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Diablo 4’s Unique items are some of the rarest pieces of equipment in the game but provide equally as powerful effects. While not every Unique will work in every build, the ones that do synergize together grant tons of additional power and interesting effects to play around with.
Returning from Diablo 2, the Harlequin Crest is an Uber Unique; that is, one of the seven rarest Uniques in the game. The Harlequin Crest (sometimes referred to as the Shako) provides an extremely powerful effect that can work in almost any build. Below, we’ll take a look at what the Harlequin Crest does and how to get it.
Updated June 24, 2025: Season three has begun, and the Harlequin Crest is still one of the most valuable Unique items in the game. We’ve updated this guide with everything you need to know about getting the Uber Unique Harlequin Crest.
What Is The Harlequin Crest?
The Harlequin Crest is a Unique Helm that has the following effect:
Gain [10-20]% Damage Reduction. In addition, gain +4 Ranks to all Skills.
The Harlequin Crest increases the rank ofevery single skill in your Skill tree by four. This only includes skills, so itdoesn’t increase the rank of passive effectsor enhancing skills. However, this means that every Skill that you use for your build will befour ranks stronger, and can even free up Skill Points to use elsewhere for Skills you don’t invest in as much.
In addition, the Harlequin Crest rolls with somegreat defensive and utility statslike Maximum Health, Resource Generation, andCooldown Reduction. When combined with the Unique effect of this item, it’s no wonder why this is one of the strongest and most sought-after Helms in the game.
How To Get The Harlequin Crest
The Harlequin Crest can only drop fromlevel 85 or higher enemies, which can only appear inWorld Tier 4. To unlock World Tier 4, you’ll need to complete theFallen TempleCapstone Dungeon in World Tier 3, then switch your difficulty at the World Tier Statue in Kyovashad or the main menu.
Once you’re in World Tier 4, getting the Harlequin Crest basicallycomes down to luck. As an Uber Unique, the Harlequin Crest has anextremely low drop rate; only a few people in the entire world have gotten one.
Still, if you want to give it a shot, there are a few methods you can employ to increase your chances, which we’ve detailed below.
Monster Farming
CannibalsandCultistenemies have ahigher chance to drop Helmsthan other types of items, so these will provide a slight edge when rolling for the Harlequin Crest.
TheCharnel House Dungeonhas an abundance of Cultist enemies, making this one of the best Nightmare Dungeons to farm for the Harlequin Crest.
Helltide And Worldbosses
Helltideis one of the best open-world methods for getting items in general, meaning it has a better-than-average chance to drop Uniques.
Additionally,defeatingWorld Bosseshas a high chance of yielding Unique items, so you should definitely attempt to take part in these boss fights whenever they come up.
Echo Of Duriel
Added during the Season of Blood, Duriel is an Uber boss who has a higher chance to drop Uniques and Uber Uniques, like the Harlequin Crest.
Duriel needs to be summoned by spending two types of materials;Mucus-Slick EggsandShards of Agony. You can getMucus-Slick Eggs by defeating the Echo of Varshanin World Tier 4, and you can obtainShards of Agony by killing Grigoire, also in World Tier 4. You’ll need two of each of these materials to summon Duriel.
Once you’ve obtained these materials, head to theGaping Crevasse Dungeon, found to thesoutheast of Gea Kul in Kehjistan. There, you can interact with thePestilent Altarto submit your materials and summon the Duriel.
Duriel is an extremely powerful boss who mainly utilizes poison damage. Havingpoison resistanceon your gear and slotting some Emeralds into your jewelry will help with survivability.
While the drop rate for the Harlequin Crest is increased from Duriel, it isby no means a guaranteed drop. It will still takeimmense amounts of luck and perseveranceto obtain this Helm, although you definitely have a better chance at it by killing Duriel.
Resplendent Spark Crafting
New in season three is the ability tosalvage Uber Uniquesto gain aResplendent Spark. Once you havefive Resplendent Sparks, you can head to theAlchemistandcraft any Uber Unique of your choicein the Transmute tab.
This means you can build up Resplendent Sparks over time from any Uber Unique drops, then craft your desired Uber Unique; in this case, the Harlequin Crest. While you still have to be extremely lucky to get even one Uber Unique, this method means you can eventually get the Harlequin Crest if you get enough other Uber Uniques.
