TL;DR
- Hatred’s Wake is the third main story quest in Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred — it unlocks right after completing Last of the Horadrim
- The entire quest takes place aboard a ship sailing to the Skovos Isles
- You’ll fight Merfolk, Water Aberrations, and a Calamitous Crab before reaching the top deck
- The quest ends with a full boss fight against the Hateborn Abomination, a giant sea serpent
- The boss has a phase 2 transition at 50% health — it channels lightning and retreats into the ocean
- Completing the quest unlocks Crown of the Twin Seas and drops you in Skovos
Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred is Blizzard’s second premium expansion for Diablo IV, and Hatred’s Wake is one of its most action-packed early quests. It’s the game’s way of easing you into the water-themed enemies you’ll face across Skovos — and it does so aboard a ship that never stops throwing things at you.
This walkthrough covers every objective, every enemy wave, the Calamitous Crab mini-boss, and a full breakdown of the Hateborn Abomination boss fight. No fluff, just the path through.
How to Unlock Hatred’s Wake in Diablo 4 Lord of Hatred
You unlock Hatred’s Wake automatically after finishing the Last of the Horadrim quest. There’s no extra step required. The quest begins the moment you board the ship headed for the Skovos Isles.
If you haven’t played the Vessel of Hatred expansion yet, it’s worth doing that first. Lord of Hatred is a direct continuation of that story, and Hatred’s Wake references characters and events from it directly.
Hatred’s Wake Full Quest Objectives
Here’s the complete list of objectives in order:
- Speak with Lorath aboard the ship
- Slay the Merfolk
- Enter the ship and pursue the Hand of Akarat
- Speak with the sailor
- Slay the remaining Merfolk
- Destroy the Briny Debris covering the armaments (0/3)
- Slay the Water Aberrations
- Slay the Water Aberrations and the remaining Merfolk
- Find a way to the top deck
- Defeat the Calamitous Crab
- Reach the top deck to find the Hand of Akarat
- Confront the Hand of Akarat
- Slay the Hateborn Abomination
- Speak with Lorath
Hatred’s Wake Step-by-Step Walkthrough
Speak With Lorath at the Stern of the Ship
The quest kicks off at the stern of the ship. Lorath opens up about where you’re headed — he’s got a connection to Queen Adreona of Skovos, and he’s banking on that to get you both into the isles. He also mentions the Sightless Eye, an artifact that once belonged to the Oracle of Skovos, which Neyrelle believes could help.
The conversation gets cut short. The Hand of Akarat — the same faction you clashed with at the docks of Backwater — shows up on the ship. Merfolk come with them.
Defend Yourself — Slay the Merfolk on Deck
The Merfolk attack immediately. They’re not difficult. Use whatever you have and clear the deck. At this point in the expansion, you’re still getting warmed up, and the Merfolk here match that difficulty.
Once the deck is clear, Lorath heads inside. Follow him through the door and into the Middle Deck.
Enter the Ship — Save the Sailors and Pursue the Hand of Akarat
Inside, you’ll find sailors under attack by more Merfolk. Help them out. The Merfolk here are the same as the ones on deck — no surprises.
After clearing them, you’ll get a brief scene with a superstitious sailor who’s concerned about a cat being brought aboard. It’s a light moment in an otherwise hectic quest. After the dialogue, keep moving.
Destroy Briny Debris and Clear the Middle Deck
This is where the quest gets a little busier.
You need to destroy three sets of Briny Debris covering the ship’s armaments. These are basically encrustations stuck to the cannons — just attack them directly. If you’re playing Warlock and have Umbral Chains equipped, there’s a good chance your AoE clears the debris without you ever targeting it specifically.
Alongside the debris, more Merfolk push in. Clear them as you go.
Slay the Water Aberrations
Once the Merfolk are handled, the room fills with Water Aberrations — the water elementals that show up constantly throughout the Lord of Hatred expansion. This is your first real introduction to them.
