Diablo, the Lord of Terror, is the main villain of the Diablo franchise, and his return in Diablo 4 is seen as inevitable by the fans and even the developers.
Diablo serves as the main antagonist in the first three Diablo games. Even after his defeat, and once another villain replaces him in each game’s expansions, the shadow of the Lord of Terror looms large over Sanctuary – and let’s be honest, the series is named after him. He’s also literally the Diablo universe’s version of Satan.
However, in Diablo 4 players were faced with Lilith as the main antagonist, a complicated and sympathetic villain who was committed to protecting Sanctuary from Diablo and his Prime Evil brothers. The only problem was, Lilith was also a demon and her plan to protect the world required humanity to bend the knee to her. While a world ruled by Lilith would be preferable to one led by Diablo, it was still far from ideal.
Diablo’s image looms large over Lilith.
With Lilith’s defeat at the end of Diablo 4, the protagonists unwittingly opened the door for the return of Mephisto, the Lord of Hatred and Diablo’s brother, which of course may lead to both Baal and Diablo returning next. Diablo himself is conspicuous by his absence in the fourth game, but the stained glass window depicting him looming over Lilith as she dies can be seen as teasing his return.
Speaking at Gamescom 2024, Diablo 4, Production Director, Tiffany K. Watt expressed her thoughts on Diablo’s return, saying, “Diablo is such a beloved franchise now we have opportunities to explore different parts of the lore of Sanctuary. So many different ways we can approach the Prime Evils.”
“No matter what happens, the Prime Evils are always going to come back in some way or fashion so it’s about being able to explore how in this game is that going to happen. The canvas is ours to paint, I hope we can continue to build on it while always tying it back to the Prime Evils.”
Of course, fans have speculated that Diablo would be returning at some point since Diablo 4 was first released. As Watt’s comments could be perceived as confirmation, once Mephisto has had his time to shine in Vessel of Hatred, it sounds like the return of the Lord of Terror is inevitable.
