Summary
Much ofBaldur’s Gate3’sappeal comes from its party members, complex and lovable characters with deep, well-written stories. Each character’s tale is spun through a combination of personal quests, quiet moments at camp, inter-companion banter, and more. One storytelling deviceBaldur’s Gate 3uses to develop its companions is establishing parallels and connections between pairs: Lae’zel and Shadowheart, Karlach and Wyll, and more. However, the game neglects to take advantage of similar thematic connections between the two “left over” Origin characters: vampire rogue Astarion and Waterdhavian wizard Gale.
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Baldur’s Gate 3 Companions Form Narrative “Pairs”
The ten possible recruitable companions inBaldur’s Gate 3can be divided into five connected pairs, with most of them having special interactions with each other. These are:
Several of these pairs are acknowledged within the game. Shadowheart and Lae’zel and Jaheira and Minsc have unique cutscenes interacting with one another.Karlach and Wylleven have a special ending where they can travel to Avernus together. However, the similarities between Astarion and Gale are not acknowledged in-game, as the pair have no particular interactions beyond some shared lines of banter.
Astarion And Gale Have Many Surprising Similarities
They Struggled With Unequal Power Dynamics
On the surface, the wizard and the vampire do not seem to have much in common, but their stories and character arcs are filled with parallels that the game unfortunately does not explore in depth. Before becoming infected with a mind flayer tadpole, Astarion spent 200 years as a slave to his cruel vampire master,Cazador Szarr. He was forced to eat rats, often beaten or confined in a coffin, and required to bring victims to Cazador to drain. While Gale’s situation does not initially seem similar, his relationship with the Goddess of Magic, Mystra, also featured unequal power dynamics.
Mystra demanded Gale’s utter devotion while keeping many secrets from him and limiting what magical knowledge he was allowed to learn. She continues to treat him poorly, even demanding that he end his own life to stop the Absolute. The pair could definitely bond over their shared trauma but do not currently do so in-game.
They Have Unusual Appetites
As a vampire spawn, Astarion of course must consume blood to survive. Players have the option to let him feed on them or bite enemies in battle, which grants him tangible combat bonuses. He has conflicting emotions about his unusual hunger, especially as Cazador prohibited consuming human blood.
Gale, on the other hand, is forced to “eat” magical items to stabilize the Netherese Orb trapped in his chest. Despite this obvious similarity, the only mention of their shared plight is an easily missed piece of dialogue should players have Astarion try to bite Gale and realize that his blood is tainted by the magic.
They Both Seek Dangerous Power For Themselves
Both Gale and Astarion find themselves drawn to power because of the powerless situations they were previously in. Astarion considers hijacking Cazador’s ritual to become the unmatched Vampire Ascendant, whileGale dreams of stealing the Crown of Karsusfrom the Absolute and gaining god-level powers. A cutscene with the two of them discussing their shared quest for power would make an amazing addition, especially as Gale is unusually complimentary towards Astarion should he decide not to Ascend, and Astarion shows a rare moment of selflessness as he encourages the player to steer Gale away from the Crown.
