Baldur’s Gate 3 Completely Wasted One Companion’s Potential

Summary Halsin lacks character development and meaningful interactions, especially compared to other Baldur's Gate 3 companions.

Jaheira overshadows Halsin as a druid with better development and importance in the story.

Halsin becomes insignificant after Act 2, offering little value or depth to the party's dynamics.

Baldur's Gate 3 is known for its incredible supporting cast, so much so that many of the members of this cast have been nominated and won awards. The stands out are, of course, the companions, from the eccentric Astarion to the lovable Karlach, who have been universally praised. These party members were a big step up from Larian Studios' last title, Divinity: Original Sin 2, thanks to more interactions and cinematic cutscenes, but that does not mean that all companions have been well executed.

[Warning: Spoilers for Baldur's Gate 3.]

There is somewhat of an imbalance concerning the companions of BG3. Some are left to the wayside, and no one feels this more than Halsin. He has plenty of potential to be just as memorable as everyone else, yet the stand-out feature of him seems to be his willingness to enter into a polyamorous relationship and his romance scene utilizing his bear form in a hilarious, yet disturbing way. There seems to be very little to him even though he's one of only 10 Baldur's Gate 3 companions.

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Halsin Has A Lot Of Wasted Potential

Even In Act 1

It is odd that the Archdruid of the Emerald Grove spends most of his personal quest as a camp follower, rather than as a companion. He is first introduced as a fifth-level NPC, and when he joins, not all players will have a Tav at a similar level, but they won't be far off. There is no reason why he couldn't become a proper party member after leaving for either the Mountain Pass or Underdark in Act 1, since he spends all that time waiting to get to the Cursed Shadowlands doing practically nothing.

Most players would be around Halsin's level or higher when leaving the starting area. He does mention that he knows about the Underdark, believing it to be the better path to take, but doesn't do much in that area. Perhaps, as a companion, he could have unique interactions with the Sussur Tree and Myconid Colony, since he is a druid and could compare his own experience with that of the mushroom people of the Underdark.

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Generally, it feels like in Act 1, Halsin has a lot he could add to the party's chances of success. He seems to be a font of knowledge for the path ahead, yet shares very little of that knowledge, especially when it seems useful for the Underdark. There is somewhat of a difficulty spike here too, and having an extra companion is always useful, especially since he doesn't, by default, share a class with any of the Origin Characters (except for the Dark Urge, depending on what a player chooses for them).

Players don't have to choose between the Mountain Pass and the Underdark. Both can be completed in a single playthrough, and it is advised in order to get as much XP as possible.

Jaheira Is The Better Druid Than Halsin Anyway

The Climax Of Halsin's Arc Fizzles Out In Act 2

Close

When Jaheira is introduced at the start of Act 2, she seems like everything Halsin could be (besides romanceable). She has more personality, has engaging interactions and proves to be far more important than her Emerald Grove counterpart, since Halsin can do absolutely nothing in the fight against Minthara should she be goaded into assaulting the Grove. It doesn't help that both are druids and by the time Halsin becomes playable, most players aren't far from unlocking Jaheira either.

Halsin's personal questline revolves around a boy named Thaniel, trapped in the Shadowfell, but it is one step from being completed by the time players can use the Archdruid. When it's done, the quest doesn't change or finish a defined arc for Halsin, as is the case with Shadowheart, Wyll or Astarion. It sort of just ends, awkwardly, with him stating that Kethric needs to die to free the land of its curse. The general needs to die irrespective of whether the Archdruid is there, so his quest ends up feeling like it has little impact.

There are a few options Larian could have taken with the Archdruid. For one, Baldur's Gate 3 could have played into having two druids, with Halsin feeling inadequate next to the legendary High Harper. Rescuing Thaniel could have meant more to him personally, like having him feel as though he needs to rescue him in order to prove that he is worthy of being in the party, especially since he had to be saved by Tav and their crew during their first interaction. This would give him an arc to follow, rather than doing something for the sake of it.

To prevent party members from having the same class, their default classes can change if they talk to Withers, even if it's plot relevant. For instance, Wyll can change his class from warlock to anything, but Mizora will have a giggle at the Blade of Frontier's expense.

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By The End, Halsin Has Nothing To Do

Unless He Has A Romance With Tav

Beyond Act 2, there isn't a strong reason for Halsin to continue journeying with the party other than him having nothing else better to do. Weirdly enough, in Act 3, he finds himself nothing more than an accessory to the party. He has no personal quest, nor does he have any remarkable interactions other than awkwardly admitting feelings for Tav to start a romance. Even Minsc, who is the last companion to join the party, has more interactions with other NPCs than Halsin, despite also having no personal quest outside his recruitment.

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It seems that Halsin was given little love compared to the other companions in Baldur's Gate 3.

Even if Larian chose not to give Halsin quests in Act 3 for a specific reason, he could have had more fun interactions, playing into the "fish out of water" trope. It could have been entertaining to play into the Archdruid's lack of experience in cities, like having him be confused by the customs of nobles in various scenes. If a quest was available to him, Arabella, with her new druidic powers, could have been the center of it, with Halsin pushing the player to find her after she leaves the camp.

It seems that Halsin was given little love compared to the other companions in Baldur's Gate 3, and many odd decisions were made throughout the early acts which stifled him later on. There was always going to be one companion below par in the roster, and perhaps the Archdruid simply suffers from probability. There is some hope that Larian could address this in future through updates, but it won't do this through DLCs or a sequel, so the amendments would be minor.