Summary
Diablo 4fans got a new look at the upcoming Vessel of Hatred expansion during the Xbox Games Showcase 2024, which gave them a glimpse at the expansion’s greater story through a new cinematic trailer. Along with this trailer came the confirmation of some new features Vessel of Hatred will be adding toDiablo 4, including recruitable mercenaries, pets, and a new class called the Spiritborn. While all of this information is enough to get players hyped for the expansion’s October release, the trailer still leaves many mysteries unsolved, particularly around the character of Akarat, who is mentioned several times in the trailer.
Thisnew cinematic trailer forDiablo 4: Vessel of Hatredshows Neyrelle traveling to the region of Nahantu by boat with the soulstone containing Mephisto. As she travels, she appears to be invoking the name of Akarat during a prayer or chant she is performing, and she later mentions that she needs to find Akarat’s tomb. This information seems to set up the overarching premise ofDiablo 4: Vessel of Hatred’s story, but it’s not clear just how Akarat will factor into the story regarding Neyrelle’s struggle to resist Mephisto’s influence.
Akarat is a Pivotal Figure within the Diablo Series' Lore
Despite being a crucial figure in the overarching lore of theDiabloseries, Akarat never appears in any of the games and is only ever mentioned by other characters. Akarat was a monk from the island of Xiansai located to thenorthwest of Scosglenwho traveled around Sanctuary meditating on enlightenment and peace. During his travels, he encountered a vision of the angel Yaerius who revealed to Akarat the key to resisting evil and embracing the light, which Akarat would use as the founding tenets of the Zakarum religion.
Deckard Cain debates whether Akarat really saw the angel Yaerius, and instead posits that perhaps he actually saw the echo of the nephalem Uldyssian, who sacrificed himself to protect humanity from the High Heavens during the Sin War.
With these tenets in hand, Akarat became somewhat of a prophet, traveling around Kehjistan spreading the word that Yaerius had revealed to him and drawing in new followers along the way. Ultimately, Akarat disappeared in the jungles to the south of Kehjistan —the region known inDiablo 4: Vessel of Hatredas Nahantu— where his tomb is believed to be located. What makes Akarat such an important figure in the lore ofDiablois his founding of the Zakarum religion, which would go on to seal Mephisto with a soulstone and protect it within the temple of Travincal, only to have Mephisto corrupt the faith’s high council and escape.
Akarat May Play an Important Role in Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred
Mephisto’s corruption of the monks at Travincaland escape from the soulstone set up a major plot point inDiablo 2, where players must venture into the jungles surrounding Kurast and battle Mephisto’s corruption in an effort to find the Lord of Hatred. With this connection to Vessel of Hatred already present, it’s possible Neyrelle could be seeking Akarat’s tomb in hopes of finding the means to succeed where the Zakarum originally failed and defeat Mephisto once and for all. This storyline would make a lot of sense given the history of the Nahantu region and would lend itself nicely to a story following Neyrelle grappling with Mephisto’s corruption that mirrors that of the Zakarum.
Given the Zakarum’s history of conflict with theCathedral of Light, following this type of story would be a great way to tie another part of the ending ofDiablo 4’s base campaign into Vessel of Hatred. Since the Cathedral of Light has branded the Horadrim heretics, there would be a strong reason for the Knights Penitent to show up in Nahantu to try and find the tomb of Akarat before Neyrelle. With the surviving Horadrim scattered after the finale ofDiablo 4’s base game, bringing major characters back together in Vessel of Hatred in a quest to reach Akarat’s tomb would be a fitting continuation of the story.
Diablo 4
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Diablo® IV is the ultimate action RPG experience with endless evil to slaughter, countless abilities to master, nightmarish dungeons, and legendary loot. Embark on the campaign solo or with friends, meeting memorable characters through beautifully dark settings and a gripping story, or explore an expansive end game and shared world where players can meet in towns to trade, team up to battle world bosses, or descend into PVP zones to test their skills against other players – no lobbies necessary – with cross-play, cross-progression, and couch co-op on Xbox.This is only the beginning for Diablo® IV, with new events, stories, seasons, rewards, and more looming on the horizon.
