Diablo 4 ending explained & what could happen in the annual DLC 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.

But ahead of the Vessel of Hatred DLC and story expansion, 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.

Diablo 4 story

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 Lord of Hatred’s offer. Lilith also attempts to sway them to her cause and she too 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 to defend it from them. The player then sees a vision of Diablo, implying his 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, suggesting that the characters have played right into the Prime Evil’s hands by disposing of Lilith and returning one of them to Sanctuary.

What could happen next in Diablo 4?

Mephisto will be the next big bad we’ll be returning to the jungle city of Kurast – a place Mephisto menaced in Diablo 2.

Now that Mephisto is back in Sanctuary, he’s beginning to corrupt Nyrelle, making her his Vessel of Hatred, 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’d ever known.

With her out of the way, their path back to Sanctuary could be secured. In the past, the Prime Evils have used their soulstones to corrupt and possess those who hold them.