Diablo 4: Hardest bosses & how to beat them

Diablo 4 will constantly challenge your skills by throwing difficult bosses at you during your playthrough. However, some of them can be extremely difficult to handle if you are not prepared with a good build, so here are the hardest bosses in Diablo 4 Season 3 and how to defeat them.

No matter how ready Diablo 4 players seem to be for the cruelty of Sanctuary, bosses are on a whole other level. Blizzard have made them an integral part of the narrative, and they pose a large threat to players who are unaware of their specific skill set.

Since this guide will talk about battles that Wanderers will go through while playing the main campaign, be wary of minor spoilers for Diablo 4’s story. With that out of the way, here’s a list of Diablo 4’s hardest bosses and how to beat them.

• How to beat Blood Bishop in Diablo 4
• How to beat Astaroth the Charred Duke in Diablo 4
• How to beat Andariel The Maiden of Anguish in Diablo 4
• How to beat Elias Hatred’s Remnant in Diablo 4
• How to beat Wandering Death, Death Given Life in Diablo 4
• How to beat Duriel Lord of Pain in Diablo 4
• How to beat Avarice The Gold Cursed in Diablo 4
• How to beat Dark Master Lord Zir in Diablo 4
• How to beat Ashava The Pestilent in Diablo 4
• How to beat The Beast in Ice in Diablo 4
• How to beat Lilith Mother of Sanctuary in Diablo 4

How to beat Blood Bishop in Diablo 4

The Blood Bishop is an optional boss in Diablo 4’s campaign. As a vampiric enemy, Wanderers will have to watch out for long-range attacks. It’s recommended to be at least level 14 before trying to take him down.

There are four repeated abilities that players need to watch out for. The boss’ Single-Projectile throws an energy blast directly to the player, but it’s easily avoidable. The Vollet Projectile might prove trickier, as Blood Bishop will bring up a small cloud and shoot multiple energy blasts.

Bloody Bishop also uses Blood Clot Mines, which produces four red orbs that blow up after a few seconds. His final special attack is called Bloodsucker, where the boss grabs the player to suck their blood and heal himself at the same time.

The Blood Bishop is primarily a spell caster, so Wanderers have to be careful with the fast projectiles that he can summon. The best way to defeat him is to always be on the move and quickly destroy any Blood Clot Mines that are blocking the arena. If players are facing him in a solo adventure, it’d be better to hide behind pillars and wait for the best chance to strike.

There are two places where you can find the Blood Bishop. Look for him in either the Sanguine Chapel or the Hallowed Ossuary.

How to beat Astaroth the Charred Duke in Diablo 4

Astaroth is one of the bosses that can be found earlier in the Diablo 4 campaign. Lilith will revive him during Act 2 and can be seen riding a gigantic three-headed Hellhound.

His three main attacks can be destructive if the Wanderers who face him aren’t prepared. With his Staff Swing, Astaroth can strike the player and drain their life with one hit. He also has Fire Breathing, where he’ll scorch any character and do damage over time. Finally, the boss can summon Fire Balls, which rain from above with almost no warning.

The key to fighting against Astaroth in Diablo 4 is to move constantly, attack him from the rear, and use an Elixir of Fire Resistance.

You can find Astaroth in Diablo 4 by attempting the Worlds Burns quest in Cerrigar (Scosglen).

How to beat Andariel Maiden of Anguish in Diablo 4

Diablo 4 boss Andariel has several phases that make her battle last a little bit longer than usual. Even if players can find her chained up at first, she’ll eventually break free and use her extra limbs to attack mercilessly.

During the first part of the battle, she’ll be shackled to a cross, from where she can spawn three Rune Chains that will slow players and keep them confined in a small area. If the Wanderers get caught, just a few hits can destroy the chains, but it won’t stop them from inflicting damage.

This boss will also summon Flying Demon heads, which will occasionally go toward the players and cause low to medium damage. After Andariel fires the heads, she’ll levitate and appear on the other side of the screen.

