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Baldur’s Gate 3 best companions

Look no further for the best Baldur’s Gate 3 companions and party members you can use in your team, as well as all your options in Larian Studios’ DnD RPG.

Baldur's Gate 3 best companions: Astarion with his hand on his chin, set against a blurred background of gameplay tinted purple.

What are the best Baldur’s Gate 3 companions? Larian’s BG3 is all about roleplaying, so, naturally, you’ll be assembling a party of companions to travel across the realm with. However, they’re not only there to help you in combat; companions are also vital in providing utility in exploration and dialogue which can have massive impacts on your experience. We’ve put together everything you need to know about the Baldur’s Gate 3 best companions so you know who to pick for your party composition.

Baldur’s Gate 3’s best companion is certainly up for debate, as fans will no doubt have their personal favorites, though there are some that shine above the others when you consider the best Baldur’s Gate 3 party you can make. With 10 companions and 12 Baldur’s Gate 3 classes, it’s important to remember that not all playstyles are accounted for, which makes having the best companions in BG3 even more important.

Baldur’s Gate 3 best companions

The Baldur’s Gate 3 best companions are:

  • Shadowheart
  • Astarion
  • Gale
  • Lae’zel

These are great picks as they fill many of the main roles and niches players will have in their parties, offering everything from tanking and healing, to exploration utility and dialogue experts. While the companions you choose are largely up to personal preference, especially depending on the class of your own characters, these are generally the best companions in Baldur’s Gate 3 for most situations.

Make sure to also check out the best Baldur’s Gate 3 build for each class, as these can also be used on companions for the most part, though you obviously can’t change their race.

Baldur's Gate 3 best companions: Shadowheart talking to a character off-screen.

Shadowheart is a High Half-Elf Cleric (of Trickery by default), making her a valuable support and healer for your team. In fact, despite the Cleric being one of the best Baldur’s Gate 3 class choices, we don’t imagine most people will pick them as their main character simply due to their supportive nature. Nevertheless, they’re a big boon in almost every situation so we recommend always having a Cleric. This leaves Shadowheart as one of the best companions in BG3 and in prime position for any party composition you make since she is the only Cleric companion choice.

Similarly, Astarion is another one of the best companions in BG3 since he is the only Rogue. This suave High Elf Rogue offers great sub-DPS potential from the shadows during combat, but it’s the excellent utility the Rogue offers in exploration that makes him so strong. Like Shadowheart, Astarion is the only choice when it comes to a Rogue, which has a unique penchant for lockpicking, thievery, and stealth. While other classes can do this to some extent, the Rogue excels at it. So, unless your personal character is a Rogue, then we’d recommend bringing Astarion along for the ride. Once you use his talents to open new avenues for exploration and questing, or to get some great loot, you’ll quickly understand why he’s one of the best Baldur’s Gate 3 companions.

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As a Human Wizard, Gale isn’t exactly as unique as Shadowheart or Astarion, predominantly filling the main DPS and ranged caster role. As is the case in many of the best RPG games, players love to pick the damage dealer for their own character, so it’s possible this role is already filled. If not though, Gale has access to several of the Baldur’s Gate 3 best spells, letting him wreak havoc on the enemy. What’s more, as a Wizard, Gale can also be useful in social interactions. Overall, Gale is one of the best Baldur’s Gate 3 companions, even if he’s not all that unique.

Last but by no means least is Lae’zel, a Githyanki Fighter. As a Fighter, Lae’zel is great as a tank and close-range bruiser that can lead your party to victory. If your personal character is going all in on damage, then you’ll want a more tanky companion like Lae’zel or Karlach to take charge. We recommend Lae’zel as she’s easy to recruit and treads the line between martial DPS and tank.

Baldur's Gate 3 best companions: A party gather together, with one character casting a large laser beam.

Remember though, you don’t really want to have two of the same class in your party. For example, even though Shadowheart is arguably the best companion you can pick, she won’t be the best in your party if your custom character is also a Cleric. Instead, you’d be better off picking another role and companion. Here are all the Baldur’s Gate 3 companions so you have a better idea of who will work in your party:

Companion Class Race
Astarion Rogue High Elf
Gale Wizard Human
Halsin Druid Wood Elf
Jaheira Druid Half-Elf
Karlach Barbarian Tiefling
Lae’zel Fighter Githyanki
Minsc Ranger Human
Minthara Paladin Drow
Shadowheart Cleric High Half-Elf
Wyll Warlock Human

As such, you’ll want to think carefully about the best companion for your party, especially on the harder Baldur’s Gate 3 difficulty settings. Given there’s no bad companions – all are great depending on your party composition – it’s all a matter of finding which ones work best for you. Nevertheless, the Baldur’s Gate 3 best companions we’ve highlighted above are the most versatile, offering powerful bonuses in combat, exploration, and dialogue, which will be useful for the vast majority of players.

And if you’re still struggling to decide, here’s a tier list of the best Baldur’s Gate 3 companions:

  • 1. Shadowheart
  • 2. Astarion
  • 3. Gale
  • 4. Lae’zel
  • 5. Minthara
  • 6. Jaheira
  • 7. Halsin
  • 8. Karlach
  • 9. Minsc
  • 10. Wyll

Keep in mind though, there are no bad companions in Baldur’s Gate 3. Karlach and Wyll are still great companions to bring along, they’re just not as flexible as the others in terms of party setup. For example, Wyll is typically brought along in terms lacking another dialogue specialist.

Baldur's Gate 3 best companions: Gale casting a spell with his staff.

Why does having the best companions in Baldur’s Gate 3 matter?

Having the best Baldur’s Gate 3 companions matters because they can help you in battle, exploration, and dialogue. Their unique abilities and specializations give you different opportunities to complete encounters and quests that make your experience with the game unique. With the astounding Baldur’s Gate 3 length, you’ll want the best of the best for your party if you want to succeed, at least without as much friction.

At the heart of the system though, companions are great for roleplaying. With some incredible Baldur’s Gate 3 voice actors behind them, the companions bring the world to life with their talents and stories.

And that covers the best Baldur’s Gate 3 companions you can pick for your party. With Baldur’s Gate 3 reviews showering the game with praise, such as Wargamer’s Baldur’s Gate 3 review, we’ve no doubt BG3 will be one of the best PS5 RPG games and best Xbox RPG games once it’s out.