After beating Andariel in Act I of Diablo 2, players will probably feel like they've earned a break. Andariel is a vicious beast and one worthy of some healthy time off. Unfortunately, after beating that special unique, often ranked as the second-hardest boss in the game, they'll get to a boss in Act II that regularly takes that first place spot on the same podium. And it's not alone, there are a whole host of new and challenging fights to prepare for.
They aren't all incredibly difficult, of course. Class selection makes a huge difference in how these fights will likely end. But the trick with Act II is that the monsters are now in full swing while most players are still organizing gear and getting their skills just right. That makes for a dangerous concoction when fans are halfway through their builds while the bosses have never been scarier. At least they throw a few softballs in there to ease the process a little bit.
11 Fangskin
On paper, Fangskin seems formidable. He's extra fast and hits hard, so if he reaches the character, it should be game over. But that's actually the beginning of the problem for him.
He's in an area where players can move across a ravine and he can't reach them. Even a druid still learning about their own class will have no problem striking him down safely from across the chasm.
10 Bloodwitch The Wild
Bloodwitch the Wild has the Extra Strong and Cursed bonuses, making her a glass cannon that will rip up any class if she gets just a few uninterrupted seconds of attacks in. But therein lies her greatest weakness.
Despite her two bonuses, she's been given no defensive boosts and she's still a Saber Cat, a unit that most players can easily wipe out with a single swing of the sword or flick of the wand. There are plenty of RPGs to play while waiting for Diablo 2: Resurrected to arrive, but if gamers are hoping to pour time into this fight, they are sorely mistaken.
9 The Summoner
It's dubious at best to choose a character class based on zodiac signs, but if any class and zodiac sign combo make sense, the sorceress seems like a great choice for believers in mysticism. Hopefully, fate turns out better for her than the sorcerer from the first Diablo.
It's heavily implied that "The Summoner" is actually this adventurer from the original game. Whatever skills he selected weren't good, this super unique dies in about two to three hits from just about anything.
8 Creeping Feature
The Creeping Feature has two bonuses that enhance damage and slow players down. And unlike some of the lower-ranked monsters on this list, he can take a beating. But he has a hard ceiling at this rank unless somebody swoops in with another great Diablo 2 mod to soup him up.
The issue is that he's a zombie and he's slow. Even melee characters who aren't great at running won't have to worry because this slowness translates to attack speed as well, allowing everyone to safely dodge his swings.
7 Beetleburst
Death Beetles are a problem for players without lightning resistance. On Hell and Nightmare difficulties, they also have a chance to poison players they attack. And maybe there was a tougher version of the bug among the content that was cut for the game.
Those who have high burst damage won't mind stomping this super unique with a few shots. But those who do many smaller and faster attacks will likely need a health potion or two if they want to survive Beetleburst.
6 Radament
Radament is the first sub-boss in Act II and he's a solid challenge. The Extra Fast bonus gives him boosts to both attack speed and movement speed, so it's unlikely that players will be able to outrun him or tank him for very long.
The changes coming to the remake of the game might like to review his mechanics for the poor spellcasters that find him too difficult, but other classes should be able to handle him just fine.
5 Dark Elder
Usually zombies get a justifiably bad rap on lists like this. They are slow and die easily, so even making one into a super unique doesn't feel like making the challenge all that much more difficult. The Dark Elder removes both of those zombie weaknesses by speeding up and resisting magic damage.
Some classes will have an easier or harder time with the game by default, but this is where individual talent will officially come into play. Lightly armored characters will need to use positioning and cunning to win this fight.
4 Fire Eye
The Invader is already an offensive juggernaut and players will be trying to dodge katana swings each time they encounter one. The Extra Fast and Fire Enchanted bonuses make it so dodging is no longer an option and the damage has been magnified.
Those without high fire resistance numbers will be feeling the aftermath of this fight in the morning. Thorns Aura and burst damage can help, but Fire Eye is tough no matter what.
3 Coldworm The Burrower
The fight against Coldworm the Burrower becomes a roadblock for players who have specialized in single-target damage. She's a health point sponge, so taking her down instantly isn't an option.
Additionally, she doesn't actually attack at all, she spawns Sand Maggots which, in turn, spawn more Sand Maggots, and so on. So those who haven't invested in any area damage may find that this is the end of the road for their build as they get swarmed by hundreds of these annoying larvae.
2 Ancient Kaa The Soulless
Players will explore the tomb of Tal Rasha which is filled with lore and learning. However, one of the dead ends is also filled with this particularly nasty beast that, by default, comes with Mana Burn, Extra Strong, and Lightning Enchanted bonuses.
This already a wicked combination, but when adding more bonuses for Nightmare and Hell difficulties, this sub-boss can randomly be made into an unstoppable or even invincible mass murderer.
1 Duriel
Fans of this game have no question about who to top spot in Act II belongs to. As the final super unique of the chapter, Duriel is notoriously lethal and widely considered to be the hardest enemy in the game. Those few who disagree still have Duriel in the top two or three.
The room to fight him is tiny, so there is really no avoiding that aura that slows characters down. Plus, he's very quick, so all combat will, even after a valiant struggle, be a melee affair. Those who try to keep Duriel ranged will be shocked (literally) to find that he has Smite spell with a knockback effect. The most common tactic is to try and port out so that the fight can occur in the larger room, but even this is a quirky and difficult move to pull off.