Tome.10: Beyond Good and Evil and the Price of "Choice" - The Pinnacle of Existentialism and Dark Fantasy

In the history of Sanctuary, smeared with blood, mud, and endless despair, the conclusion of the “Saga of Hatred” in 2026 marked a singular turning point that questioned the fundamental significance of humanity’s existence. The mythological struggle depicted in Blizzard Entertainment’s Diablo IV expansion DLC Vessel of Hatred and its concluding chapter Lord of Hatred is not merely a dualistic conflict between light and dark. It is a vivid record of the bloody rebellion (Existentialism) of mortals against a predetermined cosmological fate (Determinism).

This article is a comprehensive investigative report that exhaustively integrates events such as the twin calamities of angels and demons, the philosophy borne by each class, Mother Lilith’s self-sacrifice, the burning of the Tree of Whispers, and the return of Tyrael, based on the latest lore (official settings) under the theme of “Beyond Good and Evil and the Price of ‘Choice’.” By strictly distinguishing between the “facts” explicitly stated in the game and the “speculations” derived from historical and philosophical contexts, it unravels the full picture of how this work has reached the pinnacle of Gothic Horror and Dark Fantasy.

1. Cosmological Despair and the Relativization of the Twin Calamities

“Good (Angels)” and “Evil (Demons)” in Sanctuary fundamentally differ in nature from human moral and ethical standards. At the base of this worldview lies the primordial conflict between the absolute singular entity “Anu” and the ultimate impurity severed from him, the seven-headed dragon “Tathamet.”

1.1 [Fact] The Legacy of Anu and Tathamet

In the myth of creation, angels were born from the Crystal Arch, which was Anu’s spine, while the Burning Hells and the seven Great Evils were born from the massive corpse of Tathamet. They instinctively began killing each other the moment they recognized one another, which became the origin of the endless war known as the “Eternal Conflict.” Angels are created when the Crystal Arch resonates in perfect harmony, embodying specific aspects of Anu (justice, hope, wisdom, etc.). Demons, on the other hand, differentiated from the seven heads of Tathamet, embodying extreme negative aspects such as terror, destruction, and hatred.

1.2 Speculation Based on Philosophical and Circumstantial Evidence: Deterministic “Essence” and the Absence of Existence

Applying the representative thesis of Existentialism, “existence precedes essence,” to the cosmology of Sanctuary, a clear disconnect is observed in the races of angels and demons. From the moment of their birth, their “essence” (whether order or chaos) is determined, and they possess no free will to escape their own nature.

Because angels are the embodiment of “order and virtue,” their extreme rigidity and lack of empathy can unconsciously perpetrate “evil” upon humans. For instance, a faction of the High Heavens, including the Archangel Imperius, attempted to mercilessly eradicate Sanctuary (humanity)—born from the mingling of demons and angels—as a “product of sin” and an “abominable seed of chaos.” From their perspective, the eradication of humanity, which harbors the potential for chaos, is absolute “justice.” Demons, meanwhile, view humanity merely as pawns for their faction in the Eternal Conflict, toys for their amusement, or targets for soul exploitation.

To humans, the order of the High Heavens (good) and the chaos of the Burning Hells (evil) are merely “equal calamities” that threaten life, albeit in different forms. In this world, good and evil are not absolute; they are depicted as relative concepts centered around human survival. While angels and demons are mechanical beings bound by the destiny of their own essence, only the Nephalem (humanity) possess the “free will” to determine their own way of being, precisely because they encompass both good and evil natures.

2. The Origins of Humanity and the Stage of Despair: The Skovos Isles

The Skovos Isles, the primary setting in Lord of Hatred, are a beautiful archipelago with an ancient Mediterranean style, holding immense historical significance as the “birthplace of humanity (Nephalem).” This land is a colossal gravestone proving how selfishly the gods created humanity and then abandoned them.

2.1 [Fact] The Chronicles of Creation and the Cursed Origins

The Skovos Isles are ruled by Oracles and Amazon queens. Dotted across this land are 30 groups of statues known as the “Chronicles of Creation.” These statues symbolize the trinity of Lilith, Inarius, and humans, and are activated when The Wanderer (the player) turns the angles of the angel and demon statues toward the human statue (establishing an intersection of light).

With each activation of a statue, the player witnesses remnants of past dialogues between angels and demons, and illusions of the genesis of Sanctuary. How Inarius was obsessed with returning to the High Heavens and looked down upon humanity as mere tools for his own atonement. How Lilith sought to forge humanity into weapons to defeat both the High Heavens and the Burning Hells. These present the historical “fact” that the birth of humanity was not the crystallization of sublime love, but the product of a desperate flight and selfish ambitions.

