An adaptive apex predator hailing from the jungles of Nahantu will soon join the fight against darkness. The Spiritborn is an entirely new class in the Diablo® series, that calls upon the unique strengths of Jaguar, Gorilla, Eagle, and Centipede Spirit Guardians to overcome any nightmare the Burning Hells throws their way. The Spiritborn class will be arriving on October 8 as part of the Vessel of Hatred™ expansion.
Spiritborn are versatile warriors who fuse devastating three-hit-combo attacks and acrobatic fluidity into a potent display of their ferocity. They are masters of hand-to-hand combat, doling out lethality at close range through the ability to extend their wrath with the aid of spirit energy and their favored demon-slaying implement, the glaive. Their physical prowess allows them to block or dodge incoming strikes, absorbing this power for themselves or redirecting it back at their aggressors.
The Spiritborn’s origin, relationship with the Spirit Guardians, Class Mechanic, and more can be discovered below. Please note that this is an early look at the Spiritborn. Any details and images shared within this article are still a work in progress and subject to change.
Who are the Spiritborn?
Before this question can be answered, you must first understand the Spirit Realm and Akarat’s discovery of it.
An Uncorrupted Power–the Spirit Realm
In its simplest form, the Spirit Realm is a place where spirits go.
Upon creation of Sanctuary, when Inarius and Lilith altered the Worldstone, the magic between these two great powers released a clouded veil of magical energy, creating the Spirit Realm. More specifically, the Spirit Realm is a profoundly sacred plane shaped by human beliefs. A ghostly reflection of Sanctuary, where the spirits of the jungle have a purpose beyond life. Ancient Spirit Guardians protect the land, and the spirits from the influence of angels and demons. Many different forms of spirits inhabit the Spirit Realm: certain human spirits who are mysteriously pulled to the Realm, spirits of animals, insects, and plants who evolve over time, and Spirit Guardians who grew to be massive from magical energy concentrating within them.
Dawn of the First Spiritborn
Akarat was a prophet originally from Xiansai, but his mother hails from Nahantu, who spoke about the inner conflict between the angel and demon sides of humanity. He believed human existence was unique and humans had the power to overcome darkness using a special light within them. He traversed Sanctuary, sharing these core beliefs.
Akarat vowed to one day return to his mother’s homeland, and when he did, he discovered a veil between the Spirit Realm and Sanctuary uninfluenced by angels and demons. He knew such a place would need to be protected. Akarat and his most trusted acolyte Ysevete would spend many fortnights studying the Spirit Realm until Akarat became the first living body to cross the veil into the Spirit Realm.
Akarat’s acolytes would continue his studies of the jungle while he was abroad. Returning for his twilight years, Akarat spent them exploring the uncharted territories of the Spirit Realm. When it was time for Akarat to make his final crossing into the Spirit Realm, it would be under the watch of his devoted followers. Ysevete’s cries of sorrow would reach the Realm and were met with support from the spirits. Ysevete, also originally from Nahantu, would go on to form the basis for the Spiritborn culture that exists in present day using the tenets she and Akarat created.
Nurturers of Nahantu
At their core, the Spiritborn believe they must dedicate themselves to Akarat’s and Ysevete’s mission: to protect the Spirit Realm, its spirits, and to ensure harmony between Sanctuary and the Spirit Realm. This is a tenant they embody at every turn. The desired transfer of their soul to the Spirit Realm upon death is one they prepare for while alive. Rejoining with the Spirit Realm upon death is thought to be the highest honor someone can bring upon themselves.
Spiritborn can visit the Spirit Realm while alive, although it is a dangerous, honor-laden undertaking usually reserved for elders who’ve mastered every other facet of their skillset. The uninitiated can still experience vestiges of the Spirit Realm in the form of visions or dreams, whispers from the other side of the veil, and unsolicited intuitions.
The Spiritborn are a loyal people who endlessly strive to honor their rich traditions, the jungle, and the powerful Spirit Guardians.
Your Guardians Against Darkness
Spirit Guardians represent the connection between humans and the natural world they live in. The warrior sees her strength in the Gorilla, the hunter sees his speed in the Jaguar, the strategist sees their vigil in the Eagle, and the apothecary sees her practice in the Centipede and the decay it devours.
In times of need, the Spiritborn will call upon the most suitable Guardian, championing their prowess. It is this adaptability, coupled with their devotion to the Guardians, that makes the Spiritborn the agile and flexible jungle warriors they are.
