Who is the Strongest Companion BEFORE the Tadpole? | Baldur's Gate 3

[@Jojaderr]

Im honestly suprised Gale didn't fully crash out at learning that the strongest spell he could cast was burning hands after the nautiloid.

[@masquerabe6692]

It’s like the arcane equivalent to an athlete getting seriously injured. He KNOWS he could out cast all of the Forgotten Realms, but his body just won’t let him.

[@cking4869]

I'm pretty sure there's only, like, a single line mentioning the loss of power. I think they maybe didn't want to draw too much attention to it since this game can have a lot of dissonance in a character's story and their abilities. Like how you can just freely change their class into something that makes no sense, or how the non-tadpoled companions are just as strong as the main cast. Or how a lowly vampire spawn who's hardly ever seen combat is level 11. I mean really, what's that about?

[@Jojaderr]

@cking4869 The way I see it, is all of those inconsistencies, are purely for gameplay reasons. Everything that happens in the story still happens, the party loses their previous powers, etc. Same as how being able to beat the game solo by only throwing people for damage wouldn't exactly be canon. It's purely for gameplay reasons.

[@jake_leg]

​@@cking4869 100% for gameplay balance. It would feel anticlimactic if you could steamroll everything in act 3

[@cking4869]

@@Jojaderr yeah, exactly. But then it makes sense that the choices made purely for gameplay reasons wouldn't really be touched on by the story

[@Bingbong123swong]

The second I saw the title I knew it was Gale. It’s a no brainer, at full strength he would one tap Karlach and Wyll at the same time. He’s Mystra’s chosen, her lover, an arch wizard, and has the respect of the strongest wizard in dnd. He makes all other companions seem like children who just learned to touch a weapon for the first time

[@insaneyoohoo]

I like Gale and all, but his backstory in this regard does sound like a dnd player whose trying too hard to be cool with their backstory lol

[@lobsterwithhisshouldersbac8368]

@@insaneyoohooI feel the same. It’s like a really bad pc. But its so ham i don’t mind.

[@mr.crispyfriedchicken3946]

@insaneyoohoo yeah that's true. Every players first dnd character has defeated at least one dragon and probably toppled a monarchy as well. At least Larian had the foresight to make sure we knew that none of these guys was at full power

[@martinwest7250]

His power loss was nothing to do with the tadpole though right?

[@Bingbong123swong]

@@martinwest7250 it’s the orb and the tadpole I think

[@TSotP]

Astarion is about lv1 or 2. He is basically a commoner that became a vampire spawn Lae'zel is about lv4, like you said. Young but good and strong. Shadowheart has been told she is not ready to become a Dark Justicier, and they are all lv6 in the game, making her about lv5 Wyll and Karlach are around lv10 or 11. Wyll must be above Lv5 because he talks about summoning festering clouds snd hell beasts. But he also mentions in casual dialogue about going toe to toe with a hill giant. Looking at the rules for 5e, for a single player to solo a CR5 monster, they would need to be about lv11. This is also backed up by Karlach being Zariel's attack dog. So she would be well above a cambion. That leaves Arch-Wizard prodigy Gale. Who as a child was casting Fireball. And was powerful enough to catch the attention of Mystra to become her chosen. 5e says an Arch-wizard should be lv18, and i don't doubt it. It also explains how he was powerful enough to survive an encounter with Netherese magic. And how he is friends with the most powerful wizard in all of Faerûn.

[@Sapphykins]

I'd argue shadowheart could well be higher than that, just because the main reason she's not allowed to become a justiciar is because viconia hates her and resents her, so it doesn't really tell us if she's actually qualified.

[@MoxxiePossum]

Karlach is much higher. Hamstring means "to make it extremely difficult for someone to make any actions" or "to make powerless". And she was able to do that with pit fiends. Cr works differently than level. One Cr 20 monster (such as a pit fiend) is the equivalent of four level twenty players (if Cr was a system that actually worked as planned). It basically means that she was able to beat Raphael alone. So yeah, much higher than level ten (unless she was lying or talking about a sparing match).

[@3X3NTR1K]

Yep. And Shadowheart was the one survivor of a party that legit didn't qualify, and also succeeded her mission solo. I'd say she's a level or two higher than the minimum level of a Dark J.

[@autisonm]

@@MoxxiePossum I dont think hamstring is being used in that manner. I think she's saying she use to cut the back of their knees. That would still be pretty impressive considering she survived but chances are she wasnt the only one in direct combat with them.

[@reach9111]

​@@Sapphykins I think I'd agree with that. Shart also has at 40 years experience and most of the justiciars we meet are undead husks or rat men. The guys at the house of grief are a better comparison

[@mr.crispyfriedchicken3946]

One note about Wyll: he is a charisma character... thats probably why you believe him inherently 😂

[@missamakana56]

And hey, guess what? Warlock magic scales off of Charisma, so in other words, Wyll most likely just built different

[@mr.crispyfriedchicken3946]

@missamakana56 yeah you're right that man built different

[@AlejandroLopez-xs6lu]

I think the craziest reveal in this entire video is the fact that Shadowheart is 48

[@dumpykong]

RIGHT??

[@AlejandroLopez-xs6lu]

@ those half-elf genes are working overtime

[@potatorat2508]

i mean... the book stating she had spent 40 years in training WAS right there in the cloister of sombre embrace...

[@aredjayc2858]

Half-Elves man...

[@PhoenixFire2]

She's a half-elf, so she's roughly the equivalent of a 24-year-old human. Half-elves on average live roughly twice as long as the average human

[@ZoeBateman]

I kinda just assumed Gale. High level Wizards are unbelievably powerful to start with, but being Mystra's Chosen/Lover would give him advantages over even other very powerful wizards, and that's before even bringing the orb/magic nuke into it

[@shilohmagic7173]

He probably wasn’t as powerful as, say, elminster, right?

[@chubbyanemone696]

​@@shilohmagic7173 maybe close.

[@DehydratedDarkness]

​@@chubbyanemone696What? Why? Elminster was a historical case, one of a kind. Gale is sevreal magnitutdes below them

[@Louis-ty6li]

WRT why Gortash sold Karlach to Zariel - her heart was a prototype for the engine used by the Steel Watch. If you have her in your party when you speak to a Steel Watcher you get this dialogue: "Citizen. You are being accompanied by a malfunctioning Steel Watcher. [...] Your unit is a highly outdated model. [...] Your make is very obsolete." and Karlach comments "If it turns out I'm a fucking prototype for these things, I'll dismantle every single one of them." From the sounds of it Gortash was letting Zariel use the infernal engines to strengthen her soldiers, in turn Gortash got to test them for the Steel Watchers, but that's purely my own speculation.

