Throughout Diablo 4, players can see elements of the previous games. Even later on in the campaign, players may recognize some areas that were featured in Diablo 3. In fact, some players may recognize a few bosses that have returned for Diablo 4. As a boss, the Butcher has been a recurring foe across the Diablo series. He has always been a tough foe that players have to be prepared for.
The Butcher returns once again in the latest entry in the Diablo series. But this time, the Butcher is not part of the campaign. Here's how players can find and defeat (or escape from in some cases) the Butcher.
How to Find and Beat the Butcher
In previous Diablo games, the Butcher was usually a story boss that players encountered early on in the campaign. He was a difficult foe that could quickly destroy players if they were not prepared for him. This time, however, the Butcher is not a story boss. Instead, players can find the Butcher as a randomly spawning boss.
To be more specific, the Butcher can randomly spawn in both Cellars and Dungeons. In the beta, the chances of running into the Butcher were fairly high. However, in the official release of Diablo 4 the chances of encountering the Butcher is much lower. The Butcher can appear at any time, regardless of what World Tier players are on. Even a brand-new character exploring an optional dungeon has a chance of running into the Butcher.
There is nothing that can be done to increase the chances of encountering the Butcher. Some players will encounter him right away, while some may not see him for a very long time. When the Butcher does spawn, his health bar will appear, and he will say his infamous "fresh meat" line as he charges toward players.
Encountering the Butcher is difficult enough, but actually defeating him is even more difficult. The Butcher hits hard and can quickly kill players. Having a defensive ability can make it easier to survive when fighting the Butcher along with having maxed out potion charges. Having a higher chance of generating a barrier can also help players survive the insane damage output of the Butcher.
Having a good defense is helpful, but players also need to be able to do a lot of damage quickly. The Butcher does eventually despawn if players do not kill him fast enough. Another helpful way for dealing with the Butcher is to bring friends. A group of players have a significantly better chance of taking down the Butcher than a solo player does. It is possible to stagger the Butcher, so make sure to do so if possible.
If the Butcher proves to be too much of an opponent and players don't want to deal with him, escape is an option. It is possible to run from the Butcher, but it isn't easy. The Butcher will attempt to hook players and bring them back. It is much easier to escape the Butcher in areas with narrow corridors and small rooms. The Butcher can get stuck on walls and has a more difficult time landing his hook ability. If players can keep a safe distance from the Butcher or leave the Dungeon/Cellar all together, the Butcher will despawn and players will be safe.
Diablo 4 is available now on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.