Blizzard’s Diablo series has been running since 1997, so it’s no surprise that the games have covered a lot of ground in the realm of storytelling. There are three main games, as well as expansion packs and additional media types that expand the story, and the recently released MMO-ARPG Diablo Immortal. That’s a lot of content for fans, but beyond that, Diablo 4, the fourth main installment in the Diablo series and its long-awaited sequel, is soon to be released.

The Diablo series is chock full of rich lore and expansive storytelling, and fans might be well served to get up to speed on the overall storyline before Diablo 4 is released. The Diablo series combines elements of dark fantasy and demonic themes with its eerie aesthetic to embody the ongoing and complex battle between good and evil. Diablo 4 will see the return of the mysterious Lilith, but there are plenty of other important characters in Diablo that players should become familiar with.

Diablo

The first game in the series was well-received by critics and was a great start for the series. As players explored procedurally generated dungeons and fought hordes of demonic enemies, they learned of a devastating, never-ending war between demons and angels. Diablo is set in the mortal realm, but the war also extends to two other realms: High Heaven and Scorching Hell. Actions during the ongoing conflict led to three kings of Hell being banished to the mortal realm. Diablo the Dread Lord was one of these lords, and contributed greatly to the chaos in the mortal world, until a group of sorcerers called the Horadrim trapped him and his infernal allies in the Soulstone. Diablo’s soulstone was buried deep beneath the monastery and soon forgotten. Over time, a city called Tristram grew around the dilapidated and abandoned monastery, and Diablo began to manipulate the archbishop of the newly built cathedral into releasing him from his prison. The unleashed King of Terror then transformed the city of Tristram into a place of fear and despair. Players must defeat Diablo and absorb his essence through the soulstone, halting his growing influence.

Diablo 2

In the sequel, it turns out that sticking Diablo’s soul stone on his forehead and absorbing his essence wasn’t always the best idea. The protagonist of the first Diablo is corrupted by the Lord of Terror, who brings more demons to the world and continues Diablo’s chaotic reign from the first game. The possessed former hero, now known as the Wanderer of Darkness, also tries to free Diablo’s other brothers, Mephisto and Ba’al.

The reunited trio open a portal to Hell, but the protagonist manages to defeat Diablo and Mephisto and destroy their soul stones to prevent them from ever returning again. In the Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction expansion, Ba’al is the last surviving arch-villain and attempts to corrupt the World Stone after receiving his own soul stone from Marius. This weakens the boundaries between heaven, hell, and the mortal world of sanctuary.

Diablo 3

More than a decade has passed since Diablo 2, and the next part, Diablo 3, has been released. Twenty years after the events of Diablo 2 and its expansions, players return to the world of Sanctuary. Deckard Cain, a famous NPC from the Diablo series, returns to guide players as they explore Tristram Cathedral in search of answers to the prophecy before a shooting star crashes into the building, creating a crater in which Deckard disappears. After investigating the crater and rescuing Deckard, players find the archangel Tyrael and help him recover his lost memories.

Horrified by the plight of humanity and the indifference of his fellow angels to the plague of demons in Sanctuary, Tyrael decides to become a mortal so he can warn humans of the coming of the demon king. The player must face demonic forces and search for the Black Soul Gem, which holds the power to trap the souls of all seven Lords of Hell. However, the player and his allies are betrayed, and the Black Soul Gem is instead used to resurrect Diablo, using Deckard’s ward, Leah, as a vessel. Diablo now houses all of the Lords of Hell’s souls within himself and launches an assault on High Heaven. Diablo is ultimately defeated, and Tyrael resolves to remain in High Heaven and forge a stronger bond between the mortal realm and the rest of the world.

Diablo 3 Expansion

In the Reaper of Souls expansion, Tyrael attempts to retrieve the Black Soulstone and seal it in his Sanctum. However, before he can do so, he is attacked by Malthael, the former Archangel of Wisdom, now calling himself the Angel of Death, who steals the Black Soulstone. Malthael is determined to exterminate humans, as he believes they are demons, the offspring of angels and demons. Ultimately, he shatters the Black Soulstone and absorbs the power of the Seven Evils before being defeated by the player, freeing them once again.

Diablo 4

With the release of the next Diablo game right around the corner, players are excited to see what direction the series’ story will take. Diablo will surely appear in some form, if only through another character who tries to resurrect him. However, it’s clear from Diablo 4’s impressive cinematic trailer that Lilith is the focus of the upcoming title. While she has technically appeared in a Diablo game before, this appears to be a reboot of the Daughter of Hatred and creator of Sanctuary.

The ongoing eternal conflict, a war between High Heaven and Scorching Hell, is taking a toll on the forces of angels and demons, and also impacting the mortal realm of Sanctuary. Diablo 4 takes advantage of the power vacuum created by the war, and the newly resurrected Lilith will take full advantage of this, especially with the Seven Evils temporarily scattered across the Four Winds. Though her presence was quite small in previous games, she’s a key character in Diablo’s storyline, and fans are excited to see Mephisto’s daughter in action.