Baldur’s Gate 3: A Multitude of Endings Based on Your Choices
Baldur’s Gate 3, the sprawling RPG adventure, presents players with a plethora of possible endings, all hinging on the decisions they make throughout the game. These conclusions encompass the fates of allies, strategies for the final showdown, and the destiny of the world of Faerûn. In this article, we’ll delve into the diverse endings and the pivotal choices that steer the course of this epic tale.
The central narrative arc of Baldur’s Gate 3 revolves around the looming threat of the Absolute and the enigmatic Crown of Karsus. The alliances you form and the choices you make will have a profound impact on the ultimate outcome of the story. The climactic final battle hinges on obtaining the Netherstones and attempting to control the Elder Brain. Here, players face a momentous decision: either to destroy the Brain or to seize control of it, a choice that will shape the game’s ending.
Given Baldur’s Gate 3’s expansive nature and its emphasis on player agency, multiple playthroughs are often required to explore the full spectrum of endings. The allies that rally beside your party during the final confrontation, the available options for tackling it, and the fate of Faerûn all undergo substantial shifts based on earlier choices and decisions made during the concluding sequences.
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The Endings in Detail
Baldur’s Gate 3 features numerous endings, but most of them materialize after the pivotal battle against the Absolute, following the resolution of conflicts with Orin and Gortash, and the acquisition of all three Netherstones. Certain endings do exist earlier in the game, but they are typically abrupt and do not provide a satisfying conclusion to the story that has been meticulously crafted. The game’s diverse and significant choices significantly affect the endings, promising a unique experience with each playthrough.
Key Choices Influencing BG3’s Endings
The most crucial decision that influences the ending occurs in the third act, involving the Emperor, Orpheus, and the player character’s illithid potential. By default, the party aligns with the Emperor, a renegade mind flayer and the true identity of Baldur’s Gate 3’s Guardian. He reveals that the party is safeguarded from the Absolute’s influence by the imprisoned Githyanki prince, Orpheus. Alternatively, players can choose to liberate Orpheus, enlisting him as an ally and causing the Emperor to side with the Absolute. Both characters, if not turned hostile, play pivotal roles in the final battle.
To confront the Absolute, one character must undergo a transformation into an enhanced mind flayer. The choices for this transformation include the Emperor, Orpheus, the player character, and Karlach (if she’s a present companion). This decision has far-reaching implications for the game’s conclusion and specific character storylines, particularly those of Lae’zel and Karlach. Other choices affect which allies can be summoned for the final battle, certain story details, and character-specific endings.
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The Climactic Battle
The ultimate battle in Baldur’s Gate 3 unfolds after dealing with Orin and Gortash, securing their Netherstones, and, in the case of Orin, engaging in a conflict. If Gortash is allied with earlier, he joins the party in confronting the Elder Brain. The party’s destination is the hidden Elder Brain beneath Baldur’s Gate, where they aim to use the Netherstones to assert control. This critical juncture involves several checks to dominate the Elder Brain, but even with all checks successful, the attempt is destined to fail.
If Gortash has been allied with, he attempts to intervene in the domination effort but is ultimately slain by the Elder Brain. This revelation unveils that the cult of the Absolute and the proliferation of mind flayer tadpoles were under the Elder Brain’s control all along. The failed domination prompts the party’s retreat to the Astral Prism, where the Emperor or Orpheus explains that an enhanced mind flayer intellect is needed to confront the Absolute. The choice of which character undergoes this transformation is made, with implications for the game’s ending and specific storylines, particularly those of Lae’zel and Karlach.
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Irrespective of the character chosen for the transformation, the party emerges in a besieged Baldur’s Gate, facing off against the Elder Brain, the forces of the Absolute, and newly transformed mind flayers. A meeting at the High Hall with select allies, determined by earlier choices, precedes the final showdown. To reach the Elder Brain, a battle ensues on its surface, culminating in a fight to access the Crown of Karsus on the other side. Here, the enhanced mind flayer must again attempt to subjugate the Brain.
The Game’s Endings
The ultimate decision arises at the end of this battle. The player character can either destroy the Elder Brain, saving the world, or seize control of it, leading to an “evil” ending. If another character is the mind flayer, this choice necessitates betrayal and a successful melee attack roll. Choosing to control the Elder Brain precludes character-specific endings, as companions effectively become mind-controlled thralls.
Character-Specific and Additional Endings
Taking control of the Elder Brain places the player character in a position of power, ruling over the world in the standard “evil” ending. Opting to destroy the Brain results in its descent into the sea, preserving the city. Scenes depict the citizens of Baldur’s Gate rallying against the mind flayers, and each companion who remains with the group receives a concluding dialogue snippet. Notably, if Orpheus has transformed into a mind flayer, he urges Lae’zel to carry on his mission against Vlaakith, and requests the player character to end his life.
If Lae’zel takes up Orpheus’s cause, he can be convinced to live on; otherwise, he takes his own life. Depending on prior choices, major companion characters can have varied endings. Karlach’s endings exhibit considerable diversity: as a mind flayer, she is immune to her engine exploding. Otherwise, she either succumbs to the explosion and perishes or returns to Avernus, either with Wyll or, if romanced with specific dialogue choices, the player character.
Wyll’s fate depends on the player’s choices: he can either retain his warlock powers or lose them, determined by the decision to break his contract. He can also become a duke of Baldur’s Gate, following in his father’s footsteps, or revert to being the Blade of Frontiers. Astarion, if not allowed to ascend to full vampirism, must evade the sun after losing his tadpole. Shadowheart and Gale, by and large, exhibit less variation in their endings, with Shadowheart aligning with either Shar or Selûne, contingent on her personal quest outcomes.
Beyond the general ending scene, a few short scenes may play out. Typically, the player character shares a brief scene with any romanced companion. Withers mocks the failed plans of the Dead Three, and if a pact was formed with Raphael, a scene hints at his future plans to invade other realms. Early endings can also be achieved by allowing Gale to sacrifice himself, leading to the demise of the entire party or the destruction of the Elder Brain in the final battle.
While Baldur’s Gate 3 boasts numerous ending states, many are relatively brief and feature only
minor variations, potentially leaving players feeling a tad unsatisfied compared to the epic journey that precedes them. However, Larian Studios has pledged to continue improving the game through patches and hinted at enhancements for the various endings. As a result, the finale of Baldur’s Gate 3 is poised for significant refinement in future updates.
