When the vampire Lord Zir makes his presence known in the Season of Blood in Diablo 4, players are thrust into a vampiric plague just as they contend with the forces of Lilith. Thanks to vampire hunter Erys, the Wanderer has an expert to consult when it comes to vampiric affairs. However, as players become infected with vampirism without undergoing transformation, their characters remain Sanctuary's best defense against this new threat.
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Unfortunately for players, Lord Zir isn't the only threat they should be worried about in the Season of Blood. Depending on their progress in the game, Diablo 4 can also task players to contend with a myriad of endgame bosses to test their mettle in its tougher challenges. With Lord Zir and his new companions in mind, which of the new endgame bosses are worth the replay, and which ones are meant for single tries?
5 Echo Of Varshan
Predictably Putrid Boss Fight With A Lot Of Burst, Minion Attacks
Place of Encounter | Malignant Burrow |
|---|---|
Encounter Requirements |
|
Event Drops | Flesh-Weld Rod Trophy, Mucus-Slick Eggs |
All Class Drops | Frostburn, Mother's Embrace |
Barbarian Drops | 100,000 Steps, Fields of Crimson, Gohr's Devastating Grips |
Druid Drops | Greatstaff of the Crone, Mad Wolf's Glee, Vasily's Prayer |
Necromancer Drops | Bloodless Scream, Deathless Visage, Deathspeakers' Pendant |
Rogue Drops | Condemnation, Eyes in the Dark, Skyhunter |
Sorcerer Drops | Esu's Heirloom, Raiment of the Infinite, Staff of Endless Rage |
Despite being an Endgame Boss in Season of the Blood, the Echo of Varshan goes back into the game's first season, the Season of the Malignant. In th game's lore, priest Cormond and his mentor Varshan were the only beacons of light left in Velkhova after being corrupted by Lilith. While Cormond initially fled the village, he came back after being consumed by guilt and studying Cages of Binding, hoping to contain corrupted townsfolk. Unfortunately, Cormond found a corrupted Varshan and, upon using a Cage on him, accidentally transformed him into the first of the Malignant.
In order to fight the Echo, players need to complete missions from the Tree of Whispers and open caches available to them. Opening any cache will guarantee a body part that can summon the Echo, and duplicate parts can be used to craft the other absent materials. Defeating Varshan is necessary to acquire Mucus-Slick Eggs that are used when summoning the Echo of Duriel.
General Combat Gist
Attack | Strategy |
|---|---|
On the battlefield, the Echo of Varshan can:
| Fighting the Echo Varshan needs players to:
|
Going outside the vampiric themes of Season of Blood, fighting Echo of Varshan is more thematically in line with fighting corruption than bloodied minions. When players summon the Echo of Varshan, the Diablo 4 boss manifests with a shield that acts as a buffer to his main Life while also dishing out tendril thrusts and putrid attacks on a regular basis. Among the Endgame Bosses in Season of Blood, the Echo of Varshan has some of the easiest-to-predict attacks and should be generally manageable if players use Elixir of Shadow Resistance.
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Unlike other bosses, Echo of Varshan generally stays in the northern part of the map and may move via his tendrils at a pace slower than most Bosses. The largest threat in Varshan's arsenal would be the time he summons his Elites, as absorbing them not only refreshes his shield but he can also gain enhancements such as Poisons and Dazes.
4 Lord Zir
Uses High-Damaging Blood As Weapons In A Stationary Fight
Place of Encounter | The Darkened Way |
|---|---|
Encounter Requirements |
|
Event Drops | Diadem of the Ancient Trophy |
All Class Drops | Penitent Greaves, Razorplate, Temerity |
Barbarian Drops | Gohr's Devastating Grips, Overkill, Rage of Harrogath, Ramaladni's Magnum Opus, The Butcher's Cleaver |
Druid Drops | Fleshrender, Greatstaff of the Crone, Mad Wolf's Glee, Vasily's Prayer, The Butcher's Cleaver |
Necromancer Drops | Blood Artisan's Cuirass, Deathless Visage, Greaves of the Empty Tomb, Lidless Wall |
Rogue Drops | Asheara's Khanjar, Eyes in the Dark, Grasp of Shadow, Skyhunter |
Sorcerer Drops | Esadora's Overflowing Cameo, Iceheart Brais, Raiment of the Infinite, Staff of Endless Rage |
Prior to succumbing to vampirism, Diablo 4 players might be surprised to learn that Lord Zir was once among the Nephalem. In fact, he's one of the firstborns or the first of Lilith and Inarius's children. Before his imprisonment after the Purge, Lord Zir had begun feasting on blood to achieve immortality, becoming the first vampire. It's through Lord Zir's awakening that Bloodseekers have begun their conquest of Sanctuary, using the Blood Harvest to feed on the living.
