Baldur’s Gate 3’s seventh big patch adds mod support, tweaks some companion interactions, and has updates for the incredibly challenging Honour Mode. But for most, the headliner of the patch is the ending update that adds new conclusions for the evil choice you can make at the end of the game. Precisely what happens after you make this decision will depend on a few factors, primarily whether you’re playing as one of the origin characters or as a custom protagonist. But even within those distinctions, there are some slight variations. Let’s break down each of the new endings. Spoilers ahead!
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If you’re playing as a custom character, your tyrannical ending is pretty straightforward initially. If, after fighting through the streets of Baldur’s Gate and defeating the final boss, you decide to take control of the Netherbrain, you gain absolute domination over the Illlithid army it once commanded. What you do with this newfound power will determine which of the dark, even disturbing endings you get. But you may have to pass one constitution check to get much choice in the matter. The possible outcomes include:
All the origin characters can choose any of the above endings, but they also get an additional choice specifically tied to their stories. Let’s break those down.
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Shadowheart’s story throughout Baldur’s Gate 3 revolves around her crisis of faith at the center of two warring goddesses. If she gains the power of the Netherbrain, she can decide to become a goddess herself, creating a new church “united, in [her] image, and blessed with the blood of the faithless.”
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Ever the jilted ex of a goddess, Gale’s evil ending has him set his sights squarely on the gods of Faerûn. With the Netherbrain subdued, the wizard looks to level the pantheon of gods with an army of brainwashed followers at his beck and call.
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While Shadowheart and Gale are ready to fight gods, Wyll’s evil ending is a bit more ground level, though no less heinous in his manipulation of all of mankind. The Blade of Frontiers looks to subdue the citizens of Baldur’s Gate and rule over the people he once protected. He’s shown turning people into subservient mind flayers, even his own father.
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Given how kind and caring Karlach usually is, I find it hard to even imagine an evil ending for her, but the conclusion Larian went with effectively pulls at some of the emotional threads of the Tiefling Barbarian’s history. Having been mistreated and outcast in Baldur’s Gate, she returns to the city to inflict the same pain onto its citizens that she felt in being rejected by them.
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In most of Lae’zel’s endings, she seeks to overthrow Vlaakith, the ruler of the Githyanki. In her evil ending, she merely expedites the process with a mind-controlled force, leading an ambush on the queen on dragonback.
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The handsome vampire bastard’s shift to full-blown evil is one of the easiest such turns to buy in Baldur’s Gate 3’s new endings. If Astarion controls the Netherbrain, he becomes a king, using his rule to feed on his loyal subjects.
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If, as the Dark Urge, you choose to give into your violent impulses one last time, your fate will be sealed. You are destined to commit wanton destruction, killing everything in sight until you eventually are the last living creature.
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Also included in the new endings are a few variations for those who romanced the Emperor and chose to take over the world with the Netherbrain’s power. You can choose to rule together, or attempt to betray him.
Well, there you have it. Look at all the awful shit you can make my babies do. Wouldn’t you rather the game end with everyone hanging out at camp, reminiscing about the good ol’ days and catching up on what each of you have done in the time since? I would.
Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t quite done with updates yet, as cross-play and photo mode are still on the way. Beyond that, Larian Studios is working on two new projects while Hasbro is considering the next Baldur’s Gate game under a different studio.
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