Highlights
- Baldur's Gate 3 offers romance options with certain characters that can impact the approval of others around you.
- There are nine romanceable party members and five one-time romance options in the game.
- The article ranks the romance options from worst to best, based on factors such as morality and character traits.
Spoiler warning for some romances in the game.While playing Baldur's Gate 3, you will have the opportunity to do certain activities and engage in certain dialogue that will make the people around you either approve or disapprove of you. Depending on whom those people are, you have the potential of romancing them. Unfortunately, these characters cannot romance with one another, only you.
There are currently nine options for romanceable characters in Baldur's Gate 3. All of those characters happen to be your party members. In addition, there are five characters that you can have a one-time romance with. Here are those characters ranked.
Updated by Erin Rice on August 24, 2023: This update includes more information about each of the romance options. This includes personality traits and which characters are best for which type of playthrough.
10 One-Time Romances
The worst romance option on this list is the option of choosing a one-time romance. These are characters that you will be able to romance once and then never see them again.
Naoise Nallinto
Naoise Nallinto works at Sharess' Caress outside of Baldur's Gate. If you go to the third floor and enter the first bedroom, you will find her talking to a Flaming Fist. They will then turn into a doppelganger you must kill. After that, Naoise will ask if you are interested in her.
Playthrough Type: Morally Gray (While there is nothing wrong with Naoise Nallinto, if you are already with a character, romancing her wouldn't be the best option. This makes her a morally gray option.)
The Drow Twins
The Drow Twins are twins that also work at Sharess' Caress outside of Baldur's Gate. You can find them on the bottom floor in the room to the left. Here, they will ask if you're interested in either of them or both of them.
Playthrough Type: Morally Gray (This is another thing that is more or less up in the air. It depends on your situation.)
Haarleep
Haarleep is an incubus version of Raphael. You can find him in the House of Hope (Raphael's home) if you wish to enter the home to get the Orphic Hammer. He will tell you that he looks like Raphael because that's what Raphael wants. You can either romance him or kill him.
Playthrough Type: Evil (Haarleep is a succubus, that should tell you all you need to know.)
Mizora
Once you break Wyll free from his deal with Mizora, she will come to your camp to stay. While she is there, she will offer to spend the night with you if you're willing.
Playthrough Type: Evil (She's a devil and is holding Wyll hostage via their deal. She's not exactly the best option.)
9 Minthara
Minthara is the most evil person on this list, by far. She is a Drow Paladin that can be found in the Goblin Camp during your mission to save Halsin for the Druids. If you want to romance her, all you need to do is kill everyone in Druid's Grove. Simple enough, right?
The reason Minthara is last on the list is obvious. While she is special in that she is currently the only non-companion that can be romanced, that doesn't mean she is worth pursuing. If you're role-playing as someone who kills everyone, she's perfect for you. Otherwise, stay away from her. She can continue to stay with the player and is recruited in Act II.
Playthrough Type: Evil (You literally have to kill all the Druids. There isn't a more evil option.)
8 The Emperor
Sometime after you reach Baldur's Gate, The Emperor will draw you into his plane of existence within the Astral Plane and talk to you. Depending on how the conversation goes, you can start a romance with The Emperor or him as your Dream Visitor.
What makes this romance so low on the list is that it happens late in the game. At this point, you know the truth about The Guardian and you know he is actually a Mind Flayer known as The Emperor. This makes this romance a little awkward.
Playthrough Type: Morally Gray (He's a Mind Flayer. It is difficult to know if he means well.)
7 Lae'zel
Lae'zel is a Githyanki warrior, and she certainly seems to fall into the stereotypical idea of the Githyanki. She is the first companion that you will meet while on the Natuiloid Ship. She will attack the player and threaten to kill them before realizing that they can be an asset.
Lae'zel's drawbacks are that she is extremely abrasive. Players either love her or hate her. Depending on what type of character you play, you may find her better than the others. She wants things done her way and does not want to help anyone at all. This can make her less appealing to players.
Playthrough Type: Morally Gray (While Lae'zel likes to mess with people, she is extremely honorable.)
6 Halsin
Halsin is a Wood Elf Druid that you will meet during the events at Druid's Grove. While Halsin plays a very passive role in the game (he joins you as a companion, but will not be able to join your party), you can still romance him.
His romance story is a great one for fans who are interested in the Druid. However, if you don't play your cards right, Halsin will leave your party before Act 3. You also have a chance of losing him during Act 3, making him a weaker option.
Playthrough Type: Good (Halsin wants to see the good in the world.)
5 Astarion
Astarion is one of the first companions you will obtain in the game. He is a High Elf noble who also happens to be a vampire Rogue. He is first found near the Roadside Cliffs by the Natuiloid Ship. Once you find him, you will quickly learn that he is the stereotypical noble, always feeling better than everyone else. He also disapproves of helping others.
Surprisingly, once you get to know him, you will learn that he isn't entirely a stuck-up brat. In fact, he can grow on you quite quickly if you give him a chance to explain himself and his situation. His biggest drawback is that it can be difficult to give him a chance due to his whiny nature.
Playthrough Type: Evil (Astarion, thanks to his past, can be pretty evil at times. He loves when you mess with people and make them upset.)
4 Wyll
Wyll is the final member of your party that you will meet. He is a Human Warlock that can be found in Druid's Grove teaching Tiefling Children. That should tell you all you need to know about Wyll. He is a kind-hearted and open individual. He values compassion more than those before him on the list.
What makes Wyll an interesting partner is that he isn't the good guy he comes across as. He does have a much darker side to him that can be discovered while getting to know him. He is one of the most complex of all the characters in the game and his backstory is one of the best, making him an excellent option.
Playthrough Type: Good (Wyll truly wants what is best for everyone.)
3 Gale
Gale is a Human Wizard who is determined to become the best Wizard in history. He can be found right after Astarion and is located right outside the Druid's Grove. He will appear before you and tell you he is in the same predicament you are in.
Gale is an extremely fun and interesting character. He has a deep backstory that can truly become one of the best stories if you're willing to allow him in your party long enough to learn it. His romance story is probably better than most on this list. He is also a companion that is pretty easy to get along with. Like Wyll, he generally wants to help others and hates pointless violence.
Playthrough Type: Good (Gale gets lost in himself sometimes, but he wants you to do the right thing.)
2 Karlach
Karlach is a Barbarian Tiefling with a heart of gold. She is a fan-favorite and for good reason. Not only is she one of the best companions, but she is also the most positive and one of the most powerful out of them all.
What makes her so great is that she truly is a one-of-a-kind character. There aren't any others like her in the game. While she has a tragic backstory, she doesn't let that get her down. She continuously works to be a positive force for our protagonist.
Playthrough Type: Good (Despite how she looks, Karlach is the sweetest of the companions.)
1 Shadowheart
Shadowheart is a High Half-Elf Cleric. She is a worshiper of Shar and is the second companion you can recruit. She can be found inside a pod on the Nautiloid Ship and then again in Druid's Grove if you don't help her. Oddly enough, she doesn't love helping people; however, she is all for anything that goes against what Lae'zel wants.
What makes her the best romance option is that she is one of the more compassionate party members (though that isn't saying much), and offers a pretty amazing backstory. Right from the beginning, Shadowheart is clouded in mysteries that can only be untangled if you're willing to get to know her. Her relationship is one of the most worthwhile in the game.
Playthrough Type: Morally Gray (Shadowheart is one of the most complex characters in the game. She isn't the best person, but when she finds the truth of who she really is, she embraces the good side of life.)