World-ending, god-slaying, and badass. These words perfectly encapsulate the scale of Baldur’s Gate 3’s story. It’s endlessly intriguing, bombastically epic, and easily one of the best narratives to be told in recent memory. Despite all of that, a lot of the plot is driven by the cast of characters you meet on your journey.
All six ‘Origin’ characters can be found in the first Act of Baldur’s Gate 3, and despite this article ranking them, they are all excellent. It’s impossible to hate the nuanced writing, powerful deliveries, and gut-punching emotion this cast brings. They are all top-tier…but who is the toppiest of them all?
Note: We are basing this on each character’s default class and personality.
More Baldur’s Gate 3 content:
5 Best Magic Items In Act 1 | Owlbear Companion | Perfect Pickpocket Guide | Oathbreaker Paladin Subclass | How To Cure Gale
Lae’zel
At the bottom of the pack is the Githyanki, Lae’zel. Born of the Astral Plane, Lae’zel is a fish out of water. Only instead of being a helpless trout floundering on the shores of the sword coast, she is a shark munching on every living thing that gets between her, and her target.
Lae’zel is blunt, abrasive, and brutal. She has a superiority complex that drives her to ostracise herself from the rest of the party, and frankly, she’s a bit of a jerk. Her character rounds out eventually (sort of), but she can be a pain to deal with on a day-to-day basis. Don’t ignore her, however. Despite her stubbornness, she does know what she’s talking about, and heeding her words is often wise, if far from being lawful.
Mechanically, as a Fighter, Lae’zel is a bit bland.
Karlach
Karlach, funnily enough, starts as an enemy. Or at the very least, you are told she is an enemy to be slain. Despite resembling a demon, lacking a real heart, and being in a constant state of conflagration, Karlach is a pretty chill character.
This is more than a little bit surprising considering her aforementioned appearance, but also her profession. She is a demon-slaying barbarian from hell, but deep down inside, she’s soft as a kitten. Her early conflict with Wyll kickstarts her story and it only gets better from there.
Wyll
Wyll is great. His visual design is spot on, his personality is painfully likeable, and being a Warlock, you know he is hiding something. Warlocks are not to be trusted, and Wyll is no exception. Of course, despite his demonic pact, Wyll is adamantly for the people – even if that does often lead him to seek personal power in the process.
Early on, Wyll can encounter quite an unfortunate punishment, which only enhances his character. Despite his changed appearance, Wyll’s driving motivation never changes. He’s a goodie-two shoes done right, and we love him all the more for it.
Shadowheart
Shadowheart is one of the first characters you will meet in Baldur’s Gate 3, and she is one of the most important. She is a Cleric, which makes her a divinity-fuelled warrior. However, her patron is Shar, a goddess known for darkness, pain, and death.
Shadowheart frequently battles between her missing memories, her faith, and her almost fanatical desire to ascend within her order. She is not above lying, cheating, and even murder to fulfil her goals, but despite all of that, her day-to-day personality is incredibly likeable.
Oh, since she’s a Cleric, she’s nearly a must-have companion as Clerics are one of the best classes in the entire game.
Gale
Gale is quite the charmer. He is a man ravaged by his past, but also a man who is constantly on the brink of falling back into his old ways. Gale is a Wizard of immense potential. He has absorbed the very essence of magic into his body and even slept with a god.
Despite all of that, Gale seeks companionship and will latch onto you like nobody’s business. He is a powerful friend to have on your side whose story is engaging throughout. It’s just a shame he isn’t massively interested in a platonic relationship, because we are already trying to bed…
Asterion
That’s right, Asterion the Pale Elf gets the top spot. Asterion is deliciously evil in a genuinely comical way. Within the first few hours, Asterion might actually kill you by accident, only to laugh it off as a mistake. This guy manages to not only be excellent comic relief but also a painfully likeable character.
This is because his story is one of monsters, control, and reclamation. Asterion is who he is not of his own volition, and he will do literally anything to break free from his bondage. Asterion is also one of the few characters who won’t immediately bed you. He will, however, drain you dry.
Let’s not forget this chap is a Rogue, which makes him endlessly useful when it comes to out-of-combat shenanigans.
That’s all we have for Baldur’s Gate 3 for now. Be sure to check out our other guides and lists for more Baldur’s Gate content.
