Every Baldur’s Gate 3 Companion Ranked from WORST to BEST

Baldur’s Gate 3 is a rich tapestry of a game, full to bursting with exciting locales to explore, monsties to fight, and interesting characters to charm, or if you beef that deception check with a stinky old nat 1, upset greatly. With an average review score of 96 out of 100, Baldur's Gate 3 isn’t just one of the best video games of 2023, it’s one of the best video games ever, and one of the main reasons for that is its varied cast of characters, including the array of individuals that players can sign-up to their adventuring party. Here is Every Baldur’s Gate 3 Companion Ranked from Worst to Best.
Featured Baldur's Gate 3 companions:
• Astarion
• Gale
• Halsin
• Jaheira
• Karlach
• Lae'zel
• Minsc
• Minthara
• Shadowheart
• Wyll
VO: Peter Austin (@ThatPeterAustin) & Ben Potter (@Confused_Dude)
Script: Cat Elliott
Video Editor: Lean Bacalzo (@LeanBacalzo)
#BaldursGate3 #LarianStudios #BaldursGate
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[@TeamTripleJump]

We're CERTAIN you're all having rational and polite conversations about who does/doesn't deserve to be in your party, so tell us! Who are you personal favourites?

[@kingbaard5395]

You guys want to maybe actually play the game and give it another crack?

[@makasete30]

You were unfortunately correct with your sarcasm. There's a few toxic BG3 fans in these comments getting so offended with your opinion, and trying to belittle your list by saying you haven't played the game enough (that old chestnut). Even Larian's released list of most popular characters follows pretty closely with this list such as how most people can't stand Lae'zel. She's one of the most unpopular companions. I personally think she has an excellent narrative arc though and makes for a more interesting group. It's no coincidence that she's the first companion you encounter so that she can be given more of chance to grow on the player. Most people don't like rude obnoxious characters, so I get it though.

[@kingbaard5395]

@@makasete30 Just @ me you coward. It's glaringly obvious this list is based solely on the opening hours considering they mention nothing about character growth, changes, or development. Just "This is what they are when we meet them". Larian didn't supply a "list" but actual player choice. That has absolutely nothing to do with ranking them as characters.

[@kingbaard5395]

@@makasete30 Legitimate criticism =/= toxic.

[@argumentativelysound2001]

Actually you CAN recruit Minthara without genocide in the Grove and stuff. BG 3 is extremely flexible and you might want to reconsider the place for that bad girl.

[@aegis555]

Laezel has an enormous evolution if you make the "right" decisions. One of my favorite characters

[@mordinchemist]

That was my thought as well. It's like the group here played the game once, ignoring the characters they didn't immediately like.

[@ericekstrand1983]

I know, I'm romancing her with my fighter.

[@ericekstrand1983]

​@@mordinchemistThey just don't get it because they're not the very model of a scientist Salarian. I miss Mordin.

[@snowdust3657]

Couldn’t agree more.

[@dude35124]

I devoted my character entirely to her for the whole play through and the pay off is probably my favorite ending of any story ever

[@benitaur6606]

Laezel isnt bad man she has a pretty big character arc later in the game

[@LythonV66]

Lae'zel isn't mean, she's just scared and trying to help you in the only ways she knows how.

[@inframatic]

The OP clearly never played Laezel after Act 1

[@TalonOfDragon]

Lae'zel very surprisingly became my favorite fairly quickly. Shadowheart for the moment is my least favorite but I haven't completed it as I just hit Act 2. Will see how I feel about her at the end.

[@billbillinger2117]

​@@TalonOfDragonfor hating each other Laezel and Shart parallel one another fairly well in that they both operate off what their upbringing cemented within them and both, wether aware of it or not, want something more than what they know. And both can have a very good character arc through the game if played right.

[@buildawall5803]

​@@LythonV66I love when characters speak there native language like shk'keth and minthara saying dathirr

[@demi.devil.]

😂 knew this list was bad the minute they said eldritch blast isn’t good enough to make up for warlocks lacking spell slots… as if it’s not the best cantrip in the game

[@Snipergoat1]

While there are good reasons (RP wise anyway) to not drag Wyll along, from both an RP and a mechanics point of multi classing him with Paladin is just awesome. IMHO "Perfect" Wyll is a 5 Warlock, 7 Paladin (vengeance or oathbreaker). You have the machine gun, the SMITE!, and one of the few ways to get 3 weapon attacks/round and still have your bonus action available (except in honor mode, screw honor mode) along with any armor, weapon, and shield combination you want as well as a smallish but very useful selection of spells and abilities. One on the top tier picks for both power and flexibility.

[@jamesdykes517]

No to them fireball is, with its whopping 1d10. I think we can all agree these guys are losers who never played the game, just Google search.

