There’s a lot to see in Baldur’s Gate 3, but you’re not going to get far without a few good companions by your side. Thankfully, you’ll stumble upon a wide assortment of NPCs that’d love nothing more than to accompany you on your journey. These friendly faces fill several different roles — from mages and healers to archers and warriors, there’s bound to be a companion that augments your playstyle.
Many of these companions also come with their own series of quests and unlockable skills, turning them into more than just faceless characters to help you in combat. In fact, you can spend hours unraveling their narratives, and depending on your actions, your companions might look very different at the end of Baldur’s Gate 3 than when you first met them.
Unlocking companions isn’t a guarantee, and some are entirely missable. That means you’ll need to go out of your way to find some of them and recruit them to your party. Don’t wait to miss out on anyone? Here’s a list of all companions in Baldur’s Gate 3 and how to get them.
All companions
There are 10 potential companions to recruit in Baldur’s Gate 3, each of a different race, class, and background. Some you meet early, some late, and others not at all depending on your choices.
Shadowheart
The Cleric of the group, this is your first potential companion. As long as you choose to save her from her pod-thing on the Nautiloid ship in the opening of the game, you will find her on the beach you crash-land on. If you decided not to save her on the ship, you can still add her to your team by finding her farther east down the beach near the Dank Crypt.
Astarion
Depending on your path, this is probably the second character you can add to your ranks by going north and west of the crashed ship. You’ll hear Astarion calling out for help, and when you approach, he’ll claim there’s a nearby monster he wants you to kill. While this ends up being a trick, if you forgive him, he will gladly join you. Astarion is a rogue class, so he’s very handy for breaking into locked areas.
Gale
Almost right after you find Astarion, Gale will be another voice calling out for aid. This wizard has found himself caught in a portal and needs some help getting all the way through. Help the man out and he’ll be ready and willing to join your party, plus he’ll introduce you to Waypoints you can use for fast travel.
Lae’zel
It takes a minute to meet back up with Lae’zel after she helps you bring down the Nautiloid ship, and when you do, she’s in a sticky situation. North of where you encounter Gale, Lae’zel has found herself captured by two Tieflings you need to convince or fight to free her. If you feel bad about fighting them, make sure to take them out non-lethally.
Wyll
Wyll is very missable since he is simply among the many people in the Druid’s Grove in the north. After you fight the small Goblin forces and can go inside, Wyll can be found teaching some Tiefling children to fight. Chat with the man, who happens to be a powerful Warlock class, and he’ll team up with you.
Karlach
Wyll can actually help you locate Karlach, who happens to be near the river south of the Risen Road waypoint and east of the tollhouse. Just know that the conversation to recruit Karlach is a bit more tense with Wyll present, but it’s possible. Still, to make it a bit smoother to bring on this tough Barbarian, it’s best to leave Wyll at camp.
Halsin
If you saw that romance scene with the bear, and we know you have, then you’ll be looking for Halsin. The Druid is actually recruited by completing a quest to rescue him from the Goblin Camp where he’s being held. Find him in a cage by the Worg Pens, set him free, and then kill the remaining Goblin Leaders. Once that’s done, meet up with him back at the Druid Grove and he’ll join the team.
Minthara
Minthara can be a party member, but choosing her means you can’t recruit Halsin, and Wyll will also leave your party for what you need to do to get her. If you’re interested in the Drow Paladin, go into the Shattered Sanctum before attacking the Goblin Camp and speak to her. Here, you will need to sell out the Druids to her and help her attack and destroy their base. Once the Goblins win, speak to her at the celebration to have her join your team.
Minsc
Minsc is one of the later party members you can get once you reach the Lower City. You will need to go down and navigate through the puzzles of the sewers until you encounter him. When you do, you will be forced to fight him, so make sure you only knock him out with a non-lethal attack if you want to recruit him. Once he’s safely unconscious, take out his friends and choose the following dialogue prompts.
- “Try to protect him. I must defy my urge.”
- “He’s Jaheira’s friend. Do it.”
- “I don’t think you want to find out,” or “It doesn’t matter — help him.”
After Minsc’s mind is freed and he runs off, chase him down and chat with him to join forces.
Jaheira
Even though you meet Jaheira early in Act 2, it takes a lot of legwork to actually have her become a companion. You first speak in the Last Light Inn, but need to progress until you’re ready to attack the Moonrise Towers. She will meet you near the towers and give you the option to either have her lead the army as commander or have her temporarily join your party, which you should pick. Go through the dungeon and make sure she survives until you’re about to go into the pits to face Kethric. Before you do, talk to Jaheira and say, “Face Kethric with me.” This will make her a permanent companion after finishing the dungeon.
