The Best and Worst Classes in Diablo 4 Season 9
Jul-26-2025 PST
So, whether you're aiming to hit Pit 100 or just looking for the easiest class to cruise through the early endgame, this guide covers the best builds, more Diablo 4 Items, required gear, and how much effort each playstyle demands. Let's dive in.
Sorcerer: The Teleporting Hydra God
If you want raw power with minimal effort, Hydra Sorcerer is your go-to class this season.
Why It's S-Tier:
Fast 1-60 leveling thanks to smooth mobility and Haradric powers.
Once you get the key unique Aidian Iris, paired with Hydra Temper Vam, Torment III melts.
Add Greater Affix items and you're instantly slaying in Torment IV.
Scaling into Pit 100:
Here's where things get trickier. The Fitting Iris scales your Hydra damage based on the number of bonus heads you've got, which means triple Masterworked tempers become a must.
If you're aiming for:
Pit 90-95: Double Masterworks are enough.
Pit 100+: You'll need perfect rolls-triple bonuses on resource cost, crit, and skill ranks (e.g., Primordial Binding, Glass Cannon, Harlequin Crest).
Verdict: Easy start, massive power, but high-end requires obsessive min-maxing.
Druid: Pulverize + Poison = Broken Damage
Surprise of the season? Druid is absolutely busted. Pulverize with the Rotten Lightbringer turns you into a poison-spewing machine of death.
What Makes It So Good:
Creates poison puddles that spew droplets dealing 50-100 billion per tick.
No need for triple Masterworks or Mythics to get started.
600%+ bonus damage from the Lightbringer alone.
Can hit Pit 90 with basic gear and no Greater Affixes.
You can amplify this even further with:
Air of Perdition
Ring of Starless Skies
Core Skill greater affixes on gloves and amulets.
With enough ranks, Pulverize can reach 30+ levels, scaling damage beyond anything we've seen in earlier seasons.
Verdict: Probably the easiest class to push to Pit 100. Budget-friendly. No gatekeeping gear walls.
Necromancer: Lazy Leveling, Easy Power
If you want the most chill, low-effort experience possible, Minion Necro is your best friend.
What Makes It So Simple:
Level 1-60 is effortless with skeletons and mages doing the work.
No need for big uniques early-just Hand of Nas gets you into Torment IV.
Add Ring of Mendeln and basic masterworks, and you're set.
Even with mediocre gear:
No triple Masterworks
No Greater Affix on gloves
Missing Hellbent Commander entirely
and you're still farming Pit 80-85 comfortably.
Room to Grow:
Missing 63 Paragon points? Still works.
Glyph levels below 70? Still viable.
The ceiling is high, and you'll feel strong long before you're fully optimized.
Verdict: Necro delivers smooth power without the stress. Start here if you want zero friction progression.
Spiritborn: Cool Concept, High Maintenance
Let's talk about the Spiritborn-a new fan favorite that's unfortunately more theory than reality for most players.
What's the Hype?
With Bellazan's Maxtlatl and Jaguar Spirit Hall, you fire off thorns and damage procs like a magical shotgun.
It's visually wild and sounds good on paper.
The Problem:
You need the helmet to boost Spirit Hall potency.
You must have triple Masterworks on:
Jaguar Spirit Hall potency
Mystic Circle potency (multiple times)
Every relevant modifier
Without perfect rolls, your build just... stalls. Even if you're clearing Pit 90, it takes:
Several trashed Greater Affix rings
Obsessive farming for high-rolled potency
Endless rerolls that drain resources and sanity
Verdict: Snake oil for casuals, god-tier for perfectionists. Don't start here unless you enjoy endless farming.
Rogue: Powerful-If You Have a Stash Full of Gear
Rogues aren't bad this season-but they're not great starter classes.
What They Need:
Azurewrath (Lucky Hit-based damage)
Fist of Fate
Penitent Greaves
Tibolt's Will
That's four uniques before you even start dealing real damage. The Rogue's best builds rely on item synergy from other boss drops:
Duriel, Andariel, Harbinger of Hatred for Azurewrath
Ice Beast for Fist of Fate
Once You Have Them:
You can:
Farm Pit 80-85 easily
Clear all of Torment IV
Melt bosses using Penetrating Shot with 137% bonus damage
But to go further?
Triple Masterwork Eaglehorn Bow
Max-roll Lucky Hit Chance on Azurewrath
Verdict: Great for alt characters. Don't start here unless you already have stash support.Barbarian: Last to Level, First in Fury
Much like the Rogue, Barbarian is not for the faint of heart-but becomes a powerhouse once geared.
You'll Need:
Ramaladni's Magnum Opus
Hoofs of the Mountain God
Shout of Verathal
Tibolt's Will
Aspect of Moonrise
Aspect of Adaptability
Most of these need to be Greater Affix, high-rolled, and/or triple Masterworked to feel right. When you hit that sweet spot? You scale damage based on 300+ Fury and get 120-400%+ bonus damage.
But it's very unlikely you'll get that kind of gear on your first character.
Verdict: Once you're geared, you fly-but Barb is best saved for third or fourth character status.
Final Thoughts
If you want to feel powerful early and reach Torment IV or even Pit 90+ without sweating over item rolls and perfect tempers, Druid, Sorcerer, and Necromancer are your best bets this season. Also, you can grow up quickly with cheap Diablo IV Items.