You spend forty-five minutes picking the perfect chin. You tweak the eye makeup. You agonize over the exact shade of "cloven purple" for your Tiefling's skin. Then, just as you think you're ready to actually play the game, Larian hits you with a curveball. Create a Guardian. No explanation. No stat blocks. Just a vague prompt about someone you’ll see in your dreams.
It's a weird moment.
Honestly, if you're like most players, you probably spent just as much time on this second character as your first, wondering if they’re your love interest, your rival, or maybe a secret playable hero. The truth is way more complicated than a simple romance option. The Baldurs Gate 3 Guardian is arguably the most manipulative, polarizing, and narratively significant NPC in the entire RPG. They aren't just a face in a dream. They are the engine that drives your moral alignment throughout the first two acts of the game.
Let’s get the big question out of the way. Who are they? If you haven't finished the game, consider this your one and only warning. The Guardian is a mask. Specifically, they are a psychic projection created by a Mind Flayer known as The Emperor.
The Identity Crisis: Why the Guardian Looks Like a Hero
Larian Studios did something brilliant here. By forcing you to design the Guardian yourself, they use your own aesthetic preferences against you. You’re less likely to distrust someone you spent twenty minutes making "hot" or "trustworthy." It’s a psychological trick. You want to believe this person is on your side because you literally birthed them from a menu.
But the reality is that the Guardian—or The Emperor—is hiding inside the Astral Prism. This is that spiked d20-looking artifact Shadowheart is lugging around. While you’re out there fighting goblins and worrying about a parasite eating your brain, the Guardian is locked in a constant struggle inside that box. They claim to be protecting you from turning into a Mind Flayer.
And they are. Mostly.
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The nuance here is what makes Baldur's Gate 3 a masterpiece. The Guardian isn't exactly "lying" when they say they're keeping you from transforming. They need you. You are their sword and shield in the physical realm. If you turn into a mindless thrall of the Absolute, their protection ends, and they lose their only chance at freedom. It’s a relationship built on mutual survival, but it’s wrapped in layers of deception that would make a devil blush.
How the Baldurs Gate 3 Guardian Manipulates Your Gameplay
Early on, the Guardian starts whispering in your ear. They want you to use the Illithid Powers. They tell you it's a gift. They suggest that by consuming more parasites—those gross little slugs you find on True Souls—you can unlock god-like abilities.
It feels wrong.
Everything in the game’s narrative tells you that parasites are bad. The druids want them out. The healers want them out. Even your companions are terrified. Yet, here is this beautiful, calm entity you created, telling you that "evolving" is the only way to save the world.
Think about the mechanics for a second. Larian rewards you for listening to the Guardian. You get Fly. You get Psionic Overload. You get Cull the Weak, which literally makes enemies explode when their health gets low. The Guardian isn't just a story beat; they are the salesman for a specific playstyle. If you trust them, you become a psychic powerhouse. If you ignore them, you stay "pure," but you miss out on some of the most broken builds in the game.
The Turning Point in Act 2 and 3
By the time you hit the end of Act 2, the mask starts to slip. You find out the Guardian is actually an Illithid. The game gives you a choice: kill them or help them. Most players feel betrayed. You might have spent sixty hours thinking you were helping a rogue knight or a displaced wizard, only to find out you've been taking orders from a tentacled monster.
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But here is where the "expert" nuance comes in. Being a Mind Flayer doesn't automatically make The Emperor the villain. Throughout the game, you find diaries and letters (especially in the Elfsong Tavern's basement later on) that detail his past. He was once Balduran, the founder of Baldur's Gate. He has a history of trying to maintain his humanity while stuck in a body that requires him to eat brains to survive.
Is he a hero? No. Is he a villain? Not necessarily. He’s a pragmatist. He will kill his best friend (Ansur the dragon) if it means staying alive. He will lie to you if it ensures you keep protecting the Prism.
Common Misconceptions About the Guardian
People get a lot of stuff wrong about this character. I’ve seen Reddit threads where people claim the Guardian is just a projection of the Absolute trying to trick you. That's factually incorrect within the game's lore. The Guardian is actively fighting against the Absolute. They are a rogue element.
Another big one: "The Guardian's race matters for stats."
Nope.
You can make them a Gnome, a Dragonborn, or a Half-Orc. It doesn't change a single thing about their dialogue or their power level. It is purely an aesthetic choice designed to lower your guard.
Can You Romance the Guardian?
Short answer: Yes. Long answer: It's complicated.
You can't "romance" the Guardian in the traditional sense while they are in their humanoid form during the dream sequences of Act 1 and 2. However, in Act 3, once the truth is out, you can choose to have a... very intimate encounter with the Emperor in his true Mind Flayer form. It is one of the most talked-about (and slightly traumatizing) scenes in the game. Whether you find it a fascinating look into interspecies psionic connection or just plain gross is up to you. But the option is there, and it's a testament to Larian's commitment to "player freedom."
The Impact of Your Choices
If you decide to go against the Baldurs Gate 3 Guardian, the consequences are massive. You can choose to free Orpheus, the Githyanki prince who is actually the source of the protection inside the Prism.
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Doing this makes The Emperor leave you. He figures if you're going to free his sworn enemy, he might as well join the Absolute because his death is otherwise guaranteed. It's a cold, calculated move. It proves that despite all the sweet talk about "friendship" and "partnership," his primary goal was always his own skin.
Freeing Orpheus changes the entire ending of the game. It affects Lae'zel's storyline profoundly. It changes the final boss fight. The Guardian isn't just a side character; they are the pivot point for the entire third act.
Navigating Your Relationship With the Dream Visitor
If you're currently playing and wondering how to handle this character, here’s the best advice based on several 100-hour playthroughs:
- Don't be afraid of the parasites. Unless you are doing a strict "no-tadpole" roleplay for the challenge, the powers the Guardian offers are too good to pass up. There is a specific "Astral-Touched Tadpole" later that has a visual consequence (it makes your character look a bit veiny), but it doesn't force a bad ending.
- Watch their tone. Pay attention to how the Guardian reacts when you defy them. They get cold. They get logical. It’s a great bit of writing that hints at their true nature long before the big reveal.
- Search for Ansur. In Act 3, follow the quest "The Blade of Frontiers" (Wyll's quest) to its conclusion. It provides the final piece of the puzzle regarding who the Guardian used to be. It makes the final choice between the Emperor and Orpheus much harder.
- Check the basement. When you get to the Elfsong Tavern in the Lower City, go into the basement. You’ll find The Emperor's old hideout. The items there—including his old sword and some personal effects—humanize him in a way the dream sequences never do.
The Baldurs Gate 3 Guardian is a mirror. If you are a player who values results over methods, you’ll probably find them a capable, if slightly creepy, ally. If you value transparency and honesty, you’ll likely want to shove a sword through them the moment the illusion breaks. Neither choice is "wrong," which is the beauty of the game.
Stop worrying about making them look perfect in the creator. Instead, start worrying about whether you can actually trust the person behind the mask. Because in the streets of the Lower City, that trust is the only thing standing between you and a very permanent transformation.
Next Steps for Your Playthrough:
Check your inventory for any "Mind Flayer Parasite Specimens" you've looted from bosses like Flind or the Goblin leaders. Open your Illithid Power menu (usually a small icon near your map) and decide if the powers are worth the "evolution" the Guardian is promising. If you're heading into Act 3, make sure to finish Wyll's questline to uncover the Guardian's full backstory before making your final alliance.