In Diablo 4, mercenaries are companions that help you in exploration and combat. They are NPCs that can be recruited, and each of them comes with a powerful set of skills to aid you on the battlefield. On top of that, each mercenary has an interesting backstory that will unfold as you journey together.
How to Unlock Mercenaries
Mercenaries are introduced through the Vessel of Hatred expansion. You will meet your first companion, Raheir, the Shieldbearer, during the main campaign questline. As you progress, you will unlock additional mercenaries by completing specific quests given by each one.
Types of Mercenaries
There are 4 mercenaries you can recruit, each with different abilities and playstyles:
- Raheir, the Shieldbearer: A defensive tank born on the streets of Gea Kul and trained by the Iron Wolves. Raheir is good at absorbing damage and protecting you from harm with his shield.
- Varyana, the Berserker Crone: Once a cannibal from a dark tribe, Varyana grows stronger with every enemy you kill, feeding off the massacre to boost her power. Her skills are brutal and melee-focused.
- Subo, the Drunken Archer: A fallen hero turned bounty hunter, Subo specializes in ranged combat and traps. He marks enemies during the fight, rewarding you with reduced ability cooldowns for eliminating his targets.
- Aldkin, the Cursed Child: Half-demon, half-human, Aldkin is a powerful caster who shapeshifts into a demon during combat. His magical abilities make him a great support companion.
Each mercenary complements different playstyles, offering a mix of utility, crowd control, and damage.
How to Hire and Equip Mercenaries
You can hire two mercenaries at once – one as your primary mercenary, and another as a reinforcement.
- Primary Mercenary: This mercenary will always fight by your side, offering a full set of abilities and their own skill tree for you to develop.
- Reinforcement: A secondary mercenary that joins combat briefly, triggered by specific actions in battle. Reinforcements activate a unique skill that can be linked to one of your own, for example, when you are affected by crowd control or when you use a specific skill. You can set up this specific trigger in the Mercenaries window as an “Opportunity“.
Keep in mind that you must choose a different mercenary for each role. After you unlock more mercenaries beyond Raheir, you will be able to equip one in both slots.
How to Build Rapport
Fighting alongside your mercenaries builds Rapport, a measure of trust between you and your companion. The more Rapport you earn, the more skill points you can invest in their skill trees to unlock new abilities and perks.
You can build Rapport through:
- Recruiting a mercenary
- Hiring them as a primary or reinforcement
- Completing mercenary-related events across Sanctuary
There are 10 levels of Rapport to earn with each mercenary, and the progression is realm-wide (eternal, seasonal, and hardcore). It will reset for every season. After maxing out their level, you can continue gaining Rapport to earn additional Pale Marks, a currency used for bartering in the Den, the mercenary hideout.
Below you can find the rewards for each Rapport level as they differentiate from one mercenary to the other:
| Rapport Level | Raheir | Varyana | Subo | Aldkin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | +1 Skill Point | +1 Skill Point | +1 Skill Point | +1 Skill Point |
| 5 | Defensive Aspects 100  Pale Mark | Mobility Aspects 100 Pale Mark | Utility Aspects 100 Pale Mark | Resource Aspects 100 Pale Mark |
| 6 | Raheir Cache (Contains Legendary Armor and Gold) 100 Pale Mark | Varyana Cache (Contains Legendary Weapons and Gold) 100 Pale Mark | Subo Cache (Contains Legendary Amulets and Gold) 100 Pale Mark | Aldkin Cache (Contains Legendary Rings and Gold) 100 Pale Mark |
| 7 | Raheir Masterworking Cache (Contains Masterworking Materials and Legendary Armor) 150 Pale Mark | Varyana Masterworking Cache (Contains Masterworking Materials and Legendary Weapons) 150 Pale Mark | Subo Masterworking Cache (Contains Masterworking Materials and Legendary Amulets) 150 Pale Mark | Aldkin Masterworking Cache (Contains Masterworking Materials and Legendary Rings) 150 Pale Mark |
| 8 | Crafting (An additional Legendary item will be offered when Bartering, with a chance of it being a cache of valuable crafting materials.) 150 Pale Mark | Masterworking (An additional Legendary item will be offered when Bartering, with a chance of it being a cache of masterworking materials and obols.) 150 Pale Mark | Boss Summoning (An additional Legendary item will be offered when Bartering, with a chance of it being a cache of boss summoning materials.) 150 Pale Mark | Augmentations (An additional Legendary item will be offered when Bartering, with a chance of it being a cache of Scattered Prisms, Gem Fragments and Runes.) 150 Pale Mark |
| 9 | Living Steel Cache (incl. Legendary Armor) 200 Pale Mark | Malignant Heart Cache (incl. Legendary Weapons) 200 Pale Mark | Exquisit Blood Cache (incl. Legendary Amulets) 200 Pale Mark | Distilled Fear Cache (incl. Legendary Rings) 200 Pale Mark |
| 10 | Grand Raheir Cache (Contains Gold, Gem Fragments, Scattered Prisms, and Legendary Armor) 200 Pale Mark | Grand Varyana Cache (Contains Gold, Gem Fragments, Scattered Prisms, and Legendary Weapons) 200 Pale Mark | Grand Subo Cache (Contains Gold, Gem Fragments, Scattered Prisms, and Legendary Amulets) 200 Pale Mark | Grand Aldkin Cache (Contains Gold, Gem Fragments, Scattered Prisms, and Legendary Rings) 200 Pale Mark |
Pale Marks and Bartering
As you build Rapport, you accumulate Pale Marks, a currency used to purchase Trade Agreements and barter for items within the Den. Reaching higher Rapport levels unlocks better items for trade. Bartering becomes available once you reach Rank 5 Rapport with any mercenary.