After the first two phases, Andariel will activate her Stream of Shadow ability, which causes damage if players step inside their zone. She’ll also defend herself with Wake of Shadow in case something tries to attack her from behind. That’s not all, as the demon can also whip her chains around in an attack called Chain Lash.

And in a true this-is-not-even-my-final-form style, Andariel will get tired of being chained when her life reaches the 90%. She’ll crouch on the ground, break off her shackles and grow a couple of scorpion-like arms. Here is when the player should worry about her Hair Sling attack, where she’ll throw her hair and chains forward, streaming an area of shadow damage in front of her.

If any of this hasn’t defeated the Wanderers, the boss demon will also summon a Sandstorm to close off the area where they can move.

To beat Andariel, players have to be mindful of which fight stage they are in. If she’s shackled, the demon boss will especially use Area-of-Effect attacks, which can be predictable. Her cooldowns leave her exposed long enough for Wanderers to do a significant amount of damage.

When the demon frees herself, Wanderers have to be mindful that she is quite fast but can be staggered easily. Players who dare to face her will do better by equipping items that increase their Evade stats.

Andariel will appear once completing the Anguish Incarnate quest in the Blasted Scarp (Kehjistan).

How to beat Elias Hatred’s Remnant in Diablo 4

Elias is Lilith’s favorite boss demon in Diablo 4. Since he’s immortal, the Wanderers will have to face him both in Act 3 and Act 5 of the main campaign.

During the first fight, Elias will only have a normal health bar and fire Tracking Bolts that work as homing projectiles. It’s also essential for players to dodge his Area-of-Effect attacks since they can slow them down and leave them vulnerable. To counter, players need to especially focus on dealing damage from up close.

After depleting his energy, the fight will be interrupted by a cutscene that showcases a dialogue with Lilith.

But when the cinematic finishes, players will discover that Elias is still alive and ready for a second fight. The boss will then summon a demon called Champion of Lilith, who’ll fight alongside him and create explosive Ground Pentagrams. Just when the Wanderers think they’re winning, Elias will summon another Champion to his team. It’s recommended to finish off these demons before trying to get to the main boss.

The classes that are more effective against Elias are Sorcerers and Necromancers since they can easily deal melee damage with summons while staying out of the reach of the demon boss.

Where can you find Elias in Diablo 4? The first encounter with Elias will be during the Piercing the Veil quest in Act 3. The second encounter will be before completing the On the Precipice quest.

How to beat Wandering Death, Death Given Life in Diablo 4

Besides the bosses of the main campaign, Diablo 4 has three PvE demons that can spawn randomly in Sanctuary. One of them is Wandering Death, who has seven techniques that can demolish any player who tries to take them out alone:

• Death Crater: Wandering Death will create a large crater that explodes within five seconds and can trap players. These will multiply as the fight progresses.
• Death Pound: The boss will slam the ground in front of him and create a wave of spikes. The attack also becomes more powerful as the fight progress.
• Death Shout: As the name describes, the demon will yell out, causing a shockwave that crosses the battle area.
• Death Tornadoes: As the demon’s health depletes, a couple of whirlwinds will knock players down.
• Death Beam: Wandering Death’s most powerful attack. This beam will be cast from his hands and will multiply as he takes damage.

It’s not easy to face Wandering Death, so it’s essential to keep track of the green circles that appear on the floor when he’s about to perform a Death Pound attack. These will get larger as the battle progress through the fight, so movement is key while facing the demon.

How to beat Duriel Lord of Pain in Diablo 4

Duriel is the last major Diablo 4 boss before the Wanderers enter Hell. Even if he’s got a couple of long-range attacks, the three phases of his battle are mostly melee. This demon will use four different abilities to finish any Wanderer that crosses his path:

• Eater of Worlds: After a stomping attack, Duriel will grab the players and pull them into his stomach. Depending on their defenses, this can actually deplete half of the Wanderer’s life.
• Burrow: Duriel will dig into the ground and evade the player’s attack. The craters that he makes will stay in the battle area and will begin entrapping the Wanderer while fighting.
• Plague Maggots: When borrowing into the ground, a dozen of maggots will hatch and swarm any player near the area. Luckily, this attack has low-level damage, but it can be quite bothersome when trapped between craters.
• Stab: Duriel has got giant crab arms, that will deliver small to medium damage when hitting the Wanderers.
• Belly Belch: The demon will open his stomach and eject acid in front of him, causing Poison damage.

