How to Save Karlach From Dying: Is There a Good Ending for Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3?

Arguably, Karlach has the most tragic and bittersweet ending in Baldur’s Gate 3. That said, depending on your interpretation of her wishes, there’s a way to rescue her by at least preventing her death. Here’s how to save Karlach from dying in BG3.

Is There a Way to Save Karlach in BG3 and Get a Good Ending?

Unfortunately, Karlach dies in most endings because of her overheating Demon Engine heart. But can Karlach survive in BG3? Yes! There are three epilogues where she lives, though none can truly be described as a good ending.

• Let Karlach turn into a Mind Flayer: Karlach survives here, though she loses her sense of self, and the Mind Flayer hivemind overtakes her personality.
• Enslave the Elderbrain and assume control over it: Karlach can turn into a Thrall in this ending, which is perhaps the saddest of her fates.
• Let Karlach descend back to Avernus: In this ending, you’ll stabilize Karlach’s heart. Either Wyll can join her by becoming Blade of Avernus, or your Tav can if you’re romancing her.

Karlach will appear in the Patch 5 Epilogue rendezvous if you turn her into a Mind Flayer or destroy the Elderbrain to send her into Avernus with Wyll/Tav. The latter option is the closest one we have to “saving” her, and that’s the one I’ll explain below.

I put “save in quotes, though, since Karlach repeatedly states that she would rather die than go back into Avernus. That said, this is the only way she lives and retains her sense of self, allowing for a possible cure to be found that rids her of the Demon Engine heart.

How to Go with Karlach to Avernus Ending Explained

Your Tav, Wyll, or both of you can go with Karlach to Avernus after the final battle, thus preventing her death and getting the closest thing to a good Karlach ending as possible. This will be in the form of a dialogue option just after the battle when you speak with your companions. We go into more detail here, but the short of it is there are three prerequisites:

• Karlach Requirement: Complete Karlach’s personal companion quest and romance her.
• Wyll Requirement: If you want the Wyll option, complete his personal quest in the Moonrise Towers and beyond. This includes rescuing his father, Duke Ravenguard, and making another pact with Mizora to bring the Duke back to life. You must also find him in Act 3 after he appoints Gortash as the new duke.
• Destroy the Absolute: Destroy the Absolute as part of the “Heroes of the Realm” final battle.

As soon as the final battle is over, you’ll get several dialogue options. Pick the one that says you’ll join Karlach in Avernus. While she gets to live, this Karlach ending is bittersweet since she prefers death over returning to Hell. But it means that a solution for her Demon Engine heart will be possible instead of just giving up and dying in the material world.

That’s how to save Karlach from Dying in BG3. Suffice to say, Karlach can survive, but there really isn’t a good ending for her. Pour one out. For more Baldur’s Gate 3 guides, check out my best magic items and our most interesting Speak With Dead interactions.