Tyrael

"He has intervened for the sake of humankind time and again, for he sees the potential for heroism and selflessness in each of us. He has even acted against the mandates of his fellow Council members to fight on our behalf. For that alone I always have and always will believe in him."
—Deckard Cain

Tyrael
Appears in	Diablo II Diablo II: Lord of Destruction Diablo III Diablo III: Reaper of Souls Demonsbane The Veiled Prophet The Order To Hell and Back Sword of Justice Book of Cain The Art of Diablo III Book of Tyrael
Significance	Major
Service(s)	Gossip, Quest initiation, Hireling resurrection; Travelling between Act IV and Act V (expansion only)
Residence(s)	High Heavens (de facto) Tal Rasha's Chamber, Pandemonium Fortress (Diablo II) The Worldstone Chamber (Diablo II: Lord of Destruction)
Starts quest(s)	The Fallen Angel (quest) (Diablo II) Terror's End (quest) (Lord of Destruction)
Portrayed by	Ed Trotta (Diablo II) Jonathan Adams (Diablo III)

Tyrael, the Archangel of Justice is a member of the legendary Angiris Council. He is an archangel-turned mortal—something of a maverick to the High Heavens, and a stalwart defender of Sanctuary.

Biography

The Great Conflict

Tyrael in the Great Conflict

The Great Conflict was fought for time immemorial, and Tyrael was no exception in regards to waging it. Originally the Archangel of Justice, his exploits in battle became the stuff of legend. Off the battlefield, he administered the Courts of Justice. However, he often came to verbal blows with Imperius, who while also a valorous warrior, suffered from pride. One such example was in battle against demon forces led by Diablo himself. The Lord of Terror was captured, with Tyrael and Auriel pointing out that holding him captive would serve their cause better than slaying the demon outright, knowing that he would return. Imperius carried out his own form of justice regardless.

Izual served as Tyrael's lieutenant during the aeons of war, but was captured by Hell during an assault on the Hellforge. Inarius also served under him and tried to make him see the futility of the conflict, but Tyrael would not be swayed. Either way, the Great Conflict ground to a halt on its own—the Worldstone had disappeared, and the forces of Heaven and Hell could only blame each other before realizing that a third party had absconded with the artifact.

The Sin War

I did call them abominations...and I was wrong! My vote is for them...For I would see what they might become...and marvel in it.
Tyrael vouches for humanity's continued existence

Tyrael

In the course of the Sin War, Heaven would come to discover what Hell had already done so—Sanctuary. A world created by rogue angels and demons led by Lilith and his old comrade Inarius. A world inhabited by the race of Men—beings descended from the nephalem, who had been brought into the world through the coupling of angels and demons. Venturing into the world, Tyrael spirited away Achilios, telling him that he had need of him. He forced him to target his Edyrem comrades including their leader Uldyssian, seeing them as key threats and unnatural blights upon the face of Creation. Achilios managed to refuse however, surprising Tyrael. He later convinced the edyrem that Uldyssian had been possessed by Malic. Surveying the situation, Tyrael was satisfied. Despite earlier considerations, he would not have these "abominations" allying with Heaven. They had to be eliminated due to the threat their inherant powers posed. And with the edyrem fragmented, Sanctuary's potential defenders would not be able to stand against his justice.

As such, Tyrael was among the Heavenly Host who descended upon the world, meeting in battle with the edyrem and the Demonic Hordes themselves. Uldyssian, realizing that his growing power risked the destruction of the world, sacrificed himself to end the battle, saving Sanctuary, all those he loved, and perhaps most importantly of all, his own humanity. It was an act that touched Tyrael and swayed his heart—he had called these beings abominations. Yet no abomination would have made such a sacrifice as Uldyssian had.

The Angiris Council convened to discuss Sanctuary's fate. Imperius opted to eradicate Inarius and Lilith's progeny while Auriel and Itherael voted in favor of humanity, believing that humanity's potential to serve the Light could surpass even their roles and that the Conflict might be ended for good. Malthael abstained. Thus, the deciding vote would be left to Tyrael—were he to side with Imperius (as everyone suspected he would), Sanctuary would be destroyed, as a tie would still result in their original goal being carried out. Tyrael however, sided with humanity. They would be left to their own devices, free to choose between Light and Dark.

The Dark Exile

Tyrael

Tyrael would at times make sojourns into Sanctuary, a case in point being aiding the hero Siggard in battle at Entsteig. However, greater tragedy was to come—Hell had not given up on Sanctuary, believing that humanity could be swayed to their cause. This was a view not shared by the Lesser Evils however, and in what became known as the Dark Exile, the Prime Evils were banished into Sanctuary. However, they were still capable of bringing woe to the mortal realm, and by the time Tyrael discovered their actions, they'd been active for decades. This concerned Tyrael greatly—Sanctuary had been spared by a margin of one vote when the Angiris Council had discussed its fate. If Heaven learned that Hell was focused on Man, it might carry out what he and Imperius once, and perhaps still, intended. As such, he kept silent. He would intervene on Sanctuary's behalf, and do so alone.

