All BG3 Companions Guide and Ranking Tier List

Welcome to the BG3 Companions Guide & Tier List. In this guide, we will rank the recruitable companion characters in BG3 (not including Hirelings) based on how strong and impactful they are throughout the game. We will also give an overview of each companion, including how to recruit them and how to improve their approval rating with you.

Please note that there aren’t any “weak” characters on this list as such, but those with lower ranks have limitations or caveats that make them less useful in the average playthrough.

We’ve split the companions up into four ranks with the following definitions:

S-Tier Companions – The most powerful companions in the game, due to their ability to provide unmatched damage or support/healing to your party.
A-Tier Companions – Almost as good as S-Tier but with one or two minor limitations to their strength
B-Tier Companions – Strong characters who require more skill or have larger limitations than the highest two ranks
C-Tier Companions – Strong characters who have considerable limitations holding them back. This turned out to be two companions who are held back because they cannot be recruited until quite late in the BG3 story.

BG3 Companions Tier List Ranking

In the table below, we have ranked the origin characters and recruitable characters in BG3. You can click on each companion to find out more about them, or scroll down to find info about all of the characters.

Tier	Characters
S	Karlach, Lae’zel, Shadowheart
A	Gale, Halsin, Wyll
B	Astarion, Minthara
C	Jaheira, Minsc

Karlach

Karlach is a Zariel Tiefling Barbarian who can be chosen as your origin character, or recruited during Act I. Karlach is a very powerful melee fighter with the unique ability to consume Soul Coins in return for a 1d4 bonus Fire damage on all attacks.

Karlach Strengths

Extremely strong melee fighter, able to make several attacks per turn, especially with the Berserker subclass (recommended choice)
Loyal and easy to please, as long as you don’t make evil choices often.
Tanky due to the resistance to physical damage when Raging. Karlach is often the last party member standing and punches above her weight right from the start of the game.

Karlach Weaknesses

While strong, the Barbarian class is very one-dimensional and does little to support allies or debuff enemies.

How to Recruit Karlach

Recruiting Karlach is very easy. You simply need to find her near the Risen Road and agree to help her defeat her pursuers. She’ll then join your camp and is immediately available to join your party.

If Wyll is in your party then the two will have an initial confrontation, but you can convince them to calm down quite easily.

Karlach Approval Overview

In general, Karlach likes and will approve of the following actions by the player:

Helping the innocent
Being charitable; expecting no reward in return for help
Being kind to those in need, while tough and decisive with evil characters
Being a compassionate and caring friend to Karlach personally

However, Karlach tends to disapprove of the following:

Indiscriminate violence
Being dismissive or insensitive to the plight of others (or of Karlach herself)
Making deals with villains
(Major) Making deals with Gortash

Karlach Best Build

To get the best out of Karlach in combat, we recommend using the Berserker subclass and basing her build around Great Weapons and improving her Movement Speed as much as possible – this will make her melee attacks very strong and almost no enemies in the game will be able to outrun Karlach!

To find out more about this build, please check our BG3 Karlach Build Guide.

Lae’zel

Lae’zel is a Githyanki warrior who is loyal to the Lich Queen Vlaakith and opposes illithid influence wherever it is found. Not much is known about her background before the events of BG3, as Lae’zel tends to keep such information to herself. Like Karlach, Lae’zel is an extremely strong melee fighter and can rapidly dispatch weaker enemies or take on bosses with her strong strikes and ability to attack multiple times per turn (after some levelling up).

Lae’zel Strengths

Very powerful melee combatant
Decent at attacking from afar with a bow when needed
Is Githyanki, giving access to enhanced jumping, the ability to teleport and extra Psychic Damage from Githyanki weapons

Lae’zel Weaknesses

Fairly short on team support options
Her Gith mindset and “survival of the fittest” mentality makes it hard to please her and other party members at the same time, especially in “good” playthroughs

How to Recruit Lae’zel

Lae’zel always joins you as a temporary companion on the Nautiloid. After escaping, you can recruit her permanently by releasing her from the cage and speaking to her. You can use either words or violence to get rid of the Tieflings guarding her cage.

