Editing Baldur's Gate (Games) (section)

==Characters==
The Baldur's Gate series is home to an ''enormous'' cast of characters. In general, the sequel's were more fleshed-out and popular than the first game's, save for, you know, those who went on to appear in the sequel.

===Introduced in BG1===
[[Bhaalspawn]] - Your Player Character, child of [[Bhaal]]. Sometimes referred to in-universe as Gorion's Ward, nicknamed "Charname" by the fandom after the ''character name'' variable used in dialog scripts. Very variable depending on how you play them, with seven possible races, a large variety of classes and class kits to choose from and the option of being ''anywhere'' on the Alignment spectrum. We do NOT talk about the atrocity that is "Abdel Adrian". Canonically lived to see the end of the Spellplague, and became one of the Lords of the city of Baldur's Gate, only to be ganked by the ''other'' remaining Bhaalspawn in the introduction adventure to 5th Edition "Murder in Baldur's Gate".

Imoen - A spunky, cheerful, whimsical female human [[thief]] who was raised at Candlekeep alongside the [[Bhaalspawn]]. Spied on the PC and Gorion when the latter made plans to retreat from Candlekeep and followed them out of loyalty to her best friend, the PC. Reappears in BG2 as one of your initial party members, she was originally planned to be killed off in the game by the developers, but they rewrote the plot when they realized how popular she was. Having [[multiclassing|dual-classed]] to [[Mage]] in the interim between games, she has been traumatized by the experiments of the mad wizard Irenicus, who gets her kidnapped by the Cowled Wizards and taken to Spellhold with him so that he can continue experimenting on her. She's ultimately revealed to be another Bhaalspawn, but one of lesser power and will than the PC, which might explain why ''you'' can't be raised from the dead but she can.

Jaheira - A tough, no-nonsense female half-elven Fighter/Druid; originally married to Khalid, a meeker half-elven fighter, she was one of Gorion's old friends and planned to help him smuggle the PC away to safety when he fled Candlekeep. In BG2, she is one of your initial party members, her husband having been murdered by Irenicus. This opens her up as a romance option. She's a member of the [[Harpers]].  Has rock-solid-but-not-incredible stats for both fighting and casting, and while she won't outdo any specialists, she fits into every party.

Kagain - A male Fighter dwarf, head of a mercenary company. Often overlooked because he's tucked away in an unmarked house in the first town you can reach on the way to Nashkel. Joins you to look for a caravan of his, but says "fuck it" and decides to help you adventuring instead when you find the smoldering remains. Lawful Evil is his alignment, but it's more because he's grumpy and greedy than outright malice. With 20 constitution, he is the best tank in the entire game. Did not return in the sequels. In many ways he was a prototype of Korgan, being a grumpy and anti-social dwarf fighter specialised in axemanship.

Khalid - A half-elven Fighter and Jaheira's wimpy, loser husband. Long resented for being a necessary component of any party with Jaheira in it despite being completely overshadowed in damage output by every other fighter, ranger, and paladin in the game, having a very low morale score that often sees him running for the hills, and only having decent-but-not-incredible tanking stats to make up for it. He also had no real personality besides being spineless and prone to talking like Porky Pig. There is some question as to whether or not this was due to his originally being intended as a fighter/mage, but changed back at the last minute.  Is gratuitously and irreversibly killed off in the sequel (though admittedly in such a way that is consistent with the rules governing resurrection in the setting) to free up Jaheira for male Charnames, and in such a way that a lot of people who hated him still felt bad for he and her. 

[[Minsc]] - A male human Rashemi Berserker (though mechanically he's a ranger with a unique ability that mimics the berserker kit's) who came to Baldur's Gate looking for the chance to kick butt for goodness in the company of his [[witch]], Dynaheir. He's one of your initial party members in BG2, as he and Dynaheir joined Jaheira and Khalid in looking for the PC and Imoen after Irenicus abducted them. Dynaheir's death left him even loopier.  Fortunately, his animal companion, a [[Miniature Giant Space Hamster|miniature giant space hamster]] (who may or may not [[Spelljammer|be just that]]) named Boo, is there to steer him properly. Also, he will readily adopt either Aerie or Nalia as a replacement witch if you have them in the same party long enough. ''Easily'' the most popular character in the series, for his gloriously-hammy voice acting, wacky but endearing personality, and just being a very fun guy to have around, hence his getting his own spin-offs. Modern audiences have a slightly more complicated relationship with him, though, with some viewing him as an overrated one-trick pony who keeps getting whored out to sell Forgotten Realms crap to an audience too shallow to recognize his flaws. Which interpretation is valid depends on whether you like his personality gimmicks; if you do, you're pretty much set, but if you don't, he'll be little more than a pain in the arse. Also, his berserk ability makes him uncontrollable and prone to [[Kharn|attacking other party members]], so use with caution.

