Demons seem to be a never-ending threat in Blizzard's acclaimed Diablo franchise. After all, factions in the world of Sanctuary have dedicated their existence to either the worship or elimination of these demonic threats. However, the games of the franchise soon reveal that demons only form half of the Eternal Conflict that rages around Sanctuary. In fact, opposite demons are angels of the High Heavens that so-desperately fight to maintain order in the Universe.
As players learn in Diablo 2 and Diablo 3, whereas the Great Evils led the forces of the Burning Hells, the Archangels of the Angiris Council represented the High Heavens. These Archangels represented Aspects that give them great power and responsibilities to share. Additionally, with Lilith, Daughter of Hatred, returning in Diablo 4, the Archangels may be compelled to act once more. However, players may want to learn more about the Archangels as they wait for D4's eventual release.
10 Archangels Are Opposites Of The Great Evils, Demonkind
Thanks to Archangels, the High Heavens have a fighting chance against the ferocity of the Burning Hells and demonkind. After all, the Archangels serve as the antithesis to the Great Evils, which have come from Tathamet's shattered essences. Interestingly, while both the Archangels and Great Evils (primarily the Prime Evils) represent their superiority among their respective sides, their natures seem opposing.
For instance, the lore explicitly states that the Lightsong from the Crystal Arch created angels, which are beings of light and sound. Interestingly, there exists no counterpart for demonkind, only known to be "physical" and have been (mostly) created by the Black Abyss. Moreover, while the lore didn't confirm the connection between Tathamet and the Black Abyss, all angels (including Archangels) have come from Anu, the One God.
9 Archangels Are Unstoppable As One
Despite their fractured state today, Archangels once became unstoppable as a single force. Known as the Angiris Council, this group governed both the High Heavens' affairs and their approach to warring demonkind. Interestingly, while they largely have strict perspectives on war, they remain capable of besting the more chaotic Burning Hells.
Unfortunately, the dissonance of the Archangels would come from the existence of the Sanctuary. Malthael abstained and eventually disappeared. Imperius, who voted for Sanctuary's destruction, got lost to a vote when Malthael, Ithereal, and Auriel opted for Sanctuary's safety.
8 The Council Had A Deal With The Devil
It's interesting to note how Archangels, despite their awesome powers, have not always interfered in modern Diablo games. However, it appears this non-interference occurred thanks to a contract between the Archangels and the Prime Evils. When Uldyssian the Edyrem cast away his existence (and all the Nephalem's powers in the process) in the Sin War, the Archangels and Great Evils decided not to interfere with Sanctuary's affairs. Instead, they would let Sanctuary choose their path.
Unfortunately, both sides would grow discontent with this deal. After the Sin War, both terrifying monstrous demons and angels worked slowly to influence humans to follow their respective ideals.
7 They Represented Virtues Of Anu
Interestingly, fans might look at the Archangels and notice that they may represent the "Great Virtues" in the real world. In truth, the Archangels represent the "virtues" of Anu, the One God. As such, Malthael served as the Archangel of Wisdom. The militaristic Imperius served as Archangel of Valor. Meanwhile, honorable Tyrael became the Archangel of Justice. Likewise, Auriel and Ithereal became the Archangel of Hope and Fate, respectively.
However, it's interesting to note how Ithereal's Fate became a "virtue" of Anu. After all, how can "Fate" be an aspect? Either way, this characteristic may relate to Malthael's virtue of Wisdom, as knowing Fate beforehand would make for wiser decisions.
6 Aspects May Not Be Archangels
When the Diablo series fully introduced the Archangels, each of them represented some virtue of Anu. In turn, these Archangels served as the Aspects of representations of these virtues. Interestingly, it seems not all Aspects of Virtues have to be Archangels. As demonstrated by Tyrael, a mortal may serve as an Aspect — as he now serves as the mortal Aspect of Wisdom after Malthael became the Angel of Death.
