GamesRPGBaldur’s GateBaldur’s Gate 3Don’t miss one of Baldur’s Gate 3’s best companion stories just because you’re mad he ate your shoesWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesRPGBaldur’s GateBaldur’s Gate 3Don’t miss one of Baldur’s Gate 3’s best companion stories just because you’re mad he ate your shoesWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Larian)
When people think of character development and depictions of real-world abuse and trauma, almost every singleBaldur’s Gate 3fan will think of Astarion. Not to discredit Astarion’s story in the slightest – it’s truly masterful writing – but a lot of people don’t give Gale’s story the chance it deserves. He is complex, depicts issues that often go overlooked when men speak up, and not to mention his romance just makes me feel warm and fuzzy whenever I go down that path (which is every single playthrough). So buckle in, because I am going to try and convince you to give Gale’s story a proper try, even if it does mean romancing a complete nerd.
Sole mates
(Image credit: Larian)
Happy anniversary(Image credit: Larian Studios)As Baldur’s Gate 3 hits its first anniversary, here’s why we’ve poured a cumulative 3,550 hours into Larian’s world-beating RPG
Happy anniversary
(Image credit: Larian Studios)As Baldur’s Gate 3 hits its first anniversary, here’s why we’ve poured a cumulative 3,550 hours into Larian’s world-beating RPG
(Image credit: Larian Studios)
As Baldur’s Gate 3 hits its first anniversary, here’s why we’ve poured a cumulative 3,550 hours into Larian’s world-beating RPG
A lot of people see Mr. Dekarios as a clingy young man, with a penchant for eating your magical boots. But it’s notentirelyhis fault. When the game first launched, a bug sadly put a lot of people off exploring the Wizard of Waterdeeps storyline, myself included. Larian admitted that thecharacter approval ratings being so low were a bugand Gale should never have wanted to be yours simply because you breathed within a 60ft radius of him. It was a scar that would take a while to heal in the fandom, and a lot of people to this day still see Gale as the easiest companion to romance because of this. It put so many people off, and a lot of my friends have told me they haven’t romanced or even wanted Gale in their party because of this overbearing introduction.
It’s a shame really, as Gale’s backstory is just as turbulent and detailed as the other companions (perhaps except Wyll, who was woefully underdeveloped in my opinion - but that’s a matter for another day). His story has so many layers, and complexities that people are just not willing to give the time of day. He is the only companion I see where people don’t really talk about the deeper issues. Everyone just seems to take him at face value of a wizard with delusions of grandeur.
He’s just a boy
(Image credit: Larian Studios)
One thing people seem to overlook is that Gale is in fact a survivor of an abusive, turbulent relationship, where power dynamics were never going to be on his side. I mean, this man literally dated a god. You’re never going to be on an equal footing with a god.
All of the gods in this universe are selfish and cruel, but Mystra took advantage of a young human male, stringing him along with promises and showing him powerful magic only to tell him he wasn’t good enough to have it. Mystra took him as a Chosen, initiated a romantic relationship with him and twisted his views on not only romance, but himself. Gale even admits that magic is his life, so it’s obvious why Mystra could so easily become his entire world.
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In Act 3’s romance scene Gale truly believes he has to be a god to be “the best version of himself”. If you tell him you like him as he is, just a regular mortal man, he doesn’t believe you, asking: “You would really prefer me as I am?” It’s heartbreaking. It’s so obvious Mystra left a mark which made him believe he was never good enough and would never achieve greatness.
Come as you are
(Image credit: Larian)
There’s a lot more to delve into with Gale, and I could talk endlessly about my favorite wizard. I haven’t even mentioned the fact he became a hermit, which obviously affected the way he interacts with your Tav at the start of the game, or that he was ready to end his life to appease his ex-girlfriend.
Gale’s trauma really hit home with me, and the fact there was representation of something I have personally experienced in my own life in a video game was a moment I’ll never forget. When I realized what Gale’s story was about, it hit me like a sack of bricks. Astarion hit home with many sexual abuse survivors, Shadowheart shone a light on religious trauma, and Gale offers representation for those who have felt suicidal and unwanted, people with agoraphobia, loneliness, and grooming victims.
Gale made me realize we are not the traumas we have faced, but how we come out of it at the other end. We can be content with justbeing. We don’t need to prove ourselves a god –just being here, alive, is enough. “I used to believe Mystra’s forgiveness was worth dying for,” says Gale, as he sits in a boat floating in the Outer Planes, with Elwyn, my Cleric of Ilmater sitting opposite him. “But I was wrong. You showed me just how much I have to live for.”
Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch 7 doesn’t change one bard’s grisly fate, but I’m glad she’s dead
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
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3
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4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
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5
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