Barbarian Class Guide: Skills, Stats, and How to Play

This is a guide to the Barbarian class in Diablo 4 (Diablo IV). Read on to learn everything about the Barbarian class including the Barbarian's unique ability, the Barbarian's skills, all the strengths and weaknesses of the Barbarian, the best stats to increase for the Barbarian, and how to play the Barbarian!

All Barbarian Guides
Class Guide	Best Builds	Arsenal System

List of Contents

Barbarian Overview and Rating
Barbarian Class Specialization
Arsenal System
Barbarian Skill Tree
How to Play the Barbarian
Barbarian Stat Priorities
Diablo 4 Related Guides

Barbarian Overview and Rating

Stats Overview
Barbarian
Main Stat	Strength	DMG Type (Primary)	Physical
Base STR	Base DEX	Base INT	Base WP
10	8	7	7
Core Stat Modifiers
・Skill Damage x+0.1% per point in STR ・Critical Chance x+0.02% per point in DEX ・Resource Generation x0.1% per point in WP

Barbarian Strengths

Tanks Damage Very WellOnly Class With BerserkGreat Potential in End Game

Tanks Damage Very Well

The core of Barbarian's gameplay is how well this class can take damage and with Skills such as Challenging Shout and Iron Skin, they can work well in making sure that any Barbarian charging at enemies can handle any damage received.

Only Class With Berserk

Berserk is a buff that gives the user 25% increased damage and 30% increased movement speed for a certain duration. This allows for an easier time engaging with enemies while moving around the battlefield. As the only class that can use Berserk, this means that the Barbarian is a solid class that can do free 25% damage to enemies which is a great damage multiplier as opposed to other class that just relies on the usual critical rate and damage buffs.

Great Potential in End Game

Since the Arsenal System allows Barbarian users to equip up to 4 different weapons, end game builds can significantly ramp up the power of this class. As you level up and collect more Legendary items, the builds you make can potentially create the most powerful class with the Barbarian.

Barbarian Weaknesses

Starts Slower Than Other ClassesClass Is Fury DependentLong Cooldowns on Abilities

Starts Slower Than Other Classes

The Barbarian can feel quite underwhelming compared to the other classes, especially through the early stages of the game. Players will have to collect better Gear and unlock more Skills to start feeling the Barbarian's power.

Class Is Fury Dependent

The Core Skills of Barbarian consume plenty of Fury and will require players to build up this resource. Fury does not regenerate on its own and will decay when no Basic Skills are being used requiring players to always hit Basic Skills to have Fury available.

Long Cooldowns on Abilities

Many of Barbarian's skills have long cooldowns that can cause fights to drag on longer than they should. Cooldown Reduction can help with this issue but might ultimately hinder your damage capabilities.

Barbarian Class Specialization

Arsenal System

The Arsenal System allows Barbarians to choose which weapons a specific skill will use on its attack. This feature is available as early as Level 5 and allows you to switch weapons for a variety of attacks.

Arsenal System Guide and Technique System Explained

Barbarian Skill Tree

Barbarian Basic Skills

Barbarian Skill Types
Basic	Core	Defensive	Brawling
Weapon Mastery	Ultimate	Key Passives

