The Astarion Iceberg - Baldur's Gate 3 Deep Dive

Don't look at the video length.
pay my rent:
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more BG3 content from me: www.tiktok.com...
#astarion #baldursgate3 #bg3
CLIPS USED:
Astarion romance clips: • BG3: Astarion Supercut...
Astarion is Pan: • Astarion Actor Neil Ne...
Astarion's Tent : • Free cam What is Astar...
Astarion x Wyll : • "Wyll's The Sort Of Pr...
• Astarion has the hots ...
Abdirak : • Companion Reactions To...
Bargain Bin Astarion: www.tiktok.com...
Batstarion: • Astarion turns into a ...
Dan Allen Gaming: • 🔴Astarion Actor Neil N...
Drizzt Animation: • "You're Drizzt Do'Urde...
Goostarion that someone made: www.tiktok.com...
Goosestarion Clip OG: • 'Goose Astarion. Honk....
Goosestarion Animatics: • Goosestarion | Animatic
• Goostarion baldurs 3 a...
• Goostarion | Animation -SONG
• Goostarion animation |...
Graveyard Scene: • Astarion Romance - Ast...
Freecam Graveyard Scene: • Astarion romance scene...
High Rollers Campaign : • Baldur's Gate 3 Cast p...
Josh Wichard Reel : • Joshua Wichard - BG3 S...
Lamentable Poem: www.tumblr.com...
Neil Newbon Acceptance Speech: • Neil Newbon - Best Sup...
Neil Newbon Twitch: / neilnewbon
OnlyFangs: • Larian Studios present...
Stephen Rooney interview: • Stephen Rooney | Idle ...
Tav 1 voice: • Tav Actually Speaks in...
Thank you compilation: • Astarion's layers of "...
Zombie Astarion: www.tiktok.com...
Articles/Other:
Gravestone translation: www.tumblr.com...
Inside Tents: www.tumblr.com...
Lower City Laundry: www.tumblr.com...
Neil's Take on Astarion: gizmodo.com/ba....
Neil's experience as a survivor: www.pcgamer.co...
ONLY SLIGHTLY NEIL! : www.tumblr.com...
MUSIC USED:
Forest walk by Alexander Nakarada: • No Copyright Relaxing ...
Adventure by Alexander Nakarada: • Adventure | Royalty Fr...
Enchanted by Keys of Moon : / keysofmoon
Tavern Loop 1 by Alexander Nakarada : www.free-stock...

[@Trashcritter_]

I was legitimately confused when it ended because I thought “no way that could have been 40 minutes gone already” but here we are. This was amazing

[@skulliebythesea]

omg that is such an honor. Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it 😭

[@katebirch1207]

I felt exactly the same. I literally thought "End the first part, right? The surface part?"

[@Trashcritter_]

Please I just need 200 more hours of my hyperfixation

[@thesleepyfable3902]

Neil clearly looked at Astarion's charisma stat and proceeded to ignore it...

[@rosesweetcharlotte]

It's actually rather interesting. I have seen lots of people say that they're still off-put by Astarion. You either love him or find him creepy, which I think is part of the point.

[@gilded_lady]

Actually, I don't think be did. Astarion is *manipulative* not charismatic. He says what he thinks he wants you to hear, not charming you.

[@FrostyTheSnowPickle]

@@gilded_lady Deception is also Charisma based.

[@caseyb1346]

@@gilded_lady his character background is "Charlatan", which just happens to have deception as one of its proficiencies.

[@magmatard8737]

@@rosesweetcharlotte My first playthrough i told him to go kick rocks since he pulled a knife on me after speaking maybe one sentence

[@scarymonsterzz]

One really heartbreaking theory I read on tumblr about his 'security blanket' is that it could actually be his burial shroud from when he died. The one object he had on him when he woke up in his coffin as a vampire. If so, it's probably the only remaining physical piece from his old life from before he was turned. The last thing his family/loved ones from his old life gifted to him. Which would make a lot of sense why he holds onto it still.

[@skulliebythesea]

this is DEVASTATING

[@scarymonsterzz]

​@@skulliebytheseaI KNOW. It's canon in my heart now just because the ANGST of thinking about it gave me psychic damage.

[@primrosett]

A bright spot in all this is that, being an Elf, there's actually a very good chance his family is still around somewhere. I like to think maybe he and Tav try to find them in his good endings.

[@infinitewonders299]

Holy fuck that made me cry a little bit. That's never happened to me before 😵‍💫😩

[@AraJade]

this fully just made me start crying after i made it through the whole vid wtf ;;-;;

[@damedeviant1388]

Having convinced Astarion to not finish the ritual, the words written for Tav were in my own head - I’m proud of you! His growth in this choice is so poignant and wonderful. The full circle quote afterwards (“This is a gift, you know. I won’t forget it.”) brought a tear to my eye. What a character. What an honour to play BG3.

[@skulliebythesea]

That full circle moment always makes me tear up too!!

[@themudpit621]

And NOT something Astarion would do!!

[@primrosett]

26:37 😢😢 his whole tent makes me so sad. The rugs are also stained and dirty, he uses a rock as a table, the furniture doesn't quite match. It all gives the impression that he salvaged everything second hand, whereas everyone else has their own stuff that belongs to them. I notice the default color of his camp shirt is that kinda off-white colour that white clothes get when they're super worn out, too. He works very hard to uphold the illusion of elegant beauty but it really is all a thin facade meticulously maintained but barely holding together under scrutiny. He works with scraps, and to his credit, very nearly pulls it off. Its not acknowledged in game but I'm happy that I frequently swap up my companions armour and camp clothes bc I get bored easily lol. Astarion deserves to have all the nice clothes he wants 🥹

[@skulliebythesea]

I'm the same way. I immediately give him the nicest clothes I can find because I feel so bad.

[@rosesweetcharlotte]

We know from the description of his outfit that Astarion was mending his outfit. And if you look at the velvet, it's actually quite worn and patchy. Even his perfume is made of ingredients he could have easily procured himself.

[@primrosett]

@carlycrays2831 everything about Astarion is so meticulously designed. All the companions are written amazing obviously, but I feel like there's something a little extra in how much detail they put into him. His tent isn't just a space I could see him occupy, it's a reflection of his character on a symbolic level. His clothes aren't simply clothes he might wear, they're a reflection of his circumstances. Its really incredible.

[@KelwynAyla]

I dressed him to the nines before the Cazador fight because he deserved it.

[@sabsain2399]

​@@KelwynAyla please share the look if you can

[@virtualcontagion]

As a survivor of abuse from a narcissistic guardian, i immediately gravitated towards astarion. I went into the game not knowing much about each character, but for me, i immediately caught on how much of his charm was a mask. I saw him and thought, "oh... thats ME" I feel so seen in this game and im so appreciative to neil and everyone else that brought this character to life.

[@skulliebythesea]

YESS! ME TOO! I felt so called out and lovingly seen at the same time. We love Neil in this house.

[@vee1267]

SAME he’s wonderful

[@stars-and-clouds]

Ahhhh!!! I'm the poetess of the Autumn Picker poem and I feel so honoured to be mentioned here😭 Thank you so much everyone and Skullie for your kind words. This video is so good! Another video I'll watch again and again whenever I miss him.

[@Draknoth1]

Stars and Clouds is my girlfriend and I was with her when she first thought of the poem and wrote it, I am really and truly grateful to you all for the kind and supportive comments for her writing, she puts a lot of time and effort into the fanfics and other things she makes for the fandoms she loves, thank you all so much and well done Stars, I'm so proud of you!

[@stars-and-clouds]

​@@Draknoth1ahhhhhhhh 🙈 I am so grateful ;-; ❤

[@skulliebythesea]

You're so welcome!! Thank you for the beautiful art you've created!! I had to re-record reading it a few times because I kept crying!! There was no question, the moment I read it, it had to be included and I hope it gives you all the exposure you deserve!!

[@stars-and-clouds]

​@@skulliebythesea ahhhhh, that is so touching 😭😭 thank you once again ❤️ I loved hearing it in your voice. You gave it so much more depth. Thank you for bringing my words to life.

[@RespawnRetry]

@@stars-and-clouds Wow thats so cool! That poem is really awesome! Very well done i love it!

[@Sofia-ge6wm]

Astarion is a character that means the world to me I was SAed multiple times so when he said "I don't know how to be with someone" I cried like a lot and his and Cazador's relationship reminds me of my mother this character is so important to me

[@skulliebythesea]

All of these things!! I'm so sorry that happened to you. I hope you're healing now. I felt the same way through his character journey. As an SA survivor myself, I had A LOT of feelings whenever a new Astarion scene came up. He's so incredibly well written and his portrayal of survivors is incredible. He's just the best ❤️❤️

[@Sofia-ge6wm]

@@skulliebythesea Thank you!!! And I hope you're healing also!!!💞💞💞

[@skulliebythesea]

thank you so much

[@Sofia-ge6wm]

@@skulliebythesea Of course!!!💞💞💞

[@brittany1049]

I’m glad you’re doing well! I’ve never been SA’d, but for some reason I identify most with Astarion as a demisexual who finds sexual advances upsetting. His desire to not be touched and his perceived need to perform in a certain manner for safety at first really struck a chord.

