatred
and instantly receive: – Paladin Class Early Access Diablo® IV: Lord of Hatred
– Standard Edition includes: – Diablo® IV: Vessel of Hatred
– Standard Edition for Xbox One / Xbox Series X|S (instant unlock) – Diablo® IV: Lord of Hatred for Xbox One / Xbox Series X|S Plus, immediate access to the below items in Diablo® IV: – 1 Extra Stash Tab – 2 Additional Character Slots – 3 Decor Items in World of Warcraft® Prepare to embark on your next epic demon-slaying journey in the new Diablo IV expansion, Lord of Hatred. Make your final stand against the Prime Evil Mephisto in a rich new campaign, master two new classes, and discover the ancient region of Skovos. With tons of new features, activities, and major updates like an overhauled endgame, transmutation, and set bonuses, this expansion enhances the Diablo IV experience to bring depth, adventure, and the promise of peril at every turn. Lord of Hatred requires Diablo IV base game. Lord of Hatred available April 28, 2026. Internet connection and Battle.net account required to play. If you already have access to Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred, the expansion will not be re-granted. Upgrading editions will not re-grant in-game items already unlocked on your account. ¹World of Warcraft Decor Items require World of Warcraft subscription or game time, sold separately. May require purchase of World of Warcraft: Midnight in some regions, also sold separately. Items are expected to be available with the release of Housing Early Access in the World of Warcraft 11.2.7 content update. © 2025 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. Diablo, Vessel of Hatred, Lord of Hatred, World of Warcraft, and Blizzard Entertainment are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. in the U.S and/or other countries.
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