[@TSotP]

@@Louis-ty6li yep, that's why, IMO Karlach should have been immune to Fire, Immune to normal cold, Resistant to Magical cold, but vulnerable to Electricity of both types. The game gives you all that information in the game. And yet she is no different than an ordinary Tiefling in that regard.

[@thespreer2142]

@@TSotPresistant to fire? sure. immune to fire doesn’t rly make sense when she quite literally *gets too hot and burns* from her heart. immunity wouldnt quite align with her entire conflict. resistance to cold i can see a case for, but lightning vulnerability is interesting. lightning itself is already hotter than fire so vulnerability would feel strange. i also don’t think it would be fun to play with mechanically and iirc the steel watchers fight against lightning just fine (unless they are wet).

[@TSotP]

@@thespreer2142 yeah, it is burning her up from the inside, so "immune" is not exactly the correct word for it. But she says to Dammon to watch he doesn't melt his eyeballs when he listens to her chest. And he, himself, makes a comment about how she is so hot nothing other than her could install the upgrades to her heart. It doesn't make a lot of sense that standing on a campfire would hurt her at all. Or even a fireball. She is already coping quite well with a much more powerful heat. So, game mechanically, she should be "Immune", at least to short term exposure like explosions and fire spells. As for the Lightning, maybe it's because they are made of metal, but the Steel Watch are vulnerable to Electricity. Although there is nothing to state _why_ they are vulnerable to Electricity (the only consistent thing with Constructs is their immunity to Psychic and Poison), head cannoning it as affecting their Infernal Engines gives a reason to balance Karlach.

[@ShaleLee]

@@TSotP I agree I'd have liked to see her fully immune to fire damage (would have made the heat items so much better for her too). But I could explain the fireballs and other fire attacks as damaging her with the idea that she's already close to her limit containing the engine, so a fireball hurts others just by burning them, but for Karlach it's more like the straw that breaks the camel's back, adding enough heat to cross over into damage.

[@magister343]

@@TSotP Personally I think he should be immune to Fire only while using a Soul Coin to power her engine. I also think the soul coin should grant something like an extra action per turn, but probably shouldn't last until a long rest.

[@sophieheggen657]

Boo is obviously the strongest!

[@Mr.Prince_Tunmise]

❤

[@shilohmagic7173]

Minsc will lead the way!

[@3X3NTR1K]

Wyll's toughest battle doesnt have to be against the STRONGEST FOE - but against the one he struggled the most against. If he met that minotaur when he was young as a chance encounter - trained to fight but well before becoming a warlock - then it changes the context of that line entirely. And him being scarred make more sense since he wouldnt have as been prepared. Slaying the minotaur by a slim margin, sitting there wounded, no stack of potions prepared or warlock spells to escape... Yeah.

[@orpheuart226]

exactly!

[@the_well-known_stranger2275]

It’s Gale, by a LOT. He was a chosen of Mystra and an arch wizard. He calls himself the Wizard of Waterdeep for a reason, he was likely the most powerful Wizard in that city.

[@Oznerock]

Very unlikely to be honest. Mostly because Mystra is the deity with the most chosen (she's a bit of a whore - Mystril would never be such a hypocrite :( ) She's also obessed with keeping her stupid little fingers with a tight grip on magic. There's a reason under Mystril it was the art and under mystra its the study. Anyways Gale being a chosen of mystra does not do anything but imply he is more than level 5 and able to wield silver fire. The Mystra prior to Midnight was just a peasant girl with talent who barely knew magic after all before being thrust into becoming Mystril's replacement. There are in the end many many powerful wizards in waterdeep, including elminster sometimes (A much more powerful chosen of mystra.)

[@VikCachat]

Gale might be a prodigy and a powerful wizard in Waterdeep but he isnt most powerful. The ruler of waterdeep Open Lord Laeral Silverhand is equivalent to a 19th level wizard. "Blackstaff" is the title given to the high wizard of Waterdeep currently held by Vajra Safahr.

[@ShaleLee]

@@VikCachat Gale was very likely level 19 too. He complains about Mystra keeping higher tiered spells locked away, and if they weren't being kept out of mortal hands by her, characters would have gotten 10th level spells at level 19. So that's probably the point he was at when he tried to find a way to convince her to make an exception for him.

[@sadrakeyhany7477]

​@@ShaleLee even the creeping doom doesn't have the honor to cast 10th level spell, and he has 7 9th level spell slots...

[@lavacookie2388]

​​@@Oznerock definitely not level 5, Gale in my playthrough told me he had his own tower in Waterdeep

[@the_well-known_stranger2275]

Lae’zel is essentially a Gith prodigy. She’s still coming up the ranks and she’s very young but despite this she’s still impressive enough to be known by name to Vlakiith. She’s clearly someone who has been noticed as having great potential.

[@thespreer2142]

that detail works really well because afaik, vlakiith in lore soul-sucks high level worshippers to absorb their power/keep them from overthrowing her which us basically laezel’s bad ending

[@BloodPlusPwn]

Yeah but at the same time she's being compared to tieflings tearing through armies, warlocks who've tangoed with dragon goddesses and wizards who might very well be able to match Vaakith lol. I think lorewise Vlaakith is level 23 (don't quote me, but I'm pretty sure that's right, might be 25) so it's definitely a stretch but he absolutely would be able to cast magic that is a threat to her. For some additional context she will not allow any Githyanki to get past level 16 because she thinks they're powerful enough to be a potential threat so they are "ascended". Honestly, as much as Gale gets his toast sucked in this video I think he's still being undersold haha. But to Bae'zel, brilliant though she may be she's still ultimately just a tough cookie only just starting her journey to become whatever she will become.

[@tizooky]

I've always thought that detail was so interesting. Vlaakith definitely seems to consider Lae'zel a threat to her, most likely due to her proximity to Orpheus. I think the ranking in this video is pretty solid overall (her and Shadowheart's individual placements could be debated, but they're both definitely in the lower half). A couple of the companions were once very notable for their power and had a fall from grace, of sorts-- while in a lot of ways, Lae'zel's story is only just beginning. As is demonstrated by the game itself, if she has her passion and anger pointed at the right target, she can become a force of nature.

[@Graylikethecolornotgrace]

I would say that the reason the other spawn dont seem eager to get out from under their Master's thumb is that there's no tadpole to allow them to say what they want like Astarion. We have no clue what Astarion acted like before the tadpole, we just have stories about what he used to do. I would say that Astarion did have it 'worse' though because he was Cazador's "favorite"."his screams sounded sweetest", and he was the first of the seven spawn. Since he was the first I think he would have been the most subjected to Cazador's complex with his previous master who we find out treated Cazador like Cazador treats Astarion (going as far to leave him inpaled for YEARS). I think since Astarion was around the longest and Cazador admitted that his screams were his favorite, he primarily uses Astarion as retribution for himself for what he went through with HIS master.

