Originally Posted by Montymek
I recently finished the game and since the Emperor seemed to me to be one of the most interesting characters, I was wondering if I could learn something more here. And here it is! Thanks to the author of this thread for a lot of interesting reading. As someone who didn't play EA I had no idea about Daisy, and I thought that the whole decision between Emperor and Orpheus was weird. Like many things in Act 3, which is sad sad

I'm quite surprised how many people hate the Emperor think ... why? He helps you from the beginning of the game to the end. When you treat him well, he treats you well too. He will never let you down, not even once. Maybe it's because people don't know much about githyanki. This is not about deciding between good and evil! But about deciding what is the lesser evil for you.

Thank you for your post, lovely to see fellow Emperor appreciators. I agree that he is one of BG3's most interesting characters (if not the most interesting). I have always enjoyed multi-layered characters and the Emperor is one of the more complex characters I've encountered in games.

I've often wondered if that many actually hate the Emperor; I think as with many online communities, those that are angry tend to be louder about it. Their rage probably stems from a variety of different places, for some it's possibly a feeling of disempowerment due to being deceived at the beginning, which is exacerbated by the narrative that forces players to work with him until the end. Others know little of Orpheus, and only see a prisoner that needs to be freed. I could go on.

I think one of the most rewarding things about appreciating the Emperor is that in exploring the nuances, one is forced to revisit old presumptions, not just about good and evil, but also about prejudices, identity, growth and change... It's been really fascinating for me.

So kudos to Larian for making such a compelling character.