[@thequinlanshow3326]

​@@jamesdykes517the irony in this comment. Talking about specific dies like anyone cares while calling other people losers lmao

[@ThatSmilingRobot]

I guess my main issue is...most of the stuff they talk about doesn't matter at all for most of the companions. Too much emphasis was put on their class abilities and specifically their abilities at the time they're acquired mostly. What actually makes the characters good, bad, or even different are their personalities and stories. You can make anybody into any class, so abilities literally do not matter when picking a companion.

[@Xenobears]

Yup. Some party members become incredibly more useful after a quick check in with Withers for a class reset. For example, Lae’zel makes an _amazing_ caster (I often respec her as a warlock or wizard) because of her Githyanki armor and weapon proficiencies. Meanwhile, Shadowheart becomes even better if you change her cleric domain to anything other than trickery. Other respecs I do typically depend on what my character is rolling.

[@Local_commentor]

Bro I make myself as overpowered as possible and keep my companions with Their default clothes and I've had no problems with combat

[@donaldroy4717]

Dark urge makes goodie companions disapprove.

[@ShinigamiSleep]

I changed my Astarion to Gloomstalker, and now I have a machine gun with me.

[@alexwtf80]

I honestly don't like to change the class, I like to make lore-friendly builds, but with a bit of respec any character can be a monster.

[@jackinthebox1993]

Lae'zel is a true warrior, a poet, and a QUEEN. I won't tolerate anymore slander towards her!

[@gustaafargoan]

There's only one companion I don’t leave camp without, and that is Lae,zel.

[@Tomasrrb]

Lae’Zel is Bae’Zel. What an amazing character.

[@zedthemonk8931]

Release the Bae’zel to the battle

[@lambrosk11]

me too. she is dead haha

[@smokingaze4754]

Well.... Lae'zel might just be the most powerful companion you get. You just need to play down her lust for blood and it's all good. A powerful romance aswell

[@sircorndog1]

The first to jump your bones whether you are good or evil

[@spacechannelfiver]

Withers for conversations, Scratch for being a good boy.

[@RailAtsamara]

2 level dip in warlock for permanent free beast speech so Scratch takes best conversations too 😁

[@spacechannelfiver]

@@RailAtsamara no need for a dip, just Bard the hell out of the game.

[@Fruity52467]

Bruh when Karlach looked at me and said she just wanted a hug i knew she right then and there she was one of my favorites

[@LeanBacalzo]

Us is the best brain boi.

[@KLGChaos]

Wyll isn't all that bad. Eldritch Blast is the strongest cantrip in the game with the enhancements you get from it (add charisma to damage, knockback) and with multiple attacks as it levels, it can be as strong as any martial weapon. Plus, the spells comr back on a short rest and are always the highest level. You have to be much more tactical with his spells, but when used properly are extremely strong.

[@jdavis7993]

Warlock is S tier in bg3

[@Andysavage24]

I multiclassed will to Warlock/sorcerer. Gave more spell slots/ quickened spell

[@Gamer_Cafe]

Yea he botched most of this list in my opinion. He should've said they aren't recommended for new players as they are harder to manage and a lot of their builds use multi class. Didn't really enjoy this list at all tbh

[@alexwtf80]

Wyll is a beast. I personally multiclass him with bard, which is really lore friendly. Just cast darkness, beat everyone in as a duelist bard and then shoot the hell out of the rest with the blast. insanely powerful and also useful for skill checks.

[@beerbatreps3861]

Don't forget his infernal rapier can basically summon a 5th party member. A 80+HP Cambian

[@MrRyus101]

Laezel acts the way she does because she along with majority of the Giths are brainwashed/manipulated and when she finally comes to that realization she changes just like Minthara.. Laezel is hands down a good companion because of her fighter and gith race so imo she is easily top 3

[@Doorkey2]

Romancing Shadowheart as a Selunie Cleric is funny tho

[@spacee9555]

Gith Selune Cleric

[@Asmallcorneroftheinternet]

Me and the dream team, a.k.a, Shadowheart, Karlach, and Laz'el. In reality, I have no bitches. In Baldur's Gate 3, I have three of the best in video game history.

[@mayfirerose]

Would have been nice to have a base understanding of their stories. That probably would have changed the rankings lol

[@Mellie]

Lae'zel is literally the best companion in a battle (maybe next to Gale) which is the main thing you need in this game. If you want polite characters you could always play animal crossing. Speaking of Gale, there's no way you'd get 100s of gold for the items he consumes, you'd be lucky to get 25. The fact you chose Shadowheart, who can easily be replaced with some healing potions and a free guidance necklace you find outside the druid Grove as number one, and Minsc who is essentially useless in battle as number 2, tells me this entire video is nothing but fan service Might I suggest you play 100s of hours of BG3 instead of dozens before making another list?

