Page last updated: 12 January 2022 20:53

All Diablo Cinematics Timeline

These are all the Diablo cinematics sorted by timeline

Diablo I Opening Cinematic

This chapter of the Diablo saga is known as the "The Darkening of Thristram" and marks the begining of the Diablo game series. More than two centuries have passed since anyone had heard of the Prime Evils until the Khanduran king Leoric chose Tristram for his kindgodm. Nobody knew that beneath the city, Diablo the Lord of Terror was imprisoned and his prison was weakening.

Diablo I Ending Cinematic

After venturing into the Tristram cathedral and to the very depths of hell - Aidan (the warrior character) managed to defeat the Lord of Terror. But what he does next only seals his fate.

Diablo II Opening Cinematic

Diablo, the Lord of Terror, has fallen to the brave hero prince Aidan beneath the church of Tristram. Now that hero is gone, replaced by a Dark Wanderer who roams the world of Sanctuary leaving death and destruction in his wake.

In Diablo II, the narrative of the gameplay and cinematics is pretty interesting. The cinematic starts with Marius who acompanied the Dark Wanderer throughout his journey in Diablo II. Now aged and rotting in a mental asylum, he is visited by a stranger who Marius mistakes for the archangel Tyrael and starts telling him the story of what his journey with the Dark Wanderer was like. So all the cinematics are being told by Marius to the stranger, thinking he is Tyrael.

The cinematic starts with the Dark Wanderer showing up at a tavern, unleashing hell but having Marius follow him out of the tavern.

Diablo II - Act II Cinematic

After dealing with Andariel we understand that the Dark Wanderer, Baal and Marius have left and began their desert journey to Lut Gholein where the tomb of Tal Rasha is. Marius is having a dream of how the archangel Tyrael has imprisoned Tal Rasha himself into the Tomb of Tal Rasha. Their journey end goal is not yet known.

Diablo II - Act III Cinematic

After the heroes enter the Tal Rasha tomb only to find Duriel guarding the tomb and Tyrael imprisoned instead of Tal Rasha, we find out what actually happened.

The Dark Wanderer's goal was to release his brother Baal who in fact was imprisoned in the body of the great Tal Rasha who sacrificed himself in order to try and contain Baal's soulstone plunged into his chest. The cinematic shows us how Aidan entered the tomb but was greeted by Tyrael. They fought and amidst the fighting, Marius sneaked in and released Baal from the prison believing that he helped the mage Tal Rasha. Baal and Aidan overpowered Tyrael and locked him down into the tomb and placed Duriel to guard him from escpaing. Tyrael, angry with Marius of what he has done, sends him to follow the Dark Wanderer and Baal

Diablo II - Act IV Cinematic

We find Mephisto and a summoned portal to Hell. Once we defeat Mephisto and enter the portal we realise what we just missed.

Marius has followed Baal and the Dark Wanderer to Kurast and to the Temple of Hate where they reunite with their brother Mephisto. Together they perform a ritual in which Diablo takes full form and the Dark Wanderer is no more. They also open a portal to Hell which Diablo takes while the others stay behind while Mephisto stays behind to push the heroes away from entering the portal. Not much is known where Baal went after that ritual. Marius still holds the soulstone of Baal after he took it out of his chest.

Diablo II - Act IV Epilogue

After the heroes defeat Diablo, we are revealed what happened with Marius. Marius would not dare to follow Diablo into the Hell portal, instead he would then run away and being consumed with madness and from what he has endured is locked into a mental asylum. He is visited by a dark wanderer-like figure who Marius mistakes for being the archangel Tyrael. Believing that this is indeed Tyrael, Marius delivers him the Baal soulstone who he kept with himself all along. After giving the soulstone to the dark figure, he reveals that he is not the archangel Tyrael and Marius realizes that he has given the soulstone to Baal.

Diablo II - Lord of Destruction Intro

The video shows us how Baal is laying a siege on Mount Arreat where the Worldstone is. Baal's end goal is to get to the Worldstone and corrupt it so Sanctuary is no longer hidden from the forces of Heaven and Hell. Baal in this cinematic is in his true form after retrieving his soulstone from Marius.

Diablo II - Lord of Destruction Epilogue

When the heroes engage Baal in the Worldstone chamber, Baal has already corruped the Worldstone. Tyrael decides to destroy the Worldstone in an attempt to stop the corruption.

