Baldur's Gate 3 is full of fantastic characters, with Larian Studios providing players with high-quality writing and performances from excellent voice actors. Among the best characters Baldur's Gate 3 has to offer are its numerous villains which players will encounter throughout their journey along the Sword Coast of Faerun. While not all villains are as memorable or critical to the story as others, they each give players a reason to fight on and become the heroes Faerun needs.
The three primary antagonists of Baldur's Gate 3 are Ketheric Thorm, Orin the Red, and Enver Gortash, collectively known as The Chosen Three who are representatives of the Dead Three, the gods Bane, Bhaal, and Myrkul. While the main quest of Baldur's Gate 3 sees players take on these foes and prevent them and the Cult of the Absolute from using an Elder Brain to enslave Faerun's residents, players will also come across other villains with their own nefarious goals. Regardless of the scope of their aims, these villains vary in quality, ranging from complex to one-note.
S-Tier
Raphael
Out of the fires of Avernus comes the cunning yet charming devil Raphael whom players will encounter throughout their journey to Baldur's Gate. While his true intentions are shrouded in mystery, Raphael always has a deal to make with players, often forcing them to second guess how far they can trust this devil. If players decide to reject his deal to obtain the Orphic Hammer in exchange for the Crown of Karsus, they can infiltrate his House of Hope to steal the hammer, leading to one of the most intense boss fights in all of Baldur's Gate 3.
The Absolute
It's fitting that the overarching antagonist of Baldur's Gate 3 is also one of its best. The Absolute is an Elder Brain that is under the control of the Chosen Three through the Crown of Karsus who has the power to command an illithid army. This monstrosity ends up becoming a Netherbrain due to the prolonged contact with the Crown of Karsus, and presents players with the ultimate choice of whether to complete their quest to prevent the illlithid invasion, or take control of the brain and become the Absolute themselves.
Orin the Red
Out of all the Chosen Three, Bhaal's Chosen Orin the Red is the most interesting yet terrifying, as a craven murderess who is adept at inflicting pain onto others. Throughout Act 3, Orin continually taunts and deceives the player by disguising herself as innocuous NPCs only to eventually kidnap one of the player's traveling companions in an attempt to goad them into attacking her. Upon finally descending into the Temple of Bhaal, players will learn the dark truth about Orin's past and how she became the Chosen of Bhaal.
A-Tier
Auntie Ethel
For being one of Baldur's Gate 3's more minor antagonists, Auntie Ethel is one of the most memorable and twisted characters in the game. Players who first encounter Auntie Ethel at the Emerald Grove in Act 1 might think she is a simple trader, but visiting her at the Riverside Teahouse reveals that she is actually a monstrous Hag who is torturing the poor NPC Mayrina. Even if she is killed during this encounter, Auntie Ethel will reappear in Act 3 in the basement of The Blushing Mermaid, where players learn that she is frighteningly unkillable.
Ketheric Thorm
Another of the Chosen Three and Myrkul's Chosen is Ketheric Thorm, an Undead and former governor of Reithwin Town who was resurrected by Myrkul to serve as his Chosen. Despite being the primary antagonist of Act 2, Ketheric Thorm is a tragic character who only wishes to use his power to protect his resurrected daughter Isobel. However, it is this power that leads Ketheric on his quest to imprison the Nightsong and place a curse on the Shadowlands.
Malus Thorm
Similarly to Ketheric, Malus Thorm is another Undead of the Thorm family who has become twisted due to the Shadowland's curse. Like something out of a horror game, this grotesque physician can be found in Act 2 of Baldur's Gate 3 at the House of Healing performing depraved experiments on the hospital's patients in a grizzly and unforgettable scene.
Sarevok Anchev
As part of their quest to take down Orin and the Bhaalists, players will have to face the Murder Tribunal headed by Sarevok Anchev. Series fans will recall this villain as the primary antagonist of the original Baldur's Gate, making him a memorable series staple character. Additionally, Sarveok's backstory also contains some incredibly dark elements that feed into Orin's tragic story.
B-Tier
Enver Gortash
Despite being the final member of the Chosen Three, Enver Gortash is the weakest character of the bunch. Many players will find him to be an easily hateable villain due to his pompous attitude and past treatment of Karlach. However, beyond these traits, Bane's Chosen is the typical arrogant politician who folds when unable to hide behind his Steel Watch, removing some of his menace.
Cazador Szarr
Players following Astarion's companion quest will eventually have to face off against the Vampire Lord Cazador, who is the progenitor of Astarion and the other vampires of Baldur's Gate. Intent to become a Vampire Ascendant, Cazador plans to sacrifice thousands of Vampire Spawn to complete this ritual. Although he can be an intimidating opponent, Cazador is overshadowed as a character by Astarion who is a far more compelling candidate to become a Vampire Ascendant.
Kagha
Kagha is one of the first antagonists players will encounter in Baldur's Gate 3 when they enter the Emerald Grove to find this Druid preparing to enact the Rite of Thorns to seal off the Grove from the threat of the Absolute. Despite being Halsin's second in command, Kagha is far more cruel than her superior and wants to hand over the Grove to the Shadow Druids of the Cloakwood. However, she will show remorse for her actions when confronted by the player, which helps give her character some depth.
C-Tier
Dror Ragzlin
Compared to the primary antagonists of Baldur's Gate 3's other acts, Act 1's Dror Ragzlin is somewhat underwhelming. He is the leader of the goblin camp that plans to attack Emerald Grove in the name of the Absolute, but his complexity as a villain stops there as he mainly serves as a way to introduce players to the Cult of the Absolute.
Baldur's Gate 3
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 96 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- August 3, 2023
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Larian Studios
- Engine
- Divinity 4.0
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- Full cross-platform play.
WHERE TO PLAY
- Franchise
- Baldur's Gate
- Number of Players
- 1-4
- Split Screen Orientation
- Vertical Only
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, macOS
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- How Long To Beat
- 100+ Hours
- Metascore
- 96