With the Spiritborn comes a new Skill Tag: Incarnate. While equipped, the Spiritborn embodies the traits of the Guardian associated with the Incarnate Skill, providing you with a passive bonus. When activated, you take on the Guardian’s full strength.
A taste of the Skills you can use as the Spiritborn can be found below, including the Ultimate Skill for each Spirit Guardian. As you read more about some of the Spiritborn’s Skills, keep in mind that [%] refers to a percentage of your weapon’s damage.
Jaguar (Rezoka)
The Jaguar is relentless and violent, attacking repeatedly with blinding speed and fury. Constantly ramping up in lethality and keeping its fire burning in between kills.
Rake: Conjure claws that rake through enemies in front of you, dealing [20%] damage before exploding for an additional [40%] damage.
- Keywords: Core, Jaguar
- Vigor Cost: 30
- Lucky Hit Chance: 16%
- Damage Type: Fire
Ravager: (Passive) Minimum Ferocity increased by 2. (Active) Unleash a savage roar, causing all your attacks to trigger additional strikes dealing [60%] damage for 6 seconds.
- Keywords: Focus, Jaguar, Incarnate
- Cooldown: 20 seconds
- Lucky Hit Chance: 30%
- Damage Type: Fire
Rushing Claw: Slash a short distance through an enemy, striking all enemies along the way twice for a total of [50%] total damage.
- Keywords: Potency, Jaguar, Mobility
- Charges: 4v
- Charge Cooldown: 4 per 20 seconds
- Lucky Hit Chance: 25%
- Damage Type: Fire
The Hunter: Bound across the battlefield with the Jaguar Spirit, dealing [50%] damage upon landing and then rapidly slashing enemies in the area for [200%] total damage over 7 strikes.
- Keywords: Ultimate, Jaguar
- Cooldown 45 seconds
- Lucky Hit Chance: 15%
- Damage Type: Fire
Gorilla (Wumba)
The embodiment of resilience and retaliation, the Gorilla not only shrugs off incoming damage but ensures their reprisals are brutal, swift and final. This Guardian embodies pure dominance and efficient resolution to protect its own at all costs.
Rock Splitter: Rush at a target and clobber enemies in front of you, dealing [15%] damage. Your third attack strikes enemies around you, dealing [28%] damage.
- Keywords: Basic, Gorilla, Mobility
- Generate Vigor: 11
- Lucky Hit Chance: 28%
- Damage Type: Physical
Concussive Stomp: Stomp in front of you, releasing a shockwave that deals [15%] damage and Knocks Down enemies for 3 seconds.
- Keywords: Defensive, Gorilla
- Cooldown: 10 seconds
- Lucky Hit Chance: 20%
- Damage Type: Physical
Payback: Smash enemies in front of you, dealing [100%] damage. When attacked, you have a 35% chance to reduce Payback’s active Cooldown by 1 second.
- Keywords: Potency, Gorilla
- Cooldown: 12 seconds
- Lucky Hit Chance: 30%
- Damage Type: Physical
The Protector: The Gorilla Spirit protects an area for 6 seconds, continuously smashing surrounding enemies for [80%] damage and granting you Barrier for 15% of your Maximum Life every 1.5 seconds.
- Keywords: Ultimate, Gorilla
- Cooldown: 45 seconds
- Lucky Hit Chance: 15%
- Damage Type: Physical
Eagle (Kwatli)
The Eagle is lethal and attacks its prey with pinpoint precision. Its movement speed and amplified Evade, combined with extendable mid-ranged attacks, come together to deliver a concentrated burst of pain upon your foes.
Soar: Fly into the air, creating a cloud which makes enemies at your target location Vulnerable for 5 seconds before you crash down upon them dealing [50%] damage.
- Keywords: Focus, Eagle, Mobility
- Cooldown: 15 seconds
- Lucky Hit Chance: 66%
- Damage Type: Lightning
Quill Volley: Hurl 5 feathers that pierce through enemies, each dealing [14%] damage.
- Keywords: Core, Eagle
- Vigor Cost: 35
- Lucky Hit Chance: 13%
- Damage Type: Lightning
Razor Wings: Whirl out a cluster of razor-sharp feathers that rebound back, dealing [50%] damage each way.
