Once you enter the region of Nahantu in Diablo 4 you’ll start hearing the name Akarat a lot, but who is this figure in Vessel of Hatred?
There are many religions and cultures in the world of Sanctuary and once you enter Nahantu it’ll soon become apparent that Akarat is an important deity to those who dwell in the lands of the Spiritborn and Witch Doctors.
While we won’t delve into the complete history of Akarat here, we will give you a quick primer on who this being is and why he’s important in the Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred DLC.
Who is Akarat?
You may have heard Akarat’s name many times in the Diablo series, but you’ll hear it in increasing frequency around Nahantu, and that’s because he’s intrinsic to the indigenous people’s culture. Akarat is a messianic figure in Nahantu and the source of a special light that keeps the forces of Hell at bay.
In the Diablo games, he’s a godlike entity that lives in the Spirit Realm and hears the prayers of his people who invoke him when they need guidance or protection. In life, Akarat came to Nahantu to learn about the homeland of his mother and ended up fulfilling an ancient prophecy when his powers of light developed.
Akarat would be visited by the Angel Yaerius who’d lend him some of Heaven’s Light to protect Sanctuary from the forces of Hell. As a result, Akarat founded the religion known as the Zakarum, from which the Cathedral of Light would eventually emerge as a spin-off denomination, dedicated to Inarius.
After learning of the land’s culture, the Spirit World, and the prophecy that predicted his arrival, Akarat would soon go to battle with Mephisto, the Lord of Hatred, who had been tasked by his brother Diablo to bring the land to heel. He would defeat Mephisto and the Prime Evil would be imprisoned beneath the temple of Travincal, near the city of Kurast.
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Akarat would then become a spiritual leader in Nahantu until his death, leaving various contingencies in place in case Mephisto ever escaped his prison. After dying of old age, Akarat would simply ascend to the Spirit Realm where he’d continue to guide and protect his people for thousands of years.
Akarat in the Diablo games
In Diablo 2, Diablo and Baal would release Mephisto and instruct him to attack Nahantu to distract the heroes that were pursuing the Prime Evils. Mephisto would do as his older brother commanded and would once again try to corrupt the land that resisted him once before.
The Diablo 2 heroes would eventually defeat Mephisto, seemingly ending his threat to the region. Certain artifacts would be used in the game to protect Kurast, these would later be connected to Akarat and his light in Diablo 4, as would the Paladin order.
When Mephisto returns to Nahantu in Diablo 4 (while still trapped in a soul stone in Neyrelle’s possession) he begins corrupting the land again. This time, Akarat takes a more active role in defending his land, taking on the appearance of a powerful golden lion and aiding Neyrelle and the Wanderer in defeating Mephisto.
There are various parallels between Akarat in Diablo and religious figures in our own world, with Akarat being a riff on the stories of Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, and Guru Nanak. If you want to know what becomes of Akarat in Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred, then check out our ending explainer.
