Baldur's Gate 3 is an incredible game that has many interesting and lovable companions who people tend to deeply care for. That being said, some characters are incredibly important to the general story of the game, like Shadowheart, while some barely connect to the story at all. Some characters also have deep ties with the Baldur's Gate series in general, having been here for multiple games, such as Jaheira and Minsc, but have varying importance with the main narrative.

Each character in the game has a personal quest, which typically focuses on their personal struggles and relationships, but some characters have deeper ties than that. Some characters' narratives, especially in Act 1 of BG3, can even define the general pacing of the main story of the game, though Baldur's Gate 3 does find ways to ignore these characters if the player chooses not to take them into their party. These are the companions with the most importance to the main story, no matter which decisions you make along the way.

7 Gale & Astarion Have Almost Zero Place In The Story

The Wizard Of Waterdeep & The Pale Elf Don't Affect BG3

Gale and Astarion are similar characters due to the fact that while their personal stories are amazing and do tie well with the city of Baldur's Gate, in of the main story, they don't actually serve much purpose at all. If you were to take them out of the main narrative of Baldur's Gate 3, or replace them with other characters, it wouldn't really affect the general story's writing at all, especially in the first two acts.

It's worth noting Gale can be a very story-relevant character if he decides to use the orb, but that's still mostly a self-contained choice, as the story can be cleared even without him present. Astarion has even less general story relevance due to the fact he doesn't have many personal ties outside Cazador and Ulma along with her Gur camp. Both of these characters are beloved, but simply just have little attachment to the story outside the fact they're tadpole carriers.

6 Minsc Is Lovable, But Forgettable In The Story

The Mad Rashemaar Has No Real Purpose Until Act 3

Minsc is an older character to the general story in Baldur's Gate 3, so in of the complete world, he's quite relevant. However, in of personal attachment to the main story of this game, he unfortunately barely exists in the narrative. He's not really directly affecting any aspect of it - at least not until the latter parts, and even that will depend on whether you find him or not.

Minsc, despite these factors, has a set place in Act 3. This can, unfortunately, mean that a ton of players can miss him quite easily due to the city's size. This only heightens his lack of importance in the story, as his only major point is the legacy he leaves from the previous Baldur's Gate games. His character is important, but he's more of an Easter egg for longtime fans when considering the overall story.

5 Lae'zel Has Deep Ties With The Githyanki

The Githyanki Warrior Is Based On Player's Choices

Lae'zel, while not having direct ties to the main story, has plenty of loose connections through her Githyanki heritage. As one of the first companions you meet and build a bond with in Baldur's Gate 3, she gives you tons of insight into the Githyanki and their general effect on the story. The Githyanki in general are major players in the main story of Baldur's Gate 3, especially when it comes to Orpheus.

Lae'zel's story comes to the forefront when the player confronts the Emperor and has to choose sides. If the player learns the truth of Vlaakith and convinces Lae'zel to go against her, she becomes a big fan of Orpheus and will even potentially betray the player if they side against him. While she's not integrated into the main story, Lae'zel is easily one of the characters that's most affected based off the players' choices in said story, placing her somewhere in the middle here.

4 Karlach & Wyll Have Ties With Gortash & The Tieflings

The Blade Of Frontiers & The Fury Of Avernus

Wyll and Karlach start off as strangers who could quickly become enemies, but due to the decisions of the player, they quickly become close comrades and some of the most morally good companions within Baldur's Gate 3. Both happen to have deep ties with the tieflings in Act 1, with Wyll being their core protector and Karlach being a tiefling herself. They're interesting characters, but they're only middle-of-the-road when it comes to main story importance.

Interestingly enough, both Wyll and Karlach end up having deep ties with Gortash, who's one of the main antagonists of Baldur's Gate 3. While this doesn't immediately tie either character deeply to the main story, it gives them a direct line to one of the most important characters in the game. Gortash shapes both their lives. Karlach is more directly tied to Gortash, but Wyll's father is similarly linked to the man as well.

3 Minthara Is A Major Force In Act 1

The True Soul Of The Absolute Loses Steam Over Acts

Minthara is an essential part of Act 1's story and is a major driving force of the narrative within the Druid Grove storyline of Baldur's Gate 3. Before she even becomes a potential companion, she's either an evil ally or a foe for players who pursue the path of good. She's a key aspect of the early development of the main story, and her absence would definitely affect Act 1's story greatly, even potentially making the goblins much less of a threat.

While Minthara has tons of relevance in Act 1, she sadly loses most of it after that act as she becomes much more of a minor character. Her personal quest at this point also doesn't really exist, meaning she has very little influence on the main story of the game. She generally lacks content compared to most companions, so her personal arc is carried by Act 1 and Act 2 compared to most of her potential allies, whose arcs can stretch into Act 3.

2 Jaheira Is A Constant In The Baldur's Gate Series

The Leader Of The Harpers Is Important In BG3

Jaheira, similar to Minsc, is a Baldur's Gate 3 character fans of the Baldur's Gate series will know quite well, as she was in the previous games. The main difference is that Jaheira is one of the main driving forces of Act 2 and without her the major arc within the act wouldn't exist. Not only does she lead and create The Last Light Inn, which provides protection for many important characters in Act 1, but she also leads the raid on Moonrise Towers which causes the progression to Act 3.

While Jaheira isn't as essential in Act 3, she still has a personal quests that ties deep within the inner workings of the city.

While Jaheira isn't as essential in Act 3, she still has a personal quests that ties deep within the inner workings of the city, which is still a major factor in the general narrative of the game. Even if the player is a Dark Urge, she still has a significant connection to them due to her fight against bhaalists during encounters in previous games in the series. While recruiting her is required to obtain Minsc as a companion, the player will also generally gain a ton of information and story beats from having her in their party during Act 3.

1 Shadowheart Helps Make The Story Possible

The Chosen Of Shar Is Integral To The Story

Shadowheart is a very interesting character, as outside Lae'zel, she's one of the first companions we meet in Baldur's Gate 3. If you don't ignore her (and you shouldn't), she'll always be the first companion to the player's party. She has one of the most important items in the game, which is the Mysterious Artifact, which contains The Emperor within it. This essentially makes her presence a force that drives the entire game's initial plot.

Not only is her presence in Act 1 critical, but outside Halsin, she's arguably one of the most influential companions in Act 2 due to her connection to Shar. The Shadow Curse is naturally a Sharran curse, which allows Shadowheart to be immune to it due to her devotion to her Dark Lady. This can lead to some interesting choices during the main story and in her character arc.

Shadowheart also makes a choice which can entirely change the act completely, making it so she has a significant hold on how the story of the Act goes. While she doesn't have much connection to Act 3 outside her personal quests, she's a key part of Act 1 and Act 2. This makes her a character that essentially dictates a lot of the early conflicts within Baldur's Gate 3, and it makes her the most important companion to the game's main narrative.