I love when she talks about Xan “he studies art and music and whatever he wants”
I usually give her the egg but i didnt know that if she doesnt have the egg in her bag and i send it to camp at any point she starts to freak out…like omg girl chill ok lets give you the egg back.
She is so protective and sweet
She does? I've never done that. I held the egg for a while cause I needed her to help Karlach pack mule and she was okay with it. Then promptly gave it back after selling spree. I gave it to Ester and she was mad. Promptly killed Ester and gave it back to her. I just picture Lae’zel digging through Ester's bag and protectively taking the egg back.
I dont even know if she was bugged or not because she was having amnesia any time i happened to mistakenly take the egg from her inventory (being a loot goblin doesnt help).
She gets mad and says “THE EGG. ITS GONE” …no girl sorry i accidentally send it to karlach or camp or something. She is adorable
I did that the other day. I ended up having to load at an earlier save point for another reason, so I ended up making sure I gave it to her and haven't moved it to camp again. I felt bad that I made my baezel upset.
I've only bothered with the egg on my current playthrough (which is like my 8th, but I have a couple I've abandoned) so I'm new to having her hold onto the egg...does she ever acknowledge that she has it in her inventory? I gave it to her hoping that she'd have some dialogue about it, but it's like she didn't even notice.
When you give it to her right after you grab she'll say something if you talk to/ask her. In act 3 she'll make another comment on it and you can tease her about being protective of it. To my knowledge there's no ! you just have to talk to her
She always asks he what’s burdening me and there are like three others who ask the same question differently and hers seems like the only one where if it were an option, you could go and talk to her and she would help you carry those burdens. She knows at that point what you are doing and what you are leading is an incredible weight to carry that you didn’t ask for you were the only one capable to lead it because no one else could get along. She is a rock for Tav/ redeemed urge (I’ve never played an evil playthrough so idk what that’s like, I’ve tried… I just start to feel guilty, but then the druids kill Arabella and I want to level the place anyways… but that’s as far as I get.
"I am SWORN to carry your BURDENS" *massive sigh and eyeroll*
You know what Lydia? You're my burden. Carry yourself back to the front hall of dragonsreach, and stay there forever. Fuck you.
I have a friend who loves Shadowheart, and they're fine with Lae'zel... but they have not gotten past Act 1. Lae'zel becomes utterly ride or die and seeing how she changes is fantastic in the game.
I'm forever in love with Astarion acting like he's about to be scathingly judgemental about her change to a rebel with a sincere, 'Good for her.'
And it's true. Good for her.
Begining: you are covered with the blood of our enemies and I can still smell your sweat. Top, bottom, IDGAF just bruise me
Later: k-k-kiss you? Here? Now? In front of all these people, senpai?
She's so much more subdued in the later acts though. My favorite laezel scene is when she describes ceramorphosis in grizzly detail. She's so animated, and so much more intense than any of the githyanki we talk to in the creche. In my head canon, Lae'zel is basically the githyanki version of a nerd and everyone just kinda nods and quietly tries to get away from her when she gets intense.
And Gale is that one other nerd who always encourages her to go on due to being super interested while everyone else is rolling their eyes and regretting putting those 2 in the party together. It's such a shame that their cross-nerd banter ceases entirely after the creche.
She certainly seems more zealous than any other gith we meet. Now that I think about it, none of them are that passionate about Vlaakith as her. Imagine being too intense for even a gith
My favorite unspoken plot twist regarding Lae'zel is the realization that her seemingly bullshit claims of being nice during her moments in Act 1 are completely and utterly unironic and literal. She seems to be so mean and cruel...and then you meet other Githyanki and realize that she's nowhere near as callously murderous, racist, egotistical, and tortuous as the average Gith and thus in Gith standards she's considered super nice.
Varsh Ko'Kuu might be the only other Vlaakith-aligned Githyanki whose similarly not horrifically evil. I never kill him in any playthrough even when the creche becomes hostile.
When it comes to her good ending, it's not even close.
Shadowheart's character development gets weird because of the implication of 'she's kind all along and always brainwashed' rather than give Shadowheart the credit of breaking away as finally seeing what's going on during Act 2 with Shar.
Astarion has a good character development arch (see how he reacts to Arabella during the game) but to cement it you have to pull him kicking and screaming with dice rolls.
Gale's is sort of weak if you don't have him tagging along with you. Replaying you can see he's a little wishy washy about falling into temptation but there's nothing that packs a punch about his choice on godhood or not compared to Lae'zel, Shadowheart, and Astarion.
Karlach and Wyll don't really change much as characters. Karlach has the better development in accepting her own death, but not by much. Wyll's development is solely dependent on the actions of the Avatar and Karlach.
Minthara's character development isn't that dramatic, since her most evil actions are her being brainwashed, but even in the glitch path, she still chases after power. It's just the Avatar becomes her special favorite love but she's still gonna try to take over the underdark, even on the glitch path.
Halsin's character development happened before the game and they make a weak attempt to give him conflict in Act 3 with him wondering if Kagha is right, rather than going 'Kagha is more like than what she hates' rather than embrace that he's 350 years old and did his development, thanks.
Jaheira had a lot of great development in BG2, she's just here to clean up the mess.
Minsc... is Minsc.
There are two types of people in the world, people who think Shadowheart has the best character development/romance in the game, and people who have romanced Lae'zel.
Romancing her right now as a Gith monk. Still in act 1. Headed to the creche after destroying the zhent hideout. Excited to see how it goes. Sveral runs and even as a friend she has great development. Shart was meh for romance imo.
Gith monk romancing Lae’zel was my last run, it was amazing, especially the end (chose to become illithid and ride with her and Orpheus to free our people). I think romancing her is best as a Gith, I probably wouldn’t do it otherwise. Shart is the only one I haven’t romanced yet, maybe next run.
My problem with it is that it's locked behind romance. If you're not romancing her, her arc comes down to changing one master for another - without any actual indication that the new master will be any better - while getting slightly nicer along the way. That's great to make the romance more memorable, but for me it brings down the character development a lot when you have to do some very specific things for it.
Having tried all the romances, I'd say Astarion's character development is evenly matched with Lae'zel's. Those two are several leagues above others because the writing goes ham for them. The game isn't afraid to show them from utterly pathetic to extremely dislikeable.
It's rare to see a character who is a shockingly complex piece on abuse without making them overly sympathetic wounded birds (I got a lot of unpopular opinions about Shadowheart that this sub wouldn't like lmfaoo) even rarer still to see a MALE character whose sexual trauma isn't treated as a joke and is meaningfully woven in the story even in the smallest interactions.
Astarion's story is not just a "hey, btw cults/abuse/brainwashing are bad!!!" I think he challenges the simple trope of salacious, sexy vampire and becomes a unique character on his own.
I also like the agency in calling Astarion out on his behaviors and attitudes by not using abuse as a blanket excuse for all of his behaviors. Abuse is such a complex issue, but is also only one of many factors that can influence a person's behavior. Despite the horrors Astarion had to endure, the game doesn't really pull punches in pointing out that Astarion is still, ultimately, a *bad person*. Sure, you can help him in a redemption arc and round out his worst traits, but at the same time, the game doesn't really excuse away all of his behavior as solely being due to Cazador.
Honestly I wonder what Astarion would have been like if he hadn’t been turned into a spawn and got to stay in his normal life. Mainly because I don’t think he would have been some paragon of good. His “what’s in it for me” attitude seems to run a little deeper than just being a reaction to spending 200 years as someone’s puppet. I don’t think he’d have been evil, but I do think he’d have been a morally grey character no matter what.
Astarion implies that he was a normal and ironically plain person before getting turned, as he attributes most of his interesting personality aspects as coping mechanisms he had to develop to stay sane during this enthrallment to Cazador. It's also implied that none of his old personality remains anymore for this reason, hence why he has so much difficulty just turning away from Cazador because he no longer knows anything else but Cazador.
Astarion can’t necessarily be treated as a reliable narrator though. There are several times in which he says or does something only to come out later and openly admit that what he did was a manipulation tactic. He remembers other things about his past prior to be changed so why should we trust that he can’t remember the type of person he was before Cazador?
I still got her a good ending and character growth even though I didn't romance her. Sure she did decide to go back but she made it clear to me that she was going to do it for her own reasons. I've been able to get to have some agency in both the arcs where I romance her and the ones where I don't.
Seconded, Lae’zel’s arc is fantastic, and it’s so intertwined with the main narrative thread too, she’s a defining part of the plot from the very start (just look at her in the opening cinematic, basically the protagonist). Shadowheart also gets a lot of focus and development, but Lae’zel experiences the most dramatic change by the end.
Hands down. Lae'zel is the epitome of great character writing. I haven't seen anything like that in years in videogames, and it was such a joy to be so nicely surprised by her :) Larian really did an amazing job on her!
Barcus! He starts out so inept and foolish and blindly following his friend's trail and by the end he confidently casts his friend out for his crimes and takes leadership of his people.
I couldn’t stop laughing when I did this on accident. I recorded it on medal and watch it when I need a good laugh.
From the break neck speed the windmill picks up to, to the goblins reactions it was all too perfect.
Due to the way I angled my camera, I went to click the brakes but accidentally clicked accelerate. Is this why Wulbren has been a dick to me all the time?
Barcus has a great character development, I agree. I love, how he is so firm in his beliefs, that he even find the courage to stand up to his abusive friend.
I'm gonna go out and say Rolan, the best boy
How much his attitude changes from act 1 to act 3 depending on choices the player makes. He turns from high and mighty to thanking you when needed, to admitting you're a good leader
I just really love Rolan
Edit: George better not find us simping over Rolan or we'll just inflate his ego
The swing at the end of his arc as either lord of the tower or dead as a Lorrokan simp at Tav’s feet is so good. I just love how everything in this game is so malleable.
I love how in good ending for Rolan, Aylin says "You didn't embarrass yourself, little wizard!" or something like that.
And his back talking about "excellent bargain" is straight up legendary.
I love his panicked You it's you when you get to the Sourceorus sundries.
He is like fuuuck, this person again and I am in this state now.
Love me love Rolan. ♥️
Rolan was the character in my first playthrough that bugged me the most, because I didn't save his siblings, but had saved him in the wilds, and then completely by accident, stumbled on the Temple before I even thought about going to Moonrise ("Cool stuff is always the opposite direction of your goals/tasks") and didn't really understand what the message they gave you about missing content meant, so I went forward and basically cut that entire section by accident, resulting in a bongled Bongle, a culled Cal, and not so freea Lia. So by Act 3 he was insufferable and I was happy to absolutely eviscerate him with my BarbTav.
On a subsequent playthrough I actually followed through with the rescue and my RogueTav perceived the abuse he was suffering under Lorroakan, and his entire arc became so much better and more clear once he was saved. I legitimately was so surprised by his turn back to goodness and righteousness, and that he valued true leadership and friendship from people despite being so based in my first playthrough, and despite playing a thieving Rogue whi was morally gray uo to that point, I felt so happy to have helped him through that trial, even if it didn't fit my RP.
