The Hidden Challenge of Season 11
Season 11 sneaks in one of Diablo 4's best-kept secrets: a hidden boss encounter that pits you against all four Lesser Evils at once. Getting there isn't simple. You'll need to hunt down four extremely rare drops called Purified Essences, track down hidden altars scattered across Sanctuary, and prepare for a fight that rewards you with some of the best loot in the game.
Before you start this journey, make sure you can access all major regions and handle Lesser Evil bosses in their various forms. The grind takes time since these essences drop rarely, but the payoff includes a guaranteed Resplendent Spark, a Tribute of Ascendance, over 20 Ancestral Unique items, multiple Runes, various Corrupted Essences, and the Shield Crest of Exile mount trophy.
What Are Purified Essences?
Purified Essences are special Unique versions of the Corrupted Essences you normally get from Lesser Evil bosses. You've probably seen plenty of Corrupted Essences if you've been running endgame content. Those standard versions let you open special caches near bosses, get purified by Hadriel for missions, or summon world bosses who consume them for better rewards.
Purified Essences work completely differently. They don't interact with any of those systems. Instead, they're keys to unlocking the secret encounter, and they're significantly rarer than their Corrupted counterparts.
You need all four:
- Purified Claw of Andariel
- Purified Eye of Belial
- Purified Horn of Duriel
- Purified Tongue of Azmodan
How to Get Each Purified Essence
Each Purified Essence comes from defeating its matching Lesser Evil. The drop rate is low, so you'll likely kill these bosses multiple times before seeing one.
- Purified Claw of Andariel - Andariel shows up in two main places. You can fight her as a Lair Boss, or head to The Undercity where she either appears guaranteed if you use Tributes of Andariel, or has a random chance to replace the normal boss even without tributes. If you've got Tributes of Andariel sitting in your stash, The Undercity becomes your most reliable farm spot since you're guaranteed to face her. Without tributes, you're rolling the dice on whether she shows up instead of the regular boss.
- Purified Eye of Belial - Belial appears as a Lair Boss or randomly replaces the Pit Boss at the end of Pit runs. The Lair Boss gives you consistent access, but if you're already farming The Pit for other reasons, there's a chance Belial pops up instead of the standard final encounter. Since The Pit doesn't guarantee his appearance, you'll need some luck on your side if you're relying on that method.
- Purified Horn of Duriel - Duriel's available as a Lair Boss, but Season 11 adds something special: he replaces the Helltide Maiden during Helltide events. This seasonal change gives you an extra farming avenue that's only around while Season 11 runs. If you're already participating in Helltides for other rewards, you can knock out Duriel farming at the same time.
- Purified Tongue of Azmodan - Azmodan appears as a random World Boss spawn, specifically in the event location south of Zarbinzet in Hawezar. World Bosses run on a schedule, so you'll need to show up when the event happens and hope Azmodan's the one who spawns. This is probably the most time-dependent essence since you can't force a World Boss to appear whenever you want.
Finding the Four Hidden Altars
Once you've got your Purified Essences, you need to find four altars hidden in remote corners of Sanctuary. These aren't marked on your map, and they're deliberately placed off the beaten path.
- Altar of Anguish (Nahantu) - Head to the western edge of Nahantu and look between the Chakhir Stronghold and the Harbinger of Hatred boss entrance. The altar sits in this area, away from main travel routes. Bring the Purified Claw of Andariel here. Since Andariel's known as the Maiden of Anguish, her altar naturally ends up in Nahantu's wilderness where you'll need to do some exploring to pin down the exact spot.
- Altar of Lies (Fractured Peaks) - This one's on the eastern edge of Fractured Peaks. Fast travel to Bear Tribe Refuge waypoint and head east toward the Zenith dungeon entrance. You'll find the altar in this mountainous area. Belial, the Lord of Lies, gets his altar tucked into the eastern mountains where casual players won't stumble across it. Bring the Purified Eye of Belial.
- Altar of Pain (Kehjistan) - Travel to Kehjistan and head south of Caldeum's ruins. The altar's positioned in the desert region, far enough from major waypoints that you'll need to make a dedicated trip. Duriel, the Lord of Pain, has his altar waiting in Kehjistan's sands. You'll offer the Purified Horn of Duriel here.
- Altar of Sin (Hawezar) - Look for a small rise in Hawezar between Zarbinzet and Ruins of Rakhat Keep waypoints. The altar sits on this elevated spot in the swamps, requiring some navigation to locate the exact rise. Azmodan, the Lord of Sin, claims his altar in Hawezar's murky terrain. Bring the Purified Tongue of Azmodan to complete your offerings.
Making Your Offerings
Travel to each altar with its matching Purified Essence and interact with it. The altar consumes the essence from your inventory once you offer it. You can do these in any order, but nothing happens until you've completed all four.
After you place the fourth and final essence, a portal opens up. This gateway leads to the hidden realm where the secret boss encounter waits. Step through when you're ready for the fight.
The Secret Boss Fight
Inside the Hidden Realm
The portal takes you to a dedicated arena that exists outside normal Sanctuary zones. This is where all four Lesser Evils gather for your challenge.
