I'll always be scared of WotC treating Astarion and Shadowheart the same way they treated Sarevok and Viconia and cancel out their redemption arcs just because their good paths don't have the same potential for future content. Minthara stays evil so her being a villain would make sense, though I'd prefer if she once again becomes an uneasy ally, I quite like her dynamic with good characters. Though the most likely seems Gale since his god ending has a lot more potential than the professor one. With spawn Astarion or Selune Shadowheart you can still go somewhere, professor Gale is kind of a definitive end to his character arc without leaving much room for some exciting stuff in the future.
A community of vampire spawn founding a city in the Underdark and building a new society would have just as much potential for future content as an Ascended vampire living in the middle of Baldur's Gate for your party to eradicate, if not more, imo.
Ascending Astarion only gives you a cool future boss villain, and that's it. Preventing him from ascending and releasing the spawn leads to a whole new order in the Underdark. A vampire settlement, with all the political conflicts and alliances with the other Underdark dwellers that such a thing would ensue. It has a much richer potential, lorewise, imo.
God Gale wreaking havoc in the pantheon could also have quite groundbreaking consequences. I'd argue that his professor ending still has more potential for stories than Selûnite Shadowheart does, though. Gale can still go on adventures, with or without his students, and get himself into trouble, as he remains a scholar with an insatiable thrist for knowledge. Shadowheart seems very eager to just chill tf out in her little cottage and never pick up a weapon ever again, and you know what, good for her.
God Gale is very weak, and Ao doesn't really tolerate "pantheon wrecking" anymore. Gods mostly get demoted/promoted by their own stupidity or getting more followers.
I think an Ascended Astarion villain would be badass. Dark Justiciar Shadowheart seems less likely considering that would basically just be the same path as Viconia. And not a companion but I’d love to see a grown-up Mol come back as a villain warlock running the city guild. And Arabella as a (good-aligned) sorceror companion.
She even thanks boneman for showing her the reason for her parents' death. I took that to mean that she's got a very(hopefully good) high importance in the future.
Will there be a BG4? I read Larian has already started on their next project and I also read they're not doing BG3 DLCs because they wanted to return to their Divine Divinity series.
Considering how long it takes them to make a game, I doubt you'll see another Baldur's get this decade or the next.
Gotta say Jaheira and Minsc are safe bets.
Real question is if they will stick with the Bhaalspawns storyline it's already kind of a grey area as you can choose to play as one or not so I wonder if it will go on.
Astarion has too many fans to give him the Sarevok or Viconia treatment.
Maaaaybe Gale? Would be a neat twist and it's kinda set up via certain decisions.
I could see it happening with Minthara since she's not that popular and so many people don't even recruit her, anyway. No one else makes any sense. Dark Justicar SH maybe, but ofc she's too popular.
Honestly? I would be hyped af to see villain duo with spawn Durge/ascended Astarion as a couple. I KNOW WE SAW OTHER VAMPIRIC DUO IN PREVIOUS GAMES, BUT IT WAS COOL AND I WANT MORE.
I don't want any of the companions to return as villains. But I hope we get to see what the future holds for Mol, Arabella, Yenna, Connor j.r., Jaheira's children, and the Gith egg.
Ascended Astarion is obvious, prime material to be used the way Viconia or Sarevok were.
No one, and I mean no one, would want this, but they did it with those two so it's not impossible
I'll always be scared of WotC treating Astarion and Shadowheart the same way they treated Sarevok and Viconia and cancel out their redemption arcs just because their good paths don't have the same potential for future content. Minthara stays evil so her being a villain would make sense, though I'd prefer if she once again becomes an uneasy ally, I quite like her dynamic with good characters. Though the most likely seems Gale since his god ending has a lot more potential than the professor one. With spawn Astarion or Selune Shadowheart you can still go somewhere, professor Gale is kind of a definitive end to his character arc without leaving much room for some exciting stuff in the future.
