Highlights
- Baldur's Gate 3 offers players the opportunity to recruit and romance companions, with eight out of ten companions available for romantic relationships.
- Players can deepen their relationships by engaging in dialogue with their companions in camp or after major events, allowing them to get to know them better.
- Each romance option in the game has its own unique story and characteristics, such as Gale's ticking time bomb condition or Shadowheart's mysterious past and ability to change her faith.
Baldur's Gate 3 has several companions that players are able to recruit while adventuring across the Sword Coast. Out of the ten companions players are able to recruit while exploring Baldur's Gate 3, eight of these companions are available to the player to romance. Through the dialogue options selected by players, they can either gain or lose the approval of their companions.
Baldur's Gate 3: 13 Best Legendary Weapons, Ranked
All legendary weapons in Baldur's Gate 3 offer players great power, but which of them are definitive choices to bring into the party to win the fight?
Besides this, players will also have the chance to talk to their companions in camp or after large events which gives them an even greater chance of getting to know their companions better. Some companions will accept polyamory while others are monogamous; therefore, these are the best romances players should uncover in the game.
Updated on March 7, 2024, by Megan Smith: The award-winning Baldur's Gate 3 has continued to represent itself as an incredibly successful RPG that players have adored on various consoles, including the Xbox Series X/S, which was added to during December 2023. In the recent 6th Patch of BG3, each character gets new kisses to make BG3's best romances that much better with their own personalized reactions to the player asking for a kiss. With every single one gaining something, new players may be wondering what Baldur's Gate 3 is the best romance besides these adorable quick moments players can ask for on the fly.
Warning, this article will contain spoilers about the characters that can be romanced in Baldur's Gate 3.
7 Bring Chaos With Minthara
A Redemption Arc That Leads To Chaos
How to Romance Minthara
- Players can only romance Minthara if they side with the goblins in the first act.
- The romance officially starts in the third act.
Starting the BG3 best romance list strong, Minthara is a Lolth-Sworn Drow players will likely meet when exploring the goblin camp in the first act of the game. Many players will likely end up killing her here if they wish to protect the Grove and the refugees within, but taking a more evil route, and siding with this Paladin of Vengeance, will see a darker turn of events and a possible budding romance.
Unfortunately, although Minthara and the player can share a saucy moment after raiding the grove and killing everyone inside, players won't be able to officially start her romance until the third and final act. This arguably gives Minthara the least amount of content out of all the available companions, though she still has great story elements to get involved with away from this romantic content.
6 A Ticking Time Bomb With Gale
A Slow Burn Romance To Show His Worth
How to Romance Gale:
- Gale's romance officially starts in the second act once players have encountered Moonrise Towers.
Gale is a human Wizard that players first meet after pulling him from a purple portal after he found himself also plummeting to the land from the Mindflayer ship. He may seem like a bit of a know-it-all, but it's understandable with all the magical knowledge he has learned through his studies as a Wizard.
As the player gains his trust through earning his approval, he will reveal to the player his condition that requires him to consume the Weave—what magic is known as in Baldur's Gate 3—if he hopes to not explode. Gale understands that one day he might die, and that day is fast approaching, but through his romance, the player gives him a new-found motivation to find a cure for the ticking time bomb in his chest.
5 Lae'zel Is A Sharp Edge With A Softer Touch
A Hot And Heavy Romance That Turns Softer
How to Romance Lae'zel:
- Players will need to do something that proves their worth to Lae'zel during the first act of the game to start her romance.
Many players find themselves put off by the appearance of the Githyanki. They are an uncommonly seen race, especially for those that have played Dungeons and Dragons, due to many of their species residing in the Astral Plane. Once the player has struck Lae'zel's fancy, she may continue to insult the player, but she also certainly won’t skimp out on aggressively flirting with them either.
Every Race In Baldur’s Gate 3, Ranked
Every playable race in Baldur's Gate 3 has unique attributes that can cement them as the best choice going forward.
