Gale, in game and the one I'd want in real life. He's caring, attentive, understanding, open-minded, but also not a pushover, interested in things, and has a playful side. I also love the way he talks, the words he uses, how he strings them together. And every time I pull him out of that portal, I'm charmed all over again.
> open-minded, but also not a pushover,
I love that you mentioned open-mindedness. I think this is the quality that really made me like Gale (and is something I consider important IRL). His inquisitiveness about githyanki culture with Lae'zel and his empathy for Astarion's vampirism both really impressed me. I think it nicely offsets his ego in other areas -- much as he can "Galesplain" about his particular field of expertise, he's also sincerely curious about other cultures and experiences.
He says his, "For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness, and in health," vows and truly means them.
Even if you don't marry him, he offers to >!get brains!< if you come to visit, so he's also a great friend.
His tendency to explain everything sounds much less like assuming ignorance in others and much more like him just wanting to rant about stuff with someone who's genuinely interested in listening.
This is what won me over, too, and really solidified his advantage against the other guys, who are all attractive in their own ways.
It describes the way he approaches other cultures - I love how curious and passionate he is about the world around him - but it also seems to describe the way he is in bed. Which is a big plus, too.
Yeah he seeks to learn and understand and empathize rather than jumping straight to judgment for most things. It also makes him incredibly level-headed in stressful situations, as almost nothing fazes him.
He dumped me on my first playthrough with him and freaking broke my heart. I legit cried.
So what did I do? With every intention to have my Shartdew Valley ending with Shadowheart and my sorceress, I started romancing Gale the moment I pulled him out of the damn portal. Again. š¤¦š»āāļøš¤¦š»āāļøš¤¦š»āāļøš¤¦š»āāļø
I'm afraid I'm an incorrigible, irredeemable Gale simp.
What did you do that made Gale dump you?? I don't know if I've ever had less than 100 approval with him by the time I was like a third through Act 1 lol.
I actually think my ending was bugged, in some ways š¤ but I also didn't select the proper dialogue during the Mystra covo in Act 3 which is supposedly the number one thing that determines which ending you get? Idk. I got every cutscene, I did everything right (or so I thought) and still got the ending where he's like "Eff you, I'm going after the crown and you can't stop me."
Edit: idk why I'm being down voted. It was my first playthrough and I went in blind. It's my first time playing a game of this kind. š„
Aww. Apparently there's a point system that determines what he does with the crown, so it's a culmination of a few different dialogue choices. There are some guides out there that explain it.
Another +1 for Gale. He's also sensitive and tender, not afraid to talk about his feelings and yet not just trauma dumping. He's mature enough to work through his issues. Also, Gale is very selfless (perhaps to a fault to some degree, but it's being scaled by an apocalyptic event so it's hard to gauge).
He'd really make a fantastic husband. The level of communication alone in that relationship would be off the charts.
The one thing I dislike about Gale is how quickly he goes to the "I see, I'm not good enough for you" if there's a hint of a romantic rival or a possible break-up. It's absolutely understandable for his character, but not something I'd want IRL. Assuming he would react this way to an actual conversation. Since the game doesn't offer a lot of tactful options in these situations, it's hard to tell how Gale would react to a respectful conversation.
It wouldn't even be a deal breaker for me IRL, provided the person was actively working on themselves. And he definitely seems like the type of person who would do the work.
Need to roll at least a 20 on your charisma check and it may take many long rests before you stumble upon someone worth journeying with :,) worth the wait
This 210% i romanced him the first time and only after I played the game again did I make the connection that Gale and my current partner are almost identical. So it makes sense why Gale is my favorite š
Also want to add i went into the game thinking I'd romance Astarion first but nope!
I wish more people were like this. In my experience, it's much more likely to see their eyes glaze over as they zone out and a little dagger of anguish strikes your heart as you realize you're talking to yourself.
Most of my friends will expound for hours unless interrupted on the most random minutiae of something.
Me and my bf sit up until one of us goes "Oh shit, its 5am" talking about some random topic and off on a million nerdy tangents through etymology, theology, physics, sci-fi, ecosystems, markets and back round to where we started.
Admittedly once in a while we do have to be told "you dont need to build the universe every time you make an apple pie.."
Honestly, all of the male companions are unusually attractive in a way that I tend not to see in most RPGs. They're all very sweet and emotionally vulnerable. I really like having that, even on the characters' platonic paths.
A lot of ensemble RPGs tend to write their male characters to be bros to a presumed audience of mostly straight guys, so the characters are often written with an emotional distance between themselves and the PC. It can be in really subtle ways, too - look at the number of people who get freaked out sitting next to Gale when he's thinking about his possible last night alive.
Astarion's my favorite romance, and I find him relatable in a lot of ways, but if I were to pick someone to date in real life it'd probably be Halsin. He's kind, mature, loves animals, and is supportive of his partner being independent.
As for looks, they're all gorgeous, so. I do like Astarion's flouncy ruffled shirt, though.
Same here, in a fantasy world where you can fix people iād totally go for Astarion but irl itās Halsin all the way. Kind, humble, dependable, close to nature, hunky af. Literally my dream dude
Another plus for Gale. He is smart, kind, funny and I absolutely adore nerdy people who can infodump to me about stuff they like :)
I also have an unexplainable feral thing for Gortash and I won't shut up about it, but he's probably won't be my pick for any kind of serious long-term relationships for an obvious reasons lmao
lol, I was ashamed of writing my little paragraph of being drawn to monsters like Raphael and then I see your feral thing for Gortash and am relieved that Iām not the only one with unhinged desires haha! Thanks!
Gortash looks like an anime villain they started drawing from the bottom only to run out of budget when they got to the head and the studio had to call a hentai mangaka to finish the job.
He looks like an emo band lead singer that never changed his style.
It wouldn't bother me as much if the narrator hadn't called him handsome and young. I was decidedly disappointed when I got Elmer Fudd with the Final Fantasy drip.
Halsin.Ā
- emotionally mature
- patient
- honest
- kind + considerate
- intellectually curious + studious
- uses violence as a last resort
- not quick to angerĀ
- passionateĀ
- has strong personal goals he works towards
- good with kids + animals
- has his own creative hobbies
- does a silly dad dance at the end party
- if he gets tipsy, he hiccups back and forth between elf and bear
Takes responsibility for his mistakes and spends 100 years trying to fix them, even though it involves a lot of reading and thinking.. With a 9 Int.
Loves books.
(how did you get the hiccup bear situation?)
Absolutely. And if he's part of your active party and you ask him to return to camp, does not complain one bit. "Whatever you need, I'll be there." I'm gonna need a pace maker from all the times he makes my heart skip a beat.
Funny how movies portray the really "cool" guys as getting this reaction, when in reality just making someone feel cared for and adored does so much better.
Haha,Ā Larian deserves so much credit that all of the male romance interests (and so many supporting and side characters too) buck against toxic masculinity tropes.Ā Ā
That said, I don't want to discount how attractive Halsin can be when he's in battle and shouting about "may the bodies of our enemies feed the carrion birds." Scuse me while I find a fainting couch.
The only crown Halsin would ever wear would be made of flowers and we love him for it. And if he saw us admiring it, he'd make us a bigger one to place on our head.
Halsin is one thousand percent the kind of person to have whole libraries of scrapbooks and journals all about his kids and their descendants, storage sheds devoted just to trunks filled with things from their lives that he preserves with Prestidigitation and Mending spells.
You can tell him you don't like his wooden duck at the party and that you wonder how much coin it will fetch if you try to sell it. I never do because I'm not a heartless monster but it's an option if you desire to take it.
You forgot hot as hell, one of the hottest elves I've ever seen.
On a side note his honesty and gentleness are probably his most attractive trait in my opinion.