Diablo Immortal - Opening Cinematic

The story of Diablo Immortal is set between the events of Diablo® II: Lord of Destruction® and Diablo® III®. The Worldstone lies shattered, yet great power remains within its corrupted fragments. Power that Diablo’s minions hope to harness to bring about the return of the Lord of Terror. The Archangel Tyrael is presumed dead, and mankind is left to deal with the aftermath of his actions. Fragments of the corrupted Worldstone taint the land, bringing forth ancient evils who are looking to harvest the stone’s power and use it to control humanity.

Diablo III - Teaser

Teaser of Diablo III shown in 2010

Diablo III - Opening Cinematic

Diablo III takes place 20 years after the destruction of the Worldstone by Tyrael. Tristram is rebuilt near the location of the old Tristram and all has been well until something fell from the skies which caused the dead to rise. Deckard Cain and his ward Leah had been researching the prophecy of the end of days for the last 13 years and together with Leah they witnessed the Falling Star coming down from the sky. It hit the cathedral, blasting Cain into the depths of the structure.

Diablo III - Tyrael's Fall Cinematic

After venturing into the new cathedral and finding out that King Leoric has risen once again, heroes venture even further into the pits only to find that the Fallen Star was no other but the archangel Tyrael in a strange human form and with no memory. The witch Maghda then kills Deckard Cain to the horror of everyone. During the burial of Cain, Leah confronts Tyrael about sacrifice to which he presnets her with a vision of what actually caused him to Fall.

Diablo III - Black Soulstone Cinematic

After the fall of Belial, Leah is in possession of the Black Soulstone. The Black Soulstone was an artifact of incredible power created by the renegade Horadrim known as Zoltun Kulle. Unlike the other Soulstones, the Black Soulstone was intended to hold the souls of many beings, angels and demons alike, and in particular was capable of trapping all seven of the Great Evils. At that point 6 of the 7 Great Evils are trapped into the Black Soulstone. Leah, trying to figure out what the last remaining Great Evil will do next is being presented with a vision from Azmodan himself, the last of the Great Evils, telling her that he will attack Mount Arreat and will take the Black Soulstone for himself in attempt to combine all seven Great Evils into a single all-powerful Prime Evil.

Diablo III - Imperius vs Diablo

After the defeat of Azmodan, the Black Soulstone was used to contain his soul too, making the Black Soulstone holding all Seven Great Evils - Andariel, Duriel, Belial and Azmodan and Diablo, Mephisto and Baal. Soon, however, Adria (Leah's mother) showed her true colors and allegiance: Leah had been bred as a vessel for Diablo, and the essences within the Stone were channeled into her, giving rise to a new form of Diablo, combining all seven essences into a singular Prime Evil. This is evident from the sheer power of Diablo, who easily defeats Imerpius and enters the Silver Gate of the Silver City for the first time in history.

Diablo III - Epilogue

Despite the power of the newly reborn Diablo, the Nephalem (the heroes) were able to defeat Diablo. As his body fell from Heaven and disintegrated, the Black Soulstone was seen falling through the clouds below.

Diablo III - Reaper of Souls Opening Cinematic

With the aid of the Horadrim, Tyrael intended that the Black Soulstone was to be placed in the Tomb of Rakkis. While the Black Soulstone was being put into place, Malthael revealed himself, having taken on the Aspect of Death. The Horadrim were killed and Tyrael was incapacitated, leaving Malthael free to take the Black Soulstone for himself.

Becuase Nephalem (the humans) are essentially half angels half demons because of their origins coming from the unholy relationship between Lilith (the daughter of Mephisto) and Inarius (an Archangel), Malthael's goal was to use the Black Soulstone to destroy the demonic essences of every Nephalem or creature of Sanctuary, thus destroying the Nephalem as a whole.

Diablo III - Reaper of Souls Epilogue

After the Nephalem destroys Malthael, Tyrael is concerned of the mortal nature of the Nephalem in combination with their incredible power.

Diablo IV - Announce Cinematic | By Three They Come

Diablo IV takes place many years after the events of Diablo III, after millions have been slaughtered by the actions of the High Heavens and Burning Hells alike.

We are shown how a group of tomb riders together with a scholar are trying to enter an unknown tomb in order to find treasures. Instead they find horrible death and participate in a summoning ritual of no other but the Creatore of Sanctuary and Daughter of Hatred - Lilith. "By three they come" meaning that the summoning ritual required the blood of 3 people at once to complete.

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