[@bababugsie]

There's a line Astarion says about not being able to regenerate as fast as before the tadpole; something about it being "...the only downside." If the siblings turn to mist before you interact with them at the flophouse, he's also surprised they have the ability to turn to mist now, meaning they gained new abilities while he was away. I don't think he was strong before the tadpole but I also don't think his siblings were necessarily stronger than him.

[@Nebjamin]

Just to clarify something you didn't directly mention. I don't think the parasite sapped Gale's powers, rathjer the orb did. When Gale has the meeting with Mystra in act 3, she says something along the lines of "that the orb only took your powers is a miracle"

[@Whiterin]

Exactly! The fact that his powers alone were enough to, at least temporarily, sate something that's capable of devouring the entire weave is very telling of how just, absurdly powerful Gale was before.

[@Raptor_Ren]

@@Whiterin Also a great explanation of how the mindflayers could even catch him. The second he said he was an archwizard had the gears in my head grinding.

[@aazeenbashir6655]

This!

[@ItsYaBoiV]

He also just outright talks about how he was formerly locked away in his tower before getting tadpoled. Tara says he was hiding or sulking, don't fully remember the line. But yeah, the Orb is definitely what took his powers, not the tadpole.

[@MulderHiggins]

came into this video, and, just as i assumed, gale number 1.

[@Lamentationsofapoory]

This was a great video. Could have just threw up gameplay but instead you made custom scenes. Truly amazing.

[@aredjayc2858]

20:45 It's rather heavily implied that it was access to the tech behind Infernal Engines, as Karlach's heart is a prototype. Thus he basically traded her for the Steel Watch

[@Count_Hooku]

Well OBVIOUSLY Boo is the strongest.

[@emmab.1135]

Another point in favor of Wyll is that HE was sent after Karlach. He was sent with the confidence that he could take her out.

[@magister343]

Or he was sent because they considered him expendable, expected him to fail, but figured it was worth a shot even if the most likely outcome was become a lemure a bit early.

[@anarcnamedjustin3451]

@@magister343 Also to note is Mizora's jealousy of Karlach getting more attention than her, so she very well might have pushed for Wyll to be the one to do her in anyway out of spite

[@CandleLight129]

While I haven't put as much research in as you have, I have played through the game a few times as well as have about 25 years of playing, DMing, and reading D&D experience under my belt. I think you nailed the ranking and presented solid arguments in an entertaining video to back it up. Well done.

[@alanborges4392]

Dumpykong mentions (beginning of the video) the peripheral of level/life-experience/power scale with the characters with robust backgrounds, like Wyll or Karlach, and how they seem to be stuck at level 1 because this is a video game. When you play the game, there are very subtle dialogue interactions that elude and indicate that the interjection of the Tadpole placement in the PC minds has actually affected and altered the PCs general competence. This is more obvious with the Dark Urge. It is understood many times over how influential they were in the world of Bhaal, death, and success, yet the tadpole placement didn't just affect their memory, but also their talent. This example of Dark Urge is the more obvious indicator that the Tadpoles influenced a deterioration of talents among all other companions. Afterall, Shadowheart and her group to recover the Prism, had trained for a while - implying they had higher levels. Tadpole'd Shadowheart brought her to level 1.

[@emeralddragon2980]

So, just for clarification, yes, hamstringing is a thing. It involves cutting one or more of three major muscles in the back of the thigh, making it exceptionally painful and difficult- if not downright impossible- to escape.

[@Serrifin]

Like other comments said she probably jumped them and hamstrung them and then got away since she was doing it ‘for fun’. Killing the fiend would defeat the purpose of hamstringing them, and hamstringing them would make it much easier to get away while taunting them.

[@LahyriAurbach]

Ah yes, the legendary backstory for a lvl 1 character, classical trope in dnd

[@MegaJakethesnake1]

Gale became a literal god. That requires not only immense power, but a power that would at least come close to a good like mystra. The crown of karsus is a power boost, but even the netherbrain was not able to overcome people like Orpheus. I personally assume this as a massive powerboost to an inherent ability, so Gale's inherent ability not only surpasses that of the netherbrain but most mortals. He is peak.

[@nathanaelwaters2509]

Bro, the netherbrain would have absolutely eviscerated gale without Orpheus's power. And Orpheus's power is specifically to counter the brain.

[@potatorat2508]

@@nathanaelwaters2509 gale is able to kill the *elder* brain on his own in act 2, but you're talking about the netherbrain, which is the brain after it metamorphoses in the morphic pool, so that's not as relevant? He can also orb the full brain at the high hall, but of course he needs Orpheus' power, he's literally tadpoled.

[@DenemeDokio]

Now if this was the strongest of the playable characters pre-tadpole situation, I would say it would be a hard toss up between Gale and the Dark Urge. Lover of a god versus child of a god. An arch mage using their deep understanding of the weave versus someone who wields Bhaals power in the domain of death and murder.

[@NaiHmee]

Bhaalspawn are not inherently stronger than average people. Especially when Bhaal wasn't even a god anymore. Bhaal, Bane, Myrkul are all just Quasideity after they got their ass beat by Cyric and later Kelemvor.

[@masafromhell]

@@NaiHmee This one is different, he was made by Bhaal himself "To be murder incarante". He was allegedly much stronger than Orin and was backstabbed by her due to his hubris, leaving everyone in shock.

[@venerable9077]

​@NaiHmee From what we can gather throughout the game, the Dark Urge is a pure-blood Bhaalspawn, meaning that he was made by Bhaal himself, and we can deduct that he was stronger than Orin, who was able to damage his brain (or kill him if you play as a Tav) by treachery, not in a duel or something like it. Now, it's true that the Dead Three aren't gods in the same manner as Mystra or Selune are, but they are powerful, and I reckon that if you are the scion of a quasi-deity, you'd still be extremely powerful, especially when talking about the Dark Urge, who had access to the Slayer form

[@magister343]

@@venerable9077 If I remember correctly, The Dark Urge was not even a son of Bhall sired by him on some mortal woman like all other Bhallspawn, but rather was formed out of the mortal body that Bhall left behind when he regained his divinity. He basically is the mortal Bhall resurrected.

[@NaiHmee]

@@venerable9077 Come to think of it again. You might be right. Durge has access to power word kill after accepting Bhaal's gift, so essentially he would be as poweful (or little less) powerful compared to Gale. Durge still wouldn't be as strong as someone who is a chosen of true gods like Kleef Kenric (Helm's chosen) or maybe even Gale himself.

