Baldur’s Gateis an ongoing franchise without a definitive number of entries. The Bhaalspawn Saga ofBaldur’s Gate 1andBaldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amntold a story, whileBaldur’s Gate 3took place a hundred years after the original two games. Despite completing the arcs of the characters and ending the story withBaldur’s Gate 2: Throne of Bhaal, several prominent characters such as Jaheira and Sarevok appear inBaldur’s Gate 3.
Despite this,Baldur’s Gate 3was a largely self-contained story that resolved the stories of all the major characters. The fates of the returning characters, and thegeneral player reaction to their appearances inBaldur’s Gate 3, help inform if anyBaldur’s Gate 3characters should return inBaldur’s Gate 4. The Origin companions all complete their story arcs, and bringing them back inBaldur’s Gate 4would not only be unnecessary, but could compromise what makesBaldur’s Gate 3’s characters so iconic.Baldur’s Gate 3’s endings create the perfect place forBaldur’s Gate 4to start anew with a new story and characters.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Brings Back Old Friends, and It Doesn’t Always Go Well
Baldur’s Gate 3includes several returning characters, such as Jaheira, Minsc, Boo, Sarevok, and Viconia. While some of these stories were completed inBaldur’s Gate 2, seeing the characters a century later and how they’ve changed allowed for some unique takes. Still, some of these returning characters were met with a better reception than others. Though Jaheira shined, as the game’s interpretation felt like a natural evolution and was a believable scenario of how she could have developed in the years since her last appearance, others were not as lucky. Viconia’s return was especially controversial, for example, while Minsc has his own problem, as he joins the party very late in the campaign and many players miss out on encountering him entirely.
Baldur’s Gate 3is evidence that bringing back characters has its pros, but often it’s better to start with a clean slate, especially if there’s a big time skip and the story is completely different and self-contained from previous entries. Jaheira and Minsc were good additions, sure, but ultimately unnecessary to add to a party that already has many characters. Sarevok is a character who only veteran players would recognize,while Viconia’s depiction drew the ire of veteran playersbecause of how it ignores all the character development she went through inBaldur’s Gate 2.
Baldur’s Gate 4 Has a Bright Future If It Strays From the Past
Baldur’s Gate 3’s endingswere all conclusive thanks to their epilogues. The good endings include an epilogue that takes place six months later and ties up all the companion stories, while the evil endings are clear about the future, or lack of one, of Faerun. With all the companion and major character stories completed,Baldur’s Gate 4has the perfect launch point to start fresh. It could begin at any point in the timeline, and could potentially take place anywhere in the Forgotten Realms.Baldur’s Gateis a vague title that could be about stories set potentially anywhere, including in the Hells or even the Astral Plane. A connection to Baldur’s Gate doesn’t have to be explicit, but tenuous, with the only connection to Baldur’s Gate being the character origins or something similar.
While having old characters return to a game can be a fun nod to veteran gamers, it can also go wrong, as seen with the depiction of and reception to Viconia. As popular characters likeShadowheart and Astarionhave a satisfying and conclusive end to their arcs inBaldur’s Gate 3, bringing them back could backfire, as their stories could be made worse or retconned. As all the Origin companions are romanceable, bringing someone back and interpreting them poorly would be especially controversial for anyone who pursued them inBG3. Ultimately, the safest approach forBaldur’s Gate 4is to be a new beginning, primarily focusing on telling a self-contained story about a new cast likeBG3did, as some of its only missteps involved bringing back previous cast members.