[@primrosett]

I really appreciate how this game didn't do the "Schrödinger's Pansexual" thing most games do where characters are written as straight except they'll also date the player regardless of gender. Astarion is the most up front because seduction is such a huge part of his backstory, but there is dialogue from nearly all the companions where they flirt among each other regardless of gender. It's really nice seeing actual rep for us when so many people treat bi/pan people like their sexuality is dictated by whoever they're currently dating.

[@skulliebythesea]

THIS EXACTLY! I couldn't have said it better myself

[@retriwa5640]

"playersexuality" is what it's commonly called. it's done that way so straight men don't have to see queer characters which is obviously really, really fucked up, and actually why when many of them play bg3 they just kill astarion off. but it's not ONLY straight men, imo i get really uncomfortable when people forget that astarion is inherently queer, and i'd say that it's a more important point for him than any other origin companion (except maybe shadowheart being poly, but there's only a line or two about that). of course if you're a straight woman you can still enjoy astarion but oh god, the sexuality discourse pisses me off. he's fucking queer. when someone says that he's gay, in a way they're right, in a world where bisexuals/pansexuals/etc get constantly erased and forgotten, i'd say gay is a word that describes our experiences way more accurately than straight (if you had to choose between these two words only). i call myself gay like 99% of time, i'm actually bi, that's just my preference. :RANT: going "AKShually, he's not gay, he's pan" just rubs me the wrong way because very often people drop it with really weird homophobic vibes... like they're saying there's hope for him yet because he also likes women..... yeah it seems like some people think he's pan because they want to be catered to, not that it's an important part of his character??? which, we just went full circle back to the first problem with playersexuality --- that it's there so that people don't get mad about gay (queer) people existing. well when they can't ignore them they just make mental gymnastics so that they can pretend that they're actually not that gay. (it'd be great if everyone acknowledged astarion as pan but i think most people would never get what that truly means - that you can have preferences but still be pan(/bi), that you can have NO preferences and still be pan, that you don't have to date anyone, that you face the same systematic oppression gay people do and that being in a seemingly straight relationship often does make it easier for you in that regard, but you can feel immense guilt because of it and face devaluation from other queer people for not being queer enough... it is often easier to just say you're gay/queer and move on.) :RANT END: real talk tho this is a problem that i have about trying to have a straight relationship with astarion (a queer person), NOT with being a woman and trying to romance astarion. i'll die on the hill of that being a man and a woman in a relationship doesn't make it straight, if either participant is queer, they're still queer(!!!)... and if both are, then the relationship is just 100% queer lol yall are literally gay as fuck (sorry if any queer women read this and felt hurt in any way, that was not my intention. also sorry to enbies/other if you felt like i didnt mention you, youre like always automatically gay so.... no point there /j) (how this got from the "serious" educative voice to just completely unhinged, i have no idea *edit - typo)

[@Shenanakins]

reminds me of how In karlachs origin playthrough if you camp alone before recruiting anyone she fantasizes about having a threesome with halfling woman and a huge ten foot tall barbarian man and she has tentacles in her fantasy (because shes worried about the tadpole)😂😂 theres also an untriggerable version of the scene where she fantasizes about dammon.

[@ohhi7168]

​@@retriwa5640kinda off topic but I totally agree. It sucks cause his character is really well written and avoids falling into stereotypes but he's either seen as one or the other.

[@DM-nw5lu]

@@retriwa5640 I still find it odd when people call him gay (as in only into men) especially when they bring up that he only talks about former male conquests. Minthara only ever brought up female former conquests/interests (some priestess and Orin to be specific) yet nobody is trying to argue she's written as lesbian like many people are oddly do with the idea that he is written as gay. I am the person who would point out "Well actually, he is pansexual" because I hate how simply because he is flamboyant and doesn't bring up female romantic conquests people want to believe he is gay. It's just perpetrating gay stereotypes once again. When I bring it up, I refer to the fact that you cannot tell someone's sexuality simply by former partners they bring up and even less so by how they behave. And I do not like to support bi/pan erasure.

[@jodieg6318]

I remember when I saw Neil's Medusa tattoo and everything clicked into place; Astarion's story (minus the vampirism) is very nearly my own surviving sexual and emotional abuse, when I saw that tattoo I saw for a minute just going "oh, that's why he get's it."

[@malvinafleury]

i noticed his tattoo recently too and i was like "he knows...........;" and it's so sad

[@kbucket]

I wouldn't go around assuming anyone with a medusa tattoo has that background - I know a number of people with medusa inspired tattoos and have no idea about that correlation

[@themikatoon]

Just an fyi to NEVER assume why someone has a Medusa tattoo. Several people practice Hellenistic religion still and in it Medusa was NEVER assulted or cursed, she is in fact BORN a Gorgon with her 2 sisters. She is a protector symbol but not SA symbol. The SA symbol comes from Ovid writing a version of myth as a Roman person bc he was kicked out of Athens and wanted to potray their goddess Athena as a shit person (+Romans had a beef with Poseidon/Neptune and went to war with the sea lol) and it was written 600 years!! after the recorded Greek mythos/religious scripts

[@tiph3802]

​@@themikatoonwell, the joke is on Ovid then. Any woman would see Athena's "curse" as a protective shroud to give her beloved priestess the power to *make* a man understand what no means.

[@jackal8938]

​@@tiph3802"any woman" bro what are you talking about women are not a monolith. we dont all think the same way. this person is saying stories in mythology and folklore are often told and interpreted based on the needs and feelings of the people in a given time and place. it doesnt make the version youre talking about less resonant, but its certainly not the only one. it feels rly ignorant and narrow minded to shove any of these stories or characters into one specific mold especially when it wasnt even the original intent. and dont do the same to women as a whole either lol

[@DepressionOfMyCat]

38:50 I remember sven saying in an interview letting astarion ascended is like telling him that he's right to be afraid of everything - the world is scary thats why you need power. He will never grief like spawn astarion about what happend to him and will stay in the circle of abuse. For every survivor it's hard to deal with the wounds after the trauma. The abuse is over but the pain is not, so what now? How do I heal? It's a question the story of astarion tries to discuss and it's one of the hardest you could have. Too many writers try to romanticise trauma and pain in a weird way. But the truth is ugly, nasty, disgusting and horrible. You need to show that of you want to write about something like that. Astarion does that and people appreciate it. Just shows how absolutly wonderful, respectful and couragous the writing is. So much thought in every detail of this character. Loved your video!

[@skulliebythesea]

YES YES EXACTLY! This is the first survivor story that I've personally seen in media that deals with survivor stories in a respectful and honest way. It felt real. I felt represented. Like I mention in the video, too often writers will include SA in their stories to be "edgy" and it's handled without any knowledge of the topic or what that experience really carries. It's for this reason (and so many others) why I love Astarion so much. I'm so glad you enjoyed the video.

[@primrosett]

This is how I see it too. You basically teach him that his every cynical idea about the world is right, might makes right, there are no good people, he is worthless without power, etc. It's a good story still, but a tragedy where his spawn endings are triumphs.

[@alexandradel9712]

Idk evil has its own practical understandable logic. Dark Fantasy is a world in which that logic has a point. Literally the genre is an atmosphere of horror and dread

[@ettaetta439]

​​@@alexandradel9712This isn't dark fantasy. This is a world in which evil is evil. Although you CAN go the evil route, it's depicted as horrible and not romanticized all the way through. Yes, there are fantasies that do try their best to make a morally grey world in which evil has its own practical argument, but Baldur's Gate 3 isn't it. We're not arguing about fantasy worlds being a good outlet for evil vs good discussions, we're talking about Astarion's fantasy story being parallel to real life in terms of the trauma and cycles of abuse SA survivors may find themselves trapped in.

[@alexandradel9712]

@@ettaetta439 Whether it's dark fantasy or not is perhaps debatable, in general BG is a dark world, dangerous, where every other person suffers. Nah. I CAN go the evil path and say it's romance too and it's okay and it's canon. It's not "horrible and not romanticized" - it's a popular crowd's intrapration that is not "unbreakable dogma". Or your personal interpretation. Thanks to the purity cult. Because all I see is Dark Romance, i.e. abnormal, weird, vampire romance. How about that? Because to me it's Dark Romance, kind of like Minthara. There should be at least one male character in the game for evil and evil romance, like Minthara, what a dark romance is and why some people need them, for the survivors, too you can find for yourself. Astarion is more about gray morality than not, I'd say complex evil. But without his past we don't see the full picture, because EA players remember that Astarion was a corrupt magistrate who sold criminals as cattle for the vampire clan, and then started selling them to slave traders for more profit. And then he got a hell of a punishment. He's still a magistrate in the game, and probably the key-idea is still there, since it's literally the first lines about him in the artbook, but the game prefers to keep quiet and leave it up to the player's imagination. Or\and the Upper City content has been cut out. Since you wrote to me, I guess you wanted my opinion, so here we go. It's obvious to me that we're not going to come to an agreement, so let's agree to disagree and end it here.

[@SelkeaRambles]

Coming to this after finishing Astarion's quest line a couple of days ago. I went for despising Astarion to rooting for him and finding myself with tears in my eyes when he realised it was over. Brilliant writing. Shout out to Neil Newbon for being not only a fantastic performer but also a wonderful human being.

[@laurenpaus7608]

with neil’s engagement with astarion i think it’s important to remember that acting is ultimately a job and not every actor has to have this same love for the characters they play. but i do enjoy it when an actor gets to have a deep and emotional relationship with a character they helped bring to life

[@theasinclaire52]

I had to pause the game when he killed his sire. He cried and I felt that as a fellow survivor. His abuser was gone and he felt truly free and safe for the first time in two centuries. The fact his abuser made him an accessory to victimize others is heartbreaking.

