The never-ending war between Heaven and Hell is the defining conflict of the Diablo series. Angels smite demons with holy spells and armaments, while demons plot underhanded tactics and strike with vicious intent. Between the two sides, there is a group that stands above all the rest in terms of their sheer combat strength, the Angels.
Together, the angels of Diablo are a nearly unstoppable force. However, due to their different stances on humanity, they are rarely unified. As members of the heavenly Angiris council, each embodies an aspect of Anu, the ultimate progenitor of good. They are all uniquely powerful with their inherent gifts, but in terms of combat strength, they do not stand equally.
Updated on May 7, 2023, by Kristy Ambrose: Rumor has it that the Blizzard development team didn't start to take the lore of Diablo seriously until the third installment and a lot of what was introduced in that game is continuing in the upcoming Diablo 4. Adventurers will take note that some new friends and foes have been added to the game and the unfamiliar faces are both demonic and angelic. There are plenty of angels of the Diablo series that can either hurt or help with their infinite power.
9 Tyrael, Mortal Aspect Of Justice And Wisdom
When he was still an Archangel, Tyrael was the embodiment of justice. He was a mighty warrior whose combat prowess was even on par with the wrathful Imperius, who was a strict and impartial dispenser of the law who brought death to all who deserved it.
However, after leaving the Angiris Council and renouncing angelhood, Tyrael had a change of heart. He came to understand the nuance of humanity and the beauty of their perseverance. Tyrael would eventually return to the Angiris council as a mortal embodiment of both Justice and Wisdom.
A significant result of Tyrael’s voluntary transformation is that much of his strength as an angel is no longer available to him. Tyrael is longer immortal, and can not call upon the powers of the High Heavens. He is still a powerful warrior who wields the Sword of Justice, but the loss of his divine form has limited his strength which makes him unique among the angels of Diablo.
8 Urzael, Harbinger of Death
Urzael first made an appearance in Diablo 3 as one of the antagonists waiting to confront the adventurer. Unlike Tyrael, he has turned against humanity after witnessing its evil and has joined with his master to destroy it all. He refers to the race of Nephalem as demon-spawn. Technically he's not wrong and vows to destroy Sanctuary and all the people in it.
A loyal servant of Malthael, the Archangel of Death, so both servant and leader have a fitting title. Urzael is often accompanied by the Death Maidens, some of Malthael's closest followers, and some of these are equal to the Arcangels in power. According to the lore, Urzeal was defeated at the Battle of Westmarch Tower, and in Diablo 3, he's one of the bosses in Act 5.
7 Auriel, Archangel Of Hope
Auriel’s aspect of hope has earned her the love and admiration of all the angels in Diablo. She alone can bolster the morale of the Heavenly Host, and inspire them to fight against all odds. Auriel wields Al’maiesh, a twin whip weapon that can both heal allies and harm her enemies, but with the virtues of love and compassion, Auriel only serves as a warrior when necessary.
As one of the few members of the Angiris Council to vote for humanity's salvation, she believes in the potential for good in all beings. Like the rest of her angelic brethren, Auriel is a strong combatant, but her compassion makes her a less tenacious warrior than the rest.
6 Izual, The Betrayer
Perhaps his title is unfair, although it's not inaccurate. Izual is the angel that served as Tyrael's right hand until he led an assault on the Hellforge in an attempt to halt the creation of Shadowfang, a powerful weapon of evil.
The attack didn't go well for the angel, and he was defeated, beaten, and taken prisoner by the demons. In the depths of his capture and torture, he surrendered to the corruption and revealed the existence of the soul stones. It was because of Izual's failure that the Prime Evils discovered the existence of the stones, and although Tyrael insists that he must be dead, no other angel was ever created to replace him.
5 Itherael, Archangel Of Fate
Itherael has the power to see all possible futures and can predict the actions of his enemies. Like an oracle, he can only watch as predicted events unfold and is unable to take the actions required to force a specific future. Nevertheless, this ability makes him a formidable fighter among the angels of Diablo.
Itherael moves methodically like a dancer, predicting all the possible movements of his demonic enemies. With a flash, he efficiently disposes of enemies with a quick flick of his sword. His powerful future sight is aided by an ability to teleport. Itherael can easily appear behind enemies and strike before they can react.
4 Imperius, Archangel Of Valor
Imperius is a brave leader who will personally lead his armies against the demons, with supreme tactical wits to match his skill in battle. Armed with the spear Solarion, Imperius can throw the powerful polearm and summon it at will.
For all his valor in battle, Imperius has two critical flaws, his pride, and his wrath. This led him to develop a hatred of humanity, and it was the catalyst for Tyrael’s voluntary exile from the Angiris Council.
Imperious’s anger is easily provoked, and it will often see him charge into potential traps with reckless abandon. This does nothing to take away from his raw strength, however. Imperius possesses the power of teleportation, telekinesis, and a dive attack that can decimate demons without harming allies. He is also the most armored of his angelic brethren, clad head to toe in protective plates.
3 Inarius, The Rogue Angel
Inarius is one of the few Archangels who wasn’t a direct member of the Angiris Council. He was a hero during The Great Conflict, the original war that saw demons and angels locked in constant battle. During these events, he was captured by Mephisto and became disillusioned with the never-ending war. While in chains, he met Mephisto’s demon daughter Lilith. Their shared desire to end the war blossomed into an unholy love.
They gathered a group of followers from both sides and used the Worldstone to create the new dimension of Sanctuary. The Worldstone gave Inarius great power and even allowed him to stand toe-to-toe with the Prime Evils. He was already a devastating warrior on his own, but with the Worldstone's power could now banish others into the void if he wished.
2 Malthael, Archangel Of Death
As the former aspect of Wisdom, Malthael was considered an unmatched fighter and held a position as leader of the Angiris Council. When he was slowly driven to madness from the destruction of the Worldstone, he embraced a new aspect and became the Angel of Death.
This transformation gave him a whole new slew of powers. Malthael obtained soul mastery and could absorb them at will. He was also able to possess mortals and could turn someone into rot with a single flap from his ghostly wings.
Malthael also became almost completely impervious to all attacks. Both magical and physical attacks are phased through his ethereal form. During his fight with the Nephalem in Diablo 3, Malthael took the drastic step of consuming the demonic energies within the Black Soulstone. This gave him unprecedented power by channeling energies from the Great Evils.
1 Seraziel, Guardian of Malthael
Seraziel is one of the Death Maidens who serves Malthael. The Death Maidens are some of the deadliest angels in existence and Seaziel is one of the most powerful. She plays a role as the guardian of the Soul Prison in the Pandemonium Fortress, and her defeat frees the trapped spirits within.
There are several death Maidens that you face in Diablo 2, and Seraziel is the last one. Her powers are impressive and include the ability to summon a host of equally powerful assassins to her side if you can't kill her in less than 30 seconds. This gives you the Power of the Dead which is necessary to defeat Seraziel's master, Malthael.