[[Edwin]] - An arrogant exiled male human Red Wizard of [[Thay]], beloved by the fans for his endless snark and delusions of grandeur, as well as being the best wizardly party member a player can get. Has a silly subplot in the second game about ''trying'' to gain ultimate arcane power as a [[lich]], only to end up becoming a woman.

[[Viconia de'Vir]] - A renegade female [[drow]] [[cleric]] whose path crosses the PCs in both the first and second game. Tends towards throwing mean-spirited insults at almost everyone else in your party, but to Charname she alternates between being kind of nice and a total bitch at times, like that "tsundere" thing your weeaboo friends keep going on about.  The origin of all sexy-but-morally dubious-and-dangerous Bioware women who are actually not so bad deep down, such as Morrigan and Isabela from ''Dragon Age'' or Jack and Miranda from ''Mass Effect''.  Another potential love interest character, but we probably didn't need to tell you that.  Her only major weakness is her very low strength score; equip some kind of item that sets it nice and high for her (like a Belt of Giant Strength or Gauntlets of Ogre Power) so she can wear heavy armor, and her incredible magic resistance and dexterity scores will make her a fantastic tank.  On top of that, her good wisdom and pure-caster status make her one of or ''the'' best clerics in any game she's in, though her race and her rotten personality often lead to her picking figurative or literal fights with other party members.

Safana - Classic "sexy seductress" female [[human]] [[rogue]] archetype. Flirts with any man around her, including the player character. Gets more time to shine in Siege of Dragonspear, where she is the "default" thief character and the only pure-classed thief in the game. She even has a potential romance with the player character... which goes nowhere, because she is a cheating selfish slut and she breaks up with them for being boring after stringing them along. For added humiliation, if Voghiln is in the party, she reveals she was sleeping with him behind your back. Proof that if it's not broken, don't fix it.

===Introduced in BG2===
Mazzy Fentan - A female [[halfling]] [[fighter]] who worships [[Arvoreen]], the halfling warrior god, with such fervor that she is as close to being a [[paladin]] as AD&D 2e rules allow. (Namely, through getting a bunch of unique powers that mime those of a pally.) Doubles as walking proof that halflings can get shit done too and a critique of the race/class restrictions of the edition she was born into, what with paladins being a humans-only option and all. Well-liked for being something other than the stereotypical stupid/timid/goofy halfling thief in an edition that was rife with those, and for having a bunch of fun interactions with the rest of the cast. Was voiced by Jennifer Hale, who later voiced [[Samus]] along with several other Bioware characters such as KOTOR's Bastila Shan and the female version of Commander Shepard.

Haer'Dalis - Male [[tiefling]] [[bard]] from [[Sigil]] and a [[Doomguard]]. Was considered as a romance option for females but it never went anywhere. Has a lot of good voice acting and witty lines. Likes to nickname the party by calling them animals. As he has a Bard kit designed for frontline combat (Blade), he is considered much more viable than Garrick and Eldoth, the playable bards from the first game. Sheds some interesting light on another ''D&D'' setting.

Keldorn Firecam - Rugged, world-weary but still badass male human [[paladin]]. His class kit, Inquisitor, is designed to help with fighting mages, which makes him very, very useful because mid-to-high-level enemy mages are a complete pain in the ass. Popular among the player base for the aforementioned reason, but also for having solid stats and being able to use a really powerful two-handed sword called Carsomyr, which basically makes him a monster in close-combat, but comes with two major caveats: one, he'll refuse to be in a party with, if not actively try to kill, a number of useful but Evil-aligned potential party members, which may make you want to just make your ''own'' paladin if you want an Inquisitor that much; two, there are several moments in the game where he'll either leave the party or ''turn his blade on you'' if you take the evil path in a quest, and that's if he doesn't force you to take the good path. His personal quest is well-regarded for being more about roleplaying and moral dilemmas than meat-grinder combat, and for tackling his struggles to balance the demands of his lifestyle and calling with being a good husband and father.  

