On shadowheart: what baldurs gate companion LOOKED fancy? Portraits wise they all pretty much lookd like people. Besides obvious ones that you get later in the game....
Yes, in BG1/2 the companions were, by and large, "normal" looking, which was fine with me. The OP seems to be disappointed that the BG3 chracters are not in-your-face cinematic icons, with obvious, compelling characters; I don't have that need, though I wouldn't care if they were like that.
Misc is a great example. He is a ranger, but he doesn't look like a typical middle aged man with a beard and shoulder length hair wearing a hood. That would be boring, so they came up with something far more iconic. His look has stood the test of time.
Since we're talking wizards, let's discuss the 3 most common wizards used in BG1. Dynaheir, Edwin, and Xan. Dynaheir has all the layers of jewelry, the over the top pose, and the thick accent. It's very apparent that she's not just some lady. Edwin has the gauntlets with the orbs on the backs of his hands, the sharpened fingernails, the stern look, and the starkly red cloak. Never for a second do you think this guy is there to sell you shoes. Xan was always one of my favorites, even if he is annoying. A chronically depressed elven noble wielding a moon blade that would make Eeyore squirm with jealousy. And an enchanter, which made him less useful but more cool. These are memorable characters that took all of 10 seconds to figure out what they were about.