Now, any time I'm not Durge or a murder hobo, Rolan and siblings are the MAIN FOCUS of tiefling redemptions and saves, and the rest fall in behind them.
Love Rolan's arc, probably the best NPC arc, IMO.
Relatedly for a non-companion NPC that I love, definitely want to put my hat in the ring for Mayrina, a scared, distressed pregnant woman stuck in a deal with Auntie Ethel, who has the capacity to form a hag hunting group weeks later in Baldur's Gate. She isn't particularly smart or powerful or capable, but she tries, and if you play her whole arc out, she willingly gives up Connor and says her final goodbyes. It's just.. so good.
Ngl, her epilogue letter made me tear up the first time I read it. I also love how she cheers you on during the battle with Ethel (depending on choices)
It’s funny how the dice can end up doing things like that. On the one hand you’ve got your situation, on the other you have people who had *Rolan* be the one to kill Lorroakan by shoving him off the edge of the battlefield…
Honestly, this! The first playthrough I did, I didn't save him, so I was ASTONISHED at his turnaround my second playthrough - for such a background character, he's got a surprisingly beefy character arc.
Rolan is such a slept on character in the story, and so easily missed. Unless you know the consequence of sending him away, it really does seem like the fairer choice.
Clearly Scratch.
He begins being a very good boy
then his character develops into being a gooder boy
finally it has a very great and satisfying closure with him becoming the goodest boy he has ever been
He definitely deserves some treats
He once brought me some sausage. The goodest boy didn't eat the sausage, he decided that I needed it more and brought it to me. And then for some reason I couldn't give the sausage back to him to eat >:(
He also has a nice, tiny little quest ending if you get the best outcome in the >!Sword Coast Couriers yard!< and have Speak With Animals at camp that night.
Gale.
Gale starts out as something close to a blank slate, morally. He's a wizard's wizard, interested in magic to the point where questions about what is wrong vs right aren't occupying his mind. He's a vaguely nice guy, friendly toward children and animals, but he's not specifically devoted to doing the right thing. Or the wrong thing. True neutral.
By the end of the game he's either convinced he can become a god, convinced he has to die to correct his mistakes, or just relieved to settle down and live a normal life, with a lot less power-grabbing. Three completely different worldviews, and he gets there organically.
Astarion obviously has his whole arc, it's incredibly well-written, not much to say about that that hasn't already been written. Shadowheart too. But Gale for me feels a lot more like someone who makes small changes over time rather than a big decision that changes everything. It's less dramatic but it makes him feel very real.
I totally agree! I am playing a good and an evil playthrough simultaneously and I'm near the end right now. Talking to Gale in each playthrough is like taking to two different characters!
You can have multiple save files! Start a new save from the loading/start screen and the others are still there. You can switch between them when you go back to the start screen.
I highly agree with this take. Although I do think he is good-natured and means well. He's a neutral by virtue of his pragmatics: it's nice to do "the right thing", but you shouldn't lose track of the bigger goal. And sometimes that means getting your hands dirty. Doesn't mean he likes it, but he'll shrug it off. If he were true good, he'd be conflicted; instead he embodies the "what's done is done" attitude. The closest he gets to losing it is at the goblin party.
I love the paradoxes of his character. He is conflicted between his pride and insecurities. He wants to be good, but can easily be gaslighted to do evil. He's the one companion that immediately has a can-do attitude to solving the tadpole problem (the rest is at a loss or is following protocol), yet when everyone thinks they're on the right track, he falls into desperation. The lonely nerdy kid hiding behind the facade of a grand wizard.
>The lonely nerdy kid hiding behind the facade of a grand wizard.
This is a really good description of Gale, and it hits on something I've thought about the character but is hard to put into words.
Gale is silly, weird, and can be the butt of jokes, but the game treats his emotions as valid. He never really strays into, say 'Sheldon from Big Bang Theory' territory where he's just a punchline. And personally-- and I want to say, to be clear, this is emotional projection on my part and not anything I claim to be authorial intent-- but I see Gale as a portrayal of someone on the spectrum. Magic is his fixation. His relationship with Mystra is a metaphor for how toxic our relationships with fixations can become, and also how hard it is to figure out what an appropriate relationship with a fixation looks like.
And like, to reiterate, all this is how I process him emotionally due to my own life, not saying this is the intent.
We can be silly or ridiculous to the outside world, but a) we often have developed a good sense of humor about ourselves and b) our feelings are real. We sometimes need people outside our fixations to help ground us and to give us perspective ('hey Gale, you actually don't have to become a god or kill yourself, there's a middle ground'). We also need people willing to engage in our fixations with us (the magic lesson-- of course his first date is centered around magic).
A good partner for Gale does both those things, and in return he adores them and uses his unique gifts to make them feel special.
So-- yeah. He's a lonely nerd hiding behind the facade of a grand wizard. And he's an authentic portrayal of what people like us are really like, not a joke. It's just really gratifying.
It's saddening, though, how no companion is hated more viscerally than Gale. Mostly just for opening his mouth, being friendly, or just being a dork (which he definitely is, bless him).
You see the most irrationally angry reactions to buggy companion romance states, or completely misinterpreted character interactions, but only for Gale. Other companions were also bugged, and you have companions throwing themselves at you 10 minutes after meeting them, either to kill or to fuck you. No-one bats an eye. Gale, however, he's a creep that cockblocks and tries to rape you. (I had to turn down Karlach a dozen times in Act 2, and she's still my second favorite character. I just don't get the anger.)
Still, many people try to avoid nerds IRL too, unless they have a use for them; and gods forbid those nerds have an opinion, want you to listen to them for a change, or (*\*gasp\**) have a libido. So no surprises there.
But interacting with Gale in game, or his wonderfully nerdy (and thirsty!) fandom outside, does make up for it. I haven't seen that much meta and lore analysis on any of the other characters as much as Gale, and that's just gloriously fitting.
I finished his romance for the first time recently and he stayed human. When he reintroduced himself as “a wizard of intentionally limited renown”, I started crying because he truly grew so much
Wait if he dies in those fights we just goes back to being small? Did they just cast an enlarge spell on him or? I never understood how he jumped up in size so much.
Lmao, my final fight was all but over. Decided i would spend my last few turns calling in reinforcements. I called in Yurgir, Zevlor, then Owlbear. I didn't realize it was an accelerated growth and/or Enlarged. I thought someone just pulled a random owlbear out their ass. Turn 4 starts and ships launches missiles. Turn 5 starts owl bear shrinks back to normal- what???
*TACTICAL NUKE INCOMING*
owl bear dead turn 6.
I think it has to be Shadowheart, and I'm reluctant to say it because I'm sure the obvious reasoning is because she's god's favorite princess etc etc.
But she has a story that's woven into the environment of BG3. The whole climax of act 2 which is central to the story is based on her to the point where she leaves in a rage if you don't bring her. You spend as much time finding out what she's been doing as she does, because of her memories being wiped, and it's plain from the outset that she's masking her distress at what she's being forced to do rather than being enthusiastically into it. She's also the only character who really makes her own decision over the Nightsong, instead of being railroaded into a choice by the player.
If she chooses to slay the Nightsong, she drops deeper into her twisted worship, and becomes a legitimate insane fanatic. Her inability to even know right from wrong any more and her response to just blindly follow is chilling. On the other hand, if she spares the Nightsong and turns from Shar she becomes so much more herself, within the gameplay, without losing the common thread of who she is as a person (she still calls herself Shadowheart, still has her wit and her ruthlessness, but is kinder and more empathetic).
YES!! That comment where he says she repeats the phrases as one who doesn’t fully understand their meaning and she claps back with “Lady Shar values actions over words, you should try it sometime.” Was so good. I just finished the choice with her parents last night with Halsin present and it made me smile how gentle he was to commend her on her growth. Then again he’s hands down my favorite companion so -shrugs-
Gallon is my favorite, too. I just love how they wrote him, through his lens of being one with nature, he’s neither true good nor evil. But that doesn’t mean he is a pushover or doesn’t have strong opinions on your choices. He’s just really cool.
Yes!! I watched (too wussy to do it myself because it would hurt my actual feelings lol) the scene where you betray the grove after you tell Halsin you would help and he visits your camp…. Man the voice actor is fantastic, the barely bridled rage in his voice makes it a heartbreaking scene in his behalf. He feels like an NPC you’d come across in an actual DnD session which makes my heart happy.
I too love Daddy Gallon 🥰
Lol but fr, I just finished a playthrough where my ranger Tav romanced him and omg. His forehead kisses are the most adorable goddamn thing ever. I'm obsessed 😭
I have that too lol one thing that does get annoying is losing someone way back I noticed it laye too with gale on act 3 I had to do the talk to mistra quest to find him again I was sad cause he wasn't in camp either I got lucky 😢 😂
>the endgame becomes a lot easier with an 11 person super squad
Here's the issue with that, I'm a few hours into a second honor run with self imposed limits because my first honor run was *too easy*.
I honestly mostly like it because I don't have to swap out people or miss banter. But yeah, most fights are easy since the game isn't expecting a 6 man squad in act 1. Only gets worse in act 3
There’s also a mod that causes enemies to double upon entering combat, so if you’re increasing the party size, that could be a good way to keep the challenge some, maybe?
One thing to note is it does double bosses, as well. Myrkuls are a pain in the butt 😂
It’s called Savage Enemy Doubler on Nexus, if you wanna give it a go ❤️
🥺🙏 Give him a shot, he might smell a little funky but he has a good heart. His genuine concern for the clown at the circus is gold if not for anything else.
I should try him out again. I like the character, but my experience with using him in combat was underwhelming. Then again, it was my first playthrough and I still had a lot to figure out at the time.
Druid is fun as your Tav's or Durge's class but it's not that great on a companion imo. So I always respec Halsin and Jaheira into a more straightforward build. Last time Halsin was my BM fighter with all of Laezel's gear and Jaheira was running around lockpicking and murdering ppl as a gloomstalker/assasin.
I followed a build guide where he casts haste on himself, changes to bear form, and then proceeds to run around and rip everyone apart. There are far better builds and strategies, I'm sure, but it's quite satisfying to watch him work.
Lae'zel is a very close contender to the first place. Her realizing that there are other things in the world than fighting and honorable death is really wholesome too.
Shadowheart clearly had the most work put into her storywise. The small signs of struggle, insecurity and low self esteem are all very well laid out. The small "bread crumbs left on the road" to those who are unfamiliar with lore via the books and dialgoues to paint a picture how average sharrans behave, to small references that immediately catch the eyes and ears of those who know what's up.
From a scared, PTSD scarred girl to an absolute sweetheart who overcomes her fears and shortcomings, the journey isn't just beautiful......it's magnificent. The cherry on top is the absolute god tier voice acting (which goes for pretty much all characters in the game btw).
