Summary
Boasting a large amount of content and replayability that can let players run up playtime with ease, it’s no surprise thatBaldur’s Gate 3comes with a rich cast of characters. As such, it’s just as unsurprising that some of these characters also come with tons of discussion surrounding their backstories, development, and motivations, as well as their quests and story endings.
However, not all conversations surrounding these characters are necessarily correct lore-wise or otherwise, and some popular ideas are based on misunderstandings. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the most misunderstood characters inBaldur’s Gate 3, as well as why they’re so misunderstood in the first place - from companions to characters some may not expect.
Warning: This article contains spoilers for Baldur’s Gate 3. This article also divulges consequences within the game and reveals information the player’s character may not know.
10Shadowheart
More Than Just A Shar Worshipper
Shadowheart can be a difficult character to understand, but a particular point of contention often revolves around Shadowheart’s worship of Shar. Those familiar with D&D may especially be confused by her, as it’s no secret in D&D canon that Shar is an evil, selfish god who cares little about her subjects.
However,Baldur’s Gate 3acknowledges that Shar is a cruel goddess. That’s why Shadowheart is pained by a magic wound given to her by Shar, and why those who turned to Shar in the Shadow-Cursed Lands are portrayed negatively. This is also why Shadowheart choosing to become a Dark Justiciar is such a loss to her personally, but also why the game still tries to give her some redemption no matter the path she chooses.
9Lae’zel
Not As Mean As She Seems
Through Lae’zel, players truly get to see the issue of gods manipulating their subjects is a theme inBaldur’s Gate 3. Similarly to Shadowheart,Lae’zel is often mischaracterizedas a fanatic for her god Vlaakith. However, Lae’zel is not just a zealot. She has been raised believing that Vlaakith herself saved Lae’zel’s people from a life of slavery. Similarly to Shadowheart, Lae’zel struggles against these teachings before even reaching Act Two.
Lae’zel’s Githyanki background is also why her character shouldn’t be judged so harshly. Lae’zel is abrasive and rude, as seen from the other Githyanki met during the story, this is how they’re raised, and those who don’t fit the norm even in youth are killed. If players are willing tomake it through the game with Lae’zel in tow, they’ll discover in Act Three just how much she’s changed. She sheds the personality she was taught to take on and begins to show the player who she truly is.
8Minthara
A Drow With A Dark Past
Discussions about Minthara can often get muddled. Many will argue she’s evil due to her part in the Goblin take-over of theDruid Grove in Act One, or due to her being a Drow from a long-established Underdark family. However, many of these discussions don’t consider Minthara’s experiences. Minthara is a traumatized young woman who ran from her home to escape the wrath of a cruel god and ended up in the grasp of another. While she does have a genuine enjoyment of violence and backstabbing, it’s still a fair question to ask how much choice she had in helping the Absolute. In a scene between her and Ketheric in Act Two, it’s implied that she had very little.
Drows also grow in a culture of violence and paranoia. Players don’t have to get close to Minthara to learn that her mother tried to kill her when she was young. Players also learn through a conversation she has with Karlach that she’s even been forced to kill her lovers. As such, while Minthara is certainly evil-aligned, the misunderstanding of her motivations comes mainly from people not understanding her history and experiences.
7Orpheus
A Character Whose Intentions Are Unclear Until He Is Freed
Unsurprisingly, Orpheus is a particularly misunderstood character. Not only is he Githyanki, a race known for their lack of empathy and their violence, but players also don’t get to see him at all until Act Three. Many players think that Orpheus is an evil character due to him being Githyanki and because his allies include violent guards and Voss.
Many also argue that if Orpheus weregood, he would be Githzerai. However, the game establishes that Orpheus was enslaved before the split between the Gith happened, making it impossible for him to be Githzerai. Another interesting thing to note is that Orpheus' guards are monks - a class typically associated with Githzerai. This suggests that Orpheus is closely linked to the ideology of the Githzerai and that he follows their neutral-aligned behavior more closely.
6The Emperor
Mysterious And Manipulative
The Emperor is a divisive character. While many players feel threatened by him, others feel encouraged by him and even choose to romance him. The game supports this mixed view, as players don’t get a look into its backstory until Act Three. As such, it’s no surprise that the Emperor is such a confusing character that many don’t see as a threat. However, players witness the Emperor purposely leaving out important informationsurrounding tadpolesas it encourages the player to consume them. He’s seen trying to manipulate the player into making certain choices all throughout the story. While the Emperor may be polite enough if the player goes along with it, it can be a real threat once the player resists it.
