“Diablo IV”: what is old is new with the triumphant return of the Paladin

This same class is reintroduced again 25 years later in season 11 of “Diablo IV” as a preamble for those who have pre-ordered the new expansion “Lord of Hatred” – to be released April 28, 2026 -, a reintroduction that we saw with great expectations that fortunately were not betrayed.

And at least in this aspect Blizzard has managed to modernize the class without losing the spirit that made the paladins so entertaining in “Diablo II”, as well as including aspects of the Crusader, its successor in “Diablo III”, which make this new version of the Paladin particularly versatile in terms of the ways they allow you to play.

Thus, in “Diablo IV” the Paladin can be developed primarily in four aspects related to his oath system that enhances certain abilities such as the oath of whatever that enhances hand-to-hand combat; the one of juggernaut that increases the already prodigious capabilities of receiving damage and returning it to the enemy; that of judge which turns him into a kind of magician dispensing holy power in the form of ethereal hammers and the disciple’s oath which allows you to more frequently become an angelic avatar called the Righteous Arbiter.

While I took the time to try each of these methods, in the end the majority of my time ended up recreating the Hammerdin from “Diablo II,” a build characterized by surrounding you with the previously mentioned ethereal hammers that orbit around your character like a lethal circle of death and destruction in a way that would make even a certain god of thunder envious.

Add to that auras like Holy Light, which automatically damage nearby enemies, and there were times when I just had to press a button repeatedly to take on armies of enemies without much fear for my life, at least on the Hard difficulty level.

Which isn’t to say that the Paladin class is particularly simplistic, with other abilities like Hinge, Divine Spear, Shield Bash, and Fallen Star promoting more frenetic, up-close combat for those who prefer this style of play.

Increasing the variety are legendary armor and weapons, which empower certain abilities in ways that can completely change the way you use them.leaving a wide field for those who want to customize their paladin, especially for those who do not religiously pursue the ‘meta’.

Overall, I have come away quite satisfied with my time with this version of Paladin, which has quickly become my favorite class in “Diablo IV” and, barring some big surprises in the other class that Blizzard promises to include in the game, it will be as Paladin that I will go on my adventure when I play the “Lord of Hatred” expansion in April.