A very special ending awaits in Baldur’s Gate 3, if you have remained loyal to a villain until the end.
In Baldur’s Gate 3, you can shape the course of the story and thus the ending in many ways. Depending on your choices, you will encounter Raphael and can make a pact with him. He will then give you an important artifact but demands the crown of Karsus in return when you have dealt with the “problem” of Baldur’s Gate 3.
What scene is it about? The scene takes place after the final battle if you made the pact with Raphael and have not broken it beforehand.
Raphael steps forward and thanks you for retrieving the crown of Karsus. With it, he is now able to advance the war in hell and rule over Avernus. After that, he also plans to conquer the other hells.
The other leaders of hell have even contacted Raphael, asking for peace or offering him tributes. Because the crown of Karsus is apparently so powerful that hardly anyone can stop Raphael now.
Once Raphael has united all the hells under him, he will look for further worlds to conquer – including yours.
You can watch the scene here:
What makes the scene so special? The scene with Raphael after the end of the game is nearly unique in this form. Unlike in the rest of the game, Raphael does not look at your character – but at you. He virtually looks directly “into the camera” and thus at the person behind the screen. It’s as if he wants to say: Actually, I made a deal with you, the person behind the screen.
By doing so, he almost breaks the “fourth wall” and steps out of the game.
A similar scene exists with Karlach, but that is quite rare – and you cannot find it at all during your first playthrough.
Why do so few see the ending? To see this special end sequence with Raphael, you have to make a whole series of decisions in the game. For one, you have to make a contract with Raphael – that alone may not please most. Then, you also have to completely forgo the “House of Hope” – which is basically an “endgame dungeon” where you find a lot of story, powerful weapons, and hell contracts to break the pact again.
Only if your pact with Raphael is still intact at the end of the game can you enjoy this scene. Special endings are, in general, a hallmark of Baldur’s Gate 3, as the next patch brings many more new endings.
