Diablo 4 Season 14 Teases a Shocking Villain Return

Ever finished a season storyline and felt like the game just dropped a bombshell on you? Well, Diablo 4 Season 14 does exactly that. If you're expecting the Lord of Terror to make a grand comeback, you might want to brace yourself for a different kind of evil.

Spoilers ahead for Season 14's finale. The season, aptly named Death's Awakening, has you battling a death cult that wants to end Sanctuary's suffering after Mephisto's defeat. Eventually, you find yourself in the Pandemonium Fortress—a place familiar to veterans of Diablo 2 and Reaper of Souls—where you face off against the corrupted angel Seraziel. Defeating them, you're left with a chilling warning: "He is coming."

The "he" in question is almost certainly Malthael, the Angel of Death, whom you previously slain in Reaper of Souls. Given the season's death theme, it's not a huge surprise, but the return of the fortress where Malthael met his end makes it pretty explicit.

But that's not all. After the fight, you encounter a mysterious stranger who says there's nothing anyone can do against Death itself. When you ask who they are, they reply, "I am no one, brave child. And for all your might, neither are you." Later, you can chat with the questgiver Dannica and mention that the stranger's voice sounded familiar. So who could it be? A lost Horadrim? Lorath back from the dead? Or maybe the triumphant return of Deckard Cain? Only time will tell.

This is a big shift for Diablo 4. Previous seasons were self-contained stories, but now they're tying directly into the main plot and setting up future expansions. Dan Tanguay, design director for live services, told GameSpot that this was intentional. "We know there's a group of players who are really invested in the lore," he said. "They don't tend to play seasons as much. Here, we said 'Well, they've gotten a really good conclusion to the Mephisto arc, and now it's an opportunity to see if we can take them along on this ride with us.'"

With Mephisto's arc wrapped up, many assumed Baal or Diablo would be next. But it looks like Malthael is taking center stage. Still, Blizzard has plenty of options for future villains.

And you won't have to wait long for answers. BlizzCon is happening on September 12-13, and there are already rumors of a Switch 2 version of Diablo 4. Plus, Season 15 details are on the horizon, including the ability to use the same character each season and returning iconic items. So, what do you think about Malthael's potential return? And who's that mysterious stranger? Let us know in the comments!