Baldur's Gate 3 has 10 companions you can recruit: the six origin companions (Astarion, Gale, Karlach, Lae'zel, Shadowheart and Wyll) plus Halsin, Minthara, Jaheira and Minsc, who join later. Below is where each one is found, what class they start as, how you can lose them for good, and which of them can be romanced, so you can plan a full camp on your first run.
We checked recruitment spots, classes and romance rules against the bg3.wiki Companions, Romance and Multiplayer pages in November 2026.
The Six Origin Companions and Where to Find Them
The origin companions are the characters Larian wrote as full playable heroes. You can pick any of them as your own character at the start, and if you do, that person is not available as a companion in that run. All six can be met in Act One, most of them within the first few hours of leaving the crashed nautiloid.
| Companion | Race and class | Where you recruit them |
|---|---|---|
| Astarion | High Elf Rogue | Trail west of the crashed nautiloid, Ravaged Beach |
| Gale | Human Wizard | Ancient Sigil Circle, east of the nautiloid |
| Shadowheart | High Half-Elf Cleric | Ravaged Beach (if freed from her pod) or later at the Emerald Grove |
| Lae'zel | Githyanki Fighter | Cage south of the Emerald Grove |
| Karlach | Zariel Tiefling Barbarian | Risen Road, south of the Toll House |
| Wyll | Human Warlock | Inside the Emerald Grove, training young tieflings |
A few of these have more than one entry point. Shadowheart can also be found in the Hollow of the Emerald Grove, the Goblin Camp or the Mountain Pass if you missed her earlier. Lae'zel can be recruited during the Find the Githyanki Creche quest or even revived from her corpse in the Shadow-Cursed Lands if things went badly. Wyll will turn up at camp on his own if Karlach joins first.
Your own origin choice removes one name from this list. If you start the game as Astarion or Shadowheart, for example, that character is you, and the camp fills up with the other five instead. The custom character and the Dark Urge leave all six origin companions available, which is why many players make their first run as a custom hero: it is the only way to meet the whole origin cast as companions in a single campaign.
The fastest route for a full early party is the beach: Astarion and Gale are both a short walk from the wreck, and Shadowheart is right there if you freed her pod on the nautiloid. By the time you reach the Emerald Grove you can have a full group of four.
The Four Companions Who Join Later
The second group is easy to miss because each has conditions attached, and two of them sit on opposite sides of the same Act One choice.
- Halsin is a Wood Elf Druid (Circle of the Moon) held prisoner in the Goblin Camp. He joins if you free him and did not attack the Grove, and becomes a full companion during the Lift the Shadow Curse quest in Act Two. Leaving the Shadow-Cursed Lands before resolving that quest loses him.
- Minthara is a Lolth-Sworn Drow Paladin (Oath of Vengeance) and one of the three Goblin Camp leaders. You recruit her by siding with her and raiding the Emerald Grove, or by knocking her out instead of killing her, after which she ends up at Moonrise Towers where you can rescue and recruit her.
- Jaheira is a High Half-Elf Druid (Circle of the Land) found at the Last Light Inn. She becomes available during the assault on Moonrise Towers if she is alive and friendly.
- Minsc is a Human Ranger (Hunter) first met in the Counting House in Act Three. He joins only if Jaheira is alive and he survives the battle in the Lower City Sewers. His hamster, Boo, is not a separate companion.
Halsin and Minthara are the classic either-or. Saving the Grove keeps Halsin and usually costs you Minthara, while raiding it gives you Minthara and turns most of the Act One good-side cast against you. The knock-out route is the way many players fit both into one camp, because it spares Minthara without raiding the Grove.
How Companions Can Be Lost for Good
Spoiler warning: this section names story choices from all three acts.
Almost every companion can leave or die permanently through dialogue choices, so it is worth knowing the big ones before you make them.
- Astarion leaves if you impale him when he reveals he is a vampire spawn, or if you hand him over to Gandrel.
- Gale leaves if you tell him to go after he explains his condition, or if you raid the Emerald Grove without passing an Insight or Deception check.
- Karlach is lost if you raid the Grove or leave her behind in the Wyrm's Rock prison.
- Lae'zel can be lost several ways, including leaving her on the Rosymorn Monastery Trail when you enter the Shadowfell.
- Shadowheart is lost if you enter the Shadowfell without her or side against her when she tries to kill a sleeping Lae'zel.
- Wyll leaves if you choose not to save Mizora or kill Ulder Ravengard at the Iron Throne.