[@g0lddustt29]

Just wanted to say - by D&D standards, 10 CHA isn’t “quite low” it’s basically means Astarion is about as charismatic as any random Baldurian citizen, +0 modifier is what most of us would probably have if we were transported into the game. Having a low enough score to where you get negative modifiers would be where you’re “quite low” since it’s to the point of detriment, someone who is socially awkward, reclusive or incredibly shy might have a 7-9 CHA score. It’s meant 😊to add to his whole nature as a showboat and hiding his insecurities - he’s basically trying to seem better than he is

[@ZeallustImmortal]

So basically its quite low

[@g0lddustt29]

@@ZeallustImmortal nope, as I said in clear and plain English it’s average. Unless you’re illiterate & don’t know what that word means

[@emskalicky8275]

I love the way pretty much every companion delves into themes of consent and autonomy, and how surface impressions can belie a huge capacity for depth and change. Good god it’s a masterpiece.

[@leiii05]

Despite our reputation as the horniest sub-fandom on Baldur's Gate, I think we're one of the most wholesome and supportive communities out there. Edit: I'm sorry some of you experienced some crazy shit, I'm not trying to invalidate anyone's feelings, it's just that during this time upon commenting this I was fairly new at BG and I met so many wholesome Astarion fans on social media.

[@antagonistlover]

But not when it comes to spawn vs ascended...

[@littlerottingcorpse]

@@antagonistlover We don't talk ab ascended Astarion enjoyers honey

[@kirikakirikakirika]

My friend was stalked, harassed, and nearly doxxed by Astarion fans because she said she liked Gale better. That's it. She said she liked him better (because she was asked), and when she was asked why she posted a video of Gale's reaction to Yenna vs Astarion's reaction to her. They came for her throat over _that._ And a guy I watch on Twitch had hundreds of Astarion fans trying to cancel him because he downloaded a mod that made the companions crawl on all fours like a dog. He just happened to test it out on Astarion and became public enemy number one. He was genuinely confused by the backlash. I've also seen spawn fans and ascended fans eat each other alive. The discourse on that is insane, like that viral 40 page rant that one girl wrote all because Neil said ascended Astarion "isn't for me". Neil isn't even allowed to have an opinion, apparently. I'm sorry, but it's left a pretty bad taste in my mouth regarding Astarion fans.

[@s1b3r11]

@@kirikakirikakirika "just happened to test on Astarion" yes of course XDD He "just happened to" download a mod to specifically make a character of an escaped slave "crawl on all four like a dog" and nobody else, yet I bet when people "just happen" to download a mod that changes characters gender and test it specifically on Aylin (infamous sir Aylin mod) or when people "just happen" to download a mod that changes characters skin color and test it specifically on Wyll you are out there in the front line saying how wrong it is. Similarly you and other haters "just happened" to be under every single Astarion related video or thread attacking people, being toxic and constantly saying how much you hate the character and how much you enjoyed murdering him/ abusing him/ making him crawl like a dog. Secondly the girl who "made a rant" didn't make any rant in the first place. She's a content creator and she made a video explaining what she thinks. Never in the video did she said that Neil isn't allowed to have his opinion so perhaps stop misrepresenting and attacking her. She has a right to share her thoughts and create the content that she likes. Considering your 2 stories where extremely disingenuous and misleading I doubt the authenticity of the first one as well. It's ok to like Gale more... yet my bet is that what you describe as "Astarion fans coming for her throat" was probably an innocent situation - probably people correcting her and pointing out left out (purposefully or not) more Astarion Yenna related conversations because while it's easy for the haters to say "aw look evil Astarion hates yenna because he doesn't want her in the dangerous camp" it's extremely difficult for them to admit that he approves of you giving money for free or that he has a special cut scene where he urges the player to help her if she is kidnapped. On the other hand recently I've seen people getting death threads on x for simply imagining sharing a picture of Astarion giving their characters flowers. You don't like a character? Cool. Stop going under videos and thread related to him to harass his fans, boast about hurting him or spread lies and misinformation about him. Should be easy. You and other haters leave a bad taste in my mouth

[@kirikakirikakirika]

@@s1b3r11 Oh stfu. All you've done is prove how absolutely nuts Astarion fans are with that ridiculous rant. 1. The streamer used the mod on _every_ companion, but you nutjobs only got mad at him for using it on Astarion. He was confused af too, because at the time he didn't even _know_ Astarion's backstory yet. He'd only been playing for I think six hours and he hadn't heard about the enslavement yet. In fact, he was barely paying attention to the story. He was just having fun fzking around, like most streamers do. After the backlash he got, he left Astarion at camp for the majority of the game because he didn't want to deal with anymore BS. So congratulations, people like you ruined Astarion for him. 2. Personally idgaf how people mod their games, because I'm not insane, but I'll tell you two things right here: I didn't even know that an Aylin mod like that existed, and while I do think changing Wyll's skin tone is racist, I'm not going to tell people how to play their fzking GAME. I literally don't care. 3. I have never killed Astarion (not even in my evil playthroughs), so you can take your accusations somewhere else. I romanced him twice, once as a spawn and once as ascended, just to see the story. First time I was a cute half-elf druid with pink hair and freckles, being all soft for his spawn side, and the second time I was a Dark Urge half-orc barbarian. I didn't attack anyone and I'm not an Astarion hater, I just kinda hate his fans. You're certainly not helping that. You don't just leave a mad taste in my mouth, you trigger my gustatory rejection reflex. 4. What video are you talking about? The viral thread I was referring to wasn't a video, it was a 300 mile long Tumblr post. You don't even know what I'm talking about, yet you wrote a whole book to me... about the wrong thing! 5. Nope, they came for my friend's throat. She got comments left and right from people saying she "doesn't understand" what it's like to be abused (she's an SA victim, btw) and that she's "disgusting" for liking Gale more than Astarion. They said she "had bad taste" and should delete her account, etc. She made only two posts, one saying she liked Gale better (because she was asked), and one where Astarion and Gale react to Yenna (because she was asked). She was trying to be funny and lighthearted, but people like you frothed at the fzking mouth. Luckily there was a handful of normal people who understood that her liking Gale more didn't mean she hated Astarion and had a laugh with her. 6. If you wanna talk about Yenna, at least don't be disingenuous about it. He likes if you give her food, not money. He doesn't want her in camp, but does suggest saving her if she's kidnapped. In contrast, though, he also approves if you encourage Orin to kill her on the altar. I know because I've done it. He also approves if you make a deal with Ethel to keep Vanra. And that's all on a morally good playthrough. Do _not_ sit there and act like he's some precious little bean when it comes to children. He's not. And at the end of the day, he's a fictional character. Get a fzking life, omg. Are you the girl who wrote the 40 page rant? XD I wouldn't be surprised, because this is the second most embarrassing rant I've seen over Astarion.

[@adrasthe314]

"Icebergs start at the top with most known things" Thing 1 : Astarion is a cat Me, thinking I knew at least the first layer: *I'm sorry wh a t*

[@cassandrasimplex7544]

Not just a cat -- a feral cat. The "feral" part is significant. Befriending Astarion is exactly like the process of convincing a feral cat you're worth the trouble it will take them to domesticate you. It sounds like a joke on the surface, but really. If you're trying to rescue a truly feral cat, not a stray or abandoned cat, you absolutely must allow the cat to make most of the decisions and set their own pace deciding to trust you. The ideal end result, of course, is a critter who can no more get by without you than you could without them -- a reciprocal interdependence -- but the cat must at all times think they're the one in charge and you're the one being tamed, right up until the day they decide it's easier for them to just leave certain things up to you. Feral cats must decide to domesticate themselves.

[@adrasthe314]

​@@cassandrasimplex7544 Oh I do agree!!! I wrote the comment when I saw the title card, hence my utter confusion 😂

[@cassandrasimplex7544]

​@@adrasthe314 Fair, fair! I didn't even think about the title card. I guess I read that, thought "Yes, of course the first thing everyone knows about Astarion is that he's a cat," and immediately forgot it was there. That almost certainly says something about me and I'm not sure I want to know what. 😅

[@margisama]

Add me to the camp of 'NEVER ascending Astarion'. In my opinion him staying a spawn is him fully overcoming and starting to heal from his abuse. Ascending Astarion is him becoming the thing he hated most and continuing the cycle. Some people argue "well he loses his ability to walk in the sun and that's not fair." Well, life isn't fair and even though he loses that ability to me being able to become a better, (and his own) person is more than worth it. Spawn Astarion keeps his humanity and breaks the cycle that started with Cazador's sire. plus this is a fantasy world, going on a quest to find a magical item or spell that will regain his ability to be in the sun sounds like a great one for him and Tav to undertake together after the end of the game. Also, personal head-canon on what color Astarion's eyes were pre-vampire: blue.

[@kademelien9363]

I made a save file right before the choice and the 2 scences after Ascension gave me the ick. I met a person like this in real life and stayed far away after seeing enough cracks in the mask. Getting told what the other person thinks is what you want to hear, contradicting themselves and then gaslighting you for 'misrembering' is not fun. I love the growth Astarion go trough, if he stays a spawn. On top of things to add I read what people have against him as spawn. Just to put it here and not my opinion: He has to life in the underdark and has to look after 7000 spawns. He is whiny and not confident enough. Not everyone needs to be good.