Their main threat is a dash attack. They turn themselves into waves and slide across the ground to knock you back. It’s not devastating, but it can interrupt your flow if you’re not ready for it. Keep moving and punish them between dashes.
Multiple waves spawn. A Water Wyrm eventually appears alongside more Merfolk. Just keep fighting through it all until the room is empty.
Find a Way to the Top Deck
With the Middle Deck cleared, you need to get to the top of the ship. This section acts as a short platforming tutorial for Lord of Hatred’s jump and climb mechanics.
Don’t worry — you can’t fail this part. The prompts guide you up, and there’s no way to fall off. Just follow the indicators and you’ll reach the top deck quickly.
How to Defeat the Calamitous Crab
When you get to the back of the lower ship area, a Calamitous Crab blocks your path. It’s a large boss-style enemy — not as involved as the Hateborn Abomination, but it’s your first real test in this quest.
Calamitous Crab Attacks:
- A watery line blast that rotates through a quarter of the room
- A dashing melee attack that ends in an AoE swing
- An AoE roar that splashes water in a large area around it
- Claws slamming down into a large watery zone — stay out of that one
Tips:
- Watch for the claw slam — the windup is visible, so dodge before it hits
- Keep moving to avoid the rotating water blast
- The crab is aggressive but not complex. Burn it down and stay mobile
After it dies, Lorath appears. Speak with him to continue and then make your way up to the top deck.
Confront the Hand of Akarat on the Top Deck
Once you reach the top deck, you find the Hand of Akarat. The confrontation plays out in a short scene — the Hand sacrifices himself to trigger what comes next. It’s a story beat, not a fight.
What comes next is the main event.
How to Defeat the Hateborn Abomination (Hatred’s Wake Final Boss)
The Hateborn Abomination is the first true campaign boss of Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred. It’s a massive sea serpent created by Mephisto, and it comes up from the ocean to board your ship.
This is not a hard boss fight, but it’s aggressive and punishing if you stand in the wrong place. It has three health checkpoints that reward you with health potions as you push through them.
Hateborn Abomination Phase 1 Attacks
- Water Cannon Blast — A pressurized stream of water. Dodge to the side
- Tailswipe — A wide melee swipe. Get out of melee range when it telegraphs this
- Storm Attack — Called by a charge animation before it hits a large area
- Charge Attack — A basic dash across the deck. It moves fast, so track its position
- Summons Abyssal Serpents — Smaller sea serpents join the fight. Handle them quickly so they don’t pile up
- Large Water Bolt — A slow, heavy projectile. Step to the side
Important: Being hit by any water attack applies a Slow debuff. That’s the main threat here. A slowed character takes more hits, and hits add up. Don’t get caught in water.
The boss can’t be locked down by Dark Prison. However, if you’re playing Warlock, the Tormented Wretch appears to build stun stacks fast on this enemy.
Hateborn Abomination Phase 2 (50% Health)
When the Hateborn Abomination drops to around 50% health, a long phase transition begins. The boss retreats into the ocean and channels lightning bolt AoEs across the entire top deck. It also summons more Merfolk during this window.
Keep moving constantly. The lightning blasts fire fast at first. Just dodge and kite the Merfolk until the serpent resurfaces.
Once it comes back, the lightning blasts continue — but they slow down. The fight is the same as Phase 1 with that added lightning pressure in the background. Keep wearing it down.
Hateborn Abomination Loot
After defeating it, collect your loot. There’s a chance the Dangerous Catch cosmetic (a mount trophy for your horse) drops here. It’s not guaranteed, but worth checking your loot before moving on.
Speak with Lorath. A cutscene plays, and you arrive in Skovos — the main region of the Lord of Hatred expansion. Crown of the Twin Seas is now your next main quest.
