Gamers who want to take the fight against evil to the Burning Hells itself would loveDiabloand its gothic-horror approach to the action RPG genre.Blizzard’s hit franchise pits players against demons and other forces that seek to control the world of Sanctuary. Chief among these threats is the titular Diablo, the Lord of Terror himself.
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Unfortunately for the heroes, Diablo is never alone in his conquest of Sanctuary. Alongside him are his brothers, his fellow Prime Evils. One of these creatures is the merciless Baal, the Lord of Destruction. But how exactly does Baal differ from his other siblings? And what should players know to prepare for his onslaught?
10He Is The Embodiment Of Destruction
According to the Horadric texts, Baal can be classified as a Great Evil – one of the heads of Tathamet, the great dragon that embodies chaos and disorder. His nature as one of Tathamet’s most powerful “heads"position him as a Prime Evilalongside his brothers Diablo and Mephisto. Whereas his siblings embody Terror and Hatred respectively, Baal presides over the Realm of Destruction in the Burning Hells.
As expected from beings from the Burning Hells, Baal serves as one of the powerful forces on one side of the Eternal Conflict. Baal relishes in destruction, meaning he can never “get exhausted” by the endless war between the Burning Hells and the High Heavens.
9Resurrection Waiting To Happen
When the Dark Exile hadthe Lesser Evilsbanish the Prime Evils into Sanctuary, Baal retreated to the city of Lut Gholein. Unfortunately for him, Tyrael and his Horadrim had cornered the Lord of Destruction into the city. Even Baal’s powers of destruction proved useless against the wisdom of the Horadrim, and eventually his essence was poured into his Soulstone.
In an unfortunate turn of events, Baal’s Soulstone shattered into pieces. Some say this is due to mismanagement, while others see this as an act of Baal himself. Regardless of the reason, Baal had been placed in the largest remaining shard. However, the lack of the shard’s wholeness meant it was only a matter of time before Baal would once again walk Sanctuary.
8Tal Rasha And Baal, Locked In A Battle Of Souls
to avert Baal’s return, the Horadrim found a way to contain his power – at the cost of their own. While deliberating on their solutions to their Baal debacle, someone suggested that a human body may be able to contain Baal’s demonic essence. Tal Rasha, the Horadrim’s original leader, volunteered himself for this task.
Tal Rasha is one of the most powerful mages to ever walk Sanctuary. The Archangel Tyrael helped in fusing Tal Rasha and Baal’s shard, while the Horadrim sealed Tal Rasha in the burial chamber. Unfortunately, this meant that Tal Rasha would wrestle with Baal’s soul for all of eternity.
7The Player Can Relive His Defeat In Destruction’s End
Players supposedly vanquish Baal once and for all despite Diablo’s efforts to bring him back inDiablo 2: Lord of Destruction. However, lore fans should note that Baal has come to Sanctuary far more times in the course of history. Players ofDiablo Immortalcan play the Timewalking Dungeon “Destruction’s End” to witness Baal’s first and worst encounter againstthe Horadrim.
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The Dungeon takes place during the Dark Exile, when the Lesser Evils plotted to banish Baal and the rest of his brothers to Sanctuary. Unfortunately for Baal, the Brotherhood of the Horadrim fought him to submission and forced his essence into his Soulstone. Diablo then used this very Soulstone to bring Baal back to Sanctuary inDiablo 2.
6Human Intervention Will Save Baal
When Diablo possessed the body of Prince Aidan, he sought to free his remaining siblings. The Lord of Terror eventually found the Tomb of Tal Rasha, where Baal had fully corrupted the former leader. This also meant that Baal now has access to the full extent of Tal Rasha’s Horadric insights. Thankfully, Archangel Tyrael of the High Heavens andthe forces of goodintervened.
Unfortunately for Tyrael, Baal called out to Marius – the human that has been “compelled” to follow the Dark Wanderer – to pluck the shard out of Tal Rasha’s chest. He did so out of compulsion, freeing Baal from imprisonment. Had it not been for Marius’s involvement, Tyrael would’ve been able to hold off Diablo, preventing destruction.
5He’s Destructive, Brash, Sadistic
Befitting his description as the Lord of the Destruction, Baal is perhaps the most brash and reckless among the Prime Evils. He relishes in utter annihilation. Due to this straightforward nature, many in Sanctuary believe Baal is “the easiest to comprehend” of the siblings. For instance, he immediately ordered Lilith’s execution when he heard that she andthe Archangel Inariushad stolen the Worldstone.
Additionally, Baal doesn’t hesitate to become sadistic when dispatching his foes. He also seems more overt when it comes to feasting on human flesh and blood with his brothers. The witch Adria also wondered whether Baal would seek the ultimate destruction of the universe. After all, pure annihilation without rebirth may ruin the “cycle” of destruction.
4He’s Reckless, But Not Careless
Brash as Baal may be, he is anything but careless. Wher others consider him “basic,” Deckard Cain, through his studies, believes Baal is just as nefarious as his brothers. Baal also showed tactical acumen numerous occasions, for example, in his conquest ofthe Barbarian settlementof Sescheron after his return.
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As a commander, Baal has a preference for overwhelming his opponents. Most of his battle strategies involve surrounding enemies across all sides. Unfortunately for his foes, Baal’s troops specialize in agility and strength. Even his generals and lieutenants train in cunning, endurance, and strength.
3The Day Known As The Eye Of Baal
More eagle-eyed fans may recall that the Anno Kehjistani (Sanctuary’s formal calendar system) has a special phenomenon called “the crimson moon” that occurs every 15th day of the month of Kathon. The Triune, or the worshippers of the Prime Evils, refer to this day as “the Eye of Baal.”
While the holy Zakarum mandated the creation of the Anno Kehjistani, a lot of its events coincide with magical systems. In the case of the Eye of Baal, the crimson moon somehow increases the potency of destructive spells, at the cost of being more difficult to control. This is also apparently the best timefor sacrifices to be made.
2More Beelzebub, Less Lord Of The Flies
In the real world, the ancient city of Ekron once worshipped a specific “Baal” in the form of Baʿal Zəbûb or “the Lord of the Flies”. The Christian faith refers to this entity as the demonic “Beelzebub”. Fans who search for Beelzebub might notice similarities with Baal’s design, as Beelzebub is often portrayed as having spider-like legs.
However, despite Baal’s similarities to Beelzebub,Diablolore attaches the term “Lord of the Flies” to Belial. This Lesser Evil uses botflies as his signature form of manifestation, and the game grants “Lord of the Flies” as a title to those who defeat him.
1A Name Fit For Rulers
Despite Baal’s penchant for destruction, his name has several real-world attachments to nobility and rulership. Some speculate that Baal’s name comes from “Ba’al,” a term for deities worshipped during 1,000 BC to 2,000 BC. While Ba’al is often attached to the Mesopotamian storm god Hadad, the title is still usable for any male divinity.
In fact, the title “Ba’al” means “Master” or “Lord” in Sumerian. Such a title is actually quite befitting ofDiablo’s Baal as a Prime Evil. However, it seems that inDiablolore, Baal’s name a given name and not just an honorific.
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