[@nothingtoseehere9648]

True, he clearly didn't do a single bit or research besides just playing for 2 minutes. I have hundreds of hours and this is my opinion on the listings 1. Astarion 2. Shadowheart 3. Gale 4. Laz'zel 5. Wyll 6. Karlach 7. Halsin 8. Minthara 9. Jaheira 10. Minsc I do agree with him that Shadowheart is top tier, she has a very interesting story and you can't really judge a character on class given you can just change them and story is what matters Minsc really does suck, all Act 2 and 3 companions fall off really hard because they aren't interesting, have basically no story or they cannot be romanced Minthara and Halsin have basically nothing else after you get them besides a few scenes while Jaheira and Minsc have next to nothing Act 1 companions are usually higher because they can all be romanced, have longer dialogues and have interesting conclusions

[@Starwarsgeek-nx9pq]

Astarion can make a very powerful fighter the way I built him up as a dual wielding rogue making him able to 1 phase certain bosses

[@yoursodumn]

Lmfao Clerics can be replaced with healing potions? Yeah man, one of the strongest classes in the game, just replace with someone chucking potions. Also, you've clearly never played with a level 11+ hunter. Their aoe damage is so good. Maybe try a harder difficulty than story mode before leaving smart ass comments?

[@yoursodumn]

​@@nothingtoseehere9648I don't know how anyone can find Minsc boring. Maybe you don't like him, but boring? He's the funniest character in the game.

[@nothingtoseehere9648]

@@yoursodumn He is a funny character but he has no endings, he is found at the very end of the game, you cannot date him and most players miss him because he is hard to obtain In the end, his story just isn't as fleshed out as the other characters and for these reasons, he is the lowest on my list

[@Jason-u5r]

you can get Minthara without hurting the grove and you can keep everyone else as well

[@jorgiebutt]

Will the Grove stay friendly to you, and can Kahga be flushed out?

[@Jason-u5r]

@@jorgiebutt yes. you just knowck her out with nonletha; when you beat her after telling her you'll help her then you'll see her in act 2 at the moon tower as a prisoner. help her escape and shes yours

[@jorgiebutt]

@@Jason-u5r Man. I like her character overall but the voice they gave her is rough

[@dude35124]

If you don’t think Laezel has more depth you haven’t played through her entire story. She grew to become so loving and caring and is so well written, by the end I was tearing up

[@samlee9216]

Wyll can summon an imp at start of game which can become invisible and fly, hugely OP abilities in the early sections. I’ve used the imp to single-handedly kill the minotaurs. Every companion can be effective damage dealers if you multiclass them.

[@VIC-jk2qd]

I mean, any warlock has that ability at lvl 1 depending on how you build the character

[@Squids575]

assassin Astarion with sharpshooter can get pretty ridiculous at times.

[@sundalangur3250]

I don't know what it is, but of all my party members, Astarion literally has the highest hit percentage. Everyone else constantly misses, but he always hits his mark.

[@CastIronEric]

You can get minthara and keep everyone happy - agree to take her side - then knock her out - it will count as competing killing her. - then take care of the other 2 bosses and turn in the quest

[@CastIronEric]

Also, cast silence around her so none of the other guards are altered. Also make sure you kill the floating eye

[@adamtapparo2168]

You didn’t really talk about anybody’s quest which is like the most interesting thing about them. Also, lae’zel has mage hand and increased jumping ability due to being a githyanki which are both super useful

[@revilo1st]

Yeah but that's spoilers for someone new they might watch this see the base info of the characters then choose

[@blackhat4206]

Githyanki racial spells are amazing. Free Misty Step, Mage Hand, and Enchanced Leap on top of Astral Knowledge and all the proficiencies make them one of the best. Their abilities are always useful on any build, especially spellcasters due to the base weapon and armor proficiency.

[@HorusHeresist]