[@Synthia17]

I absolutely love that Astarion is at the bottom and had the most vile backstory and yet, he always ends up being the absolute beast in my party, capable of cleaning battles on his own and often carrying our asses through hell. Anyway, I fully agree with this list, that's what I pictured when I noticed the title in my recommended, though I'm also on the fence about Lae'zel/Shart. I'm pretty sure the "special thing" Shar saw in her was that she was a full Selunite that got perfectly converted, remember something like that from my very first playthrough so it's kinda foggy now. OH! And one more thing, absolutely love the edits and cinematic feel, kudos kind sir!

[@tkbuffy]

28:25 im sorrry?? a backstory that doesn’t make you want to weep for them?? The backstories where Wyll was abandoned and disowned by his father at only 17 years old for saving the entirety of Baldur’s Gate? And no matter what, Wyll could not tell him that?? And Gale, oh my god, the guy was literally GROOMED by a goddess his entire life and then dumped soon afterwards when he was trying to show is love for her?? Sure, that last part was on him, but gods it’s still sad

[@asilnorahc8910]

THANK YOU when hearing Gale's story in game I was having such icks. Like, it's never mentioned, nor is it possible to mention it to him, that his love story with Mystra was so... ick. Ofc it is imbalanced - God/mortal love stories rarely are - but the fact that she noticed him from childhood and was his TEACHER before becoming his muse, then lover... man, I get that gods operate on a different moral code, but STILL.

[@ulthanos]

You were right about everything except one statement... (when talking about Shadowheart)... you said, "... c'mon, the healer isn't supposed to be the one to survive..." That's absolutely, 100% wrong! I played WoW (at its height, vanilla-through-Cataclysm) for the better part of a decade in a top raiding guild, and I was a Devotion Priest healer for the main tank. The one thing I learned (and the key to success in any heated combat) is that the MOST important person for a healer to keep alive is... themself! As a top-tier tank-healer, the main tank was always my much-devoted SECOND priority (top priority being myself!)... Everyone knows that the main tank has to live, and the only way to be 100% certain that the tank lives is to be 110% certain that the tank healer stays alive! So, the fact that Shadowheart was the only survivor of the party to invade the creche to retrieve the artifact is actually a great indicator that she was an AMAZING healer!

[@anthonyfrost1123]

I would think if she's an AMAZING healer as you suggest... That more of her team would have survived. Perhaps she is mainly just a competent healer??? Plus she's a trickery cleric, specialized in stealth and espionage over healing, kinda a weird specialization for a cleric...

[@shilohmagic7173]

Tactics-wise, anyway

[@shilohmagic7173]

She’s probably a better escape artist than healer, though.

[@Missiletainn]

Mizora wanted Karlach dead, not Zariel, and sent Wyll after her, Devils are always going to try and climb the ladder, Mizora wanted to get rid of Zariel 's favourite soldier. Then Karlach went rogue and had Mizora and Zariel hunting her. The deal exchange for Karlach was for the Steel Watch, Karlach's heart is a prototype for the Steel Watch, Gortash provided the test subject who could survive the process, in return he gets the blueprints and resources for the result.

[@SabertoothSeal]

Adding on to this: with Karlach and Wyll, Zariel had two immensely powerful do-gooders nominally under her control but obviously straining at the leash. It makes perfect sense for her to sic them on each other and let one problem solve the other, and she's proven right to do it: the second they're off the leash and the Absolute crisis is resolved, they go right back to Avernus to ruin her day.

[@mr.crispyfriedchicken3946]

When it comes to Shadowheart and her age, remember, she's a half-elf. They can live to be over 150 years old, so the age makes more sense. I'd also like to make an argument that Laezel is more powerful than Shadowheart for two reasons. #1 is that I read the whole "perfect sharrite" thing as another aspect of Shar's spite. She thinks Shart would be a perfect tool because she used to be a Selunite, not anything directly related to her. #2 is because by default Shart's more into espionage, stealth, and trickery, and doesn't have any feats of combat prowess to her name.

[@takeyourheart1]

Agree, Lae’zel would have bodied Shart before the tadpole for sure.

[@Bufos.G]

​@@takeyourheart1 Shart is "THE CHOSEN" of two goddes. While Laezel is "a ghithiyank".

[@mr.crispyfriedchicken3946]

@@Bufos.G she's the "chosen" but she's not THE chosen. Being THE chosen comes with a lot more power and is a very specific thing in the forgotten realms and it was never actually said that Shart actually achieved that status.

[@Bufos.G]

@@mr.crispyfriedchicken3946 yeah i didnt meant "THE CHOSEN" like that...im just saying she's better, stronger than normal people. By category

[@mr.crispyfriedchicken3946]

@Bufos.G I don't think she is, though.. I think she's only "chosen" because of the position she was in. We have no reason to believe (as far as I know) that either of them gave them any specific powers other than Shar and her normal clerical stuff before the tadpole, especially because she didn't know about any of it.

[@bunnyboygamille]

I wasn't totally sure how the rest would stack up other than Wyll being towards the top.... but I was positive that Astarion would be at the bottom and Gale at the top. I would have been making many arguments for how weak my main dealer, my right hand man, my ringer would have been under Cazador's influence if you hadn't placed him at the bottom of the list.

[@saninpain]

I'd make an argument for Dark Urge, arguments from BG1&2 imply that a Bhaalspawn (not even daddys favorite spawn) is so incredibly powerful that they can access their own demiplane, no small feat. Durge also has access to the pseudo-deific Slayer form which is nothing to shy at in lore. Durge is also, significantly more "pure" than other Bhaalspawn, as they are not simple spawn of Bhaal but the literal blood of Bhaal as their origin.

[@azzarnthelizard]

I was also wondering with the new evil endings how much the brain is powering up Durge compared to the other, since the feat they are able to pull at the end seems to be unique to them. But the only problem with all that is that even then they were beaten by Orin, sure she surprised them but they would still probably not be a lot stronger than Orin currently is. i mean yes they are a lot purer than Orin is but that could mean that they probably weren’t that much stronger than some of the other origin character.

[@modzflare8683]

Well OBVIOUSLY Boo is the strongest, though I’d love to see a “power scaling “ of the other NPCs you can recruit to your team against each other to see where they stand. Thanks for the awesome video, it’s nice to see all the info in one place.

[@JeremyAndersonBoise]

The custom scenes along with the commentary are top notch work. Cue applause!

[@aadityayanamandra8846]

Just for technicality's sake, if Karlach was fighting on the FRONT LINES of the Blood War, she was basically a demigod.

