Diablo franchise

Diablo
Genres	Action role-playing game, hack and slash, dungeon crawler, MMORPG
Developer(s)	Blizzard North, Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher(s)	Blizzard Entertainment
Creator(s)	David Brevik, Erich Schaefer, Max Schaefer
Platforms	DOS, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch
First release	Diablo; December 31, 1996
Latest release	Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred; October 8, 2024

The Diablo franchise is a dark fantasy action role-playing game franchise by Blizzard Entertainment. It is not related to the Warcraft universe in any way, nor are there significant contributions from that universe to this one. Although, there have been some rumors of more linkage.

Diablo II

Diablo III

Diablo IV

Many people suspected that the Diablo franchise was dead when Blizzard closed Blizzard North (the studio that created it) after the release of the last Diablo II. The franchise continued as Diablo III which was announced at the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational 2008 in Paris, and eventually was released in 2012. Diablo Immortal, originally a mobile-only game in the franchise, was announced at BlizzCon 2018 to poor reception and was eventually released in 2022 with a PC port but with a heavy focus for mobile. Diablo IV was announced at BlizzCon 2019 and released on 5 June 2023 with the Vessel of Hatred expansion releasing the following year on 8 October 2024.

Influence on and differences from Warcraft

Humorous references aside, many spells and abilities in WC3 and WoW were inspired by skills in Diablo II, namely auras and the idea of passive skills. The RPG elements of Diablo were significant in the development of WoW, as it meant that Blizzard already had experience in building an RPG. Here are some of the similarities that players may notice between games:

The Barbarian of Diablo II features a variety of buffs in the form of battle cries, which most likely inspired the Warrior's Shout abilities. (One of which was the ability to Shout in Diablo.) Most if not all of the shouts in WoW have a counterpart shout in Diablo.
Barbarians in Diablo II could dual wield two-handed weapons, identical to the [Titan's Grip] of Warriors in WoW.
Barbarians in Diablo II have the skill Whirlwind identical to the Warrior skill [Whirlwind].
Several of the Mage's spells are taken directly from the Sorceress, including [Mana Shield], [Frost Nova], and [Frost Armor].
The Rogue's combo point system is similar to that of the Assassin's charge system in which players could accumulate charges and unleash finishing moves whose powers depended on the number of charges the player has. The Assassin also features a series of damaging traps, like the Hunters of WoW.
Druids from Diablo II can shapeshift into Werewolves and Werebears.
Paladins in Diablo II have numerous auras. They also have the [Charge] ability, which in WoW belongs to the Warrior.
The Necromancers in Scholomance and Stratholme use the Bone Shield spell and can raise skeletons, both of which Diablo II's Necromancers have.
The [Bone Shield] ability of Death Knights has a similar animation and function as the Bone Armor spell of Necromancers in Diablo.
Socketed items were first introduced in Diablo II and later applied to World of Warcraft.
The Murkalot pet is themed after the new Crusader class in the Diablo III expansion, Reaper of Souls.
Thunderfury and Ashbringer also exists as items in the Diablo setting. Thunderfury's chain lightning power is also carried over from the original weapon. It was well known for being linked in game chat as a meme due to its long name.
The Ashbringer's power to transform into a purified form is a reference to its evolution throughout Warcraft lore: it originated as an unholy object as a dark stone, was infused with holy power by priests to become a powerful weapon against the undead by Muradin Bronzebeard, became cursed by the betrayal of Renault Mograine, and was purified again by Tirion Fordring.
The Mage Clan Wars possesses many story similarities to the War of the Ancients
The Mythic+ system and Torghast, Tower of the Damned are based on the Greater Rifts from Diablo III.
The Threads of Fate leveling mode in Shadowlands is similar to Adventure Mode in Diablo III.
The Companions skill line for Demon Hunters in Diablo III takes the skeleton rigs of most of the animal companions from World of Warcraft; specifically the wolf, ferret, and boar. In the case of the boar, the model is a direct rip from World of Warcraft.
The Far Seer hero can summon Spirit Wolves, just like the Diablo II Druid.
The earlier versions of talent trees were essentially Skill Trees of Diablo II with mostly passive skills.
Druids possess shapeshifting abilities in both games.
Paladins have multiple auras in both games.

Like in the Warcraft universe, Diablo features demons, but unlike Warcraft, Diablo's demons are ruled by devils, come from Hell, and fight a war against actual angels. The more traditional nature of Heaven and Hell make the world of Diablo extremely different from that of Warcraft. Religion becomes a conflict (references are made to Mage Wars and Inquisitions), and humanity becomes pawns in a greater conflict between angels and demons. In World of Warcraft, the fight for fame and glory can be tied into a quest to save the world from the evils of the Old Gods or the Burning Legion. In the world of Sanctuary, no quest for prestige and riches can occur without facing the minions of Hell.

In terms of visual style, Diablo is on the opposite end of the visual spectrum from Warcraft.^[1]

Warcraft references in Diablo

Diablo III:

"The Murlocket" is a legendary amulet that can summon a baby murloc non-combat pet. Its flavor text reads: "Dredged from the murky shores of Lake Chu, this disturbing amulet emits strange sounds when held to one's ear."

