Baldur’s Gate 3: 10 Worst Choices You Can Make to be the Villain

We don’t always want to be the hero in games. Sometimes being the villain is more fun, especially when options and consequences are fleshed out to feel meaningful. That’s why so many players have played through — or at least tried — the Dark Urge in BG3. But even if you don’t go that route, there are decisions you can make to push your alignment toward the evil side. If you want to be bad, here are the 10 worst choices you can make in Baldur’s Gate 3 to be the villain.

10 Worst Choices You Can Make in Baldur’s Gate 3 to be the Villain

Since this list outlines choices across all three acts, there are major spoilers below. Turn back now if you don’t want to be exposed to some of the bigger decisions in BG3.

Give Astarion to the Gur

Near Auntie Ethel’s house in Act 1, Gandrel is standing around with a cart by him full of supplies. If you talk to him, you learn that he’s a Gur, which is a monster hunter. And it just so happens that the monster he’s hunting is a Vampire Spawn named Astarion. The common option is to brush him off or kill him to stop him from hunting Astarion.

However, you can knock Astarion out and offer him to the Gur to take. The bad part is this completely removes him from your party, and you can’t get him back. Overall, this choice is terrible, given how cruel Cazador is to his Vampire Spawn, and you have to go through the game without Astarion.

Side with the Goblins

It’s no secret that the Goblins are on the bad side in BG3. They work for the Absolute, essentially being mind-controlled by it. However, you can join their leaders and attack Emerald Grove, killing Druids and Tieflings. If you’re doing an evil playthrough, this is one of the standard decisions you make. You can recruit Minthara to your party, but you won’t be able to recruit Halsin, and you lose Karlach and Wyll as companions.

Kill Nightsong

Storywise, it’s cruel to have Shadowheart become a Dark Justiciar. But you don’t get enough information to realize this until Act 3 if you don’t save Nightsong, who fills in some of the gaps in Shadowheart’s memory. Shadowheart was kidnapped by Sharrans and made to serve Shar, but she was born a Selûnite. Saving Nightsong lets her reclaim her lost future. It also keeps the people at Last Light Inn from being affected by the Shadow Curse since killing Nightsong breaks Isobel’s barrier (assuming it hasn’t already been broken).

Kill Mizora

At the end of Act 2, you find Mizora in a pod in the Mind Flayer Colony. This is part of the quest for Wyll to find and rescue Zariel’s Asset. However, when you inspect the pod, there’s an option to kill her. While this seems tempting, it results in Wyll being banished to the hells. Whether you love or hate Mizora, it’s better for Wyll to keep her alive to avoid eternal torment.

Use the Orb

Another moment at the end of Act 2, Gale wants to use the Netherese Orb as per Mystra’s request. This isn’t a good or evil decision, but you miss out on an entire act and all the content that comes with it. Using the Orb triggers the end of the game, and it counts as completing it, giving you any related achievements that you don’t have yet. But given how much content is in Act 3, it’s a shame to end here.

Hand Shadowheart to Viconia

If you save Nightsong, then continuing Shadowheart’s quest leads you to Viconia, who requests you hand her over. In exchange, you’ll have help from the Sharrans when you face the Absolute. The problem is that Viconia is the person who originally kidnapped Shadowheart, stole her memories, and tortured her parents. Handing her over likely means that the cycle will start again, reverting Shadowheart to a devoted follower at the cost of her true self.

Let Astarion Ascend

This is the evil ending for Astarion’s personal quest. By killing all the Vampire Spawn, Astarion can take Cazador’s spot in the ritual. However, Ascended Astarion isn’t the companion you knew before. This ties back to D&D 5e Vampirism, which says their emotions are corrupted by undeath. So the relationships and feelings that Astarion had prior to Ascending are corrupted and twisted. It’s particularly noticeable if you romance Astarion and see the differences in how he speaks to you before and after Ascending.

Give Raphael the Crown of Karsus

Giving Raphael the Crown of Karsus basically dooms the realms to being ruled by him. You get an ending cutscene where he explains that he’s almost done taking over Avernus and the rest of the Nine Hells are his next target. Not only that, but he plans on spreading his rule to the mortal realms when he’s done with the hells. So you basically spent the game trying to stop the Absolute, just to doom the world anyway by handing the crown to Raphael.

Accept Bhaal’s Gift as the Dark Urge

When playing as the Dark Urge, you have to make a decision after beating Orin in a duel. Accepting Bhaal’s Gift is the evil choice, as it binds you to Bhaal and comes with the condition that you’ll control the Absolute in his name and basically destroy the world anyway. While it’s possible to betray him and destroy the Absolute in the end, that’s not a good choice either.

If you destroy the Absolute after accepting Bhaal’s Gift, your character falls under the control of Bhaal again in the final cutscenes. A blade appears in their hand, and they leave with the heavy implication that they’re off to commit more murders. But because you accepted Bhaal, he can take control of you the way he has been through dark urges.

Kill Karlach

Karlach is the cinnamon roll of BG3, who must be protected at all costs. But Wyll’s quest wants you to kill her. And you can, receiving the Infernal Robe as a reward from Mizora for doing so. After being a pet to Zariel for 10 years, the Nautiloid let Karlach escape. Her life so far has been rough, to say the least, and you have the option to end it right when she earns her freedom again. It’s just cruel.

That rounds up our list of the 10 worst choices you can make in Baldur’s Gate 3 to be the villain. With such well-written characters, it’s tough to take the evil route and doom them, but it’s one of many ways the game can be played. From here, head to our BG3 guide hub for more answers to questions like should you spin Akabi’s Wheel?