Diablo 4has seen the introduction of Lilith as its main antagonist, but it would seem that Blizzard Entertainment is keen to feature her other half – the tortured angel Inarius – in the fourthDiablogame as well.Inarius had cast a long shadow onDiablo’s lore, and players were even exposed to some of his memoirs inDiablo 3. The creator of Sanctuary and the husband of Lilith is effectively responsible for inadvertently setting the stage for the story of the entire franchise.
Over the course of three games,Diabloplayers have dealt with the powers of Heaven and Hell fighting for control of Sanctuary, the world he and Lilith made to escape the Eternal Conflict. The legacy of Inarius extends far beyond the creation ofDiablo’s setting, as the nephalem – the offspring of the rogue angels and demons that joined Lilith and Inarius – have shaped the history of Sanctuary throughout millennia, and even been theplayable heroes ofDiablo 3. The idea that Lilith, the daughter of Mephisto and Mother of Sanctuary, would finally make her debut inDiablo 4was huge, but the apparent return of Inarius adds even more weight toDiablo 4’s narrative.
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The official Twitter account forDiablo 4changed its profile picture and banner into a rather mysterious figure cloaked in red robes, its face completely obscured in a way eerily reminiscent of the angel aesthetic established with Tyrael’s debut inDiablo 2. While this does not immediately connect to Inarius by itself, the symbol on the lantern does. The connection was spotted byWorld of Warcraftdatabase website Wowhead, which claimed that the symbol was part of Blizzard’s Badge Series from 2020 and that it debuted with other religious symbols from theDiablofranchise.
The mysterious symbol was also featured in aDiablo 4video from last year’s Quarterly Update, where the Pale Knight’s armor featured the motif prominently. Given its religious ties to the Order of Zakarum and the Order of the Horadrim, and the fact that Inarius is known as the Veiled Prophet, coincidentally the highest ranking position in the Order of the Cathedral of Light, it may well be that the Father of Sanctuary has escaped historturous confinement by Mephisto, and is now set to enact his agenda against the forces of Heaven and Hell once more.
Though it’s too early to tell whether Inarius and Lilith are in league with one another yet again, or even if the renegade angel is a friend or foe,Diablofans will be able to discover the truth sooner rather than later, asDiablo 4is set to debut in the first half of 2023. Though its Closed Beta ended a few weeks ago, players will also have the opportunity to experience a more open form of beta testing in January.
Diablo 4will launch in 2023 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