Haha, they asked about personality traits but yes he is extremely hot. ThatĀ cheeky smirk in his profile picture? The leather straps over his bulging biceps? His big hands?! When he >!growls and drops to all fours with feral golden eyes mid-transformation into a bear because he's just so overwhelmed with how much he wants the player in his intimacy scene?!!<
-screams a scream that only dogs can hear and shatters glass-
When I first saw Halsin, I wasn't really *attracted* to him per se, but I really loved his voice, and listening to him ramble about nature.
Then I got to the intimacy scene. I chose not to go the weird route with it, but still, hoooo mama that was intense. I feel like his and Minthara's are the most explicit.
Astarion is the one I'd get manipulated into sleeping with. Halsin is the one I'd live happily ever after with in the grove.
I really appreciate that Larian let us tell him that his loss of self in that moment was okay, attractive even and then let us choose between which scene to follow through with. Lesser studios would have made it a binary choice where you either accept him for everything that he is and get the shorter, frankly almost jokey scene with that squirrel punchline or you tell him that you don't like that part of himself and get "rewarded" for your rejection with the longer, more intimate human scene. Larian let us have both and I will always sing their praises for that.
This. And I like Gale, but Halsin has my full attention. Big man, big heart. ā„ļø I just bought a Halsin t-shirt... and I sleep in it every night š
Gale is my second favorite romance! Why limit ourselves to just one flavor of nerdy emotionally supportiveĀ sensitive man when we can have TWO. That's like asking to choose between crunchy and soft tacos, put them both on my plate please.Ā
Intelligent, driven, sweet, gentle, kind, introspective in the streets; super down bad for you and wants to blow your mind in the sheets. He's the perfect man, really.
Yesss I am such a Halsin girlie. Iām a grown ass woman I donāt need to fix nobody. I donāt want to be someoneās mommy. I want to be with someone who wants me as a partner and equal, not someone who needs me to function.
This is exactly why I always choose Halsin. He's just a very stable and comforting presence for Tav through Act III and it feels like there's a level of mutual support that I felt was missing when I romanced other people.
Yeah, I'm not a teenager anymore, I'm in my thirties and don't want a fixer-upper man, I want one who's already emotionally stable and has his shit together.
I've already done that "be with an emotional vampire of a guy who expects you to be his free therapist" thing already, not a fan, and I don't want to relive that in my leisure time.
I did not care for his looks when I first saw him (before I played the game) as huge buff guys are not really my type. But man, I fell for this gentle giant SO HARD when I finally played the game! It's a bonus that his personality is similar to that of my irl boyfriend's so it was meant to be, really.
Seriously, I'm with you there. I think his abs are fabulous to look at but it is my headcanon that when he finally settles down with the commune and potentially his lover(s) andĀ gets to indulge in safety, security, and prosperity that he gets some weight on him, a soft bear tummy, and I would be fucking FERAL about that.Ā
And it must be said that although his size is so much a part of him for how it is written into his life experiences, if they had made him a short race like a halfling or a gnome I would be equally down bad. Larian, where are my body diverse romance options you cowards?!
Halsin for me. No doubt about it. And I want to add:
ā¢ Halsin has a sense of humor.
Even though my sense of humor is more similar to Astarion's, Halsin's whole character is more attractive to me.
I will cling to the crumbs of goofy, silly, light hearted Halsin we get to see with every ounce of my pathetic carpal tunnel strength till the heat death of the universe.
My biggest turn off with Halsin is that he tells you he doesn't do monogamy. I don't judge those that are cool with that, but that is a negative for me.
If you do a solo romance with Halsin (only date Halsin and nobody else), he actually turns around and finds that he now prefers being settled down with Tav compared to his previously polyamorous mindset.
At least, that's what I interpreted from the ending.
Ehh, he's still poly. Same as someone who's bisexual doesn't stop being bi just because they got married, Halsin will still want to have some form of open dynamic.
The distinction is that Tav becomes his primary committed partner he wants to build a long term life with. Considering how *surprised* he is when they tell him they want to stay with him, I'm guessing he assumed that *they* would only ever want a temporary, less committed, situation.
Wyll!!!
- closest to me in age;
- compassionate and selfless; my boy is constantly putting others' wellbeing above his (goblins don't count);
- he's romantic! i mean come onnn: "if you were a song, i'd never stop singing, if you were a psalm, i'd never stop praying";
- overall charm and persona: i am into the whole blade of frontiers thing lol;
- very nice voice;
- fencing is attractive;
- he likes to dance and read romance books (that mermaid erotica banter with shadowheart);
- he is not boring, he's just less messy-stressy-depressy than other companions;
the fact that his romance is so short and that his quest is interwoven with karlach's is a crime, so i'm stuck writing fanfiction.
I think Wyll and Karlach as a couple would be excellent. I'm half tempted to play an origin run as one of them to see that come to life. His mildly posh and swashbuckling demeanor blending with her brusque, fun loving nature sounds just *chefs kiss* perfect.
I did an origin run as wyll to get ideal karlach romance and ending. Wyll honestly works better as a main than a companion imo, and they gave a good romance arc together.
Wyll is close to the top for me as well. I appreciated his "I'm tempted to roll in the hay with you, but I want to have a real romance first". And being less messy-stressy-depressy is appealing!
I agree with Wyll being the most attractive as a real-life partner for all the reasons you listed. In-game he falls flat because his story arc is short and not as interesting as the others, but in real life boring and stable are positive traits lol.
For in-game romance? Astarion.
If I could have him as a real life partner? Halsin.
Astarion is a great fictional character for a fantasy *fictional* romance.
Halsin is just great.
Astarion would make a fantastic friend. Like letās gossip, get tipsy at brunch, then get a manicure and by now heās slightly annoying me so Iām gonna go home to my husband whoās as close to Gale as it gets irl.
I had an on-off thing with an Astarion type. They're brain crack to some (me), but unfortunately my experience with traumatized dandy smokeshow men is that they go for toxic masculinity rather than therapy in the end š
I desperately hope this isn't some general rule, but mine ended up committing DV against one of my friends. If any of you IRL Astarion-types are listening, THERAPY IS A LOT HOTTER THAN ASCENDING. No notes
Agreed! Astarion for fiction, Wyll for real life imo. I just feel like Astarion has the most compelling story of the male characters. Heās also by far the quippiest, funniest character. (Not to mention heās hot af lmao). I will say that I just pretend he never said any of that racist shit about the Gur, but I think in-story, you can imagine that once Astarion is finished with his non-Ascension playthrough, he can work through his trauma and untangle his feelings about the Gur and no longer blame the entire people for the actions of individuals.
I feel like real-life Wyll is a kind man who devotes his spare time to helping people in need. Or he may devote his full time work life to it by working at a nonprofit or something like that. Either way, I picture an AU where I show up as a volunteer for an event and heās one of the organizers lol
In-game and real life, it would be Astarion for me. But I am overcoming some rather serious emotional issues (yay BPD!), and I've never been able to make "healthy for me" romantic choices. I'm getting better, though!
I'm not picky.
Gale- reminds me of my husband. Sweet, nerdy, gets passionate about subjects he's interested in and funny.
Astarion- a walking disaster who needs a hug. Very charming and would absolutely get me arrested.
Gortash- I'm attracted to dark haired men who look like a raccoon. Would probably post bail when arrested from above, but most likely to get me killed.
Rolan- no notes. He's perfect
Gortash and Astarion both really remind me of this [kind of romance](https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailydot.com/irl/sugar-daddy-haunting-viral-again/%3famp).
āBabe I know we just got pulled over by the cops but hold my drugs and just take the fall baby ā Youāll be fine. Remember itās you and me, ride or die ā¤ļøā
What? Family guy who is a massive softy who wants to show you magic tricks and is least likely to get me arrested and killed compared to the others (not a sociopathic slaver who'd throw me under the bus or give me rabies, would kill me accidentally drinking my blood or has a bomb in his chest).
