^ I don't like Gale because he feels shoehorned in to being ex-sex buddies with Mystra. I'm new to DnD but I felt like this was some bs. This Rando with Mystra?! Pssh I'd sooner see her with another woman than some Ego maniac who thought he could do something.
As for companions, Alfira for sure, If we can't have Ketheric redemption, then let's go all in for the craziest of them all, Orin. Xeph I've said before; will think of others later.
Gale is just a unoriginal copy of Elminster which was also a powerful wizard, chosen and sex buddy with the previous incarnation of Mystra with a side order from Simbul, another chosen of Mystra who needed to eat magic to stay sane and not kill everyone.
0 Original content from Larian.
And I disagree that any of the companions is well written. Karlach is just there, the little content she has is nice although the main word here is little. Astarion just mopes and reacts without much payoff before act 3 Shadowheart does a spontaneous 180 forsaking her god and her dream because someone she has no reason to trust cried wolf. Wyll has at least story content which is ok although he remains rather calm about what happens which seems strange. Laezel is ok for how she is set up. Jaheira and Minsc are mainly just late. Halsins stiry ends before he becomes a companion and just flops around after that. And Minthara says so little that people are unsure if she is still bugged or not.
None of the companions I consider especially well written. Some are average, some are worse. And my impression is that compared to for example Pathfinder no companion gets much content. And in general Larian reuses plots a lot. Ticking clock -> Gale, Karlach Stuck in abusive relationship -> Wyll, Astarion, partially Shadowheart Being exploited by a parental figure -> Shadowheart, Laezel, maybe also Gale a bit.
