Honestly, after experiencing some of the other companions’ endings, I feel like the creators of the game intentionally make it so that there isn’t a happy ending for anyone. There is always some kind of painful trade-off, deeply imperfect resolutions. Sacrifices that have to be made. And since they said that the Karlach death ending was planned from the start, they’re probably still taking that approach to her as well. It seems like they want her to have the painful trade-off between being alive and being in Avernus, etc. Sad to say. This may all be as intended. That still leaves her underdeveloped quest-line. Not sure whether that was a part of the creative vision.
I wouldn't put karlachs ending as it is now anywhere near a happy ending with the open ended cliffhanger. Wyl inspite of making deals with devils knowingly and willingly giving up his soul still gets an ending where he makes up with his dad and gets to keep being the blade of frontiers with barely any problems other than the horns. Gale ends up as a professor in the school of magic. Sure they gsve up something so it's not a perfect happy ending but it's actually satisfying how they end. Karlach doesn't get an option that ends with yea she can live in baldurs gate but she wont be able to fight as well or rage like she used to. All she gets is a cliffhanger that the player has to take and run with to give her a happy ending. The others don't get that kind of poor treatment other than Maybe astarion but idk all his endings.