Active Skills

Skill / Effect	Skill Upgrades
Flay Flay the enemy, dealing XX% damage and inflicting YY% Bleeding damage over 5 seconds.
	1	Enhanced Flay Flay has a 15% chance to make the enemy Vulnerable for 2 seconds. Double this chance when using Two-Handed weapons.
	2a	Battle Flay When Flay deals direct damage to an enemy, they take 10% increased Bleeeding damage from you for the next 3 seconds.
	2b	Combat Flay When Flay deals direct damage to an enemy, you gain 3% Damage Reduction and 5 Thorns for 3 seconds. This stacks up to 4 times.
Frenzy Unleash a rapid flurry of blows, dealing XX% damage with each pair of hits. If Frenzy hits an enemy, its Attack Speed is increased by 20% for 3 seconds, up to 60%.
	1	Enhanced Frenzy While Frenzy is granting 60% bonus Attack Speed, it also generates 2 Fury.
	2a	Battle Frenzy While Berserking, your other Skills gain 5% attack speed for each stack of Frenzy you have.
	2b	Combat Frenzy You gain 8% Damage Reduction for each stack of Frenzy you currently have.
Bash Bash the enemy with your weapon, dealing XX% damage. After bashing enemies 4 times, your next Bash will Stun for 1.25 seconds, this increases to 2 seconds if using a Two-Handed weapon.
	1	Enhanced Bash Damaging a Stunned enemy with Bash grants you 20% Maximum life as Fortify. Double this amount when using Two-Handed weapons.
	2a	Battle Bash Damaging a Stunned enemy with Bash generates an additional 3 Fury, or 4 if using a Two-Handed weapon.
	2b	Combat Bash After Critically Striking 4 times with Bash using a Two-Handed weapon, your next Core or Mastery Skill will Overpower.
Lunging Strike Lunge forward and strike an enemy for XX% damage.
	1	Enhanced Lunging Strike Lunging Strike deals 30% increased damage and Heals you for 2% Maximum Life when it damages a Healthy enemy.
	2a	Battle Lunging Strike Lunging Strike also inflicts 6 Bleeding Damage over 5 seconds
	2b	Combat Lunging Strike Critical Strikes with Lunging Strike grant you Berseking for 1.5 seconds.

Barbarian Core Skills

Barbarian Skill Types
Basic	Core	Defensive	Brawling
Weapon Mastery	Ultimate	Key Passives

Active Skills

Skill / Effect	Skill Upgrades
Upheaval Tear into the ground with your weapon and fling debris forward, dealing XX% damage.
	1	Enhanced Upheaval Upheaval has a 20% chance to Stun all enemies it damages for 2.5 seconds.
	2a	Furious Upheaval Dealing direct damage to an enemy with a Skill that is not Upheaval causes your next cast of Upheaval to deal 12% increased damage. stacking up to 6 times.
	2b	Violent Upheaval If Upheaval damages at least 2 enemies, you gain Berserking for 2 seconds, increased to 3 seconds if it damages at least 4 enemies.
Double Swing Sweep your weapons from opposite directions, dealing XX% damage with each weapon. Enemies caught in the center are damaged by both.
	1	Enhanced Double Swing If Double Swing damages a Stunned or Knocked Down enemy, gain 25 Fury.
	2a	Furious Double Swing Casting Double Swing while Berserking grants 2 additional seconds of Berserking.
	2b	Violent Double Swing Hitting an enemy with both hits of Double Swing makes them Vulnerable for 2 seconds.
Rend Cleave enemies in front of you, dealing XX% damage and inflicting YY% Bleeding damage over 5 seconds.
	1	Enhanced Rend Dealing direct damage with Rend extends the duration of Vulnerable on enemies by 2 seconds.
	2a	Furious Rend Direct damage with Rend grants 4 Fury per enemy hit, up to a max of 20 Fury.
	2b	Violent Rend Rend deals 12% increased damage to Vulnerable enemies.
Hammer of the Ancients Slam your hammer down with the fury of the Ancients, dealing XX% damage to a concentrated area.
	1	Enhanced Hammer of the Ancients Gain 3% more Fury for 5 seconds for each enemy damaged by Hammer of the Ancients, stacking up to 10 times.
	2a	Furious Hammer of the Ancients Hammer of the Ancients deals 1% additional damage for each point of Fury you had when using it.
	2b	Violent Hammer of the Ancients After Overpowering with Hammer of the Ancients, you deal 30% more damage for 5 seconds.
Whirlwind Rapidly attack surrounding enemies for XX% damage.
	1	Enhanced Whirlwind Gain 1 Fury each time Whirlwind deals direct damage to an enemy, or 4 Fury against Elite enemies.
	2a	Furious Whirlwind While using a Slashing weapon, Whirlwind also inflicts 40% base damage as Bleeding damage over 5 seconds.
	2b	Violent Whirlwind After using Whirlwind for 2 seconds, Whirlwind deals 30% increased damage until it is cancelled.

