Highlights
- Hollyphants are cute and gentle creatures in Baldur's Gate 3, resembling miniature elephants with wings and golden fur.
- They are more than just pets and serve as messengers and helpers for deities, with the ability to punish evil and inflict damage on enemies.
- Lulu is a significant hollyphant character in the game, with a rich backstory and potential for powerful storytelling.
Drawing from the extensive and complex lore of Dungeons & Dragons, Baldur's Gate 3 is home to a number of strange, intriguing fantasy creatures. As players explore Baldur's Gate 3's world, they will likely come across several of these mysterious beings, but there is one cute, gentle, airborne ally that will likely capture the attention of any gamer who comes across it: the hollyphant.
With a history as mystical and rich as any Dungeons & Dragons being, hollyphants certainly stimulate the imagination. Even for those unfamiliar with the background of these creatures, their physical appearance is likely to charm and captivate; Hollyphants resemble miniature elephants with ivory tusks and wings that sprout from the base of their heads. They are said to be covered in golden fur, but Lulu, the hollyphant players are most likely to encounter, doesn't quite fit that description. Hollyphants are rather innocent and cute in appearance - a trait they share with Baldur's Gate 3's owlbear cubs. However, there is much more to these magical beings than meets the eye.
The Role Hollyphants Play in Baldur's Gate 3 Lore
Hollyphants may look harmless and docile, with their small stature and cherubic features, but they are far more complex and intelligent than one might think at first glance, and they are certainly much more than traditional pets or anything of the sort. Hollyphants hail from the Upper Planes, a higher realm in Baldur's Gate 3 that is similar to traditional religious descriptions of Heaven in both appearance and function within the universe. Hollyphants are used by deities as messengers and general helpers.
Hollyphants are more than just assistants, however; they are committed to punishing evil wherever they see it, and would likely enact wrath on some of Baldur's Gate 3's villains. Although they serve good and value friendship, love, and honor above all else, they cannot stand idly by as evil unfolds, and can use their tusks to damage enemies. They can also unleash deafening and magical trumpet blasts from their trunks, which can inflict thunder or radiant damage. Hollyphants' psionic abilities also grant them the powers of suggestion, telepathy, and clairvoyance. Additionally, they can transform into massive, formidable versions of themselves, which lets them act as mounts for their allies.
Lulu: A Significant Hollyphant in Baldur's Gate 3
As they exist primarily in the Upper Planes, those living on Toril, including the protagonists of Baldur's Gate 3, have limited contact with hollyphants. Baldur's Gate 3 DLC could open the doors to more interaction with these creatures, but for now the primary hollyphant that players will come across is Lulu, who resides in Candledeep.
Lulu served the legendary angel Zariel for hundreds of years, aiding her in her war against Avernus. Zariel ultimately failed, and tasked Lulu with hiding her sword in the Bleeding Citadel, a fortress made of magic energy. This series of events exhausted Lulu, causing her to get lost in Avernus and lose many of her powers after being sprinkled with water from the Styx. Zariel, who was transformed into an archdevil and connects to Baldur's Gate 3 characters like Karlach, sends her to Faerun to spare her life, which is how she wound up in Candlekeep, eventually coming into contact with the player-character.
As anyone familiar with Dungeons & Dragons might have already come to expect, the lore behind hollyphants is considerably deep and complicated. While they may not be as prominent as elves, dwarves, or humans, they are without a doubt an influential and valuable type of intelligent being, and hollyphants like Lulu contain nearly endless potential for powerful and creative storytelling. Players making their way through Baldur's Gate 3 should certainly not ignore anything related to hollyphants.
Baldur's Gate 3 is available now on PC. A PS5 version releases on September 6.