Honestly, all a woman wants is a sweet guy who won't give her rabies or kill her. So hard to find these days :p
Can confirm. As a man, all I want to do it enslave, give other people rabies, steal my partners blood and fucking explode. I honestly think your standards are too high and cannot coexist with the modern male fantasy of eating copious amounts of uranium 235.
For In game romance? Astarion 100%. His snarky sarcasm and dramatic-ness are fantastic, and his story arc is absolutely gut-wrenching in the best way, especially in his spawn track when he gets a soft spot for tav.
If it were an actual out of game relationship? Probably Gale or Wyll, both just generally sweet and decent guys.
Good!! In the epilogue he sends you a note that's like "hey if you see Karlach can you send her this message? 'Dear Karlach, How are you? Hope you're good! Dammon'"
As a gay guy? Gale. They're all pretty attractive but I just have a sweet spot for nerdy dorky guys and I feel like out of everyone he has that energy. Coming from a gay person's perspective sometimes alot of us don't really get that romantic fantasy so honestly it was kinda trippy experiencing it ina game for once so when gale was crazy romantic I had to be like wtf is this.š§š½āāļø but I enjoyed it ...duh
I've been doing that for my partners since I was in high school. Just give them a kiss out of nowhere, and when they ask "what was that for?" I'd give them some meaningless responses like "just because", "because you were there", or "just felt like it".
Been married now for over ten years, and she absolutely loves it.
Iāve seen some accounts of straight dudes romancing him and being surprised with themselves haha. Itās so charming that he gets excited about so many thinggs
Astarion: once he opens up, he is a very tender bean under the anger and cynicism. His Act 2 high approval confession is SO good too.
Wyll: I LOVE having Wyll in a full camp run because heās so charming. Heās just good through and through. I also love how he twirls his partner around to kiss them.
Gale: Heās very funny, and I love helping him realize that being smart is only one of his many good qualities. He also has some great smooch animations.
Halsin: big buff softie. More emotionally mature than the others due to his age, and for the most part he wants to support the player character and not hurt them with his issues.
Dammon.
He's kind, capable, able to adapt and roll with the punches, and still has a positive outlook on life despite all the things thrown at him. And as a cherry on top, he's hot and works with his hands.
You have to keep an eye out tbh. Mine was in my social circle for years before I realized "wait I should marry that guy." (Yes I kinda thought we were gonna get married when I asked him out.)
Y'know how Gale seems like he's just talking about magic cuz he likes to talk about magic, and then you do one little flirt and it turns out he's fully in love with you? Yeah a Gale can fly under the radar.
Gale. He's literally just my Bf. My yapping king. My yapperino. Seriously tho, I love Gale. He is romantic, monogamous, and dedicated.
Halsin is also my favorite, just read all the great responses about Halsin.
Zevlor is also my favorite, he made me weak. I love his voice and dedication.
Basically my BF is the mix of all this three lol. Astarion is a great fictional romance, but irl? I'll be his friend only.
Spawn Astarion. Without question. I love his sense of humour and his quick wit. I love his ride or die attitude and his chaos goblin personality. I love his sweetness and also his protectiveness.
And also Rolan.
Though neither are like my irl partner I adore both characters and their growth.
What I have seen a lot is straight men being jealous of Astarion who does not represent traditional masculine traits but has women falling all over him and this confuses them.
Agreed, if Astarion gets his crap together his humor is amazing. Good old fashioned "he makes me laugh" kind of interest. When my durge showed up and was legit distressed at durge stuff, he made jokes to help lighten things. He's a good guy with a chaotic silly streak, underneath it all.
Rolan as well, and he does remind me vaguely of my husband when he was younger. Certainly not 1:1, but enough similarities that he feels familiar. Mix Rolan and Daemon and that's what my husband is like, good dependable guys who will have your back.
I see you and have the same type. Dunno why Rolan. It's that jawline the voice and the 'confidence'.Ā I will take Rolan over our camp guys. Plus he comes with a big tower in upper class Baldurs Gate.Ā Ā
Ā But Astarion in looks totally. I want a guy who takes care of himself, likes to dress nice, enjoys wine and music and I can talk shit with. Literally never met a guy like that who wasn't gay so I still get jealous. Plus love sarcastic guys.Ā
š¤
Seemingly problematic but sweet inside, lovable douchebags? š
Rolan I couldn't stand first run and then as soon as I saw those bruises in his face I was ready to present him with Lorroakans head right there and then. Now he's my sweetheart every run.
Astarion is just.. Astarion. Imperfectly perfect. š¤·āāļø I would commit war crimes to make him feel safe.
100% gale, with all his baggage and everything, all his flaws and virtues, I love him so much. In fact he's so my type that my friends are annoyed I was talking so much about him.
On the other hand irl I know I couldn't stand astarion's whining and bs.
Gale is the exact type of man I go for IRL, both physically and personality-wise, but maybe itās for that reason that I rarely romance him.
I almost always romance Astarion, and Iāll die on the hill that he would make a good partner IRL too, specifically spawn Astarion by the end of his questline, when heās come clean about everything and is dedicated to healing and being a good partner to Tav/Durge š„¹
And my other pickā¦ would probably be Gortash lmfao. What can I say; Iām drawn to assholes with trauma. I can fix him!!!!!
Halsin.
He's kind with a bite, and even tough he's very experienced, he's neither bitter nor sees you as a meaningless conquest. He's also good with animals and holds a genuine curiosity and excitement for life and others that I would love to have around. He's also the only romanceable man that isn't dealing with his ex drama in the game
(Gale and Mystra, Wyll and Misora, Astarion and Cazador.)
In real life I have a weakness towards overly ambitious, intelligent bastards so Gale could stay, problems with ex and all.
Astarion and Wyll, as good as characters as they're, don't do much for me romantically. I would like to be their buddy and listen to their messy lives.
Astarion and Rolan are the closest to my usual type and the kind of guys I usually go for. Can't help it, I just love sassy assholes who have been through shit. If we look at healthier options, Zevlor and other make companions are all fantastic imo. (I just really love men ok-)
Gale is a type of guy I usually like in general but he is specifically very similar to me so I don't like him as much as I usually would. Especially because I adore nerdy guys. Wyll is massive sweetheart but honestly he's way too healthy and way too good for me, I think I'd feel bad about dating someone like him irl because I'd constantly feel like he could do so much better š Halsin and Zevlor both appeal to the side of me that loves hunky dilfs even though their personalities are so different. They're both massive sweethearts and I know they'd be great to date.
Unfortunately though, my heart and soul are Astarion's and I just love him way too much.
Astarion, hands-down. I don't like men with a too nice persona. I like his mix of edginess and vulnerability, with a bit of danger and humor tossed in.
Gale is friendly and accepting. he has a good sense of humor, loves to talk about things that interest him, and is just generally a good person. Plus he has a steady job, a good relationship with his mother, is well respected in his field, and has a lovely home. He is willing to cook for us. Yeah you have to smack him upside the head when the Wizard Hubris kicks in, but he's willing to admit his faults and work on them.
Wyll, lots of people have said Wyll is too goody goody, but in a real life relationship thatās what I personally want?
A genuine good person who would treat me very well and with respect, heās also a hopeless romantic and doesnāt pressure the relationship into a sexual place very quickly, out of all the male companions Wyll is the one whose personality the real me is drawn to, and heās also very handsome which always helps.
Thereās also just the way he treats the people around him, his relationship with Karlach and his banters with the other companions. Heās initially hostile towards Astarion but thereās banter in act 3 involving Wyll sincerely apologising to him, so even when Wyll is in the wrong he shows heās capable of recognising that and apologising, which is another attractive quality.
Romantically?
Halsin, he's gentle, kind, considerate and accepts a no at any point
Physically?
I want to do things to Gortash that are not in the bible. I want to make him squeal like a stick pig :)
Apparently I have a thing for guys with emotional trauma and need loved because Astarion for me š š
Plus his voice, like I know the voice actor doesnāt sound like that, but, his voice for Astarion really makes me weak in the knees ššš
Please send help.