Anomen Delryn - Arrogant, wanna-be "Knight" male human fighter/cleric. Only male love interest in the base game. Fans have a complex relationship with him. On one hand, while he starts out as a dickhead and glory hound, he's actually got a very fleshed out backstory and a well-written personal quest (one wacky final twist aside) that gives him a lot of depth and, potentially, the deepest character arc in the entire game, complete with two possible outcomes and an alignment shift either way: one where he becomes a better person (and gets a hefty [[Wisdom]] boost), and one where he sinks into despair and bitterness over his failures; on the other hand, he's such a douchebag that his inauspicious beginnings incurably colour many players' opinions of him, since he'll spend a whole awful lot of time insulting other party members for petty reasons (like spitting on Mazzy for being a [[halfling]] or Cernd for being a [[druid]]) and even you if you dare to suggest he's not the invincible badass he claims to be, and on top of that he starts with a crummy Wisdom score, making him a sub-par caster. Consequently, he's been near or at the top of many "Characters who just aren't worth it" lists for years. 

Korgan Bloodaxe - A [[dwarf]] berserker with a silver tongue, a long blue beard and a foul temper. Starts out optimally-trained in axemanship, is willing to kill allies who become dead weight to him, is only fond of those who can hold their own against his insult tirades should he choose to unleash them and has an irrepressible lust for bloodshed and battle. [[Khorne]] is infinitely pleased by his existence. His stats are built for kicking ass and taking lumps aplenty, but he can't use any wands or spells. A popular choice for equipping him is to train him for dual-wielding and improve his hammer-wielding skills, ultimately kitting him out with the Axe of the Unyielding (an awesome axe that can kill in a single swing on the right roll) and Crom Faeyr (a warhammer that boosts the wielder's Strength to 25) for maximum carnage. He inspired a LOT of boisterous, fight-happy, story-telling mercenaries who're technically bad people but also enjoyably charismatic in later BioWare games such as Dragon Age's Oghren and Iron Bull or Mass Effect's Urdnot Wrex and Zaeed Massani and might have even helped Bioware name Urdnot Wrex's race, the krogan.

Yoshimo - Smooth-talking not-Japanese [[thief]] who turns out to be reluctantly spying on you for Irenicus because his sister was Sarevok's lover and canonically either died at your hands or on your watch. His class kit, Bounty Hunter, makes him handy with traps. Has some funny lines about the way weeb settings like his seem to work out, and can potentially get a very small bit of closure.  Might have influenced the Mass Effect dlc character Kasumi Goto, a smooth Japanese professional thief.

Jan Jansen - Crazy male [[gnome]] [[illusionist]]/[[thief]]. Fights with his array of wacky inventions, is absolutely fucking hilarious, and enjoys telling silly stories just to get a rise out of people. Has a shockingly heartbreaking personal quest where the woman he loves is stuck in a bad marriage to an abusive asshole and the only way to save her daughter's sanity is to make her lose the memories that might cause her to leave him in the first place. Fortunately, in his ending, he manages to save the day and get the girl with [[awesome|a legion of well-armed apes that he smuggled into the city, then trained into his private army]].

Aerie - Female [[avariel]] [[mage]]/[[cleric]]. She was kidnapped by slavers in her youth and her wings had to be amputated after the awful conditions she was kept in led to them becoming infected. She whinges about this a ''lot'', primarily because, well, her ''actual'' character arc/quest was left on the cutting room floor partway through development.  Fortunately, the expansion pack gives her a bit more willingness to stand up for herself and fleshes out her relationship with the protagonist a bit better.  The origin of all the "socially awkward sweet girl with a tough core" Bioware women like Vette from SWTOR, Leliana and Josephine from Dragon Age or Liara T'Soni and Tali'Zorah from Mass Effect.  Also a potential love interest.  She's the only party member who gets pregnant and gives birth during the series, and spends the rest of the game adventuring with her child bundled up on her back.

Valygar Corthala - A male human ranger, with the Stalker kit. Was also considered as a romance for female players but it never got finished. Hates magic due to his family history of being mages who either a) become shifty necromancers or b) become body chow for his evil ancestor Lavok. He's black, closer to Moorish black than African black, and specialized in the use of katanas, spears and longbows. His kit lets him sneak around more easily, backstab like a thief and cast three low-level mage spells as third level ranger spells. He's pretty useful in Shadows of Amn where backstabbing is damn useful, but falls off in Throne of Bhaal due to so many enemies being either immune to critical hits or backstabbing, sadly.

===Introduced in the Enhanced Editions===
Dorn Il-Khan - A male half-orc blackguard (implemented as a paladin kit) who benefits from the best [[Strength]] score among recruitable NPCs. Unlike the half-orc stereotype of being dumb, ugly rudeboys with no impulse control, he's intelligent, handsome, charming, articulate and pragmatic, if, you know... evil. Is openly bisexual and can be romanced regardless of gender. Starts out hostile and suspicious to most people but by the sequel has mellowed somewhat and is willing to make friends with people who share his interests. 

