All Baldur’s Gate 3 Companions Ranked from Worst to Best

Numerous companions can aid you in the three acts of Baldur’s Gate 3. From this bunch, the core 10 stand out from the rest, so which ones should you choose for your team? Here are all the BG3 companions ranked from worst to best. 

Baldur’s Gate 3: All Companions Ranked from Worst to Best

Because Baldur’s Gate 3 is a narrative-based roleplaying game, it’s important to note that any character you find the most interesting is the best one. That said, this list will focus strictly on the mechanical power of the various companions and rank them based on that criterion for fun. This means we’ll rate them based on how effective they are in their role, how flexible they are, and how much utility they bring to the team.

10. Jaheira 

Druids are already faced with the “jack of all trades master of none” issue in later stages of the game. Introduce Jaheira’s awkward dual-wielding melee setup and the Druid’s effectiveness drops even lower. This is because Druids, unlike other casters such as the Warlock, don’t have much Gish potential (fighting in melee and casting spells). 

They lack a quick and reliable way to get Multiattack, which is crucial. Jaheira is the case where multiclassing doesn’t make you stronger. The two classes hinder each other.

9. Minsc

Similarly to Astarion, Minsc, along with Boo, are a hoot and a half to have in your party socially. They’re positively hilarious to interact with, and I’ve found myself always waiting for their reactions during roleplay situations. However, unlike Astarion, Minsc feels mechanically awkward with his role as a melee Ranger. 

Rangers already have a bad rap but make up for it with devastating ranged combat abilities and subclasses like the Gloom Stalker. While it’s absolutely fine to play a melee Ranger, Minsc is one of the less optimal companions just based on how late you recruit him in the game. I still personally love him to death due to his antics, both in BG3 and the prequels. 

8. Wyll

In terms of style, mystery, and demonic intrigue, Wyll is a top-tier companion. That said, Warlocks aren’t generally known for bringing tons of utility to your team. Their spells are, for lack of a better word, selfish. Wyll can be an excellent blaster (Fireball) for two rounds, then, unlike Gale or Sorcerers in general who can last throughout the entire combat, he has to recharge. He does have the best cantirp in BG3 for sustained damage, but in later stages, this just doesn’t cut it.

Related: How to Change Party Members in BG3

7. Halsin

As I’ve mentioned, Druids can do a lot of things, but none of them to their utmost potential. This makes Halsin highly flexible, setting him apart from Jaheira, who lacks higher single-class Druid abilities. Still, Druids aren’t the most powerful blasters, healers, or sustained damage dealers. 

This leaves Halsin’s tankiness from Wild Shapes as his single late-game advantage over other companions. That said, he has no way to draw aggro to himself, so his massive pool of HP offers no utility for the party as a whole.

6. Karlach

Karlach is a powerhouse, no doubt about it. She can both dish out and take massive damage while raging, which is most of the time. That said, after having her as my companion for a while, I started to notice the Barbarian’s lack of flexibility. The class is great in the early game, but Minthara and Lae’Zel can fill a similar role with the added benefit of Paladin support and Fighter utility. This places Karlach in the middle tier. Still impressive, but we can do better.

5. Astarion

The infamous dastardly vampire Rogue is great at assassinating key targets in combat and wiggling his way out of social situations. Honestly, the only reason Astarion is above Karlach is due to the massive buff to the Thief subclass. 

That double bonus action is just too good, even though it doesn’t benefit your team that much. Astarion can therefore zoom around the battlefield with double Dashes, attack multiple times with light weapons, and more. It all depends on how you utilize Fast Hands.

4. Minthara

Minthara is in a bit of an odd spot. On one hand, her Paladin abilities make her a powerful frontliner. She can tank for your team, deal massive damage with multi-attacking Divine Smites, and support allies with heals and debuff cleansing. On the other hand, she’s tricky to unlock as a companion and requires a bit of sacrifice. If you don’t mind the latter, then I would argue she’s in the Top 3 Baldur’s Gate 3 companions.

Related: How to Have Every Companion at Once in BG3

3. Gale

Gale’s repertoire of spells is what places him so high on our list. Based on your Wizard spell selection for him, he can drop down huge AoE damage and crowd control abilities. A single Web spell can solve most of an encounter. Later spells like Fireball, Hypnotic Pattern, Slow, and Wall of Fire are also huge boons. Gale can single-handedly change the flow of combat. The only reason he isn’t higher on the list is the squishiness of Wizards and the fickle nature of Concentration checks.

2. Lae’Zel

Lae’Zel is the flexible foundation of any party. The innate abilities of Battle Master Fighters are what facilitate Lae’Zel as a tank, damage dealer, and crowd controller in any fight. Unlike Karlach, she doesn’t just output high damage but can also taunt enemies into attacking her (Goading Attack) and keep them in one place (Tripping Attack). Her tanking capabilities are also superb with Heavy Armor and Second Wind. Overall, your backline will feel much safer with Lae’Zel in your party.

1. Shadowheart

The pinnacle of utility is definitely Shadowheart. Her repertoire of supporting Cleric spells is just the beginning. She can cleanse debuffs, revive fallen allies, buff your party’s Stealth skills, charm key enemies, and more. With the Trickery domain, her flexibility increases as she can cast spells from her clone. 

What spells you might ask? Well, how about the combat-ending Polymorph spell from a safe distance that can usually instantly shut down a boss. And that’s not even mentioning her numerous healing abilities to keep your allies in the fight or heal them out of combat. In any act of BG3, you cannot go wrong with Shadowheart.

Related: How to Romance All Companions in BG3.

That’s our list of all Baldur’s Gate 3 companions ranked from worst to best. We hope it can help you in creating your perfect party. That said, don’t be afraid to pick any companion that you find interesting simply for roleplaying reasons. For more lists and guides like our class rankings or race rankings, check out our BG3 guides hub.