Lae’zel Approval Overview

Lae’zel can seem to be a difficult character to impress, but gaining her approval is actually very simple – it just doesn’t align with how many players tend to play BG3:

Lae’zel Approves of:

Direct Approaches to problems, especially with regards to the tadpole in Act I
Avoiding entanglement with petty distractions from your main objective
Displaying martial skill
Showing determination

Lae’zel disapproves of:

Acts of mercy or compassion
Showing submission or weakness
Using diplomacy when force is the simpler option
Helping others without obvious benefit
(Major) Dealing with illithids of any kind

Lae’zel Best Build

We prefer to build Lae’zel as a pure melee damage-dealer, which means going with the Champion subclass instead of the default Battle Master. The Champion subclass makes Lae’zel much more likely to land critical hits, which is why we prefer it. To learn more about how to build Lae’zel as a Champion, check our BG3 Lae’zel build.

If you prefer the default Battle Master subclass which gives Lae’zel more options for helping allies and debuffing or crowd-controlling enemies, then check our BG3 Battle Master Build instead.

Shadowheart

Shadowheart is a Trickery Domain Cleric loyal to Shar, a goddess considered by many to be malevolent, yet she does not seem to display this malevolence in her own actions. It soon emerges that her backstory is shrouded in mystery, as her memories were wiped to avoid jeopardizing her mission. Shadowheart’s story is arguably the most complicated of all the origin characters in BG3, and the player’s input can help to shape what kind of person Shadowheart becomes later in the game.

Shadowheart Strengths

Wide array of spellcasting options
Good late-game magic damage
Great at supporting allies with various buffs, or debuffing enemies
Easy to attain high approval unless you deliberately antagonize her or make outright evil and sadistic choices

Shadowheart Weaknesses

Weak in combat for the first few levels – she starts getting powerful spells at level 5.
Passable in melee but not great
“Sneaky” Shar playstyle doesn’t actually fit a Cleric all too well

How to Recruit Shadowheart

Shadowheart is the easiest character to recruit in BG3 as it’s almost impossible to miss her. You’ll first meet her on the Nautiloid, where she is trapped in a pod. It’s possible to release her and get her as a temporary companion. Even if you don’t release her you can still recruit her later on.

After escaping, Shadowheart can be found on the beach slightly to the north of where you spawn. She’s keen to join you, but will be displeased if you ignored her on the Nautiloid.

Shadowheart Approval Overview

Shadowheart is quite easy to impress in most playthroughs. If you are very evil then you might start to upset her, though.

She approves of:

Being pragmatic and efficient when solving problems
Respecting her privacy and being open-minded when she does speak up
Acts of heroism
Being kind to animals
Acting against Selune or Selunites
Opposing Lae’zel (Act I)

Shadowheart disapproves of:

Prying too much into her private matters or not being open-minded
Being violent or cruel without a good enough reason
Being cruel or unkind to animals
Being too trusting of unknown or suspicious individuals
Siding with Lae’zel (Act I)

In Act II there is a location that is very important for Shadowheart’s personal questline, and you must take her there or else she will feel completely betrayed and leave your camp, regardless of her approval rating. You don’t need to stress about finding it, as the main quest will lead you to this location too.

Shadowheart Best Build

While Shadowheart’s default class is the Trickery Domain Cleric, we recommend changing her to be a Light Domain Cleric instead, as this increases her damage potential, allows her to protect allies against attacks and unlocks synergy with various items that involve the Radiant Orb mechanic. Radiant Orb can be used to inflict crippling attack debuffs on several enemies at once, causing even powerful bosses to miss many of their attacks against your party.

If you want to find out more about how this build works, please check our BG3 Shadowheart Build.

Gale

Gale is a powerful wizard with an intriguing backstory. While generally comes across as a kind and benevolent character, it soon becomes apparent that his ambition and hunger for greater arcane power has been his downfall, and he is now cursed with an ailment that could cause a huge magical explosion if he cannot find a cure.

