Paladin

0:48 The Paladin is one of the two classes of Lord of Hatred, Diablo 4's second expansion: a heavily armored warrior who fights with hammer, sword, flail and shield and wields the Holy Light, playable since Dec 11, 2025 for anyone who pre-purchased the expansion and for every owner since its launch on Apr 28, 2026. Blizzard Entertainment's launch trailer for Lord of Hatred names it "New class: Paladin" over an armored knight with a tall sword and a gilded shield, then cuts to the class in combat, a blade of white light striking skeletal creatures. Its class mechanic is four Oaths, Zealot, Juggernaut, Judicator and Disciple, and it is one of eight Classes; the other Lord of Hatred class is the Warlock.

Quick facts

The Wardens of Light

Blizzard's Paladin introduction of Dec 11, 2025 gives the class a new order. The Wardens of Light were founded by a former Zakarum Paladin who wanted to avoid the mistakes of earlier Paladins, denounced after their leaders fell to corruption, and some of its recruits had troubled pasts; Blizzard's class page sums it up: "Once outcasts and sinners, the Paladins were reborn through the Wardens of Light." For the Wardens the Light is a force that lives in every human heart, "not based on any deity or faith alone. It is a faith in oneself." They live by five creeds: Valor, Justice, Hope, Fate and Wisdom.

1:57 The Paladin arrives in the Story to stand against Mephisto. Near the end of the launch trailer, a Paladin's voice vows "I will make Mephisto pay for this!" and Lorath answers, "We both will, my friend."

Early access and the free trial

27:59 Blizzard revealed the Paladin at The Game Awards on Dec 11, 2025 and made it playable the same day for anyone who pre-purchased any edition of Lord of Hatred, four and a half months before the expansion itself. By the Diablo 30th Anniversary Spotlight on Feb 11, 2026, Blizzard could say many players had "already been playing as the Paladin", and set it against the coming Warlock: the Paladin stands for light and purity, the Warlock is its darker counterpart, and that duality of angels and demons is the theme of the expansion.

Players who had not pre-purchased got a taste with Season of Slaughter: a free Paladin trial up to level 25 from Mar 11, 2026, for about a week. The Paladin's class quest, in which the player helps a Paladin stop a saint being sacrificed to Andariel, is open to all players and classes "regardless of owning any expansion".

The Oaths

The Oaths are the Paladin's class mechanic, "a higher calling" that changes how a group of skills works (Blizzard, Dec 11, 2025):

• Zealot: casting Zealot skills grants Fervor, and critical strikes with them echo for an extra 17% of the damage per stack of Fervor; at maximum Fervor the Paladin also Fortifies.
• Juggernaut: Juggernaut skills consume Resolve stacks to deal more damage and grow larger for a time.
• Judicator: Basic skills apply "Judgement", which Core Judicator skills can detonate early for 80% weapon damage in a small area; each one raises the damage the target takes until it dies.
• Disciple: casting a Disciple skill with a cooldown grants the angelic Arbiter form, in which Disciple skills deal 50% more damage.

Skills and Ultimates

The Paladin's skills fall into six groups. Basic: Brandish, Holy Bolt, Clash and Advance. Core: Zeal, Blessed Shield (it ricochets up to three times), Blessed Hammer, Divine Lance and Shield Bash. Auras, each with a passive and an active effect: Fanaticism, Defiance and Holy Light. Valor: Shield Charge, Aegis, Falling Star and Rally. Justice: Purify, Consecration, Condemn and Spear of the Heavens. The four Ultimates are Heaven's Fury, Fortress (three seconds of immunity and a zone that grants Resolve), Zenith (a divine sword that cleaves the battlefield) and Arbiter of Justice, which turns the Paladin into an Arbiter for 20 seconds, with Angelic Leap in place of Evade.

3:25 IGN's review of Lord of Hatred found the Paladin "about what you'd expect" from Diablo 2's version, with "loads of protection abilities" and powerful options such as an aura build, and called it "pure nostalgic comfort food".

Uniques and cosmetics

Blizzard's launch list of Paladin Uniques included Promise of Glory (a one-handed flail for Divine Lance), Herald's Morningstar (Blessed Hammer), Ward of the White Dove (Blessed Shield), Red Sermon (Zeal), Griswold's Opus, Cathedral's Song, Supplication and March of the Stalwart Soul, each with the Lair Bosses that drop it. The Deluxe and Ultimate editions of Lord of Hatred add the High Heavensguard Paladin cosmetic bundle (Steam); see Price and Editions.

How the Paladin stands now

Blizzard has said plainly when the class lagged. In patch 3.2.1, which opened Season of Hell's Legacy on Sep 15, 2026, its notes read: "Paladin has fallen behind other classes in the late game", and the patch buffed Core skills and Oaths and made "Judgement" scale with the Skill Rank of the skill that applies it. Outside rankings vary: Mein-MMO's Season 15 tier list of Oct 1, 2026 put the Shield of Retribution Paladin in its top tier. More attributed picks are on Builds.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get the Paladin in Diablo 4? Buy any edition of Lord of Hatred. The Paladin comes with every edition, along with the Warlock and Vessel of Hatred's Spiritborn.

Is the Diablo 4 Paladin free? No. The Paladin needs Lord of Hatred; Blizzard only offered a time-limited free trial up to level 25 from Mar 11, 2026. Its class quest, though, is open to all players.

When did the Paladin come out in Diablo 4? The Paladin was playable from Dec 11, 2025 for anyone who pre-purchased Lord of Hatred, and for every owner of the expansion from its launch on Apr 28, 2026 (Apr 27 in the Americas).

What are the Paladin's Oaths in Diablo 4? The four Oaths are Zealot (Fervor and echoing critical strikes), Juggernaut (Resolve for bigger, stronger skills), Judicator ("Judgement" applied by Basic skills) and Disciple (the angelic Arbiter form).

What is the best Paladin Oath? Blizzard does not name one. Mein-MMO's Season 15 tier list of Oct 1, 2026 rated the Shield of Retribution Paladin highest, and Blizzard's patch 3.2.1 buffed the "Judgement" (Judicator) builds that had fallen behind.

What weapon does the Paladin use? The Paladin fights with swords, maces and the flail, a weapon new to Diablo 4, and carries a shield.

Sources

• Wield Divine Might as The Paladin, Blizzard Entertainment, Dec 11, 2025
• Lord of Hatred, Blizzard Entertainment, read Oct 20, 2026
• Become the Butcher in Season of Slaughter, Blizzard Entertainment, Mar 5, 2026
• Prepare for the Reckoning: Lord of Hatred Draws Near, Blizzard Entertainment, Apr 23, 2026
• Celebrate 30 Years of Diablo in Season of Hell's Legacy (with the 3.2.1 patch notes), Blizzard Entertainment, Sep 12, 2026
• Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred on Steam, Valve, read Oct 20, 2026
• Diablo 4 Tier List: Beste Builds im Endgame von Season 15, Mein-MMO (Nicole Wakulczyk), Oct 1, 2026
• Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred | Launch Trailer, Diablo, Apr 21, 2026 (video)
• Diablo 30th Anniversary Spotlight, Diablo, Feb 11, 2026 (video)
• Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred Review, IGN, 2026 (video)