Diablo 4 Season 9 leveling tier list: Best classes and builds

Leveling up efficiently in Diablo 4 Season 9 is key to unlocking endgame features like new Nightmare Dungeons, the Seasonal Mechanic, and higher World Tiers faster. Whether you're a returning veteran or a newcomer jumping into the game, choosing the right class and build can significantly affect how fast and smoothly your journey to level 60 will be.

In this comprehensive Diablo 4 Season 9 leveling tier list, we break down the top-performing classes and builds based on early power, survivability, AoE capability, ease of use, and how well they scale without relying heavily on gear. This is particularly helpful for solo players or those who prefer minimal grinding.

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Diablo 4 Season 9 class & build leveling tier table

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Best leveling classes in Diablo 4 Season 9

Whether you're a returning veteran or a newcomer jumping into the game, choosing the right class and build can significantly affect your gameplay (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

S-tier classes

1) Necromancer

Necromancers dominate the early game thanks to their minion-based builds, particularly when using Bone Splinters and Corpse Explosion.

The ability to summon skeletons as front-liners allows for safe gameplay, while Blood Surge and Blight provide excellent AoE and sustainability. These builds require little gear to be effective, making the Necromancer one of the best options for fast, smooth progression in the early stages of Diablo 4.

Also read: Diablo 4 Season 9: 5 Easiest builds to try for first-time players

2) Siritborn

In Season 9, Spiritborn classes are leveling monsters. Builds like Quill Volley and Stinger deliver exceptional burst damage, range, and mobility. Their kits are usually highly adaptable, offering tools for crowd control and sustainability from the moment you unlock your first core skill. Spirit Guardian buffs add yet another layer of passive strength that scales without needing a lot of high-end equipment.

3) Rogue

Rogues are fast, lethal, and stupendously flexible. Twisting Blades and Flurry offer powerful single-target damage, while Barrage gives excellent ranged AoE. These builds come online early, synergize well with low-level aspects, and provide top-tier mobility through Dash and Shadow Step. This is perfect for players who enjoy a dynamic and skillful playstyle while dealing significant damage to enemies.

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A-tier classes

1) Barbarian

While not quite as fast as the S-tier options, Barbarians are still reliable powerhouses. Upheaval delivers huge AoE bursts with strong synergy from early skills like Rallying Cry. Builds like Double Swing and HotA (Hammer of the Ancients) offer strong bossing potential. Their survivability and damage scaling through Weapon Expertise make them dependable, albeit a bit slower.

2) Sorcerer

Sorcerers excel in clearing trash mobs with Chain Lightning or Fireball, while Incinerate and Firewall offer sustained damage and area control. However, mana constraints can significantly hinder their early-game efficiency. If you enjoy a spell-heavy playstyle and don’t mind some micromanagement early on, Sorcerers provide a high skill ceiling and flashy gameplay.

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B-tier Class

1) Druid

Druids are the slow burners of Diablo 4. While builds like Pulverize and Shred are promising, they suffer early from sluggish Spirit generation and cooldown-heavy shapeshifting mechanics. Companion-based and Earth skills like Landslide show some promise, but typically don’t hit their stride until you unlock key Legendary Aspects.

Still, once geared properly, Druids offer exceptional tankiness and AoE potential.

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Best leveling builds in Diablo 4 Season 9

Necromancers, Spiritborn, and Rogues lead the way with easy-to-use, gear-independent builds that dominate early in the game (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

S-tier builds

• Minion Summoner Necromancer: Let your minions do the dirty work while you clean up with Corpse Explosion. Safe, powerful, and ideal for casual players.
• Blood Surge Necromancer: Press one button, clear a room. This build offers incredible AoE damage while also healing you.
• Upheaval Barbarian: Packs a punch with every swing. High crit potential and good AoE make it a top pick among melee builds.
• Dance of Knives Rogue: Speedy and lethal, this melee build slices through packs with Poison and Shadow synergy.
• Barrage Rogue: Excellent ranged option with wide AoE and dependable damage output.
• Chain Lightning Sorcerer: Ideal for new players — high bounce damage, auto-targeting, and low maintenance.
• Incinerate Sorcerer: Fire a continuous beam to melt foes. Great for dungeon runs and bosses.
• Firewall Sorcerer: Place-and-forget fire zones make it easy to manage mobs in a controlled space.
• Quill Volley Spiritborn: Fires a barrage of projectiles at rapid speed. Excellent mobility and scaling capability.
• Stinger Spiritborn: Close-range assassin with deadly burst, especially effective with Spirit Guardian boosts.

Also read: 5 best Rogue builds to try in Diablo 4 Season 9

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A-tier builds

• HotA Barbarian (Hammer of the Ancients): Devastating burst on elites, but lacks the AoE consistency of top-tier builds.
• Double Swing Barbarian: Good cleave potential and flexible movement, hindered only by Fury dependency.
• Pulverize Druid: High damage and defense potential, but Spirit generation issues delay momentum.
• Landslide Druid: Bursty and satisfying, but requires support gear to shine.
• Sever Necromancer: Strong on bosses and linear progression, but lacks wide-range damage early.
• Dual Core Rogue (Rapid Fire + Flurry): Excellent hybrid for both bosses and mobs. Gear and synergy needed to thrive.
• Twisting Blades Rogue: A staple in Rogue meta, with a good balance between AoE and boss melting.
• Arc Lash Sorcerer: Very active build that rewards fast reflexes. Great AoE and pacing.
• Blizzard Sorcerer: Offers great crowd control, but struggles with AoE damage unless well-placed.
• Crushing Hand Spiritborn: Melee-heavy, control-focused build, ideal for tank-style players.
• Rake Spiritborn: Bleed-focused sustained DPS, requires precision and timing.

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B-tier builds

• Rend Barbarian: Potentially great with Legendary Aspects, but struggles early on.
• Shred Druid: Great on paper, but suffers from early inconsistency and resource drain.
• Companion Druid: Pet-based build that underdelivers early due to weak damage scaling.
• Fireball Sorcerer: Too mana-dependent to compete with other Sorcerer options early on.
• Penetrating Shot Rogue: Strong bossing but underwhelming in crowd scenarios.

Also read: 5 best Barbarian builds to try in Diablo 4 Season 9

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In Diablo 4 Season 9, leveling efficiency hinges on smart class and build selection. Necromancers, Spiritborn, and Rogues lead the way with easy-to-use, gear-independent builds that dominate from level 1 onward. While other classes like Barbarians and Sorcerers still provide strong options, they may require more strategy, gear support, or patience.

Whether you're aiming to reach endgame content as quickly as possible or simply want a fun and fluid leveling experience, the builds listed above will guide you toward a smoother Season 9 journey. As always, your playstyle and enjoyment matter most — so choose the class that fits your preferences and let the carnage begin.

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Check out our other guides:

• Diablo 4 Season 9: Are the new Nightmare Dungeon affixes enough to make them worthwhile?
• Diablo 4: How to get Hail of Verglas and its Unique Effects
• 5 best low-APM lazy builds to chill in Diablo 4
• Diablo 4: Mighty Throw Barbarian endgame build guide
• Diablo 4 Season 8: 7 Best Rogue Uniques to build around
• Diablo 4: Best Companion Druid endgame build guide
• How to get and use Betrayer’s Husk in Season 8

Edited by Dinesh Renthlei