All Baldur’s Gate 3 companions & tier list, from Astarion to Shadowheart

Companions are a big part of Baldur’s Gate 3‘s experience, changing up a playthrough with additional dialogue options, getting you into new situations, and even offering up opportunities to strike up a romance. That makes it essential to carefully pick who you take with you out into Faerûn.

The game’s companions all have very different personalities, specialties, and classes. You can respec their mechanical gameplay aspects, but their narrative role stays the same and depends on your in-game choices.

Some Baldur’s Gate 3 party members are better than others, thanks to their expansive quests, and the point in the game when you get them. Here is our Baldur’s Gate 3 companion tier list.

All Baldur’s Gate 3 companions

Baldur’s Gate 3 has 10 different companions dotted throughout the map, which you’ll find listed below in alphabetical order, along with their Origin character and romance opinion status:

Origin characters are ones you can choose to play as, rather than hiring them as party members; this will alter the main story in a number of ways, depending on which character you pick.

Those who are unhappy with the established party members can also create hirelings, which are fresh characters with no role in the story. These are helpful for cheesing the harder parts of the game, but they’re not as interesting as the main companions.

There are some temporary party members, like Alfira in Patch 7, but these only join you for short parts of the game and won’t be listed here.

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Companion tier list for BG3

• S = The best companions to play with. They’re versatile, strong, and work for most combats or conversations.
• A = These companions are great to have in your team. They may not be the strongest but they’re efficient and effective.
• B = While not the best companion in the game, they can help in a pinch depending on your playstyle.
• F = They’re not particularly effective and can make the game relatively tricky.

As previously mentioned, you can respec characters in the Camp. The fact that Baldur’s Gate 3 allows characters to multiclass into different roles means you also have a lot of leeway for customizing your party members.

That being said, some characters are better choices, especially for a first run when you’re trying to make the most of the game.

S-Tier

Shadowheart

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Clerics are a great class on their own, but combined with the easy-going nature and constant need to speak her mind, Shadowheart pushes that class to new heights. She’s a fantastic fighter and healer in combat, allowing her to slot into your party no matter the composition.

Shadowheart’s demeanor also means you can keep her throughout either a fully good or evil run. She will stick around with the Dark Urge all the way to the end if need be.

It is advised that you respec Shadowheart’s Domain into Tempest or War, to give her much better powers, as the Trickery Domain is a bad fit for her.

• Class: Cleric
• Background: Acolyte
• Race: High Half-Elf
• Origin Charcter: Yes
• Romanceable: Yes
• Best ability score spread: Strength 10, Dexterity 14, Constitution 16, Intelligence 8, Wisdom 16, Charisma 10

Pros

• Powerful healer and buffer character
• Has one of the best long-running storylines in the game
• Evil players get some great magic items for her
• You don’t need to play a healer, as you get Shadowheart early on
• Stays with you in most runs

Cons

• Poor subclass choice means you need to respec her to get the most out of her Cleric class
• Tricky to romance compared to the other early heroes

Astarion

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It’s hard to resist Astarion in Baldur’s Gate 3, whether that’s the vampiric charm or the pure charisma he holds. Either way, he’s funny, extremely flirtatious, and the right amount of trouble to get any D&D player interested.

As for combat, there’s nothing quite as useful as having a Rogue by your side. Setting those sneak attacks can be deadly and the proficiency in stealth enables you to sneak wherever and whenever you need, ideal for any situation.

• Class: Rogue
• Background: Charlatan
• Race: High Elf
• Origin Charcter: Yes
• Romanceable: Yes
• Best ability score spread: Strength 8, Dexterity 16, Constitution 14, Intelligence 12, Wisdom 6, Charisma 8

Pros

• Gives you a Rogue character early on so you never have to worry about dealing with traps
• Vampire powers give him unique actions in combat
• Awesome long-running story that culminates in a great boss battle
• Easy to romance
• Best voice acting in the game

Cons

• If he’s feasting on your protagonist, you need to find items/spells to offset to the detrimental effects
• Can be very judgmental and easily disapproves of your actions

Karlach

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Karlach is ideal for a party lacking a tank or proficient fighter. She’s got tons of health, some huge damage with her attacks, and can power herself up with Soul Coins.

Sure, she may not have tons of versatility but every party needs a tank and she is it. If you’re lacking in damage or someone to soak the hits, Karlach is the Tiefling for the job.