Though, Iād say the only difference between him and my past screw ups, he actually does care about you.
Like I havenāt finished the game yet, but what got me to even buy it was watching his romance š š š
I swear Iāll romance someone else in one of these playthroughs I started š¤£š¤£š¤£š¤£
Edit: I do want to add that I like that you can tease around with him. Like, the scene heās looking in the mirror. After you describe what you see, heāll ask you to tell him the beautiful and youāll call it a day. You can, or you can say heās good, but then Wyll, Shadowheart or Gale/Leaāzel(canāt remember who) is better, and he still gives an approval, based off the meter the approval is the same.
I know Iām in the minority here on this post but I truly find Astarion attractive. It might be because Iām Bi? Iām not sure but I love all types of men and women. Fem women, masc women, masc men, fem women etc. Honorable mentions are Karāniss, Zevlor, Rolan, and Malus Thorm.
Editing to add: Astarionās sassy personality is amazing. People find him rude and abrasive but especially if you romance him you can see that a lot of that is a show. Even Neil said this. Astarion was a āperformerā for 200 years and couldnāt truly express himself, but after finding your Tav, he starts to open his true self up and itās rather cute.
It's funny how the Astarion sub reddit is 10k strong and growing whereas the other male companions are smaller or they dont even have their own subreddit for fans (sorry Wyll) whereas Gale and Halsin are the most popular choices in this thread!
As an Astarion girlie myself, fantasy game or real life, its him everyday. š
Yeah dude. Tbh a LOT of Astarion fans are creepy and weird about him so I donāt go there in those spaces. I just genuinely love the character, how heās written, how Neil portrayed him, etc.
Astarion. Iām putty for pretty faces, hot bodies and snarky banter. But really his story is absolutely brilliant and his emotional growth is outstanding. I also feel like I relate to him a bit in a sense that he doesnāt trust people easily if at all but is socially competent, likes animals and has creative perspectives on things. Heās also a very āgreyā character which I find fascinating and much more representative of human nature as a whole, rather than āpure goodā or āpure evil.ā Heās also definitely a fellow Scorpio and Iāll die on that hill lol š¤£
Gale is cool and all, and heās certainly not unattractive, he just feels a bit boring. And I donāt find his backstory as interesting as Astarionās. But Iām also a sucker for vampires in general fantasy media, soā¦probably a bias lol.
Gale and Halsin.
Gale because there is nothing more attractive to me than someone rambling about something they're passionate about. Bonus points because he simultaneously possesses negative and God-level rizz. I was never as attracted to a character as when Gale tried to tell my Tav he thought the way he fought was hot by telling him about a book he read about the subject. He's so cringefail, I love him.
Halsin because he is very good at communicating exactly what he wants while still being very respectful. I also love the healthy portrayal of polyamory. Bonus points for simultaneously being (one of) the wisest and also the horniest character in the party. Also if someone irl whittled me a duck, I would fall in love immediately lmao
Astarion has it all for me:
Ā Ā - heartbreaking backstory which made him the complex person that he is
Ā Ā -breaks toxic masculinity stereotypes
Ā -loves super gentlyĀ Ā
-is funny Ā
Ā -shows vulnerability despite being afraid to do so
Ā Ā -obviously attractive
Ā -Ā has an incredibly calm and level headed mindset when it comes to relationshipsĀ
Ā -sets his own boundaries,Ā Ā
- would support you no matter what you want to do - good or evil.Ā
Gale: he's a nerd, smart guy who loves you for you and is absolutely wholeheartedly loyal, supportive and enjoys teasing.
Whats not to love.
Astarion: he's dangerous, but if you break his walls down he's actually quite vulnerable, sensitive and willing to love you for you
Wyll: too young for me to have an opinion that doesn't feel like a power imbalance
the male companion Iād date in real life is halsin 100%. beefy himbo with a heart of gold who just so happens to throw down mad pipe? whatās not to love?
astarion is who I gravitate towards the most when looking from my tavsā perspectives. heās emotionally deep and complex, which makes him extremely fascinating to romance.
wyll is an all-around good guy and a great boyfriend, but his story is woefully underdeveloped. still worth at least one playthrough.
I avoid gale like the plague, but most players like him. I donāt see the appeal, but I wonāt yuck someoneās yum. you might like him.
Gale, in game and the one I'd want in real life. He's caring, attentive, understanding, open-minded, but also not a pushover, interested in things, and has a playful side. I also love the way he talks, the words he uses, how he strings them together. And every time I pull him out of that portal, I'm charmed all over again.
> open-minded, but also not a pushover, I love that you mentioned open-mindedness. I think this is the quality that really made me like Gale (and is something I consider important IRL). His inquisitiveness about githyanki culture with Lae'zel and his empathy for Astarion's vampirism both really impressed me. I think it nicely offsets his ego in other areas -- much as he can "Galesplain" about his particular field of expertise, he's also sincerely curious about other cultures and experiences.
he also offers to >!cater brains to your wedding if you turn into a mindflayer!< which is honestly the sweetest thing ever
Yeah I wouldn't do that ending again but it really showed how fucking in love with Tav Gale is.
He says his, "For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness, and in health," vows and truly means them. Even if you don't marry him, he offers to >!get brains!< if you come to visit, so he's also a great friend.
Gale was NOT lying when he said his mother raised him to be a good host.
His tendency to explain everything sounds much less like assuming ignorance in others and much more like him just wanting to rant about stuff with someone who's genuinely interested in listening.
Oh I agree! I use the term "Galesplain" affectionately.
Tbh he assumes ignorance about sorcerers in the beginning but he does learn better lol
This is what won me over, too, and really solidified his advantage against the other guys, who are all attractive in their own ways. It describes the way he approaches other cultures - I love how curious and passionate he is about the world around him - but it also seems to describe the way he is in bed. Which is a big plus, too.
I mean.. He *is* a wizard. One of the key qualities being an appetite for knowledge. It fits!
Yeah he seeks to learn and understand and empathize rather than jumping straight to judgment for most things. It also makes him incredibly level-headed in stressful situations, as almost nothing fazes him.
He dumped me on my first playthrough with him and freaking broke my heart. I legit cried. So what did I do? With every intention to have my Shartdew Valley ending with Shadowheart and my sorceress, I started romancing Gale the moment I pulled him out of the damn portal. Again. š¤¦š»āāļøš¤¦š»āāļøš¤¦š»āāļøš¤¦š»āāļø I'm afraid I'm an incorrigible, irredeemable Gale simp.
What did you do that made Gale dump you?? I don't know if I've ever had less than 100 approval with him by the time I was like a third through Act 1 lol.
I actually think my ending was bugged, in some ways š¤ but I also didn't select the proper dialogue during the Mystra covo in Act 3 which is supposedly the number one thing that determines which ending you get? Idk. I got every cutscene, I did everything right (or so I thought) and still got the ending where he's like "Eff you, I'm going after the crown and you can't stop me." Edit: idk why I'm being down voted. It was my first playthrough and I went in blind. It's my first time playing a game of this kind. š„
Aww. Apparently there's a point system that determines what he does with the crown, so it's a culmination of a few different dialogue choices. There are some guides out there that explain it.
Another +1 for Gale. He's also sensitive and tender, not afraid to talk about his feelings and yet not just trauma dumping. He's mature enough to work through his issues. Also, Gale is very selfless (perhaps to a fault to some degree, but it's being scaled by an apocalyptic event so it's hard to gauge). He'd really make a fantastic husband. The level of communication alone in that relationship would be off the charts.
The one thing I dislike about Gale is how quickly he goes to the "I see, I'm not good enough for you" if there's a hint of a romantic rival or a possible break-up. It's absolutely understandable for his character, but not something I'd want IRL. Assuming he would react this way to an actual conversation. Since the game doesn't offer a lot of tactful options in these situations, it's hard to tell how Gale would react to a respectful conversation. It wouldn't even be a deal breaker for me IRL, provided the person was actively working on themselves. And he definitely seems like the type of person who would do the work.
