THE LORD OF LIES AWAKENS: UNDERSTANDING BELIAL’S HISTORY IN DIABLO
“Belial, Lord of Lies, is the most elusive of the seven Evils and is a master of deceit. It is said that he manipulated Azmodan into revolt against the Prime Evils. This began the Burning Hell’s civil war, which ended with the Dark Exile of the Prime Evils to our mortal realm.”
— Deckard Cain
Though counted among the Lesser Evils of the Burning Hells, it would be a grave mistake to underestimate the cunning and manipulative power of Belial. As the very embodiment of deceit, Belial has spent an eternity crafting an intricate web of lies that stretches across both the mortal and infernal realms. He rules over the Realm of Lies in the Burning Hells, a place where truth and reality are distorted.
Like all the Great Evils, The Lord of Lies originated from one of the seven heads of the primordial beast, Tathamet, rivals even Mephisto in his powers of deception. However, Belial’s insatiable hunger for more power eventually led him to grow disillusioned with the Prime Evils. Their seeming abandonment of the Eternal Conflict in favour of obsessing over humanity infuriated Belial, leading him to forge a pact with Azmodan, Andariel, and Duriel to incite a rebellion against the Prime Evils.
Together, their combined armies waged a brutal civil war that ultimately resulted in the exile of the Prime Evils from the Burning Hells. From here, accounts diverge. Some scholars suggest that a bitter rivalry between Belial and Azmodan erupted, with both vying for control over the Burning Hells. Others believe their partnership remained intact, with the two plotting together to dominate all of Creation.
Regardless of the details, Belial and Azmodan emerged as the dominant forces in the wake of Prime Evils defeat. The duo’s ambitions turned to conquering Sanctuary, and Belial made his move in Diablo III. Disguised as Kehjistan’s child Emperor Hakkan II, he orchestrated a masterful scheme to destroy the empire from within, sowing fear, corruption, and manipulation among the population. It was only when the heroes uncovered his monstrous deception that Belial was finally defeated and imprisoned in the Black Soulstone alongside the other Prime and Lesser Evils.
After the eventual destruction of the Black Soulstone, Belial and the other Great Evils were freed from their prison. Now, with the fall of Lilith and Mephisto masquerading as the prophet Akarat, Belial sees an opportunity. He believes the time has come to seize control of Sanctuary and twist it into an extension of his own Realm of Lies.
Cunning, devious, and cruel, Belial is driven by an unyielding desire to dominate reality. His influence over both Hell and Sanctuary remains undeniable, and his manipulative schemes have only grown more dangerous over time. Though half a century has passed since he last walked among mortals, his ambition has only deepened. As the threads of deception continue to unravel, Belial’s machinations to twist reality and sow chaos are about to reach their terrifying peak.
Unveil Belial’s malevolent schemes and trickery from April 29th as a part of Diablo’s latest season, Season of Belial’s Return.
See you in Sanctuary.
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