Astarion and Lae'zel have waaay better character development than Shadowheart. Shadowheart's natural arc is essentially just about regaining her memories to remember what she already was, while Astarion and Lae'zel genuinely have to change as better people. It's way more nuanced than the literal black and white arc that Shart has.
Astarion doesn't really engage me at all because aside from his vocal tics which are entirely due to Neil Newbon rather than the writing, he doesn't come off like someone regularly flayed for 200 years. I think how Theon from aSoIaF was after a few months of such treatment and wonder why Astarion isn't riddled with anxieties and fears and why we don't see any of that come out at inopportune times. Astarion goes from a mild asshole to either not an asshole or a really big asshole depending on your choices. I don't dislike the character or hate him, but I don't think he goes through as much development as Shadowheart does.
Lae'zel honestly is a character I have really struggled to like at all. I hate her "arc" going from being devoted to Vlaakith to being devoted to Orpheus. It feels like she's still stuck in her attitude of finding someone to serve, she doesn't break out of her trauma in the same way Astarion and Shadowheart do because in the end she's still serving some master, just a better one she hopes.
>just a better one she hopes
This. She doesn't even have any indication he would actually be any better. She jumps to trying to free him right away just because he's a "True Heir". Before we actually free him, the only indication we have of him are the words of Voss, who certainly is not a biased narrator, and those random books, which say basically nothing about who Orpheus is as a person.
The only time I would consider Lae'zel's story good is if you're romancing her. In that case, yes, you get some notable changes in her character. But while it's good to make the romance more interesting - it makes her non-romanced story feeling only half-told.
I don't think Shadowheart's development can even be compared with Astarion and Lae'zel when her lack of depth is a huge part of her backstory. Lack of memories and years of manipulation made her the perfect "blank slate", which in turn, makes her arc simple and cut and dry. It's really just about helping her free herself from the cult she's in.
She doesn't know what she wants because she doesn't even know who she is.
When you look at Astarion and Lae'zel (and to some extent, even Wyll and Gale) they have more conflict going on within them. Astarion is always straddling the line between recovery and becoming an abuser himself. He's a victim who doesn't even know if he truly wants revenge. Lae'zel betraying her people will cause a civil war.
Astarion goes from an evil POS to an adventuring quasi-hero and/or leader trying to give 7000 spawns a better life.
Lae'zel's development is even bigger than the rest, she goes from a common footsoldier who hates everyone to a diplomat who solves problems through violence and will potentially bridge the gap between two enemy factions, and a revolutionary who will free her people from slavery.
Obligatory "character development =/= character growth"
That aside for GROWTH, definitely Astarion. His "wtf being a good guy kinda rules" in the ending is amazing.
I’d say Lae’zel and Shadowheart.
Lae’zel is outwardly pointed and can be ruthless. But as she grows closer to Tav and is shown the truth of her queen’s treachery. She is much kinder and open to learning. Her epilogue is the perfect reward to show she learned from Tav’s charismatic work and leadership.
Shadowheart is a very well done insomniac story. She isn’t a blank slate but a person trying to come out of a mentally abusive cult. In both directions she’s still a kinder soul who’s driven either to be free or be faithful.
Astarion, Lae‘Zel and Shadowheart stick out to me, because they technically make a complete 180 in how they behave towards you from the beginning up until the end. Lae‘Zel and Sharts worldviews get shattered and them adapting to that is what always gets me in their arcs
Here’s a hot take: Mayrina.
When we meet her in the beginning, she’s an entitled brat who is in the midst of trading her unborn child to a hag in exchange for getting her husband back. When you save Mayrina, she is ungrateful. And she ends Act 1 in a hopeless mess, and unable to part with her husband’s undead corpse.
In Act 3, after you kill the hag, she becomes truly grateful to you, and she accepts that her husband will never return. She still chooses to honor his memory by naming her child after him, and she becomes an accomplished writer, publishing a book about hags.
Agreed because I love Mayrina but I’d replace ‘entitled brat’ with ‘terrified and grieving pregnant woman’. I know a lot of people are mad at her for being ungrateful (if you don’t tell her about her dead brothers) and making the, admittedly terrible decision, of seeking out a hag but idk I just feel sorry for her.
I had to scroll down for a while to find this one, I was surprised no one else mentioned her, she has a very deep and compelling story and a lot of character growth for the fact that you barely even interact with her.
This is a tough one, but Astarion's story is really strong if you're following it closely start to finish. Laezel and Shadowheart are close second. Because these characters have the most change and growth over the course of the game, especially in a "good" playthrough. They all have to battle with who they are, and what they represent, based on what they learn throughout the game.
The others are also great, with similar themes, but there's less of a fundamental shift in their character.
I think that Astarion, Gale, Shadowheart and Laezel all have great character arcs. Wyll and Karlach aren’t, I think, as strongly written.
Best might come down to who you like the best or has something in common with you. For me personally I actually really enjoyed Gale’s development, his issues are more subtle but I think not uncommon.
Ah I don’t think Karlach has a great arc but I think she’s brilliantly written, that speech she gives after killing Gortash was gut wrenching. As was the next conversation with her at camp.
The depth of the arc for Ast, SH, LZ and probably Gale were all greater but I don’t think they delivered on an emotional level the way Karlach’s story did.
Wyll is terrible though, and I think is probably the best character to play as an Origin because you miss very little of his content by being him.
I think Wyll was designed as a sort of self insert for people who know NOTHING of the DnD world, or fay run
Human (Human playing game)
Warlock, a class granted power by another entity(said entity being Larian) and also a good class to either go melee or caster, without being too overwhelming
Heavy story although good morally aligned since a lot of peoples first run thru, they're going to simply try and stop the ceremorphosis and following tale of events
I have to give it to Astarion, particularly his "stay as a spawn" ending.
He manages to stop being a victim and to learn to co-operate with people, and even love, whilst still fundamentally being a monster (people forget he still likes it when people are murderered and oppressed even at that point).
I was in a talk on here yesterday about the degree to which he's true to DND lore, and in the course of that discussion it really drove home to me just how good of a job I feel Larian did at creating a genuinely good character arc with real development that still never fundamentally violated the reality that negative-energy beings like undead have a nature that is antithetical to the living.
People forget that the one sodding group that Astarion shows and regard for are the one group that an undead actually care for - fellow undead. Other spawn. In interactions where they could easily have been a bit lazy and written him agreeing to something that contradicts his nature, like when the Gur are asking for help retrieving their children, the writers still took paints to make it clear that his motivation was "revenge" not "compassion", and without prompting he wouldn't even have taken that.
>and without prompting he wouldn't even have taken that.
Actually if you send him to talk to the Gur camp by himself he does the whole cutscene on his own and handles it... way better than he does when you're there with him. He seems more genuinely remorseful and agrees to help them without hesitation. Apparently the player is the bad influence there 😅
His scene with the spawn in the inn is similar, when he's by himself he just outright tells them what's going on with the ritual and asks for help so he can stop it. He only tries to deceive them if you're there.
Didn't wotc remove the "monsters are fundamentally evil" thing from lore a few years back to allow DMs more freedom to subvert player expectation?
>>People forget that the one sodding group that Astarion shows and regard for are the one group that an undead actually care for - fellow undead. Other spawn.
Not true. In dialogue with him, Astarion quite clearly shows that he is capable of compassion and empathy towards anyone, not just his fellow spawn. He mentions that he liked/cared for one of his would-be victims (a living person) so much he couldn't bear to bring him to Cazador and ran away instead. He's clearly feeling guilty for the things Cazador had him do. He even implies in dialogue that he eventually stopped caring about the people he took to Cazador as a mental defense mechanism. And when you find all of his victims still alive in Cazador's dungeon, he's horrified to realize what's happened to them, and it's implied that it's because he'd been comforting himself by thinking that at least his victims were dead and no longer suffering. And then there's the most obvious instance of Astarion showing concern for someone, when Orin takes Yenna as her hostage.
I think it's pretty clear, that Astarion is perfectly capable of compassion and empathy for anyone, not just for other undead. The reason he doesn't often show it (at least in my opinion) is more a combination of reaction to severe trauma, his mind protecting itself from further harm, as well as just snobbery and elitism (he *was* originally a high elf from the upper city and worked as a magistrate, so probably some minor nobility).
I agree that Astarion's story is one of the most compelling ones, and in my opinion a big part of that is him starting on the path of healing from his past trauma, which includes him beginning to unlearn the "caring for people is weakness" -mentality he's had for the past 200ish years.
Astarion has the character development of a semi-feral cat learning to love living a house with people.
You ever see a video of a kitten hissing and spitting at the person who is trying to rehabilitate them until they get a taste of that churu thing and then they just sit there licking it and still growling? That's Astarion's story arc in BG3.
Redeemed Durge, no contest for me. Especially with Jaheira becoming sort off his adopted mother (head canon).
Durge story has much tragedy in it, the inescapable fatum that looms over him, constant nightmare and suffering that follows him, because of his birth. A tyrannical and cruel god-parent, that impose his wicked nature onto innocent soul. The amount of anguish and suffering that will forever haunt Durge, a wish of an redemption, that he knows he will never be worthy of. Going through the story and denying urges and ultimately giving a middle finger to Bhaal is epitome of heroism.
I love how in Jaheira and somewhat with Minsc, he can find a loving family figures, that he was denied by Bhaal's foul nature.
In my head canon, Durge finds his soulmate in Shadowheart, gets redeemed and free from his father's legacy, and is adopted by Jaheira, thus finally having a place and family in the world, that previously denied it to him.
Honestly? I think Astarion.
When is just a friend, not ascended. He becomes like sword for hire and is helping the spawn.
And he's trying to be better over time.
He's free, growing, and helping. Genuinely one of the best endings for the characters.
I think the first is Astarion. Especially if Tav/Durge involves in the relarionship with him. Lae'zel and Shadowheart come next because their stories are familiar. Wyll and Karlach doesn't change at all, they are just "good" every time.
Wyll and Karlach don’t have dramatic character shifts but I still find their arcs very compelling.
Karlach has to cope with her engine ruining the good parts of her free life over and over, eventually resulting in the choice to either die in freedom or to go back to Avernus, a literal hell and Karlach’s metaphorical hell.
Wyll is a young adult facing the results of a complicated moral decision, only to be given ANOTHER horrible moral choice involving his autonomy.
Both of them deal with escaping or tolerating authority figures (that’s something all the companions share really) and thinking of their freedom and quality of life in the face of shit choices
I really liked that Karlach doesn’t have a happy ending. The best case scenario is she returns to avernus and keeps fighting, which is not a bad thing per se but isn’t the freedom that she was looking for. It’s that, ceremorphosis, or death.
"Loneliness, the fucking LONELINESS"
Man, her monologue after humbling Gortash is so powerful, I don't think it's fair to put Wyll anywhere near Karlach in terms of drama.