Furthermore, despite its beautiful mythological landscapes, the Skovos Isles coexist with Lovecraftian fog-shrouded coastlines, hellish volcanic vistas, and desolate zones covered in “Corpse Clots” and flesh pustules. This visually represents that the sacred concept of humanity’s origin has already been encroached upon by the shadows of hell and the horrors of the ancient abyss.

2.2 Speculation Based on Philosophical and Circumstantial Evidence: The Limits of Human Psychology Depicted in Side Quests

The 50 side quests unfolding in Skovos depict the existential terror and sorrow faced by mortals in the shadow of the macroscopic battle between good and evil, from a microscopic perspective. For example, in the quest “Of Void and Vessel,” a Midwife cult schemes to pull back into this world that which was cast into the beyond of The Void. This demonstrates the fragility and madness of humans who, to escape the pain of loss, attempt to rebel even against the absolute laws of the universe (death and The Void). Additionally, quests like “The Night Voyagers” and “The Garden of Akarat” illustrate how people struggle to find meaning in a desperate world. People repeat “choices” of daily life, betrayal, revenge, and fleeting hope, even while acutely aware of their powerlessness before the overwhelming might of gods and demons.

3. The Weight of “Choice” and the Existential Decisions Borne by Each Class

In this cruel world, humanity is forced to make the choice of “how to give meaning to a meaningless world and survive.” The background lore and combat styles of each class (The Wanderer) in Diablo IV are not merely functional distinctions within the game system, but embodiments of the “existential decisions” humanity has chosen to survive the dark world.

3.1 Warlock: The Ultimate Utilitarianism of Fighting Fire with Fire

Warlocks, introduced in Lord of Hatred, are those who inherit the dark legacy of the Vizjerei. They have made the transgressive choice to “seize the power of hell as their own.” Their magical system is broadly divided into “Legion,” which commands demons to fight, and “Vanguard,” which transforms their own bodies into demons themselves.

[Speculation] The existence of the Warlock most strongly reflects the tragic reality of Sanctuary: “It is impossible to save the world through pure good deeds alone.” Fully aware of the risk of their own souls falling into corruption, or the danger of being swallowed by demonic madness, they chose the path to “fight fire with fire.” This is an extreme utilitarian choice that denies pure dualism of good and evil, stopping at nothing to achieve the goals of survival and defeating demons. They bear the existential loneliness that they can only save the world by getting covered in mud, and upon their backs hangs heavily the “inescapable premonition of despair and corruption” characteristic of Gothic Horror.

3.2 Spiritborn: Breaking Free from Dualistic Shackles

The Spiritborn, who emerged from the jungles of Nahantu in the first DLC Vessel of Hatred, entrust the shape of their souls to four types of guardian spirits: the soaring eagle, the mighty gorilla, the blazing jaguar, and the centipede of death and rebirth. Their power manifests by crossing the boundary between the material world and the Spirit Realm.

[Speculation]

The Spiritborn are unique beings attempting to break free mentally and spiritually from the dualistic conflict of the High Heavens (light) and the Burning Hells (darkness) that binds Sanctuary. Relying on neither angels nor demons, they redefined themselves by connecting to the natural world and the Spirit Realm, the fundamental power of souls. It can be said that they embody the victory of existential self-determination: no matter how much the world is scorched by the fires of hell, the shape of an individual’s inner soul (the choice of guardian spirit) remains free.

3.3 Paladin (Wardens of Light): Faith as Rebellion Against the Absurd

The lineage of the Paladin, once thought lost to the darkness of history due to the corruption of the Zakarum Church, has regrouped in Lord of Hatred as the “Wardens of Light.” They have discarded external systems such as the authority of the church, manifesting the magic of light solely through individual “righteous intent.”

[Speculation] In the cinematic, the Paladin does not flinch even before the manifestation of Mephisto, who possesses overwhelming power, standing against him with their own shield and sword. In this world of madness where the High Heavens have abandoned Sanctuary and angels remain silent, their belief in The Light is no longer an act of clinging to divine grace. It is the product of an active and rebellious choice from the human side to “dare to believe in order and good, and embody it oneself” against the absurdity of darkness. The faith of the Paladin is the very proud rebellion of humanity against a meaningless world, akin to what is seen in Albert Camus’s The Myth of Sisyphus.