Diablo Immortal:

"Betrayer's Bonds" is a cosmetic set based on Illidan Stormrage. The set's description reads: "From the shadows, a turncloak emerges-wreathed in darkness and powerful ambition. But the power of chaos comes at a terrible price, those who choose to seek its dark offerings must be prepared to face the consequences of their ambition."
Warcraft-themed weapon skins include Shadowmourne for Necromancers; Truthguard and Oathseeker for Crusaders; Thunderfury as a dagger for Tempests; Remornia for Blood Knights; Thori'dal, the Stars' Fury as dual crossbows for Demon Hunters; Atiesh, Greatstaff of the Guardian for Wizards; the Fists of the Heavens for Monks; and "Frostmourne Weapon," a Frostmourne-like weapon for multiple classes.
"Mourneskull" is a legendary gem decorated with a partial replica of Frostmourne.
"Shadow of the Frozen Throne" is a crossover event wherein players can fight and defeat the Lich King in his Fallen Citadel, based on Icecrown Citadel.
During the "Eternal War" event, murlocs invade Sanctuary.

Diablo IV:

"Invincible Aspect" is a mount based on Invincible. It comes with the "Domination Helm" and "Echo of Frostmourne" mount trophies.
Ash'adar, Harbinger of the Dawn appears as a mount.
There are various Warcraft-themed class skins that come with skins for iconic weapons. These are:
- Barbarian: Varian Wrynn with Shalamayne, Garrosh Hellscream with Gorehowl;
- Druid: Malfurion Stormrage, Xavius;
- Necromancer: Xal'atath with the Blade of the Black Empire, the Lich King with Frostmourne;
- Rogue: Illidan Stormrage with the Twin Blades of Azzinoth, Sylvanas Windrunner with Deathwhisper;
- Sorceror: Jaina Proudmoore with the Staff of Antonidas, Kael'thas Sunstrider with Felo'melorn;
- Spiritborn: Bwonsamdi.

Diablo references in Warcraft

Vanity Items

[Tyrael's Charger] is themed as an angelic horse for Tyrael. This horse is also available in Heroes of the Storm in several color variants.
[Fetish Shaman's Spear] looks like a Fetish Shaman from Diablo II.
[Tyrael's Hilt] summons a mini-Tyrael
[Diablo Stone] summons a Mini Diablo, <Lord of Terror> The pet will occasionally levitate and spit fire into the air.
[Murky's Little Soulstone] is a WoW-Diablo hybrid--a murloc from a corrupt soulstone. He likes to breathe a lot of fire and smoke, as well as make typical murloc grunts with a demonic accent.
[Treasure Goblin's Pack] looks like the in-game Treasure Goblin who drops piles of gold and amazing items.
[Murkalot's Flail] is another WoW-Diablo hybrid--a murloc based on the Crusader class introduced with the expansion, Reaper of Souls.
[Jewel of Hellfire] is a reference to the soulstones.
[Horadric Satchel] is a reference to the Horadric Cube.
[Blank Diabolic Tome] and ten [Scroll of Town Portal] were combined to create a [Tome of Town Portal], with the scrolls and tome coming from Diablo II.
There are several charms from Diablo II: [Small Charm of Inertia], [Small Charm of Life], [Large Charm of Intelligence], [Large Charm of Strength], [Large Charm of Dexterity], [Serpent's Grand Charm], [Stalwart's Grand Charm],
Baa'l's name may be a reference to Baal, one of the Prime Evils and the Lord of Destruction.
Baa'lial's name is a portmanteau of Baal and Belial. Belial is the Lord of Lies and one of the four Lesser Evils.
- The associated achievement [Little Lord of Lies] is also a reference to Belial.
[Nightmare Banner] is reference to Diablo.
[Treasure Nabbin' Bag] is a Treasure Goblin's bag.
[Twelve-String Guitar] plays the theme of Tristram.
[Horadric Haversack] is a bag of Horadrim design.

Gear

[Naglering] pays tribute to Nagelring in Diablo II, a unique ring known for its large boost to magic find. They both share the bizarre feature of having the attacker take 3 damage.
[Polished Jazeraint Armor] is a reference to the Illuminated Jazeraint items players could craft in Diablo II.
[Band of the Hierophant] references a legendary ring, the Hierophant's Seal in Diablo II.
[Triune Amulet] references one of the cults in Sanctuary, which posed as a peaceful organization yet served the Prime Evils. It's fitting that this item drops from Scarlet Monastery, another example of religion gone bad.
Many base armor types from Diablo II are referenced in WoW BoE sets, such as [Archon Chestpiece], [Serpentskin Armor], [Embossed Plate Armor], [Field Plate Armor], [Gothic Plate Armor].
[Butcher's Bone Apron] is a reference to The Butcher from the original Diablo, who also appears as a playable character in Heroes of the Storm.
[Al'maiesh, the Cord of Hope] is a reference to Auriel, the Archangel of Hope. Auriel also uses Al'maiesh as her weapon in Diablo and Heroes of the Storm.
[Stone of Jordan], a reference to the ring from Diablo II, was added to the game but was never made available.

