Datamining discovers doomed Baldur’s Gate 3 NPC was planned to be companion

Evidence found in the game’s files suggests that a beloved Baldur’s Gate 3 NPC could have been a party member.

The party roster in Baldur’s Gate 3 underwent a few changes in development, with people like Ketheric being planned as a companion despite him being a major villain.

It turns out that one of the most popular NPCs in the game, Alfira, may once have been planned as a playable character. Technically, Alfira does join in a Dark Urge run, but only so the player character can brutally murder her in the camp, preventing her from going on any adventures.

The evidence was uncovered in a post on the Baldur’s Gate 3 Reddit that shows Alfira has approval ratings for certain conversations, which are usually reserved for party members. This was found via a mod that reveals all approval rating results in dialogue.

Alfira as a party member makes a lot of sense, as Baldur’s Gate 3 lacks any Bard party members. She also has a lot more backstory than other NPCs in the game, along with an interesting character design, making her a perfect fit as a companion.

Unfortunately, it seems that any plans to make Alfira playable were squashed early on. Much like the other cut Baldur’s Gate 3 concepts fans have discovered, it seems that Alfira’s role was diminished to make room for other things.

Hopefully, the day will come when modders manage to turn Alfira into a full companion, one who can fight alongside Tav like the rest of the group, or who can survive her terrible fate at the hands of the Dark Urge, taking on a whole new role in that storyline.