Tips Before You Start Hatred’s Wake
- Don’t rush the Middle Deck — the Water Aberrations spawn in waves. Wait for each wave to end before repositioning
- Destroy the Briny Debris actively — if you skip them, the objective won’t tick
- Stock health potions before boarding the ship — there’s no waypoint mid-quest, and the boss fight can catch newer players off guard
- Avoid water attacks throughout the entire quest — the Slow debuff stacks and can leave you standing in damage you can’t escape
- If this is your first time through the expansion, check out these tips before starting Lord of Hatred to avoid common mistakes
What Comes Before and After Hatred’s Wake
Previous quest: Last of the Horadrim — this also unlocks the Talisman system
Next quest: Crown of the Twin Seas — begins the moment you land in Skovos after the cutscene
Hatred’s Wake is the third quest in the Lord of Hatred campaign and one of the more self-contained ones. The entire thing happens aboard a single ship. It’s essentially a gauntlet that introduces you to the water enemy faction before you face them in force across Skovos.
Hatred’s Wake and the Lord of Hatred Story So Far
Lorath is heading back to Skovos for the first time in years. His connection to Queen Adreona is the key to getting an audience and tracking down a weapon originally made by Lilith. The Hand of Akarat — a fanatical religious faction — is working against you at every step.
Mephisto is already ahead. He’s had days of head start on the Skovos Isles, and the Hand of Akarat’s attack on the ship is his doing. The Hateborn Abomination is his creation, summoned through one of his Hands to stop you before you can even reach shore.
For a full breakdown of where this fits in the bigger picture, see our Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred review and our full Lord of Hatred walkthrough hub.
Best Class for Hatred’s Wake
Any class can handle this quest without difficulty. That said, a few notes per class:
- Warlock — Tormented Wretch builds stun stacks quickly on the Hateborn Abomination. Umbral Chains can destroy Briny Debris passively. The class handles this quest particularly smoothly. See our Warlock class guide for build help
- Paladin — The Paladin’s defensive tools make the boss fight very forgiving. If you’re struggling with the Slow debuff from water attacks, Paladin sustain is a reliable answer. Full breakdown in our Paladin class guide
- All other classes — The quest is balanced around early campaign power. As long as your build is active, you’ll be fine
If you’re still figuring out your build at this point in the expansion, check out our best starter build guide for a solid foundation heading into Skovos.
FAQ — Diablo 4 Lord of Hatred Hatred’s Wake
How do you unlock Hatred’s Wake in Diablo 4?
You unlock Hatred’s Wake by completing the previous main story quest, Last of the Horadrim. It starts automatically once that quest ends and you board the ship to Skovos.
What is the boss in Hatred’s Wake?
The final boss of Hatred’s Wake is the Hateborn Abomination — a giant sea serpent created by Mephisto. It has two phases, summons Abyssal Serpents, and starts channeling lightning at the 50% health transition.
How do you defeat the Hateborn Abomination in Diablo 4?
Keep moving to avoid the Slow debuff from its water attacks. Burn it to 50%, then dodge the lightning phase until it returns. After it resurfaces, continue dealing damage while avoiding the now-persistent lightning blasts until it dies.
What is the Calamitous Crab in Diablo 4 Lord of Hatred?
The Calamitous Crab is a large boss-style enemy that blocks your path at the back of the ship’s lower deck. It uses rotating water blasts, claw slams, and AoE roars. Avoid standing in the large watery zone when it slams its claws down, and focus DPS between its attacks.
What do you get for completing Hatred’s Wake?
Completing Hatred’s Wake unlocks the Crown of the Twin Seas quest and drops you into Skovos. The Hateborn Abomination can also drop the Dangerous Catch cosmetic, a mount trophy for your horse.
What quest comes after Hatred’s Wake?
The quest that follows Hatred’s Wake is Crown of the Twin Seas, which begins in Skovos immediately after the end-of-quest cutscene.
Where to Buy Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred
Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred is available on Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, and Battle.net. It requires the Diablo IV base game and an internet connection to play.
For a look at what the full expansion offers before you buy, see our Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred review and the Solace Beyond Sight walkthrough for what comes later in the campaign.