Being the Season of Blood's primary antagonist, players can fight Lord Zir beyond his status as an Endgame Boss. After players become vampires and access their Vampiric Powers, Lord Zir periodically talks to them. Players must fight a weaker version of Lord Zir to make progress with the story, with its moveset more or less similar to its Endgame counterpart.
General Combat Gist
Attack | Strategy |
|---|---|
Phase 1 | |
In the beginning of combat, Lord Zir can:
| To fight Lord Zir, players must:
|
Phase 2 | |
After taking significant damage, Lord Zir is expected to:
| Fighting Lord Zir in this state needs players to:
|
Phase 3 | |
Near its death, Lord Zir can:
| At this point, players should:
|
While Lord Zir's moveset is certainly predictable in Diablo 4, he's by no means close to being among the lore's weakest Bosses. In fact, Lord Zir becomes a deadly foe not necessarily through the strength of his moves, but by virtue of the fact that he can pull them off quickly to overwhelm players with incremental damage.
Similar to the Echo of Varshan, it's recommended for players to use an Elixir of Shadow Resistance to boost their overall defenses. Despite his status as a strong Endgame Boss, Lord Zir's overall combat mechanics make him seem like a stationary threat instead of an active Boss.
3 Grigoire, The Galvanic Saint
The Lord Of Lightning In A Thematic Room
Place of Encounter | Hall of the Penitent |
|---|---|
Encounter Requirements |
|
Event Drops | Demonbinder Mount, Shards of Agony |
All Classes Drop | Penitent Greaves |
Barbarian Drops | Ancients' Oath, Battle Trance, Rage of Harrogath, Ramaladni's Magnum Opus, The Butcher's Cleaver |
Druid Drops | Insatiable Fury, Hunter's Zenith, The Butcher's Cleaver, Waxing Gibbous |
Necromancer Drops | Blood Artisan's Cuirass, Greaves of the Empty Tomb, Howl from Below |
Rogue Drops | Grasp of Shadow, Windforce, Word of Hakan |
Sorcerer Drops | Gloves of the Illuminator, Staff of Lam Esen, Iceheart Brais |
Among the Endgame Bosses players will face in their Season of Blood gameplay in Diablo 4, Grigoire, The Galvanic Saint can be challenging to face not just because of his mechanics but his encounters as a whole. While not much is known about Grigoire in terms of lore, one might argue this gigantic boss is somewhat in charge of giving penance to those gracing the Hall of the Penitent. When meeting him at the end of the hall, he falls from the skies and smashes the ground with electrifying fury.
However, before players even contend with him in their Diablo 4 playthrough, they first need to acquire at least 5 Living Steel, obtainable only from Tortured Gift of Living Steel Chests, which are only openable via Aberrant Cinders in Helltides. Despite the frequency of Helltides in Diablo 4, going through the trouble of finishing them to collect Living Steel can make Grigoire less than appealing to the farm.
General Combat Gist
Attack | Strategy |
|---|---|
Phase 1 | |
On the battlefield, Grigoire can:
| Dealing with Grigoire at this stage needs:
|
Phase 2 | |
After significantly damaging Grigoire, he can:
| Fighting Grigoire at this stage requires:
|
Compared to the other Endgame Bosses in Season of Blood, Grigoire offers some of the most engaging mechanics for players. Their combat stage is set at the end of the Hall of the Penitent, which in itself is a room split into three sections of three large tiles each. Pylons are noticeably scattered across the room, with the center tile being rather empty. It's here that Grigoire makes his dramatic entrance, knocking back players unless they find a safe space.
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Grigoire's entrance gives players a gist of what to expect in combat. Before Grigoire jumps from off-screen, panels light up before being struck by lightning. Most of Grigoire's attacks are telegraphed, be it the start of a swing, as well as panels and pylons being lit up. Aside from an Elixir of Lightning Resistance, players can deal with Grigoire much faster if they constantly circle behind him to attack while also avoiding electrified panels.
2 The Beast In The Ice
Boss With Fast Attacks Mixed In With Environmental Challenges
Place of Encounter | Glacial Fissure |
|---|---|
Encounter Requirements |
|
Event Drops | Fell Steed Mount, Skull Torch Trophy |
All Classes Drops | Fists of Fate, Frostburn, Mother's Embrace, Tassets of the Dawning Sky |
Barbarian Drops | 100,000 Steps, Ancients' Oath, Battle Trance, Fields of Crimson, Hellhammer |
Druid Drops | Hunter's Zenith, Insatiable Fury, Storm's Companion, Waxing Gibbous |
Necromancer Drops | Bloodless Scream, Deathspeaker's Pendant, Howl from Below, Ring of Mendeln |
Rogue Drops | Condemnation, Eaglehorn, Windforce, Word of Hakan |
Sorcerer Drops | Esu's Heirloom, Gloves of the Illuminator, Staff of Lam Esen, The Oculus |
Despite the general lack of lore on the part of the Beast in the Ice, this Endgame Boss spices up combat in Season of Blood compared to other underwhelming Bosses in Diablo 4. Faced in its own realm of the Glacial Fissure, the Beast in the Ice acts as the equivalent of a Boss in a Nightmare Dungeon, which in itself means players have to fight upgraded versions of regular enemies.
