When people talk about Baldur’s Gate 3, they often talk about the companions and the multi-layered storytelling. However, when it comes to your companions, you aren’t exclusive to recruiting only Origin Characters (meaning characters that you can play as).
Some characters can be added to your party, but you can’t start a walkthrough with them as an Origin Character. This is either due to them not having a tadpole, or to already having connections to The Absolute.
That said, that doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun with these members in your party. In fact, you can and should take these characters out and about in your party at least once, because the content that they offer is simply golden.
Either way, these companions are fantastic to have, and enrich the story (and overall gaming experience) so much more.
4
Minsc
Adorable, But Introduced Too Late
Minsc is precious from the moment you first meet him. His first lines, after crawling out of a mimic, are literally talking about how he doesn’t like people who are “tricksome with the truth,” and turnips. Matt Mercer, you’ve done it again.
After we free Minsc from the shackles of The Absolute, he’s quick to be our ally, apologising for the misunderstandings and lending his strength with the help of his best friend: a miniature giant space hamster named Boo. Boo is just as fun to have around as he is, considering that they’re basically peas in a pod together.
The only downside to Minsc is that he was introduced far too late in the story. Unlike his ally Jaheira, we don’t run into Minsc until the latter end of Act Three, but by then, the game is essentially almost over.
Sure, if you know what to do and what to skip, you can go straight to the Lower City and find him, but that still doesn’t change the fact that he’s introduced really late for there to be any significant substance.
If anything, it feels like a last-minute throw-in in order to make fans of the first two games happy, but they also would have been happy just seeing Jaheira. If Larian Studios wanted to incorporate both characters, they should have introduced Minsc earlier on (or at the very least, foreshadowed him, since there is zero mention of him up until you find him).
Then again, he’s adorable in every sense of the word, so it’s no big deal.
3
Halsin
A Fan Fav Until Act Three
Halsin is a great character who’s introduced in Act One, requiring you to go to the Goblin Camp to find and save him, so you can save the Emerald Grove. He swiftly joins your party soon after, given his research on the Shadow Curse and Mind Flayer Parasites; he’s a valuable ally from the very beginning.
Plus, in Act Two, most of your actions directly impact the Shadow Curse in one way or another, keeping him tethered to the story and giving him importance in the party. You reunite Thaniel and Oliver and kill Ketheric Thorm, and finally, the work that Halsin has been doing for the past several decades has finally come to fruition.
When you get to Act Three, however, that’s when Halsin seems to completely drop off the face of Faerûn. You can romance him in Act Three, sure, but that’s it (and that’s if your other romance companions even allow a polycule)— he’s not tied to any other quests or objectives.
It makes sense that most of his quests were earlier in the game, but every other companion still had something significant attached to them in Act Three, being a climax for their stories.
It’s a shame that his story started so strong, but it had such a weak conclusion after removing the Shadow Curse. I would have loved to see more from him, and more that doesn’t involve him getting naked or turning into a bear (or both).
2
Jaheira
A Baldur’s Gate Icon
“We love Jaheira!” we all shout in unison, as she’s been an icon since the very start of the franchise.
Saving Baldur’s Gate from the Bhaalspawn Sarevok Anchev over a century ago, she’s maintained business by running The Harpers, a collective of people fighting back against evil and whatever it looks like.
In Baldur’s Gate 3, that just so happens to look like the Grand Design, fronted by the Dead Three. Not only does this give her intense nostalgia, it gives her hope when she fights alongside the party (of fools, as she affectionately calls everyone).
Jaheira is introduced almost immediately in Act Two, depending on where you go, and she remains closely-knit with the party (and the story) the rest of the game. Whether it’s with The Harpers, her family, Minsc, or something else entirely, Jaheira has some connection, and it’s immensely satisfying.
I just wish we could romance her, in all honesty. It makes sense why we can’t, but that won’t stop me from wanting a romance, especially since she’s introduced later than nearly all other party members.
Despite the fact that Act One is unfortunately lacking Jaheira, her quests and banter more than make up for it when we do get her. Her wit, care, and drive make her not only a fun companion and an even better ally, but the camp’s best grandma.
1
Minthara
Unique, Refreshing, and Bold
I absolutely love Minthara, her questline, and all of her intricacies. We first meet her in Act One at the Goblin Camp (brainwashed by The Absolute), where you have the option to knock her out instead of killing her. When you do so, you can find her again at Moonrise Towers, where you can save her and recruit her into the party.
From there, she’s basically your ride or die, not only for saving her, but for exposing the Absolute for what it truly is. She is present in all three acts, with a strong story tying her throughout them all.
The only downside is the only way to properly “romance” her would be to slaughter the Emerald Grove, but you can still give her kisses if you spare everyone. If you kiss her enough, she’ll reveal that she’s been microdosing you with poison to build your immunity — because she cares about you that much, in her own weird way.
Either way, she’s the best non-origin companion, without a doubt.
- Released
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August 3, 2023
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
- Engine
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Divinity 4.0
- Multiplayer
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Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
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Full cross-platform play.