[@margisama]

He doesn't HAVE to stay in the underdark and look after the thousands of spawn. That's purely just an option the player can take. He's free to travel the world with Tav (by night until they find that item/spell, but still). Personally I kill the trapped spawn because loosing thousands of vampire spawn that have been trapped and starving for that long with no experience on controlling their hunger seems a disaster waiting to happen. @@kademelien9363

[@britt6184]

My main gripe about keeping him a spawn is the ending with all the companions gathered on the dock. How they react to him burning up and being forced to run away really drives home that the player was the only one who truly cared about him if they had a good relationship. Yet they aren't allowed to chase after him in that moment because there are still other cutscenes to get through. Everyone is so quick to turn on him if the player allows him to ascend while also thinking that the player is blameless even though they literally helped him do it. I do like most of the other companions but the way they and the game itself treats Astarion just bugs me. Even Karlach who is my second favorite and the only other character I've romanced has a line where she threatens to stake Astarion if he treats the player badly even though, again, they helped him become what he is and willingly agreed to let him turn them into a vampire. I personally like both routes for Astarion for different playthroughs but neither are perfect. Also apparently Spawn Astarion is the one who still wears a mask instead of Ascended hence the slight voice change. I've never experienced abuse to the extent of what Astarion went through of course but I know what it's like to feel the need to hide my true self even from the people I love most. That little reveal about how the actor differentiated between both Astarion routes really hits home for me.

[@abiwan_kenobi]

@@britt6184 I didn't see this at all when my game ended. Both Shadowheart and Wyll had something to say as Astarion was running away, saying something like "I guess that's the last we'll be seeing of him for a while... This must be so hard on him" with a sad look in their eye. And their dialogue when you finish the Cazador mission and choose not to Ascend him is so uplifting; everyone just keeps gushing about how proud they are of him and how relieved they are that he chose the "right" thing. Also, if you long rest before the Cazador mission in Act 3, vampire spawns can come to your camp to try and kidnap him-- if they succeed, EVERYONE gets pissed and talks about getting "our boy" back. They love him so much. It's one of my favorite things about this game, honestly. The journey starts off as this "friends of convenience" vibe, and by the end, you can see how much they all care about each other.

[@sabsain2399]

He literally becomes Cazador 2.0 after ascending and absolutely malds and seethes whenever you try to bring that up. It proves that ascended Astarion still is a slave deep down and isn't truly free

[@AkkyZetsubou]

Really great video ! Thank you ! About zombie Astarion, he's not killed by Cazador but by the Gurs. Then, Cazador destroy their camp (seen early Act 3), get Astarion's corpse and resurrect him as a zombie to perform the ritual. Still, you're right : recruiting Astarion means saving his life.

[@emmasilver2332]

I'm on the list of "never ascending Astarion", at least when I play a good-aligned character. There's nothing in my mind that justifies sending 7,000 people's souls to the Hells, and Ascended Astarion reminds me too much of my toxic ex. Even if you believe that releasing the spawn would be a terrible idea, you can still choose to kill them without ascending Astarion. That way at least their souls get the peace they deserve. Of course if you do decide to free them, you get a letter from Sebastian in the epilogue that reveals that they are, for the most part, happy, and that they were able to learn to control the hunger with the guidance of Astarion's siblings. And you get a letter from the Gur as well, how they've started to more fully understand the struggles of vampirism as they've reconnected with their children, becoming more open-minded and empathetic. And seeing how happy Astarion is in the epilogue too, he's just so sweet. Whereas in the ascended version he mentions that most of his "friends" are the sort that would stab him in the back, given the chance.

[@kerobzcyn488]

Really? Why nobody talks about this ending?

[@FelinaFaerlaingal]

I thought the plum quote was the other way around, not about impatience, but about not settling for scraps. Because as you say, plums are summer fruits, so if you pick them in autumn, all you get are the leftover plums that no one else took. Which will be mostly rotten or just undergrown and bad to taste. An autumn picker should instead pick autumn fruits, because that's what they have at the moment. So the quote (to me) was always more about seizing the moment and refusing scraps.

[@skulliebythesea]

I love this interpretation as well ! Thank you for sharing.

[@jodieg6318]

Or they will be prunes. Not just leftovers but dried out preserved ones that few people enjoy and are generally made fun of. I also always felt that The Unquiet Grave suited Astarion as well. Particularly when we meet Sébastien. Or maybe I've just rewatched Penny Dreadul too many times.

[@bored3359]

Astarions character means so much to me as someone with sexual trauma and just a pure hatred for the current state of the world, his character story hit too fucking close to home, I've never cried harder at a video game and it was purely because I felt like I was watching someone who had went through the same thing as me process and deal with the trauma. I don't think a video game has ever made me think to myself "hey maybe I'm not alone, maybe I'm not the only one who struggles in a not-so-pretty way" and I cannot thank Larian enough for that. Thank you to the entire team behind Astarion for not creating another character that glamorized and down-played sexual trauma, it genuinely means the world to so many people, especially me.

[@chronoxtreme2427]

Honestly as weird as it sounds, knowing that my favorite Tav voice and the one I am using for my current playthrough performed the intimacy scenes for Astarion and Halsin (my two favorite characters) is such a sweet little tidbit that I never would have realized without this video. Thank you for creating it and putting so much love into this! It's a wonderful blend of in game details, more info about the voice actors and performers, and a delightful intersection with the fandom as well. I have been fortunate to not experience nearly the same amount of grief and abuse that he has, but Astarion is still a character I heavily relate to and admire due to some more overlying themes: forcing yourself to conform to an image or mask to appear desirable, being open about trauma while simultaneously fearing vulnerability, and the worries that you will never be taken seriously or escape the impressions that others have about you (in Astarion's case, that he will ever be loved for more than his looks/sexual appeal). The fact that we can relate to him, empathize, grieve with him even, is a testament to how well he was written, performed, and animated on the screen. Once again, thanks for the video!

[@skulliebythesea]

Thank you so much! I did my best to keep it balanced and I'm glad you learned something!

[@sorasgurlkairi]

astarion has so quickly become one of the most important comfort characters to ever exist for me, im an C/SA and r*** victim and ive never felt so seen, I loved him from the start but playing made him become a favorite chara for all media to me

[@tuzi9962]

im so sorry, i relate to this exactly too, hes so special for this reason for me also

[@heartfeltdream]

I think an important thing people forget is that when you meet him on the beach, he has literally JUST escaped his 200 years of slavery through some crazy fluke, and he is trying to figure out what on earth just happened, worried about people coming after him, wondering how he's even going to survive... He thinks you might be in on whatever just happened, too. It's all extremely high stakes for him. Plus, we know he has been forced to violence and praised for it for the last 200 years. In that view, giving him a bit of a bit of a break, whether or not one chooses to befriend him, makes more sense. I think a lot of people who gave him a chance saw the desperation in him- the frantic need to survive and be safe however he can manage it.

[@skulliebythesea]

THIS EXACTLY

[@leviHeichou]

I really like the description of ascended Astarion as wearing the mask all the time. Because from the clips I have seen thats exactly it. He feels like beginning act 1 times a hundred. What I also really like about his endings is how he reacts to the player talking about Cazador. Non ascended Astarion is capable of talking about it and opening up. Ascended Astarion screams at you for daring to say Cazadors name. All the progress in dealing with his trauma is lost and he dismisses all of his past. Also instead of not being confortable with sexual stuff and slowly opening up about that over time, he uses his body to assert dominance, essentially using his body as a tool again.

[@blacksesamecandies]

Ascended Astarion really is just becoming his abuser. While he has (yet) to do things as vile as Cazador the potential is certainly there. It's all his worst traits amplified. Choosing Spawn Astarion is about redemption and recovery, chosing his humanity (elf-manity?) turning to a new chapter of his life. He will still always be a vampire, still always have his scars but his life is his own to live again. Ascended Astarion seems like he's getting a better bargain but he's more trapped than ever, truly losing himself into a monsterous form. IIRC DnD rules say something about Vampire's becoming more monsterous.. especially one that can sire other vampires and not just a spawn.

[@odiechan]

As someone who is a survivor of narcissistic abuse by someone who was an authority figure in my life, I very much identify with Astarion’s story. His literal inability to defy his master rang so true to me as I often felt that way as a child, even if the person abusing me didn’t have ACTUAL magical power over me. Thank you for delving into detail about Astarion. He’s not even my favorite character but he is definitely one who hits closest to home for me. ❤

[@K.Marie119]

18:41 I can never hold back my laughter during romance cutscenes when someone picks a dragonborn for their race. Part of it is because it looks goofy, and the other is because the biologist in me has so many questions. 😅

[@IamCree]

It's impossible to take seriously 😂

[@zelbarbero]

Overall being a lizard for a main character and seeing the romance cut scenes felt weird to me. Imagine snogging a scaly dinosaur.

[@snowpoler]

Listen... I also had questions for Garrus and Shepard to be frank... but that time it still totally worked for me, because it was an actual thing being adressed by the both of them and other characters. Also, they were awkward and cute as heck With Dragonborn tho?? I don't know, I personally find it hilarious how everyone just goes about it as if everything expected to go smoothly without adressing some things beforehand... lmao

[@Ectava]

How about Astarion being all....weirdly....supportive about licking a goblin foot? xD Also, Astarion sleeps on a slab of wood because he's most likely slept on hard surfaces for the majority of his time with Cazador. PoWs have that issue where they've been kept in prison and have to sleep on hard surfaces once they get home because they can't get comfortable otherwise.

