10 Best Codex of Power Aspects for Barbarians in Diablo 4

The Codex of Power in Diablo IV provides several buffs for characters through Aspects or abilities that can be imprinted onto gear for different classes, including some that work best for the ruthless Barbarian. Considered to be the “tank” class in the game, Barbarians benefit most from boosts that directly impact their skills used in close-range combat. Although not all builds of this class will support every Legendary Aspect, plenty of these buffs are great for destroying Hell’s armies.

Aspects are imprinted onto gear from the Occultist in Kyovashad once players unlock the buffs in the Codex of Power by completing dungeons and progressing the main story. Some Legendary items can be harvested for their Aspect, but players can only use that ability on one item before it disappears. The only way to permanently gain an Aspect is to follow the story or find dungeon locations that best suit a character’s class.

Related: All Dungeon & Aspects Locations In Diablo 4

9 Earthstriker’s Aspect

• How to Unlock: Complete the Maugan’s Works Dungeon in Hawezar

One of the passive abilities the Barbarian has is to wield multiple weapon types at once, which the player can assign to different skills for optimal damage values. The Earthstriker’s Aspect lets players Overpower enemies after repeatedly swapping weapons, encouraging a cycle of skills for better damage. This gives players a chance to increase their Overpower damage as well and naturally teaches them how to best spend Fury in Diablo 4.

8 Aspect of the Expectant

• How to Unlock: Complete the Underroot Dungeon in Scosglen

Many players using the Barbarian in Diablo 4 will use their Basic Skills to fuel their Fury, making the Aspect of the Expectant a significant buff to the damage of their Core Skills. Once players attack an enemy with a Basic Skill like Flay or Lunging Strike, their next Core Skill, such as Whirlwind, can have its damage boosted up to 30%. This may devastate enemies in larger groups since these Core Skills are typically followed up by Basic skills once the class resource gets built up enough.

7 Edgemaster’s Aspect

• How to Unlock: Complete the Oldstones Dungeon in Scosglen

A universal buff called the Edgemaster’s Aspect gives players increased damage based on how much Fury their Barbarian still has. This class has perhaps the easiest time building their resource since their Basic skills are quick, melee-focused attacks on enemies. By giving even more damage to already strong abilities through this Aspect in Diablo 4, players can naturally bolster all Skill damage for doing what they normally would in combat.​​​​​​​

6 Aspect of Disobedience

• How to Unlock: Progress the Campaign in Kehjistan

If there’s one key to playing as a Barbarian, it’s dealing damage constantly, making the Aspect of Disobedience a good buff for the class. Barbarians sometimes struggle against overwhelming odds or ranged attackers, so players can use this Aspect to gain Armor when they deal any form of damage to increase their character’s defense. Dangerous situations for the Barbarian in Diablo 4 become far easier with this trait active.

5 Aspect of Tempering Blows

• How to Unlock: Complete the Defiled Catacomb Dungeon in the Fractured Peaks

Another defensive buff, the Aspect of Tempering Blows gives players Fortify when they swap weapons. Similar to what was mentioned before, Barbarians can often switch weapons in combat between their Skills, but this time players can use that to form a buffer on their health. Barbarians take a lot of damage, especially when playing with more fragile allies like a glass cannon Sorcerer build in Diablo 4.

Players need to swap weapons at least six times to activate this Aspect, but when they do, the amount of Fortify granted instantly can be staggering. Practically giving the Barbarian another health bar on top of their existing globe, players will find it hard to die even in the toughest fights against the elite enemies and bosses of Diablo 4.

4 Aspect of Retribution

• How to Unlock: Progress the Campaign in Kehjistan

The Aspect of Retribution deals with the Barbarian’s greatest weakness, ranged enemies that deal a bunch of damage in Diablo 4. This buff gives players an 8% chance to Stun enemies for 2 seconds when they get hit from a distance. In addition, players deal 20-40% increased damage to Stunned enemies, who are now far easier to reach while immobile with Skills such as Leap or Charge in the Barbarian’s arsenal.​​​​​​​

3 Aspect of Unrelenting Fury

• How to Unlock: Complete the Hallowed Ossuary Dungeon in the Fractured Peaks

Fury becomes harder to manage at higher levels, making the Aspect of Unrelenting Fury a great buff to resource management by allowing players to refund the base Fury cost of Skills. Once players kill an enemy, they can recover Fury once per Skill cast, allowing them to spend Fury on expensive Skills much faster than usual. Instead of relying on Basic Skills to lightly damage foes to build Fury, players need to get a final blow to keep their pace in Diablo 4‘s combat.​​​​​​​

2 Aspect of Ancestral Echoes

• How to Unlock: Progress the Campaign in Hawezar

The Aspect of Ancestral Echoes almost acts like a Key Passive, giving players a 40% chance to summon an Ancient spirit to perform Leap, Upheaval, or Whirlwind after players attack using the same Skill. Although the Ultimate ability in Diablo 4, named Call of the Ancients, has to be on the player’s Action Bar, this ability might already be one of the best traits available to the Barbarian.

Many Barbarian builds in Diablo 4 recommended this Ultimate to almost act like the Necromancer, summoning three allies that deal massive damage to enemy hordes. A player looking for this class’s best crowd control options should consider using this Aspect to give an even bigger advantage against enemies in Strongholds or World Events seen in Sanctuary.

1 Weapon Master’s Aspect

• How to Unlock: Extract from dropped Legendary Gear

The best Codex of Power buff for the Barbarian is the Weapon Master’s Aspect, which grants an additional charge to any Weapon Mastery skills. For example, Steel Grasp normally has two charges that would be bolstered to 3 using this Aspect. This gives players a free upgrade to their Skills without having to spend any Points, making it one of the best Aspects for the class in Diablo 4 without question.

Players also have a 30-50% chance to Stun enemies while using a Weapon Mastery Skill with this aspect, which is a ridiculously high chance compared to other buffs. Despite the rarity of this ability through Legendary item drops, players should hunt far and wide to get this Aspect into the Codex of Power as one of the best abilities for Barbarians in Diablo IV.