The Baldur's Gate 3 companions number five in total, though only three can join the party at any one time. From Astarion to Wyll to the lethal Lae'zel, your companions are an integral part of the game, as it's incredibly hard to survive and thrive in Baldur's Gate 3 without the advantages they offer. We'll explain how to get all the companions in Baldur's Gate 3 below, including their locations, classes, skills and the best companions to have on your team.
Warning: Some minor spoilers for the plot of Baldur's Gate 3 to follow, though kept to a minimum as necessary.
All companions in Baldur's Gate 3
At time of writing there are five major companions in Baldur's Gate 3 (not including temporary ones like Us the Intellect Devourer).
- Astarion (High Elf Rogue)
- Gale (Human Wizard)
- Lae'zel (Githyanki Fighter)
- Shadowheart (High Half-Elf Cleric of Trickery)
- Wyll (Human Warlock of a Fiend Patron)
Your companions' level scales to your own, with the characters matching your power and gaining XP accordingly. However, because they're all different Baldur's Gate 3 classes, the exact rewards and powers they get will vary. Not only that, but while they have a fixed class and abilities before they join, once they're in the party, you're able to make all the choices based around builds, levels and equipment loadouts accordingly.
Below we'll go through all the Companions individually, what they have to offer, and where you can find them.
Astarion
- Class: Rogue
- Species: High Elf
- Background: Noble
Astarion is a slyly deceptive character who appreciates ruthless pragmatism, has a soft spot for monsters, and likes the hoarding and flaunting of power. Being a Rogue, Astarion has a high dex score and numerous applicable skills, but more importantly - spoiler alert - Astarion is a secret vampire, something he doesn't tell you from the start but is mechanically something you have to deal with nonetheless. That means avoid running water (it'll damage him) and you can gain power through drinking blood later on, though plot events means he's fine with sunlight and entering houses uninvited.
Astarion's location: Astarion is first discovered to the West of the Crashed Nautiloid, calling for help. After some fairly fraught dialogue, he'll join your team.
Gale
- Class: Wizard
- Species: Human
- Background: Sage
Gale is a cheerful, intelligent figure who appreciates good humour, peaceful intentions and generally avoiding bloodshed where possible, keeping things light and fun. Gale has a variety of spells at his disposal, and can serve well as a reliable glass cannon for the party, not to mention a character who can permanently learn spells from scrolls he's given (if you pay the costs associated). Keep him at the back of the group, throwing fire and energy over their shoulders while he avoids the worst perils.
Gale's location: Gale is first found directly at the Roadside Cliffs Waypoint (or fast travel point) to the North of the Crashed Nautiloid, literally stepping out of the waypoint to meet you.
Lae'zel
- Class: Fighter
- Species: Githyanki
- Background: Soldier
Lae'zel is the first companion you'll meet, though you'll get separated and have to reconnect later on. Brutal, short-tempered and often uncooperative, Lae'zel's approval is reserved for all things combative and Githyanki, and she appreciates anybody who refuses to compromise or show excessive sympathy, thinking of it as weak-willed. Lae'zel is a Fighter, and a pretty melee-focused one at that, starting with a longsword and half-plate armor to tank damage and crush foes in her way.
Lae'zel's location: Lae'zel is a character you encounter when leaving the very first room of the Nautiloid. After it crashes and you're separated, head to the location marked above to find her captured by a pair of Tieflings and in need of rescue (you can persuade or battle the Tieflings to free her).
Shadowheart
- Class: Cleric (Trickery Domain)
- Species: High Half-Elf
- Background: Urchin
Shadowheart is a Cleric - an incredibly powerful class - of the night god Shar, which adds additional illusion and manipulation powers to the standard Cleric abilities. She appreciates deception and trickery, and respects those who can see through it, while also disliking arrogance and excessive cruelty. With high Wisdom and a good range of spells, Shadowheart is best used as a ranged support character, throwing damage spells and heals from a distance rather than fighting up close.
Shadowheart's location: Shadowheart can be met in the Nautiloid, trapped in a pod in a room after your first fight with the Lesser Imps. To free her, get the Rune for the console by exploring the optional room to the West, obtaining a key for the chest nearby. After the Nautiloid crashes, she'll be unconscious nearby on the beach for you to wake up.
If you didn't rescue her from the pod, Shadowheart is at the furthest Eastern point of the beach, by the entrance to the Dank Crypt. If she doesn't join here, she ends up at the Druid's Grove settlement.
Wyll
- Class: Warlock (Fiend Patron)
- Species: Human
- Background: Noble
A champion known as the Blade of Frontiers, Wyll is a Hell-powered Warlock who respects traditionally heroic behaviour - vanquishing evil, saving the innocent, taking the moral high road and not working with villains if you can avoid it. In terms of stats and powers, Wyll is an all-rounder character whose flexible spell list means you can make him serve a variety of roles, and does pretty well as a utility and control caster.
Wyll's location: Wyll is met for the first time when you approach the main entrance to the Druid's Grove, North of the Roadside Cliffs, and fights the sudden goblin siege as an independent AI NPC. Afterwards, he's inside the Grove settlement itself, at the back showing some children how to swordfight. Talk to him and he'll join the team, though keep in mind that if you side with the goblins at any point, he'll leave.
Best companions in Baldur's Gate 3
The best companions will vary on a few factors - how you build them, your own role, and what it is you're setting out to do. But with only space for you and three companions, you'll have to choose carefully who you want going with you - and we've ranked them all, generally speaking.
- Shadowheart. Not only is a healer incredibly helpful, but Shadowheart has a bunch of versatile spells, can change them regularly, and has the Guidance cantrip, which gives you an extra D4 to basically everything out of combat. Clerics are overpowered, and Shadowheart is a Cleric. QED.
- Gale. Gale is a glass cannon, yes, but he's such a cannon that it's worth it, capable of sending powerful spells racing across the battlefield. Place some powerful characters in front of him to tank the damage, and he'll devastate foes as a living form of artillery.
- Lae'zel. Lae'zel is a simple Fighter, but she's the best tank in the party and by speccing her into the Battle Master subclass, you can make her pretty useful, not to mention the Gith get some fun powers that you can make use of. Just make sure you're used to her snapping at you every ten minutes when she disapproves of a decision you make.
- Wyll. Wyll's versatility means he's just a solid pick for whenever you're not sure who to add - a jack of all trades capable of offering something for any situation. Considering you usually pick party members to fill a specific role, this makes him a little harder to recommend.
- Astarion. Astarion's Rogue qualities means he functions as a scout, as well as a jack of all trades like Wyll - but unlike Wyll he can't shoot fire, and he melts in water, which doesn't help. In all seriousness, Astarion is pretty good as a scout, but scouting in general is pretty dangerous and not worth doing if you can avoid it - we all know in D&D you should never split the party. Consequently, Astarion's best function is one largely not worth indulging, so he has to come last.
How to swap party members and companions
You can swap party members when you take a long rest (the campfire icon at the bottom right of the screen). This'll take you back to camp - at this point, talk to the characters you want to stay at camp and they'll do just that. Once your party is below four people, talk to whoever you want to join and ask them to come along. It's as simple as that!
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