- Jaheira and Minsc can be sacrificed to Sarevok's Murder Tribunal, and both turn hostile if you attack Jaheira's children.
Companions who die from conversation choices or hostility do not get end scenes, which matters if you want to see every closing moment. Our guide to the game's endings explains how those epilogue scenes are decided.
Romance Options in Your Camp
Eight of the ten companions can be romanced: all six origin companions plus Halsin and Minthara. Jaheira and Minsc cannot. There are also romance or one-night scenes with characters who are not companions, including the Emperor, Mizora (only if Wyll is in the party in Act Three), Haarlep, Naoise, and the Orlith twins Nym and Sorn.
You can start romances with up to two origin companions early on, but one of them will eventually force you to choose. Halsin is the exception to exclusivity: he is open to sharing, and Shadowheart, Astarion and Karlach may accept adding him if you ask. Nobody else agrees to a committed polyamorous relationship.
Your choice of origin changes romance dialogue as well. If you play the Dark Urge, several companions react very differently to your history, and some of the hardest moments in that story involve your closest partner. Our Dark Urge origin guide covers that path in detail.
Building a Balanced Party From Your Roster
You can only take three companions into the field with your own character, so the party is always four. The starting classes cover every role: Shadowheart heals, Lae'zel and Karlach tank and deal melee damage, Astarion handles locks, traps and ranged damage, and Gale and Wyll bring area damage and control.
None of this is fixed. Withers will respec any companion for 100 gold, letting you change class, subclass and abilities while keeping the companion's story and personality. From level 3 he also offers hirelings, a pool of 12 recruitable mercenaries (one per class) who have no story but fill a missing role. Our class comparison helps if you want to rebuild someone into a stronger role.
Think about the story as well as the stats. Each companion has a personal quest that runs through all three acts, and many of their biggest scenes play out when that companion is in your active party at the right moment. Rotating the active party between acts, rather than locking in one group from the beach to the final battle, lets you see more of those storylines and keeps camp conversations flowing. A good habit is to bring a companion along whenever you enter a region tied to their past, such as the githyanki areas for Lae'zel or anything involving Shar for Shadowheart.
Approval is the other thing to manage. Each companion tracks how much they like you, high approval unlocks extra scenes and options, and characters at camp can be talked to whether or not they are in the active party. If you rotate a disliked companion out early, check in at camp before long rests so you do not miss their personal quest triggers.
Companions in Co-op and Crossplay
Multiplayer changes how companions work. Up to four players share one party, and every player counts against that limit of four, so a full co-op group leaves no room for companions in the field. Companions at camp can be spoken to freely, but a companion in the party can only be spoken to by the player who controls it, and each companion keeps a separate approval rating for each player.
No two players can pick the same origin, so if your friend plays Astarion, that is Astarion for the whole run. Players who join after the campaign has started can only create custom characters. Our crossplay setup guide covers how to put a mixed-platform group together.
Skipping Straight to a Full Camp
Recruiting everyone and leveling them takes a full campaign. If you want to experiment with party compositions at the top of the level range right away, the Mega Mule modded starter save starts you as a High Elf Paladin with the camp roster pre-built at level 12, including five companions in camp (Barbarian, Cleric, Wizard, Warlock and Rogue) and origin characters with max stats, plus a camp chest of gear, potions and scrolls. It is a save file for a copy of the game you already own, and the store lists it for PS5, PC and Xbox.
You can see every other listing for the game on the store's Baldur's Gate 3 page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many companions are in Baldur's Gate 3?
Ten: Astarion, Gale, Karlach, Lae'zel, Shadowheart, Wyll, Halsin, Minthara, Jaheira and Minsc. Hirelings from Withers are extra party members without stories.
Can you have all companions in one playthrough?
Not easily. Halsin and Minthara sit on opposite sides of the Grove choice, and many companions can be lost through dialogue. Knocking Minthara out instead of killing her is the common way to keep both.
Which companions can you romance in BG3?
Astarion, Gale, Karlach, Lae'zel, Shadowheart, Wyll, Halsin and Minthara. Jaheira and Minsc cannot be romanced.
Where do you find Karlach?
On the Risen Road, south of the Toll House, at the end of a trail of blood in Act One.
When does Minsc join the party?
In Act Three, if Jaheira is still alive and Minsc survives the fight in the Lower City Sewers after you meet him at the Counting House.
Is the Dark Urge a companion?
No. The Dark Urge is an origin you can play as your own character, but it never joins your camp as a companion.