Blizzard's latest Diablo game takes place 20 years after the previous sequel, with a whole new generation of warriors facing evil. You'll see a few familiar faces in the game, including Deckard Cain. The biggest stars, however, are the five classes. Blizzard has revealed four of those five, so let's break them down and see how they compare.

The Barbarian

Fans of Diablo II will instantly recognize the Barbarian, since he's one of the better characters in the game. He can hold weapons in each hand, making him a lethal force against enemies when it comes to hacking and slashing. In Diablo III, he also has access to a number of new abilities and moves, paired up with his already overwhelming strength.

Despite his brutality, the Barbarian is loyal to his cause, a dedicated guardian of Mount Arreat. His skill tree consists of three bone-breaking sets: Berserker, Juggernaut and Battlemaster. With Berserker, you get such techniques as Onslaught, Bad Temper (an accelerant of some kind, perhaps?), Threatening Shout, Leap Attack and Slashing Strike. Juggernaut is just as strong, with such moves as Scavenge, Cleave, Bash, Group Stomp, Bloodthirst and Seismic Slam. Finally, there's Battlemaster, featuring such advanced moves as Stubborn, Second Wind, Inspiration, Hammer of the Ancients and the ability to Ignore Pain. If you're a newcomer to the series, he's a great character to start with.

The Witch Doctor

Where the Barbarian strikes fear into the hearts of his enemies up close, the Witch Doctor performs better from a distance. He is a member of the much-heralded umbaru race, who hide out in the Tribe of the Five Hills. He uses a number of spells and alchemical powers to bring down foes, including summoning hungry mongrels, controlling swarms of locusts and raising members of the dead to do his bidding.

Breaking down the Witch Doctor's skill tree, there are three sets to choose from: Zombie, Spirit and Voodoo. Zombie features such techniques as the Wall of Zombies, Parasite, Zombie Charger and Grasp of the Dead; there's also a Sacrifice attack.

The second skill tree, Spirit, features such techniques as Soul Harvest (yum), Death Pact, Ritual of Blood and Meditation, as well as such helpful skills as Mass Confusion (perfect for large groups) and Horrify. Finally, Voodoo features all kinds of nasty tricks, including Skull of Flame, Plague of Toads, Pit of Fire and, of course, Locust Swarm.

The Wizard

Like the Witch Doctor, the Wizard is a powerful character when it comes to ranged attacks. She summons lightning bolts that destroy not only enemies, but also the environment. Best of all, she can open pockets of space outside of the normal flow of time, opening up a whole new door of defensive tactics.

A closer look at her Skill tree reveals three sets: Conjuring, Arcane and Storm. Conjuring features Mighty Impact, Hydra (sounds like a hell of a summon), Explosive Blast, Mirror Image and Stone Skin (which makes her temporarily impervous to attacks). Arcane digs a little deeper, with such moves as Disintegrate, Slow Time, Expanded Mind, Magic Missile and three separate Arcade moves: Orb, Torrent and Weakness. Then there's the more natural Storm skill set, featuring such cold moves as Energy Twister, Frost Nova, Storm Armor, Ray of Frost and Electrocute. Again, she's not the best up close, but mess with a Wizard from afar and you'll find yourself in a world of pain

The Monk

A master of both mind and body, the Monk is an excellent warrior. He is trained in the martial arts, making him dangerous to anyone that comes within striking range. However, he also uses his brain, something he learned from his fellow monks at Ivgorod. Best of all, the monk is a completely original character to the series, with no relation to the previous Monk class from Diablo: Hellfire.

As for the Monk's attacks, he'll use Force Without Thought to beat up enemies. There are deep moves in his first skill set, such as Way of the Hundred Fists and the Seven-sided Strike. The second undefined skill set features only two techniques so far, but they're devastating: the Exploding Palm (ouch) and the Crippling Wave. The third undefined skill set is more about defensive moves, such as the Impenetrable Defense and the Radient Visage.

Bottom line, the Monk has something to offer for both rookie players and veterans.

Final class...

Blizzard stated that Diablo III will contain five character classes, but only revealed four. What could it possibly have in mind for the fifth? Will we get someone who's able to hold their own from a distance, like an archer or a modified spellcaster? Or will it be someone better from close range, like a knight or a mace-carrying dwarf? The possibilities are endless, and until Blizzard makes the official announcement, speculation is bound to run wild. If he or she is anything like the previous four classes, though, we're in for a hell of a fight once the long-awaited sequel finally releases in 2010.