For information on the race, see Nephalem.

"Your strength rivals that of our greatest champions. What now do you think you are?"

Alaric to the Nephalem(src)

"The Nephalem" is a title awarded to the nephalem hero(es) active during the End of Days. They serve as the main protagonist(s) of Diablo III.


The End of DaysEdit

Witnessing a falling star, the Nephalem traveled to Tristram where they confronted and defeated an awakened evil.[1]

Together with new allies, the Nephalem then moved towards Caldeum, reviving (and defeating) Zoltun Kulle, retrieving his Black Soulstone, and vanquishing Belial.[2]

At Bastion's Keep, the Nephalem fought the Army of Sin, but after trapping Azmodan, the last of the Evils, in the Soulstone, was betrayed by Adria. Thus, Diablo walked the earth again.[3]

Nephalem vs Diablo

The Nephalem battle Diablo

Pursuing the Lord of Terror, the Nephalem finally defeated him in the High Heavens, preventing the Prime Evil from destroying the angelic civilization and the Crystal Arch. Recognized by Angiris Council for the feat, the Nephalem left the Heavens and returned to Sanctuary.[4] An unintended consequence of this battle was the creation of the Realms of Fate.[5]


After the defeat of Diablo, the Nephalem entered the lands east of Westmarch to search for Adria.[6]

Reaper of SoulsEdit

In Westmarch, the Nephalem encountered Lorath Nahr, a Horadrim member sent by Tyrael, who told them of the Reapers' attack on the city. The Nephalem then took the fight to the Reapers and managed to save the remaining survivors in time. Afterwards, the Nephalem entered the Blood Marsh in pursuit of Adria.[7] As the Nephalem passed through, the ruins of the lost city of Corvus reacted to the Nephalem's presence, proving that the Nephalem had embraced the birthright due.[8] The Nephalem found Adria and defeated her, avenging Leah.

After a long intense battle, the Nephalem eventually defeated Malthael.[7] Tyrael, however, feared that one day the Nephalem would be tempted into corruption, and wondered whether the Nephalem, who had defeated the champions of Heaven and Hell, could resist it: depending on this, the Nephalem could be mankind's hope, or their doom.[9]

Further AdventuresEdit

"Our journey has been long, my friend. I can see the toll it has taken on you—the weight you carry. I never imagined this burden when we first met in New Tristram. But how could any of us have known where our paths would lead? You have conquered many foes, but there are always more waiting in the shadows. It is clear to me that your duty is without end."

Tyrael to the Nephalem.(src)
Now feared by angels and demons alike,[10] the Nephalem turned attention to the remaining servants of chaos on Sanctuary.[11]

Note: The following events take place in Adventure Mode. Their occurrence is entirely optional, as is their order. They have been presented in their order of release.

Kanai's CubeEdit

"Yes, I live once more. I'm very hard to kill and really, you did a sloppy job. But enough small talk. I need your help."

Zoltun Kulle to the Nephalem(src)
Several months after Malthael's defeat, Zoltun Kulle managed to return to the Nephalem in spirit form. He told the shocked hero(es) that not even they could have killed the undying Horadrim, and that he now required their help. The artifact hidden beneath the Ruins of Sescheron could only be retrieved by someone who its guardians would deem worthy. The Nephalem agreed.

Sescheron, the site of the last stand of Barbarian civilization, now a mass grave, met the Nephalem with hordes of savage beasts, remnants of the Army of Destruction, and worst of all, The Unclean, a cannibal tribe of Barbarians. In this city, the Nephalem rescued Abd al-Hazir himself, and honored memory of King Kanai, recovering Kanai's Cube in the process, together with the deranged mage's spirit.

As a token of his gratitude, Kulle unlocked the Cube's power, remaining at the Nephalem's side in their journey afterwards.[11]

Greyhollow IslandEdit

"I did not believe the legends—all true! This island, it rots you from within. We never should have come here..."

Quentin Sharpe's last words to the Nephalem(src)
In their travels, the Nephalem eventually found the lost Greyhollow Island inhabited by Crazed Man alone, but infested with creatures of the cursed forest and sea demons and littered with hundreds of ships that ran aground here over decades. Exploring the island, the Nephalem discovered its true story, the fate of demonic deity Nereza, and lifted the curse from the hermit.[11]

The Darkening of TristramEdit

The Nephalem hunted down a group of cultists that recreated Tristram as it existed in Adria's memories. The Nephalem entered a portal and became enmeshed in a simulacrum of the town as it had existed prior to its fall.[12]

The Temple of the FirstbornEdit

"I've seen so many heroes like you. It's always more fun to fight alongside a friend, don't you think?"

