I romance Astarion every time as a female Tav and my thoughts boil down to this:
Sex is a tool for him. Once his traumas broke him down, he never needed an emotional connection to seduce anyone. So, to him, having a gender preference would likely be a barrier for him to use his talents effectively.
I don't think it's likely Larian thought there would be much men interested in romancing Astarion. Since gay/bisexual men are still a minority in any demographic, I'm positive Larian knew their male audience would likely prefer romancing Shadowheart over all others (and if so, they were absolutely correct).
Which means, in my opinion, they knew the primary audience for romancing Astarion would be female. To drive home his pansexuality and reinforce the fact that sex is likely a meaningless prospect for him, they made the suitors most mentioned male.
I think the most important aspect as to why I still believe the female Tav romance to be believable is the way he talks about his previous conquests. None of them have any meaning. Sebastian and the nameless boy are all he can remember. But he LOVES you. He develops and emotional connection with you so strong that he almost refuses to put you in a sexual context until he knows he'll feel something during, making the graveyard scene much more meaningful.
I think the fact that he never talks about his male sexual partners with any fondness but that he can't help stumbling and falling for you speaks to his pansexuality and that female Tav holds great emotional significance; the first woman who ever mattered to him.
Last edited by vx_phoenix_vx; 31/10/23 02:21 PM.