[@BillieChaosCat]

Yes! I was 100% convinced that the elf in ban list was Astarion. I'm glad to find out that was confirmed as Canon!

[@feidreth2504]

Big Astarion nerd here, and I'm not even done with the video and I've already learned a lot! Thank you so much! Love our sweet boy.

[@skulliebythesea]

I'm so glad to hear that!! You're very welcome.

[@Kanikanihia]

Important to add that the prince Wyll comment is said if you romance both him and Wyll and he’s actually upset at you. Note the spiteful way in which he says “when I was 13”, implying you’re childish and naive to romance Wyll or even think to choose between the two. Also important to note that he has equally appreciative things to say about Shadowheart, though he says many of those things directly to her. It’s why I hc he probably likes both Wyll and her, which is in character for him because they’re the most conventionally attractive.:))) I think these are important things to be reminded, because they once again show his pansexuality, and many people will only mention the Wyll comments, to prove that he is actually just into men. I’ve seen this discourse a lot and it’s very damaging to me and other panromantics, bi and pansexuals.

[@salviadivinorum6619]

But, unfortunately, his comments regarding Will are more frank and straightforward, understandable to the average person. Therefore, people have dissonance and thoughts that by nature he is attracted to men, but he rather tolerates or studies women, but does not want them. It would be nice to add a couple of remarks that are just as openly sweet towards the girls for balance. It's a shame that Will gets all the flattery)

[@Kanikanihia]

@@salviadivinorum6619 He calls Shadowheart a “beautiful flower” and constantly flirts with her throughout the game. Plus she is not immune either, though acts as if she is. For example she’s the only one out of all companions who says she’ll miss him if you put a stake trough his heart when he first bites you (the others, including Wyll,are happy he’s gone), and also, the most touching thing, she tells you to choose him if you romance both because he needs you more than she does. In that same scene she’s also the only one who sees right trough him and says that despite appearances, he would not like sharing a partner. To me it was quite obvious, but indeed his reactions to her are direct and not trough Tav and people might miss them if they’re not paying attention or don’t have them both in the same party. Also he hooks up with Lae if at the tiefling party Tav doesn’t choose one of them. In the end all of these things, even the Wyll comments are conditioned by certain things u have to do, but people exclusively fixate on the Wyll prince comment, that isn’t even said in a romantic context. He’s angry when he says it. I received that comment too cause I messed with both.lol Maybe Larian should indeed make them more obvious.

[@josiehoyle]

THE SAFETY BLANKETTTTTTTT 😻😻 i love it so much omg

[@skulliebythesea]

I KNOWWW :'(

[@ADVBCAT]

The GoT callout at the end was so on-point. They reduced SA to a shocking moment for people to discuss around the water cooler on Monday morning, to something for youtubers to make "reaction videos" to. It's amazing when people think the show only got dumb in the last season...

[@skulliebythesea]

I completely agree

[@brittany1049]

AstarionxKarlach is the best pairing and I cannot be convinced otherwise lol. Astarion can’t stand touch, Karlach can’t touch, they’ve both been through trauma regarding bodily autonomy, and Karlach is a sweetheart who seems like she’d legitimately respect Astarion’s boundaries. He’d feel safe with her.

[@skulliebythesea]

One of my favorite companion ships ever

[@leviHeichou]

I like that ship too. I am also a fan of AstarionxGale aka Bloodweave because they share a similar story about wanting power for different reasons and because Gale is very reserved about the flirting and sexual stuff at the beginning which I think could be good for Astarion who needs someone real. They also share a history of being treated badly by a powerful being and seeking power to escape that. Also considering Astarion likes cats, Tara as a Tressym also fits :D.

[@airena1449]

Hm idduno tbh. I'm no victim but touch bit for me is jarring...would hug Karlach irl tho

[@Namya12]

I'm sure she would respect his boundaries, but that sucks for her big time. She can't touch until you fix her, but she very badly misses it. She craves it because she's been deprived of affectionate touch for ten years.

[@s1b3r11]

I actually really dislike this ship and I think it's bad for both of them. For Karlach because she is touch starved and she craves physical connection like air after being deprived for 10+ years. She is also on a limited time even if she returns to Avernus because you and she can never know how much longer the engine can last. On the other hand Astarion needs space and boundaries. Karlach doesn't have time to wait for him and she shouldn't be obligated to sacrifice her happiness spend the rest of her life waiting until he gets over centuries of trauma (which can potentially never happen during her life). On the other hand I think it's also a bad ship for Astarion because Karlach doesn't seem to genuinely like him and is quite hypocritical when it comes to judging him. Regardless of whether you prefer ascension or spawn ending (that is absolutely not important) Karlach is the last person who have any right to judge or be angry at Astarion for finishing the ritual since she admits that she has been using soul coins for 10+ years and when a soul coin is used like that a soul of an individual trapped inside is eradicated and destroyed. In dnd world there exist ways of saving those people, but Kalrach doesn't really care, even when she learns that the coins contain souls of 9 and 15 years old children when she talks to a merchant in act 2 she still wants to use them to get a short lasting power boost. What she has been doing for years is literally the same thing Astarion does in the ritual - trading someone's soul to get power... She even uses the same argument as Astarion when you talk to her " better me than somebody else", "we need power to win with our enemies" and "those people are already lost". While I understand her motivation and the fact that she was forced to do a lot of unsavory things to stay alive and while I don't thing it necessary makes her evil I believe that if there is one person morally obligated not to judge AA - it's Karlach. Regardless of what the player thinks about the ritual Kalrach simply has no right to judge him because she has been doing the same thing for 10 years and doesn't want to stop. And how does Karlach behave? She immediately calls him evil and threatens to murder him. Very hypocritical of her. Similarly if Astarion goes mad in act 3 as the result of all his trauma and attacks the player it results in his death and Karlach shows absolutely no sympathy for him. Maybe it's me but I find that ending to be tragic - a person broken for 200 years of constant torture and sa to the point of insanity - it makes me feel extremely bad for him... Karlach in that ending insults him by calling him "an evil leech" she expresses that she always thought that he was only evil and she only feels sorry for herself how she almost trusted somebody so "evil". She has all the empathy for evil serial murderer Durge, but none for a guy who was tortured to the point of going mad. Lastly if he is kidnapped instead of worrying whether he is alive, dead or tortured she starts talking about herself and how SHE wasn't able to protect THE CAMP and Astarion is just an afterthought... Even when Neil and Sam were playing DnD session and the GM asked Sam whether Karlach wants to help her "friend" Sam diplomatically answered by saying she is not sure whether Karlach even considers Astarion to be her friend.... That really doesn't loo like a real friendship to me. To sum this point up I don't think Karlach likes Astarion and I believe Astarion deserves someone who is not fake and who will genuinely like him and support him unconditionally instead of someone who will judge him for doing the same thing they did in the fist place. The ship is bad for both because Karlach should finally be able to life to the fullness and be able to experience everything she wants to experience while Astarion should get somebody who truly genuinely likes him, won't judge him, will support him and see him as something more than "an evil leech" (how Karlach describes him)

[@strangeannamaul]

Every time I watch a video about astarion's backstory I end up crying. Genuinely can we aromance him? QPP/ be a friend? Like he deserves someone who just shows up for him just as deeply without romance.

[@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose]

The fact that I was *literally* just on another video (that also got uploaded today) in which Preminger from Barbie as the Princess & the Pauper was (both visually and auditorily) getting compared to Astarion. Thank you for teaching me more about him! I'm glad you're back; I was just re-watching your Angsty Boys video last week and wondering how you were. 🌟😊

[@skulliebythesea]

omg you're so sweet! Yesss! I'm always happy to teach about my favorite vampire boy :)

[@Shenanakins]

I think other than Tav/Durge i think Karlach is astarion's best match. I dont think any of the other companions will understand Astarion the way Karlach can and vise versa and astarion seems very aware of this as he sees Zariel and Cazador as being the same so he identifies with Karlachs rage and desire for justice from the very beginning when he meets her. It also almost seems like fate if you romance astarion as Karlach because he cant have sex with her in Act 1 and he has a bit of an epiphany while arguing with her. It feels like he progresses his arc quicker because his inability to touch her makes him a bit frustrated but also relieved(according to dev notes) and his own reaction to this confuses him and forces him to realize just how much he forces himself through a lot of sexual interactions despite not always wanting to. Karlach then becomes able to touch him while he decides he doesnt want to have sex right now. their sexual relationship is very shortlived but then concludes in a happy ending with Karlach getting her need for physical intimacy being met and astarion beginning to heal his relationship with sex with someone he loves. And then at the end he seems more than happy to go to avernus with her since he doesnt need to hide from the sun in Avernus and its full of things he can kill. it seems like Karlach is ideal match for astarion.

[@incite2004]

Literally remember not exactly being fomd of his character until he started telling his story. I am a victim of SA, specifically CSA. So feeling like I don't own my own body & literally having struggles connecting romantically due to trauma. His character became more of a I relate & understand him so let me just say hi to him. Also made his sex scenes more uncomfortable for me due to now knowing his pain Edit: I was playing an evil run with my bf so my original plan was to love & leave him. Because I did not like him however, he was good for an evil party. So I was just gonna basically get him to love my character then break his heart to protect my characters heart. Imagine my surprise when Astarion's romance involves him doing the same thing & both of us failing in our endeavors.

