Forming the core of its narrative appeal, Baldur's Gate 3's cast of companions that Larian Studios has crafted has even proven comparable to those of the BioWare originals in the eyes of some fans. Baldur's Gate 3's party members have each accrued fans of their own, but the likes of Astarion and Karlach have become particularly popular due to their strong romance arcs that encourage connection with the player. While most companions have been around since the early stages of development, however, Karlach specifically holds the distinction of being a later addition to the game who slowly grew into the character that she is known as today.

Having personal ties to one of the game's main antagonists in Gortash, it could be said that Karlach's backstory as Zariel's slave is one of the most relevant to BG3's main quest. This wasn't always the case, as this story seems to have been mostly defined by the time she was made an official party member. Fitting naturally into the roster of companions since then has earned her an endearing reputation as an important part of Baldur's Gate 3, making her worthy of an entire patch centered around resolving her initially unsatisfying ending.

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Early Access Karlach and How Popularity Fueled Her Inclusion in Baldur's Gate

Karlach's Origins as an NPC

On a visual level, the current Karlach is actually the third iteration of her that has been in the game. Larian formed the title around Act 1 during the early access period that defined the game prior to its full launch, and she was an NPC in a one-off sidequest. Featuring a generic face but the same basic interaction in the known Karlach versus Anders situation, her positive reception among fans led to her later becoming integrated into the player's party.

BG3's Final Party Member Became One of Its Most Relevant

Her appearance saw updates leading up to launch, but the full step forward that made Karlach prominent was her status as a full party member and playable origin character. This came with the upgrade to an impressive performance from voice actor Samantha Beart that has defined Karlach as charming and memorable despite being a warlike Barbarian of the Hells.

This followed the inclusion of Halsin in BG3 under similar circumstances, but Karlach continued to receive post-game support which has further bolstered the payoff to her story.

Player Feedback Led to the Positive Reception of Karlach's Patched Ending

Karlach's Expanded Endings Did Justice to Her Character Arc

Given the inevitability of the dire circumstances of her Infernal Engine, Karlach seems to have always been intended as a tragic character who was never meant to find a happy resolution to her complicated issues. She shows her determination to continue living by actively volunteering to sacrifice her body and become a Mind Flayer during Act 3's conclusion, but her outcomes were all deeply painful in their own ways.

Patch 5 gave her more options, as having others join her in Avernus makes for one of the game's most impactful final scenes and allows players to cement their love for the character. It's a rare occurrence that a developer will add an ending for a specific character after launch that isn't DLC, but appreciation for Karlach was great enough to warrant this.

The Strength of Larian Studios' Post-Game Support

With more lines recorded for patches that added in more content after the initial release along with a complete overhaul leading up to this launch, Karlach seems to be an instance of a studio's positive rapport with its collaborators truly paying off. It's unknown what Larian has coming after Baldur's Gate 3, but the willingness of its voice actors to return for its next project shows that there's plenty of potential for future characters that can learn from Karlach's development.