Neera - Female half-elven wild mage, with a running gag about being mistaken for a full-blooded elf. Angsts about her magic causing wild and crazy effects on and off the battlefield, but otherwise prefers to be cheerful and upbeat. Lives up to the [[Chaotic Stupid]] archetype, in that she's a classic Chaotic Neutral of the "is naturally selfish, as well as acts on first impulse and doesn't think about the consequences" type, which is often cited as a reason for disliking her. Is a romance option for males. 

Rasaad yn Bashir - A human male [[monk]] (specifically a Sun Soul monk) whose character arc involves him dealing with the death-except-not-really and corruption of his brother Gamaz and his attempts to get revenge on the perpetrator. Sadly, he has one of the most depressing and downbeat epilogues in the series, right down there with Cernd and a romanced Viconia, making his entire adventuring career with you a waste of time unless ''very specific'' courses of action are taken during his quests. Has a poor ability to recognize or tell jokes, which forms the bulk of his humour. Is a romance option for female PCs.

Baeloth Barrityl - A flamboyant, motor-mouthed male [[drow]] [[Sorcerer (Dungeons & Dragons)|sorcerer]], he serves as the big bad of the first "The Black Pits" spin-off game, and can be recruited as a party member in both Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition (where he was banished to a pocket plane prison on the surface after having his gladiators rebel) and in Siege of Dragonspear (where he's trying and failing to run a new "Black Pits" gladiatorial arena) if you let him live in the first game.

Captain Schael Corwin - A female archer serving with the Flaming Fist, she is the first companion that the player acquires after beginning the Siege of Dragonspear campaign proper. She's a great rear-rank warrior, but that does mean putting up with her personality, which is basically [[Lawful Stupid]] and a shameless shill for the Flaming Fist. Whilst she's technically romanceable (she's a bisexual woman), she is held back in fans' eyes by having some baggage (she has a daughter, Romah, from a deadbeat boyfriend she had... and whom she's murdered 5 times), and most importantly being such a Lawful Stupid asshole that when your PC is falsely accused of murder in the final chapter, she actually advocates that they make a guilty plea in order to "quell the civil unrest" that their situation is causing as swiftly as possible.

Glint Gardnersonson - Male [[gnome]] [[cleric]]/[[thief]] devoted to [[Baravar Cloakshadow]] found in Siege of Dragonspear, Glint's entire character can be summed up as "gay Jan Jansen with divine magic". He's a motor-mouthed brilliant yet absent-minded and socially awkward gnome who is also the only purely homosexual male follower in the game.

M'khinn Grubdoubler - Cynical, world-weary and bitter "redeemed" female [[goblin]] [[shaman]] whom is being held as a captive by Baeloth Barrityl in Siege of Dragonspear.

Voghiln the Mighty - A flamboyantly [[viking]] [[bard]] from Siege of Dragonspear whose life revolves around music, booze, women and seeking adventure. He'd probably  be more popular if he didn't feel so much like a slightly less crazy, more selfish and otherwise flatter drunkard version of Minsc, and he didn't have an affair with Safana behind your back. Yes, this happens whether you have a male PC who is trying to court Safana or a female one who is trying to court Voghiln.

Hexxat - A [[SJW|black lesbian vampire from the Enhanced Edition of Shadows of Amn]]. Has a halfway-interesting sidequest introducing her, where she ''seems'' to be a very different character, only for the person you met in the inn to turn out to be her brainwashed puppet whom Hexxat snacks on after using her to free herself. Has a somewhat-standard character arc of hating being a vampire and wanting to be human again, which she does odd jobs for Larloch to attain, though the PC can talk her out of it. Gameplay-wise, has to wear a cape that heavily gimps her stats during the day or she'll dust herself and need to wait until nightfall to reincorporate, though completing her personal quest removes that cape's limitation.  Achieves the impressive feat of picking even more fights with other party members than ''Keldorn'', including Jan Janssen when he reveals that one of her many victims was a member of his family.