• Class: Barbarian
• Background: Outlander
• Race: Zariel Tiefling
• Origin Charcter: Yes
• Romanceable: Yes
• Best ability score spread: Strength 17, Dexterity 13, Constitution 15, Intelligence 8, Wisdom 12, Charisma 10

Pros

• Far easier to get along with than Lae’zel
• Unique Soul Coin mechanic lets her deal additional Fire damage in combat
• Natural fire resistance is really useful, especially early on in the game
• Great stats for her role

Cons

• Personal missions can be tricky to complete and involve lots of fetch quests
• Lae’zel is a better tank in terms of defense unless you’re willing to respec Karlach
• Her endings can be a letdown
• The starting quest to find her can lead to potential fatal encounter with Wyll

A-Tier

Gale

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Upon meeting Gale, it may seem he’s a bit of a clumsy Wizard, but when you fully explore him in combat, it’s clear to see he’s extremely proficient. Ultimately, Gale is versatile, skilled, and although squishy, makes a great combatant if you’re lacking spells in your party.

The downside to Gale is that he needs to consume magic items to stop from exploding. However, this is only a temporary issue, and a certain famous mage can stop it, so long as Gale is willing to play ball.

• Class: Wizard
• Background: Sage
• Race: Human
• Origin Charcter: Yes
• Romanceable: Yes
• Best ability score spread: Strength 8, Dexterity 16, Constitution 14, Intelligence 16, Wisdom 10, Charisma 10

Pros

• Gives you a powerful arcane spellcaster straight away
• Provides an interesting alternate win condition for the ending
• Has one of the best personal storylines in the game (so long as you can overlook his smugness)

Cons

• The magic item consumption mechanic is especially painful in Act I when you need all the help you can get.
• Can be a bit of creeper when it comes to romance, especially if you ignore him

Wyll

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While Astarion is certainly charismatic, he does not have a very high Charisma stat. That’s especially so when compared to Wyll. As a Warlock, talking is his main skill, making him perfect for any party where you lack conversational skills. After all, fighting is great, but being able to talk your way out of it is perfect in some cases.

As for combat, he may not have the most spells, but he’s a proficient fighter and can be pretty useful, even if you just use Eldritch Blast every time. It’s not labeled one of the best D&D Cantrips for nothing.

• Class: Warlock
• Background: Folk Hero
• Race: Human
• Origin Charcter: Yes
• Romanceable: Yes
• Best ability score spread: Strength 10, Dexterity 16, Constitution 14, Intelligence 8, Wisdom 10, Charisma 16

Pros

• Has the highest Charisma of the Act I characters, making him a good pick if you need someone to focus on out-of-combat social interaction skill rolls.
• Is a lot simpler to use than Gale, making him a better spellcaster to use for new players
• Just Eldritch Blast your way to victory in every fight
• Has an engaging personal questline with the awesome addition of the devil Mizora
• Can wear armor and is pretty good with weapons

Cons

• His quest is more interesting than he is
• Warlocks can feel underpowered later on and might be heavily reliant on magic items to keep up
• Wyll is a bit too squishy for frontline fighting, even with the Warlock proficiency benefits

Lae’zel

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Initially, Lae’zel may seem like the perfect companion. She’s a fantastic Fighter with multiple combat actions that improve as she levels. Having Lae’zel around will also give you a good standing among the other Githyanki you control.

On top of everything else, she’s simple to control, and you don’t need to do any fancy quests to get hold of her.

However, she’s just plain miserable. Her race can prove to be an issue in some conversations, and chatting with her can often feel like a task instead of a blessing. Sure, some may love her, but there are much kinder options out there.

• Class: Fighter
• Background: Soldier
• Race: Githyanki
• Origin Charcter: Yes
• Romanceable: Yes
• Best ability score spread: Strength 16, Dexterity 14, Constitution 16, Intelligence 8, Wisdom 10, Charisma 10

Pros

• Base Fighter class means she can use the best weapons and armor in the game, with a high potential AC early on.
• Is easier to acquire than Karlach and can be found early on
• Makes interacting with (some) Githyanki easier
• Easy to romance, so long as you play ball

Cons

• One of the most difficult party members to get along with
• Can have potentially fatal early interactions with Shadowheart
• Seriously, stop complaining! We’re going to the Githyanki Creche later!

B-Tier

Halsin

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Halsin is pretty fun to fight with and is extremely versatile, bringing powerful spells, useful Wild Shapes, and a great personality. He also has that famous bear romance scene, and who can turn that down?

The problem with Halsin is that you don’t get him until Act II after completing a lengthy quest. Also, as a Circle of the Moon Druid, he won’t throw out those powerful elemental attack spells in combat, as you can’t cast in animal form.

He’ll still be good in a scrap, but you’re sacrificing a lot when he’s using Wild Shape. That is, unless, you respec him.

• Class: Druid
• Background: Outlander
• Race: Wood Elf
• Origin Character: No
• Romanceable: Yes
• Best ability score spread: Strength 10, Dexterity 14, Constitution 14, Intelligence 8, Wisdom 17, Charisma 12
• Cons: Hard to recruit, doesn’t deal enough damage or provide sufficient healing

Pros

• Wild Shape has a lot of utility and can be powerful early on
• Has one of the best romance quests in the game
• Do we have to mention the bear thing again?

