Background
Malthael was a gaunt figure, adorned in black robes and armor. As the Archangel of Wisdom, he was once an intelligent and noble being who was said to cherish all life. However, he came to be regarded as melancholic, evasive and even frightening, and was an enigma even to his own kind. He rarely spoke, was slow to anger and could be ponderous and slow to act, but was revered by other angels for his insight. When he did speak, his voice was said to have enraptured other angels through its melody and the wisdom it conveyed. However, as his demeanor darkened, his voice became chilling and could even provoke thoughts of foreboding and feelings of angst. Malthael saw humanity as an "abomination" that shouldn't exist. In his writings, Malthael revealed that he started hearing strange voices calling him to Pandemonium. After learning about the potential and power that humanity had within itself, he concluded them to be abominations as he thought that their ability to have free will was not natural in the order of things between angels and demons.
As the Angel of Death, Malthael became even darker, callously murdering those who opposed him and seeing things in black and white. He saw virtue only in the Light, and had no interest in the concept of the Balance. He was willing to destroy humanity by any means necessary and even went so far as to betray his angelic brethren. His wings, once bright and purple, had become white and wispy, skeletal in their appearance.
Abilities
Trait - Reaper's Mark
Basic Attacks afflict non-Structure targets with Reaper's Mark for 4 seconds. Marked enemies are revealed and take damage equal to 2.5% of their maximum Health every 1 second.
Soul Rip (Q)
Extract the souls of nearby enemies afflicted by Reaper's Mark, dealing 100 damage and healing Malthael for 44 per target hit. Heroic targets heal Malthael for an additional 3% of the Hero's maximum Health.
Wraith Strike (W)
Instantly teleport through an enemy afflicted by Reaper's Mark, dealing 59 damage and refreshing Reaper's Mark.
Death Shroud (E)
After 0.25 seconds, unleash a wave of dark mist that applies Reaper's Mark to enemies it hits.
Tormented Souls (R1)
Gain 20 Armor and unleash a torrent of souls, continually applying Reaper's Mark to nearby enemies for 4 seconds.
Last Rites (R2)
Apply a death sentence to an enemy Hero that, after 2 seconds, deals damage equal to 50% of their missing Health. Repeatable Quest: Enemies killed while under the effect of Last Rites permanently reduce its cooldown by 5 seconds, to a minimum of 15 seconds.
Talents
Level 1
- [W] Death's Reach - Increase Wraith Strike's range by 35%.
- [Z] On a Pale Horse - Gain an additional 20% Movement Speed while mounted
- [Active] Fear the Reaper - Activate to increase Movement Speed by 25% and pass through other units for 4 seconds.
Level 4
- [Q] Die Alone - Soul Rip deals 75% more damage if it hits only one Hero.
- [E] Throwing Shade - [!] Quest: Hit 20 Heroes with Death Shroud. Reward: Permanently increase Death Shroud's range by 33%, and reduce its cooldown by 2 seconds.
- [Trait] Black Harvest - [!] Quest: Apply Reaper's Mark to Heroes for a total of 150 seconds. Reward: Permanently increase Reaper's Mark's duration by 2 seconds.
Level 7
- [Q] Cold Hand - Soul Rip Slows enemies by 20% for 2.5 seconds.
- [W] Mortality - When damaging a Hero, Wraith Strike deals bonus damage equal to 4% of the Hero's maximum Health.
- [Active] Touch of Death - Activate to reduce healing received by Heroes afflicted by Reaper's Mark by 50% for 4 seconds.
Level 13
- [Q] Soul Siphon - Increase Soul Rip's bonus healing from Heroes to 4% of the Hero's maximum Health.
- [Trait] Ethereal Existence - Gain 15 Physical Armor per enemy Hero afflicted by Reaper's Mark, up to a maximum of 45.
- [Active] Inevitable End - Activate to become Unstoppable for 2 seconds, but remove all active Reaper's Marks.
- [Active] Shroud of Wisdom- After 2 seconds, gain 50 Spell Armor for 4 seconds.
Level 16
- [Q] Soul Collector - Reduce Soul Rip's cooldown by 0.5 seconds and increase its range by 50%.
- [W] Massacre - Wraith Strike now damages and applies Reaper's Mark to enemies around its target.
- [Trait] Memento Mori - Reaper's Mark deals 100% increased damage after afflicting an enemy for more than 4 seconds.
Level 20
- [R1] Reaper of Souls - While Tormented Souls is active, Hero Takedowns extend its duration by 4 seconds.
- [R2] Angel of Death - Last Rites heals for 100% of the damage dealt, and its current and future cooldown reduction bonuses are doubled.
- [E] Final Curtain - Death Shroud leaves a trail in its wake for 4 seconds, applying Reaper's Mark to enemies in its area.
- [Active] No One Can Stop Death - Activate while dead to immediately respawn at the Altar but increase Malthael's next respawn time by 25%.
Screenshots
Official Hero Page
Original Appearance