Wilson - A [[Bear Lore|bear]]. Very well-hidden; requires navigating multiple other Enhanced Edition characters' special sidequests to unlock in ''Shadows of Amn'', he seems like a wacky joke character at first, with his inability to talk or use equipment besides potions.  Don't be fooled; he can get up to grandmaster proficiency with his claws, which also count as dual-wielding, which also get free scaling as he levels up, as do his physical stats and AC. He can also get free "bear hugs" if he connects with two in a row for even more free attacks, and has the ability to rage and shrug off status effects like a PC berserker, effectively making him a combination of berserker and kensai. Has no dialogue, which is part of the joke, but the way other characters react as if he can talk and his ending suggest it's not ''all'' comedy, and that he actually is a gentle, thoughtful soul who just so happens to be a motherfucking murder-bear.

===Bosses===
Sarevok Anchev - Main villain and final boss of the first game, a male human [[Bhaalspawn]] who is manipulating events to trigger a huge war that will sweep the Sword Coast, hoping to ascend to Bhaal's place by harvesting a great tally of souls in the battle and through the slaughter of any other Bhaalspawn he can find. Proclaims he's doing it all because he's a Bhaalspawn, ''duh'', but other sources imply he's the bad guy because his childhood was painful and he was influenced along the path to evil. When it falls apart, you still have to fight him, and he's a motherfucker of a boss, with immunity to most magic and incredibly powerful weapons and armor that you can't even loot off him. In the third game, you have the option to resurrect his shade and allow him to fight at your side, potentially inspiring him to redeem himself and become a better person in the process. Voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson, leading to an impressively deep and intimidating voice.

Caelar Argent - The Shining Lady, an [[aasimar]] [[fighter]] and leader of a crusade to reclaim the souls trapped in Avernus after a recent war, including her paladin uncle who got stuck there saving her when she read something she shouldn't've as a stupid kid.  Unfortunately, she somehow fails to notice her incredibly obviously shifty second-in-command's very-telegraphed betrayal before it hits her.  Depending on how persuasive you are, she can actually be recruited to battle the final boss with a dialogue check, but if you fail she sells her soul to become a blackguard and get revenge on her second-in-command and you.

Belhifet - A [[baatezu]], and the true architect of the events of ''Siege of Dragonspear'', working through his servant Hephernaan. (And also the first ''[[Icewind Dale]]'' game.)  Depending on your difficulty, he might or might not be immune to any weapon with less than +3 and have a mountain of elemental resistances, on top of a bunch of fear and fire attacks.  Happily, because Caelar shows up at the same time you do and has a +3 weapon, a player will always have access to at least one person able to deal weapon damage to him.  Also one of the few bosses smart enough to open the fight by dispelling all your buffs, the bastard.

Jon Irenicus - Mad male elven mage who, in his former life as Joneleth, was the lover of the elven queen Ellesime before, in a fit of arrogance, he tried to steal the power to become a god from the elves' sacred trees. The elves stripped him of his soul, reducing him to a dying, emotionally crippled husk who nevertheless retained his archmage power, and then booted him out of the city, alongside his sister, Bodhi, who was party to the whole mess. The whole plot of BG2 is his attempt to steal the PC's soul and use it to restore himself so he can take another shot at it, with the added bonus of killing all the elves in the process.  Has tons of dark charisma and icy sarcasm that make him the most popular antagonist in the series.  He even mocks you if you try to squeeze him for "villain exposition." Voiced by David Warner, who gives a chilling and legendary performance for this dude.

Bodhi - She tried to cure her newfound mortality and soullessness by turning herself into a vampire.  It sort of worked.  While her brother's empty soul turned him into an icy, calculating monster, hers caused her to become a nearly feral predator.  She was the subject of a "test run," in which Jon put Imoen's soul into her to see if it'd actually help.

The Five - A band of five extremely powerful Bhaalspawn who have banded together to exterminate their kin in hopes of then ascending to Bhaal's old throne themselves. The main bosses of Throne of Bhaal.  The most interesting ones are the fire giant, Yaga-Shura, a brilliant general who's completely invulnerable until you find his removed heart and undo the magic that makes him impervious to all harm, and Balthazar, a ''lawful good'' monk who's only hanging out with these freaks so that he can ultimately destroy all remaining Bhaalspawn in a special ritual, including himself, to permanently sunder Bhaal's essence and ensure he'll never return.  Unfortunately, the rushed nature of the expansion means that none of them are really the powerful, interesting, or memorable figures they should be, even with the famous and semi-official Ascension mod, though it does certainly help.

Amelyssan The Blackhearted - The true boss of ToB, the last foe you face in the series; Bhaal's former high priest who seeks to betray her master, steal the collected essence of Bhaal, and use it to become the new Goddess of Murder.  Unfortunately, also the least popular final boss in the series, mostly due to the expansion being kind of rushed and her not really having the kind of grand plans or charisma of the previous two.