Of course, this isn’t to say The Emperor isn’t a good character. The allure of The Emperor for many is its mystery and manipulation. However, one thing is certain - The Emperor is no innocent party, and players should look further into its actions to see what truly lies behind its polite demeanor.
5Ascended Astarion
A Mirror To Cazador
Manyfans of Astarion were pleasedto hear he’d be receiving another new ending in the Patch 6 update. In this new Ascension ending, Astarion’s moral dubiousness becomes outright moral evil. However, some seem to be ignorant of what the consequences of this new ending are, seeing it as just another romantic ending.
Ascended Astarion is a closer comparison to Cazador than ever before, and the player is now just another spawn, mirroring Cazador. While the player may be Astarion’s ‘favorite’ in this ending, this isn’t necessarily a good thing, and resistance to his expectations will reflect this. For instance, there’s an insight check before being turned by Astarion that states that Astarion will always look down on the player, highlighting the newfound power imbalance. Alongside this, if the player ignores this warning and allows him to ascend but does not kneel before him, Astarion will lose patience andend the relationship entirely. The Ascended Astarion relationship is not a romantic, happy ending for the playerorfor Astarion, but an example of what happensif the cycle of trauma is not broken.
4Gale
Mystra’s Misunderstood Chosen
Gale has seen the most edits to his character post-release. These edits have been made to make Gale somewhat more ‘palatable’. For instance, his insistence upon taking magical artifacts was changed due to players considering him to be too demanding. This impression of Gale seems to stick around, with some arguing that Gale is too demanding, forceful, or desperate, with some arguing that his romance is creepy. However, much of this comes from misunderstandings surrounding Gale’s character.
For instance, Gale may be pushy or somewhat manipulative in certain scenes - for instance, when he is denied an artifact, or when he asks the player how he performed in aromantic scene. However, his reactions to being let down are more understandable when realizing that Gale is under great stress due to the unstable bomb he carries and that his self-esteem has been crushed by Mystra.
This also ignores the fact that Gale’s story is meant to mirror Karsus' Folly. While he mayseem power-hungryor selfish, this is all part of Gale’s story. The way players encourage him to act throughout the game is meant to reflect this, particularly within the epilogue. As such, players should keep this in mind, as it is easy to misinterpret Gale’s actions.
3Kagha
Selfish, But Not Evil
From taking advantage of her newfound leadership to her response to Arabella stealing, Kagha seems to take the wrong turn at every step, to the point ofpotentially being responsiblefor the death of a child. Many are willing to write this off as Kagha being evil. However, Kagha has far more depth than that.
While Kagha acts selfishly, evil is not her motivation. Kagha herself tells the player that she is only harshtowards the tieflingsbecause she is trying to defend her ‘brood’. Here, players see the cause of her shortsightedness in her actions - self-preservation. Kagha wants to keep those around her safe at the cost of calling others ‘invaders’. Kagha’s lack of ‘real’ evil is reflected in her endings: she can die at the hands of Arabella’s parents if Arabella dies, or she can be saved by the player, in which case she is remorseful for her actions. Similarly, if Arabella was saved or the Shadow Druids were ousted, she would show remorse for her actions and submit to being demoted within the Grove.
2Mayrina
More Than Just A Nuisance
Mayrina is a nuisance when the player first meets her in Act One ofBaldur’s Gate 3, and players aren’t as willing to help her in Act One due to how she acts throughout. Due to this, many players don’t realize that she also has a large role in Act Three, where she appears far more sympathetically. However, when thinking about Mayrina’s situation - that she has been trapped by an evil hag while trying to save her dead husband - her behavior becomes easier to comprehend.
This especially becomes obvious in Act Three, as she’s willing to work to help the player take the hag down after coming to terms with her situation. She even gets a happy ending if Connor is with her, where she allows him and herself peace by snapping Bitter Divorce in half.
1Wyll
Not Boring, Just Underdeveloped
While many find Wyll boring, it should be noted that in Early Access, Wyll was a different character altogether. This was scrapped, and the ‘new’ Wyll had far less time in development compared to the other companions. This is reflected in his story—for instance, compared to companions like Shadowheart, Wyll has no choices in his own story - they’re made by the player. Wyll also has far less romantic content than the other companions. These issues make some players consider Wyll to be boring compared to the other companions.
Even ignoring the lack of content, Wyll is not as boring as many think. His story is full of moral struggle, and even the introduction to Karlach is shaped by Wyll. Though he is ‘good’ aligned, he is punished for his good actions, and these punishments make up the story of much of the game. Wyll also has many interesting relationships with not only the people players meet but also with the Sword Coast and Baldur’s Gate itself. The only thing he really lacks is content, which reflects his short development.
