Paladin Class and Builds in Diablo 2

This is our current offering of Paladin builds:

• Avenger Paladin Build
• Hammerdin (Blessed Hammer) Paladin Build
• Smiter Paladin Build
• Zealot Paladin Build
• Dream Zealot Paladin Build

To level up as fast as possible, please refer to our Paladin Fastest Leveling Build.

Looking for the best Barbarian Builds in Diablo 4? Follow the link below for more information!

Natural leader. Champion of the light. Smiter of evil. Many words characterise the Paladin, and all revolve around that which represents justice and holiness. Often seen wielding his iconic class-exclusive shield, the Paladin shines the brightest while surrounded by enemies, where he may best dish out heavenly retribution personally.

The Paladin Combat Skills tree is dedicated to swinging the light in the most literal sense, whether through celestial spells with a particular prejudice toward the undead or holy implements of war brandished with divine strength and speed.

The Offensive and Defensive Auras trees allow the Paladin to provide a wide array of auras that grant nearby allies damage, healing, speed, protection against the elements, or whatever the current situation might call for. For this, Paladin will forever be a welcome addition to any party.

As it stands, the Hammerdin is widely recognised as one of the most powerful builds in Diablo 2 due to its high magic damage output that is rarely resisted by monsters.

The Smiter is also notable for its ability to take on the hardest bosses in the game with very little gear.

Other Paladin builds such as the Zealot and its variants (Dream and Holy Freeze) as well as the Avenger are also solid choice, but require better gear on average to shine.

Absolutely. In addition to being generally powerful, the Paladin can be built around a single skill and a passive aura that does not have to be managed once activated. This makes the class one of the better ones for newer players.

This depends entirely on your build of choice. The popular Herald of Zakarum (often abreviated as HoZ) may be worth noting for its versatility however; most if not all builds will benefit in some way from the shield's massive bonus to many useful stats, including skill level, chance to block, primary attributes, and resistances.

Players familiar with the Crusader in Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls will find many a thematic and mechanical similarity with the Paladin in Diablo 2.

The Paladin, of course! Despite being a very different game, World of Warcraft drew much of its inspiration for the design of its Paladin class from Diablo 2. To this day, many talents and abilities, such as Zeal, Holy Shield, and Blessed Hammer are direct references to their eponymous counterparts in Diablo 2.