This is why it's too bad to hear Astarion is so obviously evil.
that is an opinion that is not shared by everyone. if you dig deeper into astarion there is a justification for a lot of his behavior. a lot of people confuse self-serving with evil, but as i said, once you dig deep enough, you understand all the motivations behind a lot of what he does or says, & he is by far the best romance option & the only one that even acts like a romance even happened after the fact. with the right options, there are chances to read his mind, dig much deeper, see how truly damaged, regretful & pained & just plain sad he really is, & to have him open up to you about the horrific things he has been through, had to do, or had done to him. he has many, many, many layers & definitely puts up a wall & acts a certain way to hide what is behind it all... & of course, he is hands down, the funniest character, with the best dialogue & an amazing voice, which easily makes him the most interesting companion & the one i sympathise/empathise with the most... so there's that lol (in other words, not everyone believes he is the most evil, & again, there's a difference between being evil & being more interested in your own freedom & survival than any other concerns).
Just keep in mind that the game is designed for you to interpret each character differently based on your playthrough. When I play the game he is very solidly chaotic evil where his approvals over my pc's evil actions are because it is entertaining to him, not because he agrees my pc is darkly justified.
Oddly enough though Astarion's romance IS certainly the most romantic, but I also feel he's just skilled in that regard, which keeps open the opportunity for betrayal if things go south. Luring people and keeping them charmed was his job.
