When the vampire Lord Zir makes his presence known in the Season of Blood inDiablo 4, players are thrust into a vampiric plague just as they contend with the forces of Lilith. Thanks to vampire hunter Erys, the Wanderer has an expert to consult when it comes to vampiric affairs. However, as players become infected with vampirism without undergoing transformation, their characters remain Sanctuary’s best defense against this new threat.
Unfortunately for players, Lord Zir isn’t the only threat they should be worried about in the Season of Blood. Depending on their progress in the game,Diablo 4can also task players to contend with a myriad of endgame bosses to test their mettle in its tougher challenges. With Lord Zir and his new companions in mind, which of the new endgame bosses are worth the replay, and which ones are meant for single tries?
Sorcerer Drops
Esu’s Heirloom, Raiment of the Infinite, Staff of Endless Rage
Despite being an Endgame Boss in Season of the Blood, theEcho of Varshangoes back into the game’s first season,the Season of the Malignant. In this part of the game’s lore, priest Cormond and his mentor Varshan were the only beacons of light left in Velkhova after being corrupted by Lilith. While Cormond initially fled the village, he came back after being consumed by guilt and studying Cages of Binding, hoping to contain corrupted townsfolk. Unfortunately, Cormond found a corrupted Varshan and, upon using a Cage on him, accidentally transformed him into the first of the Malignant.
In order to fight the Echo, players need to complete missions from the Tree of Whispers and open caches available to them. Opening any cache will guarantee a body part that can summon the Echo, and duplicate parts can be used to craft the other absent materials. Defeating Varshan is necessary to acquire Mucus-Slick Eggs that are used when summoning the Echo of Duriel.
Fighting the Echo Varshan needs players to:
Going outside the vampiric themes of Season of Blood, fighting Echo of Varshan is more thematically in line with fighting corruption than bloodied minions. When players summon the Echo of Varshan,theDiablo 4bossmanifests with a shield that acts as a buffer to his main Life while also dishing out tendril thrusts and putrid attacks on a regular basis. Among the Endgame Bosses in Season of Blood, the Echo of Varshan has some of the easiest-to-predict attacks and should be generally manageable if players useElixir of Shadow Resistance.
Unlike other bosses, Echo of Varshan generally stays in the northern part of the map and may move via his tendrils at a pace slower than most Bosses. The largest threat in Varshan’s arsenal would be the time he summons his Elites, as absorbing them not only refreshes his shield but he can also gain enhancements such as Poisons and Dazes.
Penitent Greaves, Razorplate, Temerity
Barbarian Drops
Gohr’s Devastating Grips, Overkill, Rage of Harrogath, Ramaladni’s Magnum Opus, The Butcher’s Cleaver
Druid Drops
Fleshrender, Greatstaff of the Crone, Mad Wolf’s Glee, Vasily’s Prayer, The Butcher’s Cleaver
Necromancer Drops
Blood Artisan’s Cuirass, Deathless Visage, Greaves of the Empty Tomb, Lidless Wall
Asheara’s Khanjar, Eyes in the Dark, Grasp of Shadow, Skyhunter
Esadora’s Overflowing Cameo, Iceheart Brais, Raiment of the Infinite, Staff of Endless Rage
Prior to succumbing to vampirism,Diablo 4players might be surprised to learn thatLord Zirwas onceamong the Nephalem. In fact, he’s one of the firstborns or the first of Lilith and Inarius’s children. Before his imprisonment after the Purge, Lord Zir had begun feasting on blood to achieve immortality, becoming the first vampire. It’s through Lord Zir’s awakening that Bloodseekers have begun their conquest of Sanctuary, using the Blood Harvest to feed on the living.
Being the Season of Blood’s primary antagonist, players can fight Lord Zir beyond his status as an Endgame Boss. After players become vampires and access their Vampiric Powers, Lord Zir periodically talks to them. Players must fight a weaker version of Lord Zir to make progress with the story, with its moveset more or less similar to its Endgame counterpart.
At this point, players should:
While Lord Zir’s moveset is certainly predictable inDiablo 4, he’s by no means close to being amongthe lore’s weakest Bosses. In fact, Lord Zir becomes a deadly foe not necessarily through the strength of his moves, but by virtue of the fact that he can pull them off quickly to overwhelm players with incremental damage.
Similar to the Echo of Varshan, it’s recommended for players to use anElixir of Shadow Resistanceto boost their overall defenses. Despite his status as a strong Endgame Boss, Lord Zir’s overall combat mechanics make him seem like a stationary threat instead of an active Boss.
Hall of the Penitent
Penitent Greaves
Ancients' Oath, Battle Trance, Rage of Harrogath, Ramaladni’s Magnum Opus, The Butcher’s Cleaver
Insatiable Fury, Hunter’s Zenith, The Butcher’s Cleaver, Waxing Gibbous
Blood Artisan’s Cuirass, Greaves of the Empty Tomb, Howl from Below
Gloves of the Illuminator, Staff of Lam Esen, Iceheart Brais
Among the Endgame Bosses players will face in their Season of Blood gameplay inDiablo 4,Grigoire, The Galvanic Saintcan be challenging to face not just because of his mechanics but his encounters as a whole. While not much is known about Grigoire in terms of lore, one might argue this gigantic boss is somewhat in charge of giving penance to those gracing the Hall of the Penitent. When meeting him at the end of the hall, he falls from the skies and smashes the ground with electrifying fury.
