Overview and Selection Criteria
As a professional gamer and content creator who has logged over 300 hours across multiple early access playthroughs, I‘ve developed a keen eye for assessing companion quality in RPGs like Baldur‘s Gate 3.
When ranking the best BG3 companions, I weigh four key criteria:
- Combat Performance: Raw damage and healing output, crowd control capabilities, versatility.
- Character Depth: Quality of writing, reactivity to player choices, interesting persona.
- Synergy Potential: How well they complement other companions.
- Replay Value: Build diversity and roleplaying potential across campaigns.
Based on these metrics and firsthand experience adventuring with each companion, these five stand out as the current top tier.
1. Astarion – The Rogue
Class: Rogue (Thief)
Subclasses: Assassin, Arcane Trickster
Why He Excels:
- Damage: With Sneak Attack, Astarion reliably deals 40+ damage per turn by mid game. His Vampiric Bite sustains health as well.
- Crowd Control: Cunning Action gives him superior positioning while Fury of the Small and Elven Accuracy improve critical hit rates.
- Versatility: Proficiencies in Stealth, Thieves‘ Tools and Deception make him invaluable outside combat as well.
- Adaptability: Multiclassing unlocks more damage (Assassin) or control (Arcane Trickster) options.
Astarion‘s sarcastic wit coupled with his vampiric curse make for intriguing dialogue and questlines. An unpredictable, manipulative character like Astarion fits well in nearly any party composition.
Suggested Build:
Fully invest in Dexterity and grab dual wielder. Multiclass into Assassin or Arcane Trickster as needed for more damage or utility.
2. Shadowheart – The Cleric
Class: Cleric (Trickery)
Subclasses: Life, War
Why She Excels:
- Healing: Key restoration spells like Healing Word, Prayer of Healing, and Revivify enable her to sustain a party.
- Control: Inflict Wounds, Guiding Bolt and Spirit Guardians let her lock down enemies.
- Skills: Guidance‘s bonus to ability checks comes in handy during dialogue.
- Build Variety: Shadowheart works well as a damage dealer or straight healer.
With secrets still left to uncover regarding The Absolute and her real identity, Shadowheart‘s personal plot remains intriguing. I‘ve loved uncovering more tidbits through repeated playthroughs.
Suggested Builds:
As a Life Cleric, focus on Wisdom for strengthened healing and buff abilities.
As a War Cleric, prioritize Strength to wield heavy armor and deal more melee damage.
3. Karlach – The Barbarian
Class: Barbarian
Subclasses: Totem Warrior, Wild Magic
Why She Excels:
- Durability: Resistance to all damage while raging gives Karlach insane survivability. She soaks attacks well.
- Damage: Reckless Attack pairs nicely with Great Weapon Master for 30+ damage strikes.
- Simplicity: Straightforward run-in-and-smash playstyle is very noob friendly.
- Customization: Subclasses like Wild Magic unlock fun random combat buffs.
While not the deepest character, Karlach‘s aggressive banter plays nicely against most companions. I find her directness and battle rage a refreshing change of pace.
Suggested Build:
Max out Strength and Constitution. Grab Great Weapon Master feat alongside a heavy Greataxe or Greatsword. Customize with subclasses.
4. Lae‘zel – The Fighter
Class: Fighter
Subclasses: Battle Master, Eldritch Knight
Why She Excels:
- Maneuvers: Riposte, Sweeping Attack and other skills enhance Lae‘zel‘s already-potent damage.
- Sustainability: Second Wind healing combines nicely with durable armor.
- Versatility: She adapts well to both melee and ranged combat scenarios.
- Multiclass Potential: Splashes of Champion, Battle Master or Eldritch Knight all work nicely.
Lae‘zel‘s dignified arrogance plays nicely against most companions, often sparking lively (and sometimes tense) banter. Her personal code offers interesting roleplaying angles as well.
Suggested Build:
Distribute attributes between Strength, Dexterity and Constitution depending on weapons used. Grab Sentinel to improve opportunity attacks.
5. Wyll – The Warlock
Class: Warlock
Subclasses: Hexblade, Fiend
Why He Excels:
- Damage: Once higher level spells unlock, Wyll reliably deals 30-50 AOE damage when spell slots allow.
- Debuffs: Spells like Bane and Blindness shut down difficult enemies.
- Skills: With expertise in Deception and high Charisma, Wyll excels during dialogue.
- Build Variety: Hexblade focuses on melee damage while Fiend boosts spell potency.
Wyll‘s arrogant charm masks deeper insecurities tied to past failures. His bios reveal interesting details on wars against demons and devils that could arise during the campaign.
Suggested Build:
Max out Charisma. Splash into Hexblade for armor and enhanced blade damage or Fiend for more spell buffs.
Honorable Mentions
Two other companions show promise but still fall slightly behind in terms of overall quality:
Gale: This charming wizard deals high AOE damage when spell slots allow. But his limited spellcasting early on hinders combat impact. His mysterious backstory remains intriguing though.
Wyll: Initially weaker in fights, Wyll’s warlock powers ramp up nicely at mid levels. And his quest to liberate Elturel opens interesting narrative directions. But be prepared to carry him early on.
