Baldur's Gate 3 shines for many reasons, one of which is the believable and emotive cast of characters that players can interact with. When a piece of media does such a good job of establishing connections between players and characters, it can be expected that the deaths of those characters, or those dear to them, are going to hurt.

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Depending on a player's run, death can be a pretty prominent theme within Baldur's Gate 3, even just taking into account the countless bad guys that players are likely to fight and kill. But some of these deaths make a real impact on players, with the following being notable examples.

10 Ketheric Thorm

It's always slightly unusual when a villain's death is heartbreaking and, make no mistake, Ketheric Thorm is a villain. In fact, given that he's the primary antagonist of Act Two, it is highly likely that the players themselves will be the cause of Ketheric's demise.

As a strangely sympathetic villain, though, Ketheric's death can be quite heartbreaking. Seeing him reduced to his truest self, a grieving father who has been abandoned by the very gods that he sought aid and immortality from, can tug at the heartstrings, helped by the performance from beloved voice actor, J.K. Simmons.

9 Volo

Volo, the infamous bard from Dungeons and Dragons fame, regularly gets himself into trouble throughout Baldur's Gate 3. While this should make his potential death seem obvious, he is such a lighthearted, cheery, and beloved character that it can be easy to think of him as untouchable.

Far from it, Volo gets attacked by an incensed mob and can be quite brutally killed by them. Losing such a comical character is already a heavy blow, but using the 'Speak With Dead' spell on Volo is surprisingly poignant, and it's a heartbreaking detail that he has Volo's Guide To Monsters in his inventory.

8 Orin's Victim

This potential death is as heartbreaking as it is because it deliberately targets someone close to the player and is exceptionally brutal. The sadistic shapeshifter chosen of Bhaal, Orin the Red, will kidnap one of the player's companions at camp, either Lae'zel, Gale, Halsin, or the young girl, Yenna.

When players confront Orin, she can savagely kill the victim. The brutality of it stands out and, if that wasn't impactful enough, this death is permanent even for the companion characters. Neither scrolls nor Withers can bring back someone killed in such an unnatural manner.

7 Astarion

Astarion can have a quietly tragic death when he reveals to players that he is a vampire spawn. Players are given the option to grab a stake and drive it through his heart without hesitation. Should players choose this option, they will kill Astarion.

All he can manage to utter is, "You," before he succumbs to his injury. In a way, it makes it more heartbreaking that the other companions seem to care little for Astarion's death. Admittedly, they are mostly grateful that the dangers of traveling with a vampire are past, and they barely knew him. But, for those who have grown to know and love Astarion, it may feel like the stake has been driven through their hearts.

6 Owlbear Mother

For players who want to feel particularly evil, killing the owlbear mother in Act One but leaving her cub alive is sure to tug at the heartstrings. It's hard not to feel guilty intruding on the mother's nest, threatening her and her cub, slaughtering the mother, and watching the absolutely devastating cutscene of the cub approaching her mother and desperately nudging her.

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It's like something out of The Lion King, except the player has caused it. Of course, it may lose a little of this heartbreak when the spared cub starts to eat her dead mother, but that's just the circle of life.

5 Arabella's Parents

In the Shadow-Cursed Lands of Act Two in Baldur's Gate 3, players can run into a tiefling child, Arabella, who has become separated from her parents, who were introduced in Act One. Sadly, the pair don't get a happy ending. They have been horrifically killed in the twisted House of Healing.

Some of the saddest things about their deaths are that it is completely unpreventable (unless players spare them their fate by killing them earlier in the game, of course) and that the last dialogue players can have with them in the Druid Grove seems to quietly foreshadow their demises. However, undoubtedly the most heartbreaking part is breaking the news to poor Arabella.

4 Arabella

Appropriately following her parents, Arabella can meet her own heart-wrenching fate. The most notable one is if players allow or actively cause her to be killed by the stand-in Archdruid, Kagha. Seeing Arabella's death in the cutscene is horrific and heartbreaking in itself.

Regardless of whether players are involved in her death or simply too passive to prevent it, the real tragedy comes from seeing the grief of her parents. As heartbreaking as her death is, her parents can have some powerful interactions with Kagha afterward.

3 Alfira

Alfira's shocking death at the hands of the Dark Urge has become one of the most infamous deaths in Baldur's Gate 3, and with good reason. The brutality of her murder stands out, particularly as potentially the Dark Urge's first kill in a cutscene.

This fate is also hard to avoid, and players may be lulled into a false sense of security thinking that Alfira is going to join their camp as a companion. But the main reason her murder is so heartbreaking and has become so memorable is down to her innocent and sweet nature.

2 Shadowheart's Parents

This parental death scene is surprisingly heartbreaking given that players only meet Shadowheart's parents moments before their potential deaths. The scenario surrounding it, though, as well as the performances from all the cast involved, makes this one of the most heartbreaking death scenes. Shadowheart was stolen away from her parents by the followers of Shar. Her memories were wiped, and she was raised to follow Shar too.

As a final trial from Shar, Shadowheart is told she must kill her own parents, whom she has just reunited with, in order to be free of Shar's influence, or spare them and forever suffer from Shar's torment. It's an impossible choice, but Shadowheart's parents beg her to kill them and be free to live her own life. Should players choose that outcome, their sacrifice is tragic and has a profound impact on Shadowheart and her narrative.

1 Karlach

The beloved companion character, Karlach, has an infernal engine for a heart that is destined to burn up, taking her with it, if she doesn't return to the dreaded hell, Avernus. Because of this, a lot of Karlach's narrative centers around her mortality, lust for life, and fear of death. Karlach is a carefree character, making her eventual breakdown in the face of her own imminent death all the more heartbreaking.

At the end of the game, Karlach can finally succumb to her engine. Watching Karlach burn up in tears, as she appreciates the time she had while simultaneously saying goodbye to all the things she will miss, is enough to bring anyone to tears. It is a stunning performance, and completely tugs at the heartstrings.

Baldur's Gate 3

Platform(s)

PC , macOS , PS5 , Xbox Series X

Released

August 3, 2023

Developer(s)

Larian Studios