[@buildawall5803]

She is such a teddy bear too I love her

[@takeyourheart1]

I would honestly have been upset if it wasn’t Gale at the top, put some respect on my boy’s name! I think I’d swap Lae’zel and Shart since Shart as far as we can tell never fought anything, she was just a healer and tortured people who were strapped down while Lae’zel actually fought and killed things, but otherwise I agree! Poor Astarion my beloved. 😢

[@JThaDon910]

Spoiler bro!!!

[@aliciadalbey1201]

@@JThaDon910 literally no spoiler?

[@OnAChairSitting]

Sounds like she spends a lot of time fighting the stains in her undies

[@Bingbong123swong]

@@aliciadalbey1201and even if it was a spoiler, it’d be a spoiler in a comment section of a video that itself is a spoiler so ppl who haven’t beaten the game shouldn’t be watching

[@kvshuzumaki382]

Gale literally tangled with a god ofc he’s #1

[@That_Band_Guy]

Every time i see a new video of yours pop up on my feed, i stop whatever i'm doing to watch it. I was drawn in by the Eldemon videos and i stayed for the Dark Souls, Baldurs Gate, and other Elden Ring videos. You're a great creator man. Keep doing what your doing!

[@Lyvianne84]

Gody said that Astarion's screams sounded the sweetest, not Cazador. 😉 Yay , I found something! 🎉

[@dumpykong]

Oh nuh uh, Astarion is talking about how cazador favored him over his siblings. Look it up 😉

[@Joyful_Traitor]

Everything trembles in the presence of Boo

[@Phantomgamer85]

Gortash traded for the steel watch iron and mechanics

[@comicstrider4851]

5:10 if I had a nickel for every time Larian made a beautiful elf character who was a slave that was forced to kill people and has a scar tattoo as a symbol of their slavedom, I'd have to nickels. Which is not a lot, but it's funny that it happened twice.

[@yourbrojoe6862]

After alot of thinking your list seems right, A video on the power levels after the Game would be good I think Shadowheart would be 2nd bc she becomes shar's chosen or maybe Selune’s but not as clear on the good route. Gale again would be #1 for being a god

[@HeadDetectiveLassie]

I'm glad I guessed the same order you came up with. Of course, I too did a lot of research into BG3 as well for a creative project, so I have pored over companion dialogue and lore.

[@jaxxhurley4705]

I thought Lae’zel would be higher on the list, but a good explanation was given and I think it’s a good choice 👍

[@to_be_consumed]

Something I've also thought about is ranking them post-game (if you ascend everyone) so heres my ranking (based on what limited details I know) 6. Lae'zel To my knowledge, if you ascend Lae'zel she basically gets eaten by vlaakith (? never ascended her myself, so this is based on what ive seen in other people's playthroughs) and if she does then obviously she ... can't really do anything (please lmk if im wrong) 5. Karlach Karlach cannot ascend, but she does want to go back to the hells and, to my knowledge, fuck up Zariel. This is kind of her only option considering her heart will blow up otherwise. Pretty powerful character on her own but likely still at risk to fall back under Zariel's control 4. Wyll You also cannot ascend Wyll, but if you free him from his contract then he also wants to go down to the hells and fuck shit up, but he doesnt have anything binding him there other than his honour, so hes a bit more free than karlach 3. Shadowheart Its to my understanding that Dark Justiciars are pretty fucking powerful, and being favoured by Shar as she is, I think its safe to say Shadowheart would be pretty strong (I dont believe you can ascend her as a Selunite, but shes always stayed a Sharran in my games so idk) 2. Astarion This is actually a pretty big jump in power because the vampire ascendant is no fucking joke. Not only does Astarion become an increadibly strong full-blooded vampire, he can also go out into the sunlight and enjoy mortal food and essentially is not bound by any of the natural laws that typically restrict vampires. He becomes increadibly strong and gains a level of power almost unseen in a single vampire. He also becomes a total dick which is why i cant ascend him lmao 1. Gale This one was probably pretty obvious from the get-go, but the man can ascend to literal godhood. Not only can he do that, he can also ascend someone else into godhood with him if you romance him and so choose to do exactly that. He is a god, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. *take this w a grain of salt, i am extremely undereducated

[@Zarkness25]

Well OBVIOUSLY Boo is the strongest. I really like this kind of video that makes conclusions from in-game lore and statements. Even though it’s… interesting how much you trust Wyll bc of his “confidence”, great video, and if it helps extra I left 2 comments!

[@Minerva_Sparkle]

My understanding is that Gortash traded Karlach for data. Zariel's ingeniers would tinker on her, essentially make her a cyborg and Gortash would use that knowledge along with Gondian's inventions to create the Steelwatch. When you arrive at the Rivingtown checkpoint while playing Karlach the Steelwatcher has special dialog with her. The watcher sees her as a fellow watcher, which is specific to Karlach. A fellow defective titan in need of an upgrade at that.

[@Psyko_Monk3y]

As a warlock, Wyll has a high charisma stat. He really did get you, huh? On average, Karlach is stronger and is more frequently in tougher situations. But since Mizora has given Wyll direct buffs in power to help with the Tiamut situation, he would win if he fought Karlach because Mizora would probably let him use more 'warlock juice'. Karlach has been through and goes through more, more often. Wyll has the power of a higher-status Cambion that can be directly called upon if she allows it (which outclasses the infernal engine).

[@kingcyclops4079]

Considering that Karlach has been fighting demons for 10 years, I don’t think a high status cambion is going to be a deadly threat for her. It’s an equal match if you ask me.

[@MuhammadAlkomy]

​@kingcyclops4079 wyll sent her running and he just a pawn of mizora

[@thecupcakereaper]

ok I absolutely love the editing in this video ~

[@vallenvega]

KZbin's automatic CC is something else. Laezel is a Gith Yankee lmao

[@tobak952]

also can i just say how much i appreciate all the fasicnating in debth lore that we just got served on a silver platter here? amazing!

[@d0r.exe_pl0r4]

nice video! i really enjoyed the visuals, these were so well made

[@brendanirvine6088]

I would love to see a follow up to this about Minthara, Halsin, and maybe Jaheria and Minsc.

[@brianchristyb]

I'm so glad you love the game too, and will keep making videos about it! Maybe you can do a follow up with the other companions. Sure Jahira should be way up there, but she is also in her winter years.

