Boss fights in theDiabloseries present the perfect opportunity for players to put their builds to the test, andDiablo 4has some of the toughest bosses in the series to date. While World Bosses like Ashava the Pestilent are an intimidating new addition thanks toDiablo 4going open-world, one the most terrifying bosses in the game is a classic enemy and icon of the series. The changes made to the Butcher in this entry make him one of Sanctuary’s greatest threats and elevate this series-staple boss to a whole new level.
It’s no surprise thatthe Butcher returns inDiablo 4given that he’s been in every entry aside fromDiablo 2. This boss has become somewhat of a mascot for the series, appearing in several crossovers with other Blizzard games likeWorld of WarcraftandOverwatch, and his iconic phrase “fresh meat” is referenced in a variety of other games. With such a reputation within theDiablocommunity and the wider gaming sphere, Blizzard made the right move in upping the danger level the Butcher poses inDiablo 4to help shine a spotlight on just how twisted this enemy can be.
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Diablo 4 Makes the Butcher Even More Terrifying than Past Incarnations
The Butcher first appeared in the originalDiabloas the bossof an early-game quest wherein players must track down the demon that has been slaughtering townsfolk only to face off with the grotesque Butcher. This boss will pursue players relentlessly trying to force them into close-quarters combat so that he can hack at them with his massive cleaver. For an early-game boss, this can be a tough encounter, but proper preparation makes the Butcher fairly manageable once players know what they’re in for.
While absent inDiablo 2, the Butcher appears again inDiablo 3andDiablo Immortalas a major boss within both games' main story, serving as the boss of Act 1 inDiablo 3and as the boss of the main quest Carved in Blood inDiablo Immortalwith his fight playing out similarly in both instances. Players have the best shot at taking down the Butcher in these instances by taking advantage of his predictability and telegraphed attacks. These battles with the Butcher are tense enough on their own, especially for players who are under-prepared, but the new role the Butcher plays inDiablo 4makes these encounters look like cakewalks compared to what awaits in this latest entry.
InDiablo 4, the Butcher sheds his previously predictable nature as he now has the chance to randomly spawn in any of the game’s dungeons at any level beginning at level 10. As opposed to previous static encounters with the Butcher,Diablo 4’s approach to bosses, and the Butcher specifically, means players can never truly prepare for his presence since there is never a guarantee that he will spawn in a given dungeon. This means the Butcher could appear at the most inopportune time such as alongside other dungeon bosses, leaving players scrambling to deal with multiple tough bosses and potentially leading to their defeat.
Not only is the Butcher’s random spawning habit dangerous, but his battle tactics make an untimely encounter in a tight corridor potentially lethal since he thrives in close-quarters combat. The Butcher tends to pursue the player relentlessly with surprising speed, making it difficult for ranged classes with limited defenses to effectively deal with him. While past versions of the Butcher allowed players to prepare if they knew what was coming and had a consistent arena for battling this foe,Diablo 4improves upon this boss' design by making him completely unpredictable and therefore escalating his difficulty and intimidation factor to a level worthy of such an iconic enemy.
Diablo 4is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
