I regret to inform you I seduced Baldur's Gate 3's most unhinged romance option

Baldur's Gate 3 guardian
(Image credit: Larian Studios)

It's no secret by now that Baldur's Gate 3 has a… robust set of romance options, but if you thought Halsin's Wild Shape sex scene was impressive, I'm here to tell you that you've seen nothing yet.

This article touches on major spoilers for the entirety of Baldur's Gate 3.

As Baldur's Gate 3 progresses, you'll develop a partnership with a Mind Flayer. Yep, one of those tentacled-faced meanies will join your side, offering their assistance through the Astral Plane. Unlike the rest of the Mind Flayer hive mind, this character, known as The Emperor, has their own life, their own free will, and some understanding of what existence was like before it looked like they'd violently collided with an octopus.

Over time, you'll have the chance to spend some time with The Emperor. There's a properly fleshed-out backstory to delve into, and over time the walls that this empirical character has put up around themselves start to come down. While most Mind Flayers are unquestioning killers, this one clearly styles themselves as some kind of philosopher prince. It's a lot, but it's endearing enough to keep you listening.

It's also endearing enough that if you play your cards right, you can romance The Emperor. And as a person whose first playthrough is a bard, it's only correct that I have done this. To be quite honest, I'm not sure I stand by that decision, but let's just say I did it for science. And while Steam achievements suggest this is far from a common occurrence, social media makes it clear that I'm not the only one that took on this burden.

Bear sex is just the tip of the iceberg.... from r/BaldursGate3

For a less-horrifying roll in the hay, here's a list of Baldur's Gate 3 romances.

Ali Jones
News Editor

I'm GamesRadar's news editor, working with the team to deliver breaking news from across the industry. I started my journalistic career while getting my degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick, where I also worked as Games Editor on the student newspaper, The Boar. Since then, I've run the news sections at PCGamesN and Kotaku UK, and also regularly contributed to PC Gamer. As you might be able to tell, PC is my platform of choice, so you can regularly find me playing League of Legends or Steam's latest indie hit.