A few days ago, this simple question on Reddit ended up starting a big nostalgia debate:
Who is the best summoner the Diablo series ever had?
Players compared every pet class across the series, from skeleton armies to exploding chickens, and the answers ended up surprisingly consistent.
The Community Favorite: Diablo 2 Necromancer
Even after all these years, it appears that most players still see the Diablo 2 Necromancer as the “real” summoner.
The reason for this is simple. You did not control a companion – you commanded an army.
Skeletons, mages, revives, curses, golems. You filled the screen with minions and let chaos happen. A lot of the players who commented under the post said that this was their first real pet build in any ARPG, and nothing since has fully replaced that feeling.
It may not be the most complex version anymore, but it is still the one people picture when they think “Diablo summoner”.
The Most Fun: Witch Doctor
If Necromancer wins the fantasy category, the Diablo 3 Witch Doctor wins pure gameplay enjoyment.
Players kept bringing up the same things again and again:
- jars of spiders
- zombie bears
- exploding chickens
- swarms of fetishes everywhere
For many, it was the most creative class Blizzard ever made. And although it felt too goofy for a portion of the Diablo 3 playerbase, a lot of them loved exactly that contrast. Either way, people still talk about it more than a decade later.
Modern Summoners and the Warlock
Later Necromancers in Diablo 3 and Diablo 4 were seen as powerful, but different.
Minions survive better, and builds had an overall nicer flow, yet players miss the massive armies.
The new Warlock caused quite a discussion as well. It seems that, instead of commanding a swarm, you fight with a small group of powerful demons that act more like elite companions. Effective, but a very different fantasy.
Druids (from Diablo 2, as well as Diablo 4) also got some appreciation, but most players agreed that their pets feel secondary to shapeshifting. Their minions are mostly seen as added support to various builds, rather than a full summoner playstyle.
The Pattern
No matter how you turn it, the discussion kept circling back to one idea: Players associate summoners with numbers. Large armies leave a stronger impression than a handful of powerful companions, even if the modern versions play a lot better moment to moment.
And after more than twenty years, the Diablo 2 Necromancer still defines that image.
So, to reiterate, in terms of different themes, the winners are:
- Best fantasy: Diablo 2 Necromancer
- Most fun mechanics: Witch Doctor
- Modern comfort: newer Necromancers and Warlock
What do you think? Are you looking forward to the Warlock coming with Lord of Hatred? Which minion class will forever be your favorite? Which has the best class fantasy?
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