However, before players even contend with himin theirDiablo 4playthrough, they first need to acquire at least 5 Living Steel, obtainable only from Tortured Gift of Living Steel Chests, which are only openable via Aberrant Cinders in Helltides. Despite the frequency of Helltides inDiablo 4, going through the trouble of finishing them to collect Living Steel can make Grigoire less than appealing to the farm.
Fighting Grigoire at this stage requires:
Compared to theother Endgame Bossesin Season of Blood, Grigoire offers some of the most engaging mechanics for players. Their combat stage is set at the end of the Hall of the Penitent, which in itself is a room split into three sections of three large tiles each. Pylons are noticeably scattered across the room, with the center tile being rather empty. It’s here that Grigoire makes his dramatic entrance, knocking back players unless they find a safe space.
Grigoire’s entrance gives players a gist of what to expect in combat. Before Grigoire jumps from off-screen, panels light up before being struck by lightning. Most of Grigoire’s attacks are telegraphed, be it the start of a swing, as well as panels and pylons being lit up. Aside from anElixirof Lightning Resistance, players can deal with Grigoire much faster if they constantly circle behind him to attack while also avoiding electrified panels.
Fell Steed Mount, Skull Torch Trophy
All Classes Drops
Fists of Fate, Frostburn, Mother’s Embrace, Tassets of the Dawning Sky
Condemnation, Eaglehorn, Windforce, Word of Hakan
Esu’s Heirloom, Gloves of the Illuminator, Staff of Lam Esen, The Oculus
Despite the general lack of lore on the part of theBeast in the Ice, this Endgame Boss spices up combat in Season of Blood compared to otherunderwhelming Bosses inDiablo 4. Faced in its own realm of the Glacial Fissure, the Beast in the Ice acts as the equivalent of a Boss in a Nightmare Dungeon, which in itself means players have to fight upgraded versions of regular enemies.
Unlike other Bosses in the game, the Beast in the Ice has a more fluid moveset that can prove challenging to players who aren’t quick on their feet. Fighting the Beast requires the creation of the Glacial Fissure Sigil, which in itself is a Nightmare Sigil. This can be crafted through the Occultist via the offering of 9 Distilled Fear.
Upon entering the battlefield, the Beast can:
To fight the Beast in its initial summoning, players need to:
Near its death, the Beast can:
To finally defeat the Beast at this point of combat, players need to:
Compared toBosses in theDiablofranchise, the Beast in the Ice has some of the most fluid mechanics that make it a challenging fight for both first-timers and seasoned players. After its arrival, its seemingly predictable slashes, shard-summoning, and frost breath make it like a generic boss. However, things can get challenging for players by the time the Beast summons its ice storm, especially since it contains the battle in a tighter area.
Players are recommended to carry anElixir of Cold Resistanceas well as skills and bonuses that provide immunity to stuns and knockbacks. While also useful against other Endgame Bosses, the Beast’s particular reliance on this property of Cold attacks can make this Boss especially deadly for players.
Brimstone Mount
Uber Unique Items
Andariel’s Visage, Ahavarion - Spear of Lycander, Doombringer, Harlequin Crest, Melted Heart of Selig, Ring of Starless Skies, The Grandfather
All Class Drops
Banished Lord’s Talisman, Flickerstep, Godslayer Crown, Soulbrand, Tibault’s Will, X’Fal’s Corroded Signet
Blue Rose, Flamescar
WhileDuriel, King of Maggotsis an Endgame Boss inDiablo 4, he also serves as one of the antagonists of the mainDiablo 4storyline. Also known as the Lord of Pain, Duriel is revealed as the twin brother ofAndariel, the Maiden of Pain. While not as powerful as a Prime Evil, Duriel is powerful enough to be known as a Great Evil, one of the seven heads of Tathamet, the embodiment of evil itself.
Although players defeat Duriel in the game’s main story, he makes a return in Season of Blood as one of the game’s Endgame Bosses. Compared to the other Endgame Bosses, Duriel is considered one of the hardest challenges a player might face. On top of his nature as a Level 100 opponent, his attack patterns are generally aggressive despite being telegraphed.
To defeat Duriel, players need to:
At first glance, Duriel’s overall strategy makes him seem more ofa World Boss inDiablo 4than a traditional Boss encounter. Before Duriel even makes an entrance, two Pangs of Duriel are summoned to fight players. While Duriel’s attacks seem easily telegraphed, it’s the frequency of his attacks and the sheer aggression of the Boss that can make it one of the toughest fights players can experience in the game. Despite his general difficulty, Duriel is worth the farm as he’s the only one among the Endgame Bosses who drops Uber Unique Items.
It’s ideal for players to gear up to Level 100 in order to withstand Duriel’s physical attacks and make sure to focus on builds that prioritize damage mitigation to enhance their overall defense. Moreover, the Boss’s reliance on Poison Damage can make him exceptionally deadly, with players needing anElixir of Poison Resistancefor survival.