[@riclucas3150]

“God damn this fandom is talented” you say as I’m wiping a tear from my eye that I had no idea was going to come from a fan-finished poem.

[@skulliebythesea]

Trust me I was barely keeping it together 😭

[@bluebird8677]

I started out as an Astarion hater but kept seeing content about him as well as learning his lore through the game and im now firmy an Astarion enjoyer Also oh my god your voice, presentation and editing is the best, you make a video this long fly by in an instant

[@skulliebythesea]

THANK YOU 😭 this is such a lovely comment. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@bluebird8677]

@@skulliebythesea of course, honestly I was beyond shocked that you don't have a couple hundred thousand subs The overall quality and research of your vids are damn near professional

[@skulliebythesea]

thank you :) hopefully we'll get there one day@@bluebird8677

[@auginetic]

just curious, was it his past explaining his behavior that helped you like him? or was it his character development? why did you dislike him initially? Thanks!

[@bluebird8677]

@@auginetic well when i disliked him i only knew the broad strokes of his personality and goals and such. honestly just saw this manipulative, cruel liar but then as i began learning more i saw that behavior for what it was, a way to protect himself and the fact hes never been showed another way he used to be a magistrate which tells he was likely highborn so even for the years he was alive he was most likely only around people where you needed to be selfish and cut throat then after that he had his body taken from him so he almost began thinking that if he always said yes and was the one to offer himself that would give him some power back throughout the game you start off with this incomplete and hurt person who, with some guidance can actually blossom into a kinder person plus him being an sa survivor and a survivor in general was executed to perfection

[@vampirewolf373]

Ascended Astarion gives me sommany complicated emotions. I am not a survivor of that particular type of trauma, but my mother is. And she was strong for so long, even intervening for me and informing me when i very much could have become a victim as she had. But as i got older i recognized her constantly taking care of everyone else at the time as a coping mechanism. One that when she could no longer use, devolved into an even unhealthier one thats caused so much damage to her brain and turned her into someone else. Even now that shes recovering i still barely recognize her. Ascended astarion resonates in me that same desparate need to cope, to find power to escape powerlessness....even if that power does nothing for your wounds. A numbing agent if you will. Something that changes you in such a way not even your loved ones recognize you in whay you've become. Someone that doesn't care what pain they cause others so long as they no longer have to be afraid for themselves. But at the same time you want them to know they no longer have to be afraid, to believe in their own power to never feel that fear or pain again. Also that fear that if you don't give them the immediate method, the painkillers to stop their suffering, that their trust in you will break, that they'll just toss you aside to grab it themselves. So do you take the chance, between them viewing having them go cold turkey as a betrayal they won't forgive, or enable them. Its agonizing for a loved one watching them walk that wire and praying they reach the side that's both best for them and keeps you in their life while knowing they could fall at any moment.

[@martianpudding9522]

My headcanon is that Astarions charisma is average because his charm balances out the fact that he's very clearly a vampire. Like a reasonanble person would stay the hells away from someone with red eyes and fangs who never eats food and habitually avoids the sun, but Astarion is so charming he gets the benefit of the doubt

[@xilj4002]

Everyone keeps forgetting the setting is Faerûn. It's normal for an elf to be pale as moonlight. It's rare but not weird for them to have red eyes if they are - and the elves who are moon-pale and have red eyes might have weird teeth / bald patches / small disfigurements or sunlight sensitivity or both. If anything you'd think they have drow blood or were touched by the feywild (or don't think about it because it's elves). And it's easy to hide not eating. He's simply average amount of charismatic not the famous poster boy leader type, and he's using learnt behaviors and techniques (Persuasion) instead

[@martianpudding9522]

@@xilj4002 sure but that's also a place where vampires actually exist though. Like I'd be a little suspicious of someone who looks like him irl and I don't even believe in vampires. Plus he's not actually very good at hiding the evidence, leaving exanguinated animals around and stuff. I think if you believed in vampires you'd definitely think one is around and then he'd be a very obvious suspect.

[@xilj4002]

@@martianpudding9522 During the day, not at all, he's awake and not burning. During the night, maybe, but he was probably better at hiding evidence, for example he was starving so no animal carcasses left around, and he spent most of his time in places where the lack of light obscures details and playing around with some cups of wine and seduction takes care of the rest. When there's hoofbeats, most people think horses, even though zebras exist

[@martianpudding9522]

@@xilj4002 that is true, although I would imagine his hiding skills would have been pretty similar before getting abducted. Maybe he did get cocky from being able to be in the daylight though. That said he did also use to frequent the same taverns and leave with patrons who would then go missing, but maybe baldur's gates crime rates are so bad that still didn't stand out lol idk. Still he was able to successfully lure people with him at night while looking like a vampire

[@xilj4002]

@@martianpudding9522 Crime rates and being a big port and trading hub helps him a lot. The city has 40k-ish people, and up to 40k sailor, travelers, and traders, plus the Outer City and Rivington. He usually hunted in places like the Flophouse, so a vast majority of the patrons disappeared regardless. Also dead ex hookups don't really affect your CHA, they affect the DC and advantage.

[@rosesweetcharlotte]

I'm just happy for the Fenris fan who was able to turn their fanfiction into a game.

[@missmoss2410]

DRAGON AGE MENTIONED🗣️🗣️🗣️

[@papuru_kumo]

The fact that Astarion has 10 Charisma and yet has an effect on everyone as if it was 300, is astounding and proves how well Neil plays Astarion.

[@skulliebythesea]

he really took that 10 Charisma as a suggestion lol

[@SirCharles12357]

I'll admit that I'm not an Astarion fan. I thought him as whiny and selfish. However, after finding out about the abuse (the scars on his back!) he went through I can empathize with him much better. His character design has great depth and his character arch is a magnificent. I can appreciate that!!

[@Peleski]

I don't like that he's always disapproving of helping people, in a game where picking up quests means progression. That he hated helping the tieflings when you know that was the correct way to play, it's a bit jarring.

[@Safiyahalishah]

It took me until Act 3 to warm up to him, and that's because I had him in my party all the time (he replaced Lae'zel after I accidentally got her permakilled). Mere exposure effect, though it helped that he's hilarious. But he's definitely a well-written and well-performed character with a gripping arc. I can also appreciate that!

[@popcornlg1]

This video was beautifully made! I especially loved your voice while reading the poem and many many other items within this video. If you ever end up making more iceberg or character study videos for the rest of the BG3 cast id love to see it!

[@skulliebythesea]

Thank you ❤️❤️ I will absolutely do my best 🙏

[@user-qj9en1kp1m]

I like Astarion because he is a very complex character. He has great potential for good, but his darker side might also be the darkest of all companions. Before his showdown with Cazador, when he meets Sebastian and those children I was legit shocked. I might be reading too much into the game, but I think that Astarion might care for children's welfare (during the second hag fight he reminds the player that simply killing the hag will kill the child too), it might be his purest character trait...and Cazador broke that too. When he kills Cazador the moment is violent and it is as sad as it is satisfying. If I recall there is no triumphant music playing either, kind of reminds me of the Roy Mustang vs. Envy fight from "Fullmetal Alchemyst Brotherhood" a bit. The moment when our hero comes closest into becoming like the evil he wants to destroy.

[@skulliebythesea]

Don't forget, he also approves when you offer to look for Yennas mother, give her food , and invite Yenna to stay at your camp! I got approval for all of those interactions from him 💕 I absolutely think there's something there.

[@user-qj9en1kp1m]

@@skulliebythesea Yeah, same here. I admit, at first he annoyed me, he was a bit of an asshole. I was like "dude, you were relieved that I did not drive a stake through your ribs, I might actually drive one of the campfire logs through your heart". Of course he grew on me, because I realised that underneath that overly sarcastic demeanor there is a deeply traumatised soul. I read somewhere that Astarion is the easiest character to romance/befriend and that might be true in an evil playthrough, but in a good-aligned playthrough it's very tricky. Of course I realise that he is not a real person, but he is so well-written and acted that it's hard not to feel a genuine compassion for him. I guess the mark of a good character (film, literature, game) is the fact that they make you forget that they are, in fact, not real. I think he does share some similar traits with Roy Mustang: they both have their share of trauma and guilt, they both (seem) to have a strong sex drive, they both want to usurp the power of the leader of their respective circles.

[@ИринаКухарчик-и5у]

​@@user-qj9en1kp1mI fully chose an affair with Astarion for four passes, two of which I played for the good Dark Urge, and never had any problems having an affair with him. You just have to remember that he doesn't really like knights without fear and reproach, so you need to be flexible. Although I managed to charm him even for a palladin. Still, the key moment for the romance with him is the refusal to force Astarion to drink drow blood from the Moon Towers. For him, this gesture is so important that he will buy his even if he does not have the highest level of affection for you.

[@user-qj9en1kp1m]

@@ИринаКухарчик-и5у In my first playthrough I was a Tav and because I am not an experienced gamer I did not fully grasp how the game functioned and missed a lot of cool characteer interaction moments and cutscenes, not just with Astarion but with others too. I was also playing quests in the wrong order too (like finding Karlach only after the tieflings left the grove). I started a good Durge playthrough and I am correcting my mistakes, taking many long rests. Also in my first playthrough I ran head first into every "I will save you guys" moment. Then Astarion's personality started to rub off of my little wood elf cleric and started to value the power of persuasion and deception, especially when I got a ton of approval for talking enemies into killing themselves in the Shadow Cursed Land.

