The Baldur's Gate 3 companions and party members are spready across the game, with some so far ahead you'll need to be in Act 3 of the game before you can recruit them. Your teammates in Baldur's Gate 3 might only be able to join up in parties of 4 or less, but you can recruit many more to your camp and swap them in and out of your party, giving you a great deal of power to affect the story and how you deal with challenges.
And boy, are they a colourful bunch. From swashbuckling heroes Wyll, Jaheira and Gale, to the casually murderous Lae'zel, Astarion and Minthara, plus more besides, we've got all the companions of Baldur's Gate 3 who can join your party laid out below, including their locations and how you can recruit them.
All companions in Baldur's Gate 3
There are 10 companions in Baldur's Gate 3 who can join your party across the game (not including temporary companions like Us the Intellect Devourer, obtained as part of the remove or destroy the brain in Baldur's Gate 3 choice). They are as follows:
- 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)
- Karlach (Zariel Tiefling Barbarian)
- Halsin (Wood Elf Druid)
- Minthara (Drow Paladin)
- Jaheira (Half-Elf Druid)
- Minsc (Human Ranger)
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: Charlatan
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 vampire, something he doesn't tell you from the start, though isn't too hard to guess when you see his pale skin, long fangs, puncture scars on his neck, and start finding blood-drained animals. Fortunately, certain 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 some of the best Baldur's Gate 3 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, stuck inside the portal. Help him out with any of the attached checks to join the team proper.
Lae'zel
- Class: Fighter
- Species: Githyanki
- Background: Soldier
Lae'zel is the first companion you'll meet in the Nautiloid, 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 these qualities as signs of weakness. 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, and capable of using any of the Baldur's Gate 3 weapons you find.
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 North of the Roadside Cliffs Waypoint where you met Gale to find her captured by two Tiefling hunters.
Shadowheart
- Class: Cleric (Trickery Domain)
- Species: High Half-Elf
- Background: Acolyte
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. Later on when you're wondering where to go after the crashed ship in Baldur's Gate 3, she'll be unconscious nearby on the beach, waiting for you to wake her 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 Baldur's Gate 3 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: Folk Hero
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 the Baldur's Gate 3 Goblin Camp at any point, he'll leave.
Karlach
- Class: Barbarian
- Species: Zariel Tiefling
- Background: Outlander
Baldur's Gate 3's Karlach Demonsbane is a current, popular favourite - a burly great Tiefling barbarian who literally escaped from hell and has no intention of going back. Brutal but not without her fun side, Karlach's primary story centers around her liberation from the Nine Hells, as well as a strange sort of magic within her chest that limits her contact with others... at least when she's not pummeling them.
She will not join your party if you decide to raid the Emerald Grove instead of killing the Goblin Leaders in BG3. Karlach is very good-aligned, despite her demonic appearance, so bear this in mind if you're gunning for a "bad" playthrough.
Karlach's location: Karlach is found at the end of the Risen Road, East of the tollhouse. You can have her location narrowed down if you go to the Druid Grove and talk to Wyll first, as he's actually looking to find Karlach and has information about where she's gone. You can reach her by cutting up through the Blighted Village, leaping across the broken bridge, and following the path East through a battle with some Gnolls.
Halsin
- Class: Druid
- Species: Wood Elf
- Background: None
Halsin is a big, strong-willed Elf and Archdruid leader of the Emerald Enclave, though he's not there the first time you show up. Imposing but good-natured (hah) with a care for all living things, BG3's Halsin is also capable of thunderous rage when he sees something that angers him - like disrespect for nature. He also likes ducks. Who couldn't love a character who likes ducks?
Halsin's location: Halsin is at the end of a big quest specifically to find him, as laid out in our Baldur's Gate 3 Halsin guide. To summarize, he's actually trapped in the Worg Pens in the Goblin's Camp, in the form of a bear. You can free him, but he won't join the team until all three Goblin Leaders are dead (he doesn't care how it happens). Once they're gone and the goblin threat dealt with, head back to the Druid Grove and invite him to join you. However, while he'll be present in the camp, he won't be a playable party member until you complete his attached side quest in the Shadow Lands in Act 2.
Minthara
- Class: Paladin
- Species: Drow
- Background: Noble
Baldur's Gate 3's Minthara is an easily missable companion, since the alternative would be to kill her. This malevolent paladin of the Absolute a companion many people might never get - as she's actually one of the three Goblin Leaders. However, you can ally with her rather than killing her, working alongside her to destroy the Druid Grove, and in return get a dangerous zealot on the team - but as long as the danger is directed at other people, that should all be fine, right?
