Hardest bosses in Diablo 4 & how to beat them

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

If you’re in the mood for a challenge or trying to get Legendary Aspects or Unique Items, here’s a list of Diablo 4’s hardest bosses and how to beat them.

Hardest Diablo 4 bosses locations & materials

Boss	Location	Material
The Beast in Ice	Glacial Fissure Dungeon (Fractured Peaks).	Normal: Distilled Fear x9 in World Tier 4. Torment: Distilled Fear x27, Stygian Stone x1.
Grigoire, the Galvanic Saint	Hall of the Penitent in Dindai Flats (Dry Steppes).	Normal: 5x Living Steel in World Tier 4 or 2x Living Steel in World Tier 3. Torment: 15x Living Steel in World Tier 4, and Stygian Stone x1.
Lord Zir	Ancient’s Seat of The Darkened Way in the Gale Valley (Fractured Peaks).	Normal: Exquisite Blood x9 in World Tier 4. Tormented: Exquisite Blood x27, Stygian Stone x1.
Ashava The Pestilent	The Crucible (Fractured Peaks).	N/A
Avarice The Gold Cursed	Seared Basin (Kehjistan), The Crucible (Fractured Peaks), Saraan Caldera (Dry Steppes).	N/A
Andariel Maiden of Anguish	Hanged Man’s Hall in Scouring Sands (Kehjistan).	Uber: Sandscorched Shackles x2, Pincushioned Dolls x2 (World Tier IV) Tormented: Sandscorched Shackles x6, Pincushioned Doll x6, Stygian Stone x1.
Wandering Death, Death Given Life	Caen Adar (Scosglen), Saraan Caldera (Dry Steppes), The Crucible (Fractured Peaks), Seared Basin (Kehjistan) or Fields of Desecration (Hawezar).	N/A
Lilith Mother of Sanctuary	Echo of Hatred (Fractured Peaks).	N/A
The Butcher	Randomly appears in any Dungeon.	N/A
Duriel Lord of Pain	The Walls Shake in Caldeum, during Act 6 (Kehjistan)	Uber: Sandscorched Shackles x2, Pincushioned Dolls x2 (World Tier IV) Tormented: Sandscorched Shackles x6, Pincushioned Doll x6, Stygian Stone x1.
Elias Hatred’s Remnant	Black Tomb of Sankekur (Act 3) / On the Precipe Quest (Act 5).	N/A
Astaroth the Charred Duke	The runis of Cerrigar (Scosglen), Act II.	N/A
Blood Bishop	Chamber of Martyrs in the Hollowed Ossuary Dungeon (Fractured Peaks).	N/A

Hardest Diablo 4 main campaign bosses

Blood Bishop

• Location: Chamber of Martyrs in the Hollowed Ossuary Dungeon (Fractured Peaks).

The Blood Bishop is an optional boss in Diablo 4’s campaign. As he is vampiric enemy, 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 you need to watch out for. The boss’ Single-Projectile throws an energy blast directly to your character, 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 you to suck your blood and heal himself at the same time.

The Blood Bishop is primarily a spell caster, so 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 you are facing him in a solo adventure, it’d be better to hide behind pillars and wait for the best chance to strike.

Astaroth the Charred Duke

• Location: The ruins of Cerrigar (Scosglen), Act II.

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 you aren’t prepared. With his Staff Swing, Astaroth can strike you down and drain your entire 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).

Elias Hatred’s Remnant

• Location: Black Tomb of Sankekur (Act 3) / On the Precipe Quest (Act 5).

Elias is Lilith’s favorite boss demon in Diablo 4. Since he’s immortal, you’ll 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 essential to dodge his Area-of-Effect attacks since they can slow you down and leave your character vulnerable. To counter him, 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, you’ll 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 you think you are winning, Elias will summon another Champion to his team. We recommend you 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.

Duriel Lord of Pain

• Location: The Walls Shake in Caldeum, during Act 6 (Kehjistan).
  • Summon materials:
    • Uber: Sandscorched Shackles x2, Pincushioned Dolls x2 (World Tier IV)
    • Tormented: Sandscorched Shackles x6, Pincushioned Doll x6, Stygian Stone x1.

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

The Butcher

• Location: Randomly appears in any Dungeon.

The Butcher isn’t a traditional boss, and you can even go your entire playthrough without running into him. But if he’s near you, you’ll hear him yelling “Fresh Meat!” and won’t give you a chance to escape.

These are The Butcher’s attacks:

• Cleaver/Sickle Swing: The Butcher’s main melee attack, consists of a swing its cleaver, or sickle weapons.
• Hook: He shoots a hook out towards your character and pulls you close, inflicting the Stun status effect.
• Headbutt: The Butcher will headbutt you, dealing damage and inflicting the Stun status effect.
• Roar: The Butcher will roar and emit a burst of blood-red energy, inflicting you with the Slow effect.
• Charge: The boss will ram you from a distance, dealing damage and inflicting the Stun effect.

