Diablo 4 has announced four of its five starting character classes so far: the Barbarian, Druid, Sorceress, and Rogue. Typically, the Diablo starting classes are fairly well-balanced in terms of types of gameplay options. There's still a lot of speculation about the next class to be revealed, as there are many archetypes that could fit well. However, now that Diablo 4 has just one remaining class to be revealed, it's likely that another heavy melee class will round out the cast of classes. The return of the Paladin or some variant like the Crusader would be a good fit for Diablo 4.
Diablo 4 seems to be bringing back characters from its older iterations like the Druid from Diablo 2. The Rogue is returning from the original Diablo as well, so the return of the Paladin is a very likely choice for the next character. A heavy melee class with certain magic options for buffs and AOE attacks would help round out the possibilities. The Barbarian is similar but seems to have options for faster builds similar to the Amazon from older games. With two casters (albeit one with a bear form) and the Rogue, a tank-style Paladin or Crusader variant would fit the mold well.
The Case for a Paladin in Diablo 4
Bringing a new version of the Paladin could add interesting options to the available classes. A blend of holy magic and high defense would be a good foil to the wide arsenal of the Barbarian in Diablo 4 or the speediness of the Rogue and hit-and-run tactics of the Sorceress. Depending on how its different movesets are built, either more similar to the Crusader from Diablo 3 or not, the Paladin could also become capable of screen-filling magic on par with the Sorceress. A new Paladin class could also be an interesting fit for the overall tone of the new game.
Diablo 4's classes thus far each represent a different style of combat and source of power. The Druid utilizes shamanistic magic sometimes reminiscent of the Witch Doctor, while the Sorceress brings in arcane spell slinging. And while the recent Rogue reveal showed off the characters penchant for violence and moving through dark places, a stalwart holy warrior fixated on fighting off the legions of demons would be a good character foil for the other classes. While in the world of Diablo 4 where it doesn't seem that anything positive will happen, a warrior dedicated to defending the less powerful could be interesting to see in contrast.
It's worth noting that this is definitely speculation, and there are other RPG archetypes that could definitely fit the role and world well for Diablo 4. There's also a strong case to be made for a brand new class. Either way, it seems Diablo 4 will have left a big reveal for the final character to come. But a Paladin or a variant of some kind could fill the void in the class lineup really well, a variety of both melee and magic options alongside a character archetype that could contrast the world around it are interesting to say the least. Until Blizzard makes another announcement about Diablo 4, its fans are left largely to just speculate.
Diablo 4Â is currently in development, with PC, PS4, and Xbox One as confirmed platforms.