Fashioning three soulstones out of the Worldstone, Tyrael gathered a number of mages, forming a group called the Horadrim. Over many years, they hunted down the three Primes. Mephisto fell first, and Baal second, though he shattered the soulstone meant for him in battle. With the suggestion that a mortal heart could serve as a surrogate soulstone, Tal Rasha stepped forward, plunging the stone into his flesh. Tyrael assured him that his sacrifice would not be forgotten, and led the mages to a tomb beneath the sands of Aranoch.

Finally, after a decade of searching, the Horadrim confronted Diablo in the lands of Khanduras. The soulstone worked and was hidden away within a labyrinthine cave system near the River Talsande. Tyrael appeared before the Horadrim one last time, commending them for having achieved a victory despite their losses. He declared that the site would have to be guarded and to this end, the Horadrim errected a monestary over the site.

Tyrael had succeeded—the Primes were captured, Sanctuary still existed and Heaven was none the wiser. However, he had not counted on the Prime Evils' ability to exert their will over Men. Over time, Mephisto would corrupt the Zakarum faith and Diablo would do likewise through the archbishop Lazarus.

The Return of Evil

Tyrael

"Stop! The beast contained herein shall not be set free — not even by you." -Tyrael confronts the Dark Wanderer

In 1263, Diablo escaped from his prison by corrupting the spirit of Aidan, hence referred to as the Dark Wanderer. He headed east, seeking to free his brothers, Mephisto and Baal. Baal was first, bound to Tal Rasha's body. Tyrael appeared to stop the release and did battle with the Wanderer. However, another had traveled with the Wanderer—Marius, and thanks to the demon's manipulations, released the Lord of Destruction. Tyrael

Tyrael attacking the Dark Wanderer

telepathically ordered Marius to take Baal's soulstone to the Temple of Light in Kurast, where he would find a gateway to Hell and by extension, the Hellforge, where the stone could be destroyed. Immediately afterwards, Tyrael was ensared by Baal and bound to the Binding Stone.

Tyrael came to be freed by a group of heroes who were pursuing the Dark Wanderer. They traveled to the Pandemonium Fortress, where he guided them to face Izual and Diablo himself. He dared not help them directly, as he had been weakened by Baal and feared that direct action could lead to the High Heavens discovering the danger Sanctuary was in. The heroes prevailed however, and Diablo's soulstone was destroyed, as was the stone of Mephisto.

Marius, however, had not been so courageous. He had failed to venture into Hell and consequently, the stone was still in his possession. Possession that switched to Baal himself, now the last Prime Evil active in Sanctuary. Baal marched on Mount Arreat, intending to corrupt the Worldstone and in doing so, shackle humanity to Hell's cause. To this end, Tyrael transported the heroes to Harrogath, but weakened as he was, could not face Baal directly.

Tyrael Destroys the Worldstone

The heroes came to defeat Baal, but were too late to prevent him corrupting the Worldstone. After transporting the heroes to safety, Tyrael cast his sword into the stone, shattering it. The resulting explosion destroyed Tyrael's physical form and rendered Arreat and the surrounding lands a barren wasteland. Worse still, although humanity had been saved yet again by the Archangel of Justice, the destruction of the Worldstone meant the world was open to both Heaven and Hell.

The End of Days

"You cannot judge me. I am justice itself! We were meant for more than this! To protect the innocent! But if our precious laws bind you all to inaction ... then I will no longer stand as your brother." -Tyrael's parting words

Tyrael confronts Imperius

By 1285, Tyrael had regained physical form. Once again, evil threatened Sanctuary, this time from the Lesser Evils Belial and Azmodan. He promised that Man would not face the coming darkness alone. Imperius however, had since discovered his transgressions, and was unmoved by Tyrael's defiance. The two came to blows before Tyrael declared that if Heaven would not intervene on Man's behalf, he'd do so himself. He became mortal, and fell to Sanctuary as the Falling Star, smashing into the Tristram Cathedral. The journey left him weakened, but thanks to a group of heroes, he was saved, and Belial's followers were defeated. However, his old friend, Deckard Cain, was killed in the battle, survived by his adopted daughter Leah, daughter of Aidan. The pair carried out Deckard's funeral before heading east, to Caldeum.

Caldeum was suffering from Belial's machinations, but there was a hope in the darkness. Adria, Leah's estranged mother, joined the heroes, presenting the Black Soulstone, capable of capturing all the lords of Hell within it. Thanks to the heroes, Caldeum revolted against Belial and the Lord of Lies himself was imprisoned within the soulstone.. All that was left was Azmodan. And thanks to a vision Leah had, Tyrael and the others learnt that his forces were amassing at the Arreat Crater. The group headed for Bastion's Keep, where the forces of Sanctuary and Hell met in battle. After a titanic struggle, the heroes came to confront Azmodan himself, capturing his essence in the Black Soulstone. Victory seemed assurred, though Adria pointed out the stone would have to be destroyed under specific circumstances.

