Summary
No matter what world tier a player experiencesDiablo 4on, it can be quite a challenging ARPG. There are plenty of situations where a player may feel overwhelmed due to an extreme boss fight, forcing them to narrowly dodge the dangers they encounter.
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However, it isn’t just the bosses that players need to look out for. Some regular enemies that players come across while adventuring across Sanctuary can be just as much of a challenge as their boss counterparts. These are just some of the normal enemies that players encounter inDiablo 4that are surprisingly hard to deal with.
Updated on June 10, 2025, by Megan Smith:Season of the Malignant has started in Diablo 4, marking the first season of the game that was released in July this year. Since starting the new season players have been forced to grind their levels all over again while also taking part in the challenges the Season of the Malignant has had in store for players. Old foes continue to be a challenge for some while even newer threats have introduced themselves as a problem also. Diablo 4 is a hard game for some and these regular enemies can be quite the challenge for those that are unprepared to face them. Therefore, these are by far the hardest Diablo 4 enemies.
13Beware Of Boars
TheDiablo 4Bestiary is full of all sorts of foes that players will likely encounter while exploring Sanctuary, with one being far more of a beast than others. The Boars –Also known as Feral Chargers– are a foe players are likely to encounter frequently while exploring Scosglen; the second region of the game.
Like any large pig with horrifying tusks. The Boar will likely charge repeatedly at its opponent. Players will want to be quick on their feet if they hope to dodge out of the way of this feral pig or risk losing a large chunk of their health in its brutal aftermath.
12Hordes Of Ghouls Hurt
Ghouls aren’t the deadliest of foes to players, provided they approach the player alone. Unfortunately, that’s not usually the case. When players face the undead forces of a Ghoul, this foe is likely to bring a whole group of friends along to quickly overrun them.
By lacking area of effect skills or refusingto dodge awaya player will see their health begin to drain if they don’t dispatch the horde fast enough. Ghouls are not the only type of enemy to attack in this way, but they are by far the quickest to do it.
11Firebrand Walk Slow But Hit Hard
Like any good ARPG—or RPG in general—it wouldn’t be the genre in question if the player didn’t have to face a bandit or two from time to time. Most of these enemies are straightforward toface across Sanctuaryand are probably one of the first enemy types a player will encounter other than demons.
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The Firebrand is quite a slow foe, so players that pay attention to their surroundings are more likely to defeat them easily before any real danger hits. However, allowing a Firebrand to get too close, especially if focusing on other enemies, is guaranteed to have the player startled as they can hit surprisingly hard.
10Thorn Beasts Are Small But Deadly
Diablo 4enemies come in all shapes and sizes and another beast that has it in for the player is surprisingly the Thorn Beasts that look mostly harmless from afar. Players shouldn’t be fooled by their cute exterior as every quill in these creatures' backs will be shot mercilessly at them when they approach.
Their small size also allows them to be quite nimble and therefore as the player attempts to approach their target it will quickly bolt away before throwing more Thorns at the player. Playing at a later world tier can make these foes even harder as their quills have a chance of dealing cold damage.
9Shamans Can Be Annoying
While Shamans themselves aren’t exactly difficult to deal with they can become quite the challenge to early-game players that are focusing too much attention on rank-and-file enemies instead of other, more special enemies. One of the abilities of the Shaman is to bring the enemies the player has defeated back to life or use their bodies as bombs to catch them off-guard.
This can make battles far longer than they need to if the Shaman is allowed to go on living forever. Focusing attention on the Shaman first will ensure that players don’t have their resources drained unnecessarily and that they will survive longer as fights are cut off short.
8Arsonists Are Lethal At Range
Out of all the regular enemies in the game, some of the most brutal forces are those that attack from a distance. Foes such as the Arsonist, another bandit-type enemy the player will face, will whittle away at the player’s health from range while they are distracted with fighting enemies up close.
Arsonists, therefore, tend to last longer than the other bandit enemies the player is likely to encounter due to thiscautious play style. Like the Shaman, by dealing with these enemies first the player is more likely to have an easier time.
7Don’t Get Mauled by A Mauler
Besides all the regular-sized enemies, players are likely to have this foe catch their eye when taking on the likes of the Blood Clan. These Maulers may walk at a normal pace but carry around a large axe that is sure to take chunks away from the player’s health.
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This is far more of a danger for those who are playing squishier, glass cannon-type characters such as the Sorcerer. Hence, for those players, dispatching this enemy quickly is vital for survival.
6Malignant Foes Must Die Twice
The newest foe of the game was introduced as part of the first season inDiablo 4,and they’ve been giving players a tough time. These Malignant Creatures just like the rest of the enemies in the game come in all sorts of shapes and sizes but the worst of it is the buffs they have received.
Malignant foes don’t just get one buff, but instead, two that may see them become vampiric hit enemies with poison, or even teleport around the map. Combining this with the fact that if players want the caged heart from them, they’ll have to kill this Malignant creature twice. When the season concludes these enemies will likely disappear, but the second season might have something similar.
5Banshees Hold Their Own Easily
Banshees may not be adifficult foe to face, but this doesn’t stop them from being an incredibly unsettling enemy to encounter. Part of their difficulty comes from them being a ghost that teleports around the player in the hope of surviving.
Besides this, the Banshee can do a surprising amount of damage. While some spirits attack up close, the Banshee is likely to use a wide range of abilities to get the upper hand on the player. Like most enemies inDiablo 4,the best way to deal with regulars is to focus on the heavy hitters first. Therefore, players should deal with any Banshee they see in battle.
4Abominations Are Fast And Fierce
There are some grotesque enemies for players to face inDiablo 4, some of which have even more grotesque lore behind them. One such great example of this is the Skittering Abominations that can be found throughout the desert. Even one of the side quests in the game has the players witnessing the transformation of a person becoming one of these Abominations.
Besides learning about their lore, players will also want to improve their skills when facing them as these foes fromDiablo 4’sBestiary have a tendency to skitter about quickly to avoid the players' hits. They are even worse when there is a group of them.
