There are many base items in the game that have no unique versions, especially Elites. Instead of overhauling existing uniques, another cool idea is the devs could introduce new unique items from D1 to preserve lore and nostalgia. Here are a few D1 uniques that would be cool to see:
Weapons:
Aguinara’s Hatchet
Gibbous Moon
Shadowhawk
Hammer of Jholm
The Celestial Star
Bow of the Dead
Staff of Shadows
Armor:
The Rainbow Cloak
Leather of Aut
Nightscape
Demonspike Coat
Overlord’s Helm
Fool’s Crest
Royal Circlet
The following are a list of all unique weapons in Diablo I. The base item stats are not included: see List of Normal Weapons (Diablo I) for base item stats (such as base weapon damage, durability, etc). They are organized first by weapon type and...
The following are a list of all unique armors in Diablo I, including chest, helm, and shield armor. The base item stats are not included: see List of Normal Armor (Diablo I) for base item stats (such as armor rating, durability, etc). They are...
Below is a list of base items with no unique versions, courtesy of TrangOul…
Base Items w/ No Unique Versions
Here you are:
Aerin Shield
Obtained by getting all armor and weapon item codes (armor.txt, weapons.txt) and removing enabled unique items’ base item codes (uniqueitems.txt).