Moreover, Tyrael's transformation into a mortal served to exemplify the role of humankind in the franchise. As per Chris Metzen (Blizzard's VP of Creative Development and Diablo co-creator), Tyrael serves as a reminder that a setting's greatest heroes don't necessarily have to be the most powerful.
5 An Archangel May Be Coming Back
As per Diablo 3, the Angiris Council found itself in disarray. After Malthael's fall, Imperius took the role of the group's de facto leader. Unfortunately, the predominance of his wrath and pride forced Tyrael to become mortal and help mankind. These events effectively left the Angiris Council with three Archangel members — Imperius of Valor, Ithereal of Fate, and Auriel of Hope.
However, it's important to remember that there's one other Archangel that may return to the Angiris Council — Inarius. Despite the lack of a virtue to represent, the Archangel Inarius served a vital role in the Diablo mythos. He, alongside Lilith, created Sanctuary and formed the Nephalem. He's currently being tortured and imprisoned by Mephisto, but with Mephisto's death, Inarius may free himself and return to Sanctuary. Unfortunately, Inarius may also fall, depending on the impact of Mephisto's torture.
4 New Archangels May Be On The Way
After Tyrael's transformation into a mortal and Malthael's fall, it seems the High Heavens has a ton of vacancies for Archangels. Interestingly, this may not necessarily be the case. As explained in the lore, the Crystal Arch creates angels out of Anu's essence, which is finite in nature. In turn, there can only be a finite number of angels in the High Heavens. In turn, when an angel dies, its essence feeds the Crystal Arch to soon become an angel.
In turn, it's possible that the essences of Malthael and Tyrael's "Archangel-ness" may serve as enough fuel for the Crystal Arch to create new Archangels in new titles. Unfortunately, these new Archangels may not be as merciful to Sanctuary as Tyrael.
3 An Archangel May Have Inspired The Church Of Zakarum
According to history, Akarat from Xiansai saw visions of an Archangel called Yaerius. This vision would teach him tenets of what would become the Zakarum faith. In turn, Akarat would form the Zakarum Church, which members will become Paladins of Diablo 2 and the Crusaders of Diablo 3. Interestingly, Deckard Cain and other Horadrim mystics dispute these claims.
According to them, Akarat, an ascetic of the Xian faith, would likely have seen Uldyssian during his meditative stance. In history, Uldyssian ushered the second coming of the Nephalem when Inarius sealed their powers. However, Uldyssian willed himself (and the Nephalem powers) out of existence when he realized their presence threatened Sanctuary's destruction. Cain and others hypothesize that Uldyssian's sacrifice may have echoed through time and space, accessible to those in deep meditation.
2 The Mystery Of The Spaulders Of Zakara
Players of Diablo 3 of at least Level 31 would likely have encountered the Spaulders of Zakara. These legendary pauldrons remain legendary not for its statistics, but its effects. When wearing the pauldrons, every other currently-equipped item becomes indestructible. Despite its technical perks, its flavor text does spark interest.
According to scholar Abd al-Hazir, a Crusader from the Aranoch wastes claimed that the Spaulders have been given to her by the Archangel Yaerius. However, skeptics of Yaerius doubt that the Spaulders may have come from this "fake" Archangel. However, Abd al-Hazir comments that the Spaulders does come from Heaven's forges. If so, who gave the Spaulders to the Crusader?
1 The Archangels Had A Unique Design History
Fans of Diablo lore may be delighted to know that Tyrael served as the primary inspiration for the Angiris Council and angels at large. In turn, angels and Archangels share the same faceless body topped by a hood, plated armor, and tentacle-like wings. While the design team opted to have angels share generally the "same" appearance, the Archangels had designs that "branch out" of Tyrael's.
The Angiris Council may have come from Hindu mythology. In Hindu mythology, the Angiris or Angiras served as the descendants of Agni and Agneya. Moreover, they protect the sacrificial fires and watch over humans performing sacrifices.