As the release of Baldur's Gate 3 draws near, eager adventurers are already looking for companions who will accompany them on their grand journey.
Because as you embark on your perilous journey through the realms of Faerûn, assembling a trusted party of companions is vital to your success. Without them, it's incredibly hard to survive and thrive in Baldur's Gate 3.
In this guide, we will list the companions in Baldur’s Gate 3 and explain how to recruit them. While you are here, make sure you check out our character creation guide.
Baldur’s Gate 3 companions
There will be five total companions available for you to recruit in Baldur's Gate 3 at launch.
The initial roster is pretty diverse in terms of races and classes, but on top of that, each companion will also have unique personalities, making way for some pretty interesting interactions.
Let’s get to know these potential allies a little better:
- Shadowheart: A High Half-Elf Cleric who is on a mission of her own. She can serve your party as a supporting character in the backline.
- Lae’zel: A Githyanki who was also implanted with a mind flayer parasite. Being a Fighter, she excels at close-range combat.
- Astarion: A High Elf with a dark secret that you can uncover later on. He can join your party as a Rogue, specializing in stealth and sneak attacks.
- Wyll: A Human Warlock also known as the Blade of Frontiers. His wide variety of spells makes him a versatile party member.
- Gale: One of the more lighthearted companions you can recruit, he is a Human Wizard with a strong ambition. He is more than capable of casting long-range nukes, providing the party with some heavy firepower.
It is important to note that while there are five companions you can recruit in Baldur's Gate 3, only three can join the party at any one time.
How to recruit companions in Baldur’s Gate 3
Recruiting companions will be a different experience for each character, but they all involve interacting with the potential party member in some way. Whether or not they end up joining you on your journey will depend on how these interactions are handled.
Here’s how to recruit each companion in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Shadowheart
- Class: Cleric (Trickery Domain)
- Species: High Half-Elf
- Background: Urchin
- Shadowheart's location: In the Nautiloid, trapped in a pod in a room.
You can encounter Shadowheart trapped inside a pod aboard the Nautiloid near the very beginning of the game.
If you decide to do a bit of extra exploration in this area, you can free Shadowheart from her pod and she will be nearby, unconscious, on the beach after the Nautilus crashes. Wake her up here and she’ll join your party.
If you don’t help Shadowheart escape her pod or don’t find her at all, you can find her near the Dank Crypt entrance or at Druid’s Grove.
Lae’zel
- Class: Fighter
- Species: Githyanki
- Background: Soldier
- Lae’zel's location: By a pair of Tieflings
Lae’zel will be one of the very first companions you meet in the campaign. She will be captured by some Tieflings near the Cathedral Ruins after the Nautiloid crash. Help her deal with her captors and Lae’zel will join you as a companion.
Astarion
- Class: Rogue
- Species: High Elf
- Background: Noble
- Astarion's location: The West of the Crashed Nautiloid.
You can find Astarion calling for help on a hill near the Nautiloid crash site. Help defeat the monster he is hiding from and Astarion will become one of your allies.
Wyll
- Class: Warlock (Fiend Patron)
- Species: Human
- Background: Noble
- Wyll's location: The main entrance to the Druid's Grove, North of the Roadside Cliffs.
Wyll is arguably one of the easier companions to recruit, but it does come with a certain caveat. You can find him inside Druid’s Grove teaching some Tieflings how to fight. Speak to him and he’ll join your party. Do take note however that if you choose to ally with the goblins at any point in the game, he will leave.
Gale
- Class: Wizard
- Species: Human
- Background: Sage
- Gale's location: At the Roadside Cliffs Waypoint to the North of the Crashed Nautiloid.
Gale is another potential companion that you can recruit early on in the game. He’ll join your party when you get to the waypoint at Roadside Cliffs.
And that’s pretty much for companions in Baldur’s Gate 3. At least for now. It is entirely possible that additional characters will be added to the game as time goes on.
If you're considering playing Baldur's Gate 3 on Steam Deck, check out our article on its performance and best settings.