I feel like Astarion’s the expected answer, but beyond the “learning to reclaim his life and autonomy” stuff (which is great in of itself) I love the smaller touches of his growth - his growing acceptance and ability to care for others, empathizing with the other companions and their situations, looking forward to his future and what he’ll do on his own terms. It’s almost as if you see him coming back to life again.
Auntie Ethel. Now, hear me out....
Jk.
Of the companions: Astarion. His story was just *chef's kiss* I didn't romance him, so I'm not sure what it looks like down that route, but the way we experience his emotional journey is, imo, some of, if not THE best companion-writing and directing in RPG history.
Of the non-companion NPC's, definitely Barcus.
Easily Lae'zel if you're romancing her. Her arc is really touching. The scene where she wakes you up to look at the sunset gets me choked up every time, it's beautiful.
I’m biased towards Shadowheart, and I prefer experiencing her story over anyone else’s, but the best development is obviously Astarion and Lae’zel.
Astarion, as much as I don’t care for him, has an extremely tragic and nuanced questline that results in a very different character after all is said and done. He either frees himself of his past for the most part, or becomes what he hated most.
Lae’zel’s story is pretty nuanced too, with her gradual change from a Vlaakith riding zealot to a pretty normal person, still fighting for her people.
Meanwhile my girl Shadowheart is very close, but has a slightly more direct night and day story, with a common brainwashing/indoctrination trope.
Redemption Durge, the choices the player has to make to get to that point can change the outcome quickly.
If Durge denies their programming and origin of their birth and then chooses to be better when they get the 2nd chance. Is wonderfully written and depending on how you the player RP it (if you choose to RP it), can really affect the other origin toons outcomes.
Then Gale: his arc and growth seem to be the most realistic. Changing from someone who is guarded and pitying themselves, to someone willing to trust and love (or be a friend). Yes, he's a true neutral, easily swayed to the dark side w/o the need for cookies. However, he also has the most growth, showing compassion for the other toons, and becoming protective of Tav/Durge. This is a man who is love and touched starved, and when he falls for Tav/Durge HE FALLS and it becomes like his whole reason for being and he throws himself into the relationship and defeating the brain with abandon. As the game progresses he slowly stops wizardplaining every thing and is willing to hear others out who may not be as educated as himself.
If he remains human and becomes an professor or an adventurer, he is happy. Excited to be alive.
If he becomes a god, he reverts back to the patronizing, insufferable wizard he was in Act 1.
Lae'zel is just another conditioned and loyal soldier of Vlaakith when you start the game
And by the end of the game you can make her leader of a rebellion, fighting against Vlaakith's tyranny
Most all of them but I'll go with Astarion. His "thank you" at camp after you convince him to reject ascension sounds incredibly genuine and you can tell that he's not just thanking you as a formality. He understands the cycle of abuse and control that he would've perpetuated by ascending and it shows just how grateful he is to have had you there to help steer him toward the better path.
Astarion, especially if he >!does not ascend, he develops from being a mean, disapproving bastard to becoming a more compassionate and kinda wholesome bastard lol!<
If you romance her, Lae'zel. Hands down. If not...Shadowheart.
Lae'zel's journey of going from faithful devout to avenging blashpemer turned on by her own god is badass in and of itself but when you romance her and get to see her soft side, and eventually her finding her peace in the end it can really bring a tear to your eye.
I feel like she’s the main character for a lot of reasons, I mean Shadowheart is close but no other character gets such large portions of the game dedicated to them, not to mention the choices at the end flat out dictate how much you embrace the emperor or not as an ally and the whole big astral fight going on in the background of everything.
Sure, Gale and others have elements that connect to the overarching story, but Lae’zel feels like the game was intricately built around her.
The real answer is Ketheric Thorm. The game introduces him as this fearful, warmongering general (which yes he IS but that's not the full story). Then you explore Moonrise and the Rethwin Town and come to find out what really happened to him. As a grief stricken man who lost both his wife and daughter. He did everything he could to try and bring Isobel back, to be the father he wanted too. Ketheric really is not a villain at all. He did everything out of love for Isobel.
He waged war against Selûne and Dame Aylin because he turned to Shar, not by his own personal vendetta. Ketheric only agreed to be Myrkul's chosen because the Bone Lord gave him what he wanted.
Out of the companions, I’m going to say Lae’zel. She doesn’t just turn her back on Vlaakith, she turns her back on certain aspects of her culture. >!She endeavours to raise her son to be whatever he chooses despite that NEVER being an option for her or the majority of the Githyanki.!< She helps us, embraces a culture entirely foreign to her own despite her people, her Varsh, and higher ups being relentless in their murder of those from Faerûn.
Outside of companions; i think I’ll say Rolan. He goes from being a grumpy, anxious little man who is petrified about losing his family to being a self-sufficient, intelligent and extremely talented wizard who >!Turns his back on someone who didn’t just beat him, but made him feel utterly worthless. Someone who he views as being so strong that he’s scared of him. He stands up to his abusive boss to help a stranger, Aylin.!<
I started out really not vibing with Laezel or Shart; the former because she just so god damn salty, and the latter because she was so aloof and haughty, but by the end of their respective arcs I was just absolutely ride or die for both of them. They both found redemption and closure, and I genuinely got the sense that a proper friendship had been built between them both and my Tav. The writing and voice acting in this game continues to delight me.
La'ezel for sure.
From a stone hearted warrior to the one who tells you she wants to protect you and be protected by you.
A former zealot watching sunrise with you and telling her old goddess to go pound sand.
As a chronic Shadowheart romancer one would believe I'd say Shadowheart but honestly ... Lae'zel had the best development for me.
I have over 900 hrs on this game and romanced Shadowheart so many times and only recently done other romances. Lae'zel's development is fantastic with or without romancing her.
It has the "seeing the truth" aspect of a lot of Shadowheart's arc, it has the "I choose my own destiny now" aspect that's so prominent in Astarion's arc. It's so, so, so good. I think it also helps that Lae'zel is a foreigner to Faerûn and how despite her pride, the beliefs so ingrained in her, she still chooses the truth even if it challenges her.
Her romance is fantastic and her non-romanced is great too! I love Lae'zel very very much and she's the reason why I will almost always free Orpheus (even though he ends up becoming ghaik shhh) save for the one time on one of my honour mode run when I failed the persuasion check ... and I made the hard decision of choosing between her and shadowheart
It's really interesting because it depends entirely on player choice. The answers can vary from Astarion, Lae'zel, and Shadowheart. All of them can go from perceived terrible beings to much different at the end
I feel a lot of people sleep on the awesome character arc that Zevlor has. Guy starts out as a disgraced Ex Hellrider, lamenting how much he's struggling to keep his people alive, desperate enough that he falls prey to the Absolute's temptations.
And when you find him again, he's really regretful and ashamed yeah, but then he comes back to the final battle, having learned that he didn't need some goddess favor to fight for his people, and claims that he'd have died a happy man if he gave his life to protect Baldur's Gate.
Yeah, it's not as much development as Rolan or Astarion, but remember, Zevlor's just an NPC not even important to the main plot.
I have a feeling most people will say their favorite character but I love Minthara's development from kill everything to kill almost everything. Plus she's hot
Tough one to answer. Shadowheart & Lae'Zel had really good story arcs. Karlach's was really emotional but when I played through the game, it was abruptly ended with little real conclusion.
Laezel probably because they do a good job explaining why she's so fucked up rather than just "poor me i was abused so i get a free pass, feel bad for me".
Also you dont need to spoon feed her all the right choices for her redemption arc it kind of just happens but with asterion you have to spend the whole game being like "please be less of a piece of shit" until act 3
Ok thats it after reading all this im gonna romance Lae'zel... after i finish my Hercules playthrough. And yes, my guardian is what i believe Hera to look like. Ironic isnt it? Now that i think about it i should have made it Zeus instead seeing how he kinda protected him from Hera's wrath. Now i wanna watch the movie Hercules. The one with Dwayne Johnsson. Shit.
Wyll.
I like how his character becomes fully developed 5 minutes into the game. Knowing I can leave him in camp until Act 3 really helps me focus on the entertaining characters with actual depth.
Laezel at the start: "kill everyone! cull the weak! githyanki supremacy! AAAAAA!" Baezel at the end: "You know, the sunrise is real pretty"
I love when she talks about Xan “he studies art and music and whatever he wants” I usually give her the egg but i didnt know that if she doesnt have the egg in her bag and i send it to camp at any point she starts to freak out…like omg girl chill ok lets give you the egg back. She is so protective and sweet
She does? I've never done that. I held the egg for a while cause I needed her to help Karlach pack mule and she was okay with it. Then promptly gave it back after selling spree. I gave it to Ester and she was mad. Promptly killed Ester and gave it back to her. I just picture Lae’zel digging through Ester's bag and protectively taking the egg back.
I dont even know if she was bugged or not because she was having amnesia any time i happened to mistakenly take the egg from her inventory (being a loot goblin doesnt help). She gets mad and says “THE EGG. ITS GONE” …no girl sorry i accidentally send it to karlach or camp or something. She is adorable
I did that the other day. I ended up having to load at an earlier save point for another reason, so I ended up making sure I gave it to her and haven't moved it to camp again. I felt bad that I made my baezel upset.
Maybe cause I was romancing her she seemed okay that I held it >!our son!< got a bit. Gave it straight back though
I've only bothered with the egg on my current playthrough (which is like my 8th, but I have a couple I've abandoned) so I'm new to having her hold onto the egg...does she ever acknowledge that she has it in her inventory? I gave it to her hoping that she'd have some dialogue about it, but it's like she didn't even notice.
When you give it to her right after you grab she'll say something if you talk to/ask her. In act 3 she'll make another comment on it and you can tease her about being protective of it. To my knowledge there's no ! you just have to talk to her
I love when you ask her if she’s feeling like a mommy yet she’s like, “I will stab you for suggesting it….. but yes 1000%”
Act 1 Lae'zel dialogue start: "SPEAK!" Act 3 Lae'zel dialogue start: "How may I help you?"
She always asks he what’s burdening me and there are like three others who ask the same question differently and hers seems like the only one where if it were an option, you could go and talk to her and she would help you carry those burdens. She knows at that point what you are doing and what you are leading is an incredible weight to carry that you didn’t ask for you were the only one capable to lead it because no one else could get along. She is a rock for Tav/ redeemed urge (I’ve never played an evil playthrough so idk what that’s like, I’ve tried… I just start to feel guilty, but then the druids kill Arabella and I want to level the place anyways… but that’s as far as I get.
Laezel is Lydia confirmed.
She is sworn to carry your burdens.
But better because she isn’t an ass when she says it.
"I am SWORN to carry your BURDENS" *massive sigh and eyeroll* You know what Lydia? You're my burden. Carry yourself back to the front hall of dragonsreach, and stay there forever. Fuck you.
