Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Story & Character Discussion Favourite characters and storylines

Personally, my favorite is Shadowheart, and her redemption story arc. Never had her stay with Shar, it is not a good fit for her anyways, based on what makes her happy which triggers her "Mark of Discipline" (what she calls her 'wound'). I do like her sarcasm
Gale, and the challenge to keep him grounded and not to make the same mistake he made in the past. With him he is... "what you see, is what you get" kind of person.
Wyll, despite his poor choices of power per say, he is an honorable man. Like shaming him about his warning about Raphie, while packed to Mazora.

I just can not stand Laez'zel. I either let Shadowheart kill her, or just do not bother with her at all, and kill her with the pack of other Gith. Laez'zel is a constant threat to the party for her own gain, and appeasement. Plus, the constant Githyanki this, and Githyanki that, Protocols etc. I wish there was a line my Character can tell her that :We are NOT Githyanki and not beholden to their ways." I played quite a few play throughs without Laz'zel the main story runs so much better.
This is not to say the character is not well done, it is very well done, just adds unnecessary complications to the main story and super annoying.

When it comes to the main origin characters, it's hard for me to cast any aside, tbh. Obviously I have a favourite (and I feel annoying just bringing that up, so I won't) but I like the rest. I think Lae'zel has the most complete and satisfying arc, as she is the only one that managed to get a satisfying ending at the docks. She is very charming and compelling in her own way. Classic tsundere if you ask me. Minthara also has a very compelling story. And I know this is controversial but... I like Karlach, and I think her dying is her most complete ending :P I like it for that reason!

In terms of storylines, I honestly think that outside of the companions the storylines aren't that interesting... I'd have to say Ketheric is the most compelling I can think of. Orin had the potential to similarly be compelling, but I think she was either rushed or flanderised or both, and you just get a glimpse of it and kind of have to fill in the gaps and put in that effort yourself. (Don't get me wrong, I love her, she is beautiful and I'm always up for that kind of crazy character- I'm just saying her storyline is extremely flat.)

Do speak about your favourite if you want to. I think if we stopped seeing it as some sort of competition, the attitude and atmosphere would be so much more pleasant. Someone else can roleplay their character and story and like other things than I do and I can do whatever I like in my game.

The poster above strongly dislikes my favourite and will often let her die or kill her, and I have no ill feelings towards them. I am not going to try to convince them and win them over to my "team". It's not like she ends up dead in my games because of what they do in their game.


Think of it as masturbating with a cheese grater, it's not for everyone and it takes a while to get into it.

I agree with a lot of the popular views about the companions, at least the ones I've gone with, but one I haven't seen as much on is Shadowheart. Early on in the game I said "I don't have a problem with you worshipping Shar," probably because I as a player misinterpreted Shar's evil, and Shadowheart had already been a pretty decent companion. Right from the start of the game, she and my character seemed like really good friends, except for act 2 where she gets really zealoty. Turning her to the light and seeing her come out as such a nice person is a wonderful way to finish her story.

Again with NPCs that haven't been mentioned as much here yet, Alfira. The first encounter when we wrote Weeping Dawn together is one of the first times I fleshed out my bard's personality, and then it was great having all the tieflings so pleased to see me at Last Light. But the cutscene when I rescued Lakrissa is the best part. I've never felt more like a hero in a video game than watching the relief in Alfira's voice and gestures, for completing an optional side mission. And not to forget my character beaming with pride as she settles into Baldur's Gate.

It took me a while to get to like Barcus Wroot because he seems annoying at first. But when you look back on his plot and Wulbren, it is a great one. I was willing to listen to Wulbren until... I don't remember when, but pretty late on. Certainly into act 3.

I never really liked Kagha that much, she's OK but just reminded me too much of certain politicians. "All our problems are caused by these refugees..."

Not much of a character arc, but I always liked visiting the Yorkshire quartermaster at the Last Light. A short bit of one of the most evocative tunes in the game, then such a nice, soft accent from the voice actor.

With the big bads, I love it when Ketheric Thorm goes "You! What... have you done... to... me?" Like most people here, I'd agree he's the best of the three main villains. Raphael is so well acted, that I think it's a good thing that whenever he spoke I was thinking "You smarmy git, let me go!"

I wonder if my attitude to him was influenced by my (then) last D&D game, where people kept saying "Don't make deals with devils!" I can imagine this being something you teach kids in a D&D world, like the equivalent of "Don't get into a car with a stranger"

I like all origins and Jaheira and Minsc. I do like what I saw of Minthara. I managed to get her twice on a good playthrough, but first time,she was bugged and didn't say too much. Second time we are still in act 2.

I don't like Halsin, he stays in camp for Orin. I did actually forgot about him in my last playthrough and just went to do other stuff before going to the Bhaal temple.