4. The “Mother’s” Self-Sacrifice and the Overcoming of Demonic Essence

In the narrative of Lord of Hatred, the greatest point of contention, and that which brings the most profound philosophical catharsis, is the return of Lilith and her “self-sacrifice” to save The Wanderer.

4.1 [Fact] The Pursuit from Nahantu and the Manifestation of Mephisto

At the conclusion of the previous work Vessel of Hatred, the young scholar Neyrelle headed to the jungles of Nahantu to seal Mephisto’s Soulstone, but Mephisto cunningly induced the betrayal of Eru and seized the Soulstone. Neyrelle’s self-sacrificing journey was in vain, and Mephisto attempts to achieve a complete resurrection as a corrupted prophet by taking over the body of Akarat, the Prophet of Light. In this desperate final phase, the essence of Lilith, which remained in the bloodline of The Wanderer, manifests. Just as The Wanderer is about to fall before Mephisto’s overwhelming power of hatred, Lilith sacrifices her own existence to protect The Wanderer.

At that moment, Lilith declares to Mephisto (or perhaps to the world itself): “I gave my children a world and the strength to make it their own. And all I have to show for it is you fight.” (I gave my children a world and the strength to build it with their own power. Yet, all you show me is your conflict.)

Seizing the opening created when Lilith became a shield and vanished, The Wanderer succeeds in banishing Mephisto to The Void. Through this series of events, the great threat known as Mephisto was completely removed from the board, albeit temporarily.

4.2 Speculation Based on Philosophical and Circumstantial Evidence: Twisted Love or Existential Victory?

This “self-sacrifice” of Lilith is criticized within the community as “the destruction of 25 years of lore and a betrayal of demonic essence,” yet from an existentialist perspective, it holds extremely significant meaning.

Originally, demons are the embodiment of absolute egoism, and sacrificing oneself for others has been considered “fundamentally impossible.” However, Lilith, who was deeply involved in the realm of “free will” known as Sanctuary and obsessed with the fate of human existence, deviated from her deterministic essence as a demon, and can be interpreted as having committed the existential act of “self-sacrifice through autonomous choice” for the first time.

Whether her action was a pure sacrifice based on true maternal love, or the ultimate off-board tactic to achieve victory over both the High Heavens and the Burning Hells (a calculation to preserve her strongest piece, The Wanderer), remains an eternal mystery. However, what is important is not the “motive,” but the result that “a demon overcame its own essence (egoism).”

If even a demon like Lilith can choose her own actions beyond her essence, it suggests that the “inescapable despair and corruption” destined for humanity can also be shattered by individual choice. Lilith’s death is nothing less than the ultimate presentation of the “possibility of choice” depicted in this work.

5. Rebellion Against Fate and the Annulment of the Pact: The Burning of the Tree of Whispers

Towards the end of the story, The Wanderer makes another momentous choice. It is the world-shaking act of burning the “Tree of Whispers.”

5.1 [Fact] The Death of Lorath Nahr and the Eternal Pact

The Tree of Whispers is a cosmic horror-like eldritch entity that has existed since before Inarius and Lilith created Sanctuary. In exchange for providing knowledge for a price, the tree imposed an absolute “pact” that bound souls after death to its bark for eternity, forcing them to whisper in agony. In the previous work, Lorath Nahr, one of the last Horadrim, made a pact offering his own head (soul) to the tree to obtain information to save the world. And in Lord of Hatred, he fulfills his duty and loses his life. Normally, his soul would be destined to be trapped forever as part of the tree.

However, after the mortal combat with Mephisto, The Wanderer makes the decision to burn down the Tree of Whispers itself using a “special flame” in order to save Lorath. As the surrounding crows burst into flames and the ancient giant tree is engulfed in fire, Lorath’s soul is liberated and finally finds peace.

5.2 Speculation Based on Philosophical and Circumstantial Evidence: Patricide Against the System and Its Price

This act is a powerful antithesis to the Gothic Horror tradition of “inescapable fate and absolute laws” in Sanctuary. It proved the fact that even an absolute system (fate) like the Tree of Whispers, which humanity was thought utterly unable to resist, can be destroyed by human “choice” and “action.”

Lorath, as a single human being, was someone who understood better than anyone the cold reality that “perfect justice does not exist, every choice comes with a price, and no one truly wins.” To save Lorath’s soul, The Wanderer paid the utterly absurd price of destroying an entity that could be considered a mediator of the world. (Systemically, there is a meta-feature where endgame Whisper quests continue through “branches” in other locations even after the burning, but narratively, it is a dramatic turning point where the main body of the giant tree is incinerated.)