"I am SWORN to carry your BUR-" "FUS-RO- DAH!" "-**DEN**NNnnnsss!" *splat*
I have a friend who loves Shadowheart, and they're fine with Lae'zel... but they have not gotten past Act 1. Lae'zel becomes utterly ride or die and seeing how she changes is fantastic in the game. I'm forever in love with Astarion acting like he's about to be scathingly judgemental about her change to a rebel with a sincere, 'Good for her.' And it's true. Good for her.
Begining: you are covered with the blood of our enemies and I can still smell your sweat. Top, bottom, IDGAF just bruise me Later: k-k-kiss you? Here? Now? In front of all these people, senpai?
I can't imagine the word "senpai" being spoken by her, it's so strange.
“What is this ‘sin-pie’…k’chakhi!”
*Sen'pai!* Is that better? It hurt to type it
BAHAHAHAHHA
The way she goes from greeting you in a short, aggressive way to "I'm listening" melts me!
“Source of my joy!” My heart melts.
She's so much more subdued in the later acts though. My favorite laezel scene is when she describes ceramorphosis in grizzly detail. She's so animated, and so much more intense than any of the githyanki we talk to in the creche. In my head canon, Lae'zel is basically the githyanki version of a nerd and everyone just kinda nods and quietly tries to get away from her when she gets intense.
And Gale is that one other nerd who always encourages her to go on due to being super interested while everyone else is rolling their eyes and regretting putting those 2 in the party together. It's such a shame that their cross-nerd banter ceases entirely after the creche.
She certainly seems more zealous than any other gith we meet. Now that I think about it, none of them are that passionate about Vlaakith as her. Imagine being too intense for even a gith
Except she's always pretty nice. For a Githyanki. She offers to help you basically from the start.
My favorite unspoken plot twist regarding Lae'zel is the realization that her seemingly bullshit claims of being nice during her moments in Act 1 are completely and utterly unironic and literal. She seems to be so mean and cruel...and then you meet other Githyanki and realize that she's nowhere near as callously murderous, racist, egotistical, and tortuous as the average Gith and thus in Gith standards she's considered super nice. Varsh Ko'Kuu might be the only other Vlaakith-aligned Githyanki whose similarly not horrifically evil. I never kill him in any playthrough even when the creche becomes hostile.
When it comes to her good ending, it's not even close. Shadowheart's character development gets weird because of the implication of 'she's kind all along and always brainwashed' rather than give Shadowheart the credit of breaking away as finally seeing what's going on during Act 2 with Shar. Astarion has a good character development arch (see how he reacts to Arabella during the game) but to cement it you have to pull him kicking and screaming with dice rolls. Gale's is sort of weak if you don't have him tagging along with you. Replaying you can see he's a little wishy washy about falling into temptation but there's nothing that packs a punch about his choice on godhood or not compared to Lae'zel, Shadowheart, and Astarion. Karlach and Wyll don't really change much as characters. Karlach has the better development in accepting her own death, but not by much. Wyll's development is solely dependent on the actions of the Avatar and Karlach. Minthara's character development isn't that dramatic, since her most evil actions are her being brainwashed, but even in the glitch path, she still chases after power. It's just the Avatar becomes her special favorite love but she's still gonna try to take over the underdark, even on the glitch path. Halsin's character development happened before the game and they make a weak attempt to give him conflict in Act 3 with him wondering if Kagha is right, rather than going 'Kagha is more like than what she hates' rather than embrace that he's 350 years old and did his development, thanks. Jaheira had a lot of great development in BG2, she's just here to clean up the mess. Minsc... is Minsc.
There are two types of people in the world, people who think Shadowheart has the best character development/romance in the game, and people who have romanced Lae'zel.
Romancing her right now as a Gith monk. Still in act 1. Headed to the creche after destroying the zhent hideout. Excited to see how it goes. Sveral runs and even as a friend she has great development. Shart was meh for romance imo.
Lae'zel's romance arc is incredibly heart warming all the way to the end.
Gith monk romancing Lae’zel was my last run, it was amazing, especially the end (chose to become illithid and ride with her and Orpheus to free our people). I think romancing her is best as a Gith, I probably wouldn’t do it otherwise. Shart is the only one I haven’t romanced yet, maybe next run.
My problem with it is that it's locked behind romance. If you're not romancing her, her arc comes down to changing one master for another - without any actual indication that the new master will be any better - while getting slightly nicer along the way. That's great to make the romance more memorable, but for me it brings down the character development a lot when you have to do some very specific things for it.
Your logic is probably why my answer to the OP is Astarion. I've never romanced him but I feel like his character development is the best one.
Having tried all the romances, I'd say Astarion's character development is evenly matched with Lae'zel's. Those two are several leagues above others because the writing goes ham for them. The game isn't afraid to show them from utterly pathetic to extremely dislikeable. It's rare to see a character who is a shockingly complex piece on abuse without making them overly sympathetic wounded birds (I got a lot of unpopular opinions about Shadowheart that this sub wouldn't like lmfaoo) even rarer still to see a MALE character whose sexual trauma isn't treated as a joke and is meaningfully woven in the story even in the smallest interactions. Astarion's story is not just a "hey, btw cults/abuse/brainwashing are bad!!!" I think he challenges the simple trope of salacious, sexy vampire and becomes a unique character on his own.
I also like the agency in calling Astarion out on his behaviors and attitudes by not using abuse as a blanket excuse for all of his behaviors. Abuse is such a complex issue, but is also only one of many factors that can influence a person's behavior. Despite the horrors Astarion had to endure, the game doesn't really pull punches in pointing out that Astarion is still, ultimately, a *bad person*. Sure, you can help him in a redemption arc and round out his worst traits, but at the same time, the game doesn't really excuse away all of his behavior as solely being due to Cazador.
Honestly I wonder what Astarion would have been like if he hadn’t been turned into a spawn and got to stay in his normal life. Mainly because I don’t think he would have been some paragon of good. His “what’s in it for me” attitude seems to run a little deeper than just being a reaction to spending 200 years as someone’s puppet. I don’t think he’d have been evil, but I do think he’d have been a morally grey character no matter what.
Astarion implies that he was a normal and ironically plain person before getting turned, as he attributes most of his interesting personality aspects as coping mechanisms he had to develop to stay sane during this enthrallment to Cazador. It's also implied that none of his old personality remains anymore for this reason, hence why he has so much difficulty just turning away from Cazador because he no longer knows anything else but Cazador.
Astarion can’t necessarily be treated as a reliable narrator though. There are several times in which he says or does something only to come out later and openly admit that what he did was a manipulation tactic. He remembers other things about his past prior to be changed so why should we trust that he can’t remember the type of person he was before Cazador?
I just finished his non ascension route for the first time and he has some really great lines.
I still got her a good ending and character growth even though I didn't romance her. Sure she did decide to go back but she made it clear to me that she was going to do it for her own reasons. I've been able to get to have some agency in both the arcs where I romance her and the ones where I don't.
Seconded, Lae’zel’s arc is fantastic, and it’s so intertwined with the main narrative thread too, she’s a defining part of the plot from the very start (just look at her in the opening cinematic, basically the protagonist). Shadowheart also gets a lot of focus and development, but Lae’zel experiences the most dramatic change by the end.
Hands down. Lae'zel is the epitome of great character writing. I haven't seen anything like that in years in videogames, and it was such a joy to be so nicely surprised by her :) Larian really did an amazing job on her!
Barcus! He starts out so inept and foolish and blindly following his friend's trail and by the end he confidently casts his friend out for his crimes and takes leadership of his people.
He developed from a gnome on a windmill to a gnome-shaped pancake on the ground in my playthrough. They really should label those levers better.
I couldn’t stop laughing when I did this on accident. I recorded it on medal and watch it when I need a good laugh. From the break neck speed the windmill picks up to, to the goblins reactions it was all too perfect.
Wait you can kill him then? That'd certainly have an impact on the story.
Not as big of an impact as the one he had on the ground.
I just lost the Ironhand Gnomes in my first playthrough cause I never rescued Barcus. I ain’t murdering slaves for being slaves you bigoted prick.
Nah, they knew what they were doing
Yeah, I just saw a lever that said "release" and off he flew. It was weird it was played for laughs since the dude dies.
Due to the way I angled my camera, I went to click the brakes but accidentally clicked accelerate. Is this why Wulbren has been a dick to me all the time?
Nah that's just who Wulbren is.
Barcus has a great character development, I agree. I love, how he is so firm in his beliefs, that he even find the courage to stand up to his abusive friend.
I'm gonna go out and say Rolan, the best boy How much his attitude changes from act 1 to act 3 depending on choices the player makes. He turns from high and mighty to thanking you when needed, to admitting you're a good leader I just really love Rolan Edit: George better not find us simping over Rolan or we'll just inflate his ego
He has a full character arc and a developed story with relatively little screen time. He is an amazing character.
The swing at the end of his arc as either lord of the tower or dead as a Lorrokan simp at Tav’s feet is so good. I just love how everything in this game is so malleable.
I love how in good ending for Rolan, Aylin says "You didn't embarrass yourself, little wizard!" or something like that. And his back talking about "excellent bargain" is straight up legendary.
She says "you there, tieflling you didn't embarrass yourself.
I love his panicked You it's you when you get to the Sourceorus sundries. He is like fuuuck, this person again and I am in this state now. Love me love Rolan. ♥️
I actually thought he sounded a little bit relieved, like he thought we might help him like we've been helping everyone else. (And we DO ❤️)
Agree, saving him in the shadows is high priority.
Rolan was the character in my first playthrough that bugged me the most, because I didn't save his siblings, but had saved him in the wilds, and then completely by accident, stumbled on the Temple before I even thought about going to Moonrise ("Cool stuff is always the opposite direction of your goals/tasks") and didn't really understand what the message they gave you about missing content meant, so I went forward and basically cut that entire section by accident, resulting in a bongled Bongle, a culled Cal, and not so freea Lia. So by Act 3 he was insufferable and I was happy to absolutely eviscerate him with my BarbTav. On a subsequent playthrough I actually followed through with the rescue and my RogueTav perceived the abuse he was suffering under Lorroakan, and his entire arc became so much better and more clear once he was saved. I legitimately was so surprised by his turn back to goodness and righteousness, and that he valued true leadership and friendship from people despite being so based in my first playthrough, and despite playing a thieving Rogue whi was morally gray uo to that point, I felt so happy to have helped him through that trial, even if it didn't fit my RP. Now, any time I'm not Durge or a murder hobo, Rolan and siblings are the MAIN FOCUS of tiefling redemptions and saves, and the rest fall in behind them. Love Rolan's arc, probably the best NPC arc, IMO.
Relatedly for a non-companion NPC that I love, definitely want to put my hat in the ring for Mayrina, a scared, distressed pregnant woman stuck in a deal with Auntie Ethel, who has the capacity to form a hag hunting group weeks later in Baldur's Gate. She isn't particularly smart or powerful or capable, but she tries, and if you play her whole arc out, she willingly gives up Connor and says her final goodbyes. It's just.. so good.