Adria, however, had been in league with Diablo since he awakened in Tristram, and turned the artifact on Leah. To the group's horror, it was revealed that Diablo had bred her as a vessel. A vessel that would contain the essences of the Seven Great Evils, all so neatly packaged within the Black Soulstone. Diablo now stood as the Prime Evil, and departed for the High Heavens. Tyrael and the others followed him.

Tyrael, Aspect of Wisdom

Diablo and his forces rampaged through the High Heavens and Tyrael gave into despair. However, his human companions refused to give up, and turned the tide of the invasion, even casting down Diablo himself. In the aftermath, Tyrael decided to rejoin the Angiris Council, but as a mortal. He would now be the aspect of wisdom, and vowed that forevermore, Heaven and Sanctuary would stand together.

A New Dawn

"Forevermore we shall stand together, angels and men, in the light of this glorious new dawn."

-Tyrael

Tyrael's euphoria did not last long. His mortal comrades departed Heaven and, now mortal himself, he struggled to find his place. Food and other necessities of mortal life were non-existent in Heaven, and he began to suffer nightmares from the corruption that Diablo had brought to the realm. What had been familiar was now foreboding, and as he wandered the Courts of Justice (his former domain), he was assaulted by visions of every angel who had perished at Diablo's hands, holding Tyrael responsible for their deaths. Overcome with guilt, and unable to face their judgment, Tyrael fled.

At some point, Tyrael made a record of his experiences, which included writings from Leah and Cain.

Reaper of Souls

"You have done well Horadrim. Your service here is finished and you should all... run."

-Tyrael

Sometime after Diablo's defeat, Tyrael took and hid the Black Soulstone in Sanctuary, as the stone could not be destroyed. Enlisting the aid of Horadrim, it was placed in a complex deep in Sanctuary, to hide it from the gaze of all, even angels themselves. It did not escape the gaze of Malthael however, the archangel having since taken on the aspect of death. Malthael reaped the very souls of his mortal foes, and easily withstood Tyrael's attempts to defend himself. He then wounded Tyrael himself, but could not, or would not, take his soul also. Malthael thus proceeded to take the stone for himself, ignoring Tyrael's warnings that the nephalem would stop him.

Tyrael met with his nephalem companion(s) later in Westmarch, currently being overrun by Malthael's thralls.

In-game

Diablo II/Lord of Destruction

In Diablo II, Tyrael appears as a questgiver at the Pandemonium Fortress in Act IV. In the expansion, he also provides the services of a mercenary captain. He takes gold to revive mercenaries, leading to many calling him a money-hoarder. Blizzard jokingly explained this behavior by saying that Tyrael has to pay certain bills.

Diablo III

Tyrael falls to Sanctuary after his fall from grace in the High Heavens. He aids the nephalem hero in many tasks during the events of Diablo III, including helping him in the Scouring of Caldeum and the Seige of Bastion's Keep. When Azmodan attacks the castle, Tyrael acts as the soldier's commander. In addition, Tyrael helps the nephalem in fighting his way through Heaven when it falls to Diablo's forces.

Dialogue

See Tyrael's Dialogue

In other games

Tyrael pet in World of Warcraft

As with Diablo himself, Tyrael makes an appearance in World of Warcraft. He is a non-combat pet, offered at the World Wide Invitational along with a beta key for Wrath of the Lich King, inside a goody bag. It could also be won on different WoW fan-sites, along with the beta keys.

A mount called "Tyrael's Charger" was offered to players who signed up for the World of Warcraft annual pass, which guaranteed free access to Diablo III upon its release as well as guaranteed beta entry for Mists of Pandaria, the next WoW expansion. The mount is a horse in golden armor with Tyrael's signature wings.

Personality and Traits

Tyrael

Tyrael was once seen as the most rigid of all angels, firm in his adherence to laws, rules, and order. He had a single duty, namely to secure victory for Heaven in the Eternal Conflict. He was renowned for being calm and controlled and meticulous in his execution of combat technique. He wields El'durin, the Sword of Justice. Outside of combat, Tyrael was noted for being fair and impartial, as justice itself must be.

Because of Uldyssian's sacrifice, Tyrael underwent a change of heart, and became something of a maverick to Heaven. He intervened on humanity's behalf, despite the edicts of his fellow Council members. Even as a mortal, he stayed true to the ideals of justice.

As a mortal, Tyrael had a little bit of trouble understanding humanity. He couldn't understand how humans could press forward, even if they are living in a time of great despair. His true test came when he too was overcome with despair when Diablo assaulted Heaven but his nephalem companions pressed forward. After seeing the Hell rifts closed, Tyrael finally understood that although mankind faces death and darkness everyday, they still find the courage to move forward. The human spirit never ceases to amaze him.

Trivia

The Tyrael statue

This section contains facts and trivia relevant to this article.

• A statue of Tyrael exists on Blizzard Entertainment's campus. Smaller action figure collectibles of Tyrael also exist.

• In a poll conducted by Blizzard, Tyrael was voted as players' favorite Angiris Council member.

Video

"Destruction's End" cinematic from Diablo II: Lord of Destruction	"Mephisto's Jungle" cinematic from Diablo II