Passive Skills

Skill	Effect
Endless Fury	Basic Skills generate XX% more Fury when using Two-Handed weapons.
Pressure Point	Lucky Hit: Your Core skills have up to a XX% chance to make enemies Vulnerable for 2 seconds.

Barbarian Defensive Skills

Barbarian Skill Types
Basic	Core	Defensive	Brawling
Weapon Mastery	Ultimate	Key Passives

Active Skills

Skill / Effect	Skill Upgrades
Ground Stomp Smash the ground, dealing XX% damage and Stunning surrounding enemies for 3 seconds.
	1	Enhanced Ground Stomp Increase Ground Stomp's duration by 1 second.
	2a	Strategic Ground Stomp Reduce the cooldown of your Ultimate Skill by 1 second for each enemy damaged by Ground Stomp.
	2b	Tactical Ground Stomp Ground Stomp generates 40 Fury.
Rallying Cry Bellow a rallying cry, increasing your Movement Speed by 30% and Resource Generation by XX% for 6 seconds, and Nearby allies for 3 seconds.
	1	Enhanced Rallying Cry Rallying Cry grants you Unstoppable while active.
	2a	Strategic Rallying Cry Rallying Cry grants you 10% Maximum life as Fortify. While Rallying Cry is active, you gain an additional 2% Maximum life as Fortify each time you take or deal direct damage.
	2b	Tactical Rallying Cry Rallying Cry generates 20 Fury and grants you an additional 20% Resource Generation.
Iron Skin Steel yourself, gaining a Barrier that absorbs XX% of your missing Life for 5 seconds.
	1	Enhanced Iron Skin Iron Skin's Barrier absorbs 20% more of your Maximum Life.
	2a	Strategic Iron Skin Iron Skin also grants 15% Maximum life as Fortify. Double this amount if cast while below 50% Life.
	2b	Tactical Iron Skin While Iron Skin is active, Heal for 10% of the Barrier's original amount as Life per second.
Challenging Shout Taunt Nearby enemies and gain XX% Damage Reduction for 6 seconds.
	1	Enhanced Challenging Shout While Challenging Shout is active, gain 20% bonus Maximum Life.
	2a	Strategic Challenging Shout While Challenging Shout is active, gain Thorns equal to 30% of your Maxmimum Life.
	2b	Tactical Challenging Shout While Challenging Shout is active, you gain 3 Fury each time you take damage.

Passive Skills

Skill	Effect
Imposing Presence	Gain XX% additional Maximum Life.
Martial Vigor	Damage Reduction against Elites is increased by XX%.Imposing Presence required
Outburst	Gain XX Thorns. Also gain 1 Thorns for each 6 bonus Maximum Life you have.
Tough as Nails	Increase your Thorns by XX%. When enemies hit you, they take an additional 10% of your Thorns as Bleeding damage over 5 seconds.Outburst required

Barbarian Brawling Skills

Barbarian Skill Types
Basic	Core	Defensive	Brawling
Weapon Mastery	Ultimate	Key Passives

