Baldur’s Gate 3: 15 Characters You Should Kill

One of the joys of Baldur’s Gate 3 is that players have any number of ways they can navigate a confrontation, from direct combat to the diplomatic approach. Players can even choose to toggle an option that allows them to deal non-lethal damage. But it is worth noting that there are times when the more direct approach is the most beneficial to the players.

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Some Baldur’s Gate 3 characters are simply better off dead for the sake of the player’s experience and the overall narrative. For those whose morality might leave them concerned about which characters truly deserve a very final fate, these are characters that Baldur’s Gate 3 players should strongly consider killing.

Updated April 20, 2024, by Nyah Payne: Baldur’s Gate 3 cemented itself as a ground-breaking game in 2023 when it swept the Game Awards, winning the prestigious Game of the Year award. Larian seems committed to continually improving the RPG experience, as they have since brought the game to Xbox Series X/S and added many new features. This includes the grueling Honour Mode, which challenges players to beat the game on the hardest difficulty without getting a “game over” (or save scumming). Since its addition, it is all the more important that players know which characters are worth the risk of trying to kill.

15 Valeria

Grants Access To A High Quality Merchant

• Act: 3
• Location: Murder Tribunal
• Quests: Solve The Open Hand Temple Murders, Impress The Murder Tribunal
• Loot: Bhaalist Armour, Bhaalist Gloves, Assassin of Bhaal Cowl

Act Three sees inquisitive players investigating a string of bloody murders within Baldur’s Gate itself. Early in the investigation, players are likely to run into Valeria, a golden elephant-like creature with wings for ears, known as a hollyphant. Despite being both an official investigator and a celestial and holy being, Valeria isn’t too interested in pursuing the case, considering it an open-and-shut one. She believes that the murder of a beloved priest was committed by one of the city’s desperate refugees.

Content just to drink at the local pleasure house, Valeria leaves the investigation up to the player, who discovers the murders are being committed by a cult of Bhaalists led by the prominent Baldur’s Gate villain, Sarevok Anchev. In an ironic twist of fate, Valeria is captured by the Bhaalists, who require an initiate to kill a celestial being to become an Unholy Assassin of Bhaal. The main benefits of doing so are that players can avoid a highly challenging fight with Sarevok and gain access to the Bhaalist’s merchant, who sells some powerful items.

14 Sarevok Anchev

Decent Loot And An End-Game Summon

• Act: 3
• Location: Murder Tribunal
• Quests: Solve The Open Hand Temple Murders, Impress The Murder Tribunal
• Loot: Sarevok’s Horned Helmet, Sword of Chaos

It’s understandable if players don’t fancy killing an innocent celestial being, even if said being is not the most polite. But the conflict between Sarevok and Valeria is still a very strong questline and is the simplest way to get to one of the main villains, Orin, for any character who isn’t a Dark Urge. For those hoping for a more heroic outcome to this questline, instead of killing Valeria, players can choose to fight Sarevok.

This is a particularly good option for players who like a challenge, as Sarevok’s fight can be one of the toughest the game has to offer. Though players can get from the Bhaalist merchant if they opt to kill Valeria, Sarevok does drop some powerful loot. On top of this, killing Sarevok and saving Valeria causes the hollyphant to garner the support of the City Watch for the player to summon in the final battles of the game.

13 Gerringothe Thorm

Drops A Unique And Powerful Morningstar

• Act: 2
• Location: Reithwin Tollhouse
• Quests: N/A
• Loot: Twist of Fortune

Gerringothe is one of the twisted undead members of the Thorm family, found in the Reithwin Tollhouse in Act Two. As with all the Thorms, she proves to be a terrifying opponent, and taking her out often requires some preparation, but the rewards can make it well worth the risk. Players will want to leave a fair sum of their gold at camp, as the greedy, gold-armored toll collector will damage characters based on how much gold they’re carrying.

Players should also look to target her various vestiges before finishing off Gerringothe herself. Once they have, she drops the Twist of Fortune morningstar, which deals extra damage to targets based on how much gold they are carrying. Oh, how the tables turn.

12 Grym

Allows Players To Forge Powerful Items

• Act: 1
• Location: Adamantine Forge
• Quests: The Adamantine Forge
• Loot: Grymskull Helm, Adamantine Mace, Adamantine Longsword, Adamantine Scimitar, Adamantine Shield, Adamantine Scale Mail, Adamantine Splint Armour

While this gigantic armored defender may qualify as the hardest fight in Act One, the challenge is well worth tackling in order to forge some powerful items. The fabled Adamantine Forge is whispered about throughout the Underdark, and players can actually find it while exploring the duergar settlement of Grymforge. Along the way, they may also come across armor and weapon moulds as well as adamantine slag.

With these materials, players can use the Adamantine Forge to craft some powerful items, but it will also trigger a fight with Grym, the guardian of the forge. The trick to defeating Grym is getting the metal sentinel to stand in the middle of the forge and triggering the hammer to hit him while the foe is superheated from standing in the lava.

