Developers behind Baldur’s Gate 3 note that players can reach a remarkable number of endings. The team explored the game from many angles, aiming to show how to achieve both good and bad outcomes, including a secret scenario where Gale steps in to rescue the main character.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Guides
How many endings are there in Baldur’s Gate 3
In the climactic choice, players decide whether to ally with the illithids and assist their takeover or to oppose them and free the universe from subjugation. That binary choice expands into a spectrum of outcomes, with good and bad poles that branch into numerous sub endings. Broadly, there are two overarching paths that fans refer to as good and evil, and these can diverge in many ways based on relationships with factions, quest companions, and allies, resulting in hundreds of distinct outcomes.
How to get all the good endings
To pursue favorable endings, players must disrupt the Netherian Brain and dismantle the illithid ranks, including their larvae. This approach creates opportunities for unique character development scenes and different narrative payoffs depending on the choices made along the way.
How to get a good ‘Big Hero’ ending
Approach the Netherian Brain with a mindset that favors neutral or friendly solutions. Climb to the upper levels of the structure, defeat adversaries, and trigger the self-destruction of the Brain to unleash a chain reaction that ends the illithid threat. This path rewards players with a sequence of events that highlight decisive leadership and moral steadiness.
How to get a good ending “Emperor Liberator”
If the player prefers not to shoulder the full burden of fate, the emperor can be brought into the final battle. The allied illithids then bring about the Brain’s self-destruction, and the emperor earns the title “Liberator of the peoples enslaved by the Mind Flayer.” This route emphasizes strategic diplomacy and restraint in the heat of battle.
How to Get the Good Ending “The Emperor and the Hero’s Sacrifice”
Before the final confrontation, bring the emperor into the group and maintain good rapport. If the allied illithids present a tempting offer, accept a larval transformation while preserving consciousness, enabling greater control within the Netherian Brain. With power shared alongside the emperor, the illithid empire is toppled and the world is freed. A post-credits moment shows Laezel stepping away from the team, signaling a bittersweet victory.
How to Get the Good Ending “Orpheus and the Hero’s Sacrifice”
Orpheus is central to this ending, found within the Netherian Brain. After aligning with the Emperor, refuse a special larva and release Orpheus. Although the allied illithids may resist, the choice is made with minimal friction. At the final moment, Orpheus offers himself, and a new dialogue allows the player to support Orpheus as ruler. Victory then follows, and Laezel acknowledges the sacrifice as a true hero.
How to Get the Good Ending “Sacrifice of Orpheus”
Rescue Orpheus and allow him to become a leader among the illithids. He subsequently turns against the invasion, albeit requesting an end to his life later. The world is saved, yet the hero fades from history, becoming a quiet footnote to Baldur’s Gate’s legend.
How to get all the bad endings
To unlock darker conclusions, a betrayal of allies and submission to the Netherian Brain is necessary. Depending on the choices, the main character may retain or transform into an illithid, with fate diverging accordingly.
How to get the bad ending “Becoming an Absolute”
Travel the path of villainy by accepting the Netherian Brain’s terms, betraying companions, and leading the illithid invasion. Enslaved peoples may appear to offer no thanks, yet power and conquest are the rewards in this尺度 narrative arc.
How to get the bad ending “Emperor Absolute”
In this route, the emperor is brought along, but the relationship becomes secondary. The final choice aligns with the Netherian Brain, yet a companion assumes the heavier responsibilities, preserving the appearance while imposing control over remaining populations.
How to get the “Absolutely Single” bad ending
The detachment includes the emperor, and the Netherian Brain’s terms are accepted. After the dialogue, a trusted ally is eliminated, leaving the player to decide the fate of the final worlds alone.
How to get the bad ending “Oath of Bhaal”
The story introduces the god Baal. To end this arc badly, followers embrace Baal and spread his teachings. Alternatively, starting a new game yields a Dark Temptation character tied to this deity. The ultimate outcome is conquest in Baal’s name, with the final battle merging with the emperor’s team and accepting the Netherian Brain’s terms, then slaying the allied illithids to claim absolute power under Baal’s gaze.
How to get the bad ending “Good In The Name Of Bhaal”
Becoming a follower of the old god can lead to a paradoxical ending. In the final clash, the emperor is taken to the team, and the Netherian Brain is rejected. An allied illithid assists in freeing humans enslaved by the Mind Flayer, but the price is paid in the hero’s humanity. Baal seizes control, and the world is saved at the cost of the hero’s freedom.
How to get the bad ending “Adoption of the illithid”
Venturing off the beaten path unfolds a striking finale. Save Orpheus, transform him into an illithid, and then confront him with the full team. The Netherian Brain’s will is satisfied, and the main character becomes part of a larger plan to conquer worlds.
How to get the secret ending of the Gale and the bomb
If a strong bond with Gale exists, completes his questline, and accompanies him to the final phase, a distinct ending emerges. Approaching the brain’s core, Gale reveals he can self-destruct the Netherian Brain using a chest orb. Accept the offer and observe the dramatic event from the harbor. If the Wizard of Waterdeep quest was completed before Act 2, Gale can trigger the Brain’s explosion on the first encounter, ending the game with a hint that the victory may be just the beginning of Baldur’s Gate’s challenges ahead for others to face.
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