Astarion is one of the most iconic characters to come out ofBaldur’s Gate 3, a pompous high elf magistrate turned vampire spawn adorned in equally as pretentious clothing. But at some point during development, he was a tiefling.
Astarion’s actor thought that everyone would kill him in Baldur’s Gate 3. Instead, a lot of people let him kill them in the risque biting scene at camp.
you’re able to see his original design pictured below, where he describes himself as a “simple tiefling infected with a brain parasite to help heal his imperfections”.
While there were a lot of changes between the early access build and full version of the game, especially when it came to companion characters, Astarion remained pretty similar. The biggest changes were to his outfit and face, though he was still instantly recognisable as the same noble high elf with his pale skin and silver hair.
The leap between development and early access was evidently much bigger, though how much different his backstory would’ve been to match him being a tiefling is unclear. Maybe he’d a be a bit more sympathetic with the tiefling refugees, eh?
Had Larian Studios kept this early design, Astarion would have been the very first tiefling companion, predating Karlach who was added during the game’s full launch last year.
It’s not the only change between development and release. Larian Studios also planned to have moreWyll content, something fans have been calling for since August 2023. Initially, there was going to be a war college we could visit which would have been a huge moment for the character (as well as an entire druid grove for the shadow gruid plotline), but a lot of these ideas were redrafted so that the game could be completed.
As for why Astarion shifted from a tiefling to the high elf we know and love today, they didn’t say. But who knows, maybe he wouldn’t have been nearly as beloved with horns? Then again, everyone is head over heels for Karlach. Maybe he’d have been even more of a fan-favourite. There is such a thing as too close to the sun, especially for a vampire.
Baldur’s Gate 3
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Baldur’s Gate 3 is the long-awaited next chapter in the Dungeons & Dragons-based series of RPGs. Developed by Divinity creator Larian Studios, it puts you in the middle of a mind flayer invasion of Faerûn, over a century after the events of its predecessor.
