We independently assess all our recommendations. Purchases through our links may earn us a commission.
As is customary for any Dungeons and Dragons adventure, you get your pick of companions who can sometimes double as relatives, given how dysfunctional everyone is. But hey, you can’t spell dysfunctional without “fun,” and Baldur’s Gate 3 takes this companion dynamic to heart. There’s no shortage of Baldur’s Gate 3 companions.
Sadly, you only get to take three of them while adventuring. And while there are mods that can remove this imposed limit, you don’t want that for your initial playthroughs (as it can ruin the save file). So, we come to a dilemma that we’ll help you with by ranking all Baldur’s Gate 3 companions.
This is subjective, yes. Our criteria are a combination of the character’s personality, their questlines, their first impression, their character development, and their popularity among the fans. Baldur’s Gate 3 class options are irrelevant here since Withers can just re-spec everyone.
Of course, it goes without saying, but minor spoilers ahead. From the least to the most, here are the best Baldur’s Gate 3 companions, ranked.
Minthara
Didn’t expect to see her here? That’s because you need a prudent sequence of choices in order to get to recruit Minthara to the team (i.e., siding with her in the Druid Grove assault). She’s one of the leaders of the goblin army in Act 1, and Minthara is a typical Drow– she’s bigoted, she’s somewhat evil, and just plain violent.
Still, as an evil Drow, Minthara had plenty of room to grow once the players have “rescued” her from the clutches of the villains. Her moments of epiphany and initiative make her quite an inspiring ally.
However, the mere act of acquiring Minthara means you’ll deny yourself certain companions and even might commit atrocious acts, practically locking yourself into an evil playthrough. For many, this power-hungry Drow companion just isn’t worth it.
Jaheira
She’s an old horse (figuratively) dating back from the old Baldur’s Gate games, and veterans of the franchise and the CRPG genre will surely find Jaheira’s involvement nostalgic.
She’s a headstrong and pragmatic half-elf who leads the Harpers by Baldur’s Gate 3’s timeline.
It’s just that Jaheira didn’t exactly make a good impression, and players might even end up killing her on the spot of their meeting if she pushes enough buttons. She’s quite abrasive to the players but will readily use them in an opportunistic and dry manner. Jaheira doesn’t exactly give off some warm potential companion vibes at the start.
Moreover, it can be a bit tricky to preserve Jaheira during Act 2’s final fight, even though her survival is pivotal to a certain other companion’s involvement.
Halsin
It’s hard to picture Halsin as anything else but a Druid; after all, he’s the leader of the Druid Grove and the voice of reason and empathy in such troubled times.
For that matter, it’s easy to like Halsin. Really, just about anything he says is agreeable to most people, and he’s even polite. Halsin is thus a textbook Lawful Good character, and his sincere existence is quite refreshing, especially among several secretive companions with questionable motivations.
It’s this very trait that doesn’t give Halsin much room for growth and development in the story and the quests. He can quickly fade into the background as the game progresses past Act 2. You might still find that daddy Druid energy tough to resist, however.
Minsc
Like Jaheira, Minsc is a classic from the old Baldur’s Gate games, and his comeback in Baldur’s Gate 3 is quite stellar (at least compared to Jaheira). The quest to acquire him is linked to Jaheira’s survival and recruitment– something to keep in mind.
And you would want to have Minsch in your camp at the very least. He’s a Ranger who talks and thinks like a Barbarian and keeps around a hamster called Boo as his companion animal. He’s built like a tank, but let’s just say he’s not someone who might be able to hold a conversation with a Wizard – Minsc views the world in simplistic terms.
That doesn’t stop him from believing that his hamster is a miniature version of a giant space creature. When you need an interesting and reliable companion with a positive outlook and genuine kindness, Minsc will deliver.
Wyll
Wyll with his swashbuckling entrance makes him seem a lot cooler, but underneath that poise is a harrowing struggle and a man on the verge of a breakdown. It’s all thanks to his liaison with oppressive and abusive devils– something he needed to grow out of.