10 - Minthara. Honestly, she's just pathetic as a person. After being dishonored, tortured and broken, she simply getting obsessed with the main character. She is a kind of person who needs overlord to feel complete. Slave mind with evil attitude. Romance scene is hot tho. 9 - Wyll. He's like an edgy antipode of Minthara. He is obsessed with himself and full of pride, which makes him very very VERY BORING. If I have to spend one more minute listening about his daddy issues and how good he is, how his mission is important, how he regrets about the pact thing and so on I will fling myself from the nearest cliff. And his romance is as boring as his personality. 8 - Halsin. He resembles Wyll at some point, but feels much better, thanks to... let's say liberal romance options. But overall he's a late boy, because we get him as a companion in act 2 and he basically has no character development and he has strictly good alignment. Just 2 ending options, which are basically whether he lives or not. 7 - Minsk. He is interesting, FUNNY and important lorewise, but he is TOO LATE. 3rd act feels so short and he feels like a bonus (secret) companion you unlock for achievement. He has many funny interactions with other companions, and ... that's it. He's bad in combat, because rangers are... meh. I would suggest to respec him as Barbarian/Thief with dual swords or axes. No romance, development and variety of endings. 6 - Jaheira. She is interesting and important lorewise just as Minsk, thus you probably wouldn't like killing her. But same as with Halsin she has no development, her later questline is also Minsk questline. And again same with Halsin, 2 ending options, she lives or she dies (just more options of how she dies). Not gonna lie, having her as a druid/ranger is kinda fun, so she is good in combat and has some unique items. No romance. 5 - Gale. He's somewhere between a nerd and an epic hero. Sometimes you want to listen what he say, sometimes you just want him to shut the front door. His character as a whole is all like this, from one extreme to another, love and hatred for his Goddess, prudence and outright madness. His main disadvantage is that he practically does not change during the course of the play. In fact, all of its endings are easily predicted from the second act. 4 - Lae'zel. She could be top-3 companions in the game EASY if not her attitude and straightforwardness. But I admire the amount of content and interactions which is made for her in this game. She has more development then any other companion in the game and she is great in combat. 3 - Astarion. He is funny, kinky and too arrogant for my liking, but overall great character. He speaks a lot and it is never boring or outrageous. Questline - ok, not as good as Lae'zel's and much better then Gale's. 2 - Karlach. She is a good girl, It's easy to develop feelings for her throughout the game. Her quesline is pure tragedy, very touching. Plus she is a great option for second playthrough as an origin character, because unlike other origins she voices her thoughts, replacing the narrator at some point. Great in combat, has special coin mechanic. 1 - Shadowheart. She feels like very important companion and when she's not in the group, it feels like you're missing some good content. She is sarcastic, mysterious, flirty, dark, sometimes sweet. Her quest intersects closely with the main plot, making her an important character. And of course, her teamrole as a support is must have.

[@lucaspenades]

Your ranking is LITERALLY the opposite of mine. We really have different tastes holy shit

[@chalupakingsama]

You be a evil person then lol

[@lucaspenades]

@@chalupakingsama Minthara is my queen, I can fix her. I won't fix Lae'Zel though, she's perfect

[@adamdolezalek9402]

Baezel is S tier character...what even is this list?

[@jackturner6266]

Laezel is criminally low here, but i'll assume its just because the game ultimately has so many rich and interesting characters

[@gerardoalvarado8425]

She has one of the biggest shift in attitude ingame also they kinda forgot Lae'zel isnt the only racist one. Shadowheart,Wyll,Astarion and Minthara are very racist too

[@matheussantinello1177]

I like Lae'zel, but she really is like meant to be the protagonist. She feels so much out of place sometimes as a companion. I found her moments in the final act very disappointing :(

[@buildawall5803]

​@@gerardoalvarado8425minthara's racism is so funny when I played as a high elf she called me dathirr lmaoo 😂

[@sundalangur3250]

@@gerardoalvarado8425 It's the Ashley "space racist" argument all over again.

[@mystikarain]

And the best companions to me personally are Lae'zel, Karlach, and Shadowheart atm in my all girl playthrough... The boys stay at camp until their questlines come up.

[@DarkThunder150]

Good thing you can get minthara by knocking her out to let her fail her mission to raid druid Grove, so as long as she survived, you get her in moonrise. Even tho she shares a tent with halsin, that seems to not have been planned that way 😂

[@kingbaard5395]

After three playthroughs, Laezel has the best story in the game. Bar none. Ya'll didn't even play it.

[@xanadu6784]

I blew up her Creche. I didnt even have to, I solved the puzzle, had the crest, just had to place it and it wouldn't trigger the trap. I triggered it because it would annoy Laezel when I destroyed the place. I don't regret it. I might even do it again.

[@kingbaard5395]

@@xanadu6784 k troll

[@damiku-8866]

@@xanadu6784 I find it bizarre that she throws a fit if you blow up the creche but not if you go through the entire place killing literally every Githyanki in it, with her in the party. She'll even steal the egg and cart it back to Lady Esther. It really makes it hard to guess what her character will be ok with and what not.

[@xanadu6784]

@davidkusner5637 I dunno, if you kill one of them, then she would probably just consider that culling the weak from the herd, and she has that same excuse each time. Blow up everyone, and your taking the strong and the weak.

[@kingbaard5395]

@@xanadu6784 oh look, someone who didn't play her story past act one.

[@Tomasrrb]

Lae’Zel is Bae’Zel. One of the best and more compelling storylines so far. She’s loyal, honorable and hits like a truck. She’s just misunderstood because most people dislike her early )with good reason) and don’t get to discover what an amazing and caring friend she can be.

[@blazinlatino89]

Wow big miss on minthara she's got one of the best redemption arcs in the game or is super loyal willing to conquer the world with u if u want to go evil she also is mechanically the strongest character in the game as she's the only one with the mindflayer power soul branding that let's u as a bonus action add damage to anyone's next attack that hits with no concentration so u can just do it ever turn

[@rhysshepherd9006]

We need a “Every Baldurs Gate game ranked from worst to best”!