Running through this is an extremely fierce existentialist philosophy of not subordinating oneself to the system, but carving out ethics and destiny with one’s own hands. By their own will, The Wanderer bore the sin of altering the very laws of the world.

6. The Fulfillment of Rathma’s Prophecy and the Silence of the Absolute

The fulfillment of “Rathma’s Prophecy” in the final stages of the story and the return of Tyrael are indispensable elements in foretelling the future fate of Sanctuary.

6.1 [Fact] The Full Picture of the Prophecy and Tyrael’s Confession

The full text of Rathma’s Prophecy in the game is as follows:

“I saw a serpent coiled in the flames of the Eternal Conflict… I saw my corpse, and from my mouth crawled Hatred… I saw the weak made strong… Tears of blood rained on a desert jewel… and the way to Hell was torn asunder… A spear of light piercing Hatred’s heart, and he who was bound in chains was set free… A sage with seven arms… a mist of lies… a plague of every name… I saw a child give birth to a mother, I saw the sun of Hatred set, and the suns of Terror and Destruction rise.”

Once, Inarius blindly believed that the “spear of light” referred to himself, invaded Hell, and met a gruesome death. However, at the conclusion of Lord of Hatred, Mephisto (the heart of Hatred) is banished to The Void, resulting in the situation where “the sun of Hatred set,” just as prophesied.

And in the ending, Tyrael, the embodiment of justice who was once an archangel but became a mortal man for the sake of humanity, appears before The Wanderer in an aged form. Tyrael says: “Once an angel now a mortal man… I’m afraid the years slipped away from me until one morning a bird landed at my feet. It brought a message from someone called Nel. She warned that Mephisto was coming to Skovos…” (Once an angel, now a mortal man… It seems the years slipped away from me until one morning a bird landed at my feet. The bird brought a message from someone called Nel. That Mephisto was heading to Skovos…)

Then, after expressing concern for the whereabouts of Neyrelle and Lorath, Tyrael quietly declares: “I see. It is past time I did mine. [My duty is done.]” (I see. The time for what I must do has passed. My duty is done.)

6.2 Speculation Based on Philosophical and Circumstantial Evidence: The Exit of the Gods and the Wilderness of Freedom

This conclusion is a grand finale, yet simultaneously foreshadows the beginning of an even greater despair. Because “the sun of Hatred set,” the historical inevitability for the remaining two Prime Evils, namely “Diablo (Terror)” and “Baal (Destruction),” to rise to power has been established.

Even more important are Tyrael’s words, “My duty is done.” Lorath is dead, Neyrelle has disappeared, Lilith has vanished, and finally, Tyrael, humanity’s greatest remaining protector, has stepped back from the front lines. This signifies that guidance from the High Heavens (gods) and protection from predecessors like the Horadrim have been completely lost. As the existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre expressed, “Man is condemned to be free,” The Wanderer and humanity have been cast out into a “wilderness of freedom” where no absolute being exists to rely upon. They must face the overwhelming terror of the approaching Diablo and Baal entirely on their own power.

The gods are silent, and the prophecies foretelling fate have been consumed. The future history of humanity will not be a script written by someone else, but will be woven solely by the blood-and-mud-smeared “choices” of The Wanderer themselves.

Conclusion: Those Who Stand Beyond Good and Evil

Diablo IV, and its culmination Lord of Hatred, through its profound narrative, has completely dismantled the classical dualistic conflict of light and dark, fully depicting the existential themes that lie “beyond good and evil.”

Angels and demons are equally unreasonable calamities for humanity, and absolute justice does not exist there. The un-demon-like love and self-sacrifice Lilith showed at the brink of death, the sinful karma borne by the Warlocks and Paladins, and the reckless act of burning the Tree of Whispers that promises eternal agony. All of these demonstrate that no matter how cruel and desperate the world may be, humans retain the freedom and dignity to “choose their own actions and bear their heavy consequences.”

The sky over Skovos, having repelled Hatred (Mephisto), is now quieter than ever. However, that silence does not mean the arrival of peace. It is nothing less than the beginning of a ruthless freedom, to face the next primordial chaos of Terror and Destruction alone, having lost all protectors and guides. The next step The Wanderer takes will be a truly existential and solitary “choice,” unbound by any divine prophecy or demonic machination. Humanity now stands on the edge of the abyss, on its own two feet.