Best Companions in Baldur's Gate 3: Roles and Parties

The best companions in Baldur's Gate 3 for a balanced first party are Shadowheart (healing), Lae'zel or Karlach (front line), Astarion (locks, stealth and damage) and Gale (area spells). Swap Wyll in when you want a ranged Charisma caster, and replace whichever companion overlaps with your own character.

The game has no official companion ranking, so this advice is based on the roles each one covers. It keeps story details to a minimum, and the sections with plot consequences carry a warning.

Who are the best BG3 companions by role?

Six origin companions can join you in Act 1. Each starts at level 1 after recruitment with the class and default subclass below.

For a first party, the two things you most want covered are healing and a sturdy melee character. Shadowheart is the only Act 1 companion who starts as a dedicated healer unless you build one yourself. Karlach has the highest hit points of the group, while Lae'zel's manoeuvres add a little more control. Astarion matters outside combat too, since Rogues start with thieves' tools. Gale gives the party a wide spell list and can learn new spells from scrolls.

Where to recruit each companion in Act 1

All of them can be reached shortly after the prologue. Coordinates, where given, come from bg3.wiki and may be useful for the map.

Some of these have backup routes if you miss the first meeting:

• Shadowheart: left in her pod, she turns up at the Dank Crypt. If you camp, fast travel or enter the Grove without recruiting her on the beach, she heads to the Druid Grove to find a healer. Entering the Goblin Camp, Mountain Pass or Underdark first brings her to you another way.
• Lae'zel: if you press on after triggering the Grove gate fight, she escapes the cage. You can still find her at the Mountain Pass and, as a final chance, near the first waypoint of the Rosymorn Monastery Trail.
• Wyll: if he dies at the gate, a Scroll of Revivify brings him back so you can recruit him as normal.
• Gale: this is the one early meeting you can truly lose. The check to free him starts at DC 7 and often has class-specific options, with a harder second attempt. If you fail both, or walk away, you cannot recruit him.

Can you recruit Karlach and Wyll together?

Minor spoilers: this section mentions how their first meeting can go and some Act 1 choices.

Yes, with care. If Wyll is in your party when you first meet Karlach, he confronts her. Siding against her starts a fight, but you can side with her or talk him down by persuading him her account is true. Recruiting Karlach first is simpler: Wyll then appears at camp after a long rest and the same confrontation plays out there. Karlach will not join if you side with the goblins, raid the Emerald Grove, provoke a fight in the Grove or allow the Rite of Thorns.

What is the best BG3 party composition?

You have four slots: your character plus three others. Treat these as starting points, and swap out the companion who duplicates your class.

Some simple substitutions:

• You are playing a Cleric: drop Shadowheart and keep the rest.
• You are playing a Fighter or Barbarian: keep just one of Lae'zel or Karlach, or run both for the simple build above.
• You are playing a Rogue: swap Astarion for Wyll to add more ranged spell damage.
• You are playing a Wizard or Sorcerer: take Wyll over Gale or keep Gale for extra utility, but always keep a front-liner.

If you have not picked a class yet, the beginner class guide explains which roles are easiest to play yourself.

Can you change a companion's class?

Yes, through Withers, who charges 100 gold per respec and lets you rebuild class, subclass, ability scores, skills, spells and feats. You can find him early, as the Act 1 tips explain. Race, background and origin remain fixed. Shadowheart can respec too: Game8 says she can change class but keeps her Trickery Cleric dialogue options. Player forum reports also say her deity stays fixed if you change her domain, but we found no official confirmation, so check the respec screen before paying for her.

Are hirelings worth using?

Hirelings are a backup rather than a first choice. They become available through Withers once your party reaches character level 3. There are twelve, one per class, and they can be re-specced at any time, so they suit a player who wants to fill a missing role or who has lost a companion.

Which companions can you lose or miss?

Spoiler warning: this section mentions some Act 1 consequences and the names of later recruits, though not how their stories play out.

Your Act 1 choices about the Emerald Grove matter most. If you complete the raid path against the Grove, you lose Karlach and Wyll permanently, and Gale also leaves unless you pass an Insight or Deception check. Leaving Karlach's quest "Hunt the Devil" unfinished before you travel to the Rosymorn Monastery Trail or the Shadow-Cursed Lands also costs you her.

Four more companions can join later, but not in Act 1: Halsin, a druid you can meet in Act 1 and recruit in Act 2; Minthara, a Paladin met in Act 1 but recruited in Act 2, whose recruitment depends on your Grove choices; Jaheira, a Druid who can fully join near the end of Act 2; and Minsc, a Ranger available in Act 3 only if Jaheira joined you. You do not need to plan around them on a first run.

FAQ

Who should I take first if I can only pick one?

Shadowheart. Reliable healing from a dedicated Cleric matters most in early fights, and she is one of the first companions you can reach.

Can I swap companions at any time?

Yes, as often as you like, but only at camp: talk to a party member to ask them to stay, then ask another companion to join. Guides say you do not need to actually rest to do this. Short rests only benefit whoever is in the active party, so make any swap before you rest.

What if I miss or lose a companion?

Hirelings can fill the empty slot from character level 3, though they do not replace that companion's story. If a companion has died, Withers offers resurrection for 200 gold.