[@kingbaard5395]

I back this 100% but maybe every D&D CRPG instead? That way it's more than 3-5 entries. Lol

[@mildlyderanged]

Same channel has every D&D video game ranked, which includes all the Baldurs Gate games

[@Exlanadre]

Not sure where you got the idea that druids have fewer spell slots than other classes. They're full casters just like clerics, wizards, sorcerers, and bards and have the same number of spellslots. Maybe it got mixed with ranger?

[@kissingshadow]

sorry bestie you lost me w halsin wildshape is one of the best features in dnd and the game the fact that he can get his main class ability back on a short rest is really strong and i had him in my party twice now and he's so versatile at either tanking or supporting

[@heavenlydragoon]

Your ranking them based on class features that you have 100% control over...

[@ciaralizabeth]

Eldrich Blast is so useful on Wyll after you get the buff that pushes people over or off ledges. I gave Wyll the helmet for intelligence and gave him a few levels of the wizard class. Shadowheart was always so mean to me, so I switched in Halsin. Halsin can heals, use guidance, and bless (or maybe its the staff he holds). Karlach and Gale are adorable and I try to find room for them. With multi-classing, I gave Gale 2 levels of an archer ranger so he can now wear medium armor and the gloves of dexterity. Astarion and Lazel are kinda meanies so I am waiting to use them during the Dark Urge playthrough. Maybe I'll give Shadowheart a chance during that run as well.

[@wolfstarr6506]

If you play as a Githyanki & romance Lae’zel she is a very different character

[@aries148]

Interesting… I was thinking about playing as a Githyanki first play through… noted! 😁🔥

[@Justin-tp8ed]

Fun fact, you can knock out minthara, wait until you get to moonrise towers and recruit her there

[@jb1169]

I like making my companions the polar opposite of their characters Laezel as a cleric is just funny too me

[@HershMcGersh]

This video has not aged well. Lae’zel has one of the best character arcs in the game.

[@jasonds0061]

Karlach is #1 if you want to be "good", and Minthara is #1 if you're going to be "evil". Shadowheart would be #1 in both but she needs time to change, in Act 1 her attitude got on my nerves so bad wished I could toss her into a big group of goblins so they could have their way with her as a distraction lol

[@stevenwoodward5923]

I agree with you they ranked according more toward good vs evil. In a evil playthrough this list would be a whole lot different. My first playthrough I made a cleric character so I wouldn't have to take Shadowheart, she get on my nerves too.

[@matthewthacker1876]

Incorrect on Minthara. She can be recruited without attacking the druid grove and no companions will abandon you.

[@Gamer_Cafe]

Saying halsin, a druid, suffers from low spell slots early is hilarious as druids have the same amount of spell slots as every other full caster. Considering by the time you can actually use him you'll be about level 5 to 9 ish depending on how thorough you were this shouldn't even have been mentioned. So saying he is like a warlock, that doesn't get another spell slot until level 11 makes zero sense. A better thing to say for warlock would've been that they aren't recommended for new players due to most warlock builds utilizing multi classing. Idk man there was a lot of these little odd things you mentioned like laezel being decent in combat when a full fighter build is probably one of the best non multi class builds in the game. The humor was there... The content was a bit strange.

[@samnyce]

Everyone cried about how goodie goodie the companions are in starfield n we finally get a set with some personalities n you burry them at the bottom cause they "mean"!?! Grow up my bou, Lea'zel is an ass but if u understand how she was raised n her backstory it makes perfect sense n u end up sympathetic. Shes a beast in fights n when u understand why she is the way she is she can b funny af at times with the things she says!!! Best band of companions since mass effect!!!

[@tarinindell8217]

Umm... did you guys play the game? Because, while some characters START abrasive, most of them are like that for a reason. Almost all have been lied to, manipulated, or literally tortured, so its quite reasonable that they might have some trauma from those experiences. They also grow and change throughout your playthrough. Some might start as genuine assholes only to become truly wonderful people by the end. And you would know that if you actually played the game beyond Act 1.

[@Andy-rf8rr]

The Lae'zel criticism sounds like you never went past act 1 with her. Especially romancing her, she starts to approve of your choices to help people and also has a point where she steps away from her people. Just seems like you left her at the camp the whole play through. Seeing as this is probably the case, I am stopping the video at 4:32 and leaving it at that.

[@animecrazed97]

I played around with my team before settling on a Dragonic Sorcerer/ Wizard Tav, a Rouge/Gloomstalker Ranger Astarion, a Barbarian/Fighter Karlach & Shadowheart as a full blown light Cleric. It’s been incredibly fun

[@alexwtf80]

try SH has a tempest cleric, you'd love it

[@buildawall5803]

​​@@alexwtf80I hate her cantrip with low int and her 13 13 in dex and strength she is like hard coded to miss so much so everyone just says shart moment

[@alexwtf80]

​@@buildawall5803just respect her stats has you like.The cantrip is racial, just use her cleric cantrips and you will hit consistently

[@mildlyderanged]

*rogue

[@ryanstibbles7995]

Defending Lae'Zel before even watching

[@Roboshi2007]

yeah she's one who you really have to romance to see her softer side, plus a lot of her negative aspects are the result of her queen being an evil lich

[@kingbaard5395]

@@Roboshi2007 You don't need to romance her to see the good, but it's very clear these guys didn't even leave the first chapter with her. Completely uninformed "I played for four hours" trash video. Disappointed in these three.