[@exantiuse497]

I haven't watched the video yet, here is my list: 1. Laezel is the weakest. She is actually level 1 or close to it prior to the events of the game. Her dialogue indoicates she hasn't left the Creche or had any combat experience besides Githyanki training (which is harsher than human training but not the same as actual combat) 2. Next is Astarion. This is the one I'm the least sure of, I don't recall anything indicating he was particularly powerful or experienced in combat, but he is still a vampire (spawn) and hundreds of years old so I put him above Laezel. Maybe level 5 rogue 3. Shadowheart is next. She was entrusted with a mission of particular importance (retrieving the prism) which wouldn't have been done if she was weak. She is also some sort of chosen/candidate to be chosen of Shar. I say she's level 7 or 8 cleric 4. Karlach is so strong she was mistaken for a powerful fiend by Wyll, she fought and survived in the frontlines of the Blood Wars for years, and Zariel had a personal interest in her. She is around the same level as Wyll - I say she is weaker because she fled before him but you can argue she fled because she didn't want to fight a good man to the death. I put her as level 10 barbarian 5. Wyll is the one who we get the most information about in this regard: he says he could summon fire from the sky before losing his powers to the tadpole. That sounds like Flame strike, a 5th level warlock spell, which puts him at the minimum level of 9, but I'd say he's a bit stronger still, around level 11 6. Gale is by far the strongest. There's a little asterisk there: Gale had already lost most of his power to the orb before being tadpoled, but I'm talking about him at his peak. He was a chosen of Mystra, an arch wizard, probably not as strong as Elminster but still strong enough to be spoken of in the same sentence. He made a contingency spell to give a scroll of True Resurrection (level 9 spell) to his friend just in case he would die. He is at the minimum level 17 wizard because of his access to the level 9 spell (probably generated by a Wish spell since it's not an arcane spell) but I say he might be even stronger than that, up to level 20

[@dumpykong]

Yeah I have Astarion and Lae’zel swapped but otherwise it seems like we’ve got the same mindset for the rest :)

[@Gezajozsi]

after watching this video a message appeared on the top left of my screen: Gale Approves Astarion, Laezel, Shadow Heart, Karlach, Wyll Disapproves

[@OakandIV]

This is a fun one! I often wonder what Shadowheart's "real" build should be. To hear her tell it, she should be able to find traps, pick locks, sneak, and unalive people from the shadows. Instead, she's a cleric. I feel like she should be an Assassin / Trickery Cleric maybe, but that's a terrible build in BG3. These days I've been building her as a Lore Bard / Life Cleric and just telling myself she's exagerating how well trained she is. Halsin, Minsc, and Jaheira really break immersion for me. Everyone else has a tadpole to explain why they don't match their lore. Halsin and Jaheira, not so much. I end up telling myself Halsin was always terrible at his job. He became Archdruid by being one of the few ranking survivors of the war against Kethric, and like a lot of vets has spent decades (a century) since just going through the motions and drinking down too much honey. He looks good, but at his best some goblins were able to subdue him. Jaheira? She's aging poorly for a half elf. She was amazing when she was young, but High Harper is mostly a paperwork job, and she has forgotten most of what she used to know about fighting. Minsc? Head injuries. Lots and lots of head injuries. And he was tadpoled. Like the origin characters, that takes a lot out of a hero. Subscribing and looking through your other videos.

[@jbwolf4]

THIS is the video I’ve been looking for since the game released. Not because of number one, I know it’s Gale, but I really wanted a ranking

[@krysuh6936]

Love the editing and the passion in the video. 👍

[@Foofalaf]

There's so many great shots in this video

[@itsSunnyy0]

Great vid, need a part 2 on the act 2/3 companions

[@marcell9391]

One of the best BG3 videos ive seen so far... fucking legend

[@lukasbeyer2649]

If we follow the old games and assume that jaheira / minsc went with gorion's ward all the way to throne of bhaal, they would be strong contenders to the title. Also while I get that this was supposed to be companions only, I would have liked to have seen durge mentioned at some point. Durge should canonically be quite strong even before all of the interferance stuff.

[@prestigeicathius4660]

Just want to say to add a little more why Gale deserves to be at the top is that saying Elminster is just a level 20 Wizard is an understatement. Back when Elminster was first created in 2e he was actually twice that level since 2e allowed to go beyond 20. Due to this not only was Elminster a level 20 Wizard, he also had levels in fighter, Rogue, Cleric. Now, how does this work well into 5e where BG3's system operate under? Well, people often forget that 5e also supports going beyond level 20 which is where the Epic Boons came from in the 2024 update. Epic boons isn't a new thing, it has always been part of the 5e ruleset just under its optional rules. How does this tie back to Gale? Well it just means that Gale's highest potential strength would be much higher if we take into account everything the system itself has to offer. So him being atleast three levels lower than Elminster would mean much, much more.

[@lukasbeyer2649]

fighting elminster in bg3 shows you that he's a construct meaning that he isn't the real elminster in the first place but instead a simulacrum / lower power clone of elminster.

[@-analaurardgz-1646]

Man, everytime you post about bg3 I just wanna play it again XD

[@carolanne6531]

Well, obviously, Boo is the strongest. :) Awesome video!

[@maxsperry1081]

Well obviously Boo is the strongest, but going into this I truly believed shadow heart was weakest. However you made a very convincing argument for her placement citing her retrieval of the artifact from a githyanki cresh.

[@BrunoPovoa]

You put a lot of confidence in the words of the guy how jumped out of a strategic position against the goblins in the emerald grove to melee the goblins, and if you don't help in the fight he dies, the only one that survives is Zevlor because he maintains the strategic position, Wyll is overconfident and i'm sure he will die in Avernus trying to take down Mizora

[@clarencewalters338]

In my opinion based on the feats we are presented it's a tie for number one between Gale and Dark Urge(gods chosens, whom the latter has the ability to kill everyone else on this list) then silver medal goes to Jaheira/Minsc tied, then Wyll(he solos dragons n shit), Karlach as she isn't convinced she can take Wyll, Minthara/Lae Zel are tied below karlach, Shadowheart is probably canonically the second weakest companion and she can only really handle Astarion in a straight fight.

[@Oznerock]

Jaheira and minsc both go beyond level 20, unlike those two bozos - being a gods chosen is less than it's cracked up to be. They also have no reason to be even adventuring with the rest of the party given they weren't supposed to lose their power (they didn't get lobotomized) so either they're impostors or much more likely are nerfed for gameplay. Regardless those two are both able to contend with outright avatars of gods - who are a step above mere "chosen".

[@clarencewalters338]

@Oznerock Jaheira and Minsc go beyond level 20, but the fact remains an evil dark urge is completely capable of killing both of them, by themselves no less. Would it be easy? Definitely not. Jaheira's feats are impressive but you can stop stroking her because the truth is if she was THAT powerful she would have gone looking for a way to beat Ketheric and the Absolute with just herself and maybe her harpers, but instead she assigns it to the player character because she CAN'T do it herself.

[@waffleten9750]

Outside of Gale of course. The strongest is definitely Wyll. He has the most stats and the stories he tells (and what other companies have said about him) places him as a monster. He's fought Dragons, Werebears, Ogres, presumably all alone as he's not one to lie about getting help.

