Diablo 4 ending explained & what could happen in the annual expansions?

After the credits roll on the Diablo 4 ending, you may be left with more questions than answers. Here’s the Diablo 4 ending explained and where the story could go next.

Diablo 4 ends on more than one cliffhanger and it’s clear that this tale of angels and demons isn’t over. Blizzard has already confirmed that the game will receive fresh story content every few months, so in many ways, the base game narrative of Diablo 4 is just an introduction to what will be a much longer saga.

Before Season 1 kicks off, let’s break down the plot of Diablo 4 and consider where the story could go from here. Prepare to enter the depths of the Buring Hells – here is the Diablo 4 ending explained.

Contents

• Diablo 4 story
• Diablo 4 ending
• Ending explained

Diablo 4 story explained

Diablo 4 is set 50 years after Diablo 3 and the world of Sanctuary has been free from invasions by the Prime and Lesser Evils during that time. However, a religious order has started worshipping the fallen angel Inarius as a god and a smaller cult has started worshipping the banished demon princess Lilith.

Lilith is the daughter of the Prime Evil Mephisto who was banished from Hell by her father after she and Inarius fell in love and created the world of Sanctuary. Their idea was to betray both Heaven and Hell and live somewhere far away from the Eternal Conflict. However, their Nephalem children were seen as an abomination by the angels and the demons and were hunted to near extinction.

In response, Lilith became a tyrant and turned her children into weapons to fight both Heaven and Hell. Seeing that all of reality was at stake, Inarius cast her into a dark oblivion and then went into exile himself. The Nephalem would later evolve into humanity, their powers latent in some individuals.

At the start of Diablo 4, Lilith’s cult successfully summons her back to Sanctuary where she starts making up for lost time by trying to take over the world. She also plans an assault on Hell to destroy the Prime Evils and inherit their power, starting with her father Mephisto.

Meanwhile, Inarius has grown tired of Sanctuary and wants to return to Heaven. He believes that by killing Lilith, he’ll be welcomed back into the Aegis council. He even murders their son Rathma, the leader of the Necromancers and a Nephalem, when he refuses to take a side. Inarius helps the player character hunt Lilith who’s leaving a trail of havoc and death everywhere she goes. However, he attempts to thwart their plan to trap Lilith in a Soulstone, wanting to kill her instead.

Diablo 4 ending explained

Mephisto tries to form an alliance with the player character to stop Lilith, but they reject the Prime Evil. Lilith also attempts to sway them to her cause and is rebuffed. Inarius attacks Lilith on her way to confront Mephisto and she manipulates him into hesitating, before killing him.

The player character and their ally Nyrelle arrive at Mephisto’s palace first and, realizing that he’s a greater threat than Lilith, they choose to trap him in the Soulstone instead of her. However, this prevents Lilith from absorbing his essence as Diablo did in Diablo 3.

Lilith is enraged and attacks the player character but they defeat her after a grueling battle. Lilith turns to dust but not before warning the player that the Prime Evils will return and that Sanctuary is doomed without her. The player then sees a vision of Diablo whose return could be imminent.

Nyrelle steals Mephisto’s Soulstone and boards a ship to take it somewhere far away, her intentions unknown. She writes to the player character and asks them not to follow her and to trust that she knows what she’s doing. In a final scene, the wolf aspect of Mephisto is seen stalking Nyrelle.

What could happen next in Diablo 4?

The ending of Diablo 4’s base game is not the end of the story, as this is likely to continue through updates and expansions. Diablo 4 has been designed to be more of a live-service game than previous entries, so we imagine we’ll see the story continue during Season 1 of the game and beyond.

While Lilith served as the primary antagonist of the base game, Diablo, Baal, and Mephisto are the main villains of the series, so it was always likely that the game would feature or foreshadow their return in some form.

Now that Mephisto is back in Sanctuary, he may begin to corrupt Nyrelle, while Diablo and Baal likely have their own plans to return. Could this have been the Prime Evil’s plan all along? After all, Lilith was the greatest threat they’ve ever known. At least this gives us lots of enemies to battle in future Diablo 4 updates!

Remember, the new story content is most likely to arrive in the Diablo 4 DLC or expansion packs, rather than the Seasonal content planned for the game. Diablo 4 Rod Fergusson also confirmed that “there are more stories to tell” in Diablo 4 at Gamescom 2023, so watch this space for future story expansions.

If you want more Diablo 4 content, be sure to check our other guides below:

Diablo 4 Review | Diablo 4: Best way to make money | Diablo 4: Fastest ways to get XP & level up | How to Transmog gear in Diablo 4: Armor, weapons & more | Does Diablo 4 feature followers or mercenaries to hire? | Diablo 4 couch co-op explained: | When is Diablo 4 Season 1? Possible start date, theme, & rewards | How to play Diablo 4 Early Access: Dates, times & how to preload | What is Diablo 4 Hardcore mode? | How to get a mount in Diablo 4 | Diablo 4: How to upgrade your healing potion | How to swap weapons in Diablo 4 | Diablo 4: World Tiers explained | How to use emotes in Diablo 4