Baldur’s Gate 3’s Halsin is much more traumatized than many expect

Many Baldur’s Gate 3 players know the traumatic backstory of Astarion, but some fans think that Halsin actually has the darkest past of all.

Every companion in Baldur’s Gate 3 has a rich backstory that fills in the gaps of their past and lets players get a better glimpse into their personalities.

Among the available companions, many sympathize most with Astarion. The high elf Rogue turned vampire was a slave to a ruthless lord named Cazador for nearly 200 years.

While this backstory is undoubtedly tragic, some fans have recently claimed that the Druid Halsin has even more baggage in his long and storied past.

A Reddit post from user ‘Bashfulapplesnapple’ on the Baldur’s Gate 3 subreddit sparked the discussion after they discovered Halsin was abused as a consort for the Drow for nearly three years.

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In a fairly remote conversation with Halsin, he will detail how, when he was a “foolhardy young druid,” he traveled to the Underdark and the matron of a noble drow house took interest in him. As a result, he was “chained in their bedchamber for nigh on three years” until he escaped during a bloody coup.

Additionally, there’s Halsin’s relationship with Thaniel who players can meet in Act 2. Due to the shadow curse, Halsin essentially lost the land he protected, his mentor, and his childhood friend Thaniel.

Many fans in the comments pointed out smaller details that evoked sympathy during the adventure.

“There’s even minor things, like you can hear from one of his banter with Minsc…,” explained one player. “They’re discussing how people often dismiss their feelings or are aggressive, rude, seeking fights etc, just because they’re big and strong.”

While many in the comments disliked “comparing” traumas between characters, some agreed the the entire group has much to unpack.

“The whole group needs some serious therapy. I love how the mindflayers just happened to pick up some of the most traumatized people in Faerun.”