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There are several playable characters in Baldur’s Gate 3, but you can miss some of these companions. With such a host of colorful characters you can recruit, it helps to explore as much as possible. This way, you’ll meet everyone you can add to your team. Some of the playable characters in the game are also origin characters that you can either meet in the world or use instead of a custom character. We’ll guide you through all the characters and how you can encounter them.
How Many Origin Characters Are There in Baldur’s Gate 3?
In Baldur’s Gate 3, you can customize your character or use a pre-designed character. Those pre-designed ones are the origin characters. There are seven origin characters in the game. If you do not select one as your starting playable character in Baldur’s Gate 3, we’ll show you where to meet them.
Astarion
Race: High Elf
Class: Rogue
Gender: Male
Location: Beyond the Nautiloid wreck and up a hill calling out for help.
Not too long after you finish the fight following your meeting with Shadowheart (whom we’ll discuss later), you’ll run into Astarion. Out of the playable characters in Baldur’s Gate 3, he has an interesting encounter. Once you get through the cutscene and chase off the terrifying creature, you can interact and recruit him if the conversation goes well.
Gale
Race: Human
Class: Wizard
Gender: Male
Location: Above the Nautilus wreck near the Roadside Cliffs waypoint.
You’ll run into Gale with Shadowheart by your side and notice that he is a bit condescending and sarcastic. His goal is to become the greatest wizard, and he certainly lives up to being a potent sorcerer. Like most characters in Baldur’s Gate, he has his secrets, which makes him quite the mysterious companion.
Karlach
Race: Asmodeus Tiefling
Class: Barbarian
Gender: Female
Location: During Act 1, you will do a quest on The Risen Road where you will meet her.
Karlach is a rage-filled barbarian, a prisoner thrust into the Blood War. In place of her heart is a bomb that can obliterate you if things get too intense. Nevertheless, she strives to help those who are oppressed while also desperately seeking revenge against those who harmed her.
Lae’zel
Race: Githyanki
Class: Fighter
Gender: Female
Location: Suspended inside a cage close to the Cathedral Ruins.
Lae’zel is one of the playable characters in Baldur’s Gate 3 that you’ll see first in the tutorial. You can’t recruit her until after you find Shadowheart. You’ll have to free her from her cage to recruit her, and she’s a worthy companion in Baldur’s Gate 3 as she’s an incredible fighter.
You can encounter her another time, however. If you don’t free her and you set up camp, she’ll free herself, but die later on. You can resurrect her while on the Nautiloid. If you don’t do it then, you can’t recruit her.
Shadowheart
Race: High Half-Elf
Class: Cleric
Gender: Female
Location: Freed from a pod on the Nautiloid.
Shadowheart is our cold, untrusting half-elf companion and playable character in Baldur’s Gate 3. She has a straightforward approach to things, and even though she doesn’t initially seem open to friendship, she’s excellent to have at your side. Shadowheart is good at all sides; she can heal, work on offense, and do good damage on defense.
Like Lae’zel, you can meet her on different occasions. If you fail to free her from the pods, you can recruit her later on Ravaged Beach. She’ll wait for you north by the entrance to the Dank Crypt. There’s also another time you can recruit her if you miss her on the Beach. Shadowheart hangs out near the training area on Druid’s Grove. If you have the headstrong Lae’zel, you’ll need to pass quite the persuasion check to recruit her.
Wyll
Race: Human
Class: Warlock
Gender: Male
Location: Recruitable during the Removing the Parasite quest.
You’ll find Wyll in a camp training a Tiefling. He’s one of the friendlier people you can encounter, and thanks to his class, he’s potent at both long-range and close-range fighting. If you want to keep him following your journey, know that he’s very honorable. Anything that crosses the line is bound to upset him.
The Dark Urge
The Dark Urge is a unique origin character in Baldur’s Gate 3. You can only get it if you customize your character, and there is no way to meet them out in the world like the other origin characters. It’s the only chance for a truly evil playthrough, so if you want to make some dark choices, try this character on for size.
Additional Companion Characters in Baldur’s Gate 3
Besides the origin playable characters in Baldur’s Gate 3, you can also recruit additional companions. For now, these are the confirmed companions that can join your cause if you wish.
Halsin
Race: Wood Elf
Class: Druid
Gender: Male
Location: Either at the Shattered Sanctum or Druid Grove.
You can first discover the Wood Elf at the Worg Pens in the Shattered Sanctum. You can free him and recruit him then. However, if you don’t go to him and raze the Goblin Camp yourself, he’ll be in Druid Grove.
Jaheira
Race: Half-Elf
Class: Druid (Possibly)
Gender: Female
Location: Found at the Last Light Inn.
Jaheira is a returning character in Baldur’s Gate 3. She’s appeared long before in the franchise and returns this time visibly and mentally mature.
Minsc
Race: Human
Class: Ranger
Gender: Male
Location: Currently unknown
Like Jaheria, Minsc is another well-known character in the franchise making a return. We’re unsure where he’s found until the game officially launches.
Minthara
Race: Drow
Class: Paladin
Gender: Female
Location: Shattered Sanctum in Act 1.
To recruit Minthara, you must do some … not so friendly things in Baldur’s Gate 3. To put it simply, it concerns betraying the NPC Zevlor and staying away from hostile actions against the goblins.
Related:
What Is Baldur’s Gate 3 Max Level?
Baldur’s Gate 3 will be available through Steam for PC on August 3, 2023 and for PS5 on September 6, 2023.
