Summary
Baldur’s Gate 3has many paths someone can take that will affect the ultimate fates of the player character and their companions. These endings range from heroic to evil and bittersweet to downright tragic. Whatever ending players are hoping to get for themselves and each of their companions, some are bound to satisfy more than others.
What are some of the more narratively appealing endings for the companion characters, along with some unique ones? Furthermore, what steps should someone take to achieve each ending? After all,Baldur’s Gate 3is a story that benefits from multiple playthroughs.
Updated Jun 10, 2025, by Nyah Payne:2023 saw Baldur’s Gate 3 sweep The Game Awards, including winning the prestigious Game of the Year award. But Larian doesn’t seem to have slowed down a jot! The critically acclaimed RPG has also been released on Xbox Series X/S, and a huge update has added plenty of new features to the game.
This includes Honour Mode, which challenges players to complete the game on the hardest difficulty without getting a “game over” (or save scumming). A new epilogue has also been added, along with new possible endings, meaning that it is more important than ever to make sure players get their desiredBG3 endingfor each of their characters.
12Withers Banishes The Player Character
Darkly Comedic Secret Ending To The Epilogue
With the addition of the epilogue, players now have access to this unique ending that raises more questions about the abilities and motivations of the mysterious camp skeleton, Withers.The epilogue sceneis a touching party hosted by none other than Withers, who brings each character back together to celebrate and catch up. He expresses the importance of the party’s bonds and wants everyone to have a lovely time together once more.
If the player decides to ruin the vibe of this lovely shindig, say by murdering one of their dear companions, Withers doesn’t take kindly to it, summoning a portal to banish the offending character to goodness knows where. While it’s certainly not a happy ending, it is a unique one, and the jarring nature of it makes it almost humorous! Almost.
11Mystra Restores Gale’s Humanity
Removes Gale’s Curse To Live As A Mindflayer
One ending to get added at a later date was an ending specifically for origin character Gale if he chose to become an illithid. At the climax of act three, an illithid ally is, unfortunately, required. For players who don’t want to work with the manipulative Emperor, it falls to either Githyanki Prince Orpheus, beloved companion Karlach, or the player character to sacrifice their own soul and become an illithid.
Should origin character Gale take on this burden, he will have a meeting with Mystra, his deity, and ex-lover. In exchange for the Crown of Karsus and his companionship to Mystra in Elysium, Mystra will return Gale’s soul to him, the wizard no longer cursed to live as a mindflayer.
10Dark Urge Rejects Bhaal
Heroic Ending For Dark Urge Players
While they are not the officially recommended option for a first run, the Dark Urge is a character with a fascinating story. They are a chosen of Bhaal, driven to kill by “dark urges,” and this story comes to a climax in Act 3 when players killOrin the Red, a fellow chosen of Bhaal.
It is at this point that Bhaal will attempt to claim the Dark Urge once and for all, and, also at this point, that players can resist the urge for the last time. Defying the Lord of Murder at this moment leads to a unique interaction where Bhaal kills the player, only for Withers to resurrect them with their free will intact. This is a particularly satisfying Dark Urge ending to pair with the heroic game ending.
9Become The Absolute
The Most Evil Ending Players Can Achieve
On the other end of the spectrum, becoming the Absolute is an ideal ending to a very evil run. This conclusion requires betraying the player’s whole party, exerting control ofthe elder brain, and ruling as the Absolute, single-handedly fulfilling the goals of The Dead Three.
While this ending is objectively very bad for almost every inhabitant of Faerun, it fits an evil run since the player character becomes the ultimate evil. This ending can be particularly appropriate for an evil Dark Urge run, but any character can achieve it, including the origin characters.
8Raphael’s Ending
Unique Post Credits Scene
Players who accept the deal with the devil, Raphael, will be treated to a dramatic and sinister post-credits scene. Raphael wants players to give the Crown of Karsus, currently being used to control The Elder Brain, to him. What he plans to do with it is his own sinister business, but the post-credits scene reveals all.
Backed by his own score, Raphael seems to address the players themselves as he speaks about his plans to use the Crown to take over Avernus, endThe Blood War, and find more worlds to dominate. While it is a foreboding post-credits scene, it is an appropriately dramatic ending to the player’s interactions with Raphael.
7Lae’zel’s Life Is Her Own
Lae’zel’s Arc Concludes With Her Independence
While it may not be as dramatic as one of her other good endings, this ending for the companion character, Lae’zel, is a very enjoyable conclusion to her arc. Lae’zel struggles with her faith throughout the game’s narrative.As a githyanki, she is reverent towards the githyanki deity, Vlaakith. Throughout the story, however, she can come to learn of Vlaakith’s deception and treachery to her people.
Her old faith lost, Lae’zel gravitates towards the githyanki prince, Orpheus, who seeks to free her people from Vlaakith’s tyranny. Players who side with The Emperor and get Orpheus killed after Lae’zel turns her back on Vlaakith will have a lot of challenging persuasion checks to pass but, in doing so, can convince Lae’zel to join the party for good. After witnessing her turmoils of faith, seeing Lae’zel live for herself rather than in the service of others can be a very satisfying conclusion for her.
6Karlach’s Death
A Heart-Wrenching Character Ending
While this ending is by no means a happy one, it may be one of the most raw and emotional. Companion character, Karlach, has an infernal engine for a heart, courtesy of the archdevil, Zariel. Outside of Avernus, this infernal machine is a ticking time bomb, ready to burn up at any moment.
After defeating the Absolute, Karlach’s time comes, as she can no longer take the heat from her engine. Staying with Karlach through her heart-wrenching final moments as she burns up once and for all is certainly one of the most moving endings, even if it is an unbelievably tragic fate for a character as lighthearted as Karlach.
5Retreat To The Shadows With Astarion
Astarion Frees Cazador’s Spawn And Lives With His Lover
It can behard to get a happy ending for Astarionwhile also encouraging him to be a moral person. Astarion’s endings typically see him taking on Cazador’s mantle and becoming a vampire lord or remaining a vampire spawn and being forced into a life of shadow the moment his illithid protection wears off.
But, if players are romantically tied to Astarion, they can get the option to return to the Underdark with him, where the pair will oversee the colony of vampire spawn that were freed from Cazador’s Palace. While Astarion may never face the sun again, he doesn’t seem to mind too much with his lover by his side.
4Domestic Life With Shadowheart
A Touchingly Quiet End To Shadowheart’s Tough Arc
Shadowheart is a companion character steeped in tragedy, so the happy ending with Shadowheart as a romantic partner is a welcome change for the poor cleric. To get this particularly satisfying ending with Shadowheart, players will need to romance her and save her parents from Shar.
After all the terrible things Shadowheart has witnessed and, indeed, inflicted, it is perhaps no surprise that she seeks a quiet and domestic life somewhere in Baldur’s Gate where she can spend time with her parents.As Shadowheart’s lover,she wants the player character to be a part of that blissful future.
3Gale Returns The Crown To Mystra
Gale Refuses To Repeat The Folly Of Karsus
If players haven’t built a bond with Gale greater than his quite arrogant drive for arcane power, they may be disappointed to see him reliving his past mistakes andattempting to dethrone Mystraas the god of magic. As his trusted partner, however, or if players are controlling Gale as an origin character, Gale can do the moral thing and forfeit the Crown of Karsus and ultimate control of the weave to Mystra, leaving their past relationship on a positive note.
Speaking of relationships, this is also the ending where Gale can propose to the player character, taking their relationship to the next level. A fitting ending for Gale of Waterdeep.
