One of the greatest villains from Baldur’s Gate 3 was supposed to be ancient – at least that was what the story writers thought. But then he turned out to be much younger.
Baldur’s Gate 3 features some of the best villains in RPG history. Characters like Orin, Ketheric, and Gortash have remained memorable to many fans – some even found them so compelling that they would have liked to get a bit closer to the enemies in an evil playthrough. In particular, the villain Gortash fits perfectly in the eyes of some fans with the “Dark Urge.” Together they would have made a dark but fitting pair.
The fact that this option was overlooked displeases one of the story writers.
What was said? In an interview with Eurogamer, Baudelaire Welch spoke. Welch was the “Companion and Romance Lead” for Baldur’s Gate 3 and wished that they had foreseen how well Gortash would be received by fans, and that many desired a romance option with him. Especially in connection with the Dark Urge, there are many fan stories and theories. Welch said the following:
I wholeheartedly believe in the “Dark Urge x Gortash” ship, but I never saw that coming. I think we always imagined Gortash as an 80-year-old man during the development [of the game]. But then we saw his model and thought, “Oh!” Then we heard that the voice actor Jason Isaacs was cast for him and contributed the purring-dark performance, and suddenly Gortash was a 40-year-old emo beauty.
In hindsight, Welch wished that they had realized earlier what “tension” could have existed between Gortash and the Dark Urge:
I wish so, so much that I had seen that coming and could have incorporated some additional hints or reactions into the whole thing.
The creators at Larian likely never thought Gortash would be so popular. After all, Gortash and Orin are really only present in the third act of the game and therefore have comparatively little screen time. Depending on the choices of the hero team, there is a bit more to see from Orin or Gortash – but a romance simply isn’t possible. Not even for the Dark Urge, who can’t have a truly “evil” companion at all.
What the community thinks: If you took a look at the Baldur’s Gate subreddit or various forums in the past year since the release, it’s clear that Gortash has become a true favorite among fans. The “emo goth” appears again and again in various fan fictions, and many generally wished that there was a romance option with the villain.
However, although Larian has fulfilled many of the community’s wishes in retrospect, the Gortash romance will likely remain a wish that only mods can fulfill. Even for the upcoming Patch 7, they have already turned down a love interest for Gortash. Some things are just not meant to be.
