Baldur’s Gate 3: Revealing the Terrifying Fate of Companions Who Depart from Your Party

Baldur’s Gate 3 features an array of 10 intriguing companions who can be recruited throughout the game. The process of adding these characters to your party is influenced by prior choices and circumstances. For instance, players can only recruit Minsc after bringing Jaheria into their group. This adds layers of strategy and decision-making to the game.

Companions, while loyal, can also become disaffected. If their approval rating falls below -50, they will permanently exit the party, taking their gear with them. This sudden departure can lead players to speculate about their companions’ fates, as players typically do not receive further information about them.

Choices With Minthara: A Dark Dilemma

Halsin or Minthara: A Tough Choice

Veteran players of Baldur’s Gate 3 may recall the initial constraints regarding the recruitment of Halsin and Minthara. In earlier versions, players faced a critical choice: they could either recruit Halsin or Minthara, but not both. Thankfully, the latest updates have changed this dynamic. Players can now neutralize Minthara in the goblin camp without killing her, allowing them to pursue Halsin’s quest line while keeping both characters in the party.

This new scenario diverges from the original plans where Halsin would issue an ultimatum, demanding the player choose one companion to remain. Evidence of this earlier concept has been revealed through datamined information, highlighted prominently in a video from Merrin La.

The video illustrates the two possible outcomes of this initial decision. Should Halsin be dismissed, he expresses gratitude and departs respectfully once the shadow curse is lifted in Act 2. In contrast, Minthara’s departure offers a much darker narrative. If she is sent away, she pleads with the player, indicating that she would rather face death than face the horrors awaiting her outside the party’s protection.

“If I am not protected from the Absolute’s voice as you are, then it will take me again. Body, mind and soul.”- Minthara

The Minthara encountered as a goblin leader starkly contrasts with her character under the Emperor’s influence. Despite her bloodthirsty reputation, her loyalty to the Absolute morphs into bitterness. Given her background, it’s evident she committed numerous heinous acts while under the Absolute’s control. Fortunately, players can secure her freedom by convincing the Emperor to protect her, allowing her to join the party.

The Fate of Other Companions After They Depart

The Dark Path of Abandoned Companions

Minthara’s insights into her fate amplify the stakes for other companions. For example, characters like Wyll and Karlach will permanently exit the party if players choose to raid the Emerald Grove in Act 1, never to be seen again. The absence of a protective alliance with the leader, as viewed by the Emperor, results in their enslavement to the Absolute.

There is also a particularly poignant scenario involving Lae’zel. If she is not recruited by the end of Act 1 and purportedly remains unharmed, her body will be found later in the Shadow-Cursed lands, suggesting her tragic demise while attempting to reach Moonrise Towers. Shadowheart is another companion with multiple recruitment opportunities, but she may initially benefit from the Emperor’s protection due to the artifact she possesses.

In certain contexts, if Minthara is not recruited by players, she faces a grim fate at the hands of Balthazar, who can transform her into a zombie.

After the defeat of Ketheric Thorm, players have a chance to interact with Minthara once more after she seizes his throne. If spared, Minthara wonders why she was shown mercy, revealing her potential involvement in the player’s broader efforts against the Absolute. The multitude of paths available in Baldur’s Gate 3 raises intriguing questions about the countless souls that could have been saved through different choices.

For further exploration of these topics, you can check the detailed analysis by Merrin La on YouTube.

Source: Screen Rant