Gale Strengths

Very wide range of spells for all purposes
High magical damage output
Especially good AOE damage but also decent single-target
Easy to maintain high approval

Gale Weaknesses

The wizard is a squishy class, especially at low levels
A little tricky to play for beginners
Requires careful positioning and planning to get the best out of Gale’s magical prowess

How to Recruit Gale

Gale can be recruited very early in Act I – he is found trapped in a purple portal near the crashed Nautloid, roughly halfway between Astarion and Lae’zel.

Gale Approval Overview

Gale is very easy to obtain and maintain good relations with, unless you deliberately antagonise him or are very evil and sadistic in your playthrough.

He approves of:

Helping those in need
Resolving conflicts with pragmatic solutions
Showing interest in the Arcane
Showing support for his ambitions
(Major) Being understanding and helpful with regards to his magical affliction

He disapproves of:

Harming innocents
Using violence when diplomacy is an option
Destroying or wasting knowledge
Criticizing his ambitions or goals
(Major) Not being understanding about his magical affliction

Best Gale Build

We recommend building Gale as an Evocation Wizard, as this subclass gives arguably the best magical damage output in the game. However Wizards are versatile, and you can go with a different subclass if it is more suited to your playstyle or party.

If you want to learn how to create a powerful build for Gale, please check our BG3 Gale Build.

Halsin

Halsin is a wood elf Druid who defaults to the Circle of the Moon subclass. While he can be recruited as a temporary companion during a quest in Act I, he cannot join your party properly until partway through Act II.

Halsin would rank a bit higher in the list if he could be recruited in Act I, but missing a significant portion of the game is a disadvantage that can’t be ignored when ranking him.

Halsin Strengths

Wide range of powerful spells from the Druid class
Good AOE magical damage
Good at healing and supporting allies
Choose from many animal Wild Shapes to fight enemies or solve puzzles

Halsin Weaknesses

Druids like Halsin lack good damage Cantrips
Can’t be recruited until some way into the game

How to Recruit Halsin

Recruiting Halsin is a multi-stage process that cannot be completed until Act II:

Visit the Druid Grove and get the Rescue Halsin quest
Rescue Halsin from Shattered Sanctum.
Accept and complete Halsin’s quest to eliminate the goblin leaders
Talk to Halsin and ask him to accompany you to Moonrise Towers
In Act II, speak to Halsin in camp and help him to lift the Shadow Curse
Progress the Lift the Shadow Curse quest until Halsin offers to join your party. You must complete the quest or he will stay behind at the end of Act II.

Obviously you must keep Halsin alive at all stages of the process. It’s possible for him to die in Shattered Sanctum if you are very careless or very unlucky, but he’s much more likely to die when he enters the Shadowfell in Act II – you’ll be tasked with defending a portal and it’s imperative that you succeed, or Halsin will be lost. If you’re lucky you’ll have a Scroll of Globe of Invulnerability in your inventory, which can be used to make this encounter very easy by shielding both the spellcaster and the portal within the globe.

Halsin Approval Overview

While Halsin can join your camp at the beginning of Act II, his approval cannot be impacted until he joins your party as a full companion during the Lift the Shadow Curse quest.

Halsin approves of:

Being kind to others
Being good to children
Showing care to animals and nature

Halsin disapproves of:

Cruelty
Harming the natural world in any way
Supporting corruption of the land or its denizens

Best Halsin Build

Halsin excels when allowed to persist with his default class, a Circle of the Moon Druid. This class boasts excellent spellcasting and incredible versatility due to the wide array of available Wild Shapes. Halsin can also cast Call Lightning and Misty Step without needing to prepare them.

To learn more about how to create a powerful build for Halsin, please check our BG3 Halsin Build.

Wyll

Wyll, also known as the Blade of Frontiers, is a human Warlock from Baldur’s Gate, and the son of the city’s Duke Ravengard. Wyll made a pact with a devil to gain his warlock powers.

Wyll Strengths

Can recharge Spell Slots with Short Rests
Spells automatically upcast to the highest possible level
Very strong Cantrips, especially with Eldritch Blast
Good in melee, for a spellcaster

Wyll Weaknesses

Can’t hold many Spell Slots at once, making mistakes more punishing.
Lower selection of spells than other spellcasters
Very limited access to sixth level spells

How to Recruit Wyll

Wyll is initially found near the entrance to the Druid Grove. When the Goblins are attacking the gate, Wyll can be seen helping to fight off the attackers.

