Who is Akarat in Diablo 4? If you’ve played Diablo like, at all, you’ll hear his name a lot. So if, like me, ‘Akarat chirs cha cham’ is playing over and over again in your head, here’s a full rundown of who your godly companion is, and where he fits in the Diablo story. Note that this guide contains spoilers for the Vessel of Hatred campaign.
We’ve all seen the trailer for Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred. Neyrelle, guided by a native of Nahantu, crosses the river to Kurast in a rowing boat, dutifully chanting to Akarat. As Mephisto takes over and her arms are mercilessly split apart, we realize that Akarat is going to play a huge part in the RPG‘s campaign – which we have a Diablo 4 DLC review for, if you’re interested – especially given the breadth of Mephisto’s inky corruption. If you’re new to Diablo, however, you may not have encountered Akarat, so here’s a rundown of exactly who he is, and what part he plays in Sanctuary’s story.
Who is Akarat in Diablo 4?
Put simply, Akarat functions as Diablo’s equivalent of Jesus. Where there are the angels of the High Heavens and Baal, Diablo, and Mephisto in the Burning Hells, Akarat occupies a more human space, moving from place to place as a prophet.
Hailing from Xiansai (which gets a cheeky little mention in one particular conversation in Vessel of Hatred), Akarat is visited by the archangel Yaerius, a figure shrouded in mystery. Yaerius disseminates the core tenets of the Zakarum faith, which Akarat proceeds to carry to Sanctuary’s various regions.
The Zakarum are the original Church of Light, who were headquartered in Travincal, outside Kurast. Following Akarat’s apparent death, it falls to Mephisto and is corrupted. In turn, the Zakarum are outcast, falling into relative obscurity. Still popular in the outermost regions of Sanctuary (including Nahantu), the Zakarum faith has fallen by the wayside to make way for the infamous, omnipresent Cathedral of Light.
In Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred, Akarat appears as a golden lion, guiding Neyrelle, the Wanderer, and Eru through the worst of Mephisto’s corruption. He’s the literal light at the end of the tunnel; the bastion of hope in a world that’s hopeless.
As you venture through Nahantu, Akarat continues to act as your guardian, sending you into the Spirit Realm to request help from Ah Bulan, another powerful entity. He’s then present at the expansion’s final battle against Mephisto, dropping power-up orbs that help to chunk the Lord of Hatred’s health bar.
“Coming back to Nahantu we got a chance to explore more of who he was, separate from the ideologies of the Zakarum faith and what other faiths believe,” associate narrative designer Eleni Rivera-Colon tells me in an exclusive PCGamesN interview. “I think it’s an exciting way to stay true to the character while staying to true the lore.”
Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred ending explained
But the price of dispelling Mephisto’s Herald is sacrifice. As the battle concludes, Akarat finally ‘dies’ (“Akarat doesn’t die,” Rivera-Colon notes, highlighting that “presence he has” lives on), and is, in turn, lifted from the chaos of Sanctuary to a realm beyond our comprehension. It looks like this leg of the fight is over; while it’s only a small part of Mephisto that’s been shattered, I class that as a win.
Until Eru appears. Poor Eru, vengeful over the death of fellow Spiritborn Maka earlier in the campaign, makes a deal with Mephisto. He steals Akarat’s lifeless body, delivering it to The Lord of Hatred despite his dogged devotion to the Zakarum.
The game ends with Mephisto taking over the now lifeless body of Akarat, choosing to “walk among man.” Akarat’s eyes go black, and the campaign ends, setting up perfectly for the next chapter of Sanctuary’s story.
While I can’t see the future, I assume this means ‘Akarat’ will return to Sanctuary (potentially Xiansai based on that earlier conversation), and will likely be regarded as a God. Using Akarat’s influence, Mephisto will spread his corruption, twisting Sanctuary into his own warped vision of perfection. Akarat’s influence – especially in regions like Nahantu – can’t be understated, and the Cathedral of Light is in tatters following the battle in Hell, giving Mephisto the perfect platform to cause chaos from.
But, given we hear multiple times that Lilith’s essence lingers in the Wanderer’s blood, I wonder if we’ll see her return to face her father once more – after all, she does say that we can’t rid the world of Mephisto without her help. Maybe I’m just desperate to see her again; perhaps she’s infected my blood, too, but a showdown between Lilith and Mephisto does feel somewhat inevitable (and I am very okay with it).
But you’ll have to battle through the jungles of Nahantu before then, so why not check out our Diablo 4 Spiritborn build guide – who doesn’t want to try out the new Diablo 4 class, after all? Alternatively, if you’re looking to stick with what you know, here’s our up-to-date list of the best Diablo 4 builds – Akarat can only do so much.