[@_UPRC]

​@@kingbaard5395I think that their editor/writer played a little bit and then just used Reddit opinions/wiki information to form the rest of the video. It just feels too blatant and obvious based on what they say about some characters.

[@captainrisky6561]

This dude did 1 playthrough of the game, with the most sub optimal team (which is fine) & decided to make a list of the best companions. Thats the only way someone could come up with that order.

[@The_Farwall]

Mostly this taught me I'd been using most of the companions I have managed to recruit completely wrong, which might be why I've found the game such a struggle. I've not cast guiding bolt once with Shadowheart, I was using her as front line melee :s

[@perer005]

That sounds rather akward unless you respecced her…

[@The_Farwall]

@@perer005I'm just bad at games that require me to pay attention

[@blackhat4206]

​@@The_Farwall Most modern games have trained us to turn off our brains and follow the glowing trail/marker/compass/explicit directions. Understandable. This game made me realize that.

[@lewanbroski504]

​@blackhat4206 I got really far in the game too quick I was at act 3 getting merked by the githyanki right at the beginning and realised how bad I've been playing and how much I skipped that I restarted the whole game

[@blackhat4206]

@@lewanbroski504 Restarting is probably the best decision. There are so many variations and secrets to discover off the beaten path in this game that I’m confident there are likely still several significant ones left undiscovered. It’s a narrative triumph and a build-maker’s playground in my opinion. A game I will probably come back to more than a few times due to the deep role play and mechanics that never fail to surprise me even 100s of hours later. I hope your enjoy your time with it, and have the chance to take it slow while enjoying the journey.

[@Silvitewolf]

'we played dozens of hours" so... you beat the character creation boss?

[@tacowala463]

To be real laezel is actually very nice if you look at her from a gith standpoint

[@mvh-]

In co op, I’m playing my warlock with my friend as a wizard. Paired with Karlach(the best companion in the game) and shadow heart(everyone’s favourite big tiddy goth girl)

[@BranniganCarter]

Accidentally let Lae’zel die in Act 1 and never missed her. Didn’t even know you could recruit Minthara and Minsk. Karlach is bae

[@robertkarp2070]

Shadowheart has no problem with killing the Tieflings and Druids.

[@Bookman230]

So many of these are almost exclusively about how good, bad, or mediocre they are gameplay wise while Lae’zel’s is ‘She’s quite useful in combat but that doesn’t make up for being _mean_’ which is worse than if you just committed to the shallow gameplay readings for everyone

[@_UPRC]

They mention Halsin is a good tank, but don't give Lae'zel the same compliment at all, which is weird. Without changing anyone's classes, she arguably has the most potential to be the best tank character in the game.

[@kingbaard5395]

@@_UPRC Halsin is a tank you can use for precisely one encounter, if we're counting him why not other camp NPCs that only help in one or two fights like Aylin?

[@alexhunt6034]

You can recruit Halsin as a full companion and keep him the rest of the game if you lift the Shadow Curse, so I'm not sure where you're getting this "one encounter" stuff. He is one of the 10 recruitable characters, the others you mentioned are not, none of them can join your party like Halsin, and none except Aylin are even controllable even for one short mission. You have the 6 you start with; then Halsin or Minthara, Jaheira and Minsc@@kingbaard5395

[@blackhat4206]

​​@@kingbaard5395 Only use once? He can fully join your party later into Act 2 as a romanceable party member.

[@Disgruntledgamer]

Minthara Can be recruited without losing most party members. There's guides on how to do it.

[@marks2807]

That was just added last patch. When this video was made you could only get her in an evil play through.

[@zackfair6791]

@@marks2807 Nah. You can play neutrally by simply ignoring the grove quests. The only character you lose that way is halsin.

[@NinjaPickle]

La'zel quickly went from one of my least favorite characters to one of my favorite characters in the entire game. Her character arc when siding against Vlakith is one of the most compelling storylines in the game, and also perfectly mirrors her rival Shadowheart. She seems so one-note on the surface, and in truth, she was. But your journey with her actively builds her moral compass, she becomes a loyal ally to you, and her romance is one of the most beautiful and complex in the game. While I will say that I love Shadowheart as a character more, La'zel is absolutely one of my favorite characters in the game and I always adore having her around. Gale sucks and is boring

[@corywarren1194]

Honestly how laezel came onto me I like her the most.

