Warning!!! The following article contains spoilers for Baldur’s Gate 3 Baldur’s Gate 3 is full of quotable lines of dialogue from most characters that Tav encounters, and sometimes from Tav themselves. Some are funny, but there’s also no shortage of dialogue lines that are hard hitting in a tragic way. Overall, even the smallest lines of dialogue help flesh out the characters, offering glimpses into their thoughts about their current journey and their past.
One of the most beloved and well known characters in the game, Astarion, likes to present himself as cool and composed regardless of the surrounding circumstances. Once we get to know him a little better
Astarion is a character who presents himself as cool and composed, but he’s not as aloof as he would have others believe. Of course, Neil Newbon’s masterful delivery helps make Astarion a vibrant character who’s full of emotions. Amidst a wealth of memorable quotes from Astarion, some rise above others to be the best.
Wyll Gave Up His Father To Have Freedom? An Understandable Decision
Act 2 Wyll’s Companion Quest
Nobody values freedom more than Astarion. It’s a core element in his companion quest, which revolves around how he’s spent two centuries in servitude to a sadistic master, and he’s now free because of the Mind Flayer Tadpole. This line is one of the few times that Astarion shows sympathy towards Wyll and his lose-lose situation.
Astarion shows the most sympathy out of the group
When Wyll makes the decision to break his pact with Mizora at the cost of his father, the other companions have mixed reactions to his decision. Most of them make a comment that they hope he doesn’t regret his choice, but Karlach, Sharran Shadowheart, and Minthara are somewhat supportive in their own ways. However, Astarion shows the most sympathy out of the group, even if it comes off a bit cold, because he knows what it feels like to be robbed of his freedom.
Oh Good, Puns. Because Clowns Aren’t Enough Of A Horror Already
Act 3 Circus Of The Last Days
Dribbles the Clown in BG3 draws a decent audience at the Circus of the Last Days, and most of the party is less than enthusiastic about seeing a clown. Depending on which companions are in the group, the line that’s said during Dribbles’ performance changes. Among them all, Astarion captures the general sentiment of the group better than anybody else.
Part of what makes this quote great and memorable is how unexpected it is, but also the sarcasm that’s clearly dripping in Astarion’s voice when he says it. However, this line can be seen as foreshadowing to an extent as well. As it turns out, Dribbles isn’t a normal clown, and the man on stage isn’t Dribbles at all. Instead, he’s a follower of the Absolute, who’s taken Dribbles’ place to attack Tav and their party.
Why, She Sounds Positively Demented. I Love It! Let’s Tell Her Everything
Act 1 When The Party First Meets Auntie Ethel
Astarion sounds gleeful as he describes Auntie Ethel, the sweet-acting but deranged evil hag. Upon meeting her at the threshold of the Sunlit Wetlands, the swampy area just outside the Blighted Village in Act 1, she seems like a helpless old woman in need of assistance. Of course, she certainly has something off about her.
Her offer to help Tav with a potion comes with several emphatic statements of how she has seen everything, which is what prompts Astarion’s comment.
This Is A Gift, You Know. I Won’t Forget It
Act 1 Tav Lets Astarion Feed On Them
In Act 1, Tav gets a rude awakening one night to find Astarion about to sink his teeth into their neck. This reveals his identity as a vampire spawn, and he rushes to explain that he’s not trying to kill Tav. The problem is that he hasn’t been able to feed on more than a wild animal here and there, and now that lack of blood is starting to affect his ability to fight. As such, he decided that Tav would be the least likely to kill him among his potential options at camp.
Astarion tried to hide his real identity for as long as possible, fully aware that he’d be seen as a monster in the best scenario and killed in the worst scenario. He took a risk, and Tav has the option to trust him as a person rather than as a vampire spawn. If they make that choice, then Astarion opens up a bit and shows his grateful side, which isn’t really seen before this point since he was busy trying to hide his nature and worrying about his safety.
You Saved Me From Myself. This Is A Gift, You Know. Thank You. I Won’t Forget It
Act 3 Stop Cazador’s Ritual
This line echoes the line from Act 1 where Astarion thanks Tav for trusting him enough to let him feed on their blood when he was weak. Then, if Tav stops Cazador’s Ritual in Act 3, preventing Astarion from ascending, he says this line to them later, after he’s had time to calm down and think about the situation. He’s able to acknowledge that what he wanted wasn’t the best future for himself, and he’s grateful that Tav once again saved him.