After this scene plays out, you can find Wyll inside the Druid Grove training with swords.

To recruit him you just need to speak with him.

Wyll Approval Overview

It’s fairly easy to get high approval with Wyll, as long as you support him in his struggle for freedom.

Wyll approves of:

Vailantly defending the innocent or defenceless
Kindness towards children
Peaceful yet decisive actions
(Major) Being understanding of his plight and supporting him in his struggle for freedom

Wyll dislikes the following:

Villainous Acts
Making deals with nefarious characters
Needless violence
Refusal to aid or defend those in need
(Major) Siding with Mizora over Wyll

Best Wyll Build

After some leveling up, Wyll can become a very powerful damage-dealer. While he cannot hold many Spell Slots at a time, this can be mostly circumvented by building around the Eldritch Blast cantrip, which can be made to deal significantly improved damage and also knocking enemies back, sometimes making it possible to knock enemies down for fall damage or into chasms. To learn more about how to create a build like this for Wyll, please check our BG3 Wyll Build Guide.

Astarion

Astarion is a High Elf Rogue and Vampire spawn who was whisked away from a sadistic master shortly before the events of Act I. He comes across as power-hungry and perhaps somewhat malevolent, but there is a more complicated character beneath the surface that players may discover if they are able to earn a high rapport with Astarion,

Astarion Strengths

Excellent at stealth and thievery. If you want to pick a lock, Astarion is your man.
Sneak attacks can deal heavy damage.
Fairly versatile combatant
Rogue playstyle rewards out-of-the-box thinking

Astarion Weaknesses

Quite squishy
Struggles in open combat in the early-game, prefers sneaking
While versatile, Astarion doesn’t excel at any combat discipline

How to Recruit Astarion

Astarion is one of the easiest characters to recruit, as he’s often found early in the game. His location means that he’s often the second companion that a first-timer will recruit, after Shadowheart. To find Astarion, turn left after you pass Shadowheart and cross through the crashed Nautiloid, to the west side of the vessel. Astarion can be found on the road, standing in some grass.

Speak to Astarion and after an initial misunderstanding you can ask him to join your party.

Astarion Approval Overview

Astarion has one of the most complicated sets of morals when it comes to gaining his Approval. At first he can seem like an evil character, but there’s more going on beneath the surface, so you don’t necessarily need to be doing an evil playthrough to get Astarion to like you.

Astarion tends to like:

Being snarky or mocking others
Displays of power or cruelty
Successful acts of deception
(Major) Supporting the independence or autonomy of Astarion and others

Astarion dislikes:

Displays of weakness
Kindness or charity that has no reward
(Major) Restricting Astarion or trying to persuade him to do things he doesn’t want to do

Astarion Best Build

Astarion works best as a Thief, since this class grants an extra Bonus Action which effectively allows you to Dash, Disengage or Hide on the same turn as a dual-wield attack. This gives Astation much more freedom of maneuverability. To learn more about how to build Astarion, please check our BG3 Astarion Build.

Minthara

Minthara is a Lolth-Sworn Drow who defaults to the Vengeance Paladin subclass. She is not an origin character so cannot be recruited at the start of the game.

She is the closest of all the BG3 recruitable companions to being openly malevolent, and will typically be recruited by those doing an “evil playthrough”, since the intended method of recruiting her involves very evil choices in Act I (although it is possible to recruit Minthara while also taking the good path in Act I).

Please note that Minthara is not a weak character – a large part of why she ranks this low on the list is that she can’t be recruited until around halfway through Act II. The same is true of Halsin, but his extremely powerful druid magic and Wild Shape abilities make him a stronger character overall than Minthara, hence the higher ranking for him.

Minthara Strengths

Very strong melee damage potential
Versatile and durable
Has some fairly basic supportive magic and healing abilities

Minthara Weaknesses

Can’t be recruited until some way through Act II
Lacks powerful late-game magic

How to Recruit Minthara

There are two methods to recruit Minthara in BG3. While the intended method of recruiting her is fairly simple (accept and complete her quest upon meeting her in Shattered Sanctum, then rescue her from Moonrise Towers in Act II), it is also considered one of the most evil choices in Baldur’s Gate III, so many players aren’t comfortable with it. There is a second way to recruit Minthara is much less evil but is very complicated.

