Highlights

  • Jaheira is a late-game companion who is harder to recruit, limiting her usefulness. She's a Druid, making her the second one in the player's roster.
  • Minsc is hard to recruit and only available towards the end of the game. He's a nostalgia character but not the best fighter. He's not romanceable either.
  • Halsin is a well-rounded Druid, but it takes time and effort to recruit him. He can be found late in Act 1 and Wood Elf Race.

Baldur’s Gate 3 has introduced players to quite a few characters that they can recruit and fight alongside in the game.

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While they all have their perks, some definitely are better than others both in or out of combat, and can, thus, greatly aid the player.

10 Jaheira

Jaheira companion in Baldur's Gate 3

Jaheira is a companion only available in Act 2, which makes her more of a late-game character than others. She’s found specifically in the Last Night Inn.

She Half-Elf race, specifically the High Half-Elf. She’s also a Druid, which would make her the second Druid in the player’s roster if they already have Halsin. This limits how useful she is to the player.

She is harder to recruit than most characters as she must be kept alive during their assault on the Moonrise Towers, which definitely impacts her usefulness quite a bit.

9 Minsc

baldurs-gate-3-minsc-face

Minsc is one of the hardest companions to recruit. He can only be recruited in Act 3, which is around the end of the game. To recruit Minsc, the player must also have Jaheira, who isn’t easy to recruit either. Due to how late he is recruited, his usefulness to the player is very limited. He is also not romanceable.

Minsc is a human, and has the Ranger Class. While he can be useful, he’s not the best fighter and mostly is a nostalgic character for fans of the previous Baldur games.

8 Halsin

Close up of Halsin in Baldur's Gate 3

Halsin is a character the player will meet late into Act 1. He’s found in the Shattered Sanctum, in a prison cell. To recruit him, the player will have to finish the quest at the Druid’s Grove and advance into Act 2. There, the player will finally get a chance to get him.

Halsin is a Druid, part of the Wood Elf Race. He is a well-rounded character, making good use of his Druid abilities, such as the Wild Shapes, but he definitely isn’t the best companion and it takes time and effort to recruit him in the first place.

7 Wyll

A close up of Wyll the Warlock in Baldur's Gate 3

Wyll is one of BG3’s origin characters. He can be recruited early on during Act 1, specifically outside of Emerald Grove, after fighting against a horde of goblins and defeating them.

Wyll is a human Warlock who entered a pact with a Devil named Mizora. As a Warlock, he has high Charisma which allows him to go smoothly through most conversations in the game, he also gets access to Eldritch Blast, a powerful cantrip. While he is definitely versatile, his class causes him to fall off later in the game, and his story is not as compelling as other characters.

6 Gale

Gale in Baldur's Gate 3

Gale is an origin character that the player meets in Act 1. He is found after the player leaves the area of the Nautiloid Ship crash and heads up to the waypoint located at the Roadside Cliff. There, the player can interact with the waypoint and help Gale out.

Gale is a human, but he is of the Wizard class. He is the best magic user out of any companion the player can recruit, making him a huge asset. He also has some very useful skill proficiency such as Arcana and History which will be great for the player. However, one huge drawback to Gale is his need to consume magical items, which will be a huge issue for the player, early on, at least.

5 Astarion

Astarion looking flattered

Astarion is yet another origin character who can be found and recruited during Act 1. Not far from the site of the ship crash, on the southwest of the ravaged beach, the player can find him.

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He’s a High Elf Rogue and will be the player’s main stealth companion. He shines with his ranged attacks and his expertise with stealth, which will come in handy when it comes to sneaking up on enemies and just infiltrating some places. His main disadvantage is his weak defense, which will not be a huge issue as he is built to stay away from danger.

Astarion is a character that will captivate the player from the very start, as he is quite a chaotic character. His personality alone makes using him worth it.

4 Shadowheart

Baldur's Gate 3: Shadowheart

Shadowheart is an origin character and one of the first companions the player will meet. She can first be met during the prologue in the Nautiloid Ship, where she is stuck in a pod and the player has the option to save her. Whether the player saves her or not, she can be recruited later after the crash.

She’s a High Half-Elf Cleric. As a Cleric, she will be incredibly useful, especially in the early game where the player might not have many options when it comes to healing. This makes her one of the most essential characters in the player’s roster early on. If that wasn't enough, she learns to cast some pretty good spells which will help the player immensely.

From a narrative standpoint, Shadowheart is definitely one of the most interesting characters with the most intriguing stories to find in BG3.

3 Minthara

Baldur's Gate 3 Minthara Talking

Minthara is a character the player will find later on in Act 1 as one of the three Goblin leaders. She’ll be found inside the Shattered Sanctum, deep in the Goblin Camp. While she can be a companion to the player, it will take some work, and it’ll come with some consequences. She can also be an enemy to kill. If the player does everything right, they’ll be able to recruit her in Act 2.

She is Lolth-Sworn Drow – quite an evil one. If the player wants her to be on their side, they have to be ready to make some evil decisions.

However, as a Paladin, recruiting her might be very rewarding as she is quite the powerhouse. She has some impressive healing, debuffs, and buffs as well.

2 Karlach

Baldur's Gate 3 Player Shares Clever Trick For Saving Karlach and Wyll

Karlach is an origin character and can be found in Act 1. She’ll be located on Risen Road, in the forest. The player will get the option to either kill her or spare her if they already have Wyll. The best option would be sparing her as she is quite a useful character.

She is a Zariel Tiefling of the Barbarian Class. Barbarians are quite good at one thing and that is destroying their enemies, and that's something she will definitely do with her superior strength. Her statistics are impressive overall and she will make a great addition to any party.

1 Lae'zel

 Lae’Zel In Baldur’s Gate 3

The very best companion is Lae’zel, yet another origin character the game has to offer. She is the very first companion the player will meet during the prologue on the ship. She can be recruited in Act 1, not far from the waypoint the player will find Gale stuck in.

She’s a Githyanki fighter and is very proficient with a large array of weapons, making her quite versatile across the board. She can dominate most fights, being able to dish out a lot of damage and tank a lot as well. Her race also gives her access to many incredible abilities and skills, making her a true asset in combat.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is now available to play on PC and PlayStation 5.

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Baldur's Gate 3

Baldur's Gate 3 is a Dungeons and Dragons inspired RPG developed and published by Larian Studios. Featuring both a single player and cooperative element, players create their character by selecting a starting class, take on quests, level up, and engage in turn-based combat using the D&D 5th edition rule set.

MORE: Baldur’s Gate 3: Race Tier List