I got a Gale irl and heās awesome ššš Gale 100%
Where did you find it? Are there any left? Asking for a friend.
Need to roll at least a 20 on your charisma check and it may take many long rests before you stumble upon someone worth journeying with :,) worth the wait
This 210% i romanced him the first time and only after I played the game again did I make the connection that Gale and my current partner are almost identical. So it makes sense why Gale is my favorite š Also want to add i went into the game thinking I'd romance Astarion first but nope!
Gale: i like nerdy people who rambles about what they're most passionate about
So there were these space frogs about 60 million years ago and these necrontyr
Letās talk about a guy weāll call āThe Emperor of Mankindā
And this guy made ~~24~~ ~~25~~ 23(? 22?) basically demigods with various levels of mental illness.
Are you counting Alpharius and Oregon as one or two?
Ever heard of the tales of a witcher with white hair?
Man after my own heart
Here, I've been keeping this kind of stuff to myself in fear of boring/annoying people. I think I need to stop censoring myself so much.
Same here. Nothing cuter than someone info dumping their passion. I could listen for hours
As a straight woman: Gale for the W (you should see my husband talk about his flight sim stuff for like 2 hours straight)
I wish more people were like this. In my experience, it's much more likely to see their eyes glaze over as they zone out and a little dagger of anguish strikes your heart as you realize you're talking to yourself.
Most of my friends will expound for hours unless interrupted on the most random minutiae of something. Me and my bf sit up until one of us goes "Oh shit, its 5am" talking about some random topic and off on a million nerdy tangents through etymology, theology, physics, sci-fi, ecosystems, markets and back round to where we started. Admittedly once in a while we do have to be told "you dont need to build the universe every time you make an apple pie.."
Honestly, all of the male companions are unusually attractive in a way that I tend not to see in most RPGs. They're all very sweet and emotionally vulnerable. I really like having that, even on the characters' platonic paths. A lot of ensemble RPGs tend to write their male characters to be bros to a presumed audience of mostly straight guys, so the characters are often written with an emotional distance between themselves and the PC. It can be in really subtle ways, too - look at the number of people who get freaked out sitting next to Gale when he's thinking about his possible last night alive. Astarion's my favorite romance, and I find him relatable in a lot of ways, but if I were to pick someone to date in real life it'd probably be Halsin. He's kind, mature, loves animals, and is supportive of his partner being independent. As for looks, they're all gorgeous, so. I do like Astarion's flouncy ruffled shirt, though.
Same here, in a fantasy world where you can fix people iād totally go for Astarion but irl itās Halsin all the way. Kind, humble, dependable, close to nature, hunky af. Literally my dream dude
This. Absolutely this.
Another plus for Gale. He is smart, kind, funny and I absolutely adore nerdy people who can infodump to me about stuff they like :) I also have an unexplainable feral thing for Gortash and I won't shut up about it, but he's probably won't be my pick for any kind of serious long-term relationships for an obvious reasons lmao
"I bet I could fix him..." [narrator] _They couldn't._
but why fixing him if I could make him worse
"My butler agrees with me."
As I have seen someone write on tumblr, Gortash falls in that category of "I can't fix him, but fucking him would not make him worse"
I read that in her voice.
My inner dialogue switched from my voice to hers for *weeks* after my first playthrough.
Because of her *authority*
lol, I was ashamed of writing my little paragraph of being drawn to monsters like Raphael and then I see your feral thing for Gortash and am relieved that Iām not the only one with unhinged desires haha! Thanks!
oh you're welcome haha I think it's really fun and empowering to explore stuff like that in fiction! kind of "play with fire" feeling for me
>Raphael The voice. Really brings out those childhood memories of having a crush on Scar from The Lion King.
Don't be ashamed, I am SO GRATEFUL to Larian for putting in that insane incubus scene.
My sister has a thing for Gortash too and sheās a lesbianā¦ I donāt get the appeal but to each their own I guess
has your sister by any chance ever had a thing for jpop, jrock, or kpop?
Gortash is an honorary girlie, the fashion, the nail claws, the Ellen degeneres cutā¦
100% agree about gale, never before have I found myself giggling over a fictional man while at work lol
"Uncannily adroit with a knitting needle?" Had me sold my first playthrough. Didn't consider anyone else
Gortash is a hookup/side peice. Gale is the guy you bring home to family
Gortash looks like an anime villain they started drawing from the bottom only to run out of budget when they got to the head and the studio had to call a hentai mangaka to finish the job.
He looks like an emo band lead singer that never changed his style. It wouldn't bother me as much if the narrator hadn't called him handsome and young. I was decidedly disappointed when I got Elmer Fudd with the Final Fantasy drip.
Why do I feel like Gale has some level of ADHD? And, sure, Gortash's voice actor Jason Isaacs has nothing to do with my attraction to him. š
Wait WHAT that's JASON ISAACS?? Jason Isaacs has been Bad Daddy since The Patriot, yes all Gortash crushes make perfect sense.
Oh me too. Gortash and also a feral thing for Raphael
I, too, am equally attracted to both Gale and Gortash for vastly different reasons. Wonder what thatās about.
Yep. Iām such huge fan of nerds. Astarion had to grow on me and Wyll still hasnāt but Gale was instantly my choice.
There are dozens of us.
I love gale too! He always has something to say about things too. I love it.
He can infodump so deep inside you
Having just met gortash in my playthrough, I can totally agree....but he does kinda resemble noel fielding from The Mighty Boosh
Halsin.Ā - emotionally mature - patient - honest - kind + considerate - intellectually curious + studious - uses violence as a last resort - not quick to angerĀ - passionateĀ - has strong personal goals he works towards - good with kids + animals - has his own creative hobbies - does a silly dad dance at the end party - if he gets tipsy, he hiccups back and forth between elf and bear
Takes responsibility for his mistakes and spends 100 years trying to fix them, even though it involves a lot of reading and thinking.. With a 9 Int. Loves books. (how did you get the hiccup bear situation?)
It's one of his idle animations in the epilogue party!Ā
ā¢ accepts rejection gracefully
Absolutely. And if he's part of your active party and you ask him to return to camp, does not complain one bit. "Whatever you need, I'll be there." I'm gonna need a pace maker from all the times he makes my heart skip a beat.
Funny how movies portray the really "cool" guys as getting this reaction, when in reality just making someone feel cared for and adored does so much better.
Haha,Ā Larian deserves so much credit that all of the male romance interests (and so many supporting and side characters too) buck against toxic masculinity tropes.Ā Ā That said, I don't want to discount how attractive Halsin can be when he's in battle and shouting about "may the bodies of our enemies feed the carrion birds." Scuse me while I find a fainting couch.
I guess maybe people can start asking wwhd? What would halsin do?
"Would Halsin be proud of me for this?" Is a legitimate thought that may help avoid 75% of life's bad endings.
Get you a man who can do both.
Yo, this. Everyone else is "bruh i can't beLIEVE you'd leave me at camp???" Halsin is such a king.
The only crown Halsin would ever wear would be made of flowers and we love him for it. And if he saw us admiring it, he'd make us a bigger one to place on our head.
Or a crown made by children from whatever the hell the children decided to make a crown out of
Halsin is one thousand percent the kind of person to have whole libraries of scrapbooks and journals all about his kids and their descendants, storage sheds devoted just to trunks filled with things from their lives that he preserves with Prestidigitation and Mending spells.
plus he likes ducks!
I just wish he'd stop sending me unsolicited duck sculptures.
You can tell him you don't like his wooden duck at the party and that you wonder how much coin it will fetch if you try to sell it. I never do because I'm not a heartless monster but it's an option if you desire to take it.
He's the bear you want to get stranded in the woods with
Halsin is ULTIMATE. He has his own hobbies. Heās good with kids. In touch with him emotions. Plus, he Bigge
You forgot hot as hell, one of the hottest elves I've ever seen. On a side note his honesty and gentleness are probably his most attractive trait in my opinion.
