Diablo (series)
Dark fantasy series centered on the eternal conflict between Heaven and Hell.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Diablo is an action role-playing dungeon crawler video game series originally developed by Blizzard North and continued by Blizzard Entertainment after the original North studio shut down in 2005. The franchise consists of four main games—Diablo, Diablo II, Diablo III, and Diablo IV—along with several expansions and additional media. As of April 8, 2020, the series has sold nearly 100 million copies worldwide, making it one of the most successful video game franchises in history.
- field
- Video game series
- genre
- Action role-playing dungeon crawler
- developer
- Blizzard North (original), Blizzard Entertainment (continued)
- first_release
- Diablo
- latest_release
- Diablo IV
- sales
- Nearly 100 million copies worldwide (as of April 8, 2020)
- notable_antagonist
- Diablo, the Lord of Terror
Lore & Background
The series is set in the dark fantasy world of Sanctuary, created by rebel angels and demons tired of the eternal war between the High Heavens and the Burning Hells. Their first children, the Nephalem, are the ancestors of humanity, who share both angelic and demonic heritage. The main antagonist is Diablo, the Lord of Terror, one of the seven Great Evils of the Burning Hells, who eventually becomes the Prime Evil after absorbing the other six. Key characters opposing Diablo include Deckard Cain, an elderly scholar and last descendant of the original Horadrim, and Tyrael, an angel of the High Heavens sympathetic to humanity.
Reader's Guide
The Diablo series is significant for popularizing the action role-playing dungeon crawler genre, with its dark fantasy setting and loot-driven gameplay. The first game introduced the town of Tristram and a descent through twelve dungeon levels into Hell. Diablo II expanded the world with five distinct character classes and four acts, and its expansion Lord of Destruction added two more classes and a fifth act. Diablo III continued the story with the awakening of Nephalem powers, while Diablo IV, set 50 years after Diablo III, follows the Wanderer opposing Lilith. The series has spawned books, comics, and other media exploring its lore. Its enduring popularity is reflected in nearly 100 million sales by 2020.
Did You Know?
- The series originally developed by Blizzard North, with Blizzard Entertainment continuing after the studio shut down in 2005.
- Diablo II: Resurrected is a remaster of Diablo II that includes the Lord of Destruction expansion.
- The Hellfire expansion for the first game was developed by Synergistic Software and published by Sierra.
- The series' setting, Sanctuary, was created by rebel angels and demons tired of the war between Heaven and Hell.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Diablo (series) in relation to angelic lore?
Diablo is a dark fantasy action RPG franchise built around the eternal war between the angelic High Heavens and the demonic Hells, with the mortal realm of Sanctuary serving as their perpetual battleground.
Who are the most notable angels in Diablo (series)?
Tyrael, the Archangel of Justice, is the series' central angelic figure, while Inarius is a rebel angel who abandoned the High Heavens to father the mortal races of Sanctuary.
How does the angelic storyline conclude in Diablo (series)?
The High Heavens are ultimately destroyed or corrupted, and Tyrael's deliberate choice to become mortal in Diablo III signals the collapse of the old angelic order.
Why does Diablo (series) matter in popular-culture angelic mythology?
It offers a distinctly grim, gothic take on angelic hierarchy in which even supreme archangels are shown to be corruptible, flawed, or ultimately powerless against the endless cycle of evil.
What role do angels play in Diablo (series)'s world-building?
Angels and demons are the two opposing cosmic forces whose endless conflict shapes every event in Sanctuary, and the High Heavens function as the angelic seat of power that rivals the Burning Hells.
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