Baldur's Gate 3 Main Characters: Companions, Origins, and Key NPCs

Baldur's Gate 3's cast is its beating heart: ten recruitable companions (six of them playable Origin characters), the mysterious Dark Urge, and a web of villains and allies ranging from the godlike to the grotesque. The story's main characters are the six Origin companions — Astarion, Shadowheart, Gale, Lae'zel, Wyll and Karlach — plus the Dark Urge and the mind-flayer known as The Emperor, who turns out to be the legendary Balduran, founder of the city itself. This guide profiles every main character, the villains, and the notable Act 3 faces, with spoilers — you're here for answers.

The Six Origin Companions

Every companion can be recruited (or not — your choice), romanced (8 of 10 are romanceable), and followed through a personal quest with multiple endings. The six Origin characters:

Playing an Origin puts you in their head with extra scenes and unique dialogue; keeping them as companions gives you their quest arcs. The classic party advice — one tank, one damage, one support, one face — applies to whichever six you pick first, and all six are recruitable within the first act.

Per the official Steam store page, the game lets you "play as one of seven origin characters, including the Dark Urge — a fully customisable protagonist with a dark, pre-written story," alongside the six companions above.

The Dark Urge

The Dark Urge (often just "Durge") is the seventh origin: a fully customizable character with a pre-written dark backstory. Mechanically it's a custom character (any race/class), but narratively you're a Bhaalspawn carrying an uncontrollable murderous impulse. It's the community's recommended second run — it recontextualizes the whole plot, adds exclusive scenes, and has one of the game's most discussed optional moments. It can also be played heroic: resisting the Urge is a genuine playthrough of its own, with its own ending.

The Other Four Companions

• Halsin (wood elf / Druid) — Archdruid of the Emerald Grove, recruited in Act 2; mutually exclusive with Minthara.
• Minthara (drow / Paladin) — goblin-camp leader; requires siding against the Emerald Grove (or the Act 2 loophole) — the game's most famous "evil route" reward.
• Jaheira (half-elf / Druid) — returning from BG1/BG2; joins in Act 2, brings decades of series history (see our trilogy guide for the saga).
• Minsc (human / Ranger) — the beloved, loud companion from the classics, recruitable in Act 3 with his miniature giant space hamster Boo.

The Villains: Chosen of the Absolute

The main antagonists are the three Chosen of the Absolute, each a general of the cult the party is fighting:

• Ketheric Thorm (Act 2) — the immortal death knight general of the Shadow-Cursed Lands; the first major boss and the game's best-acted villain.
• Enver Gortash (Act 3) — the manipulative politician/tyrant of Baldur's Gate; the Chosen who made a deal with the party's benefactor.
• Orin the Red (Act 3) — the shape-shifting Bhaalist assassin; the most mechanically terrifying of the three (her Honour Mode Legendary Action can one-shot a character).

Above them sits the Elder Brain itself, and complicating the "villain" label is The Emperor — the mind flayer who rescues and guides you, whose true identity is the story's biggest twist.

Balduran: The Founder (and The Emperor)

Balduran is the legendary namesake and founder of Baldur's Gate — and, as revealed in Act 3, the true identity of The Emperor. The full story:

• A famous seafaring explorer, he founded the coastal village of Grey Harbour and funded the wall that grew into Baldur's Gate.
• Shipwrecked near Moonrise Towers, he was captured and infected by mind flayers; the new illithid retained his memories and broke free of the elder brain after ~14 years.
• His old ally, the bronze dragon Ansur, tracked him down and spent years trying to reverse the transformation; when it became clear there was no cure, Ansur attempted to kill him — and the Emperor killed Ansur instead. The undead dragon's lair is a major Act 3 dungeon (started from a quest in Wyrm's Crossing).
• As The Emperor, he guides the party through the game as the mysterious voice in their dreams — manipulative, pragmatic, and the game's most argued-over ally.

Per the bg3.wiki page on The Emperor, "Ansur reveals the Emperor was in fact formerly Balduran, the founder of Baldur's Gate… while the Emperor initially did not want to become a mind flayer, it eventually fully embraced its new form." The same page confirms Balduran "founded a coastal village called Grey Harbour" and was infected "at Moonrise Towers."

Balduran is also honored around the city: his statue dominates the Upper City plaza, and the Wyrm's Crossing dungeon, the Wyrmway, is his trial gauntlet — one of the best-hidden optional areas in Act 3. The full companion and NPC roster is also catalogued on the bg3.wiki Companions page.

Notable Act 3 NPCs Worth Knowing

The Lower City is packed with memorable faces; two stand out for gameplay value:

• Big Huido — a halfling smuggler waiting for a Guild pickup at the Grey Harbour Docks. The wooden chest beside him holds 3 crossbows, 200+ gold, magic arrows and a piece of infernal iron (useful for Karlach's quest), plus a Terazul crate nearby. He's one of the easiest notable fights in the city if you want the loot.
• Helsik — the tiefling shopkeeper of the Devil's Fee, who sells your party passage to the House of Hope; her shop's second floor holds the Thirsty Ward trap puzzle (disarm it by feeding the gargoyle any liquid).

For the full Act 3 secret-hunting list — including the Thirsty Ward and the Terazul drug — see our new campaign guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the main characters in Baldur's Gate 3?

The six Origin companions (Astarion, Shadowheart, Gale, Lae'zel, Wyll, Karlach), the Dark Urge, four more recruitable companions (Halsin, Minthara, Jaheira, Minsc), the villains (Ketheric Thorm, Enver Gortash, Orin the Red) and the mysterious mind flayer known as The Emperor.

How many companions can you recruit in Baldur's Gate 3?

Ten total, with a party cap of four at a time. Six are recruitable in Act 1; Halsin, Minthara and Jaheira in Act 2; Minsc in Act 3. Some are mutually exclusive based on major choices.

Who is Balduran in Baldur's Gate 3?

The legendary founder of Baldur's Gate — and, as revealed in Act 3, the true identity of The Emperor. He was infected by mind flayers at Moonrise Towers and killed his old ally, the dragon Ansur, when Ansur tried to end his suffering.

Who is the main villain of Baldur's Gate 3?

The cult of the Absolute, led by its three Chosen — Ketheric Thorm (Act 2), Enver Gortash and Orin the Red (Act 3) — ultimately serving an Elder Brain. Whether The Emperor counts as ally or villain is the game's most debated question.

Can you romance all main characters in Baldur's Gate 3?

Eight of the ten companions are romanceable (all six Origin characters, plus Halsin and Minthara). Romances have their own scenes, endings and even breakups, and were expanded by Patch 6's unique kiss animations.

Related Guides

• Baldur's Gate 3 Guide — party building with these characters
• Baldur's Gate 3 New Campaign — Dark Urge and Origin runs explained
• BG 3 Builder Guide — builds for each companion
• Baldur's Gate Trilogy Guide — Jaheira and Minsc's backstory

Last updated: August 13, 2026.