We recommend reading the recruitment section of our Minthara Guide for more information about how this works, as it’s too long of an explanation to include here.

Minthara Approval Overview

Minthara presents as arguably the most malevolent out of all of BG3’s companions, and her approval reflects this. She typically respects displays of strength or authority.

Minthara approves of:

Displays of power or authority
Violent and efficient solutions
Strong-willed or determined actions
Cruel irony

Minthara dislikes:

Displays of compassion towards the weak
Benevolence or charity without any real gain
Displays of weakness
Any worship of Lolth

Best Minthara Build

We recommend keeping Minthara’s default Vengeance Paladin class and building her around Great Weapons. She will have great damage output thanks to the added damage from her Smite spells, and can provide some support for your team as a bonus. She’s also very durable thanks to her Proficiency with Heavy Armour.

To learn more about this build, please check our BG3 Minthara Build.

Jaheira

Jajeira is a High Half-Elf Circle of the Land Druid who leads a group of survivors in Act II. If you help her in her struggle against the Absolute, she becomes available as a recruitable companion, assuming she survives the battle.

Please note that Jaheira is not a weak character – a large part of why she ranks this low on the list is that she can’t be recruited until the very end of Act II.

Jaheira Strengths

Wide range of powerful spells from the Druid class
Good AOE magical damage
Good at healing and supporting allies
Choose from a decent range of animal Wild Shapes to fight enemies or solve puzzles

Jaheira Weaknesses

Druids like Jaheira lack good damage Cantrips
Can’t be recruited until the end of Act II, so she misses a lot of the game

How to Recruit Jaheira

To be able to recruit Jaheira in BG3, you need to follow the following steps:

Go to Last Light Inn in Act II
Convince Jaheira to trust you
Agree to help the Harpers against the Absolute
Defeat Ketheric Thorm, then speak to Jaheira at Moonrise Towers at the end of Act II, ensuring she survives the battle.
1. If Last Light Inn falls to the Shadow Curse, but Jaheira survives, she can be invited to stay in your camp. If this happens you can still get her as a companion after defeating Ketheric Thorm.

Jaheira Approval Guide

Jaheira is a character who always appreciates good deeds, but also favours a direct approach to problems.

She tends to approve of the following:

Direct approaches to problems
Good deeds of all kinds
Snarky jokes

She disapproves of:

Making deals with nefarious characters
Being needlessly violent or cruel

Jaheira Best Build

We recommend sticking with Jaheira’s Circle of the Land Druid class, since this is a very powerful spellcaster that can deal excellent AOE damage to foes while healing and supporting your party.

To learn more about how to build Jaheira, please check our BG3 Jaheira Build Guide.

Minsc

Minsc is a human Ranger who can be found and recruited in Act III, along with his animal companion, Boo.

Please note that despite ranking last in this list, Minsc is not a weak character and you can do just fine with him in your party. But his default class (Ranger) is one of the least remarkable in the game, and he cannot be recruited until Act III so he cannot help you with a large amount of your adventure, which is why he gets the lowest ranking.

Minsc Strengths

Good ranged damage
Can make multiple ranged attacks per turn
Can buff his own attacks with basic magic
Rewards careful positioning and planning

Minsc Weaknesses

Lacks high level spells
Weak if caught in melee
Difficult class to play for beginners
Not available until Act III, missing most of the game

How to Recruit Minsc

To recruit Minsc, you first need to recruit Jaheira in Act II. After that, follow the steps below:

Progress the High Harper quest
Fight Minsc in the Lower City Sewers, using non-lethal attacks to finish him off
Convince the Emperor to shield Minsc with the prism

Minsc Best Build

We recommend building Minsc as a Ranger Hunter, which unlocks his potential as a powerful ranged damage dealer, especially against strong single targets like bosses.

To learn more about how to build Minsc, please check our BG3 Minsc Build Guide.