[@cinderwar2700]

I love learning more about characters and their actors when I gain a hype fixation for them, I personally thank you for making this because now I can go more in-depth when my friends who usually roll their eyes when I talk about Astarion ask why I like him so much.

[@cassiemoyles4177]

I JUST GOT HIT IN MY THEATRE KID HEART AT NEILS COMMENT ABOUT COMEDIA DEL'ARTE. I'm not kidding when I say Arlecchino was a character i myself played and enjoyed so immensely. This makes me so happy. Oh my god

[@rebeccalambert3240]

So prepared (and not prepared) to watch this videp as someone who accidentally got obsessed with Astarion despite having never played the game lol. I can learn all I need to xD

[@skulliebythesea]

lets goooo

[@kaithefruity8537]

coming from someone who survived an abusive relationship (r@pe, hitting, etc), the stuff neil said actually made me bawl

[@sleepybaby8218]

The poem hit me so hard especially the line "Lamentable is the contentment of just surviving." I grew up with an abusive drug addict alcoholic father and it was hell living with him having to tip toe around him and take care of myself when I was WAY to young to do so I would go to school with no lunch money and then be forgotten at the bus stop to walk home a mile in the Texas heat in the middle of nowhere I'd be yelled at and abused everyday for anything and everything not to mention I was being builled at school really bad and only had one friend who I spent the most time with so I could get away from my father when she moved my whole world crumbled and I felt more alone than I ever had I was only in 3rd grade and was having thoughts of unaliving myself I've been "just surviving" for years I still live with my father and he still scares me I'm almost done with high school so I'm hoping to move out as soon as I graduate so I can go to my dream school and really start living instead of just surviving

[@skulliebythesea]

I'm so sorry my friend. Wishing you the best of luck. You can do it

[@sleepybaby8218]

@@skulliebythesea thank you I'm lucky to have lots of friends now that help me they are all online friends but they mean the world to me

[@yanadnadya]

🫂🫂🫂 hope you well pal

[@liablau]

This is the perfect video for anyone obsessed with this character, thank you ❤️

[@skulliebythesea]

Thank you! I'm honored :)

[@RelaxedBearNA]

Thank you for creating this video! It allowed me to see more of BG3 and Astarion without putting in 300+ more hours of gameplay. Love the game to bits, but I only have so much free time in my adult working life.

[@skulliebythesea]

Completely understand that! I'm happy to lighten the load :)

[@garou12]

it's actually pronunced Gwenivere. fun fact Drizzit's panther's name is actually spelled the old english way.

[@romantheboat9118]

This was very well made. You can tell a lot of work and research went into this. Thank you for making this. Neil and Astarion both mean a lot to me, Neil is the main reason I got BG3, which has become my comfort game. Neil's work is amazing, and this community continues to surprise me every day with how kind and talented they are. :)

[@shanti4632]

I never usually comment on anything but I really wanted to say how important I think this video is. Especially from the perspective of someone who didn’t like Astarion previously. This left me with an appreciation for the depth of his character and his growth throughout the game. This video was so well thought out. My reason for previously not liking Astarion is mostly just my very different personality from his. I don’t like arrogant people, but this video helped me really take in that his arrogance and pompous personality is a shield. Agghhh i feel so bad for not liking him so much before

[@TOchick]

This was an amazing video. I love this man more than words can express, as a survivor of an emotionally abusive parent and SA by a trusted friend who is still dealing with that trauma his story touches me deeply and gives me hope.

[@SongOfBalduran]

In the deepest layers of the abyss - "Clan McButts"

[@skulliebythesea]

HAHAHA incredible yess. Never forget

[@kenanjabr1992]

I've never romanced Astarion. Always played as a hetero-male that doesn't get along with him, until my recent playthrough, during which he and I became bros. I helped him take down Cazador and chose to let him ascend. He quickly became an asshole afterwards, so I'm looking forward to talking him away from that decision next playthrough. Very thorough video! Hardly noticed the 40 minutes go by.

[@skulliebythesea]

I would absolutely recommend his romance. I'm glad you enjoyed the video!

[@Shenanakins]

definitely try romancing him(even better if you do it as the Dark Urge) even if you're not personally attracted to him. there is a lot you miss out on in terms of character during the platonic playthrough. there are just somethings the origin characters hold back from their friends but share with their partner that makes it easier to understand what it is exactly that he needs.

[@GlowstoneWolf]

the awkward pause at 23:44 is SENDING ME.

[@insydious7]

Absolutely beautiful video. I started to tear up at the end. Neil and Astarion you are so loved.

[@dinosaur8682]

I sort of dropped my gaming phase as I got older, I still played games, but they were no where near as story driven as BG3 was. I decided to give it a shot when it came out because I kept seeing clips from it and it looked interesting. I was not expecting to be as impacted by a game as I was with this one- and it's mostly because of Astarion. Like most of us, I fell for him charms but as I progressed in the game, I found myself becoming insanely emotional and impacted by his character and story. I have never cried during a video game before, I barely cry during movies/TV shows. When Astarion dropped to his knees after killing Cazador, I lost it. I was a sobbing mess. I had never felt so emotional and impacted by a fictional character before. Neil did an AMAZING job bringing this character to life, making him feel like a real person with real struggles and real trauma. I had to walk away from the game for a bit to collect myself because I was that much of a wreck. Unfortunately, this character is starting to feel very gatekept by the community. (This is mostly on TikTok from what I've seen, thankfully KZbin isn't as bad about it) but the gatekeeping of this amazing character, is really annoying when he was created for everyone to enjoy and learn about. As you mentioned in the video, while ascending him is his worst option (and I personally could never do it) it's there for a reason and it's important to explore all options of the game, even if you save just before it happens and go back to convince him not to ascend. People seem to have a hard time distinguishing reality from fiction and just because someone makes a decision in a video game that is morally wrong, it does not reflect them as a person in real life. I can promise you, most people wouldn't even think about doing something like this to someone outside of fantasy. I get very tired of the harassment and bullying within the community because people aren't pursuing this character how some people see fit. He isn't meant for one singular person, he is for all of us to enjoy, love and learn about. As per-usual, the loud, vocal, bullies of the community have soured it for everyone else, because they're incapable of thinking beyond their own feelings. Overall, this character means so much to a lot of us and I am forever thankful he was brought into our lives because I think we can all agree, they've been all the more enjoyable because of him.

[@skulliebythesea]

Yes to all of this. I felt the same way. I've slowly been getting back into gaming over the years, but BG3 was a huge jump for me. I don't think I've ever been this invested in a game before (and I was a pokemon kid, so that's saying a lot haha). It's jumpstarted my creativity in this increasingly depressing time and it's gotten me excited about storytelling again. I was an absolute wreck at the end of the Cazador fight, completely inconsolable. I also needed to step away for a sec because I was just feeling SO MUCH for Astarion. I think people's hearts are in the right place, but especially with so many that are new to fandom, they really need to learn the etiquette and be able to distinguish fiction from reality. That's why I included that line in there about appreciating all the writing within the game. I know where they're coming from and why they're so protective of Astarion as a character, but as someone who has been deeply moved by all aspects of the storytelling in BG3, I want to show appreciation for ALL the hard work that was put in, including the stuff that might make me feel a little icky. But that's just me. Thank you so much for your lovely comment. :)

[@ettaetta439]

Exactly. Ascending Astarion is a bad choice in terms of his character, but not in terms of exploring an evil or morally grey story route. It's interesting. People fight over ascending Shadowheart or chewing off Gale's hand less than ascending Astarion, but to be honest--I hardly consider that a fault of the sane, normal Astarion enjoyers. It's the fault of specifically the dark romance girlies who have no emotional awareness, and the morality police. These women with no emotional awareness, compared to their intelligent counterparts, genuinely try to argue that ascending Astarion is a GOOD choice and that Tav is "manipulating" Astarion by convincing him not to ascend. Meanwhile, the morality police, instead of actually discussing anything meaningful about the impact of fiction on real life people, as usual just go after senseless things they really feel strongly about. They try to guilt trip the dark romance girlies with no awareness into feeling like bad people for preferring the toxic pixel man, and that's impossible because these women have already been trained to automatically say "it's fiction, who cares if the love interest has done *crime towards minors, barely-18 year olds, women, people or animals*". They're not going to start feeling shame NOW. And then even worse, they go after the normal people too, who just ascended Astarion for fun or because why not or because they're doing an evil route or because they enjoy a toxic man in their fictional games. Thus the conversation ends up being meaningless fighting. There is a space to be had, to talk about how dark romance romanticizes grooming, pdf files, and grape, and how its spread on social media has led to a lot of emotionally immature teens and young adults to excuse those types of crimes more readily... But that is only a conversation that can be had when in the space of media that romanticizes this topic, not Baldur's Gate 3, which doesn't romanticize Astarion at all! Hell, you even have an option to kick his balls after you ascend him! You can even attack him in camp in the epilogue, and all your companions will help beat his ass because they, too, hate him! He's toxic AF and the game knows it! So it's clearly not a problem with the game romanticizing it, just the minorities on two opposite ends fighting each other to the end and giving the rest of the normal, larger community a bad name.