Since he can Burrow and swarm the players with his Plague Maggots, it’s tricky to strike Duriel. The best Wanderers can do is to summon Area-of-Effect abilities to trap or slow him down, and then land a couple of strong blows.

You’ll find Duriel Lord of Pain while playing Act 6, during the quest called The Walls Shake in Kehjistan City (Caldeum).

How to beat Avarice The Gold Cursed in Diablo 4

Avarice is another one of the main World Bosses and has a number of melee attacks that he cycles through. During its three phases, the demon can choose between several attacks that deal a considerable amount of physical damage and affects large areas. These are:

• Spin Attack: Avarice will spin the Treasure Chest he carries as a weapon and hit everything in a 360° area. The only way to evade it is to go inwards, where the chain is, or move away where the boss doesn’t reach.
• Portal Charge: This World Boss has the ability to regularly teleport through a golden portal, and will charge through it, delivering almost instant death. This attack is linear, which makes it easy to evade.
• Mallet Thrust: During its second phase, the demon will lash out with his mallet, dealing damage in a cone area.
• Pillars of Gold: Avarice will summon pillars of gold and change the battle environment. These are going to be used to trap the players and knock them down, or are going to be pulverized, resulting in an explosion of molten gold that cause a great amount of damage.
• Golden Vomit: When the demon enters its third phase, he’ll begin to vomit pools of gold onto the arena. These can easily kill players if they stand in them and, combined with the pillars, are almost impossible to evade.
• Ground Stomp: Avarice will often stomp the ground before summoning pillars or projecting golden vomit. He’ll use this to pull the players towards him to entrap them.

The easiest way to deal damage to Avarice is to stagger him, so players have to watch out for the bar that is under the health bar. Once it turns blue, the World Boss will take damage faster. However, he’ll summon Gold Goblins to tempt the players, so be careful not to be greedy and focus on attacking Avarice.

How to beat Dark Master Lord Zir in Diablo 4

Dark Master Lord Zir is a new boss introduced in Season 2 and is easily one of the hardest fights in Diablo 4. To defeat him, you must be quick with your attacks and dodges as he can deal immense damage to your health bar if you mess up during the encounter.

The primary moves of Dark Master Lord Zir in Diablo 4 are:

• Blood Rain: Once you see Lord Zir flapping his wings, get ready to move around as he will release rain and puddles of blood throughout the arena.
• Claw of Blood: Lord Zir will give rise to claws of blood that take a scythe-like form. Move behind him during the wind-up or dodge away as this attack can damage you significantly.
• Wing Blast: Once you have damaged him enough, he will teleport away from you and throw wing blast attacks towards you. You definitely need to dodge as these attacks hit fairly hard.

After a while, he will start summoning minions and adds during the fight which might make it difficult for you if you are playing melee or solo. Make sure to take care of all the adds and dodge the new blood wave attacks before getting back to Lord Zir during this phase.

As you keep trickling down his HP, his attacks will start getting faster and deal more damage. So it is better to not use too many health potions at the beginning of the fight in Diablo 4.

How to beat Ashava The Pestilent in Diablo 4

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Ashava is also one of the World Bosses inside the Diablo 4 map and one of the hardest beasts to find in Sanctuary. Almost all of her attacks will have two parts and will deal poison damage.

With her Double Swipe, Ashava will go through the ground in a 360° sweep and then will do it once again but in a 180-degree sweep. She also uses Leap, which can tackle the Wanderers and knock them down, dealing a massive amount of damage. With her Ground Pound, Ashava will hit the ground making waves that bring the players closer to her to then swipe in a mortal strike.