[@infinitescarf3736]

I think a video about the Blood War could be super interesting! Especially for people who don’t know much D&D lore outside this game

[@Oznerock]

It's Jaheira and it's not close. She's the only party member with a solid argument for being level 25 or beyond rather than below 20. (Her involvement in BG2). The only reason she is weaker is a gameplay consession and honestly Larian not caring *at all* about the proper powers involved in the forgotten realms despite such an attention to detaip elsewhere. Jaheira is on the level she could legitimately be a significant part in taking down a god's avatar, something no other party member in the game can dream about.

[@k01dsv]

Gale's orb doesn't detonate if he dies, it detonates if he doesn't feed it.. Which he won't be doing if he's dead. So no, he can't detonate it on command, not even by dying.

[@lucasdixon4883]

I’m just commenting for the algorithm, keep up the good work brother

[@Shenanakins]

A few issues with the Astarion bit. Cazador gave the spawns new abilities after astarion disappeared to help them hunt him down so i dont think its fair to judge them based on what they can do when you meet them at the flophouse. we know this because when dal and petras disappear from the flophouse they disappear into mist astarion mentions that it seems hes "not the only one with new powers" (you have to enter with the blood of lathander/nyrulna light on or cast "daylight" into the room before the scene triggers) its also worth noting that Petras says something like hes hasnt eating a good meal in 100 years(presumably when he was turned) and hes at level 11. Astarion has been a spawn twice as long. He would likely be stronger than petras just through sheer length of experience. Its also worth noting that astarion is not necessarily innocent of crimes. He tells Durge he has a "casual relationship with murder" early into act 1 and seems to have been found guilty of gory crimes ("guilty as charged, sometimes literally") so i think its a mistake to assume he's completely inexperienced in fighting. also Astarion explicitly says (shadowheart needs to be in the party i think) when you go to the house of healing in act 2 that he doesnt heal as quickly as he used to due to the tadpole so thats why he doesnt have the regeneration ability.

[@seanpsmith09]

35:45 Another thing to think about is we don't know at what point of Wyll's journey did he fight the minotaur. Shadowheart is asking for is toughest kill, which would be the one he struggled against the most but that might be because he was more inexperienced at that point so while it wasn't the strongest thing he fought it was the one he had the hardest time against because he was weaker then.

[@asilnorahc8910]

When it came to Wyll, my first idea was that even after losing his warlock powers, he STILL managed to get his legend going by changing class. Not just respec with Withers, picking up Ranger from scratch, and somehow make it through HELL rather easy. Then it was mentioned in video and I was glad. I'm agreeing with this ranking a 100%, although I had to be convinced about Karlach being slightly less powerful than Wyll. But I see the points made and they make sense.

[@CTO-f2k]

Gale starts a god genocide in his evil ending so yeah he is probably the strongest

[@nathanaelwaters2509]

Thats with the power of the absolute. Literally all the other characters should do the same with that power

[@MuhammadAlkomy]

​@@nathanaelwaters2509he should be able to use it better than other characters due to his background in that magic, and I am pretty sure the absolute is nothing in comparison to the greater gods

[@nathanaelwaters2509]

@MuhammadAlkomy the absolute uses the power of 3 gods plus a elder brain.

[@fas4972]

There's a theory on Reddit called the Stardock Theory, which takes some clues given to us in-game, and tries to run wild with it. Its a really cool read, but I'll sum up the most important part here: Assuming Vlaakith would keep her phylactery and the Astral Prism close to one another, there is a feasable way to get to Tu'narath by hijacking a Spelljammer through a sort of "Spelljammer-port" in a place called, you guessed it, Stardock. There exists a portal under a estate called Red Larch, just outside Waterdeep to Stardock, so it isnt very hard to actually get there. Now, there's an adventure trilogy written in the 90's called Dungeon Crawl, which brings the party to Tu'narath, and it's made for a party of 4 lvl 18 characters. The leap of faith here is that since Viconia is lvl 11, and we assume she is the strongest in the cloister, the Prism Heist-party cant be more than lvl 11. And since four lvl 18 characters is "supposed" to survive the trip to Tu'narath, its not a very far leap (at least i think so) to suggest a party of 5 lvl 10-11 would only leave one survivor. So while i dont think she would be more of a fighting force than Wyll or Karlach, she should be placed higher than lvl 6, given this theory.

[@thomasalegredelasoujeole9998]

Yeah. I’ve been a DM for DnD for 30 years, I knew right off the bat it was Gale, soon as he reveals he was a chosen and lover to Mystra. That’s Elminster-Khelben Blackstaff level of overpowered. And to be tampering with Netherese artifacts ? Boy, that’s world-shaking levels of power.

[@Sean-rv5yp]

Well OBVIOUSLY Boo is the strongest, also you really cooked with this video unc I really hope you make more videos like this

[@OytheGreat]

Good list, and I agree but with the exception of Wyll & Karlach. IMHO Karlach is quite a bit stronger than Wyll. Wyll's confidence is of little use if he would actually fight extremely powerful foes like Karlach has in Avernus. If Karlach shortly before escaping Avernus would face Wyll, I can't see how she wouldn't tear through him. She destroyed all kinds of devils and demons for a decade, Wyll just beat up some schmos in nice and cosy Faerun. I'd estimate Karly to be at least lvl 12 while Wyll is probably around lvl 10. And my favourite companion Gale, well, he's not just an archmage (lvl 18), but a really extraordinary one. Taught by Elminster, favoured by Mystra herself. At his peak, as Mystra's lover, he might have been on Elminster's level himself. And we all know that can be any level, depending on the plot! 😂Elminster is, after all, the avatar of Ed Greenwood, creator of Forgotten Realms.