I think this game has a bunch of memorable side characters,more than I ever remember in another game,apart from Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines, which is still in lead for me character wise.

Halsin just isn't for me in terms of romance and attraction. What I've seen of his romance it seems pretty fine and wholesome. But if I don't have him as a love interest, there just isn't much to do with him as a companion in act 3, apart from watching him crack walnuts with his ass cheeks.

I like his epilogue and learning about him finding his new purpose helping people building new lives. His little gift is cute and hugging him makes for nice and fuzzy warm feelings.

I had a good laugh, thank you

Halsin is my absolute favorite. I love the twist that despite being so devoted to nature, he actually isn't that good at being a Druid, as shown by his belief that undead/vampires deserve to live like anyone else (a distinctly un-Druidic belief; even Jaheira has lines saying she beat the crap out of some vampires once to the point that Cazador warned Astarion to stay away from her part of the city). I love his guilt and trauma, interspersed with his kindness. And I have a soft spot for healer characters. Before I played Baldur's Gate, my favorite video game was Trauma Center, for precisely the reason that you were trying to save people instead of kill them. Halsin is like every character trait I love rolled into one.

The worst part about Karlach's death for me was, that I couldn't keep my promise to her and instead of being at her side, had to hide from the tyrant sun in the shadow of some crates.

Halsin isn't for me either, he's alright as a npc or neutral-approval companion who sits in camp and whittles. But I do like Minthara and am very glad we can now save her on goodish runs. Her dialogues are among the most memorable in the game and her recruitment at Moonrise along with her retelling of how she got trapped by the Absolute are the game's best horror moments. I wish Durge had the intensity of Minthara's tale.

It's also nice that the start of Minthy's romance can double as a scene of friendly bonding. Especially with Gale, Lae'zel and Shadowheart I enjoy the conversation because I think they can relate to having their destiny laid out for them at an early age. Talking about Shadow, I like the wine scene with her. For Avatar-Astarion and -Gale it's nice because they are given an opportunity to talk with a friend about their past, and for Avatar-Lae'zel the scene is plain adorable.

Ketheric is great too. I love how absolutely done he is with everything.


Especially when I am plaining the people-pleasing wizard as my player character, I would really like that option, more though I would love to be able to tell a romanced Astarion that he saved my life though, I mean, I can tell Mystra. But those are points on my list of very niche requests. XD

One day we should make a thread called "Our BG3 dream editions", in which we imagine a world in which for some reason they did everything exactly how we wanted them to.
I'd have a bunch of absolutely trivial petitions in it. Like making Cazador short.

In the spirit of this thread, I like the potential of the Aylin storyline. It's clear that after killing Lorroakan she's supposed to have a sort of... corruption arc? I like that.

Why would you make Cazador short? As a shorty player: We are way better than him and don't want him
I would have however leaned even more into his pathetic book keeper side.

I think, some of the companions would have been great as shorties. The only ones, that have story connection with their race are Lae'zel, Karlach and maybe Wyll ( Duke Ravenguard is an important NPC in Ascend to Avernus and I guess, he is described as a human there?). The rest could have been anything.

I also like when characters have flaws. I don't like when they are all sanded down and have all their edges and imperfections smoothed out.

Some of the things that annoy people about the companions are precisely the reason I like them.

I don't mean short as in a short-race, just a short elf. A 5'6 elf. As to why? Well, just because. I never said they were logical petitions :P

Halsin would need to be a long-lived race I suppose (though druid longevity could explain it).

But dwarf Shadowheart, halfling Astarion and gnome Gale would be adorable 3>

Ideal height for petting Tara. ^^

I mean, there are mods for halfling Gale and gnome Astarion, I'm planning on using them after my HM run. And you can have Shadowhearts face for gnomes - and I'm not kidding, it looks much better on a gnome than on a half elf.

Halsin could be a gnome or a dwarf - gnomes live up to 500 years, dwarves up to 350 years. That should fit, I guess. I think, there is a mod too ...


jinet: Ah, ok. I think, someone made a mod for heights, maybe after patch 7, you can customise NPCs.

He drank so much normal blood, he eventually developed a taste for the exotic. One dead cleric and a curse by a particularly petty god later, he had lost 4 inches in both departments.

Gnome Astarion would be so much internalised racism (but what's another issue in Astarion's long list of demons he is struggling with?)

I think I'll just start my own thread so we don't derail this one with the comments about Shortie Cazador :P

I forgot to shout out Jaheira earlier: I don't think she has that much of a storyline here, but nevertheless, I think the new angle on her characterisation (being older, her family etc) was interesting and very well executed.

SHe has quite a lot going on in act 3 - and do take her to House of Grief and the Bhaal tribunal, best together with Minsc. They have some fun liens of old auqqaintances.