Cons

• It takes a long time to get him
• Doesn’t have much of a personal quest after you recruit him
• Circle of the Moon Druid can be underpowered later on

Minthara

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Minthara is a great character with one of the best classes in the game, as Paladin is incredibly powerful. There’s a lot to love about this rogue Drow warrior and her storyline that is tied to some of the main villains.

The problem is how you acquire her. This is easy on an evil route, so long as you’re willing to burn the Druid Grove. However, it’s really easy for her to turn on you by picking the wrong dialogue choice and for you to have to murder Minthara before she joins. Picking the evil route also means losing characters like Karlach and Wyll.

It’s possible to recruit Minthara during a good playthrough, but it involves a lot of meta-gaming, which some fans might not like. Like Halsin, you also don’t get her until way into Act II, so you’re going to be waiting a while before unleashing the Paladin of Lolth on your enemies.

• Class: Paladin
• Background: Noble
• Race: Drow
• Origin Character: No
• Romanceable: Yes
• Best ability score spread: Strength 16, Dexterity 10, Constitution 14, Intelligence 8, Wisdom 10, Charisma 16

Pros

• Belongs to one of the best classes in the game
• Has some of the funniest dialogue lines in Baldur’s Gate 3
• Is the best dedicated character for evil runs

Cons

• Possibly the hardest character to recruit outside of evil runs
• Really easy to accidentally screw up the recruitment process
• Can be annoying to deal with in conversation

F-Tier

Jaheira

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Jaheira may be a veteran from previous Baldur’s Gate games, but that doesn’t mean she’s powerful to match.

In a similar vein to Minsc, Jaheira feels like the worst of her two classes. Being multiclassed, it’s easy to assume she’s versatile, but her Druid powers don’t match Halsin, and her Fighter powers feel incredibly weak. You’ll likely spend more time stopping her from dying than watching her take down the enemies.

More importantly, you don’t get Jaheria until Act III, when you will have already settled on a party. The fact that she has a bad class mix means you have even less reason to add her to your roster.

• Class: Druid
• Background: Soldier
• Race: High Half-Elf
• Origin Character: No
• Romanceable: Yes
• Best ability score spread: Strength 10, Dexterity 14, Constitution 16, Intelligence 10, Wisdom 16, Charisma 8

Pros

• Has some great scenes with Minsc
• Is a great throwback for fans of the old-school games

Cons

• Terrible multiclass choice means respeccing is essential
• Can turn on your in certain runs
• You don’t get her until the final Act of the game

Minsc

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Minsc is tons of fun to have in your party. He’s funny, and powerful, and will certainly create a void many other companions fail to fill.

However, there’s a reason the Ranger is one of the worst classes in both Dungeons & Dragons and Baldur’s Gate 3. Minsc lacks in anything particularly great. Sure, they can complement some playstyles, with the ability to deal with ranged and melee attacks, but for damage, there are much better companions, and for healers, you’ve got Shadowheart.

The bigger problem is when you get him. You have to seek him out in Act III, which is when most of the game has been completed. While it’s nice that Minsc is around, you don’t get enough of a chance to use him.

• Class: Ranger
• Background: Folk Hero
• Race: Human
• Origin Character: No
• Romanceable: No
• Best ability score spread: Strength 10, Dexterity 16, Constitution 16, Intelligence 8, Wisdom 14, Charisma 10

Pros

• Boo comes along for the ride
• Has some great dialogue options with Jaheira
• Is one of the funniest characters in the game

Cons

• Rangers suck, so you best get respeccing.
• You get Minsc way too late in the game

How to find Baldur’s Gate 3’s best companion, Shadowheart

Shadowheart can be recruited right from the prologue, so you’ll want to find her on the Nautiloid to speed this process along:

• While onboard the Nautiloid, you’ll come across a chamber with a bright red pod to the left as you make your way to the helm of the ship towards the end of the prologue. Shadowheart is stuck in this very pod.

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• After speaking with her, go into the room that is to the pod’s left. You will find a body, a console, and another pod inside the room. All you have to do is search the corpse to find the Eldritch Rune.
• Once you’ve picked up the rune, go back to the other room to use the console and set Shadowheart free.
• Now all you have to do is pass the Illithid/Wisdom check which will set her free and she’ll then join your party.

You’ll be separated after you escape the Nautiloid, but you’ll find an unconscious Shadowheart on the path leading to the next area. Just wake her up and agree to work together to bring her into your party for good.

Shadowheart’s healing and support abilities are crucial components to keeping you alive throughout the game, making her a no-brainer choice when deciding who’s best as a companion. 

Now that you know which of the companions are best for your party in BG3, check out our tier list of all the classes, how to respec your character, or the best multiclassing builds if you wish to explore different options.