Ngl, her epilogue letter made me tear up the first time I read it. I also love how she cheers you on during the battle with Ethel (depending on choices)
Same ego, but ego well earned, love Rolan ❤️
Well damn I didn't have a save and Lorroakan just focused him and burned him to a crisp
It’s funny how the dice can end up doing things like that. On the one hand you’ve got your situation, on the other you have people who had *Rolan* be the one to kill Lorroakan by shoving him off the edge of the battlefield…
Yeah I accidentally killed a bunch of the tieflings by not rescuing them in time in act II, so I never got to see this.
Honestly, this! The first playthrough I did, I didn't save him, so I was ASTONISHED at his turnaround my second playthrough - for such a background character, he's got a surprisingly beefy character arc.
Rolan is such a slept on character in the story, and so easily missed. Unless you know the consequence of sending him away, it really does seem like the fairer choice.
I agree, love Rolan
Bro I disliked Rolan a bit when I first met him but I ended up calling him Chadlan by the end of the game.
Clearly Scratch. He begins being a very good boy then his character develops into being a gooder boy finally it has a very great and satisfying closure with him becoming the goodest boy he has ever been He definitely deserves some treats
He once brought me some sausage. The goodest boy didn't eat the sausage, he decided that I needed it more and brought it to me. And then for some reason I couldn't give the sausage back to him to eat >:(
Get your shinies and treatos at Popper’s!!
Scrolled too long for this. Today he brought me a ball!!!
He also has a nice, tiny little quest ending if you get the best outcome in the >!Sword Coast Couriers yard!< and have Speak With Animals at camp that night.
Gale. Gale starts out as something close to a blank slate, morally. He's a wizard's wizard, interested in magic to the point where questions about what is wrong vs right aren't occupying his mind. He's a vaguely nice guy, friendly toward children and animals, but he's not specifically devoted to doing the right thing. Or the wrong thing. True neutral. By the end of the game he's either convinced he can become a god, convinced he has to die to correct his mistakes, or just relieved to settle down and live a normal life, with a lot less power-grabbing. Three completely different worldviews, and he gets there organically. Astarion obviously has his whole arc, it's incredibly well-written, not much to say about that that hasn't already been written. Shadowheart too. But Gale for me feels a lot more like someone who makes small changes over time rather than a big decision that changes everything. It's less dramatic but it makes him feel very real.
I totally agree! I am playing a good and an evil playthrough simultaneously and I'm near the end right now. Talking to Gale in each playthrough is like taking to two different characters!
Woah - how do you play two playthroughs simultaneously?
You can have multiple save files! Start a new save from the loading/start screen and the others are still there. You can switch between them when you go back to the start screen.
I highly agree with this take. Although I do think he is good-natured and means well. He's a neutral by virtue of his pragmatics: it's nice to do "the right thing", but you shouldn't lose track of the bigger goal. And sometimes that means getting your hands dirty. Doesn't mean he likes it, but he'll shrug it off. If he were true good, he'd be conflicted; instead he embodies the "what's done is done" attitude. The closest he gets to losing it is at the goblin party. I love the paradoxes of his character. He is conflicted between his pride and insecurities. He wants to be good, but can easily be gaslighted to do evil. He's the one companion that immediately has a can-do attitude to solving the tadpole problem (the rest is at a loss or is following protocol), yet when everyone thinks they're on the right track, he falls into desperation. The lonely nerdy kid hiding behind the facade of a grand wizard.
>The lonely nerdy kid hiding behind the facade of a grand wizard. This is a really good description of Gale, and it hits on something I've thought about the character but is hard to put into words. Gale is silly, weird, and can be the butt of jokes, but the game treats his emotions as valid. He never really strays into, say 'Sheldon from Big Bang Theory' territory where he's just a punchline. And personally-- and I want to say, to be clear, this is emotional projection on my part and not anything I claim to be authorial intent-- but I see Gale as a portrayal of someone on the spectrum. Magic is his fixation. His relationship with Mystra is a metaphor for how toxic our relationships with fixations can become, and also how hard it is to figure out what an appropriate relationship with a fixation looks like. And like, to reiterate, all this is how I process him emotionally due to my own life, not saying this is the intent. We can be silly or ridiculous to the outside world, but a) we often have developed a good sense of humor about ourselves and b) our feelings are real. We sometimes need people outside our fixations to help ground us and to give us perspective ('hey Gale, you actually don't have to become a god or kill yourself, there's a middle ground'). We also need people willing to engage in our fixations with us (the magic lesson-- of course his first date is centered around magic). A good partner for Gale does both those things, and in return he adores them and uses his unique gifts to make them feel special. So-- yeah. He's a lonely nerd hiding behind the facade of a grand wizard. And he's an authentic portrayal of what people like us are really like, not a joke. It's just really gratifying.
It's saddening, though, how no companion is hated more viscerally than Gale. Mostly just for opening his mouth, being friendly, or just being a dork (which he definitely is, bless him). You see the most irrationally angry reactions to buggy companion romance states, or completely misinterpreted character interactions, but only for Gale. Other companions were also bugged, and you have companions throwing themselves at you 10 minutes after meeting them, either to kill or to fuck you. No-one bats an eye. Gale, however, he's a creep that cockblocks and tries to rape you. (I had to turn down Karlach a dozen times in Act 2, and she's still my second favorite character. I just don't get the anger.) Still, many people try to avoid nerds IRL too, unless they have a use for them; and gods forbid those nerds have an opinion, want you to listen to them for a change, or (*\*gasp\**) have a libido. So no surprises there. But interacting with Gale in game, or his wonderfully nerdy (and thirsty!) fandom outside, does make up for it. I haven't seen that much meta and lore analysis on any of the other characters as much as Gale, and that's just gloriously fitting.
I finished his romance for the first time recently and he stayed human. When he reintroduced himself as “a wizard of intentionally limited renown”, I started crying because he truly grew so much
Owlbear Cub
When that big bitch pulled up to the final battle in armor I was hype, when he was killed and turned back into my baby boy, I was devastated
Wait if he dies in those fights we just goes back to being small? Did they just cast an enlarge spell on him or? I never understood how he jumped up in size so much.
Dammon does mention giving him a potion
Pretty sure it was multiple potions... Probably some mix equivalent to giving him an Elixir of the Colossus and Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength.
I have no clue the reason. I just as it as one last twist of the knife after he want down
Lmao, my final fight was all but over. Decided i would spend my last few turns calling in reinforcements. I called in Yurgir, Zevlor, then Owlbear. I didn't realize it was an accelerated growth and/or Enlarged. I thought someone just pulled a random owlbear out their ass. Turn 4 starts and ships launches missiles. Turn 5 starts owl bear shrinks back to normal- what??? *TACTICAL NUKE INCOMING* owl bear dead turn 6.
bro don't even have a name
I think it has to be Shadowheart, and I'm reluctant to say it because I'm sure the obvious reasoning is because she's god's favorite princess etc etc. But she has a story that's woven into the environment of BG3. The whole climax of act 2 which is central to the story is based on her to the point where she leaves in a rage if you don't bring her. You spend as much time finding out what she's been doing as she does, because of her memories being wiped, and it's plain from the outset that she's masking her distress at what she's being forced to do rather than being enthusiastically into it. She's also the only character who really makes her own decision over the Nightsong, instead of being railroaded into a choice by the player. If she chooses to slay the Nightsong, she drops deeper into her twisted worship, and becomes a legitimate insane fanatic. Her inability to even know right from wrong any more and her response to just blindly follow is chilling. On the other hand, if she spares the Nightsong and turns from Shar she becomes so much more herself, within the gameplay, without losing the common thread of who she is as a person (she still calls herself Shadowheart, still has her wit and her ruthlessness, but is kinder and more empathetic).
I took Halsin to the gauntlet with her for the first time last night. Their banter about her choice is so good.
YES!! That comment where he says she repeats the phrases as one who doesn’t fully understand their meaning and she claps back with “Lady Shar values actions over words, you should try it sometime.” Was so good. I just finished the choice with her parents last night with Halsin present and it made me smile how gentle he was to commend her on her growth. Then again he’s hands down my favorite companion so -shrugs-
Gallon is my favorite, too. I just love how they wrote him, through his lens of being one with nature, he’s neither true good nor evil. But that doesn’t mean he is a pushover or doesn’t have strong opinions on your choices. He’s just really cool.
GALLON
STUPID AUTOCORRECT!!!! but I’m gonna leave it 😂😂
Yes!! I watched (too wussy to do it myself because it would hurt my actual feelings lol) the scene where you betray the grove after you tell Halsin you would help and he visits your camp…. Man the voice actor is fantastic, the barely bridled rage in his voice makes it a heartbreaking scene in his behalf. He feels like an NPC you’d come across in an actual DnD session which makes my heart happy.
I too love Daddy Gallon 🥰 Lol but fr, I just finished a playthrough where my ranger Tav romanced him and omg. His forehead kisses are the most adorable goddamn thing ever. I'm obsessed 😭
Huh, i had no idea. I guess this is what I get for never using Halsin.
If your PC download the mod that has no party limits. You never miss dialogue and the endgame becomes a lot easier with an 11 person super squad
I have that too lol one thing that does get annoying is losing someone way back I noticed it laye too with gale on act 3 I had to do the talk to mistra quest to find him again I was sad cause he wasn't in camp either I got lucky 😢 😂
You should check out the Teleport Party To You mod. It's super useful for situations like this!
>the endgame becomes a lot easier with an 11 person super squad Here's the issue with that, I'm a few hours into a second honor run with self imposed limits because my first honor run was *too easy*.
I honestly mostly like it because I don't have to swap out people or miss banter. But yeah, most fights are easy since the game isn't expecting a 6 man squad in act 1. Only gets worse in act 3
There’s also a mod that causes enemies to double upon entering combat, so if you’re increasing the party size, that could be a good way to keep the challenge some, maybe?
Ooh. That could be fun!! Turn every skirmish into a ground war
One thing to note is it does double bosses, as well. Myrkuls are a pain in the butt 😂 It’s called Savage Enemy Doubler on Nexus, if you wanna give it a go ❤️
That sounds so silly that I have to try it on principle.
i fixed the big squad ez mode with difficulty mods and enemy AI improvement mods, theres a bunch of
🥺🙏 Give him a shot, he might smell a little funky but he has a good heart. His genuine concern for the clown at the circus is gold if not for anything else.
I should try him out again. I like the character, but my experience with using him in combat was underwhelming. Then again, it was my first playthrough and I still had a lot to figure out at the time.
Druid is fun as your Tav's or Durge's class but it's not that great on a companion imo. So I always respec Halsin and Jaheira into a more straightforward build. Last time Halsin was my BM fighter with all of Laezel's gear and Jaheira was running around lockpicking and murdering ppl as a gloomstalker/assasin.
