Summary

  • Baldur's Gate 3's companions are beloved by the community and have unique backstories and potential outcomes.
  • Players can choose to play as one of the companions, adding interesting role-playing possibilities and transforming the playthrough.
  • One player created a goth-inspired githyanki character that combines elements of Shadowheart and Lae'zel, showcasing the game's character creation options.

One Baldur's Gate 3 player created a character that seems like a strange blend of Shadowheart and Lae'zel. While there are many reasons why Baldur's Gate 3 won Game of the Year, there is certainly an argument to be made that its iconic companions played a major role. From the roguish Astarion to the bubbly Karlach, the cast of characters that players can interact with over the course of the campaign have endeared themselves to the community, and many fans are hoping that Larian isn't done with them just yet.

What makes the companions of Baldur's Gate 3 stand out compared to BioWare or Owlcat party members is that, in true Larian fashion, players can also complete a playthrough by choosing instead to play as one of the companions themselves. This opens up some interesting role-playing possibilities, such as Karlach romancing Wyll, or Gale wrestling with the decision of what to do with the orb beating inside his chest. There even exists a special origin option for players to take with The Dark Urge, which completely transforms a playthrough by giving the main character a sinister backstory.

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Baldur's Gate 3: Every Companion's Backstory Explained

The companions in Baldur's Gate 3 all have their own backstories, and most of them seem to have a tragic and rough past in one way or another.

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However, for Duelwalnut642, the concept was quite simple: they wanted to give a githyanki character a Goth-inspired look. While it may have not been the author's original intent, the outcome looks like it combines Shadowheart and Lae'zel into one character. It's important to note that the hairstyle comes from a Baldur's Gate 3 hair mod called "Honey's Hair Kitchen," while the rest can be decently replicated using the game's character creation tools.

With a focus on the mind flayers, the tiefling refugees of Elturel, and the githyanki warriors of Vlaakith, the main story of Baldur's Gate 3 doesn't shy away from the more unique aspects of the Forgotten Realms setting. In fact, one of its narrative strengths is that each Origin companion is deeply tied to either a faction or an object that the plot revolves around. Shadowheart is the reason why the Artifact comes into the party's possession, while Lae'zel serves to point the party towards the githyanki faction (at least initially).

Ultimately, Lae'zel and Shadowheart can have vastly different endings in Baldur's Gate 3 depending on the choices made by the player character, and these outcomes are further emphasized in the epilogue, provided they survive the campaign. With Baldur's Gate 3 now released on Xbox as well, Larian has expanded the game's potential audience by a significant amount, as more players will finally be able to experience one of the best role-playing games in the past couple of years.

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Baldur's Gate 3 Tag Page Cover Art
9 /10

Baldur's Gate 3
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RPG
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Systems
PlayStation-1 Xbox-1 PC-1
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Top Critic Avg: 96 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
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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.
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Franchise
Baldur's Gate
Genre(s)
RPG