Sarevok is basically reduced to a speedbump for the real boss
(Orin) Hell, setting aside that Larian wrote him as a zealot, they did the same with Amelyssan cameo as well, when she was trying to *usurp* Bhaal. That was part of the big twist of Throne of Bhaal, after all. Does it strike anyone else as a bit offputting that two of the three endgame bosses are effectively henchmen in BG III? Sarevok even gets called a cast off failure or equivalent multiple times. For a game whoose foundation is firmly planted in nostalgia to the older games, it feels very superficial at times, and almost insecure how it has to cast it's forebearers into its shadows to 'prove' itself (narratively and otherwise). What's wrong with the events of BG I+II being an epic, adventure, why does BG III need to one-up them? It shouldn't be a competition.
Viconia really takes the cake though.
Larian really punched down against her the way they wrote her. Rewrote her to be far more evil (and not in a fun, campy way, or a nuanced way) She's a one-dimensionall zealot like Sarevok, a megalomaniacal fanatic compared to her more personal faith of the original games. They took her worst ending then twisted it to remove the personal tragedy aspect (getting turned on by those she trusted once more), losing Shar's favor, and going on to perform heroic deeds (working with Drizzt, defending Calmiport, being accepted by the surface elves and honored by the queen of Suldanessalar) Instead she murdered all of her followers out of devotion to Shar (whom, she emphasizes, were loyal and trusted her) So she could devote her life to abducting and torturing a young girl and her parents for several decades. What. The. Hell. Larian.
And to top it off, Shadowheart's quest puts her on a collision course with Viconia no matter what. The two big outcomes being either Shadowheart usurps the weak, pathetic Viconia who has lost Shar's favor, so Shar's *real* champion can rise (Shadowheart) or Shadowheart strikes back against her tormentor in a triumph of self-liberation, Viconia once again is revealed to be weak and pathetic (there's even a variation of the 'you have no power over me' thing where Shadowheart turns from her after besting her, leaving you to choose to let her scurry away or take your cathartic vengeance against her one final step further.
Like, Viconia in BG III is just written as this giant PoS you aren't even remotely supposed to sympathize with or respect. Like seriously, even Kahga had more humanizing moments. Her character in BG III reads like a hate fic. Seriously I'd compare it to Khalid's treatment in the infamous novelizations.
The treatment of Sarevok and Vic in this game is awful. Compare to the pure fanservice that is Jaheria and especially Minsc.