How the Fight Works
The Lesser Evils start with some dialogue before the action begins. Then you fight them in pairs. First up is Andariel and Belial together. After you take them down, Duriel and Azmodan step up for round two.
You're facing:
- Andariel, Maiden of Anguish
- Belial, Lord of Lies
- Duriel, Lord of Pain
- Azmodan, Lord of Sin
Fighting two bosses at once means dealing with overlapping mechanics and attack patterns. Make sure you're geared for endgame content and ready to handle multiple threats simultaneously. Strong defensive stats and good mobility help when you're dodging attacks from two sources.
What You Get for Winning
Beat all four Lesser Evils and a chest spawns in the middle of the arena. The loot inside makes the entire grind worth it.
Here's what drops:
- Resplendent Spark - You get one guaranteed. These are valuable endgame materials for crafting and progression.
- Tribute of Ascendance - Another guaranteed drop for endgame purposes.
- Ancestral Unique Items - Over 20 of them. This is one of the biggest single sources of Ancestral Uniques in the entire game.
- Runes - Multiple runes for your crafting needs.
- Corrupted Essences - Various standard Corrupted Essences (not the Purified versions).
- Shield Crest of Exile - A mount trophy cosmetic to show off your accomplishment.
The combination of a guaranteed Resplendent Spark, Tribute of Ascendance, and massive quantities of Ancestral Uniques makes this encounter incredibly valuable for character progression. Few other activities dump this much high-end gear at once.
Farming Tips and Strategy
Getting Your Essences Faster
Lair Boss fights give you reliable, repeatable access to specific Lesser Evils, even though the Purified drops stay rare. If you can spam Lair Bosses, you'll eventually get what you need.
For Duriel, take advantage of the Season 11 Helltide Boss replacement while it lasts. If you're already running Helltides, this gives you extra chances without dedicating separate farm time.
Azmodan requires showing up for World Boss events. Check the spawn schedule and make sure you're available when he appears in Hawezar. Missing these windows means waiting for the next one.
If you've stockpiled Tributes of Andariel, use them in The Undercity for guaranteed encounters. This removes RNG from at least one essence farm.
Managing the Collection Process
These essences are extremely rare. One source calls them "excessively rare drops," so adjust your expectations. This isn't a quick farm. You'll be killing these bosses many times.
Keep track of which essences you've already collected so you can focus your efforts. No point running Andariel if you've already got her claw sitting in your stash.
Since the portal only spawns after all four offerings are complete, there's no rush to visit the altars. Some players prefer collecting all four essences first, then making a single trip to each region to minimize travel time.
Locating the Altars
Use the waypoints mentioned in each description as starting points. The altars are hidden in remote areas, so you'll need to explore beyond main paths and common farming zones.
Look for the environmental markers listed. Altars sit near strongholds, dungeon entrances, city ruins, or between specific waypoints. These landmarks help narrow your search area considerably.
Preparing for Combat
You're fighting two bosses at once in each phase, which means double the mechanics to track. Your build needs to handle multiple threat sources without falling apart.
Area damage helps when you're fighting paired bosses, but don't neglect single-target focus since you still need to burn through their health pools efficiently.
Survivability matters more than usual. Two sets of boss mechanics running simultaneously means more danger zones, more attack patterns, and more ways to get caught out of position. Stack some defensive stats and make sure you've got mobility to reposition quickly.
Common Questions
Yes. Each Lesser Evil can drop their Purified Essence from any of their available encounters. Andariel drops the Purified Claw from both Lair Boss fights and The Undercity, for example.
No. You need all four offerings to trigger the portal, but you can do them in any sequence. Plan your route based on waypoint efficiency rather than worrying about a specific order.
Since order doesn't matter, many players start in Fractured Peaks or Hawezar because those altars have clearer landmark descriptions. Pick whatever makes sense for your travel pattern.
This varies wildly because of the low drop rates. Some players get lucky and collect all four relatively quickly. Others grind for hours before seeing all four essences drop. RNG is RNG.
Since nothing happens until all four are offered, most players wait until they've collected everything before making the altar runs. Saves you from traveling across Sanctuary multiple times.
Final Thoughts
Season 11's Purified Essences secret ranks among Diablo 4's most involved hidden content. The farming takes time, the altars require exploration, and the boss fight tests your skills against multiple Lesser Evils at once. But the rewards justify everything.
A guaranteed Resplendent Spark and Tribute of Ascendance alone make this worthwhile. Add in over 20 Ancestral Uniques and you've got one of the best loot hauls available in Season 11. Few encounters match this level of reward density.
Here's your roadmap: Farm all four Purified Essences from Lesser Evil bosses across their various content types. Track down the four hidden altars in Nahantu, Fractured Peaks, Kehjistan, and Hawezar. Offer each essence at its matching altar. Fight through the paired Lesser Evil encounters. Claim your massive pile of endgame loot.
This is the kind of secret that rewards players who dig into seasonal content and chase down every hidden mechanic. If you're pushing endgame progression in Season 11, this encounter should be on your checklist.