Baldur’s Gate 3 players convinced Astarion should have been a different race

Some Baldur’s Gate 3 fans have argued that Astarion’s backstory would have been a bit more impactful if he wasn’t a High Elf.

Baldur’s Gate 3 has many companions that fans can undertake their journey with, but the High Elf Astarion may be the most popular of the bunch.

Thanks to his roguishly charming personality and compelling backstory, many players often make a place for the Vampire in their main party.

However, some fans have argued that Astarion’s personal story could have been a bit more captivating if he was a different race thanks to some specific factors.

Baldur’s Gate 3 fans argue Astarion shouldn’t have been a High Elf

A post on the Baldur’s Gate 3 subreddit sparked a discussion among fans after one player shared their opinion on Astarion’s backstory.

In the thread, titled, “Thought: It was an odd idea to make Astarion a High Elf,” the OP argued that Astarion’s enthrallment to Cazador was underwhelming thanks to the innately long lifespan of High Elves.

“Astarion was 39 when he was turned into a Vampire Thrall and, to paraphrase the man himself, ‘learn the downsides of immortality’… Astarion could STILL have expected to be living for hundreds and hundreds of years before reaching ‘middle age.’ It’s odd that he considers 200 years an eternity, when even without being bitten he would probably look the same right now (minus the fangs and red eyes).”

The players fleshed out their thoughts further in the full post but believed that making him a Human or Half-Elf would have made his character more consistent.

Some fans agreed with the OP, like one fan who said, “I also think it’s an odd choice, but for another reason. Astarion looks f*ck all like an Elf. He looks absolutely human. I legit forgot he was an Elf literal dozens of times through the gameplay.”

However, many argued that despite having a much longer lifespan as a High Elf, enthrallment to Cazador for 200 years would still be considered hellish.

“The torture probably had something to do with it feeling like an eternity,” argued one player, while another said, “This poor man has been tortured for like…85% of his life. That’d be eternity to me.”

While some may view Astarion’s enslavement as only a portion of his overall lifespan, the horrors he endured during those 200 years likely made it feel exponentially longer.