Characteristics | Barbarian Diablo III Guide

Last update: 01 February 2017

Barbarian is the Blizzard's vision of Hulk. This character is all about pure power. His attacks make the ground shake and the hell beasts always think twice before stepping in his way. This character class is one of two in Diablo III that focus on melee combat. Unlike the Monk that shows a lot of finesse in terms of tactics and skill choice, Barbarian is a more straightforward character, created to deal as much damage as possible.

Gamers whom liked the barbarian in Diablo II shouldn't be disappointed with his updated version. The creators of Diablo III haven't touched all the key elements of this character class, however they've also added some new skills that work well with the Barbarian's style of play. It shouldn't come as a surprise that this character class uses the most powerful skills for close combat encounters. Similar to the previous version of the Barbarian from twelve years ago you can also count on skills which increase the resistances, allow to use weapon for distance attacks, unlock sinister shouts and make it easier for the Barbarian to quickly move through the battlefield. If you still remember the battle with three warriors encountered near the mountain Arreat, then you should be pleased to hear that the Barbarian can summon his three brethren from time to time to assist him in battles.

Barbarian always has only one purpose and that is to keep pushing forward, leaving piles of dead bodies behind. This isn't only a smart marketing slogan, especially since the barbarian's main source of energy is fury. The energy can be recharged in battle and it's achieved by using the basic skills. Once you've progressed in the game you may also find magical items or unlock better skill which will allow you to increase the fury's size, however for entire game fury level (the maximum is 100 points) will depend on the strength of your attacks. As for the attributes, barbarian's most important attribute is his Strength. This parameter influences how much damage you can inflict, how high is your DPS (damage per second) value and how good is your armor value.

Authors of Diablo III have prepared two types of special items for the Barbarian. The first group of objects are belts and they often increase the armor and/or Barbarian's strength. The second group are powerful one-handed and two-handed weapons. Unlike the Monk it's possible to play as a character holding a weapon in both hands and because of the high damage these kinds of weapons inflict it's recommended to use them. Sure, they often have a low attack speed, however combined with certain skills this drawback may become a secondary issue that won't bother you during the game.

To summarize, playing as a Barbarian can be a joyful experience, as long as you don't mind engaging in the simplest and most direct battles. Barbarians are mean, brutal, uncompromising and very deadly, displaying the spirit of Blizzard's game in the best possible way. This is also a character class with which it's best to begin your journey with Diablo III.