"Davlin" to the Nephalem(src)
The Nephalem entered the Shrouded Moors, where they encountered a man who called himself "Davlin." The two traveled together to the Temple of the Firstborn, where Davlin was apparently killed by one of the cultists who had taken up residence in the structure. The Nephalem traveled down to the temple's depths, where Davlin was found waiting, alive and well. It was revealed that "Davlin" was nothing more than a facade for the demon Vidian, who had lured the Nephalem down to die. As they did battle, however, it was Vidian who perished.[11]

The Realms of FateEdit

Tyrael bid that the Nephalem investigate the Realms of Fate, recognizing the threat that these pockets of reality presented to Sanctuary. By this point, Tyrael still had faith in the skills of the Nephalem, even as he doubted the heart.[13]


"The Nephalem" is representative of the player character(s) of Diablo III ("The) Nephalem" is often used to address the player character, as per game mechanics and bypassing gender, name, class and number of players. According to Storm of Light and Book of Tyrael, storywise, a single nephalem hero is active. This matches the in-game cinematics of Diablo III and Reaper of Souls where "the Nephalem" is mentioned/seen as being a single hero. According to The Story of Diablo, however, not only are all the classes of Diablo III nephalem, but all of them take part in the same overall story. Likewise, in a preview for Patch 2.6.0, the Nephalem is referred to in the plural,[13] and the website for Diablo Immortal likewise uses plural terminology.[14] This article and related pages are written to reflect this ambiguity.

Various individuals have appeared in Heroes of the Storm and expanded universe material that are named versions of the game's classes. These include:

Even before a named character had been provided for a Monk, the Monk had been portrayed as male as the default class gender option.[15] Default class genders for the Barbarian, Crusader, Demon Hunter, Witch Doctor, Wizard, and Necromancer, are male,[16] male,[17] female,[18] male[19]female,[20] and male[21].


  1. Diablo III, Act I
  2. Diablo III, Act II
  3. Diablo III, Act III
  4. Diablo III, Act IV
  5. 2017-04-11, Necromancer Beta Now Live. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2017-04-16
  6. Storm of Light
  7. 7.0 7.1 Diablo III, Act V
  8. 2014-03-06, REAPER OF SOULS™ FIRST LOOK: EXPLORING THE BLOOD MARSH. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2014-06-11
  9. Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Ending Cinematic
  10. 2016-12-30,Diablo on Twitter. Twitter, accessed on 2017-01-02
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Diablo III, Adventure Mode
  12. Diablo III, Anniversary Dungeon
  13. 13.0 13.1 2017-06-22, First Look: The Shrouded Moors & Beyond. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2017-06-24
  14. Diablo Immortal, Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed on 2018-11-05
  15. Monk, Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed on 2014-04-20
  16. Barbarian, Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed on 2014-04-20
  17. Crusader, Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed on 2014-04-20
  18. Demon Hunter, Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed on 2014-04-20
  19. Witch Doctor, Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed on 2014-04-20
  20. Wizard, Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed on 2014-04-20
  21. Necromancer, Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed on 2017-06-30
Clans and Orders of Sanctuary
Brotherhood of Armorers
Askari Castes
Amazon Caste
Oracle Caste
Barbarian Tribes/Clans
Bear Tribe
Bone Clan
Crane Tribe
Henknoc Tribe
Owl Tribe
Oxen Tribe
Shadow Wolf Tribe
Snake Tribe
Stag Tribe
The Unclean
Targos Clan
Tribe of Thunder
City Guards
Partha Guard
New Tristram Militia
Council of Clans
Council of Elders
High Council of Zakarum
Trade Consortium Council
Vizjerei Ruling Council
Temple of the Triune
House Chien
House Jitan
House Lancaster
House Malevolyn
House Nahr
House Natoli
House Nesardo
Knightly/Paladin Orders
Hand of Zakarum
Knights of Westmarch
Order of Paladins
Order of the Gauntlet
Protectors of the Word
Templar Order
Mage Clans
Ammuit Clan
Behistun Clan
Ennead Clan
Harakas Clan
Sarandesh Clan
Taan Clan
Vizjerei Clan
Zann Esu Clan
Personal Guards
Imperial Guard
Shield Guard
Brotherhood of the Bough
Hand of the Prophet
Initiates of Athulua
Monks of Ivgorod
Priests of Rathma
Sisterhood of the Sightless Eye
Religious Bodies
Cathedral of Light
Order of Light
First Ones
Society of Apothecaries
Umbaru Tribes/Clans
Clan of the Seven Stones
Tribe of the Clouded Valley
Tribe of the Five Hills
Demon Hunters
Guardians of Sanctuary
The Nephalem
Accursed Multitude
Alliance of the Dying Sun
Clan Skeld
Dying Ones
Guardian Brotherhood
Haroutunian Clan
Iron Wolves
Seekers of the Light
Thieves Guild
Trade Consortium
Westmarch Navy
Class Identities

Diablo IICassia (Amazon) • Isendra (Sorceress) • Xul (Necromancer)

Diablo IIIThe Nephalem (Johanna (Crusader) • Kharazim (Monk) • Li-Ming (Wizard) • Nazeebo (Witch Doctor) • Sonya (Barbarian) • "The Chosen" (Necromancer) • Valla (Demon Hunter)

Italics denotes possible rather than confirmed identity.