Two of the demon’s minor attacks are Acid Spit, where she vomits three blobs of poison that linger 20 seconds on the battlefield; and Bite, a melee attack that strikes four times.

The best way to beat Ashava is to evade her attacks and try to stay behind her. It’s also recommended to equip anything that can help against Poison attacks.

How to beat The Beast in Ice in Diablo 4

The Beast in Ice in Diablo 4 was first introduced during Season of Blood and has become one of the toughest bosses you can face while exploring Sanctuary. After gathering all the materials to craft a Glacial Fissure Nightmare Sigil at The Occultist, you’ll be able to teleport to the Dungeon to fight it.

The Beast in Ice has three phases, where it will switch between powerful melee and AoE attacks that can give you the Frozen status as well as deal serious damage. Here are all its abilities:

• Phase 1
  • Icy Breath: The Beast in Ice will inhale multiple ice crystals that multiply after they shatter.
  • Frostquake: After roaring, the boss slams the ground generating multiple frost pools.
  • Frozen Strikes: The Beast slashes with his sword and creates ice crystals.
  • Leap Attack: Rising into the air, The Beast slams down dealing damage in a large area, and releasing several Ice crystals.
• Phase 2
  • Icy Hail: The Beast leaves its blade stuck into the ground and channels multiple icy explosions that release icy waves moving towards you.
• Phase 3:
  • Enhanced Icy Hail: Besides its other attacks, The Beast will channel multiple ice explosions, but you’ll get double icy waves moving towards you.

The best way to survive The Beast in Ice is to use a build with lots of mobility, that can dodge every AoE skill and then land a high-damage strike. Try getting behind the boss and avoiding any circular ice zones that mark where its attacks go.

How to beat Lilith Mother of Sanctuary in Diablo 4

As expected, Lilith is the final and toughest boss in Diablo 4 main campaign. Her battle has two stages, where she’ll appear in her “Creator of Sanctuary” form first and will use lots of area-of-effect attacks. During the second stage, she’ll morph into her “Daughter of Hatred” form, where not only her damage is increased, but she’ll destroy the surrounding environment. It’s recommended for players to be at least level 45 before facing her.

In her first form, Lilith will unleash four different types of attack:

• Champion Summon: The boss will summon demon mobs, known as Champions of Chaos, to attack the player.
• Hell Dive: Lilith will fly seeking the players and crash down near the center of the arena, dealing a huge amount of damage.
• Demon Cross: After marking a couple of crossed lines on the ground, a round of flames will set ablaze in the arena.
• Spinning Slice: The demon’s basic melee attack, which consists of two spinning strikes.

To beat Lilith while she’s in her “Creator of Sanctuary” appearance, the Wanderers have to be mindful of her minions and try to control them with Area-of-Effect attacks. It will also be helpful to equip any potions or items that increase the ability to Evade since her charges are constant but can be dodged.

When finishing this first stage, Lilith will transform into her full demonic form and gain a new set of abilities:

• Shadow Flight: Lilith flies sideways, releasing a shadow mist that will corrupt the areas she went through.
• Arena Destruction: The demon will destroy parts of the battle area as the battle extends.
• Corrupted Growths: Strange growths will spawn in the arena, which will explode and deal damage after a short while.

Even if players won’t get the opportunity to prepare for this second stage, they should keep in mind that Lilith doesn’t refresh potions when she dies the first time. In her second form, Lilith will deal more damage, so Wanderers will have to move fast and stay clear of her new abilities to avoid almost instant death.

Where to find Lilith in Diablo 4? Lilith makes her final appearance in the What Lies Ahead quest.

Want to know the best build for your Diablo 4 character? Here are some guides that will come in handy:

Best Diablo 4 Necromancer builds | Best Diablo 4 Sorcerer builds | Best Diablo 4 Rogue builds | How to complete Summons of the Deathless quest in Diablo 4 | Diablo 4 Season 2 boss loot tables: How to summon & farm Uniques | Diablo 4: Scroll of Amnesia explained