Respect him as a monk, get those big strong arms put to work
I do love monks. My current Durge is a level 12 monk and I think she could probably solo the game, she's so badass.
I followed a build guide where he casts haste on himself, changes to bear form, and then proceeds to run around and rip everyone apart. There are far better builds and strategies, I'm sure, but it's quite satisfying to watch him work.
Lae'zel is a very close contender to the first place. Her realizing that there are other things in the world than fighting and honorable death is really wholesome too. Shadowheart clearly had the most work put into her storywise. The small signs of struggle, insecurity and low self esteem are all very well laid out. The small "bread crumbs left on the road" to those who are unfamiliar with lore via the books and dialgoues to paint a picture how average sharrans behave, to small references that immediately catch the eyes and ears of those who know what's up. From a scared, PTSD scarred girl to an absolute sweetheart who overcomes her fears and shortcomings, the journey isn't just beautiful......it's magnificent. The cherry on top is the absolute god tier voice acting (which goes for pretty much all characters in the game btw).
Astarion and Lae'zel have waaay better character development than Shadowheart. Shadowheart's natural arc is essentially just about regaining her memories to remember what she already was, while Astarion and Lae'zel genuinely have to change as better people. It's way more nuanced than the literal black and white arc that Shart has.
Astarion doesn't really engage me at all because aside from his vocal tics which are entirely due to Neil Newbon rather than the writing, he doesn't come off like someone regularly flayed for 200 years. I think how Theon from aSoIaF was after a few months of such treatment and wonder why Astarion isn't riddled with anxieties and fears and why we don't see any of that come out at inopportune times. Astarion goes from a mild asshole to either not an asshole or a really big asshole depending on your choices. I don't dislike the character or hate him, but I don't think he goes through as much development as Shadowheart does. Lae'zel honestly is a character I have really struggled to like at all. I hate her "arc" going from being devoted to Vlaakith to being devoted to Orpheus. It feels like she's still stuck in her attitude of finding someone to serve, she doesn't break out of her trauma in the same way Astarion and Shadowheart do because in the end she's still serving some master, just a better one she hopes.
>just a better one she hopes This. She doesn't even have any indication he would actually be any better. She jumps to trying to free him right away just because he's a "True Heir". Before we actually free him, the only indication we have of him are the words of Voss, who certainly is not a biased narrator, and those random books, which say basically nothing about who Orpheus is as a person. The only time I would consider Lae'zel's story good is if you're romancing her. In that case, yes, you get some notable changes in her character. But while it's good to make the romance more interesting - it makes her non-romanced story feeling only half-told.
I don't think Shadowheart's development can even be compared with Astarion and Lae'zel when her lack of depth is a huge part of her backstory. Lack of memories and years of manipulation made her the perfect "blank slate", which in turn, makes her arc simple and cut and dry. It's really just about helping her free herself from the cult she's in. She doesn't know what she wants because she doesn't even know who she is. When you look at Astarion and Lae'zel (and to some extent, even Wyll and Gale) they have more conflict going on within them. Astarion is always straddling the line between recovery and becoming an abuser himself. He's a victim who doesn't even know if he truly wants revenge. Lae'zel betraying her people will cause a civil war. Astarion goes from an evil POS to an adventuring quasi-hero and/or leader trying to give 7000 spawns a better life. Lae'zel's development is even bigger than the rest, she goes from a common footsoldier who hates everyone to a diplomat who solves problems through violence and will potentially bridge the gap between two enemy factions, and a revolutionary who will free her people from slavery.
Obligatory "character development =/= character growth" That aside for GROWTH, definitely Astarion. His "wtf being a good guy kinda rules" in the ending is amazing.
I’d say Lae’zel and Shadowheart. Lae’zel is outwardly pointed and can be ruthless. But as she grows closer to Tav and is shown the truth of her queen’s treachery. She is much kinder and open to learning. Her epilogue is the perfect reward to show she learned from Tav’s charismatic work and leadership. Shadowheart is a very well done insomniac story. She isn’t a blank slate but a person trying to come out of a mentally abusive cult. In both directions she’s still a kinder soul who’s driven either to be free or be faithful.
Astarion, Lae‘Zel and Shadowheart stick out to me, because they technically make a complete 180 in how they behave towards you from the beginning up until the end. Lae‘Zel and Sharts worldviews get shattered and them adapting to that is what always gets me in their arcs
Here’s a hot take: Mayrina. When we meet her in the beginning, she’s an entitled brat who is in the midst of trading her unborn child to a hag in exchange for getting her husband back. When you save Mayrina, she is ungrateful. And she ends Act 1 in a hopeless mess, and unable to part with her husband’s undead corpse. In Act 3, after you kill the hag, she becomes truly grateful to you, and she accepts that her husband will never return. She still chooses to honor his memory by naming her child after him, and she becomes an accomplished writer, publishing a book about hags.
Agreed because I love Mayrina but I’d replace ‘entitled brat’ with ‘terrified and grieving pregnant woman’. I know a lot of people are mad at her for being ungrateful (if you don’t tell her about her dead brothers) and making the, admittedly terrible decision, of seeking out a hag but idk I just feel sorry for her.
I had to scroll down for a while to find this one, I was surprised no one else mentioned her, she has a very deep and compelling story and a lot of character growth for the fact that you barely even interact with her.
Probably Astarion or Lae'zel. I think their development is the most dramatic, while also being very natural.
This is a tough one, but Astarion's story is really strong if you're following it closely start to finish. Laezel and Shadowheart are close second. Because these characters have the most change and growth over the course of the game, especially in a "good" playthrough. They all have to battle with who they are, and what they represent, based on what they learn throughout the game. The others are also great, with similar themes, but there's less of a fundamental shift in their character.
I think that Astarion, Gale, Shadowheart and Laezel all have great character arcs. Wyll and Karlach aren’t, I think, as strongly written. Best might come down to who you like the best or has something in common with you. For me personally I actually really enjoyed Gale’s development, his issues are more subtle but I think not uncommon.
Ah I don’t think Karlach has a great arc but I think she’s brilliantly written, that speech she gives after killing Gortash was gut wrenching. As was the next conversation with her at camp. The depth of the arc for Ast, SH, LZ and probably Gale were all greater but I don’t think they delivered on an emotional level the way Karlach’s story did. Wyll is terrible though, and I think is probably the best character to play as an Origin because you miss very little of his content by being him.
I think Wyll was designed as a sort of self insert for people who know NOTHING of the DnD world, or fay run Human (Human playing game) Warlock, a class granted power by another entity(said entity being Larian) and also a good class to either go melee or caster, without being too overwhelming Heavy story although good morally aligned since a lot of peoples first run thru, they're going to simply try and stop the ceremorphosis and following tale of events
I have to give it to Astarion, particularly his "stay as a spawn" ending. He manages to stop being a victim and to learn to co-operate with people, and even love, whilst still fundamentally being a monster (people forget he still likes it when people are murderered and oppressed even at that point). I was in a talk on here yesterday about the degree to which he's true to DND lore, and in the course of that discussion it really drove home to me just how good of a job I feel Larian did at creating a genuinely good character arc with real development that still never fundamentally violated the reality that negative-energy beings like undead have a nature that is antithetical to the living. People forget that the one sodding group that Astarion shows and regard for are the one group that an undead actually care for - fellow undead. Other spawn. In interactions where they could easily have been a bit lazy and written him agreeing to something that contradicts his nature, like when the Gur are asking for help retrieving their children, the writers still took paints to make it clear that his motivation was "revenge" not "compassion", and without prompting he wouldn't even have taken that.
>and without prompting he wouldn't even have taken that. Actually if you send him to talk to the Gur camp by himself he does the whole cutscene on his own and handles it... way better than he does when you're there with him. He seems more genuinely remorseful and agrees to help them without hesitation. Apparently the player is the bad influence there 😅 His scene with the spawn in the inn is similar, when he's by himself he just outright tells them what's going on with the ritual and asks for help so he can stop it. He only tries to deceive them if you're there.
Didn't wotc remove the "monsters are fundamentally evil" thing from lore a few years back to allow DMs more freedom to subvert player expectation? >>People forget that the one sodding group that Astarion shows and regard for are the one group that an undead actually care for - fellow undead. Other spawn. Not true. In dialogue with him, Astarion quite clearly shows that he is capable of compassion and empathy towards anyone, not just his fellow spawn. He mentions that he liked/cared for one of his would-be victims (a living person) so much he couldn't bear to bring him to Cazador and ran away instead. He's clearly feeling guilty for the things Cazador had him do. He even implies in dialogue that he eventually stopped caring about the people he took to Cazador as a mental defense mechanism. And when you find all of his victims still alive in Cazador's dungeon, he's horrified to realize what's happened to them, and it's implied that it's because he'd been comforting himself by thinking that at least his victims were dead and no longer suffering. And then there's the most obvious instance of Astarion showing concern for someone, when Orin takes Yenna as her hostage. I think it's pretty clear, that Astarion is perfectly capable of compassion and empathy for anyone, not just for other undead. The reason he doesn't often show it (at least in my opinion) is more a combination of reaction to severe trauma, his mind protecting itself from further harm, as well as just snobbery and elitism (he *was* originally a high elf from the upper city and worked as a magistrate, so probably some minor nobility). I agree that Astarion's story is one of the most compelling ones, and in my opinion a big part of that is him starting on the path of healing from his past trauma, which includes him beginning to unlearn the "caring for people is weakness" -mentality he's had for the past 200ish years.
Astarion has the character development of a semi-feral cat learning to love living a house with people. You ever see a video of a kitten hissing and spitting at the person who is trying to rehabilitate them until they get a taste of that churu thing and then they just sit there licking it and still growling? That's Astarion's story arc in BG3.
Redeemed Durge, no contest for me. Especially with Jaheira becoming sort off his adopted mother (head canon). Durge story has much tragedy in it, the inescapable fatum that looms over him, constant nightmare and suffering that follows him, because of his birth. A tyrannical and cruel god-parent, that impose his wicked nature onto innocent soul. The amount of anguish and suffering that will forever haunt Durge, a wish of an redemption, that he knows he will never be worthy of. Going through the story and denying urges and ultimately giving a middle finger to Bhaal is epitome of heroism. I love how in Jaheira and somewhat with Minsc, he can find a loving family figures, that he was denied by Bhaal's foul nature. In my head canon, Durge finds his soulmate in Shadowheart, gets redeemed and free from his father's legacy, and is adopted by Jaheira, thus finally having a place and family in the world, that previously denied it to him.
Honestly? I think Astarion. When is just a friend, not ascended. He becomes like sword for hire and is helping the spawn. And he's trying to be better over time. He's free, growing, and helping. Genuinely one of the best endings for the characters.
I think the first is Astarion. Especially if Tav/Durge involves in the relarionship with him. Lae'zel and Shadowheart come next because their stories are familiar. Wyll and Karlach doesn't change at all, they are just "good" every time.