Astarion spends most of Act 2 obsessed with learning about Cazador’s Ritual, and finding ways that he can take the power for himself. As a result, it’s not surprising that he’s upset if Tav stops him from ascending. However, he later displays his character growth when he revisits this line from Act 1, showing that he truly hasn’t forgotten Tav’s first gift to him and that he’s grateful once more.
Why Do Beautiful People Taste Better? It Hardly Seems Fair On The Ugly — They Have Such Wonderful Personalities
Astarion Selection Banter
The characters of Baldur’s Gate 3 have a variety of lines that they say at different moments while exploring or when they’re selected to be controlled instead of Tav. It’s easy to miss this banter, but Astarion has a lot of funny quips when he’s selected and put in charge of the group. His lines, when selected, could also be seen as being directed at the unseen hand controlling Tav and the group, which makes this one possibly insulting.
This line is also interesting for Astarion to speak for one particular reason: he’s never tasted people before he joins the group. He hasn’t had enough time to discern that appearance affects the taste of somebody’s blood. The only way he’d have this knowledge would be if it was something Cazador mentioned and maybe influenced the type of victim he wanted his spawn to bring him.
Oh, I Tried Them All. None Of Them Answered
Act 3 Banter With Gale
Astarion has felt a lot of hopelessness and despair over the years
As the party gets closer to Baldur’s Gate, Gale mentions that there’s a shrine to Mystra in the Stormshore Tabernacle, and he’ll need to go there to speak with her. Astarion mentions that he won’t pay his respects to any gods while there, and Gale asks if he’s ever felt the call of the divine. This leads to the heartbreaking line where Astarion admits that he’s tried praying to every god, but they all ignored his plight.
By this point, it’s well-known that Astarion has suffered a lot because of Cazador over the last two centuries. Although he tries to keep his composure, there are times when he slips and reveals how deeply these years scarred him. It’s possible to assume that Astarion has felt a lot of hopelessness and despair over the years, but hearing him make nonchalant comments like this shows that he’s given up on himself over the centuries, perhaps not believing that he’s worth helping.
But You’re My Leaking Blood-Bag
Act 3 While Talking To Captain Grisly
While talking to Captain Grisly, she calls Tav a “sad-sack of piss” to which there is a response option to say “I think of myself as a leaking blood bag.” If Astarion is in the party and hears that, he will pipe up on his own with the comment “but you’re my leaking blood bag.” The line really is pretty classic Astarion, highlighting his dark humor.
While this is a favorite for obvious reasons, triggering the dialogue can be a bit tricky, so it’s something that many players miss entirely during their run through Baldur’s Gate 3. Some say that you need to not save Mayrina in Act 1 in order for this to happen, others say that you need to ignore the hag completely in Act 1.
If you really want to guarantee that you can get the line, there is a Nexus mod designed specifically to trigger this event when you come to it in the game.
Are You Alright Now, Or Is Today A “I Will Wed You With A Delicate Veil Of Blood Blooming Over Your White Curls” Kind Of Day?
Act 2 Dark Urge Resists Killing Astarion
Astarion approaches the situation the way he usually handles difficult moments: with sarcasm and a hint of humor
If the Dark Urge is romancing Astarion and refuses to kill Isobel, they have a night where they try to kill their lover. This leads to Astarion tying up the Dark Urge and waiting out their violent nature throughout the night. While it’s not an ideal experience for either party, it shows Astarion’s dedication to the Dark Urge and helping them in any way he can.
In the morning, after the Dark Urge has made it through the night without killing anybody, Astarion approaches the situation the way he usually handles difficult moments: with sarcasm and a hint of humor. He shows his concern by asking if the Dark Urge has overcome the danger, or if there’s still a threat that Astarion is going to be killed by them. It might be a quip at first, but the conversation quickly shifts into Astarion giving up his composed mask and revealing that he’s genuinely concerned about the Dark Urge.
I’ve Been Dead In The Ground For Long Enough. It’s Time To Start Living Again
Act 3 Vampire Spawn Astarion Romance Scene
Astarion’s questline is emotional, to say the least. If Tav is romancing him, then there are even more moments that reveal how difficult life as a vampire spawn has been for him, and how low his sense of self-worth has fallen. Then, once Cazador is dead, if Astarion stays as a spawn, he’ll take Tav to visit his grave, which was where his nightmare of servitude began.
While visiting his grave, Astarion decides that he’s ready to put the past behind him, even if he isn’t able to ascend. He wants to move forward, and he acknowledges that the way he’s been living under Cazador is no different from being buried in the ground. Now, he’s ready to start living, and it’s thanks to Tav and the efforts of the group who helped him face his fears, then conquer them.