The vendor has a variety of Legendaries available for purchase with Pale Marks. You can also use the Restock Supply button to refresh the items. However, be mindful that refreshing costs Pale Marks, so keep an eye on your currency. The list of items will also improve as you gain more Rapport with your mercenaries.
Skill Trees and Abilities
Each mercenary has a unique skill tree you can develop over time and allows you to further customize your playstyle by complementing your skills with theirs.
Each skill tree has two branches that represent distinct playstyles. Each branch can activate two abilities and two passives.
Raheir Skill Tree
Raheir uses his shield to absorb damage and protect you, with the ability to draw aggro and perform powerful Shield Throws.
Mercenary Perk: 
Valiance
He has two different playstyles:
Tower Shield skills, which are meant for close combat.
Core Skill: 
Shield Charge
Core Passives: 
Raheir’s Guard or 
Vanguard
Iconic Skills: 
Provoke or 
Crater
Iconic Passives: 
Mocking Lure or 
Iron Wolf’s Ward, 
Iron Wolf’s Call or 
Sundering Shield
Round Shield abilities, making him more of a Holy Protector.
Core Skill: 
Ground Slam
Core Passives: 
Raheir’s Aegis or 
Draw Fire
Iconic Skills: Bastion or 
Shield Throw
Iconic Passives: 
Inspiration or 
Iron Wolf’s Virtue, 
Iron Wolf’s Arrival or 
Consecrated Shield
Varyana Skill Tree
Varyana grows stronger with each kill, and her Massacre meter rewards you for maintaining kill streaks.
Mercenary Perk: 
Massacre
Her skill tree is split in two branches:
Dual Wield Axes abilities with stronger cleaves.
Core Skill: 
Cleave
Core Passives: 
Hysteria or 
Recklessness
Iconic Skills: 
Bloodthirst or Whirlwind
Iconic Passives: 
Intimidated or 
Bloodlust, 
No Escape or 
Taste of Flesh
Large Mace skills with heavy slams.
Core Skill: 
Shockwave
Core Passives: 
Crushing Force or 
Reprisal
Iconic Skills: 
Earth Breaker or 
Ancient Harpoons
Iconic Passives: 
Rampage or 
Dismembering, 
Annihilator or 
Iron Grip
Subo Skill Tree
Subo specializes in ranged attacks and traps, marking targets for quick kills and offering combat buffs in return.
Mercenary Perk: 
Seeker
He has two different playstyles:
Long Bow skills, as he centers around precision kills and traps.
Core Skill: 
Wire Trap
Core Passives: 
Piercing Arrows or 
Ready At Hand
Iconic Skills: 
Cover Fire or 
Trip Mines
Iconic Passives: 
Pin Cushion or 
Opening Fire, 
Loaded Munitions or 
Mastermind
Crossbow abilities with heavy bolts and explosives.
Core Skill: 
Molotov
Core Passives: 
Scorched Earth or 
Share a Drink
Iconic Skills: 
Snipe or 
Explosive Charge
Iconic Passives: 
Incendiary Bolt or 
Ambusher, 
Thrillseeker or 
Bargaining Chips
Aldkin Skill Tree
Aldkin shapeshifts into a demon, providing powerful magical support.
Mercenary Perk: 
Blasphemous Fate
He can shift into two demons using different magic:
Shadow Magic, allowing him to haunt the souls of his enemies.
Core Skill: 
Haunt
Core Passives: 
Terrify or 
Exhaustion
Iconic Skills: 
Field of Languish or 
Chain of Souls
Iconic Passives: 
Paranoia or 
Condemned, 
Amplified Suffering or 
Shared Pain
Fire Magic, enabling him to make his enemies burn and suffer.
Core Skill: 
Flame Surge
Core Passives: 
Covered in Ash or 
Raging Violence
Iconic Skills: 
Storm of Fire or 
Wave of Flame
Iconic Passives: 
Eradication or 
Ember’s Gift, 
Burning Chaos or 
Raging Havoc
Mercenary Death and Revival
Mercenaries can die in battle, temporarily disabling their skills and abilities. If this happens, you can revive them manually, similar to how you would revive another player, or wait for them to recover on their own. Reviving them quickly can be important in tough battles where their powers provide essential support.
Mercenaries bring utility, crowd control, and complement your builds. Pair a defensive mercenary like Raheir with a high-damage ally like Varyana for balanced combat, or use Aldkin’s magic to improve your own abilities. The options are wide, offering different strategies to overcome any challenge.