Active Skills

Skill / Effect	Skill Upgrades
Kick Throw a powerful kick that deals XX% damage and Knocks Back enemies in front of you. Enemies who are Knocked Back into terrain take an additional YY% damage and are Stunned for 3 seconds.
	1	Enhanced Kick Damaging enemies with Kick makes them Vulnerable for 4 seconds.
	2a	Power Kick If Kick damages an enemy, it consumes all of your Fury and deals an additional 5-7 damage per 10 Fury spent. Kick no longer Knocks Back enemies.
	2b	Mighty Kick Kicked enemies deal 15-19 damage to enemies they collide with while being Knocked Back. Enemies damaged this way are Knocked Down for 2 seconds.
War Cry Bellow a mighty war cry, increasing your damage dealt by XX% for 6.0 seconds, and Nearby allies for 3.0 seconds.
	1	Enhanced War Cry War Cry grants you Berserking for 4 seconds.
	2a	Power War Cry If at least 6 enemies are Nearby when you cast War Cry, your damage bonus is increased by an additional 10%.
	2b	Mighty War Cry War Cry grants you 15% Maximum life as Fortify.
Charge Become Unstoppable and rush forward, pushing enemies with you then swinging through them for XX% damage and Knocking them Back.
	1	Enhanced Charge Enemies who are Knocked Back into terrain by Charge take 30% damage and are Stunned for 3 seconds.
	2a	Power Charge Reduce Charge's Cooldown by 3 seconds if it Knocks Back an enemy into terrain, up to a maximum of 9 seconds.
	2b	Mighty Charge Damaging enemies with Charge makes them Vulnerable for 2 seconds.
Leap Leap forward and then slam down, dealing XX damage and Knocking Back surrounding enemies on impact.
	1	Enhanced Leap If Leap doesn't damage any enemies its Cooldown is reduced by 4 seconds.
	2a	Power Leap If Leap damages at least one enemy, gain 40 Fury.
	2b	Mighty Leap Enemies damaged by Leap are Slowed by 70% for 5 seconds.

Passive Skills

Skill	Effect
Swiftness	Movement Speed is increased by XX%.
Quick Impulses	Reduce the duration of Control Impairing Effects by XX%.Swiftness required
Booming Voice	Your Shout Skill effect durations are increased by XX%.
Guttural Yell	Your Shout Skills cause enemies to deal XX% less damage for 5 seconds.Booming Voice required
Raid Leader	Your Shouts also Heal allies for XX% of their Maximum Life per second.Booming Voice required
Aggressive Resistance	Gain XX% Damage Reduction while Berserking.
Prolific Fury	While Berserking, Fury Generation is increased by X%.Aggressive Resistance required
Battle Fervor	When a Brawling Skill damages at least one enemy, gain Berserking for XX seconds.Aggressive Resistance required

Barbarian Weapon Mastery Skills

Barbarian Skill Types
Basic	Core	Defensive	Brawling
Weapon Mastery	Ultimate	Key Passives

Active Skills

Skill / Effect	Skill Upgrades
Rupture Skewer enemies in front of you, dealing XX% damage, then rip your weapon out, damaging enemies for their total Bleeding amount and removing all Bleeding damage from them.
	1	Enhanced Rupture Ripping your weapon out of enemies during Rupture causes an explosion that deals 45% Bleeding damage over 5 seconds. This damage is increased by 10% for each 50 Strength you have.
	2a	Warrior's Rupture Hitting enemies with Rupture increases your Attack Speed by 40% for 5 seconds.
	2b	Fighter's Rupture Hitting at least 1 enemy with Rupture Heals you for 22% of your Maximum Life.
Steel Grasp Throw out a trio of chains that deal XX% damage and Pull In enemies.
	1	Enhanced Steel Grasp Steel Grasp also makes enemies Vulnerable for 3 seconds.
	2a	Warrior's Steel Grasp Steel Grasp gains 1 additional Charge.
	2b	Fighter's Steel Grasp If Steel Grasp damages an enemy, gain Berserking for 2 seconds.
Death Blow Attempt a killing strike, dealing XX% damage to enemies in front of you. If this kills an enemy, its Cooldown is reset.
	1	Enhanced Death Blow Death Blow deals 150% increased damage to Bosses.
	2a	Warrior's Death Blow If Death Blow damages at least one enemy, gain Berserking for 3 seconds.
	2b	Fighter's Death Blow If Death Blow damages at least one enemy, gain 20 Fury.

