Summary
Wizards of the Coast has expressed interest in publishing a sequel toBaldur’s Gate 3, and at least one character would be perfect to return. If previousBaldur’s Gategames are any indication,a party member returning in a future game isn’t out of the question. With themassive success ofBaldur’s Gate 3, it would be surprising if Wizards of the Coast didn’t include at least some of the characters that helped make the game so popular.
ThoughLarian Studios sadly won’t be involvedinBaldur’s Gate 4, the rights to theDungeons & DragonsIP, as well as the game’s characters, still belong to WOTC. This means theBaldur’s Gate 3characters could easily return in a future game. One character, in particular, seems ripe for a return as their voice actor recently expressed an interest in reprising their role sometime in the future. This character also makes sense from a story standpoint to bring back, and is a favorite, so fans would likely be happy to see them return.
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Astarion’s Voice Actor Wants To Continue Playing The Character
Neil Newbon Discussed Astarion’s Future In A Recent Interview
In an interview withIGN, actor Neil Newbon revealed thathe would be happy to reprise his role as Astarion. Though Newborn didn’t mentionBaldur’s Gate 4specifically, his enthusiasm about any possible future projects would lead one to believe he’d be happy to return for the game’s sequel. Seeing as Newbon’s performance as Astarion scored him two award wins and several more nominations, it would be surprising if Wizards of the Coast passed up a chance to include him in a future project.
It isn’t just Newbon or critics that would be happy to see Astarion, as players would also likely be happy to see the pale elf return. According to numbers posted late last year byLarian Studioson Twitter, Astarion was one of the most popularOrigin character choices. Many players have also shared clips of their favorite Astarion moments and expressed their love for him online. With so much love for Astarion, and Newbon willing to return,it would only make sense for Wizards to include him in future games. Luckily, theBaldur’s Gateseries already has a great blueprint for how.
Baldur’s Gate Has A History Of Bringing Back Characters In Sequels
BG3 Featured Several Characters From Previous Games In The Series
Astarion would be far from the first character to show up in multiple installments of theBaldur’s Gatefranchise.Baldur’s Gate 3featuredseveral companions from previous games, including Jaheira, Minsc, and Viconia. The game also featured side characters like Elminster and Volo who had made previous appearances, and also play roles in the widerDungeons & Dragonsuniverse. This shows a few of the possible ways that Astarion could return inBaludr’s Gate 4.
Like Jaheira or Minsc, Astarion could potentially be a late-game addition to the new party. As an experienced adventurer, it wouldn’t make sense for him to be present from the start of the game. Alternatively, Astarion could have direct ties to one of the party members, like Viconia does with Shadowheart. This could make a lot of sense if Astarion ascending is the canon ending, as he could be built up as a similar dark mentor figure.
Having Astarion return could also be a fun way for a sequel to shed light on what happened to other party members or Tav following theend ofBaldur’s Gate 3.Even just vague allusions to Astarion’s old party members and their fates would likely get fans excitedand would be a good incentive for players to work their way through all of Astarion’s dialogue options.
Astarion’s Inclusion In Baldur’s Gate 4 Would Make Narrative Sense
Astarion Doesn’t Age & May Have Unfinished Business
Though fans would likely be happy to see any party member return in a future game, Astarion would allow for a lot of flexibility. Even if Wizards wants to do a massive time jump, it would make sense for Astarion to still be around since - as both an elf and a vampire - aging isn’t really a concern for him.Astarion could also believably be on either side of the game’s conflict, given his moral ambiguity. This creates a bit more narrative leeway for him than with some ofBaldur’s Gate 3’s more stalwart companions.
Though there still hasn’t been any concrete information aboutBaldur’s Gate 4yet, a representative from Hasbro - Wizards of the Coast’s parent company - did express the company’s interest in making a sequel in an interview withPC Gamer. This hopefully means the company is already in the planning stages, and paying attention to things like Neil Newbon’s enthusiasm to return to his role. Even if it doesn’t end up being in aBaldur’s Gate 3sequel, fans would likely be happy to see Astarion again in some form.
Source:IGN,LarianStudios/Twitter,PC Gamer
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.