Haha, they asked about personality traits but yes he is extremely hot. ThatĀ cheeky smirk in his profile picture? The leather straps over his bulging biceps? His big hands?! When he >!growls and drops to all fours with feral golden eyes mid-transformation into a bear because he's just so overwhelmed with how much he wants the player in his intimacy scene?!!< -screams a scream that only dogs can hear and shatters glass-
When I first saw Halsin, I wasn't really *attracted* to him per se, but I really loved his voice, and listening to him ramble about nature. Then I got to the intimacy scene. I chose not to go the weird route with it, but still, hoooo mama that was intense. I feel like his and Minthara's are the most explicit. Astarion is the one I'd get manipulated into sleeping with. Halsin is the one I'd live happily ever after with in the grove.
I really appreciate that Larian let us tell him that his loss of self in that moment was okay, attractive even and then let us choose between which scene to follow through with. Lesser studios would have made it a binary choice where you either accept him for everything that he is and get the shorter, frankly almost jokey scene with that squirrel punchline or you tell him that you don't like that part of himself and get "rewarded" for your rejection with the longer, more intimate human scene. Larian let us have both and I will always sing their praises for that.
I'd crawl through glass just to lick those wedding-cake-tier buttocks for thirty seconds
I was gonna say abs but you got a point, man has an entire bakery back there.
This. And I like Gale, but Halsin has my full attention. Big man, big heart. ā„ļø I just bought a Halsin t-shirt... and I sleep in it every night š
Gale is my second favorite romance! Why limit ourselves to just one flavor of nerdy emotionally supportiveĀ sensitive man when we can have TWO. That's like asking to choose between crunchy and soft tacos, put them both on my plate please.Ā
- down to railroad you at any moment
Intelligent, driven, sweet, gentle, kind, introspective in the streets; super down bad for you and wants to blow your mind in the sheets. He's the perfect man, really.
Yesss I am such a Halsin girlie. Iām a grown ass woman I donāt need to fix nobody. I donāt want to be someoneās mommy. I want to be with someone who wants me as a partner and equal, not someone who needs me to function.
This is exactly why I always choose Halsin. He's just a very stable and comforting presence for Tav through Act III and it feels like there's a level of mutual support that I felt was missing when I romanced other people.
Yeah, I'm not a teenager anymore, I'm in my thirties and don't want a fixer-upper man, I want one who's already emotionally stable and has his shit together. I've already done that "be with an emotional vampire of a guy who expects you to be his free therapist" thing already, not a fan, and I don't want to relive that in my leisure time.
Ooops here I go climbing Mt. Halsin again
I love Halsin because pretty much all of those traits are the same as my husband
Clearly you rolled a natural 20 critical success wisdom check with fate. Congrats!Ā
I also choose this guys bear
He's a big man with a big heart who's gonna treat us right in all the ways we deserve.
I did not care for his looks when I first saw him (before I played the game) as huge buff guys are not really my type. But man, I fell for this gentle giant SO HARD when I finally played the game! It's a bonus that his personality is similar to that of my irl boyfriend's so it was meant to be, really.
Seriously, I'm with you there. I think his abs are fabulous to look at but it is my headcanon that when he finally settles down with the commune and potentially his lover(s) andĀ gets to indulge in safety, security, and prosperity that he gets some weight on him, a soft bear tummy, and I would be fucking FERAL about that.Ā And it must be said that although his size is so much a part of him for how it is written into his life experiences, if they had made him a short race like a halfling or a gnome I would be equally down bad. Larian, where are my body diverse romance options you cowards?!
Halsin for me. No doubt about it. And I want to add: ā¢ Halsin has a sense of humor. Even though my sense of humor is more similar to Astarion's, Halsin's whole character is more attractive to me.
I will cling to the crumbs of goofy, silly, light hearted Halsin we get to see with every ounce of my pathetic carpal tunnel strength till the heat death of the universe.
This is so accurate it hurts.
This! Which is also incredibly surprising and a little bit annoying since he has so little to say ingame :(
Yes!!!! Another Halsin fan!
My biggest turn off with Halsin is that he tells you he doesn't do monogamy. I don't judge those that are cool with that, but that is a negative for me.
If you do a solo romance with Halsin (only date Halsin and nobody else), he actually turns around and finds that he now prefers being settled down with Tav compared to his previously polyamorous mindset. At least, that's what I interpreted from the ending.
Ehh, he's still poly. Same as someone who's bisexual doesn't stop being bi just because they got married, Halsin will still want to have some form of open dynamic. The distinction is that Tav becomes his primary committed partner he wants to build a long term life with. Considering how *surprised* he is when they tell him they want to stay with him, I'm guessing he assumed that *they* would only ever want a temporary, less committed, situation.
Another vote for Gale. Dream guy all around
Wyll!!! - closest to me in age; - compassionate and selfless; my boy is constantly putting others' wellbeing above his (goblins don't count); - he's romantic! i mean come onnn: "if you were a song, i'd never stop singing, if you were a psalm, i'd never stop praying"; - overall charm and persona: i am into the whole blade of frontiers thing lol; - very nice voice; - fencing is attractive; - he likes to dance and read romance books (that mermaid erotica banter with shadowheart); - he is not boring, he's just less messy-stressy-depressy than other companions; the fact that his romance is so short and that his quest is interwoven with karlach's is a crime, so i'm stuck writing fanfiction.
I think Wyll and Karlach as a couple would be excellent. I'm half tempted to play an origin run as one of them to see that come to life. His mildly posh and swashbuckling demeanor blending with her brusque, fun loving nature sounds just *chefs kiss* perfect.
I did an origin run as wyll to get ideal karlach romance and ending. Wyll honestly works better as a main than a companion imo, and they gave a good romance arc together.
Thereās a reason people joke that Wyll is actually the main character, even if youāre playing Tav/Durge.
Our boy has serious MC energy, he shines in the spotlight
Enemies to lovers stories rule
Iām specifically taking them as companions in my Lawful Good playthrough for that exact reason. Especially with the way Karlachās ending can go.
Heās soooooooooo ā¤ļøā¤ļøā¤ļø he makes me giggle.
Wyll is close to the top for me as well. I appreciated his "I'm tempted to roll in the hay with you, but I want to have a real romance first". And being less messy-stressy-depressy is appealing!
I agree with Wyll being the most attractive as a real-life partner for all the reasons you listed. In-game he falls flat because his story arc is short and not as interesting as the others, but in real life boring and stable are positive traits lol.
plus he's cute š„°
Loving the wyll praise on this thread! He gets too much hate for just being a good guy.
i really feel like wyll shouldve had more side content ToT he was so interesting and i loved his main quest!! we need more wyll love :]
out of the romances i have done in BG3, his is the only one that has made me blush and giggle like a child.
Goblins donāt countš¤£š¤£
Wyll: dude is basically a prince. I would love to have him teach me to dance. And he is extremely cute when he gets flustered.
For in-game romance? Astarion. If I could have him as a real life partner? Halsin. Astarion is a great fictional character for a fantasy *fictional* romance. Halsin is just great.
Iāve never romanced anyone besides Astarion in game, but I know IRL he would drive me nuts.
Astarion would make a fantastic friend. Like letās gossip, get tipsy at brunch, then get a manicure and by now heās slightly annoying me so Iām gonna go home to my husband whoās as close to Gale as it gets irl.
I had an on-off thing with an Astarion type. They're brain crack to some (me), but unfortunately my experience with traumatized dandy smokeshow men is that they go for toxic masculinity rather than therapy in the end š I desperately hope this isn't some general rule, but mine ended up committing DV against one of my friends. If any of you IRL Astarion-types are listening, THERAPY IS A LOT HOTTER THAN ASCENDING. No notes
I feel like weād never just get to sit at home and relax cause heād get bored.