Passive Skills

Skill	Effect
Pit Fighter	You deal XX% increased damage to Close enemies and gain YY% Distant Damage Reduction.
No Mercy	You have XX% increased Critical Strike chance against Immobilized, Stunned, or Slowed enemies.Pit Fighter required
Slaying Strike	You deal XX% increased damage against Injured enemies.Pit Fighter required
Expose Vulnerability	Dealing direct damage with a Weapon Mastery skill causes your next Core Skill to make enemies Vulnerable for XX seconds.No Mercy or Slaying Strike required
Hamstring	Your Bleeding effects Slow on Healthy enemies by XX%.
Cut to the Bone	Your Bleeding effects deal XX% increased damage to Vulnerable enemies.Hamstring required
Thick Skin	Each time you take direct damage gain XX% Maximum life as Fortify.
Counteroffensive	While you have Fortify for over 50% of your Maximum Life, you deal XX% increased damage.Thick Skin required
Defensive Stance	Increase the Damage Reduction gained while you are Fortified by an additional XX%.Thick Skin required

Barbarian Ultimate Skills

Barbarian Skill Types
Basic	Core	Defensive	Brawling
Weapon Mastery	Ultimate	Key Passives

Active Skills

Skill / Effect	Skill Upgrades
Call of the Ancients Call upon 3 Ancients to aid you in battle for 6 seconds. Korlic leaps at enemies, dealing 104% damage and swings his weapons in a frenzy, dealing 39% damage per hit. Talic spins in a whirlwind rapidly attacking enemies for 65% damage. Madawc upheaves the ground, dealing 195% damage.
	1	Prime Call of the Ancients While Call of the Ancients is active, gain 20% bonus Attack Speed and 10% increased damage.
	2	Supreme Call of the Ancients Each of the Ancients gains additional power: Korlic: You gain 10 Fury each time Korlic damages an enemy with his Frenzy. Talic: Enemies are Slowed by 50% for 1 second when damaged by his Whirlwind. Madawc: 30% chance to Stun enemies for 3 seconds when using his Upheaval.
Iron Maelstrom Activate three times to attach chains to each of your weapons and perform an attack: First, your Two-Handed Bludgeoning weapon slams into the ground, dealing 60% damage and Stunning enemies for 2 seconds. Next, your Two-Handed Slashing weapon swipes in front of you, dealing 20% damage and inflicting 120% Bleeding damage over 5 seconds. Finally, your Dual Wield weapons swing around you, dealing 33% damage per hit.
	1	Prime Iron Maelstrom Iron Maelstrom gains 30% increased Critical Strike Chance and deals 40% increased Critical Strike Damage.
	2	Supreme Iron Maelstrom Dealing direct damage to an enemy after swapping weapons reduces Iron Maelstrom's Cooldown by 1 second.
Wrath of the Berserker Explode into rage, Knocking Back sorrounding enemies and gaining Berserking and Unstoppable for 5 seconds. For the next 10 seconds, dealing direct damage with Basic Skills grants Berserking for 5 seconds.
	1	Prime Wrath of the Berserker While Wrath of the Berserker is active, gain 20% increased Movement Speed and increase Fury Generation by 30%.
	2	Supreme Wrath of the Berserker While Wrath of the Berserker is active, every 50 Fury you spend increases Berserk's damage bonus by 100%.

Passive Skills

Skill	Effect
Heavy Handed	While using Two-Handed weapons you deal XX% increased Critical Strike Damage.
Wallop	Your Skills using Bludgeoning weapons deal XX% increased damage if the enemy is Stunned or Vulnerable.
Brute Force	Your Overpowers deal XX% increased damage when using a Two-Handed weapon.Heavy Handed or Wallop required
Concussion	Lucky Hit: Skills using Bludgeoning weapons have up to a XX% chance to Stun enemies for 3 seconds, or up to a YY% chance when using a Two-Handed Bludgeoning weapon.Wallop required
Duelist	Attack Speed is increased by XX% while using One-Handed weapons.
Tempered Fury	Increase your Maximum Fury by XX.
Furious Impulse	Each time you swap weapons, gain XX Fury.Tempered Fury required
Invigorating Fury	Heal for XX% of your Maximum Life for each 100 Fury spent.Tempered Fury required

