There are plenty of ways for you to increase your gear’s strength in Diablo 4. From upgrading a certain armor piece or weapon to enchanting it with a gem, your gear does not have to remain the same as when you first received it. However, perhaps the best way of powering your equipment is to equip it with an Aspect.
Aspects are passive abilities that can be added to an armor piece or weapon in Diablo 4. These Aspects can be applied to certain gear, and each class has specific Aspects that can only be applied to them.
However, there are also universal Aspects that can be equipped with gear regardless of what class you are using. Fortunately for players, most of your Aspects transfer over to your account, so all of your 10 class slots will have access to those Aspects as you unlock them.
Related: All voice actors for Diablo 4: Full cast list
If you want to learn more about Aspects and what they do in Diablo 4, check out the guide below.
How to start getting Aspects Diablo 4
In order to first start acquiring Aspects in Diablo 4, you need to complete a single dungeon. This will unlock the Codex of Power for your character, which is basically where all of your Aspects are held. Currently, there are over 100 different Aspects to earn, with more likely coming in future seasons of the game.
You can view your Codex of Power through the character menu and see all of the Aspects you currently have available. However, you can also see all owned Aspects by scrolling over to the “Aspects” tab of your inventory.
The Aspects in the Codex of Power are the ones you unlock through completing dungeons, while Aspects in your inventory are ones you have extracted from gear using the Occultist shop. Regardless of the method you use to receive an Aspect, you can then head to an Occultist shop to imprint it onto your gear. This will then add whatever effect the Aspect features to that piece of gear, giving you access to that special ability or buff.
Dungeons are found all around the map in Diablo 4, and look like the icon seen in the image above. Hover over each Dungeon to see which Aspect is found within for completing it.
How to extract Aspects in Diablo 4
In addition to completing dungeons, players can also acquire Aspects by finding random Legendary gear as loot drops. Whenever you loot a Legendary item, it will have a random Aspect already equipped on it. If you want to use that Legendary item, then you gain access to that Aspect as soon as you equip it. However, if you want to use that specific Aspect on a different piece of gear, you can extract it.
This process takes place at the Occultist. At the shop, you can scroll over to the “Extract Aspect” tab and insert the legendary item you want to extract the Aspect from. Extracting the Aspect costs some gold, but after it’s done, that specific Aspect will be placed in your inventory, under the “Aspects” tab. Now, you can equip that Aspect onto a compatible legendary item at the Occultist. This is done on the “Imprint Aspects” tab. Be warned, though, extracting an Aspect from a gear piece will permanently destroy that item. Also, Aspects in your inventory are one-time uses, so after you use it once, it cannot be used again.
How to imprint Aspects in Diablo 4
The easiest Occultist shop to visit is on the western side of the Kyovashad. You can visit the shop there and either choose to imprint an Aspect onto a gear piece using the Codex of Power or an Aspect in your inventory.
Related: How to claim Diablo 4 pre-order bonus content
Imprinting an Aspect onto an item basically means you are replacing an item’s Aspect with a new one. You can select whatever weapon or gear you want to imprint a new Aspect on and place it in the top slot on the screen. Then, select either the Codex of Power box or the Aspect from Inventory box, depending on where your preferred Aspect is located. There’s not much difference in imprinting from the Codex of Power or your inventory. However, the Codex of Power will require rarer materials than if you imprint using an inventory Aspect.
Once your Aspect is selected, you can see what it will cost you in the box at the bottom of the screen. If you have the necessary materials, you can select “Imprint” and your new Aspect will be added.
So, to sum up, you can imprint an Aspect onto an item by selecting one found in your Codex of Power or your inventory. The ones in the Codex of Power are earned through completing dungeons while the ones in your inventory are Aspects that you have extracted from other Legendary items. Extracting Aspects from a weapon or gear piece destroys that item and leaves you with only the Aspect, which can only be used once. Codex of Power Aspects are shared throughout your account.
You should take your time when deciding what gear to imprint an Aspect on, as that will affect your character’s build as a whole. As long as you’re completing dungeons in Diablo 4, you will usually have a solid inventory of Aspects to choose from in the Codex of Power.