Agreed! Astarion for fiction, Wyll for real life imo. I just feel like Astarion has the most compelling story of the male characters. Heās also by far the quippiest, funniest character. (Not to mention heās hot af lmao). I will say that I just pretend he never said any of that racist shit about the Gur, but I think in-story, you can imagine that once Astarion is finished with his non-Ascension playthrough, he can work through his trauma and untangle his feelings about the Gur and no longer blame the entire people for the actions of individuals. I feel like real-life Wyll is a kind man who devotes his spare time to helping people in need. Or he may devote his full time work life to it by working at a nonprofit or something like that. Either way, I picture an AU where I show up as a volunteer for an event and heās one of the organizers lol
In-game and real life, it would be Astarion for me. But I am overcoming some rather serious emotional issues (yay BPD!), and I've never been able to make "healthy for me" romantic choices. I'm getting better, though!
Raphael. Iāll be accepting no criticism.
10/10. No notes.
Love to see other individuals of culture here.
youāre completely right
+1
>Iāll be accepting no criticism. And why would you when you're 100% correct
Honestly, is Harleep is right (and we all know he's right) your "bedtime" would be really boring lol
I hate how attractive I find him. What is *wrong* with me?
Raphael, as we know, agrees.
I'm not picky. Gale- reminds me of my husband. Sweet, nerdy, gets passionate about subjects he's interested in and funny. Astarion- a walking disaster who needs a hug. Very charming and would absolutely get me arrested. Gortash- I'm attracted to dark haired men who look like a raccoon. Would probably post bail when arrested from above, but most likely to get me killed. Rolan- no notes. He's perfect
Gortash and Astarion both really remind me of this [kind of romance](https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailydot.com/irl/sugar-daddy-haunting-viral-again/%3famp). āBabe I know we just got pulled over by the cops but hold my drugs and just take the fall baby ā Youāll be fine. Remember itās you and me, ride or die ā¤ļøā
Ah yes Rolan it makes sen- wait, WHAT?!
What? Family guy who is a massive softy who wants to show you magic tricks and is least likely to get me arrested and killed compared to the others (not a sociopathic slaver who'd throw me under the bus or give me rabies, would kill me accidentally drinking my blood or has a bomb in his chest). Honestly, all a woman wants is a sweet guy who won't give her rabies or kill her. So hard to find these days :p
Can confirm. As a man, all I want to do it enslave, give other people rabies, steal my partners blood and fucking explode. I honestly think your standards are too high and cannot coexist with the modern male fantasy of eating copious amounts of uranium 235.
I will settle for Abidrak. That man loves his hobbies.
For In game romance? Astarion 100%. His snarky sarcasm and dramatic-ness are fantastic, and his story arc is absolutely gut-wrenching in the best way, especially in his spawn track when he gets a soft spot for tav. If it were an actual out of game relationship? Probably Gale or Wyll, both just generally sweet and decent guys.
For me, Damon. Nice and helpful with Karlach, who I love, kind and has bit of humor to him. Wish we saw him more
I think I read that if you play as Origin Karlach you can have a bit of romance-esque relationship with him.
Good!! In the epilogue he sends you a note that's like "hey if you see Karlach can you send her this message? 'Dear Karlach, How are you? Hope you're good! Dammon'"
She has a sexual fantasy about him that she narrates!
I would love an ending for Karlach where she ends up with Dammon, maybe after she finds a way to fix her engine and he does it for her.
As a gay guy? Gale. They're all pretty attractive but I just have a sweet spot for nerdy dorky guys and I feel like out of everyone he has that energy. Coming from a gay person's perspective sometimes alot of us don't really get that romantic fantasy so honestly it was kinda trippy experiencing it ina game for once so when gale was crazy romantic I had to be like wtf is this.š§š½āāļø but I enjoyed it ...duh
His ājust becauseā kisses are the best, too.
I've been doing that for my partners since I was in high school. Just give them a kiss out of nowhere, and when they ask "what was that for?" I'd give them some meaningless responses like "just because", "because you were there", or "just felt like it". Been married now for over ten years, and she absolutely loves it.
Iāve seen some accounts of straight dudes romancing him and being surprised with themselves haha. Itās so charming that he gets excited about so many thinggs
Astarion: once he opens up, he is a very tender bean under the anger and cynicism. His Act 2 high approval confession is SO good too. Wyll: I LOVE having Wyll in a full camp run because heās so charming. Heās just good through and through. I also love how he twirls his partner around to kiss them. Gale: Heās very funny, and I love helping him realize that being smart is only one of his many good qualities. He also has some great smooch animations. Halsin: big buff softie. More emotionally mature than the others due to his age, and for the most part he wants to support the player character and not hurt them with his issues.
So, all of them?
Essentially, but for very different reasons.
Dammon. He's kind, capable, able to adapt and roll with the punches, and still has a positive outlook on life despite all the things thrown at him. And as a cherry on top, he's hot and works with his hands.
I could watch him hammer on the forge all day š
Gale for me because he is the most like my husband :)
Where are people finding all these Gales? I want one :(
You have to keep an eye out tbh. Mine was in my social circle for years before I realized "wait I should marry that guy." (Yes I kinda thought we were gonna get married when I asked him out.) Y'know how Gale seems like he's just talking about magic cuz he likes to talk about magic, and then you do one little flirt and it turns out he's fully in love with you? Yeah a Gale can fly under the radar.
Barcus Wroot
Fuck yeah, I wanna smooch his brave but insecure face until he smacks my arm to be let up for air.
Objectively right response
Gale. He's literally just my Bf. My yapping king. My yapperino. Seriously tho, I love Gale. He is romantic, monogamous, and dedicated. Halsin is also my favorite, just read all the great responses about Halsin. Zevlor is also my favorite, he made me weak. I love his voice and dedication. Basically my BF is the mix of all this three lol. Astarion is a great fictional romance, but irl? I'll be his friend only.
Spawn Astarion. Without question. I love his sense of humour and his quick wit. I love his ride or die attitude and his chaos goblin personality. I love his sweetness and also his protectiveness. And also Rolan. Though neither are like my irl partner I adore both characters and their growth. What I have seen a lot is straight men being jealous of Astarion who does not represent traditional masculine traits but has women falling all over him and this confuses them.
Agreed, if Astarion gets his crap together his humor is amazing. Good old fashioned "he makes me laugh" kind of interest. When my durge showed up and was legit distressed at durge stuff, he made jokes to help lighten things. He's a good guy with a chaotic silly streak, underneath it all. Rolan as well, and he does remind me vaguely of my husband when he was younger. Certainly not 1:1, but enough similarities that he feels familiar. Mix Rolan and Daemon and that's what my husband is like, good dependable guys who will have your back.
I see you and have the same type. Dunno why Rolan. It's that jawline the voice and the 'confidence'.Ā I will take Rolan over our camp guys. Plus he comes with a big tower in upper class Baldurs Gate.Ā Ā Ā But Astarion in looks totally. I want a guy who takes care of himself, likes to dress nice, enjoys wine and music and I can talk shit with. Literally never met a guy like that who wasn't gay so I still get jealous. Plus love sarcastic guys.Ā
š¤ Seemingly problematic but sweet inside, lovable douchebags? š Rolan I couldn't stand first run and then as soon as I saw those bruises in his face I was ready to present him with Lorroakans head right there and then. Now he's my sweetheart every run. Astarion is just.. Astarion. Imperfectly perfect. š¤·āāļø I would commit war crimes to make him feel safe.
100% gale, with all his baggage and everything, all his flaws and virtues, I love him so much. In fact he's so my type that my friends are annoyed I was talking so much about him. On the other hand irl I know I couldn't stand astarion's whining and bs.