Barbarian Key Passives

Barbarian Skill Types
Basic	Core	Defensive	Brawling
Weapon Mastery	Ultimate	Key Passives

Passive Skills

Skill	Effect
Unconstrained	Increase Berserk's maximum duration by 5 seconds and increase its damage bonus by 25%.
Walking Arsenal	Dealing direct damage with a Two- Handed Bludgeoning, Two-Handed Slashing, or Dual Wielded weapons grants 10% increased damage for 6 seconds. While all three damage bonuses are active, you gain an additional 15% increased damage.
Unbridled Rage	Core Skills deal 135% increased damage, but cost 100% more Fury.
Gushing Wounds	When causing an enemy to Bleed, you have a chance equal to your Critical Strike Chance to increase the Bleed amount by 100% of your Critical Strike Damage bonus. Overpowering a Bleeding enemy creates an explosion that inflicts 11% Bleeding damage over 5 seconds.

How to Play the Barbarian

Equip Different WeaponsGroup Up Enemies to Maximize DamageRank Up Your Weapon Expertise

Equip Different Weapons

The Arsenal System allows you to assign a specific weapon to a specific skill giving you a variety of attacks and effects. Take the time to learn which weapon is best for a build to efficiently take down enemies.

Group Up Enemies to Maximize Damage

You'll want to clear enemies more efficiently as a Barbarian. Grouping up enemies allows you to maximize your damage whether it be applying Bleeding effects with Rend or dealing damage in an area as you spin with Whirlwind due to the Barbarian's strong melee AoE attacks.

Rank Up Your Weapon Expertise

With the many weapons you can equip, players can receive additional bonuses for their weapons as you rank up your Weapon Expertise. The bonuses received get stronger as you rank up and allow you to personalize your build according to your weapon of choice.

Barbarian Stat Priorities

Barbarian Stat Priority
Strength ▶ Dexterity ▶ Willpower ▶ Intelligence
Strength	Strength will be the main stat Barbarians want to focus on as increasing this directly raises your Skill Damage and Armor.
Dexterity	Dexterity is the next stat to prioritize as you receive an increased Critical Strike Chance from this.
Willpower	Willpower can be decent as your Healing and Overpower Damage gets a boost.
Intelligence	Intelligence can be prioritized last since this only increases your Resistance to All Elements and you would be better off increasing your armor and life stats. Completely neglecting Intelligence is fine even as you can get elemental resistances from Jewelry equipment as well.

Diablo 4 Related Guides

Best Class Tier List and How to Play All Classes

All Classes
Barbarian		Druid		Sorcerer
Rogue			Necromancer

Barbarian Class Guide: Skills, Stats, and How to Play | Diablo 4 (D4)｜Game8 (2024)

Barbarian Overview and Rating

Barbarian Strengths

Tanks Damage Very Well

Only Class With Berserk

Great Potential in End Game

Barbarian Weaknesses

Starts Slower Than Other Classes

Class Is Fury Dependent

Long Cooldowns on Abilities

Barbarian Class Specialization

Arsenal System

Barbarian Skill Tree

Barbarian Basic Skills

Active Skills

Barbarian Core Skills

Active Skills

Passive Skills

Barbarian Defensive Skills

Active Skills

Passive Skills

Barbarian Brawling Skills

Active Skills

Passive Skills

Barbarian Weapon Mastery Skills

Active Skills

Passive Skills

Barbarian Ultimate Skills

Active Skills

Passive Skills

Barbarian Key Passives

Passive Skills

How to Play the Barbarian

Equip Different Weapons

Group Up Enemies to Maximize Damage

Rank Up Your Weapon Expertise

Barbarian Stat Priorities

Diablo 4 Related Guides