Aspects can turn an ordinary piece of gear into a devastating weapon of destruction in Diablo 4. Learn how to extract, imprint, and combine these legendary powers to craft builds that dominate demons and redefine your playstyle.
In Diablo 4, Aspects are passives that you can add onto your equipment to provide your character with upgraded abilities or extra utility. There are more than a hundred aspects in Diablo 4. Some are class-specific – with passives that only augment, say, your Rogue, Sorcerer, or Barbarian abilities – while you can use others as any class. Aspects are necessary for tackling harder content, as they elevate your build to the next level. Keep reading to find out how to get Aspects and how to equip them.
What are Aspects in Diablo 4?
Aspects in Diablo 4 are Legendary powers that attach to gear slots on Rare or Legendary items, modifying abilities with effects like boosted damage, shields or extra mobility. They fall into categories such as Offensive, Defensive, Resource, Utility and Mobility, each limited to specific equipment like weapons, amulets or boots. Players salvage them from drops at the Occultist or complete dungeons to add them permanently to the Codex of Power for imprinting across characters.
Aspects are essentially Legendary powers that you can manually add to non-Legendary gear you already have. These effects can modify existing abilities for your class or give you powerful utility like an immunity shield when your health drops too low. Each Aspect can be placed into one of the following categories: defensive, offensive, resource, utility, or mobility.
To unlock Aspects, you’ll need to either reach level 25 or acquire the Codex of Power, which you can earn by completing a dungeon (hover over a dungeon on the map to learn which Codex of Power it’ll unlock for you). You can find out which aspects you own by opening the “Collections” tab or by pressing “Y” on PC. Selecting the Codex of Power will show you every available aspect in Diablo 4 while highlighting the ones you own.
How do you get more Aspects in Diablo 4?
You can obtain more Aspects by extracting them from Legendary items at the Occultist or by completing specific dungeons tied to each Aspect type. Aspects gained from dungeons are added to your Codex of Power, where they can be reused any time, though often with weaker stats than those taken from gear. To expand your collection, complete all available dungeons, participate in seasonal events, and keep rare drops from high-tier activities like Nightmare Dungeons or Helltide events for potential Aspect extraction.
You can unlock Aspects through two methods:
- Completing that Aspect’s dungeon.
- Extracting an Aspect from a piece of Legendary gear.
If you get a Legendary item to drop for you from a boss or chest, you can extract its power at the Occultist. Extracting will destroy the Legendary but add its Aspect to your current character’s inventory – which you can, in turn, imprint onto a new, more powerful item.
Aspects added to your Codex of Power are available to use by every character on that realm, so it doesn’t matter which class you complete a dungeon with because every character you own will have access to the reward.
How to imprint and extract Aspects in Diablo 4
Visit the Occultist in major towns after reaching level 15. To imprint an Aspect, select your target Rare or Legendary gear, choose an Aspect from your Codex of Power or inventory, and confirm the process using gold plus Veiled Crystals-the item becomes Legendary if it was Rare. For extraction, pick a Legendary item at the Occultist’s Extract menu or salvage it at the Blacksmith to pull the Aspect into your inventory or upgrade your Codex, destroying the gear in return and costing only gold. Codex Aspects from dungeons carry fixed low rolls, while extracted ones retain their original higher values for better power.
Travel to the Occultist, indicated by an icon of three linked circles on the map, in any major town. In Kyovashad, the primary city in the Fractured Peaks region, the Occultist is located in the top left section of the town. Interact with the Occultist to open two menus: the Aspect menu and your inventory.
Imprinting aspects onto your gear
- Select the gear from your inventory that you wish to add an Aspect to.
- Choose an Aspect from your Codex of Power or your inventory to use.
- Press the “Imprint Aspect” button at the bottom of the menu to receive your new piece of equipment.
It will cost you gold and Veiled Crystals, which are salvaged from rare weapons and armor, to imprint an Aspect.
Extracting aspects from your gear
- Select the second tab on the left hand menu.
- Choose the Legendary item from your inventory with the Aspect that you wish to extract.
- Preview the new item to ensure you’re receiving the desired Aspect.
- Click the “Extract Aspect” button at the bottom of the menu.
Best dungeons for Aspects by class
Aspects from Diablo 4 dungeons unlock Codex entries tailored to each class, providing foundational powers for early builds. Hover over dungeon icons on the map to preview their Aspect rewards and class restrictions.
Barbarian Priorities
Maulwood in Fractured Peaks grants Aspect of the Iron Warrior for survivability, while Hallowed Ossuary in Fractured Peaks offers Aspect of Unrelenting Fury to refund Fury on Core skill kills.
Druid Priorities
Tormented Ruins in Fractured Peaks unlocks Aspect of the Protector (universal barrier on Elite damage), and Stockades in Scosglen provides Crashstone Aspect for boosted Earth skill crits on crowd-controlled foes. Whispering Pines adds Ballistic Aspect for Earth builds.
Necromancer Priorities
Rimescar Cavern (after a Stronghold) yields Plunging Darkness for Blight pools from Bone Prison; Hoarfrost Demise gives Blood-Bathed for Blood Surge echoes; Black Asylum offers Torment for Essence regen on Bone crits.
Rogue Priorities
Sanguine Chapel in Fractured Peaks unlocks Energizing Aspect for Energy from Basic skill Elite hits. Check Codex for pins to others like those in later zones.
Sorcerer Priorities
Lost Archives provides universal Aspect of Protector; prioritize zones like Dry Steppes for fire/ice specifics once unlocked.
Best Aspects from dungeons for Barbarian builds
Diablo 4 dungeon Aspects provide Codex-accessible powers ideal for Barbarian builds, focusing on Fury generation, survivability, and Core skill synergy. Prioritize Fractured Peaks early, then unlock Scosglen and Dry Steppes post-Strongholds for key unlocks.
Early Game Essentials
Underroot in Scosglen (after Tur Dulra Stronghold) yields Aspect of the Expectant, boosting Core skill damage after Basic attacks-perfect for Double Swing or any Fury-hungry starter. Oldstones in Scosglen (The Downs) grants Edgemaster’s Aspect, scaling Core damage with your Fury bar, a staple for Hammer of the Ancients or Whirlwind from levels 15+.
Whirlwind Builds
Champion’s Demise in Dry Steppes (east of Jirandai) unlocks Aspect of the Umbral, generating Fury per crowd-controlled enemy-pair with Hamstring passive for endless spins. Mournfield in Dry Steppes adds Aspect of Berserk Ripping, converting 20% Berserking damage to Bleed over 5 seconds for hybrid DoT output.
Survivability & Utility
Maulwood or Hallowed Ossuary in Fractured Peaks offer Aspect of the Iron Warrior (Unstoppable via Iron Skin) and Aspect of Unrelenting Fury (Fury refund on Core kills). Buried Halls in Dry Steppes provides Rapid Aspect (+15% Basic attack speed).
Hammer of the Ancients Focus
Look to dungeon Aspects like Ancestral Force (boosted AoE, though specifics vary) alongside universals like Protector from Tormented Ruins. Slot these on weapons/amulets for power bonuses, and check map previews for class filters.