Weapons

[Eaglehorn Long Bow]: named after The Eaglehorn, a unique bow from both Diablo I and II.
[Staff of Jordan], [Sash of Jordan], [Grand Staff of Jordan]: References to the Stone of Jordan, one of the most important items in Diablo II, which was used to socket items when no quests were available. They were collected in stacks and used as a form of currency.
[Dal'Rend's Sacred Charge], [Dal'Rend's Tribal Guardian]: Best known to players now as the namesake for the heirloom [Venerable Dal'Rend's Sacred Charge], it's a tribute to a weapon set in Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, Bul-Katho's Children, which also consists of a Sacred Charge and Tribal Guardian.
[Butcher's Cleaver] from Shadowfang Keep's Razorclaw the Butcher has exactly the same name and weapon type as the loot drop from Diablo I's Butcher.
[Doombringer]: it's lacking good stats, but it's named after Doombringer, a two-handed sword with great stats in all three Diablo games.
[The Ziggler]: this low-level BoE dagger references The Diggler from Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, a dirk effective in early levels too.
[The Needler] could be a reference to the Halo weapon or The Needler from Diablo I.
[Heaven's Light]: named after Heaven's Light from Diablo II, one of two unique Mighty Scepters in the game.
[Grim Reaper]: named after Grim Reaper war scythe from Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, which also was a weapon that was best at lower levels with a damage proc.
[Gargoyle's Bite] is a low-level BoE with additional armor, named after Gargoyle's Bite from Diablo II, a winged harpoon with life leech.
[Glacial Spike] is a removed item that used to be a reward from the Sunken Temple mage class quest. The Diablo II version had a cool proc that caused an AoE explosion and froze enemies in place--the WoW version had Frosty Zap, a chance to restore mana when casting Frostbolt.
[Livestock Lochaber Axe] that drops from The Cow King may be a reference to the Bovine Bardiche in Diablo III which was used to create the portal to the secret cow level.

Locations

Stone Cairn Lake in Elwynn Forest is a lake with an island at the center that has five stones arranged around a memorial. This is a reference to the Five Cairn Stones, an area in Diablo II where you open a portal to Tristram in Act I.
[Cow King's Hide] is a reference to the Secret Cow Level, the Moo Moo Farm, in Diablo II, which contained Hell Bovines and the Cow King.
Diablo II contained a secret level where one had to battle hordes of insane bovines, including the extremely powerful Cow King. This level was built into the game after a fake screenshot was posted of a secret cow level supposedly in the first Diablo game. A saying once existed in the loading screen tips in World of Warcraft that said: "There is no cow level." (The saying was also a cheat in the game StarCraft which caused you to automatically win the round.)
- Diablo's 20th Anniversary event introduced the "secret cow level" into World of Warcraft for a limited-time. There were several Diabolic Taurens and Diabolic Bovines roaming a farm and The Cow King also made an appearance. During the event, demonology warlocks had their Wild Imps appear as a Mini Diablo.
[Tristam Legguards] is named after Tristram, one of the most important locations in all Diablo games.

NPCs

The achievements [A Worthy Opponent], [Could We Find More Like That?], and [Glorious!] are quotes from Kormac the Templar in Diablo III after a rare or champion mob is slain.
Kaganishu, a kobold in Borean Tundra, is a play on Rakanishu from Diablo II. Similar to the Diablo boss, the nearby NPCs will scream out his name in all caps in combat.
Razorclaw the Butcher in Shadowfang Keep references the iconic early boss of the same name in Diablo I, brought back as the Act I boss in Diablo III: The Butcher.
Tyrael Flamekissed is a General Goods vendor at the Shattered Sun Offensive.
[Maiden's Anguish], formerly used by rogues to brew poison, references Andariel, the Maiden of Anguish. She was the first act boss in Diablo II and had a nasty Poison Spray ability.
[Stay Awhile and Listen] is a reference to dialogue from Deckard Cain in Diablo I.
The Treasure Goblins from Diablo made an appearance in World of Warcraft during Diablo's 20th Anniversary and once more with the A Greedy Emissary event.
[Fresh Meat!] is a reference to The Butcher from Diablo.

Other

In reference to his demonic form in Frozen Throne, one of Illidan's gag quotes is "Wings, horns, hooves...what am I saying, is this Diablo?"
Another common humor reference to the Diablo franchise is the mention of Wirt and his wooden leg. Wirt was originally an NPC character in the first Diablo game, filling both the role of a rare-item vendor and a quest giver. It is believed Wirt was killed when Diablo's minions overran the NPC town of Tristram. In Diablo II, it was a requirement that the player needed to combine Wirt's Leg with a Tome of Town Portal in order to gain access to the Secret Cow Level. In Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, an item called Wirt's Other Leg could be found in one of the campaign levels after defeating the Butcher, a giant abomination named after an early boss in the original Diablo. In World of Warcraft, there are several items that are named after Wirt's wooden leg including [Wirt's Fightin' Leg], [Wirt's Haunted Leg], [Wirt's Last Leg], [Southsea Lamp] (formerly named Wirt's Third Leg), and an object Wirt's Gambled Leg.