Summary
The Companions ofBaldur’s Gate 3aren’t just in the game to follow the protagonist around. They have their own storylines and quests, some of which are connected with the main storyline, which is another reason that everyone should experience playing them as an Origin character at least once.
It’s a matter of opinion as to which of these Companion quests is the best overall. They could all have varying categories, like most difficult, most interesting, or most immersive. The ultimate decision is up to Tav, but it’s clear thatsome of the Companion quests inBaldur’s Gate 3are better than others.
Spoilers Ahead for events in Acts 2 and 3
8The High Harper
Jaheira’s Search For An Old Friend
Jaheirahas to survive Act 2 to be recruited and allow Tav to start her quest,and even if she survives, certain parts of this quest stay locked off if too many of her Harper allies die. Her goal is to find and rescue her friend, Minsc, another legacy character, and the first place players go for information depends on how Act 2 unfolds.
If she’s one of the few or only Harpers left, players will have to skip the part about Denethon’s Dancing Axe and head to the Guild Hall of Nine Fingers instead. This leads to the Counting House, and finally, the sewers, where the trick is to defeat Minsc without killing him. If the wayward Ranger dies, however, Jaheira will leave the party forever.
7The Blade Of Frontiers
The Saga Of Wyll The Warlock
There are a few differentopportunities to recruitWyll,and most players find him in the Druid Grove first after the initial Goblin attack. If they happen to recruit Karlach first, Wyll comes to camp and confronts the party about harboring a devil.
From this point on,The Blade of Frontiersquest begins, and this isn’t just a heroic romp across the Sword Coast, but also an interesting who’s-who of the politics in Baldur’s Gate. Wyll is the estranged son of Grand Duke Ulder Ravengard, and depending on the choices he makes in his quest, he can take his father’s place, or return to Avernus with Our Fiery Friend Mizora.
6The Githyanki Warrior
Lae’zel’s Quest For Glory
The protagonist first encountersLae’zelon the Nautiloid, but she isn’t available as a Companion until they manage to escape, and once they recruit her, the quest begins. If she dies on the Nautiloid, she can be resurrected using a scroll, and if she survives, players have to find a way to rescue her from a wooden trap and two clueless but well-meaning Tieflings.
There’s a reason that Shadowheart and Lae’zel don’t get along,and that’s not just becauseof the mutual racism. Lae’zel’s queen is searching for the Artefact that Shadowheart and her fellow Sharrans managed to steal. The outcome of each Companion quest depends on which side the protagonist takes between the two.
5The Wizard Of Waterdeep
Gale Might Be The Real Main Character
Gale of Waterdeepis a Wizard looking for redemption from an angry goddess, and his Companion quest can lead to godhood depending on the choices both he and the protagonist make as they adventure through the game. Like other Companions, he’s on the wrong side of a deity, but his patron is Mystra, the God of Magic, and his ex-girlfriend.
This is an ideal questline for anyone interested inD&Dlore because it includes details about places like Waterdeep, magical and adorable animals like Tressyms, conversations with actual gods, and the wacky everyday life of the average Wizard. Gale’s companion quest ends after the Elder Brain is dead and the Netherese crown is free for the taking. If Tav doesn’t grab it, the Wizard of Waterdeep probably will.
4The Pale Elf
200 Years Of Solitude
Astarion’squest is only related to the main story because the Illithid tadpole has allowed him to escape from not only Cazador, but the usual limitations that keep vampire spawn in the dark. Other than that, it’s a peripheral storyline, and if he leaves or dies permanently at any point, the quest ends without affecting the main plot.
The Pale Elfstarts as soon as players either recruit Astarion into their party, or tell him that he can wait at their camp. How quickly the quest progresses in the first two Acts depends on when they see Astarions scars, and whether or not they kill Yurgur the Orthon.
Returning to Baldur’s Gate is what prompts the assault on Cazador’s Palace, and when Astarion learns the awful truth about the demonic ritual to make a Vampire Lord, he has to make a difficult choice. His quest ends when he decides between becoming Ascended or remaining Spawn Astarion, and it’s one of the most controversial choices in RPG history if the internet has anything to say about it.
3Our Fiery Friend
The Quest To Fix Karlach’s Infernal Engine
It’s possible to findKarlachin the wilderness before players meet Wyll, but it’s the Blade of Frontiers' initial quest that usually leads the main character in her direction. If players meet the Paladins of Tyr first, they can also send them in her direction.
Unlike the other Companions, Karlach’s quest has little to do with the main storyline. It has more narrative connections with the tabletop adventure module often cited as the prequel toBG3,Descent Into Avernus. This tells the story of the Blood War, the destruction of Elturel, and the armies of Zariel, the same fiend that enslaved Karlach and put the Infernal Engine into her chest.
Karlach is one of the gaming community’s favorite companions, and her story is one of the most emotional and tragic in the game. She’s yet another example of the unlucky Tieflings that have been sucked back into the Hells one way or another, and her quest eventually leads her to confront Gortash, her former employer and the person that sold her to Zariel. However, no matter what players do,Our Firey Friendalways ends on a bittersweet note.
2Lift The Shadow Curse
Halsin’s Lifelong Quest To Save A Childhood Friend
After the Tiefling party,Halsinopens up to the protagonist about his plans, and how they’re following the same path into the Underdark. Halsin is the key to breaking the curse, and not just because he’s a powerful Druid. His childhood friend, Thaniel, is being held prisoner by this mysterious darkness, and the fight to free him is one of the most challenging in the game.
This isn’t a fight against a boss, but against a whole army of undead minions to defend Halsin’s portal for a set number of rounds. Once he emerges with Thaniel, players can speak to him at camp, and he’ll be available as a recruitable character.
There’s still more to be done to lift the curse and keep Halsin in the party, but this is half the battle. The rest is waiting to be discovered near the Ruined Battlefield, and unless players finish the quest before moving on, Halsin leaves the party.
1Daughter Of Darkness
A Cleric, A Tadpole, And An Astral Prism
Shadowheart’squest is the flip side of Laezel’s, and Tav is caught in the middle. The Githyanki claim to have a cure for the tadpole, but the Dream Visitor in Shadowheart’s Astral Prism claims to be protecting everyone from it.
Part of Shadowheart’s memory is missing, andsome of her quests includeregaining some of what she lost and discovering why it was taken in the first place. Her confrontation with Shar is a memorable one, and this dark goddess makes an impression with her awesome and impressive visage.
The protagonist makes some of these decisions, but at the end of Act 2, when deciding the fate of the Nightsong, Shadowheart will either return to Selune or become a Dark Justiciar. This choice decides how Act 3 unfolds, and it involves another legacy character, Viconia DeVir, a Drow who appeared in the originalBaldur’s GateandBaldur’s Gate 2.
