Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Story & Character Discussion Is Astarion really a pansexual?

I agree that they were victims, but didn't you get the sense that Astarion was saddened by something more? A sense of what could have been, maybe?

I got the feeling--and this is just my feeling--that Astarion had a connection with him. Not love, perhaps, because there wasn't enough time to build love, but a moment where he saw the possibility. But his curse forced him to betray his own emotional needs and remove any chance he could have had of exploring something more.

Granted, in time, he became numb to the sexual encounters. Which is exactly what makes Sebastian stand out.

Look, PEOPLE THIS IS NOT A THREAD ABOUT ONGOING ROMANCE WITH ASTARION.

IT IS ABOUT THE ABSENCE OF A SINGLE WOMAN REPRESENTED IN ASTARION'S PAST. And that if feels out of place for a female to romance him, based on the facts presented in the game. IT IS ABOUT HIS PAST PRIOR TO MEETING PC.

Curiously, when does Astarion flirt with Shadowheart and Lae'zel? Which lines are the ones where he's flirting? I recall Lae'zel implying that she would have sex with Astarion in early access... but I'm not thinking of anything truly flirtatious that Astarion says to either Shadowheart or Lae'zel.

Why do I have to make a male character just to romance him so it doesn't feel out place. Romance should have been made to feel equally satisfying for both males and females.

It is hard not to see him as preferring males because of everything in his story prior to PC. And you and I can assume whatever we want, but this is what the game actually shows us. Even if it just 3 of them, it doesn't change the fact that there is not a single woman in there. None out no matter how many. You can tell that I'm basing my opinion on just 3 out 1000, yes I am, because that is what you get in the game. So I based his prior history not on my wishes or assumptions, but on what is actually in the game.

What comes after meeting PC has no bearing here, because my complaint is about his PAST and not his PRESENT romance with PC.

I do not think it is the same person at all. Astarion said that he couldn't make himself bring that darling boy to Casador, so he ran. And then was caught and locked up for it.

I was going to reply further + respond to some folks/make my early morning brain-fuzz post try to make a bit more sense, but... to be honest, I'm getting a lot of icky bi/panphobic vibes from much of the discussion.

So I'll just stand by my earlier assessment of Astarion's preferences based on his story and behavior towards both male and female characters, and say that sexuality in general - especially for bi/pansexual folks like myself and a few others in this thread - isn't always super clear-cut and exactly 100% one way or 50% both ways.

I think his story and the display of his past victims/potential old flames-lovers-whatever, is still fine. I think of the lot, Astarion is written probably the best out of the companions and written respectfully to the themes and issues present in his story. And that any feelings to the contrary are, respectfully, likely a person's own perceptions or biases more than anything. And it's fine to have those! Not so fine to be combative and argumentative with others who don't share them.

As a female, I never felt out of place romancing him. I don’t like assuming anyone’s sexuality based on their past or whatever gender they liked to seek out the most lol. If they're into you, they're into you. In Astarion's case, it was mostly his survival instinct.

I skimmed this thread and I can already see people going around in circles. You want to know why? Because the discussion of sexuality in this game is only going to lead to nowhere, especially when it's been made clear that everyone is playersexual. Astarion has nods to both genders, and I don't need to pull up a dialogue snippet - you can play the game yourself and clearly see it.

If we're talking about the past, wasn’t there also a line about Minthara having a high priestess as her first lover? Orin is also hinted to be a former lover of hers, in a very abusive kind of way. Should they also change “high priestess” to “high priest”, so men can feel better about romancing her? Don’t answer that lol. It’s just something to consider since you're so insistent about the gender ratio. “Handsome” is gender neutral btw, and that is a fact.

All in all, if you made this thread in hopes for them to change the gender of one of his past “lovers” (if you can even call it that) so you can feel better about romancing him as a female - I can only say good luck. I bet part of the reason why Larian made everyone playersexual to begin with is to prevent these arguments from even happening.

That's fare.
We all see the world differently

Okay, The Composer gave a warning a page ago that this thread would be locked if folk kept posting with nothing new to say.

And with thanks to everyone who has contributed thoughtfully and calmly, a reminder that lots of words in caps comes across as shouting which is not okay, and we should all recognise when others understand our point but just disagree with it, and move on. Particularly when it’s a topic that very obviously has the potential to attract comments that are going to impact on very personal aspects of folks’ real lives.

I tend to have less patience when it’s the OP who created a thread who is pushing the boundaries, so locking now.