[@Jodaler]

Later on in the game Wyll can obtain multiple summons. Raise the dead, summon elemental, and a story based summon, adding 3 additional allies to any battle

[@cyborg2254]

You should re-evaluate Minthara now that you can recruit her without pissing everyone off tbh

[@TwistedTB0ne]

I ughhh.. never got Gale out of the hole, gave Astarian to the Hunter, killed Karlach, Halsin NEVER gave me the option to join my party even though he sat at my camp for a long time.... Jaheira died in the towers, I killed Minthara and I have no idea who Minsc is. lol I've had the same party this whole time and my camp is empty.

[@yoursodumn]

You can't get Minsc without Jaheira. He is the Stone Lord

[@holokom3330]

I rate Companions on the factors of "Memorable Personality" + "Fits into the World" Top Tier: Laezel: "I am a rude alien that comes from a racist empire. I learned in a trainings camp how to fight and this is my Adventure." 11/10 This is an absolute picture perfect example for a companion. Wyll: "I am a Noble, I sold my Soul to a Devil, but I did it for the Greater Good! I did had some heroics, maybe you have heard of me?" 10/10 Sure, killing a couple goblins along the Sword Cost coming from a Noble that entered a Devil Pakt ? Unusual but Works! High Tier: Karlach: "I am wholesome! I also got sold to a Devil and fight in the Bloodwar!" 8/10 Surviving multiple YEARS in the Bloodwar sounds very strange, but maybe she did not have to fight crazy strong stuff? Okay! Shadoheart: "I am super Edgy, and surrenderd my memories to the Lady of Loss!" 7/10 Sorry, to edgy. But I give you credit - You came up with an okay reason for being this way! Low Tier: Astarion: "I am a vampire spawn- but because reasons all my abilities are surpressed, also there is a Vampire living in Baldurs Gate." 6/10 His personality gives him full points, but his Backstory is just a mess. Gale Tier: Gale: "I am the Ex-Lover of a Goddess, and I have an ancient Magical Artifact in my Chest!" 3/10 His personality is fine, but oh god, everybody please take notes. When ever your characters Backstory shows any resemblence with Gales, you are better of deleting him and come up with a completly new idea. I would give penalty points for his Backstory, it completly ruins my immersion, like seriously.

[@mcdonb2]

Why would you say “please take notes” and then not explain your opinion at all? I think most people like Gale’s story. It’s whackier than some of the others, but I think it gives the game variety. And the way his story brushes up against the main story is more interesting than most IMO

[@kd9749]

Imma gonna go ahead and assume you never finished Lae’zel’s quest line because she has by far the most substantial character arch of all party members. She can go from cruel and vicious to caring and compassionate, ever rejecting the broad racial tenants of the Gith. And a Lvl 12 battle master is a juggernaut on the battle field. So yeah, putting her next to last is objectively uncalled for.

[@forthenight3265]

Really feel like most folks have only taken laezel at a surface level

[@baronbread3796]

Now you're able to recruit minthara without attacking the druid grove as of patch 5, where does she rank now?

[@finrodfelagund1052]

She is always Number 1 ❤🎉

[@InsertCleverNameHere1]

You can get Minthara without being bad, just knock her out instead of killing her.

[@Stormy5430]

When you're bad Minthara, Lai Zel and Astarion are all you need start to finish. They all love being bad too.

[@jamiedavies3810]

Yeah, your list is a heck of a lot different to mine! But like you said, it's personal tastes!

[@pianistshowtoplaycompimpro8093]

Minthara should be at the first place: the dialogues, the humor, unpredictable and she did good damage as a wizzard....

[@matthewcharvey44]

you can knock minthra out and still recruit her later on without loosing halsin

[@rickkcir2151]

It blows my mind that they put Lae’zel perhaps the most complex and interesting companions second to last. While putting Karlach, the most one note boring companion as 3rd best. Given their criticism of Lae’zel as well. It seems they didn’t even bother with her past act I.

[@tchanthaphaeng]

My Team setup is usually Me, my coop friend, always Asterion, and then switch between Korlach, Shadowheart or Laezel.

[@frmrfr]

You can get Minthara pretty easily without attacking the grove or alienating any party members. Not sure those are valid reasons to put her last.

[@mickpratt8327]

My dream team is Tempest Sorc main, Astarion (Lore Bard), Lae-Zel (Open Hand Monk) and Shadowbae mopping up as a Light Cleric.

[@buildawall5803]

Switch astarion for the open hand monk when he gets ascension he deals necrotic damage and the bite hurts so much

[@mUSIC0IS0GOOD]

You can actually just knock Minthara out when raiding the goblin camp

[@fogofwar6025]

If that is your take on Lae'zel, then I question how you even know who Minsc and Jaheira even are since you clearly didn't play past Act 1. She has probably the biggest character shift in the game going from start to finish.

[@Samstewbjj]

You can just knock out minthara and find her later too, you don’t have to side against the druids.

[@tchanthaphaeng]

I don’t get why these lists always name the companions abilities. Like I always Respec the companions. I always make Astarion a Tempest Sorcerer because Vampires can fly and in most of fiction they usually have overwhelming magical powers like Dracula from Castlevania.