Minthara's location: Minthara is found in the Shattered Sanctum at the end of the Goblin Camp, in the library section. She won't join straight away - you'll need to work with her to destroy the Emerald Enclave. Once the druids are dead, there'll be a very goblinny party, and she'll be on your side after that. Keep in mind that Wyll will never work with you after this, and Halsin won't join the team at all.
Of course, after a recent patch, there is another option that's a great deal less evil. If you knock Minthara unconscious at the Sanctum, rather than kill her, you can still save the Grove. Later on, you'll find her in Act 2 at Moonrise Tower, in deep trouble with her boss after failing to take the grove. She'll be put in prison under the tower, and if you save her, she decides joining your team is the lesser of two evils.
Jaheira
- Class: Druid
- Species: Half-Elf
- Background: Soldier
Jaheira is a returning BG3 companion, last seen in Baldur's Gate 2. You can recruit her following the siege on Moonrise Towers at the end of Act 2
You will lose the ability to add Jaheira to your party if you kill Isobel in cold blood at the Last Light Inn in Baldur's Gate 3, Act 2, as she can go hostile and turn on you for a fight to the death.
Jaheira's location: As mentioned above, Jaheira can be found at the Last Light Inn near the start of Act 2. You'll either have to help the Harpers defeat the shadows if you took the Underdark to the Shadow-Cursed Lands, or turn on the drider convoy and follow the Harpers there yourself if you ventured though the Mountain Pass.
Minsc
- Class: Ranger
- Species: Human
- Background: Folk Hero
The last Baldur's Gate 3 companion you can recruit is Minsc. A friend of Jaheira's, his storyline is tied to hers after you pick her up in Act 2, and you'll need to jump through a fair few hoops to get him. Act 3 sees you pay a visit to the Counting House in Baldur's Gate, where you'll witness Minsc getting swept away by a fake Jaheira shapeshifter into the bowels of the city: yes, the sewers. After that, you'll have to head down there and fight the enemies who have mind-controlled him to free him from his restraints and convince him to join the group.
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 1d4 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.
- Karlach. Karlach's very cool, despite being so hot, and being a great big barbarian tank means she can draw aggro on the front lines, pulling it away from everyone else and getting temporary buffs whenever she burns a Soul Coin. She's not especially broadly skilled, but if you just want a person who can handle combat and occasionally scare somebody with an intimidation check, Karlach will provide nicely.
- Astarion. Astarion's Rogue qualities means he functions well as a scout, as well as a jack of all trades like Wyll. This makes Astarion a risky, but potentially effective pick, and he can be very useful in a dungeon, spotting and disarming traps, not to mention opening locks as he goes. The only downside is that you'll ensure he's a little more robust, or risk getting downed in combat early.
- Halsin. Halsin is a big burly bear, and probably deserves to be higher on this list, if not for the fact that all his power is somewhat limited by spell slots and recharges. Still, he serves as a mixture of tank and support class, and that serves well in any team.
- Wyll. Wyll's versatility means he's just a good pick for whenever you're not sure who to add - a jack of all trades capable of offering something for any situation. However, considering you usually pick party members to fill a specific role, this makes him a little harder to recommend.
- Minthara. Minthara is interesting enough and we do love a good Paladin, but she's not quite good enough at anything to be a real standout - there are better healers, better tanks, better warriors. Still, despite her grim past, she's also a startling funny character, the internet having fallen in love with her dry wit and dark humour.
- Lae'zel. Lae'zel is a little more difficult to have on the team now that Karlach is around, as Karlach also serves as a powerful melee tank, but frankly is a little better at it, and you don't have to deal with Karlach snapping and sniping at you the entire time. Still, Lae'zel isn't bad in a fight, as her Gith powers and Battlemaster tactics make her a little more versatile than a standard warrior.
- Jahiera. Jaheira should technically be higher, except for one thing - she's a Druid, and we already have Halsin, and everybody knows that a good BG3 party is diverse among all things. If you don't get Halsin she's a very good addition to the team, but otherwise she can feel a bit redundant, a character only added for completionist's sake. A shame, because she's a fun person to have around, with a gruff yet-not-jaded personality, like a loveable old grandmother.
- Minsc. Rangers aren't a class we rate very highly, and while Minsc is a lot of fun and can summon a space hamster - no really - he lacks the power and versatility of many of the other companions, not to mention their narrative depth, as he's forced to come crashing into the game late into Act 3 and doesn't really have the time to develop.
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