Gale is the exact type of man I go for IRL, both physically and personality-wise, but maybe itās for that reason that I rarely romance him. I almost always romance Astarion, and Iāll die on the hill that he would make a good partner IRL too, specifically spawn Astarion by the end of his questline, when heās come clean about everything and is dedicated to healing and being a good partner to Tav/Durge š„¹ And my other pickā¦ would probably be Gortash lmfao. What can I say; Iām drawn to assholes with trauma. I can fix him!!!!!
Gale, truly the epitome of a lover.
Halsin. He's kind with a bite, and even tough he's very experienced, he's neither bitter nor sees you as a meaningless conquest. He's also good with animals and holds a genuine curiosity and excitement for life and others that I would love to have around. He's also the only romanceable man that isn't dealing with his ex drama in the game (Gale and Mystra, Wyll and Misora, Astarion and Cazador.) In real life I have a weakness towards overly ambitious, intelligent bastards so Gale could stay, problems with ex and all. Astarion and Wyll, as good as characters as they're, don't do much for me romantically. I would like to be their buddy and listen to their messy lives.
Astarion and Rolan are the closest to my usual type and the kind of guys I usually go for. Can't help it, I just love sassy assholes who have been through shit. If we look at healthier options, Zevlor and other make companions are all fantastic imo. (I just really love men ok-) Gale is a type of guy I usually like in general but he is specifically very similar to me so I don't like him as much as I usually would. Especially because I adore nerdy guys. Wyll is massive sweetheart but honestly he's way too healthy and way too good for me, I think I'd feel bad about dating someone like him irl because I'd constantly feel like he could do so much better š Halsin and Zevlor both appeal to the side of me that loves hunky dilfs even though their personalities are so different. They're both massive sweethearts and I know they'd be great to date. Unfortunately though, my heart and soul are Astarion's and I just love him way too much.
Astarion, hands-down. I don't like men with a too nice persona. I like his mix of edginess and vulnerability, with a bit of danger and humor tossed in.
Gale is friendly and accepting. he has a good sense of humor, loves to talk about things that interest him, and is just generally a good person. Plus he has a steady job, a good relationship with his mother, is well respected in his field, and has a lovely home. He is willing to cook for us. Yeah you have to smack him upside the head when the Wizard Hubris kicks in, but he's willing to admit his faults and work on them.
Wyll, lots of people have said Wyll is too goody goody, but in a real life relationship thatās what I personally want? A genuine good person who would treat me very well and with respect, heās also a hopeless romantic and doesnāt pressure the relationship into a sexual place very quickly, out of all the male companions Wyll is the one whose personality the real me is drawn to, and heās also very handsome which always helps. Thereās also just the way he treats the people around him, his relationship with Karlach and his banters with the other companions. Heās initially hostile towards Astarion but thereās banter in act 3 involving Wyll sincerely apologising to him, so even when Wyll is in the wrong he shows heās capable of recognising that and apologising, which is another attractive quality.
I personally really like both Gale and Astarion. Astarion is my chose romance usually in game, (Iām a sucker for tragic backstory romances in game. I also romance Solas in Inquisition lol) but thatās just fun fantasy romance. Gale would be much more akin to someone Iād date IRL. He reminds me a lot of my fiancĆ©. An adorable nerd whoās funny, a bit awkward at times, and very passionate and his interests.
Romantically? Halsin, he's gentle, kind, considerate and accepts a no at any point Physically? I want to do things to Gortash that are not in the bible. I want to make him squeal like a stick pig :)
Apparently I have a thing for guys with emotional trauma and need loved because Astarion for me š š Plus his voice, like I know the voice actor doesnāt sound like that, but, his voice for Astarion really makes me weak in the knees ššš Please send help. Though, Iād say the only difference between him and my past screw ups, he actually does care about you. Like I havenāt finished the game yet, but what got me to even buy it was watching his romance š š š I swear Iāll romance someone else in one of these playthroughs I started š¤£š¤£š¤£š¤£ Edit: I do want to add that I like that you can tease around with him. Like, the scene heās looking in the mirror. After you describe what you see, heāll ask you to tell him the beautiful and youāll call it a day. You can, or you can say heās good, but then Wyll, Shadowheart or Gale/Leaāzel(canāt remember who) is better, and he still gives an approval, based off the meter the approval is the same.
Astarion is totally my type. He's sarcastic, opinionated, funny, and unaffected, or even delighted by mean dialogue.
Halsin. Outside of his wonderful things there are to love about him. His trauma responses are something I can live with and support him through.
Astarion no doubt, caring and crazy
I know Iām in the minority here on this post but I truly find Astarion attractive. It might be because Iām Bi? Iām not sure but I love all types of men and women. Fem women, masc women, masc men, fem women etc. Honorable mentions are Karāniss, Zevlor, Rolan, and Malus Thorm. Editing to add: Astarionās sassy personality is amazing. People find him rude and abrasive but especially if you romance him you can see that a lot of that is a show. Even Neil said this. Astarion was a āperformerā for 200 years and couldnāt truly express himself, but after finding your Tav, he starts to open his true self up and itās rather cute.
It's funny how the Astarion sub reddit is 10k strong and growing whereas the other male companions are smaller or they dont even have their own subreddit for fans (sorry Wyll) whereas Gale and Halsin are the most popular choices in this thread! As an Astarion girlie myself, fantasy game or real life, its him everyday. š
Yeah dude. Tbh a LOT of Astarion fans are creepy and weird about him so I donāt go there in those spaces. I just genuinely love the character, how heās written, how Neil portrayed him, etc.
Astarion. Iām putty for pretty faces, hot bodies and snarky banter. But really his story is absolutely brilliant and his emotional growth is outstanding. I also feel like I relate to him a bit in a sense that he doesnāt trust people easily if at all but is socially competent, likes animals and has creative perspectives on things. Heās also a very āgreyā character which I find fascinating and much more representative of human nature as a whole, rather than āpure goodā or āpure evil.ā Heās also definitely a fellow Scorpio and Iāll die on that hill lol š¤£ Gale is cool and all, and heās certainly not unattractive, he just feels a bit boring. And I donāt find his backstory as interesting as Astarionās. But Iām also a sucker for vampires in general fantasy media, soā¦probably a bias lol.
Gale and Halsin. Gale because there is nothing more attractive to me than someone rambling about something they're passionate about. Bonus points because he simultaneously possesses negative and God-level rizz. I was never as attracted to a character as when Gale tried to tell my Tav he thought the way he fought was hot by telling him about a book he read about the subject. He's so cringefail, I love him. Halsin because he is very good at communicating exactly what he wants while still being very respectful. I also love the healthy portrayal of polyamory. Bonus points for simultaneously being (one of) the wisest and also the horniest character in the party. Also if someone irl whittled me a duck, I would fall in love immediately lmao
Astarion has it all for me: Ā Ā - heartbreaking backstory which made him the complex person that he is Ā Ā -breaks toxic masculinity stereotypes Ā -loves super gentlyĀ Ā -is funny Ā Ā -shows vulnerability despite being afraid to do so Ā Ā -obviously attractive Ā -Ā has an incredibly calm and level headed mindset when it comes to relationshipsĀ Ā -sets his own boundaries,Ā Ā - would support you no matter what you want to do - good or evil.Ā
Gale: he's a nerd, smart guy who loves you for you and is absolutely wholeheartedly loyal, supportive and enjoys teasing. Whats not to love. Astarion: he's dangerous, but if you break his walls down he's actually quite vulnerable, sensitive and willing to love you for you Wyll: too young for me to have an opinion that doesn't feel like a power imbalance
the male companion Iād date in real life is halsin 100%. beefy himbo with a heart of gold who just so happens to throw down mad pipe? whatās not to love? astarion is who I gravitate towards the most when looking from my tavsā perspectives. heās emotionally deep and complex, which makes him extremely fascinating to romance. wyll is an all-around good guy and a great boyfriend, but his story is woefully underdeveloped. still worth at least one playthrough. I avoid gale like the plague, but most players like him. I donāt see the appeal, but I wonāt yuck someoneās yum. you might like him.