You’ll need to keep track of a lot of stats in Diablo 4, and some of them do not have a clear explanation on the surface. We will explain how thorns affect armor and how to use them effectively.
Diablo 4 Has Thorns? What’s That About?
You can deal some small amounts of damage simply by getting hit by an enemy, and using Thorns as a secondary stat on armor or elixirs is a passive way to deal some damage. Because Thorns do not mitigate damage to squishy characters, they are less useful. As a rogue, I need to avoid damage, not take it and reflect it back. Focus on base armor to protect squishy characters. Related: Diablo 4 World Boss 6-Hour Timer
In Diablo 4, the Druid and Barbarian can fully utilize Thorns. They both soak up damage as they clobber enemies, so aspects based on Thorns or armor with secondary stats reflecting damage can increase DPS. However, for other builds, this stat is generally a waste of space, and pure defense is a better option.