At his core, Wyll is an authentic nice guy who will catch an arrow for you or any mortal. This is a man who has suffered a lot and eats additional suffering for breakfast like a true champion. And despite his increasingly aggravating predicaments, Wyll still manages to put others above himself.
Truth be told, it’s hard to reject his romantic advances because of what he went through and because of what he stands for. But it’s better to grant him the truth instead of pitying him. Wyll deserves that much.
Lae’zel
Some headaches are so persistent and absurd you can’t help but just hysterically cry-laugh at them once you get used to their presence. That’s Lae’zel for you. She’s literally an alien, and that explains why she’s a racist with a raging superiority complex (and also an aggressively candid sex drive).
Every once in a while, her primal cave-woman attempts at foreplay will hilariously distract you from the fact that she thinks of you as nothing more than a sexy cockroach (unless you’re a Githyanki). But underneath that harsh exterior is an insecure girl who secretly just wants hugs — and you for herself only.
Further into the storyline, Lae’zel has the potential to become a self-aware and reasonable companion who now tolerates you instead of treating you like a potential slave.
Shadowheart
They knew what they were doing with this companion. Someone in the dev studio had an irresistible preference for goth girls, and Shadowheart is a poster girl for that aesthetic. Heck, even her beliefs are edgy; she worships Shar, the Goddess of Darkness and Loss, who revels in secrets.
In hindsight, Shadowheart is more likely to kill you in your sleep than Lae’zel. Speaking of which, the two characters are more alike than you think. Shadowheart is also just a fanatical girl who drowns out her anxieties with her zealousness for Shar– sorry, LADY Shar.
Thankfully, Shadowheart’s not as stubborn or as arrogant as Lae’zel, and she can easily become a role model for independence and finding one’s own identity. That depends on your choices, of course, and how ‘balanced’ of a friend you are to her.
Astarion
As expected, there’s no shortage of lovable narcissists in fiction, and Astarion is one of them. He likes liberation, his own hair, and your blood, preferably donated willingly. He’s a vampire, you see.
And the way Astarion talks is one of the most eloquent and convincing voice-acting work in a video game thus far. Actually, all voice acting among Baldur’s Gate 3 companions is top-notch, but Astarion’s quips and intonation have a certain posh cheekiness to them.
In other words, he’s akin to Stewie from Family Guy. Both characters are exceptionally gay.
But what sets Astarion apart from other selfish RPG companions is that deep down, he’s benevolent. This is evident in how he avoids harming innocents and hates oppressors. Besides, he has a lengthy and compelling vampire quest line full of quandaries.
Karlach
Karlach was added quite late into the game’s development cycle, which makes her character and ending feel quite rushed. But even so, this companion is undeniably magnetic and colorful.
She’s an explosion of emotions, and Karlach pours passion and fierceness into everything she does (though it’s mostly just raging at her devil boss). Hence, it’s hard not to like her. And behind that smile is a tragic backstory involving slavery and betrayal. Still, Karlach manages to keep her head up and open herself to the possibility of love and happiness.
All this quirky eagerness in her personality is backed up by her energetic voice acting. Moreover, if you ever need a moral compass in your party, Karlach sometimes works better than Wyll due to her purity.
Gale
Then there’s Gale. He’s the most dangerous man in the Sword Coast during Baldur’s Gate 3’s timeline, and he could have wiped out the whole of Baldur’s Gate and its outskirts with a sneeze. The man’s a walking nuke, and he’s awfully calm about it.
Gale is too hot to handle– you can accidentally end your entire playthrough if you’re not careful with him. And as far as all the Baldur’s Gate 3 companions go, Gale has the highest potential to become a god and has lived the most decorated life (his ex-girlfriend being the Goddess of Magic).
That makes Gale the most interesting Baldur’s Gate 3 companion, with a fascinating questline to boot. Besides that, his intelligent and sarcastic dialog lines never get old, and neither does his shameless grin, which hides his wizardly hubris.
So don’t miss out on him, and more importantly, don’t forget to feed him your boots.