TheDiabloseries has a surprising amount of depths in its lore and world building. The background history of the games are riddled with wars, the rise and fall of nations, and the exploits of heroes whose influence has long dissipated, butDiablo 4takes a lot of steps toward integrating the full breadth of its story.
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That said, Diablo 4 can’t address everything and still tell the story it wants to tell. Because of this, there’s a handful of lingering questions after the credits roll. Some characters are set up for a future in Sanctuary, and others still need to answer for where they’ve been.
10How Did Inarius Escape Mephisto’s Domain?
The most pressing questionthe game asks you is how on Earth did Inarius escape the Burning Hells? You can’t even suggest that since Mephisto was weakened he was able to break through. This isn’t the first time Mephisto has been weakened, or even banished from his own domain.
The game constantly hand waves this to such a degree that you assume it’s going to be answered, but the vaguest you get is that he “fought his way out.” That’s neat, but it doesn’t really explain anything. Was it because Mephisto’s defenses have waned? Was he granted a blessing of might? Inarius probably doesn’t even know.
9How Was Lilith Summoned to Sanctuary?
Following in her husbands footsteps, how did Lilith get to Sanctuary? How easy is it to get there from the pits of magic prison? This goes beyond Inarius too. He was in a literal jail. “He broke out,'' is a believable answer, if not a simple one. Lilith was banished to the Void. You’re not supposed to be able to leave there, and she’s done it twice.
Diablo 4 does establish that waypoints can be made for beings to locate Sanctuary from Heaven and Hell, but this is the Void. If breaking out is as simple as being summoned out, then it’s not a very good prison. It just feels like the main antagonists returned from millennia in super-jail without any explanation, but one is warranted.
8Will The Horadrim Survive?
The fate of the Horadrim is posed at the end of the story, rather than being present throughout the quest.There were only two left to begin with, and the prospect of a new student. It was hopeful. By the end, Donan is dead, and Neyrelle is abandoning her pursuits. This leaves Lorath, and he walks off with a simple head nod.
The Horadrim have been in constant decline since Tyrael stopped leading them long before Diablo 1, but they’ve truly become a shell of their former self. Back when Deckard Cain was the last Horadrim, he at least he had some life in him. Lorath lost his first student to madness, and he loses the second for reasons he barely understands. He isn’t doing great, and it’s sad to say, but their order may soon come to a close.
7What Are The Angels Up To?
Save for Inarius, the Angels are absent from Diablo 4. This feels incredibly strange, but it does help the story feel about Sanctuary and it’s reconstruction. Still, are none of them concerned with Lilith returning, or Inarius breaking out? Also, where is Tyrael?
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At the end of Diablo 3, Tyrael was mortal, but no one knows if he’d be reincarnated again if he dies, like all angels. Furthermore, Tyrael is the only angel to ever maintain his identity after rebirth. Is there a chance of that happening twice?
6How Many Evils Have Reformed Exactly?
Reaper of Souls put the Seven Evils back into the world, allowing for plenty of sequel bait, and here we are. The evils are present again in Diablo 4, but its entirely unclear exactly to what degree.The strongest Prime Evilis still reforming, but his weaker sibling has reformed and invaded Sanctuary again.
Maybe Mephisto being the strongest is why he takes so long. He’s got a lot of goop to reconstitute. The other five evils don’t even get a mention though. Are the Lesser Evils reformed too? What about Diablo and Baal? Who’s alive and who’s dead anymore? There should be a checklist.
5What’s Happening On The Western Continent?
If you haven’t seen it, Diablo actually does have a map, as any good fantasy series should, and there are two major continents. The games have taken place all over them as well. Except for Diablo 1 being set in Tristram, Diablo 2 and 3 both span the entire globe. Meanwhile, Diablo 4 is relegated to the upper half of the right continent.
So what’s going on on the other half of the world then? An apocalypse and a half went down, and it’s unclear if Westmarch even knows it happened. There are some pretty important political figures over there. A wave or something to know they’re okay would be comforting.
4Is The Leoric Family Finally Dead?
This is a deep pull, but the Leoric family hasn’t caught a break since long before Diablo 1. They’ve been directly involved in three games now, and it would’ve been a reasonable bet to say they were involved in Diablo 4. Thankfully, it seems the tragic family can finally rest.
What makes this such a somber realization is that it means saying goodbye to the original main character. The warrior in Diablo 1 was originally nameless, but through Diablo 2 he was canonized as the main character, and in Diablo 3 he was written as the son of King Leoric.
3What Characters Are Canon?
Speaking of canonizing characters, who are the main characters in Diablo 4? There are five playable classes, and each has a vastly different story. It would mean something entirely different to the people of Sanctuary if they were saved by the Druid tribes, or a child of Rathma.
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There has been a precedent set for this question. Every sequel thus far has established every playable class as having worked together in their quest, so that’s probably the case here. Unfortunately, we likely won’t know until we get that sequel.
2What Happened To The Nephalem?
Of all the hooks left dangling, the fate of Diablo 3’s nephalem might be the meatiest. For the uninitiated, the nephalem are the god-like super children of angels and demons. Tyrael ends Diablo 3 by reckoning how the nephalim has proven to be stronger than Heaven and Hell combined, and yet their story isn’t finished.
To make matters worse, every hero in Diablo 3 was part of the adventuring party, as established by Diablo-sequel-story-etiquette. Does that mean there were five Nephalem running around? That’s a not-insignificant amount of Nephalem. They can’t have all just disappeared.
1Where Is Neyrelle Going?
Neyrelle’s choice to depart with Mephisto’s soulstone at the end of the game is the gateway into Diablo’s next story, and it’s disturbingly reminiscent for veterans of the series. Neyrelle’s actions mimic the Dark Wanderer and his march to the East. Always to the East.
Traveling with the soul of hatred itself can’t be healthy. Neyrelle has put herself in immediate danger, and it’s unlikely she even knows where she’s going. She’s isolated herself, and she may already be under Mephisto’s control. Finally, she appears to be traveling West. What awaits her on the other side of the world?Next:Diablo 4: Build Tier List
