Baldur’s Gate 3 players agree on the ‘most polarizing’ companion

It only shows how good the writing is.

Baldur's Gate 3 party including Tav, Karlach, Astarion, and Shadowheart standing on walls.
Screenshot by Dot Esports

In a gigantic game like Baldur’s Gate 3, which features 10 different companions, it’s no surprise that the community likes some characters more than others. On Reddit on Oct. 23, players discussed whether one of them is the “most polarizing.”

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Those of you who played the game or follow the community likely know which companion the discussion points to—Astarion. It all began when one player claimed he has the most aggressive fanbase in the title, with his fans downvoting everything negative about him. As others underlined though, it’s actually not true.

Many people agree he has one of the biggest fanbases in Baldur’s Gate 3 for many reasons. These include incredible voice acting by Neil Newbon, who actually even plays the game on his Twitch stream. On top of that, he has a tragic storyline with a history of abuse, with which people may relate to.

This makes Astarion one of the most well-written characters in the latest Larian Studios’ production.

While there many who are fond of him, both as a companion and potential romance partner in Baldur’s Gate 3, there are also a group of players who can’t stand him, and regularly post their annoyance with the character online.

Man with pointy ears and white hair in BG3
With so many opinions about Astarion, it just shows how brilliant his writing and acting are. Image via Larian Studios

“I mean, ‘Does anyone else hate Astarion?’ posts hit the front page pretty much every week. There was literally one just today lol. So no, he is far from being loved by the entire community. I’d say he’s easily one of the most polarizing companions,” one of them wrote.

“Most Astarion people I talk to are very passionate about the character and could spend an hour talking about his storyline, etc. but they’re generally not crazy or rude,” another one claimed.

All in all, it turns out Astarion truly is one of the most-discussed parts of Baldur’s Gate 3. If anything, it shows how great the writing of the game is. While some people love a few aspects of it, others enjoy vastly different ones, and it could be said about every companion. It’s a living proof that Larian Studios writers did their job well.

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Image of Mateusz Miter
Mateusz Miter
Freelance Writer at Dot Esports. Mateusz previously worked for numerous outlets and gaming-adjacent companies, including ESL. League of Legends or CS:GO? He loves them both. In fact, he wonders which game he loves more every day. He wanted to go pro years ago, but somewhere along the way decided journalism was the more sensible option—and he was right.