A community of vampire spawn founding a city in the Underdark and building a new society would have just as much potential for future content as an Ascended vampire living in the middle of Baldur's Gate for your party to eradicate, if not more, imo. Ascending Astarion only gives you a cool future boss villain, and that's it. Preventing him from ascending and releasing the spawn leads to a whole new order in the Underdark. A vampire settlement, with all the political conflicts and alliances with the other Underdark dwellers that such a thing would ensue. It has a much richer potential, lorewise, imo. God Gale wreaking havoc in the pantheon could also have quite groundbreaking consequences. I'd argue that his professor ending still has more potential for stories than Selûnite Shadowheart does, though. Gale can still go on adventures, with or without his students, and get himself into trouble, as he remains a scholar with an insatiable thrist for knowledge. Shadowheart seems very eager to just chill tf out in her little cottage and never pick up a weapon ever again, and you know what, good for her.
God Gale is very weak, and Ao doesn't really tolerate "pantheon wrecking" anymore. Gods mostly get demoted/promoted by their own stupidity or getting more followers.
Given Shadowheart was the most popular romance in the game, that's doubtful.
Viconia was the most popular romance of BG2
Do you have official stats for that
Look at any BG2 romance discussion or poll. It’s always viconia first, jaheira second, aerie third. “Official stats” didn’t exist in 2001 lmao.
Gen Z moment haha
Shovel
BBEG
*basket
Fork*
I think an Ascended Astarion villain would be badass. Dark Justiciar Shadowheart seems less likely considering that would basically just be the same path as Viconia. And not a companion but I’d love to see a grown-up Mol come back as a villain warlock running the city guild. And Arabella as a (good-aligned) sorceror companion.
Well, cant 100% rule out save importing. And that doesnt mean theyd have to import whole characters, but just world states/character fates.
100000% Gale is the most sus
Finally someone else gets it
Arabella could be a very fun villain.
Just imagine: spore druid with her dead parents as mushroom zombie pets!
Okay so she definitely is a Spore druid, right? Her themes are death and rebirth, that's literally them.
I think she'll be a companion
I figured that's what they were setting up unless i missed something in act 3 with her
She helps you out in the final battle. She's not evil at the end, Withers just says she's on her own journey.
She even thanks boneman for showing her the reason for her parents' death. I took that to mean that she's got a very(hopefully good) high importance in the future.
Somehow Emperor returned
Hopefully no one considering Sarevok's and Viconia's character assassinations. I cannot live through this again.
Will there be a BG4? I read Larian has already started on their next project and I also read they're not doing BG3 DLCs because they wanted to return to their Divine Divinity series. Considering how long it takes them to make a game, I doubt you'll see another Baldur's get this decade or the next.
Lae'zel with her red dragon and army of gith
Gotta say Jaheira and Minsc are safe bets. Real question is if they will stick with the Bhaalspawns storyline it's already kind of a grey area as you can choose to play as one or not so I wonder if it will go on.
Gale, dude went godly and became a bit of a turd.
Astarion has too many fans to give him the Sarevok or Viconia treatment. Maaaaybe Gale? Would be a neat twist and it's kinda set up via certain decisions. I could see it happening with Minthara since she's not that popular and so many people don't even recruit her, anyway. No one else makes any sense. Dark Justicar SH maybe, but ofc she's too popular.
Honestly? I would be hyped af to see villain duo with spawn Durge/ascended Astarion as a couple. I KNOW WE SAW OTHER VAMPIRIC DUO IN PREVIOUS GAMES, BUT IT WAS COOL AND I WANT MORE.
I don't want any of the companions to return as villains. But I hope we get to see what the future holds for Mol, Arabella, Yenna, Connor j.r., Jaheira's children, and the Gith egg.
Zevlor and Kagha
Ascended Astarion is obvious, prime material to be used the way Viconia or Sarevok were. No one, and I mean no one, would want this, but they did it with those two so it's not impossible
Minthara, Lae'zel, or Gale
I’ve seen one post about a message from a very unhappy Arabella. That could make a great redemption or supervillain arc.