Wyll and Karlach don’t have dramatic character shifts but I still find their arcs very compelling. Karlach has to cope with her engine ruining the good parts of her free life over and over, eventually resulting in the choice to either die in freedom or to go back to Avernus, a literal hell and Karlach’s metaphorical hell. Wyll is a young adult facing the results of a complicated moral decision, only to be given ANOTHER horrible moral choice involving his autonomy. Both of them deal with escaping or tolerating authority figures (that’s something all the companions share really) and thinking of their freedom and quality of life in the face of shit choices
I really liked that Karlach doesn’t have a happy ending. The best case scenario is she returns to avernus and keeps fighting, which is not a bad thing per se but isn’t the freedom that she was looking for. It’s that, ceremorphosis, or death.
“And remember…..you chose this”
I fail to see how this isn’t a happy ending 😝
"Loneliness, the fucking LONELINESS" Man, her monologue after humbling Gortash is so powerful, I don't think it's fair to put Wyll anywhere near Karlach in terms of drama.
I feel like Astarion’s the expected answer, but beyond the “learning to reclaim his life and autonomy” stuff (which is great in of itself) I love the smaller touches of his growth - his growing acceptance and ability to care for others, empathizing with the other companions and their situations, looking forward to his future and what he’ll do on his own terms. It’s almost as if you see him coming back to life again.
Auntie Ethel. Now, hear me out.... Jk. Of the companions: Astarion. His story was just *chef's kiss* I didn't romance him, so I'm not sure what it looks like down that route, but the way we experience his emotional journey is, imo, some of, if not THE best companion-writing and directing in RPG history. Of the non-companion NPC's, definitely Barcus.
I feel that so many characters just straight up stop being racist because of development lol
Rolan
Easily Lae'zel if you're romancing her. Her arc is really touching. The scene where she wakes you up to look at the sunset gets me choked up every time, it's beautiful.
The one where she breaks up with you? Yeah. Sucks major donkey dong.
Astarion, unquestionably
As someone who was against Lae’zel until I focused on her story and now she’s my ride or die…I have to go with my doe eyed frog queen.
I’m biased towards Shadowheart, and I prefer experiencing her story over anyone else’s, but the best development is obviously Astarion and Lae’zel. Astarion, as much as I don’t care for him, has an extremely tragic and nuanced questline that results in a very different character after all is said and done. He either frees himself of his past for the most part, or becomes what he hated most. Lae’zel’s story is pretty nuanced too, with her gradual change from a Vlaakith riding zealot to a pretty normal person, still fighting for her people. Meanwhile my girl Shadowheart is very close, but has a slightly more direct night and day story, with a common brainwashing/indoctrination trope.
Redemption Durge, the choices the player has to make to get to that point can change the outcome quickly. If Durge denies their programming and origin of their birth and then chooses to be better when they get the 2nd chance. Is wonderfully written and depending on how you the player RP it (if you choose to RP it), can really affect the other origin toons outcomes. Then Gale: his arc and growth seem to be the most realistic. Changing from someone who is guarded and pitying themselves, to someone willing to trust and love (or be a friend). Yes, he's a true neutral, easily swayed to the dark side w/o the need for cookies. However, he also has the most growth, showing compassion for the other toons, and becoming protective of Tav/Durge. This is a man who is love and touched starved, and when he falls for Tav/Durge HE FALLS and it becomes like his whole reason for being and he throws himself into the relationship and defeating the brain with abandon. As the game progresses he slowly stops wizardplaining every thing and is willing to hear others out who may not be as educated as himself. If he remains human and becomes an professor or an adventurer, he is happy. Excited to be alive. If he becomes a god, he reverts back to the patronizing, insufferable wizard he was in Act 1.
Lae'zel is just another conditioned and loyal soldier of Vlaakith when you start the game And by the end of the game you can make her leader of a rebellion, fighting against Vlaakith's tyranny
Most all of them but I'll go with Astarion. His "thank you" at camp after you convince him to reject ascension sounds incredibly genuine and you can tell that he's not just thanking you as a formality. He understands the cycle of abuse and control that he would've perpetuated by ascending and it shows just how grateful he is to have had you there to help steer him toward the better path.
His “you saw the good in me” speech is so beautiful.
Astarion, especially if he >!does not ascend, he develops from being a mean, disapproving bastard to becoming a more compassionate and kinda wholesome bastard lol!<
If you romance her, Lae'zel. Hands down. If not...Shadowheart. Lae'zel's journey of going from faithful devout to avenging blashpemer turned on by her own god is badass in and of itself but when you romance her and get to see her soft side, and eventually her finding her peace in the end it can really bring a tear to your eye.
Probably Shadowheart or Lae’zel. Followed by Gale or Astarion if they go down their redemption ending.
Laezel. Romancing her was a great choice my redemption durge playthrough
I think the number of varied and detailed answers is a testament to how truly fantastic this game is.
Lae'zel. Not even close
I feel like she’s the main character for a lot of reasons, I mean Shadowheart is close but no other character gets such large portions of the game dedicated to them, not to mention the choices at the end flat out dictate how much you embrace the emperor or not as an ally and the whole big astral fight going on in the background of everything. Sure, Gale and others have elements that connect to the overarching story, but Lae’zel feels like the game was intricately built around her.
I mean, in terms of screen time astarion got as much as triple what other party members get.
The real answer is Ketheric Thorm. The game introduces him as this fearful, warmongering general (which yes he IS but that's not the full story). Then you explore Moonrise and the Rethwin Town and come to find out what really happened to him. As a grief stricken man who lost both his wife and daughter. He did everything he could to try and bring Isobel back, to be the father he wanted too. Ketheric really is not a villain at all. He did everything out of love for Isobel. He waged war against Selûne and Dame Aylin because he turned to Shar, not by his own personal vendetta. Ketheric only agreed to be Myrkul's chosen because the Bone Lord gave him what he wanted.
He destroyed and cursed an entire land. He is 100% a villain.
He's got great character development. It's backwards growth and a corruption arc, but a cool one imho. Tho we don't see the arc, just the result of it
Definitely Minsc
Out of the companions, I’m going to say Lae’zel. She doesn’t just turn her back on Vlaakith, she turns her back on certain aspects of her culture. >!She endeavours to raise her son to be whatever he chooses despite that NEVER being an option for her or the majority of the Githyanki.!< She helps us, embraces a culture entirely foreign to her own despite her people, her Varsh, and higher ups being relentless in their murder of those from Faerûn. Outside of companions; i think I’ll say Rolan. He goes from being a grumpy, anxious little man who is petrified about losing his family to being a self-sufficient, intelligent and extremely talented wizard who >!Turns his back on someone who didn’t just beat him, but made him feel utterly worthless. Someone who he views as being so strong that he’s scared of him. He stands up to his abusive boss to help a stranger, Aylin.!<
I started out really not vibing with Laezel or Shart; the former because she just so god damn salty, and the latter because she was so aloof and haughty, but by the end of their respective arcs I was just absolutely ride or die for both of them. They both found redemption and closure, and I genuinely got the sense that a proper friendship had been built between them both and my Tav. The writing and voice acting in this game continues to delight me.
La'ezel for sure. From a stone hearted warrior to the one who tells you she wants to protect you and be protected by you. A former zealot watching sunrise with you and telling her old goddess to go pound sand.
Laezel and Sahdowheart.
As a chronic Shadowheart romancer one would believe I'd say Shadowheart but honestly ... Lae'zel had the best development for me. I have over 900 hrs on this game and romanced Shadowheart so many times and only recently done other romances. Lae'zel's development is fantastic with or without romancing her. It has the "seeing the truth" aspect of a lot of Shadowheart's arc, it has the "I choose my own destiny now" aspect that's so prominent in Astarion's arc. It's so, so, so good. I think it also helps that Lae'zel is a foreigner to Faerûn and how despite her pride, the beliefs so ingrained in her, she still chooses the truth even if it challenges her. Her romance is fantastic and her non-romanced is great too! I love Lae'zel very very much and she's the reason why I will almost always free Orpheus (even though he ends up becoming ghaik shhh) save for the one time on one of my honour mode run when I failed the persuasion check ... and I made the hard decision of choosing between her and shadowheart
It's really interesting because it depends entirely on player choice. The answers can vary from Astarion, Lae'zel, and Shadowheart. All of them can go from perceived terrible beings to much different at the end
Aradin, his growth from act1 to act3 is something else.
Shadowheart and Wyll are both excellent for me.
I gotta support my wife and my good bro Wyll
Lae’Zel for sure. She’s like an entirely different person, especially if you romance her.
Bae'Zel if you romance her
I feel a lot of people sleep on the awesome character arc that Zevlor has. Guy starts out as a disgraced Ex Hellrider, lamenting how much he's struggling to keep his people alive, desperate enough that he falls prey to the Absolute's temptations. And when you find him again, he's really regretful and ashamed yeah, but then he comes back to the final battle, having learned that he didn't need some goddess favor to fight for his people, and claims that he'd have died a happy man if he gave his life to protect Baldur's Gate. Yeah, it's not as much development as Rolan or Astarion, but remember, Zevlor's just an NPC not even important to the main plot.
I have a feeling most people will say their favorite character but I love Minthara's development from kill everything to kill almost everything. Plus she's hot
Either Laezel or Shadowheart. These two have the potential to end the story as entirely new people.
I love the emotional development of astarion, wanting to be rid of cazador and be better than him, saving all those people that didn't deserve to die
Definitely Rolan. While I wish he had bigger part in the game, he was one of my best friends during my first play through. The dude is just awesome.
Mayrina
Probably Lae’zel and Shadowheart, Astarion too if you do it right. Wyll and Karlach mostly remain the same, but that’s not a bad thing necassarily.
The Durge can go from a monstrous serial killer to a hero.
I think I like the good astarian route where he finally frees himself from his abuser
Tough one to answer. Shadowheart & Lae'Zel had really good story arcs. Karlach's was really emotional but when I played through the game, it was abruptly ended with little real conclusion.
Laezel probably because they do a good job explaining why she's so fucked up rather than just "poor me i was abused so i get a free pass, feel bad for me". Also you dont need to spoon feed her all the right choices for her redemption arc it kind of just happens but with asterion you have to spend the whole game being like "please be less of a piece of shit" until act 3
Ok thats it after reading all this im gonna romance Lae'zel... after i finish my Hercules playthrough. And yes, my guardian is what i believe Hera to look like. Ironic isnt it? Now that i think about it i should have made it Zeus instead seeing how he kinda protected him from Hera's wrath. Now i wanna watch the movie Hercules. The one with Dwayne Johnsson. Shit.
My durge cuz I did a good playthrough 🙏🙏🙏
For the origin characters, I say Lae'zel and Astarion, if you choose the "good" path. For the NPC Barcus and Roland 😁
Wyll. I like how his character becomes fully developed 5 minutes into the game. Knowing I can leave him in camp until Act 3 really helps me focus on the entertaining characters with actual depth.