Without delving into the specifics,Baldur’s Gate 3’s story can call upon the player to make a huge personal sacrifice, and willingly turn into a mind flayer. It’s an unthinkable existence, damning your soul for eternity, making you dependent on the death of others to survive, and that’s not even getting into the changes to your appearance. There’s also no way back, aside from your own death - unless you’re playing as Gale.
In the latest patch, Gale has become the only character able to be cured of being an Illithid, restoring his soul and giving him a much happier ending. It’s only possible inone very specific ending, requiring you to stay with Mystra in Elysium, but it’s more hope than any other character gets in the same scenario, as they’re likely to live out their days in brain-eating solitude.
As per the latest Baldur’s Gate 3patch notes, one of the changes is as follows: “If Gale is a mind flayer in the endgame when returning to Elysium with Mystra, she will now transform him back into a human.” This makes sense, since reuniting Gale with his soul is well within her powers as a god, but it’s a gift she’s probably only able to bestow if he agrees to stay in Elysium, lest Ao accuses her of interfering with the mortal realm too much.
Spoilers for how to become a mind flayer are below.
You’ll only get this ending if you’re playing as an Origin Gale, since he won’t pipe up and offer to become a mind flayer in any other scenario. Typically, your only choices are the player, Karlach (if she’s in your party) or the newly freed Orpheus. Otherwise, you’ll have totrust The Emperorwith the Nethestones, which will kill off Orpheus altogether.
So, if you’re playing as Gale, returning to Elysium and getting turned back into a human is arguably the best possible outcome. The Githyanki still have their exiled prince to rally behind in the fight against Vlaakith, and none of your companions have to become Ilithid. Gale will have to live with his ex until the end of time, however, but that’s probably less of a sacrifice compared to the alternatives.
Before you get your hopes up, don’t expect any other characters to get a way out like this. Not only would it go against the whole point of the sacrifice, but ceremorphosis is a pretty permanent process. It takes Mystra’s divinity to cure Gale, and she can only do that if he leaves Faerûn forever. The tentacles are there to stay, I’m afraid.
