Shadowheart isn’t even the most iconic character in Baldur’s Gate 3

A recent poll run by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) listed the most iconic video game characters of all time, and while most of it is what you’d imagine, the placement of Baldur’s Gate 3 characters is a bit strange.

The list of twenty characters, put together to celebrate BAFTA’s annual game awards ceremony on April 11, was based on a poll that received over 4000 submissions, with players voting for who they think should win.

The top ten of the list seems pretty standard for the most part. You’ve got your obligatory Mario, Sonic and Link placements (2nd, 4th and 7th respectively), as well as Master Cheif in 8th covering the bases of the most well-known franchises in the industry.

While it could have gone to several others, the overall winner, Lara Croft, is easy to make a case for. Agent 47 from Hitman in 3rd place is a little strange, especially as his whole personality is… not having one, but we can let that slide.

However, the one that really doesn’t make sense is Shadowheart punching in at tenth place. Sure, she’s definitely a popular character, and recency bias is one hell of a drug, but look at who she’s ranked above. Pikachu, Solid Snake, and Cloud, all instantly recognizable characters from longstanding franchises, have been beaten out by a Shar cleric who dropped in 2023.

Perhaps the most bizarre ranking in this list is the placement of Astarion, also from Baldur’s Gate, at 17th. However you feel about the character, it’s very hard to deny that he’s the face of Baldur’s Gate 3, and more deserving of being the top representative of the game on this list. Even setting aside Neil Newbon’s win for his performance at the 2023 Game Awards, Astarion has become the poster child of the game, and the community feel the same way.

It’s a strange list with some odd placements, but they way it positions the characters from Baldur’s Gate is probably the weirdest part.