Baldur's Gate 3 harbors various emotional moments, but one scene starring Astarion takes the cake for many fans - and it turns out it wasn't scripted at all.
This article contains story spoilers for Baldur's Gate 3's third act.
Astarion is many things in Larian Studios' Dungeons & Dragons RPG. A pale elf, a vampire, a rogue - but he's not all that emotional, at least not initially. The baggage he carries becomes evident over time as players bond with him, all until his bottled pain bubbles over as he kills his abuser and former master - Cazador Szarr. The moment features a stunning performance from actor Neil Newbon - one that wasn't planned.
According to performance director Thomas Mitchells, the scene in which Astarion sobs after finally freeing himself of Cazador "was NOT scripted." A post from the developer reveals that Newbon simply "felt his heart go this way in the moment and that rawness was done in one take." It was a spontaneous whirlwind of emotion that Mitchells knew couldn't quite be recaptured again in the same way, with the same power.
My cue to remind you all that this moment where Ast. cries was NOT scripted.Neil felt his heart go this way in the moment and that rawness was done in one take.I chose not to make him do it again as I wanted to make sure this lightning was captured in the proverbial bottle. https://t.co/8xOYsTVFkJSeptember 17, 2024
"I chose not to make him do it again," the director explains, "as I wanted to make sure this lightning was captured in the proverbial bottle." As a dedicated Baldur's Gate 3 player and Astarion stan myself, I can openly admit that I'm glad Mitchells made this call. Seeing the usually snarky companion break down and show a softer side like that - it's a moment of pure immersion, made possible only by Newbon's striking performance.
Other fans seem to think so, too. Comments on Mitchells' post highlight as much, with one player writing that they "had to put the game down for a few minutes after this scene to just cry it out" as "Neil did so amazingly well here." Another agrees with the lead that Newbon's original take was perfect: "You could never capture a moment like that again. It wouldn’t have been as real the second time."
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