months later Baldur’s Gate 3After my release, I continue to be haunted by a man. His face pops up all over my feeds, he made a splash with some fans, and he feels like a natural progression from some of my favorite BioWare companions. I continue to be fascinated by Astarion, who has more than earned his place in the RPG Allies hall of fame, and I’m not the only one.
It’s interesting that Astarion is at the center of so much discussion, because He’s not the most popular romance option in the game. He’s not even in the top three, behind Shadowheart, Lae’zel and Karlach. But the conversations surrounding him are particularly intense as fans thirst for him, identifying with his heartfelt storylines and discussing the nuances of his personality. Even months later Baldur’s Gate 3 has been released, new updates and Mods related to Astarion spark controversy. fans Study the developer notescompare different variations of cutscenesand occasionally turn on each other to fervently debate the defense of their favorite vampire.
Astarion has one immediately obvious appeal: he’s a sexy vampire. Pop culture is littered with variations on this archetype; Everyone remembers a few years when Twilight’s Edward Cullen was everywhere, and he was preceded by similarly sexy icons from the literary canon. But beyond his immediate appeal, Astarion proved to be an entertaining companion. He’s hilarious, occasionally passive-aggressive and deeply petty
I’ve seen a plethora of silly memes giving Astarion a weapon or adorning him with clown makeup, and in my own experience, he inspires these tributes more often than the others Baldur’s Gate 3 Companions. This is due in large part to the performance of recent Game Award winner Neil Newbon, who portrays every facet of Astarion’s personality phenomenally. A lower power might have enticed players to use the thirsty vampire early on, but Newbon elevates even simple scenarios with a completely dramatic performance.
This is a huge effort compared to Astarion’s previous performances, but Newbon handles the portrayal deftly, even as the game becomes much more serious. The closer a player gets to Astarion, the more they learn about his tragic past. Astarion is a vampire spawn transformed by Cazador Szarr. Cazador is a cruel father who tortures Astarion to force obedience. This is one of the reasons why Astarion is much less afraid of the tadpole in his head than the rest of the group; Suffering gives him freedom to walk under the sun, free from his master’s oppressive control.
Astarion’s relationship with Cazador shapes his personality. He is manipulative, willing to give up his physical charms, and extremely selfish. Ultimately, his story is part of the cycle of abuse. The player finds out that Cazador was mistreated by his own master, and when he took power, he inflicted the same pain on Astarion. It all culminates in a final decision for Astarion: he can ascend, break the bonds of Cazador and the Tadpole and become a powerful vampire lord himself, or he can reject power, accept his weaknesses and live as a vampire spawn in the darkness.
It’s a captivating story that can be experienced in many ways. The player can Be Astarion through an Origins run, and if they play Tav or Dark Urge, they can befriend, romance, or betray Astarion. It is generally accepted that the Ascended Astarion is the “worse” ending for him, one that opens him up to continuing the cycle of abuse. But this is not a commonly believed theory; Some players think they can trust Astarion with this power because of the choices they make and the bonds they form. Others are more skeptical.
This conflict is further complicated by the fact that Astarion himself is working to manipulate the player. When I first learned about the ascension ritual on my Tav run, I expressed my concerns to Astarion…who then gave me big puppy dog eyes and said he was excited to ascend. “Don’t you want me to be happy?”
It’s masterful writing from Larian – it takes more than just a romance with Astarion to redeem him. Instead, it requires true friendship, honesty and vulnerability on both sides. For all the cheeky art that Rule 34 drew from Astarion, the moment I felt most connected to him was in the second act when we simply held hands and made eye contact. If I had made different decisions, things could have turned out very differently. protagonist Tav can manipulate Astarion in returnand break the vampire’s heart in the process.
Astarion’s storyline is full of nuanced, messy, and painful lyrics, and that’s what has led to such a long-lasting, glowing following for the character on social media. There are the silly, superficial memes about giving Astarion a weapon – but there are also a lot of players who identify with his internal struggle and it’s reflected in his scars. This depth of characterization has inspired such a passionate fanbase, and I’m sure I’ll be seeing Astarion’s arguments on my feed for months and probably years to come.