Very few players manage to kill the Butcher in their first playthrough, especially because he will always be a few levels over you. The only way of winning is to have a strong build that can absorb damage and give you lots of mobility.

You should also be prepared to deal high single-target damage, since he won’t give you much time to breathe between his attacks and Stun skills.

Lilith Mother of Sanctuary

• Location: Echo of Hatred (Fractured Peaks).

As expected, Lilith is the final and toughest boss in the 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 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, 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 you don’t get the opportunity to prepare for this second stage, 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 move fast and stay clear of her new abilities to avoid almost instant death.

Most challenging endgame bosses

Wandering Death, Death Given Life

• Location: Caen Adar (Scosglen), Saraan Caldera (Dry Steppes), The Crucible (Fractured Peaks), Seared Basin (Kehjistan) or Fields of Desecration (Hawezar).

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 progresses.
• 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 progresses through the fight, so movement is key while facing the demon.

Andariel Maiden of Anguish

• Location: Hanged Man’s Hall in Scouring Sands (Kehjistan).
• Summon materials:
  • Uber: Sandscorched Shackles x2, Pincushioned Dolls x2 (World Tier IV)
  • Tormented: Sandscorched Shackles x6, Pincushioned Doll x6, Stygian Stone x1.

Diablo 4 boss Andariel has several phases that make her battle last a little bit longer than usual. Even if you 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 you down and keep you confined in a small area. If you get caught, remember that just a few hits can destroy the chains.

This boss will also summon Flying Demon heads, which will occasionally go toward you 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 you 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 90%. She’ll crouch on the ground, break off her shackles, and grow a couple of scorpion-like arms. Here is when you 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 killed you, the boss demon will also summon a Sandstorm to close off the area where you can move.

To beat Andariel, 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 you to do a significant amount of damage.

When the demon frees herself, keep in mind that she is quite fast but can be staggered easily.

Avarice The Gold Cursed

• Location: Seared Basin (Kehjistan), The Crucible (Fractured Peaks), Saraan Caldera (Dry Steppes).

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 affect 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 causes 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 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 you, so be careful not to be greedy and focus on attacking Avarice.

Ashava The Pestilent

Blizzard

• Location: The Crucible (Fractured Peaks).

Ashava is also one of Sanctuary’s World Bosses. 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 knock you down, dealing a massive amount of damage. With her Ground Pound, Ashava will hit the ground making waves that bring you 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.

Lord Zir

• Location: Ancient’s Seat of The Darkened Way in the Gale Valley (Fractured Peaks).
• Summon materials:
  • Normal: Exquisite Blood x9 in World Tier 4.
  • Tormented: Exquisite Blood x27, Stygian Stone x1.

To defeat Lord Zir, 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 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. During this phase, make sure to take care of all of them and dodge the new blood wave attacks before getting back to Lord Zir.

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.

Grigoire, the Galvanic Saint

• Location: Hall of the Penitent in Dindai Flats (Dry Steppes).
• Summon materials:
  • Normal: 5x Living Steel in World Tier 4 or 2x Living Steel in World Tier 3.
  • Torment: 15x Living Steel in World Tier 4, and Stygian Stone x1.

Grigoire attacks are mostly based on electricity and will cover most of the arena. He’ll also take advantage of any environmental hazards around the room, and won’t let you hide anywhere from his AoE skills.

Here are all of Grigoire’s skills:

• Phase 1:
  • Thunderous Entrance: He’ll enter the fight calling down lightning onto square panels a few at a time.
  • Lightning Call: He slams his large mace to the ground and calls lightning down to circular areas around the battlefield.
  • Dancing Bolts: He swings his mace toward you and shoots out multiple balls of lightning that travel outwards.
  • Dancing Bolts – Surround: He swings his mace toward you and shoots out multiple balls of lightning in all directions that travel outwards.
• Phase 2:
  • Red Lanes: He summons red lightning rods around the battlefield and courses lightning currents through them to trap you and damage you if you touch them.
  • Saintly Call: He summons multiple Knight Penitents to help him.
  • Red Lanes – Thunderous Re-entrance: While electric currents course through the lightning rods, he will teleport out of the battlefield and then electrify most panels of the battlefield as he re-enters.

If you want to know how to defeat this endgame boss, you can check out our strategy guide.

The Beast in Ice

• Location: Glacial Fissure Dungeon (Fractured Peaks).
• Summon materials:
  • Normal: Distilled Fear x9 in World Tier 4.
  • Torment: Distilled Fear x27, Stygian Stone x1.

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.

Most Diablo 4 bosses are great challenges to put your favorite builds to the test. But if you aren’t in the mood for farming materials or wandering around Sanctuary until you encounter a World boss, you can get yourself to the Pit or the Gauntlet to do so.