The grim and horrific world of Sanctuary is home to all manner of nightmarish creatures. Despite being encroached upon by darkness and misery, heroism still gives the denizens of this embattled land some semblance of hope. However, Sanctuary is a place that has proven time and time again that no good deed goes unpunished.
The Diablo series is no stranger to giving its heroes the 'Bad End’ treatment, as these characters have learned the hard way. As the series further expands its lore, you can bet that even more heroes will heartbreakingly fall into the eternal conflict against the forces of evil.
Beware of spoilers of the Diablo games below.
5 Isendra (Diablo 2)
Isendra is the canonical name of the Sorceress from Diablo 2, one of the heroes who fought against the Prime Evils during the events of the second installment of the series. Isendra is a powerful mage who showed great potential in mastering the mystic arts. The exponential growth of her magical abilities was integral during the events of the game and helped her allies secure victory against the three Prime Evils.
The events following Diablo 2 saw Isendra taking her knowledge and skills in magic to the Yshari Sanctum, where she became the master of the eventual Wizard character in Diablo 3, Li-Ming. Not much detail is known about Isendra’s other exploits at this time, but it is known that she met a tragic end at the hands of a yet unknown Viz-Jag’taar assassin, who was sent by the head of the Yshari Sanctum and one of the most powerful mages in Sanctuary, Valthek.
What’s even more tragic is that the events that led to Isendra’s death were due to her unyielding altruistic soul. Mages in Sanctuary are forbidden to interfere with the natural order of the world, something Isendra decided to ignore to help the military city of Lut Bahadur, located within the harsh Borderland region. However, her desire to help the city end in disaster as she momentarily loses control of the spell she is casting, which leads to the deaths of many of the city’s citizens.
The Mage Clan, worried that Isendra may also be dabbling in Dark Magic, ordered the execution of one of their brightest members. Li-Ming stated that her master did not go down without a fight, though. Isendra next appears as a spirit who guides the heroes of Diablo 3 in their journey. Her soul was also temporarily imprisoned by Malthael, the Angel of Death, during the events of the Reaper of Souls DLC. She is finally freed and laid to rest by her student, Li-Ming, after she defeats Malthael.
4 Carthas (Diablo 2)
Carthas is the Paladin from Diablo 2, a member of the Knights of Westmarch who aided in defeating the three Prime Evils. For a long time, fans of the series were not given any information as to what happened to the Paladin after the events of Diablo 2. The most popular theory is that he returned to the Order of Paladins to continue fighting in the war between light and darkness.
However, important information was eventually shed on the fate of Carthas with the launch of Diablo 4, specifically through a side quest called Lost Legacy.
Between the events of Diablo 2 and Diablo 4, the Order of Paladins has fallen, leaving no survivor of the once honorable holy warriors. It is revealed that after the events of the second game, Carthas took the twisted remains of Sankekur, who was the vessel of Mephisto, and sealed them deep within the Ruins of Rakhat Keep. He then gathered the remaining Paladins in Sanctuary to help guard the tomb.
Unfortunately, the holy enchantments placed around the tomb were not enough to contain the malice of Mephisto, which slowly corrupted the minds of the remaining members of the Order of Paladins, Carthas included. Despite being corrupted by Mephisto’s hatred, Carthas’ unwavering faith and sense of duty caused his spirit to wander the dark halls of Rakhat Keep, killing all trespassers who entered the tomb.
3 Moreina (Diablo 1)
Moreina is the Rogue class character from the first Diablo and is a member of the Sisterhood of the Sightless Eye. Along with three others, Moreina battled and defeated the Prime Evil, Diablo, deep within the catacombs of the town of Tristram. After defeating the many horrors that plagued the labyrinthine Cathedral of Khanduras, the trio of heroes finally reached and faced the Lord of Terror himself, Diablo.
After a fierce battle, Moreina and her allies managed to best the Prime Evil. However, the ordeal took its toll on the warrior both physically and mentally. Returning to the Sisterhood of the Sightless Eye, Moreina is slowly corrupted by the evil that latched onto her during the battle against Diablo.
Her descent into madness was completed when she joined forces with the demonic Maiden of Anguish, Andariel, one of the Lesser Evils. Moreina fully shed her humanity, adopted the new moniker of Blood Raven, and started attacking her fellow Rogues. She even went as far as desecrating their remains by resurrecting her once-allies into mindless zombies to do her bidding. She finally fell when she crossed paths with the heroes from Diablo 2.
2 Jazreth (Diablo 1)
Jazreth is the canon name of the Sorcerer class from the first Diablo and one of three heroes from the game. Jazreth is a member of an ancient clan of mages from the East called the Brotherhood of the Vizjerei. This enigmatic order heard rumblings of dark tidings happening in the quiet town of Tristram, which is when they sent a group of mages to investigate. One of the mages sent to Tristram was Jazreth.
On his arrival, Jazreth met with two other adventurers who were investigating reports of horrific monsters coming from the nearby cathedral. The three ventured into the maze-like catacombs underneath and faced many terrifying entities. The trio discovered that the Prime Evil Diablo is the source of evil hiding within the depths of the cathedral, and after a brutal battle, they finally felled the powerful demon lord.
Jazreth did not leave Tristram unscathed, though, as the battle against Diablo’s horde of demons severely left the sorcerer mentally scarred. Probably fearing the eventual resurrection of the Lord of Terror, Jazreth took ancient tomes found within the Cathedral of Khanduras to find ways to prepare for the coming war.
Jazreth’s obsession with forbidden knowledge eventually became his undoing. He became fixated on locating the Arcane Sanctuary, and his obsessions slowly turned into insanity, believing that he was the powerful mage Horazon. He then discovered a portal that he opened, which immediately caused an army of demons to come flooding out and slaughter everyone within the vicinity.
Jazreth sought control over demons to bend them to his will. However, as Sanctuary’s history has shown, it is demons that use men, never the other way around. He took on the moniker of The Summoner and was eventually defeated by the heroes of Diablo 2.
1 Aiden (Diablo 1)
Aiden is the canonical name of the Warrior character in the original Diablo. Also known as Prince Aiden of Khanduras, he is a warrior sent away to a losing battle by his father, King Leoric. Managing to survive the doomed war, Aiden returns to Tristram only to find it gripped by an invisible evil. He learns of his father’s death and that his brother, Albrecht, has gone missing. Looking to find clues in the ruined cathedral, he joins forces with two other adventurers: the rogue Moreina and a sorcerer named Jazreth.
Within the dark halls of the cathedral, the three faced numerous challenges. Aiden will eventually find his father, King Leoric, transformed into a mindless monstrosity called The Skeleton King and forced to strike him down. The trio will eventually learn that Diablo is the cause of all the horrors and vow to end his reign of terror once and for all. After delivering the killing blow, Aiden is horrified to discover that his young brother Albrecht is the host of the sadistic Prime Evil.
With nothing left to lose, Aiden decided to use himself as the main catalyst to imprison Diablo. Forcefully plunging the soulstone onto his forehead, Aiden effectively trapped Diablo within himself. The victory is short-lived, as Aiden slowly descends into madness due to Diablo’s influence. He decides to travel east to find a way to exorcise Diablo, becoming known as The Dark Wanderer. Eventually, Aiden shared the same fate as his brother, becoming a vessel for The Lord of Terror.