In Search of Romance? Here Are the Best Ones in Baldur’s Gate 3


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In Search of Romance? Here Are the Best Ones in Baldur’s Gate 3

Find Faerun's most eligible bachelors and bachelorette's here in a ranked list of Baldur's Gate 3 romances!

Ever wanted to play a dating sim and Dungeons and Dragons at the same time? Developer Larian Studios has just the game for you! But who to choose among the not one but eight romanceable options? I’ve made the choice just a bit easier by ranking the best Baldur’s Gate 3 romances! 

(There are some slight spoilers ahead but nothing too major. Feel free to read on even if you haven’t completed a playthrough yet.)

I’ve ranked the romances below from best to worst.

#1 Astarion

There’s a reason Astarion is a fan favorite and it shouldn’t be a surprise he’s at the top of the list of Baldur’s Gate 3 best romances. 

Not only are his sassy one-liners hilarious, his characterization is also incredible. Plus he’s one of the few characters who actually have multiple romance endings depending on your character’s decisions. Whichever ending you choose, it’s up to you whether to try and heal Astarion’s scars or feed them along with the suave vampire spawn’s lust for power.

“Good” ending or “bad” I think we can all agree that Astarion’s story and romance route are one of the most tragic in the game. Fear is at the heart of all of his decisions as well as his hunger for power. 

Astarion was abused at the hands of his master for centuries and did what he had to survive. After being nabbed and infected by mindflayers he’ll do whatever it takes to never be put in that position again. His relationship with you will determine whether he faces down his demons, or ends up becoming one. 

His romance route is incredibly fleshed out and well written. I highly recommend it if you’re still trying to figure out in Baldur’s Gate 3 who to romance. 

#2 Karlach

Everyone loves Karlach. It’s impossible not to. She’s such a positive, ride or die, adorable badass to have on your team. Despite her own tragic backstory she still manages to put a positive spin on everything and savor each moment she gets. Whether she can touch you or not. Which is exactly why her romance gets number two on the list.

Knowing your days could be numbered is enough to make most people pretty depressed. Can’t say I would blame them either. Karlach, though, seems to take that knowledge in stride and relishes in the present. She doesn’t dwell on the time she doesn’t have, preferring to focus on what she does. Choosing to spend that time with her kind of makes her a giddy mess. But in the best way possible.

In Karlach’s route it’s impossible not to tell how excited she is to be around you. She’s sort of like a horny teenager experiencing butterflies in their stomach for the first time. It’s incredibly endearing and heartwarming to see her turn into a gooey mess as the romance progresses.   Even while ignoring the ticking timebomb in her chest. 

#3 Shadowheart

Aside from Astarion, Shadowheart is one of the other companions whose ending will change depending on your relationship with her. Unlike Astarion though her endgame is a little more reliant on the choices you make in general rather than her direct relationship with you. 

While some companions are stuck in the past and others in the present, Shadowheart is arguably the only one who is focused on the future. She doesn’t believe the mindflayer business or parasites will be the end of her and always strives towards her goals. It’s enough for her if those goals can include you in some way. 

In my first playthrough I wasn’t sure how I felt about her. She initially comes off as very prim and haughty but as you get to know her you find out she’s a total softie. Her romance is incredibly sweet as you help her follow her dreams and/ or change them when she learns about her past. 

#4 Wyll

I will be the first to admit I am not Wyll’s biggest fan. Unless you take the time to get to know him he comes off as fairly arrogant and downright hypocritical. When you do take the time to get to know him though, it’s quite the pleasure to see through his facade to the man he truly is. Rather than the mighty “Blade of Frontiers” he tries to be.

What Wyll wants from you in his romance is someone to lean on in times of turmoil. He doesn’t need another conscience nor does he need someone to help him attain godly powers. He just wants someone by his side that will put their faith in him wholeheartedly. 

All that is to say, Wyll’s romance is pretty cute. He makes it very clear how much you mean to him as an ally and a partner. His entire demeanor changes around you which makes it hard not to appreciate and love him in return. 

#5 Minthara

The best thing about Minthara’s romance route in Baldur’s Gate 3 is that it can force you to play an entirely different game. Assuming that you don’t start out on an “evil” run anyway. 

Adding Minthara to your party will open up entirely new facets to the plot and story perspectives that you just don’t get from the other main party members. Pursuing her and her character quest allows you to see a whole new side to the Cult of the Absolute. As well as remind you that many of its members are victims who weren’t lucky enough to have the Artifact’s protection.

Recruiting her as an ally allows you to see how strong, willful, and honestly pretty cool Minthara is. Yeah she’s ruthless but I can totally fix her. 

The biggest downside to Minthara’s romance is that it doesn’t get as much focus as the other characters. I’ve heard some rumors Larian may patch that and add more Minthara content but for now the lack of focus does put her romance lower on the list. Especially considering how much content is lost to add her to the party.

#6 Lae’zel

Inexplicably I did come to like Lae’zel a lot more during her romance route while at the same time finding it kind of boring. It just feels like romancing her doesn’t add a whole lot to the story, unlike most of the other companions. There are undoubtedly many sweet moments shared between the Githyanki warrior and your player character but they all seem very separated from the main quests and even her own character quest.

Part of the problem is Lae’zel’s characterization. She says herself she isn’t one for PDA and wants to keep intimate moments private. Which is all well and good, there’s nothing wrong with that. The issue is that there are only so many private moments in the game to be seen. 

Keeping her feelings known mostly behind the scenes also means they don’t influence her story very much. Which in turn means they aren’t on display much for the player. Romancing her or not, you can basically get the same endings. 

#7 Halsin

I do love Halsin’s romance in Baldur’s Gate 3, he’s a caring and charming partner who has more than a few lines that will melt your heart. Unfortunately his romance with Tav doesn’t get a very high ranking due to the lack of scenes between the two. 

Unlike your other companions, Halsin won’t join your party until well into Act II (we’ve got a guide on recruiting him if you’re having trouble!). Which means you’re already halfway through the game by the time he really opens up to you. By the time you actually begin the romance, the climax of the game is already fast approaching. Not to mention the end scene of Halsin’s romance feels fairly lackluster. 

Halsin’s romance route in Baldur’s Gate 3 unfortunately is more like an add-on than its own romance route. While lovely, it definitely feels like an afterthought that was just kind of tacked on. It is pretty cool that certain companions will be okay about entering a throuple situation with him though. 

#8 Gale

Gale is an…. Interesting character. His approach to romance seems to be doing everything he can to sweep you off your feet and wow you with his incredible magic. Which is fine but at the same time it feels as if he’s just putting on a show. His romance scenes often become a grand spectacle which are incredible to witness but also often feel devoid of true emotion. 

Depending on your choices you can steer some scenes towards more grounded relationship progressions. If left up to Gale himself though, it seems he would much rather try to blow your mind than actually get to know you. Which makes the end of his romance route a bit jarring. It does show that he truly cares for your character at least but at the same time it feels almost out of character for him too.

Maybe it was just the way I was playing but Gale’s whole route felt like it lacked personal connection. He doesn’t really open up and let himself be vulnerable until pretty much the end of the game. Unlike other characters who dropped pretenses much more quickly, Gale clings to his identity as a “prodigal wizard” far longer. Which means his route largely lacked the raw emotions I enjoyed with the other romanceable companions. 

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