[@matthewhostetter8974]

Karlach is the best at everything, sadly my game bugged slightly and I couldn't date her but ended up with Shadowheart who is also beloved. There really isn't a bad companion besides Halsin and that is just because he's overshadowed by a far better druid, it's all about your preference. I just wish you got Minsc and Boo far earlier in the game, they have so many great lines and Matt Mercer does a great job you almost don't realize it isn't Jim Cummings.

[@natron1812]

My Tav, Jaheira, Halsin, and the Druid Hireling each conjured an Elemental, two ice or mud mephits, a woodland dryad (which could summon a wood woad each) and then wild shape into Myrmidons and we would have really good action economy as well as just moving and elemental warping whichever way we needed to go and multi attacking enemies to no end. Made normally difficult encounters extremely easy and trivial

[@marks2807]

Does Minthara's rank change at all now that you can recruit her on a good play through?

[@MrWindbreaker]

Minthara can be recruited without the others leaving. So, her reason for being worst is now gone. Can we get anything but a one-issue write-off??

[@AresiusMajere]

You can recruit Minthara without massacre if you knock her out instead.

[@Straxus13]

Gonna be real, putting Lae'zel at 9 and not 2 is criminal. Not to mention not having Karlach at 1.

[@somekindadragon3414]

So, you can now recruit Minthara in a “Good Playthrough”, how does her ranking change then?

[@Shreepsy]

Lae'zel might be a racist, but she SLAPS

[@spacechannelfiver]

She's not racist, she's speciest.

[@spidybat7658]

​@@spacechannelfiverwell technically racist cause in the game as well as dnd species are called races

[@Dylamn]

I don't know what I did wrong, but Shadowheart ended up as my worst companion in my first run. And Lae'zel was the strongest.

[@beerbatreps3861]

Wyll needs to be much higher. Warlocks are incredible. Every fun spell. Eldrich Blast, fireball, teleportation, great summons, and Wyll can even summon a Cambian after act 2! It's like a 90HP 5th party member

[@garf293]

I love using Wyll's Eldritch blast to knock enemies into pits.

[@02091992able]

This video is a few months old. But I'd like to state to those that may see this later on. Minthara is no longer tied to doing the evil act in Act 1to recruit her. She can be recruited if you side with the Grove. It involves knocking her out with non-lethal attacks a toggle found under passives, this only applies to melee and unarmed ranged attacks and spells are still lethal. It used to require you get her into a temporary hostile state, done by stealing, assaulting or vandalizing something or someone with her as a witness before K/oing her. This is no longer required as a very recent patch. All one needs to do is knock her out which can be done either at the goblin camp or at the attack on the grove if you betray her and side with the defenders. But at the goblin camp the mission that usually required the player to kill her has to be done without long resting once she is K/Oed as long resting before turning in the quest causes her to awaken and bugs the quest. Recruiting her in this manner does not lock the player out of pursuing her as a romance just the player doesn't get the steamy sex scene. Something that should change in the future.

[@murdocnl]

I'm playing Karlach because I didn't want to pick between dating her or Shadowheart..... and somehow ended up with Lae'zel 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@emperorwai]

Hehehehe, after that one patch, you can knock Minthy out while killing the goblins and get her at Moonrise later. My game bugged when I did this and well, I have Mithrara and Halsin, though they've never interacted. I think they're supposed to fight and you have to choose one or the other but that shit never triggered with me. So. :D Also also, in some camp areas, the two have 'shared' the same camp space. I think my game choose Mithrara as the real companion while Halsin isn't, as when we're at other camps, he chills in random spots, like the walkway banister in the tavern camp. It's dope having them both, power wise. Mithrara, though...she's so jugdy towards my redemp. Durges choices. Edit: 'thank the maker'? Heh, I see your script writer for this enjoyed Dragon Age as well.

[@kaonashi9200]

I like how 3 min in you finally get to the point of the video

[@barkingmadman1169]

After four playthroughs: Lae'zel is the best; I rarely bench her. A little abrasive at the start, yes, but her character arc softens a bit to the point where she is pleasant, especially if you have romanced her. Druids are OP for the minions they can have, offensive and defensive spells, and give them the right proficiencies and they are also decent in melee. But I only need one in my party and Jaheira's lore knowledge makes her prefered in Act 3, after the shadow curse is lifted. My third companion slot is more situational. I wish I could play the game again for the first time, but since I can't I usually know which is the best to have as third.

[@Fresch_K]

This is literally a "this game is big so we'll farm content even if we have no idea what we're talking about" kind of video

[@МаксимЛогвиновский-э1в]

laezel is my number 1, if u know-u know

[@carbone172]

Mean to Laezel. :(

[@MikeF-ik5pj]

You can get MInthara without attacking the grove You just need to attack her last of the big three in the camp and knock her out instead of killing her. Then you can recruit her in act two. The only thing you lose is one tadpole.