Although the Baldur's Gate 3 cast has become very popular collectively, Astarion has proved to be a standout in the party, so much so that actor Neil Newbon earned a Game Award for Best Performance in 2023 for his role as everyone's favorite Vampire Spawn. Astarion has been reprised in many animated shorts, Dungeons and Dragons one-shots, and even a parody advert for "Only Fangs." He's always enjoyed when he's about, but there's much more to him than his sassy charm, great hair, and somewhat cat-like personality – in fact, Astarion seems to overcome his own prejudice.

Like many other party that double as Origin Characters in BG3, there are two places that players can take Astarion's arc to. This is similar to Shadowheart, for instance, who either remains loyal to Shar or discovers her past as a Selûnite. In the Vampire Spawn's case, he either takes his master's place as a Vampire Ascendant and embraces his evil tendencies, or grows as a person and slays his master as a spawn, showing that he is better than the monster who tortured him for centuries. One way to see this growth is through his opinion on gnomes.

Astarion Seems To Hate Gnomes In BG3

He's Borderline Racist To Gnomes

For whatever reason, Astarion seems to have a problem with gnomes, as shown by content creator DragonsDream's video on YouTube (above). He is shown disregarding gnomes over and over for no given reason since it isn't as though gnomes have wronged him greatly at any point. If they have, Astarion never seems to mention it. Comparatively, he shows a dislike for the Gur, but this makes sense as he is a vampire, and the Gur hunt monsters, which often include spawn like Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3.

The Gur are also known as Selûne's Children or the people of the highway due to their nomadic lifestyle.

Astarion also shows a dislike for goblins, although this is more justified since they are usually enemies in Act 1. Gnomes never really seem to cause any conflict until Act 3 of BG3, and by then Astarion has already voiced his problems with gnomes quite heavily.

In Act 1, he states near the Grymforge that he understands saving a drow (being the character True Soul Nere in this case) but doesn't want to dig through rock to save gnomes. This is quite an out-of-pocket remark, considering that Nere is far from a friendly figure.

Spawn Astarion Has Changed By The End Of The Game

He Becomes A Leader For The Victims Of Cazador

Astarion begins as quite a selfish individual who is a tad obsessed with power, but if the player completes his questline and convinces him to remain as a Spawn, he becomes his own man, no longer living in fear of his master. Sure, he can't walk into the sun anymore, but he can form genuine connections with people. When Tav and the crew all meet up six months later at Wither's party in BG3, Astarion becomes the leader of Cazador's victims without forcefully ruling over them like a Vampire Master typically would over their spawn.

In D&D lore, Strahd von Zarovich is the first vampire in the world.

When players meet Astarion again at Wither's party, he will remark that he hopes those he's looked after in the Underdark haven't killed another gnome. The Astarion of old probably would have actively encouraged the killing of a gnome, but this Astarion is a more responsible man that clearly has more of a heart. It may have taken three acts of death-defying adventuring, killing Cazador in BG3, and six months of reflection, but it looks like Astarion finally gets over his gnome discrimination.

Why Astarion May Have Changed His Mind About Gnomes

He's A Much Greater Man By The End Of The Story

Astarion has always been a man that follows. He was forced to follow Cazador, then Tav due to the Tadpole and its Illithid powers in BG3, but he always yearned for freedom and independence. With the adventuring and all the good he ends up doing (assuming he remains a spawn and makes it to Wither's party), he ultimately becomes a man who enjoys the company of others and is far less selfish. Astarion becomes a man who can lead, rather than just follow, and that maturity likely means that he values life more in general.

This maturity extends to valuing the lives of gnomes too, or it could just mean that he no longer finds tormenting them funny. It could also be because Astarion didn't like Yousen, one of his "siblings" who just so happens to be a gnome, but now that he's in charge, he can no longer be prejudiced towards Yousen. Knowing Baldur's Gate 3 and its attention to detail in its storytelling, it could be a combination of many reasons; however, all that really matters is Astarion is a layered character that players love to see more of.

Source: YouTube/DragonsDream