You’ve probably spent a hundred hours staring at Baldur’s Gate 3 characters by now. Or maybe you’re just starting and wondering why that pale elf is trying to bite you. Either way, there is a weird thing that happens with this game. We see these icons—Shadowheart, Astarion, Gale—and we think we’ve got them figured out after ten minutes of camp dialogue.
Wrong.
Larian Studios didn't just write "companions." They wrote messy, traumatized, hilarious, and occasionally homicidal people who will surprise you three acts deep. If you’re just treating them like stat blocks with voice lines, you’re missing the actual game.
The Shadowheart Obsession and the Data Behind It
Let’s be real. Everyone loves Shadowheart. Larian's own stats show she’s the most romanced character, with over 51% of players choosing her. She’s basically the "default" favorite. But honestly? Most people miss the nuance of her narrative because they’re too busy trying to fix her.
She starts as this prickly, secretive Cleric of Shar. She’s got a literal box of secrets and a memory that’s been scrubbed cleaner than a surgical suite. But if you actually pay attention to her idle animations or the way her voice shifts when she talks about Night Orchids, you see the cracks. Jennifer English, her voice actress, does this thing where Shadowheart’s sarcasm acts as a physical shield.
It isn't just flavor.
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If you play as her in an Origin run, you get narrated internal monologues about her "Sharran wound." It’s painful. It’s lonely. When she’s a companion, she hides it. When you are her, you realize she’s terrified of herself. Most players just see the Goth aesthetic and call it a day, but the writing here is way heavier than your average RPG trope.
Why Astarion is More Than Just "Meme Material"
Astarion is a walking contradiction. He’s a High Elf Rogue who spent 200 years as a slave to a vampire lord named Cazador. Neil Newbon—who swept the awards for this role—didn’t just voice a flamboyant vampire. He voiced a victim of extreme trauma who uses "fabulousness" as a survival mechanism.
He's chaotic. He’s often a jerk.
But have you noticed how he reacts if you actually respect his autonomy? If you don't force him to bite that drow in Act 2, his entire demeanor shifts. It’s one of the most subtle bits of character writing in gaming history. He isn't "evil" for the sake of it; he’s someone who has never had power and is suddenly drunk on it because of a tadpole.
Pro-Tip for Astarion Builds:
Don't just keep him as a pure Rogue. Honestly, Rogues fall off in damage around level 5. Try this:
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- Gloomstalker Ranger (5 levels)
- Assassin Rogue (3-7 levels)
- Fighter (2 levels for Action Surge)
You’ll be deleting bosses before they even take a turn. It’s scary.
The Gale Paradox: Ambition vs. Survival
Gale of Waterdeep is the guy everyone wants to shove into a locker, yet he’s arguably the most powerful person in your camp. He’s got a literal nuke in his chest. Most players get annoyed by his constant need to eat their magic boots. But look at it from his perspective: he’s a wizard who fell in love with a goddess and then tried to outsmart her.
Talk about an ego.
Tim Downie plays Gale with this sort of "professorial charm" that masks a deep-seated suicidal ideation. If he can’t be the best, he’d rather be a crater. If you ignore his personal quest, you’re literally ignoring a ticking time bomb. The interaction where he teaches you "The Weave" is one of the few moments where the game slows down to show you what magic actually feels like in this universe.
The Muscle: Lae’zel and Karlach
These two are the heart and soul of the front line.
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Lae’zel is a Githyanki who thinks "thank you" is a sign of weakness. People hate her early on because she’s rude. But her arc is the most dramatic. Watching her realize that her "god" Vlaakith is a total fraud is heartbreaking. Devora Wilde gives her this rasping, alien intensity that eventually softens into one of the most loyal bonds in the game.
Then there’s Karlach.
Everyone’s favorite "Golden Retriever" Tiefling with an engine for a heart. Samantha Béart’s performance is legendary. Karlach is the only character who feels truly alive because she knows she’s probably going to die. Her engine is melting. She’s been in literal hell for a decade. While everyone else is brooding about their past, Karlach is just happy to be eating a potato and not being shot at by demons.
Recruiting the "Missable" Legends
You can actually finish the game without half the cast. It’s easy to do.
- Minthara: For a long time, you had to be a total monster to get her. Now, you can knock her out in the Goblin Camp (using non-lethal attacks) and save her later in Moonrise Towers. She is, hands down, one of the most complex "evil-aligned" characters.
- Halsin: You have to save the Grove and complete his specific quest in Act 2 to wake up Art Cullagh. If you don't fix the Shadow Curse, the big guy stays behind.
- Jaheira and Minsc: The legacy characters. Jaheira is a Druid/Fighter you find in Act 2. Minsc? He’s in Act 3. You need Jaheira in your party to find him, or he might just end up as a stain on the floor of the sewers.
How to Actually Manage Approval
The "Approval" system is the engine under the hood of Baldur’s Gate 3 characters. It isn't just about saying what they want to hear. Sometimes, challenging them earns more respect.
- Astarion loves it when you’re a bit of a chaotic mess, but he hates "heroics" for no reward.
- Wyll is the opposite; he’s the "Blade of Frontiers." If you do the right thing, his approval skydives... in a good way.
- Lae'zel respects strength. If you back down from a fight, she’ll roll her eyes so hard they might fall out.
If a character’s approval hits -50, they're gone. Packing their bags. Leaving you with a three-man party. Don't let that happen. Check the "Detailed View" on their character sheet. If the bar is in the red, you’ve got some apologizing to do.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Playthrough
Ready to see the side of these characters you've been missing? Here is how to shake things up:
- Try an Origin Run: Instead of making a "Tav" (custom character), play as Astarion or Karlach. You get internal thoughts and unique cinematics that explain their motivations in ways a custom character never sees.
- Respec Your Companions: The default classes are okay, but they aren't optimal. Shadowheart as a Life Domain or Light Domain Cleric is ten times more useful than her default Trickery Domain. Talk to Withers at camp; it only costs 100 gold.
- Long Rest More Often: This is the big one. Most character story beats happen at camp during long rests. If you’re pushing through three boss fights without sleeping, you’re missing hours of dialogue and relationship progression.
- Mix the Party: Don't just stick with the same three people. Bring Lae'zel to the Githyanki Crèche. Take Shadowheart to the Gauntlet of Shar. The unique dialogue triggers in these locations are where the best writing is hidden.