Worst Baldur's Gate 3 Character Endings, Ranked

It is down to the nature of the vast branching narrative within Larian's RPG, Baldur's Gate 3, that most of the playable characters can end up saddled with some downright miserable endings. Since players will have potentially traveled with and gotten to know these characters over a long period of game time, some of these tragic endings can feel really brutal.

Baldur's Gate 3, Lae'zel, Karlach In Sunset, Shadowheart

Baldur's Gate 3: 12 Best Character Endings, Ranked

Baldur's Gate 3's branching narrative produces many character endings, but some prove more compelling than others.

Of course, some players will want to seek these endings out, creating as much misery for their characters as possible. That's the beauty of the game. Whether it is death, betrayal, or a simply miserable way of life that awaits the characters, these endings are sure to hurt.

WARNING! Spoilers ahead.

10 Dark Urge Accepts Bhaal's Gift

This is perhaps the most miserable ending that can be achieved for the Dark Urge origin character, specifically one that has been fighting to resist their violent tendencies. While accepting Bhaal's gift makes the Dark Urge an incredibly powerful figure, they henceforth exist only to serve Bhaal, spelling tragedy for the Sword Coast.

They are also commanded by Bhaal to take over and become the Absolute power that players have been fighting against for the whole game. While they can still go against Bhaal's will at this moment, they lose their autonomy after this final heroic act.

9 Wyll's Pact Remains

The warlock companion character, Wyll, has plenty of opportunities to get out of his pact with the devil, Mizora. Unfortunately, the devil is going to do everything she can to keep her puppy on his leash. This includes blackmailing him with the life of his own father, Duke Ravenguard.

Should Wyll let his pact with Mizora stand, it is by no means the worst character ending, but it's definitely not a happy one. Mizora's intentions are obviously far from pure, and Wyll will have no choice but to obey her every whim, perhaps foregoing his only chance to escape the pact.

8 Killed By Orin

Baldur's Gate 3 Orin the Red Bloodthirst Bhaal

This fate can potentially befall a few of the companion characters, specifically Lae'zel, Gale, or Halsin. During act three, the terrifying shapeshifting assassin, Orin the Red, can kidnap one of these characters, holding them hostage until players confront her. At this point, if players fail to talk her down, she can brutally kill the helpless companion.

For such a supernatural death, there is no ability to resurrect them. Such a brutal and final ending to the potentially beloved characters, especially with no ability to fight back, is a really horrible fate for them to meet. It all serves to make Orin such a terrifying character, giving players plenty of reason to want her dead in turn.

7 Gale's Folly

While the outcome of this ending isn't the most outwardly negative, it can be gutting to see Gale take such a downward spiral and regress as a character. The wizard companion, Gale's, Achilles heel was always his arrogance, leading to his initial folly that resulted in the Netherese ball in his chest and his estranged relationship with the goddess of magic, Mystra.

Despite seeming repentant for his actions and a chipper person when players first meet him, Gale can take a sudden and severe downward spiral in his arrogant desire to take control of the Crown of Karsus and surpass the power of Mystra, repeating the folly of the infamous wizard, Karsus.

6 Astarion's Fate

In a way, Astarion can undergo the reverse arc to Gale. When players first meet him, he is a sarcastic and selfish vampire rogue, but he can undergo a vast character change, killing his old master and liberating his fellow vampire spawn. Sadly, this altruistic option pretty much guarantees a sad fate for Astarion.

Every Possible Ending for Gale in Baldur's Gate 3

Many players wonder how Gale's story can end in BG3, so this guide will tell about all the possible endings this character has.

Losing the strange protection of the illithid tadpole, Astarion's vampiric weaknesses resurface. After getting a taste of freedom, he once again has to retreat to the shadows. It is a miserable fate that seems to show that no good deed goes unpunished.

5 Karlach's Death

Baldur's Gate 3, Karlach Standing On Docks At Sunset

As a character with such an endearing lust for life, it is devastating that Karlach's arc revolves around the infernal machine that she has for a heart and that is destined to burn up, taking her with it, if she doesn't return to the hellscape of Avernus.

Throughout Karlach's personal arc, players can see her confront her feelings surrounding her mortality and imminent death, only to witness that eventual death at the end of the game. It's a truly heart-wrenching scene, worse given that players can choose to abandon her, leaving her to face her fate alone.

4 Surrendering Shadowheart

If there's one thing slightly worse than Karlach's tragic death, it's betraying Shadowheart in the House of Grief. The cleric companion, Shadowheart, can spend a lot of her arc discovering the deception behind her faith in the evil goddess, Shar.

During act three, when she can finally confront her old church with the intent to rescue her tortured parents, players are given the option to buy their own safety and Lady Shar's approval, by betraying Shadowheart and surrendering her to her evil religion, the source of all her torment as a child. Given that Shadowheart struggles to trust anyone, this betrayal cuts deeply and is a horrible fate for the beloved cleric.

3 Gale's Sacrifice

At multiple points, specifically at the end of acts two and three, Gale can have the opportunity to willingly detonate the Netherese orb in his chest in order to destroy the elder brain. While this ending has the potential to be quite heroic and a moving one, it is anything but.

This is because, despite destroying the brain, it instantaneously transforms anyone infected with an illithid tadpole, unleashing a mindflayer army on the Sword Coast. To top it all off, it also kills the entire party, who are all wiped out in the blast.

2 Becoming The Absolute

Baldur's Gate 3, Elder Brain/Absolute Overpowers Dragonborn

This ending is the one that players are likely to be going for in order to achieve the most evil ending possible. This naturally makes it one of the worst endings in terms of the impact on the other characters and overall world. Combining elements from all the other miserable endings, this ending requires players to betray and kill an ally, taking control of the Absolute for themselves.

It means that anyone infected with the illithid tadpoles, including most companions, will be the character's personal thralls, and most of Faerun is bound for a similar terrible fate, or death if they resist. A truly evil ending, it is not a good ending for anyone involved, except for the evil player character.

1 Wyll Becomes A Lemure

Baldur's Gate 3, Wyll Being Pulled Down To Hell

As far as individual character endings go, this one has to be the worst of the bunch, primarily because of how early it can come and how simply underwhelming it is. If players turn against Wyll's devil patron, Mizora, and kill her, it breaks the terms of Wyll's pact. This results in his immediate and severe punishment. He is dragged down into the pits of Avernus and vanishes.

He has been turned into a lemure, the lowliest and most miserable of devils, and cursed to spend the rest of his days in the hells. It is such a sudden and horrific fate, especially for such a kind-hearted character. This ending is best experienced with Karlach as a companion, who heartbreakingly mourns for Wyll, but it doesn't detract from how utterly miserable this fate is.