11 Kagha

An Early Antagonist Whose Death Proves To Be Narratively Impactful

• Act: 1
• Location: Druid Grove
• Quests: Investigate Kagha, Kill Kagha
• Loot: Hellrider’s Pride, Broodmother’s Revenge

Kagha is perhaps one of the earliest antagonistic characters that players will encounter after the tutorial. She is the stand-in leader for Druid Grove, and she is a serious ruler. Without the player’s intervention, she can kill a tiefling refugee child, Arabella, and she is secretly working for the sinister Shadow Druids. While defending the tieflings and returning Halsin as Archdruid puts a stop to her plans, she shows very little remorse.

Perhaps the most satisfying conclusions to her story can both end in her death. By exposing the truth of her dealings with the Shadow Druids, players have a chance to return Kagha to the light, but they’ll get into a fight to the death with her if they can’t pass their persuasion checks. If Kagha kills Arabella, her parents can poison Kagha in revenge for their daughter’s life. While players can put a stop to this, it is still a satisfying conclusion to Kagha’s story.

10 Auntie Ethel

Players Can Kill Her And Save The Day More Than Once

• Act: 1 & 3
• Location: Sunlit Wetlands/Putrid Bog, The Blushing Mermaid Basement
• Quests: Save Mayrina, Avenge The Hag Survivors, Save Vanra
• Loot: Bitter Divorce, Fey Semblance Amulet, Duellist’s Prerogative, Amulet Of Windrider, Ring Of Feywild Sparks

For players who enjoy killing their enemies, Auntie Ethel is the perfect opponent, and she can even be killed twice. First, in Act One, players can confront her in her lair, found deep within the Sunlit Wetlands/Putrid Bog. The fight is an engaging one and not necessarily quite as challenging as it may initially seem.

When she reaches low health, Auntie Ethel will offer to make a bargain with the player in exchange for her life. While it can be beneficial to haggle with her, players can still kill her here and get the chance to fight her again in Act Three. This is also an entertaining fight, and in this one, players can put an end to Auntie Ethel’s terror once and for all, saving the child, Vanra, in the process.

9 Sovereign Glut

Rewarded By Sovereign Spaw

• Act: 1
• Location: Ebonlake Grotto
• Quests: Avenge Glut’s Circle
• Loot: Shadow Of Menzoberranzan

Deep within the Underdark, Baldur’s Gate 3 players can find a fungal myconid colony, but not all is harmonious. Sovereign Glut was the myconid leader of his own colony until they were slaughtered by duergar. He survived and found refuge within Sovereign Spaw’s colony, but he wanted to rule his colony again.

To take the leadership, Glut wants players to kill Spaw. Players can agree to kill Spaw and never interact with the pair again, but they get some really powerful rewards for taking a different side. It’s up to the players who they choose, but killing Glut is arguably the more noble option.

8 Strange Ox

A Fun Fight With Unique Loot

• Act: 1, 2, & 3
• Location: Druid’s Grove, The Last Light Inn, Rivington
• Quests: Help The Devilish Ox
• Loot: Hat Of Fire Acuity, Shapeshifter’s Boon Ring

The Strange Ox is an unusual character that can be encountered in all three acts of Baldur’s Gate 3. It is worth leaving this disconcerting ox alive until Act Three, as interacting with him in each act proves pretty rewarding narratively, especially if players are using the “Speak With Animals” spell. Ultimately, though, it is a pretty good idea to kill the Strange Ox.

In Act Three, this creature wants players to help them infiltrate Baldur’s Gate, and for anyone who has seen inside the cow’s twisted mind, it may not be the best outcome for the residents who dwell there. A fight with the Strange Ox turns out to be quite a fun reveal, and players can also get some good loot from whatever remains of him.

7 Mystic Carrion

Helps In The Completion Of Two Questlines

• Act: 3
• Location: Lower City
• Quests: Free The Artist, Defeat Mystic Carrion
• Loot: Staff Of Cherished Necromancy, Armor Of The Sporekeeper, Veil Of The Morning, Crypt Lord Ring

Mystic Carrion is another strange character that players can encounter in Act Three. They are most likely to come across him during the “Free The Artist” quest, but he can be encountered in his mansion at any point while exploring the city. Carrion wants players to return his runaway undead servants to him, but all they want is their freedom, and their lives could be at stake if they come back.

Killing Carrion is the way to grant them their freedom, and it’s also quite a fun quest. It turns out that Mystic Carrion is a mummy lord, so killing him requires a little more effort than a simple combat encounter. His runaway servant, Thrumbo, has all the details. Players will have to find Carrion’s lair, which contains his heart in a canopic jar. Upon destroying it, players can kill Carrion for good.