- Keywords: Potency, Eagle
- Charges: 3
- Charge Cooldown: 10 seconds
- Lucky Hit Chance: 22%
- Damage Type: Lightning
The Seeker: The Eagle Spirit swoops down and deals [20%] damage. After a short delay it blasts off dealing [300%] damage.
- Keywords: Ultimate, Eagle
- Charges: 3
- Charge Cooldown: 30 seconds
- Lucky Hit Chance: 30%
- Damage Type: Lightning
Centipede (Balazan)
Draining the strength of foes to sustain itself, the Centipede is a manifestation of the inescapable cycle of death. Wield debilitating Poison damage and disruptive crowd control to reduce any opposition to a lifeless husk.
Withering Fist: Dart at and jab an enemy, dealing [5%] damage and applying [30%] Poisoning damage over 6 seconds. Your third attack bursts on your target, damaging surrounding enemies and Slowing them by 30% for 3 seconds.
- Keywords: Basic, Centipede, Mobility
- Generate Vigor: 9
- Lucky Hit Chance: 25%
- Damage Type: Poison
Scourge: Call forth a wave of insects that bite enemies, Fearing and Slowing them for 3 seconds and applying [100%] Poisoning damage over 6 seconds.
- Keywords: Defensive, Centipede
- Cooldown: 12 seconds
- Lucky Hit Chance: 20%
- Damage Type: Poison
Stinger: Strike a small area, dealing [70%] damage to enemies within as well as all surrounding Poisoned enemies.
- Keywords: Core, Centipede
- Vigor Cost: 40
- Lucky Hit Chance: 20%
- Damage Type: Poison
The Devourer: The Centipede Spirit emerges, blasting enemies in a line for [140%] damage and splitting at others for [40%] damage. Lasts for 15 seconds.
- Keywords: Ultimate, Centipede
- Cooldown: 45 seconds
- Lucky Hit Chance: 10%
- Damage Type: Poison
Hone Your Build with Key Passives
Created in the vision of different fighting techniques, each Key Passive was designed to be more open-ended, allowing you to acutely refine your build with added flexibility. Which one will you use to mow down the hordes of Hell?
Adaptive Stances: The Base Spirit of a Skill cast grants:
- Eagle: 30% Movement Speed
- Gorilla: 30% Damage Reduction
- Jaguar: 30% Attack Speed
- Centipede: 30% Life Steal
Casting a Skill of a different Base Spirit:
- Swaps to the new bonus
- Increases Core Stats by 50% for 5 seconds.
Noxious Resonance: Your Critical Strikes cause enemies to burst 100% of the Poisoning on them as Poison damage to those around them.
Prodigy’s Tempo: Every third consecutive cast of the same Basic Skill increases all Skill Ranks by 2 for 5 seconds. Every third consecutive cast of the same Core or Potency Skill reduces all Skills’ active Cooldowns by 10%, increased by 2% for each of their Skill Ranks.
Vital Strikes: You deal 100% increased damage to Vulnerable enemies. After making an enemy Vulnerable, your next Direct damage dealt to them:
- Heals you for 2% of your Maximum Life
- Generates 5 Vigor
- Removes the Vulnerable effect
Defend Nahantu Using New Legendaries and Uniques
The Spiritborn is launching with Legendary and Unique items tailored to it. Each of the items below showcases a different direction you can take your build in. We cannot wait to see what types of builds you dream up in the future!
Hybrid Augmentations Example
This category of Legendary items leans into the different playstyles of the Spirit Guardians. Each one promotes a specific Guardian combination to elevate your build further. These items are a must for any Spiritborn looking to intermesh the strengths of their Guardians.
Power Augmentations Example
The next category of Legendary items augments and amplifies your Skills. Playstyles using Spirit Skills from the same Spirit Guardian will greatly benefit from items like this.
Subpowers Example
The last category of Legendary items for the Spiritborn are highly utilitarian in nature. You can mix and match multiple items to concoct the best combination for your build.
Uniques Example
Of course, there are wholly powerful Uniques that will amplify the Spiritborn’s inherent power, transcending them into an indominable force of the jungle.
Unlock Your Potential in a New Class Quest
Multiple mysterious killings have occurred across Kehjistan. The carnage left behind suggests an otherworldly beast is to blame. Once you’ve reached Level 15 as a Spiritborn, seek out Tarka, a Spiritborn emissary in Gea Kul. Together, you’ll embark on a quest for your destiny, becoming more attuned to the ways of the Spirit Guardians. Completing the Sacred Hunt quest unlocks the Spirit Hall—the Spiritborn’s Class Mechanic.