[@antagonistlover]

​@@ettaetta439 you don't realise what you are saying with this comment, do you? Calling one group of people "dumb" and the other "smart" based on their opinions? I thought your comment, the way it started, would be free from bias and encourage fans to stay neutral and mind their own business. Astonishing, how you wrapped it up as a new form of moralism.

[@RespawnRetry]

I've only watched two of your videos now and I have to say I thought they were really well told! You summed everything up in a very humorous and interesting way and it was really easy to listen to! :D

[@angelicastern2385]

This was so beautifully put together. Thank you!

[@skulliebythesea]

Thank you so much!! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@CeraKeene]

Seeing so many edits and videos that don't do his story justice, this got an instant subscribe and all my love.

[@bearhugzfam649]

Just throwing it out there but the autumn picker thing isn’t about impatience, it’s about settling for leftovers and dregs of others. An autumn picket would have missed the summer plum harvest, hence the reference to rotten plums in the poem. It’s a reminder that you should want more than that, don’t be content with rotten remains just because that’s all you’re permitted

[@meimisaki9139]

I came back here as soon as I saw your channel is being monetized again! You deserve this!

[@skulliebythesea]

AGHH ! You're so sweet ❤️

[@howlingcreator]

My favorite thing about Astarion is that they don't shy away from the whole parts of being a victim. He's all about self-preservation, and especially in the beginning. All of his approvals early on are based on things that would be seen as conventionally evil, but are always ways to guarantee his survival. He's slow to trust, he prefers being mean to people, and he hates people that go out of their way to be a hero (people he sees as weak because they're easy to manipulate and can ultimately cause him harm because of their actions). I love how his approvals throughout the game change also, to show that he's slowly starting to heal and shy away from those survival mechanisms, and allow him to show his true personality. One of my favorite things to think about also is the dichotomy between the victories in Act 1 and Act 2. If you choose to save the Grove and the tieflings, he's unhappy because he helped play the hero and thus put himself in harm's way for some strangers, whereas at the end of Act 2, he's all giddy and talking about how he never saw himself being a vanquisher of shadows and just overall sounding more accepting of playing the hero role. They're such simple things, but play into the subtlety of how complex his character is, and I love it so much.

[@skulliebythesea]

Yes to all of this!!

[@juliagabel2106]

This was beautiful and so emotional to watch. Thank you!

[@skulliebythesea]

Thank you so much! It was honestly VERY emotional to make as well, lol :)

[@Rogue-ish-k2h]

I never knew how much he said 'thank you'! It's a simple thing, but for him especially, I think it adds a layer of vulnerability and emotional maturity to be able to acknowledge Tav so much.

[@thefatherinthecave943]

9:59 damn James is still catching strays good lord. Don’t plagiarize kids

[@ishrariftekhar3090]

I absolutely loved this video. I was so absorbed in it that it didn't feel like it was 41 minutes long. I love Astarion so much that it hurts. Thank you so much for this amazing video!

[@skulliebythesea]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!

[@kat-kalamity]

your transition screens are so beautiful

[@skulliebythesea]

Thank you! I made them on Canva :)

[@akane135]

What an amazing video. I’m looking forward to see your other ones

[@skulliebythesea]

Thank you so much 😊🙏

[@cavoliwho]

I just wanted to thank you for bringing this video to us. It's truly a masterpiece 💖

[@skulliebythesea]

Thank youuu 😭😭

[@purpletetrisdragon]

This video you have created is a work of art. Even after all of the videos I have seen, in regards to Astarion, you mentioned things that I had no idea about, so Thank You. I wanted to cry at the ending of this video as, (idk if this is place to mention it) but learning about Astarion and his past, and watching him learning how to grow and heal, has helped me with my own past. Astarion has given me the courage to finally open the door on my own past. I feel like as I play BG3, I hope to not only heal Astarion but myself as well. Again, thank you for this video. 💜

[@skulliebythesea]

You're very welcome ❤️ thank you for sharing your thoughts and story

[@spiritcreaturegames]

Crying by the end of the video. Tysm for making this!! And the perfect note to end it on, as well. Neil always manages to articulate exactly how I feel about Astarion. And why I will never let go of him. ❤

[@rx500android]

Astarion canonically has a blankie😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️

[@martianpudding9522]

Something I found quite eye opening when I started playing my second playthrough as Astarion is that he isn't convincex that he is free of Cazador at the start. One of the reasons he first bites one of his companions in the camp during the night is because it is something he wasn't allowed to do by Cazador and he wants to test if he is physically able to disobey that order. When I played as Tav it was pretty easy to forget that that wasn't just his tragic backstory, it was his daily life for 200 years up until like last week.

[@notinthisgalaxy]

At first, i romanced astarian because i liked his energy despite him being someone I'd stay far away from in real life. Too charming, seems manipulative, and has a play boy air, but it's a game so why not. And then, as his story unfolded, i saw so much of my own trauma in him, and it became more of a he needs a hug and a friend and someone to tell him he can say no. There were so many lines that cut because ive been where he was at.

[@anemelo-tsourekaki]

Great video, thank you for including the original interviews etc! Astarion is my favorite character in bg3, especially in the non-ascended Astarion x redeemed Urge pairing (now it all makes sense, btw!). Astarion's story felt like therapy to me, I laughed and cried and saw myself in him so much. It's super rare that any piece of media handles a character's trauma well, but bg3 definitely handled it in a great way. I'm also super grateful for Neil's work, I can't imagine any other actor bringing Astarion to life in such a wonderful way

[@AllieKat893]

Neils performance is so nuanced and amazing. The way neil interacts with the fans is incredible. Astarion is such a great character, i dont even have words. Thanks for this deep dive video! It was very informative and interesting. 😊

[@synalepha1569]

That was fantastic!! A wonderful in depth analysis of an already incredible character

[@skulliebythesea]

Thank you very much!

[@mighty_claw]

great video! well narrated and edited. i learned astarion was based off a cat, his surname and that he was so young when he died! so thank you!

[@skulliebythesea]

You're very welcome! I'm so glad!

[@DtlaDaisy]

This was such a beautiful video!!! Really well done and put together. I'm a newbie to the DnD/BG world and wow the fan community is huge! ❤

[@skulliebythesea]

Thank you! And welcome ❤️❤️

[@zodiacwitch]

that pause was his 10 cha jumping out

[@Badger_Nerd]

I'd love to see a iceberg breakdown of the other companions too! Congrats, you gained a new sub!

[@johnbumder]

Great work on the video. A lot of heart and passion when into this and is well worth a sub for the quality alone. BG3 is indeed a Masterpiece.

[@skulliebythesea]

Thank you very much 👍

[@CineCosu]

It's incredible how every single title brought a smile to my face; immediately knew what it was in reference to. Thank you for this wonderful little recap

[@skulliebythesea]

I'm so glad to hear that 😊

[@pagetvido1850]

I check how much approval different actions get. Almost everything is + or - 1. The exceptions I've seen for Astarion are that Loviatar blessing scene at +5, sex with no blood at +5 and sex with blood at +15.

[@katyluvs2read]

Loved this video! It's a great summary of canon knowledge and the fandom hits. Would absolutely love a similar iceberg video for some of the other companions!

[@migsmoo]

I’ve never watched an iceberg video before that felt like a call-out video… but thank you.

[@edenthedwarf]

35:30 i am crying. i was not expecting this at all (had no idea). each day passes and i grow more relatable and attached to neil :((( sending love to all survivors out there, me included xoxo

[@suzumiBreizh]

As a randomer who hesitated to buy the game since I didn't know if it would be to my taste, I was drawn in by the ever growing number of shorts, tiktoks and reels of "sexy red flags ridden vampire man". I ended up buying the game. As a SA survivor, autistic person and child of a narcissistic parent, seeing this character unraveling his storyline made me feel so many things. I got h*rny, I got curious, I was happy, I was entranced, and I cried with him the first time we finished his personal questline. I already overcame a lot of my personal trauma these past few years by working in therapy, but it is the first time in my life that I indeed, see the story of a survivor that echoes in this wounded part of my own heart. Stephen Rooney, Neil Newbon, Larian and everyone who worked so hard on this game helped putting balm on my wounds. It didn't cure me from them, but it sure helps me moving forward. Thank you, sincerely, for this video. The amount of work that went in it is visible, and I am happy to have stumbled upon your channel. We need LGBTQ+ creators that work the legit way, not the "graduated from business school" way. ❤

[@moonelisah7947]

OMG! I love love love this video...thank you so much for sharing. A few things I didn't even know. The poem about the plums for example. As a trauma survivor myself it brought tears to my eyes. That's why I love Astarion. So funny how a pixel character can mean so much. I wanted to watch this video later when I have more time, but found myself watching till the end. Thank you ❤

[@idiotically-everything]

24:29 One absolutely sad thing I heard someone theorize because Zombie Astarion also happens if you give him to the monster hunter Gur in act 1, and once in Baldur's Gate you can find the Gur group slaughtered and they tell you Cazador came to pick up Astarion, while he was alive. Meaning that, most likely Astarion may have taken his own life since the tadpole made Cazador unable to control him fully

[@KoeniginLogia]

Wow that is dark, and sad..

[@tainabloigu63]

I guess I'm a hardcore Astarion fan cause I knew every single bit of this, but still watched it all 'cause I love this character, Neil's work and everybody elses who brought this stupid sexy Vampire alive. ❤