One Underrated Baldur's Gate 3 Companion May Be The Most Likely Canon Protagonist (2024)

Baldur's Gate 3 features a memorable selection of playable companions, but there's one that might have a better claim to being the proper protagonist than the rest. Like in a tabletop Dungeons & Dragons game, Baldur's Gate 3 places the emphasis on the group, and any of the Origin characters can be chosen as the principal playable option. It's also possible to create a custom character, and there's a good argument to be made that a custom character with the added narrative of the Dark Urge Origin is the most intentional protagonist option.

When choosing from among the pre-existing characters, however, there's definitely some variance in how much each one makes sense as a protagonist. All of them have enough fundamental motive to fight the looming evil of the Absolute, as parasitic tadpoles in their heads pose a pressing threat that even a purely self-interested person would need to address. Even so, some aren't canonically likely to act in ways that would traditionally befit a lead role, and even finding redemption arcs for the more troubled companions tends to make more sense when a different protagonist is nudging them along.

Wyll Makes The Most Sense As The BG3 Protagonist

Wyll Is Perfectly Positioned To Lead The Party

Wyll rarely gets as much attention as some of the more popular Baldur's Gate 3 companions, but when it comes to protagonist potential, he just might fit the bill more than any of the rest. In some regards, Wyll is the party's most traditional leading man, curating a status as something of a folk legend among people in need. While he's not the only party member willing to extend a helping hand, he's the only one who makes it his central goal, and having that kind of focus can help drive a lot of interactions throughout the story.

A spotless hero isn't necessarily that interesting, however, and adding on the layer of Wyll's pact with the cambion Mizora gives him the darker element to really sell the pitch. Wyll agreed to become a warlock with her patronage in order to save the city of Baldur's Gate, a devil's bargain that's haunted him ever since. This deal shows how far he's willing to go to save the game's titular city, and the balance between his desire to save others and the disgrace of what he's accepted in order to do so is a fascinating point of conflict.

When looking at Baldur's Gate 3's DnD inspiration, it's also worth considering the concept of the party face. Although every player is meant to be a protagonist in their own way, most groups end up with one character who tends to be the default when interacting with NPCs. In most cases, the party face is someone who can navigate social situations and win allies with relative ease, and it typically makes sense for this character to have a dash of heroism to go along with the interpersonal skills.

Among Baldur's Gate 3's characters, Wyll is the most natural fit for the party face. Wyll has the highest starting charisma stat of any Origin character by a significant margin, boasting a 17 that dwarfs Gale's second place score of 12. He's the most likely by far to succeed at persuading NPCs to see the party's way of thinking, and from a roleplay perspective, his status as a folk hero and experience with the customs of nobility and common folk alike make perfect sense for the role.

Wyll Doesn't Get Enough Credit As A BG3 Companion

Being A Hero Isn't Always That Flashy

Unfortunately for Wyll, the fact that he fits the lead role might work against him in terms of overall popularity. As showcased in official player stats from Larian Studios on Twitter, Wyll isn't a popular choice for the playable character. This could come down to a variety of influences, but the fact that he does seem like the default template for a hero gives him less of a hook than the other options. His character introduction doesn't reveal the nature of his Warlock pact, so that layer of complexity might not be obvious during character creation.

As with all of Baldur's Gate 3's companions, taking the time to get to know Wyll tends to reveal that any initial dismissal is a mistake. In addition to the narrative reveals surrounding Wyll, he proves to be a fun character in terms of gameplay, and mixing martial options with reliable Warlock spells like eldritch blast can be a best of both worlds situation in combat. Wyll may never quite have the dramatic moments that Astarion does, but that doesn't mean that he's any less worthy of attention.

Every Baldur's Gate 3 Origin Character Could Be The Hero

Strong Personal Arcs Make Everyone A Protagonist

It's definitely possible to make alternate arguments about who fits the role of canon Baldur's Gate 3 protagonist the best, and there's no Origin character who's completely unfit for the job. Lae'zel's githyanki background and significant crisis of identity make for a strong argument, for example, as does Shadowheart's possession of the Astral Prism and her own reckoning with faith. The fact that every companion gets a proper personal arc means none of them can fully be relegated to a portrayal as minor side characters, a design choice that reflects DnD well.

Baldur's Gate 3 doesn't officially confirm a canon protagonist for good reason, and being able to position any Origin or custom character as the lead opens up a lot of possibilities for unique campaigns. All the same, it's interesting to look at the story from the outside and speculate about how all the pieces best fit together. Wyll may not always get his due as a Baldur's Gate 3 character, but when it comes to declaring a protagonist, the case he makes for the canon lead is well worth considering.

Source: Larian Studios/Twitter

Baldur's Gate 3

Developed and published by Larian Studios, Baldur's Gate 3 is an upcoming role-playing game set to release in August of 2023. Players will create a character to embark on a large-scale journey and can do so solo or cooperatively with a friend. Combat is a turn-based style this time around.

Franchise

Baldur's Gate

Platform(s)

PC , macOS , PS5 , Xbox Series X

Released

August 3, 2023

Developer(s)

Larian Studios

Genre(s)

RPG