Deepen Your Connection in the Spirit Hall
Using the Spirit Hall, Spiritborn can enhance their connection to the Spirit Guardians. Select one of the 4 Guardian Spirits as your Primary Spirit. Doing so will grant you a special bonus, but it also adds that Spirit’s Skill Tag to all your Skills, allowing its Spirit-based bonuses to carry to each of your Skills. At Level 30, you can choose a secondary bonus, from the same Guardian or a different one. This will either strengthen your existing bond or intertwine it with the mechanics from another Guardian. Giving you the freedom to mold your Spiritborn in the direction that most appeals to you. For example:
Selecting the Gorilla as your Primary Spirit will grant you this bonus:
Casting a Gorilla Skill deals 100% Thorns to enemies you hit and grants a Barrier for 10% of Maximum Life, up to 40%, for 3 seconds. All Skills are now also Gorilla Skills.
Now, let’s say you select the Jaguar as your Secondary Spirit. It will grant you this bonus:
Maximum Ferocity is increased by 1. Gain 1 stack of Ferocity whenever you kill an enemy or damage a Boss.
Choosing the Gorilla infuses each of your attacks with Thorns, while simultaneously generating a Barrier. This makes you quite the brute. Choosing the Jaguar as your Secondary Spirit gives you direct access to Ferocity, a new Class Resource. It is a stacking bonus that increases Attack Speed. Now that you’ve paired these two behemoths together, not only does your Attack Speed increase, but so does the rate at which the Gorilla’s bonuses can be used.
Each Guardian has their own unique flavor to inject into your build, breathing life into new synergies. We encourage you to theorycraft until you’ve found the right Primary and Secondary combination that best suits your Spiritborn.
Catch Up on the Spiritborn Reveal Stream
On July 18, we held a livestream that revealed the primal energy and flexibility of the newest Diablo IV class: the Spiritborn.
Community director Adam Fletcher, game director Brent Gibson, associate narrative designer Eleni Rivera-Colon, art director Nick Chilano, and game designer Bjorn Mikkelson took us to the deep jungles of Nahantu for an in-depth look at the Spiritborn. They detailed its lore, Skills, Class Mechanic, itemization, and more.
If you’d like to watch the full livestream to catch up on all the details, see the video below.
Pre-Purchase Vessel of Hatred Today
The Spiritborn will be coming with the Vessel of Hatred expansion on October 8. Pre-purchasing not only grants you access to the Vessel of Hatred expansion upon launch, but it also immediately grants you a bevy of in-game rewards to begin your journey with today!
Pre-Purchase the Diablo IV Vessel of Hatred-Ultimate Edition and receive:
- Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred Expansion***
- Nahantu Veilwalker Spiritborn Armor***
- Alkor, Snow Leopard Pet** (Pre-Purchase Bonus)
- Mother’s Lament Legendary Gem for Diablo Immortal**** (Pre-Purchase Bonus)
- Hratli, Canine Pet**
- Nahantu War-Cat Mount and Armor Bundle**
- One Premium Battle Pass Token
- 3,000 Platinum
- Natalya, Tiger Pet**
- Nahantu Unearthed Armor Bundle (5 class armor sets)
- Wings of the Faith Cosmetic
- Nahantu Themed Town Portal
Pre-Purchase the Diablo IV Vessel of Hatred-Deluxe Edition and receive:
- Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred Expansion***
- Nahantu Veilwalker Spiritborn Armor***
- Alkor, Snow Leopard Pet** (Pre-Purchase Bonus)
- Mother’s Lament Legendary Gem for Diablo Immortal**** (Pre-Purchase Bonus)
- Hratli, Canine Pet**
- Nahantu War-Cat Mount and Armor Bundle**
- One Premium Battle Pass Token
Pre-Purchase the Diablo IV Vessel of Hatred-Standard Edition and receive:
- Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred Expansion***
- Alkor, Snow Leopard Pet** (Pre-Purchase Bonus)
- Mother’s Lament Legendary Gem for Diablo Immortal**** (Pre-Purchase Bonus)
*Diablo IV base game required. After purchase, instantly available items will be delivered in-game after next login.
**Mount or pet feature (as applicable) must be unlocked in-game before the item can be used.
*** Available upon Vessel of Hatred release on October 8, 2024.
****Diablo Immortal® downloaded separately.