Unlike other Bosses in the game, the Beast in the Ice has a more fluid moveset that can prove challenging to players who aren't quick on their feet. Fighting the Beast requires the creation of the Glacial Fissure Sigil, which in itself is a Nightmare Sigil. This can be crafted through the Occultist via the offering of 9 Distilled Fear.
General Combat Gist
Attack | Strategy |
|---|---|
Phase 1 | |
Upon entering the battlefield, the Beast can:
| To fight the Beast in its initial summoning, players need to:
|
Phase 2 | |
After damaging the Beast, it can:
| To fight the Beast at this stage, players need to:
|
Phase 3 | |
Near its death, the Beast can:
| To finally defeat the Beast at this point of combat, players need to:
|
Compared to Bosses in the Diablo franchise, the Beast in the Ice has some of the most fluid mechanics that make it a challenging fight for both first-timers and seasoned players. After its arrival, its seemingly predictable slashes, shard-summoning, and frost breath make it like a generic boss. However, things can get challenging for players by the time the Beast summons its ice storm, especially since it contains the battle in a tighter area.
Players are recommended to carry an Elixir of Cold Resistance as well as skills and bonuses that provide immunity to stuns and knockbacks. While also useful against other Endgame Bosses, the Beast's particular reliance on this property of Cold attacks can make this Boss especially deadly for players.
1 Duriel, King Of Maggots
Poison-Heavy Aggression With Fierce Minions
Place of Encounter | Gaping Crevasse |
|---|---|
Encounter Requirements |
|
Event Drops | Brimstone Mount |
Uber Unique Items | Andariel's Visage, Ahavarion - Spear of Lycander, Doombringer, Harlequin Crest, Melted Heart of Selig, Ring of Starless Skies, The Grandfather |
All Class Drops | Banished Lord's Talisman, Flickerstep, Godslayer Crown, Soulbrand, Tibault's Will, X'Fal's Corroded Signet |
Barbarian Drops | Azurewrath, Tuskhelm of Joritz the Mighty |
Druid Drops | Dolmen Stone, Tempest Roar |
Necromancer Drops | Black River, Blood Moon Breeches |
Rogue Drops | Cowl of the Nameless, Scoundrel's Leathers |
Sorcerer Drops | Blue Rose, Flamescar |
While Duriel, King of Maggots is an Endgame Boss in Diablo 4, he also serves as one of the antagonists of the main Diablo 4 storyline. Also known as the Lord of Pain, Duriel is revealed as the twin brother of Andariel, the Maiden of Pain. While not as powerful as a Prime Evil, Duriel is powerful enough to be known as a Great Evil, one of the seven heads of Tathamet, the embodiment of evil itself.
Although players defeat Duriel in the game's main story, he makes a return in Season of Blood as one of the game's Endgame Bosses. Compared to the other Endgame Bosses, Duriel is considered one of the hardest challenges a player might face. On top of his nature as a Level 100 opponent, his attack patterns are generally aggressive despite being telegraphed.
General Combat Gist
Attack | Strategy |
|---|---|
Phase 1 | |
Upon entering the battlefield, Duriel can:
| To counter Duriel, players need to:
|
Phase 2 | |
When Duriel's Life becomes much lower, he can:
| To fight Duriel at this stage, players have to:
|
Phase 3 | |
Upon being close to death, Duriel will:
| To defeat Duriel, players need to:
|
At first glance, Duriel's overall strategy makes him seem more of a World Boss in Diablo 4 than a traditional Boss encounter. Before Duriel even makes an entrance, two Pangs of Duriel are summoned to fight players. While Duriel's attacks seem easily telegraphed, it's the frequency of his attacks and the sheer aggression of the Boss that can make it one of the toughest fights players can experience in the game. Despite his general difficulty, Duriel is worth the farm as he's the only one among the Endgame Bosses who drops Uber Unique Items.
It's ideal for players to gear up to Level 100 in order to withstand Duriel's physical attacks and make sure to focus on builds that prioritize damage mitigation to enhance their overall defense. Moreover, the Boss's reliance on Poison Damage can make him exceptionally deadly, with players needing an Elixir of Poison Resistance for survival.
Diablo 4
- Platform(s)
- PC , PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S
- Released
- June 6, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Blizzard
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG , Hack and Slash
