Companions are unique, controllable characters with unique stories whom you can recruit in Baldur’s Gate 3. As a party-based RPG, companions play a major role in your journey through the world of Faerun.
Each companion has a distinct personality with their unique likes and dislikes. They range from evil Astarion to law-abiding Wyll. These companions also have an approval feature that lets you gain their favor by doing acts they like.
However, finding and recruiting companions is optional in Baldur’s Gate 3. The game offers ten recruitable companions, and with patch 5, you can recruit them all in a single playthrough. Let’s begin our journey to catch all the legendries, urmmm, we mean companions.
Baldur’s Gate 3: How to Find and Recruit All Companions
While recruiting these companions is optional, we recommend that you find and recruit all 10 in Baldur’s Gate 3. Each companion is of a different class and offers specific combat and exploration abilities.
Some companions, like Shadowheart, can be recruited just by talking to them, but a few, like Halsin, require you to complete specific quest lines before they officially join your camp in Baldur’s Gate 3. Certain acts and choices can cause a companion to leave your party altogether, so you must be extra careful.
Shadowheart
Shadowheart is a High-Elf Trickery Domain Cleric with an Urchin background. She can be recruited as soon as you wake up on the Ravaged Beach after the prologue. You will find her unconscious and must make your first major decision: either wake her up or steal her artifact.
We recommend waking her up, as this will allow you to recruit Shadowheart through plain conversation. It will also earn her approval and pave your way to romancing her.
Gale
Gale is a Human Wizard comapnion with a Sage background. He can be found on the Ravaged Beach as soon as you start Act 1.
Gale is found close to the crash site where you wake up. Shortly after recruiting Shadowheart, follow the path north of the wreck, and you will find a purple portal. Interact with the portal, and you need to pull Gale out of this portal.
If you mess up the skill check, you will rip off Gale’s arm and lose him. If you manage to save Gale, he will be grateful, and you will be able to recruit him to your party by simple conversation.
Astarion
Astarion is a High-Elf Rogue with a Noble background. He can also be found roaming around the crash site on the Ravaged Beach.
Go through the crashed Nautiloid, where you fight Intellect Devourers. To the West, you will see Astarion moving around angrily. Talk to him, and he will try to trick and kill you. De-escalate the situation and then ask him to join your party.
Lae’zel
Lae’zel is a Githyanki Fighter with a Soldier background. She will join you aboard Nautiloid to stop the Mind Flayer ship and help crash it.
After the crash, you must look for Lae’zel in the Wilderness, near the Overgrown Ruins, before reaching Emerald Grove.
Lae’zel is held captive in a cage by the Tieflings. Either convince them to leave the place or fight and kill them. Once they are gone, destroy the cage with ranged attacks to free Lae’zel. Talk to her and ask her to join you in getting rid of the parasite inside your brain.
Wyll
Wyll is a Human Warlock in BG3. He can be found in Druid Grove during Act 1.
Head north from the Ravaged Beach to find the Druid Grove. Here, Wyll will be fighting off some Goblins. Help Wyll defeat the goblins and enter Druid Grove.
Head inside the Grove and go North to see Wyll in the training area, teaching the Tiefling children how to fight. Talk to him to recruit him.
Karlach
Karlach is an Asmodeus Tiefling Barbarian of unknown origin. She can be found north of the Blighted Village, along the Risen Road in BG3.
There are multiple ways to recruit her. If Wyll is in your party, he will ask you to help him take down a red devil. This will start the Hunt the Devil side quest. You can also accept this quest by talking to Anders inside the Tollhouse on the Risen Road.
You can also find Karlach first by going West of the Tollhouse. She will be sitting on a tree trunk near the river. She will be hurt and ask you to help her. If you have Wyll with you, convince him that Karlach is innocent.
She will join you temporarily, and you can kill the fake Paladin Anders and his team to officially recruit Karlach.
Halsin
Halsin is a Wood-Elf Druid with an Outlander background. Finding and recruiting this manbear is hands-down the most difficult task of Baldur’s Gate 3. His quest spans two Acts, and if you do something wrong, Halsin will never join your party. For this reason, below is a step-by-step guide you must follow religiously.
- Upon entering the Druid Grove, talk to Zevlor and Rath about starting Rescue the First Druid side quest.
- Make your way to the shattered sanctum area of the Goblin Camp to find Halsin inside a cage as a bear.
- Side with Halsin and kill all the Goblins. Talk to Halsin and accept his request to kill all Goblin Leaders.
- Kill both Dror Ragzlin and True Soul Gut. Then, with a non-lethal attack, knock out Minthara. Halsin will accept this as killing all three and will resolve the conflict between Tieflings and Druids.
- Talk to Halsin at camp during the party, and he will join your camp. However, you can’t use him as a companion yet.
- Progress to the Shadow Cursed Lands in Act 2 and Save Thaniel. As Halsin will retrieve Thaniel from the other dimension, he will officially join your party as a recruit.
Minthara
Minthara is a Lloth-Sworn Drow with a Noble background. You can recruit this goblin leader and romance her even in a good playthrough.
To recruit Minthara in an evil playthrough, side with her and raid the Druid Grove. Help her kill all the Tieflings and Druids. She will meet you at the camp during the next long rest but can’t be recruited yet.
Save her from the Moonrise Towers during Act 2; he will gladly join your party.
For a good playthrough, instead of joining forces with Minthara, knock her out with a non-lethal strike. Loot her belongings and kill the remaining Goblin Leaders without taking a rest. Rest and then proceed to the Shadow Cursed Lands.
You can now save Minthara from the Moonrise Towers prison to recruit her.
Jaheira
Jaheira is a high Half-Elf Druid with a noble background. The queen of harpers is a returning character from previous Baldur’s Gate games. Recruiting and keeping Jaheira is also a difficult task.
- Travel through the Mountain Pass and join forces with Kar’niss, the Moonlantern holder. Once harpers ambush you, change your loyalty and kill Kar’niss.
- Go to the Last Light Inn and make acquaintances with Jaheira. If you had helped Mol previously, she would have helped defuse the situation.
- Talk to Isobel and save her from the Flaming Fist Marcus.
- Go to Moonrise Towers and save all the prisoners.
- Complete Gauntlet of Shar’s trials to enter Shadowfell. Save Nightsong and progress the main story (this is a point of no return to Act 1).
- Raid Moonrise Towers, along with the Harpers and Tieflings, to defeat Ketheric Thorm for the first time.
- Talk to Jaheira at the entrance of the Oubliette to finally recruit her.
Minsc
Minsc is a Human Ranger with the Folk hero background. He is also a returning character, just like Jaheira.
Recruiting Minsc is dependent on recruiting Jaheira during Act 2. Once you recruit Jaheira, her companion quest, The High Harper, will lead you to the Counting House.
Here, you will meet a possessed Minsc, who will attack your party. Don’t kill Minsc and knock him out with a non-lethal strike. This will break absolute control over him. Follow him to Boo’s location and then talk to him. If you have Jaheira, Minsc will gladly join you as a companion.
