Some Baldur’s Gate 3 fans argue that Astarion’s story would have been a little more compelling if he hadn’t been a High Elf.
Baldur’s Gate 3 has plenty of companions for fans to embark on their journey with. However, High Elf Astarion might just be the most popular of the lot.
With his attractive rogue personality and captivating story, many players often make a place for the Vampire on their main team.
However, some fans have argued that Astarion’s personal story might have been a bit more compelling if he had been of a different race, due to some specific factors.
Baldur’s Gate 3 fans argue Astarion shouldn’t have been a High Elf
On Reddit, player Burning_Haiphong started a discussion after a fan shared their opinion on Astarion’s story.
In the post titled “Thought: It was a strange idea to make Astarion a High Elf”, the OP argued that Astarion’s enslavement to Cazador was disappointing. The reason? The innate longevity of the High Elves.
“Astarion was 39 years old when he was transformed into a Thrall Vampire and, to paraphrase the man himself, ‘learning the downsides of immortality’…YET Astarion could have expected to live hundreds and hundreds of years before reaching ‘mature age’. “It’s strange that he considers 200 years to be an eternity, even though without being bitten he would probably look the same right now (minus the fangs and red eyes).”
Thought: It was an odd idea to make Astarion a High Elf byu/Burning_Haiphong inBaldursGate3
Players elaborated further on their thoughts in the comments. Indeed, many thought that making him Human or Half-Elf would have made his character more coherent.
Some fans agreed with the Baldur’s Gate 3 player. As one fan said: “I also think it’s a strange choice, but for a different reason. Astarion doesn’t fucking look like an Elf. He absolutely looks human. I literally forgot he was an Elf dozens of times during the game.”
However, many disagreed. They argued that, despite having a much longer lifespan as a High Elf, enslavement to Cazador for 200 years would still be considered hellish.
“Torture probably played a role in this feeling of eternity,” argued one player. Another said: “This poor man has been tortured for like… 85% of his life. It would be an eternity for me.”
Some may indeed see Astarion’s enslavement for 200 years as a tiny overall lifespan. However, the horrors he endured during all that time probably made it seem like a lot longer.
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