You keep wondering which role the Guardian takes in Baldur's Gate 3? We have all the answers for you here!
Curious which role the guardian takes in Baldur's Gate 3 and why you had to create one in the first place? Then you came to the perfect place. We will answer your question and tell you where you might find them in the game.
Hey, just a heads-up! This article contains a few tiny spoilers. So, if you don't wanna ruin the surprise, you can stop reading now and check out another guide we've got for you!
So, let the minor spoiler begin!
Baldur's Gate 3: Who Is The Guardian?
Once you've chosen your character, the game informs you that you need a Guardian, which can be selected from different races and subraces and customized to your liking. However, the Guardian remains a non-playable character.
As you use your Illithid powers and rest at your camp two or three times, the Guardian appears before you in a dream. They claim to have protected you during the Nautiloid crash. You can choose to believe this story or consider it a trick of the mind due to your frequent use of the Illithid powers.
Through a dream-like sequence, the Guardian reveals that if you gain control over the parasite in your head, you can avoid turning into a Mind Flayer and gain strength to save everyone in Faerun. They also reveal that they were infected once by the parasite and are constantly attacked for stealing magic from an unknown enemy.
When you wake up, you notice your Companions also had the same dream, suggesting the Guardian speaks the truth.
From then on, the Guardian occasionally appears in the dream-like place and shares more about themselves throughout the story in Baldur's Gate 3.
It remains uncertain whether the Guardian can be trusted or not. To learn more about them and their sincerity, we need to progress further in the story.
Baldur's Gate 3: How To Find The Guardian
As previously mentioned, you need to trigger your parasite (Illithid) powers to encounter the Guardian within your dreams. But you might be wondering where and when to trigger these powers, right?
The best place to do it is at the Goblin Camp, west of the Emerald Grove. Your powers can control most of the Goblins there, making it an easy task.
After using your powers, take a "Long Rest" at your camp, and there's a chance you'll trigger a cutscene with the Guardian. Once this happens, you won't need to use your parasite powers to meet them anymore. They will occasionally appear in your dreams as you continue with your storyline.
Everything below here includes massive spoilers!
Baldur's Gate 3: The True Identity Of The Guardian
As you progress the storyline and venture deeper into Act 2, you'll eventually enter the Shadow-Curse Lands and learn about Ketheric Thorm and his agenda. Since he's the cause of the mess you're in, you want to confront him directly and finally defeat the Absolute.
Once you've won against him and the god of the dead, Myrkul, you need to take a Long Rest at your camp. It might not happen directly, as there are multiple characters who want to speak with you, but you will eventually trigger a new scene with the Guardian. He wants your assistance in the Astral Plane, while also revealing that he's a Mind Flayer all along, known as "The Emperor", who used to be a regular adventurer in the past.
That's quite shocking, isn't it? But there's no time to think about it all because an important decision is right ahead, waiting for you. You need to decide if you want to help the Emperor or attack him.
Helping The Emperor
If you decide to help him, you get an Astral-Touched Tadpole, making you a half-Illithid hybrid but also increasing your Illithid powers. Besides this benefit, you need to fight against the Githyanki, as they turn hostile towards you. (In my playthrough it doesn't matter, they hate me anyway).
But there is also another interesting little "benefit" you might encounter while siding with him. In fact, the Emperor is one of the romanceable characters in the game! So if you want to explore this kinda relationship, you definitely need to side with him.
Attack The Emperor
Hold on! Before you even think about attempting this route, make a different save file, trust me!
Now as we're in the clear, and you attack the Emperor, you need to face off against him, the Intellect Devourer and the Githyanki at the same time. This also means you picked one of the possible Endings for your character. That's it, it's the end of the game!
If you managed to defeat all of those enemies, you'll see a cutscene where a new Mind Flayer is born by bursting out of your body, and that's that.
The best and safest option is to help him instead.
Baldur's Gate 3: Romance The Emperor
In order to romance The Emperor, you need to choose your answers during the scenes with the Guardian carefully. Be as friendly as possible and always pick positive dialogue options.
If the Emperor reveals himself, you need to help him and embrace your Illithid Powers. Consume everything every little tadpole you can find and evolve even further. But take into consideration that some of your companions won't like the idea of embracing the little thing in your head, like Lae'zel or Halsin. Choose wisely if it's worth the prize!
After you sided with him at the end of Act 2, you'll have the option to witness a steamy cutscene in Act 3. In order to trigger the romantic scene, you need to answer accordingly:
- Either, “You led an exciting life. Why did you conceal it from me?” or “You really don’t sound like a mind flayer.”;
- Yet again, either, “And what did you learn?” or “You make it sound like I was some sort of experiment.”;
- If you truly wish to romance the Emperor, choose "True";
- Now you're able to "Take its tentacle in your hand, invite it in";
- After remembering the Mind Flayer's mouth is underneath its tentacle, choose "Kiss the tentacle and hope that it’s an erogenous appendage";
- If the option arises, kiss him again and close your eyes, or snicker until you fall off your chair.
Now everything is set into motion, and you witness a romantic night with a Mind Flayer. Never in my wildest dreams, I would have thought this could be possible!
Even though it shouldn't have any effect on your companions, the tadpole will indeed share this scandalous night with everyone, and they will know what happened in this not-so-lonely night.