As Larian Studios has mentioned, while a relationship may first start intimate it can progress into something more thoughtful and romantic, this can be seen with Lae'zel's romance. As this Githyanki begins to care for the player and becomes influenced by the player's actions, the romance becomes a lot sweeter than the flirting that may have scared some initially.
4 Doing What's Right With Wyll
A Gentle Prince Charming-Like Romance
How to Romance Wyll:
- Wyll's romance begins in the second act of BG3, but it is possible to kiss him at the Tiefling party in the first act.
- Players that want to romance Wyll will need to save Wyll's father during the third act of the game or the final cutscene of his romance will not play.
For players that are looking for their typical hero then Wyll is the right option to pursue. Although a Warlock, Wyll uses the powers gifted to him by his Patron to protect the Swords Coast where he is a well-known hero by the name of the Blade of the Frontier. Even when the player first meets him, he is protecting the Druid Grove from Goblins as the man is a walking legend.
Since the early access of Baldur's Gate 3, Wyll's story has changed significantly, but for the better. With the player's help, the Blade of Frontiers has been able to break away from his Warlock Pact while also helping him make amends for what this Warlock Pact has meant for his personal life.
3 Karlach Was Too Hot To Touch
Supportive Romance With An Almost Tragic End
How to Romance Karlach:
- Karlach's romance officially starts in the first act, likely during the Tiefling party for most players.
- Players will need to get Karlach her second upgrade if they hope to continue this romance.
Karlach wasn't available to players as a companion during the early access of Baldur's Gate 3. However, with the full release, she has become a fan-favorite for many. Karlach's heart was replaced with an Infernal Engine and since leaving the Hells it has been running hot. This has meant that she has been unable to touch anyone, so she has been very alone during her times in the service of the Devil.
Being the first person to show Karlach kindness while also helping her find the essential things she needs to finally be able to touch people. Naturally, this means the player and Karlach become very close. Getting to experience things she hasn't been able to in a long time makes for an adorable romance that makes for a great break in between the bloodthirsty battles.
2 Broody Elves Like Astarion Are Still Popular
A Fix Him Romance—Or Possibly Make Him Worse
How to Romance Astarion:
- Astarion's romance officially starts during the first act once players have gained enough approval from him.
- To continue, players must either meet Araj Oblodra in Moonrise Towers with Astarion or gain even more approval with him in act two.
Role-playing games across the years have been keeping to the RPG phenomenon of broody elves that seems to attract all sorts of players. Larian Studio's Baldur's Gate 3 appears to be no different as players can recruit the services of the pale-elven rogue, Astarion.
Best Alternative Classes For Each Companion In Baldur’s Gate 3
Whilst the best companions in Baldur's Gate 3 have strength in their original classes, these alternatives provide the best outcome.
From discovering that the elf is in fact a vampire, to then allowing him to drink from the player, Astarion is an interesting romance option with an incredible story that progresses through the three acts. Astarion can change throughout the story like Lae'zel as the player selects certain options which mold him into a new person. He also learns to trust others as he is not seen as a monster by the player.
1 Shadowheart Learns To Trust
Another Chance To Fix Her Or Rule Together
How to Romance Shadowheart:
- Shadowheart's romance starts during the first act of the game.
- To make sure players continue this romance, they will need to take her with them during the Gauntlet of Shar in the second act, and to the House of Grief in the third act.
An equally broody option but also arguably one of the best romances in Baldur's Gate 3 must be Shadowheart. This cleric has a mysterious past that even she has forgotten since taking on the teachings of Shar. Getting Shadowheart to open up to the player is difficult, but once they have gained her trust, they're in for a sweet romance.
Shadowheart goes through one of the most dramatic changes in the game as through certain choices her whole faith can be changed. With the player's support, she can then find her true memories.
Baldur's Gate 3
- Platform(s)
- PC , macOS , PS5 , Xbox Series X
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
- Released
- August 3, 2023
- Genre(s)
- RPG