6 Linsella

Can Provide Allies During The Assault On Moonrise

• Act: 2
• Location: Moonrise Towers
• Quests: Infiltrate Moonrise Towers
• Loot: Mind Flayer Parasite Specimen

Linsella is an Absolute cultist who can be encountered in Moonrise Towers during Act Two. To get the best outcome, players won’t need to kill Linsella themselves. Linsella is found in the kitchens, bragging about her Absolute control over a trio of gnolls.

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The player also possesses this power, though, and should use it to sever Linsella’s connection to the gnolls. This gives the gnolls their freedom, and they will kill Linsella as a result. If the players can befriend the gnolls, they will assist them in the assault on Moonrise.

5 Ansur

A Challenging Battle That Offers Some Interesting Lore

• Act: 3
• Location: Dragon’s Sanctum
• Quests: N/A
• Loot: Balduran’s Giantslayer, Helm Of Balduran

Ansur is an awe-inspiring character that can be encountered in Act Three. The undead dragon companion of Balduran, he is the only dragon in the game that players can converse with, making him a standout character. Truthfully, most players probably aren’t going to want to kill Ansur since he is such a cool character.

Unfortunately, due to the player’s connection with the Emperor in the Astral Prism, Ansur is always going to be a hostile character when encountered. Despite this, the conversation players can have with him, alongside some information on his history with the Emperor, makes it well worth the cost of killing the magnificent creature. Ansur can be found in a secret chamber beneath Wyrm’s Rock Prison.

4 Malus Thorm

Helps Put An End To The Shadow Curse

• Act: 2
• Location: The House Of Healing
• Quests: Wake Up Art Cullagh, Lift The Shadow Curse
• Loot: Surgeon’s Subjugation Amulet, Battered Lute

Killing the members of the evil Thorm family in Act Two can be very rewarding, but players should especially consider killing Malus Thorm. This is because Malus carries a broken lute that once belonged to the comatose Flaming Fist, Art Cullagh, found in the Last Light Inn. Retrieving this lute is the key to waking Art and discovering how to put an end to the shadow curse.

While the fight with Malus is a fun but challenging one, players can also kill Malus without ever laying a finger on him by convincing him to succumb to his teachings. Doing so offers a chilling scene, which makes killing him even more rewarding for those who want the baddies of Baldur’s Gate 3 to suffer as much as possible.

3 Commander Zhalk

Grants A Powerful Weapon Early In The Game

• Act: 1
• Location: Nautiloid
• Quests: Escape The Nautiloid
• Loot: The Everburn Blade

Commander Zhalk is the first optional boss that players will encounter, all the way back on the nautiloid. Players are actually told in-game by a mind flayer not to bother attacking this enemy, as the primary objective is to connect to the transponder before the nautiloid crashes. Despite this warning, players can choose to fight and kill the cambion, Zhalk, but it can be a tough fight.

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Once Zhalk is killed, the mind flayer will turn hostile, but players just need to loot the Everburn Blade from him and connect to the transponder to escape unscathed. Despite being told not to kill Zhalk, it is definitely worth attempting, as the Everburn Blade is a powerful early-game weapon. Even if the player character can’t use it, it is a great option to give to the companion characters Karlach or Lae’zel.

2 Lyrthindor

Provides Yurgir As An Ally

• Act: 2
• Location: The Gauntlet Of Shar
• Quests: Break Yurgir’s Contract
• Loot: Boots Of Brilliance, Justiciar’s Scimitar, Justiciar’s Greatshield

In the Gauntlet of Shar in Act Two, players can encounter an orthon devil called Yurgir. He makes a bargain with Raphael and is trapped in the temple until he kills every last Dark Justiciar. Unfortunately for Yurgir, the final Dark Justiciar has evaded his clutches for years. However, players can succeed where Yurgir has failed.

The final Dark Justiciar, Lyrthindor, also made a deal with Raphael, to spare his life and keep Yurgir trapped for eternity. Lyrthindor is actually a swarm of rats. If his secret is discovered, he begs for the players to leave him be. Unfortunately for Lyrthindor, killing him is very beneficial, as it grants the player Yurgir as an ally, and he is a powerful ally indeed.

1 Raphael

Lots Of Powerful Loot, Including The Orphic Hammer

• Act: 3
• Location: House Of Hope
• Quests: Save Hope, Acquire The Gauntlets For Helsik, Deal With The Devil
• Loot: Gloves Of Soul Catching, Helldusk Armour, The Orphic Hammer, Gauntlets Of Hill Giant Strength, Amulet Of Greater Health

Raphael is half ally and half menace throughout Baldur’s Gate 3. Players can never be sure if he has their best interests at heart, especially regarding his deal in Act Three. Raphael will give players a powerful artifact in return for the Crown of Karsus, the artifact that allows The Dead Three to control the elder brain.

This isn’t the only way to get the artifact. Players can break into Raphael’s mansion and steal it, resulting in a fight with the devil; one of the hardest in the game, but it’s also a lot of fun. Besides, a deal with Raphael spells trouble for Faerun, as the post-credit scene briefly implies.