[@sqrrl]

the picture they paint for "Gale of Waterdeep" had me certain that he was gonna be at the top of the list. his feats sound so absurd that i had been assuming up until i met Elminster i was certain he must be some kind of confidence trickster. he'd no doubt solo the whole team with the power that he must have had. Shadowheart was who I expected to be the bottom of the list tbh, but i think an apt way to put the power difference would be something like: ======= S Tier: Gale A Tier: Wyll, Karlach B Tier: Shadowheart, Astarion, Lae'zel ======= with each tier having arguments to be made for any way of ordering them. the only real certainty is that even in moving things around Gale WOULD always stay on top of the list

[@Lamentationsofapoory]

no ur wrong >:(

[@SirGarthur]

Facts

[@mechwarrior7278]

@@SirGarthurwith ZeFrank

[@karlwittenburg5868]

Okay so with Wyll, he also says that at his peak could conjure stinking clouds and summon hell beasts. Fiend warlocks, sure enough, do get access to the Stinking Cloud spell at level 5. As for hell beasts, the lowest level spell I could find for warlocks of that type in tabletop was Infernal Calling, which is a 5th level spell. Assuming this is the case, that means he would have to be level 9 at _minimum_. Level 9 spellcasters are no joke of any class and Wyll has been doing his role as the Blade for 7 years straight. I’d probably say he was at a good level 13-15 pre-tadpole. Another thing about his confidence though, is that I don’t think he properly realized how much the tadpole depowered him by his first appearance at the grove gate. Proxy Gate Tactician ran that scene many times with no player input, and found that Wyll died to the goblins 90% of the time. I know he’s only level 1 or 2 and for balance reasons he needs to not be able to one shot every goblin, but still. As for Gale, you mention his Arcane Hunger debuff but what you didn’t mention is that it is a multi-stage debuff. Yeah at first disadvantage on Con saves isn’t much, but if you continue to let him starve, it progresses to disadvantage on ALL saves and attacks, and then at max it does that AND halve his movement speed. Like it is literally consuming him. Mystra also says “that it only consumed your powers was a miracle,” so Gale has had to deal with depowering before the tadpole, as well as running afoul with Mystra. In his favor, though, he says that _as a child_ he just summoned Tara because mom didn’t want to get him a cat. And the way he says this makes it seem like it was the easiest thing for him. Like just simple problem with a simple solution, that solution being _summoning a creature from another dimension_ at an age still in single digits

[@afl_zimel]

I have something to watch while I'm eating now

[@missamakana56]

Saaaaame!!!

[@dapokeguy2994]

16:36 she is a half elf therefore ages slowly and lives longer

[@HeadDetectiveLassie]

I flagged Lae'zel as early 20s because she gave off young vibes to me. The petty, childish way she insults your nose. How she speaks of her dreams (manner and content) and home. Her unfamiliarity with non-gith culture, meaning she's fresh to the area. Even how she admits to missing you if the Mountain Pass if you have her stay behind. She is very vulnerable and less jaded than other githyanki you meet, and she's snippy in a way apart from other githyanki. More immature than completely xenophobic.

[@kal-eldritch]

She's 22

[@HeadDetectiveLassie]

@kal-eldritch Yes.

[@JeremyAndersonBoise]

Doing my first Origin playthrough as Gale, really digging it.

[@Alive_I_Guess]

Astarion, Lae'zel, and Gale's placements all line up pretty well based on their class, to be honest. In any match-up, a wizard or cleric is gonna come out on top, 9/10 times, since they're just that strong, but wizard also has that built in bias from WIZARDS of the Coast. So I did kinda expect Gale to be first, just by virtue of being a wizard.

[@maskydoo7871]

As for Astarion, theres a possible conversation between him and the other spawn who can come to camp to kidnap him where they might say Astarion is weak and has always been weak. Probably the best evidence he's below the power curve of the other spawn. I do think he had regeneration though, he must have or he wouldn't have 'survived' everything done to him. He may may even still have it out of gameplay combat as in a cutscene he can survive impalement if he's staked by the player but they fail the roll - Astarion will pull the stake out and run away. I knew Gale would be at the top, even without the orb. Dude wasn't Mystra's chosen for nothing. Game balance had to nerf him so hard. Hell, he was frustrated Mystra was holding him back by limiting mortals to level whatever spells, which makes me think he mastered everything and was ready for more.

[@Shenanakins]

I think Leon's talking more about Astarion's character than about physical weakness. they wanted to rebel but Astarion would get punished the most of all of them so he was not on board because if they failed he would get the brunt of it. I think his siblings are speaking from a place of privilege. I don't think they understand just how bad he had it so theyre kinda fed up with him being "whiny" without understanding that they didnt all have the same experience. thats why Astarion says that now that he's gone he feels bad for the other six because he knows Cazador will be harder on them out of frustration or probably choose a new favorite whipping boy. You're right about the regeneration thing. it is confirmed to be a symptom of the tadpole in Act 2 if you go to the house of healing with him and shadowheart he says that he doesn't heal as quickly as he used to and that that's one of the only downsides to the tadpole for him. He still has higher constitution and strength than a normal elf would since he can unstake himself and walk away, and casually wrestles bears for dinner.

[@ShaleLee]

Yeah I could tell that Gale was going to be at the top. Chosen and lover of Mystra means he had to be something amazing, likely level 20 if not better. He was complaining about magic higher tiered than 9th being locked away from mortals, implying that he was a strong enough wizard to use level 10+ spells if only Mystra wasn't keeping the locks in place (so following the standard pattern, that is a bare minimum of level 19). Admittedly I didn't expect Wyll to be placed so high, but that might be because my perception of him is very coloured by my introduction to him through the Early Access, where it's implied that his deeds and acclaims to fame were faked. That was taken away from the full release, but that's why I've always trusted Gale's arrogance long before I trusted Wyll's confidence.

[@somerandominternetdweller]

The only person that is comparable and is probably better than peak Gale is probably peak evil Durge. Being a chosen of a deity gives you powers or boons rivaling a demigod. Whose powers range depending on the demigod. Evil Durge is a demigod and the chosen of his deity. Also even had worshippers, given he is the proxy of his deity. Having worshippers gives you a lot power and can make you a god. Not including the fact he can also turn into an avatar of his deity. While Gale is probably more book smart than Durge. But Durge is the main reason why BG3 even started. That being Durge is an evil genius and is able meticulously plan the plot of the game. Not including his many skill sets he picked up in the world in his travels. Also the shenanigans Durge did in the pre-BG3 story. Which resulted in Tav being killed by Durge and also faked his death to get peeps off his trail.

[@lazarsharky]

If the list included durge. Durge would place 2nd. They're the chosen of Bhaal. Was powerful enough to start the cult of the absolute alongside kethric and gortash. Made to murder.

[@jacksonharrod1823]

You should’ve talked about where Durge ranks!

[@onisensei443]

22:53 Wyll's mommy sent him after her(probably wanted the engine). Wyll was a pawn in the wars as well, almost all warlocks in D&D are at some point (except the ones tied to elder gods anyway)

[@Whiterin]

I'm surprised to find that this video ranks them exactly how I do. The biggest thing that made be believe Wyll was #2 though you left out. He talks about what his powers could do pre-parasite. And gale, the fact that his powers alone were enough to, at least temporarily, sate something that's capable of devouring the entire weave is very telling of how just, absurdly powerful he was before.

[@chonghe5598]

What Gortash got from Zariel was the prototype tech for SteelWatch. Karlack’s infernal machine heart was recognized by steelwatch as outdated prototype that is due decommissioning.

[@jaredmuha3345]

I saw the title and made my own list before watching and our lists are the same!