Baldur's Gate 3 has ten permanent companions: six Origin characters available in Act 1 and four later recruits tied to major story decisions. You can meet most of the early group within minutes of leaving the Nautiloid, but several characters have backup locations if you walk past them.
This guide is updated for Patch 8 and focuses on recruitment rather than romance or approval. It contains location and quest spoilers for all three acts, but avoids revealing each companion's ending.
Every permanent companion at a glance
- Shadowheart, Cleric: Ravaged Beach or the Dank Crypt entrance in Act 1.
- Astarion, Rogue: trail west of the crashed Nautiloid in Act 1.
- Gale, Wizard: Ancient Sigil Circle northeast of the crash in Act 1.
- Lae'zel, Fighter: cage south of the Emerald Grove in Act 1.
- Wyll, Warlock: training area inside the Emerald Grove in Act 1.
- Karlach, Barbarian: Risen Road below the Toll House in Act 1.
- Halsin, Druid: joins camp after the Goblin Camp and becomes playable in Act 2.
- Minthara, Paladin: rescued from Moonrise Towers in Act 2.
- Jaheira, Druid: recruited during the Moonrise Towers assault in Act 2.
- Minsc, Ranger: recruited in the Lower City Sewers after the Counting House in Act 3.
Alfira, Us, temporary followers, summons, and Withers' hirelings are not permanent companions. Hirelings can fill class gaps, but they do not have the same personal quests or relationship arcs.
Shadowheart
If you free Shadowheart from her pod aboard the Nautiloid, she lies unconscious near the first waypoint on the Ravaged Beach. Wake her and invite her to join. If you leave her in the pod, she appears near the locked entrance to the Dank Crypt. Later fallback encounters include the Emerald Grove, Goblin Camp, and Mountain Pass.
Shadowheart carries an artifact central to the main story, so the game gives you several chances to meet her. Recruiting her early provides healing, Guidance for ability checks, and a companion whose personal quest runs through all three acts.
Astarion
From the crash site, follow the western trail near the cliffs. Astarion calls for help with an intellect devourer and then confronts the player during the introduction. Defuse the situation and invite him to camp.
As a Rogue, Astarion is immediately useful for locks, traps, stealth, and Sneak Attack. Any character can fill that role, and Withers can respec companions, but his default Dexterity and skill choices make him the easiest early specialist.
Gale
Approach the malfunctioning Ancient Sigil Circle northeast of the crashed Nautiloid. Interact with the unstable waypoint and pull Gale free. Several ability checks can help, but the encounter gives you a practical route to rescue him.
Gale's early personal quest asks for specific magical items. He explains which items qualify before you commit one, and the donation destroys that item permanently. Keep a few low-value eligible pieces rather than feeding him equipment central to an active build.
Lae'zel
Lae'zel joins temporarily during the prologue. After the crash, find her trapped in a hanging cage south of the Emerald Grove. Resolve the confrontation with the two tieflings, then lower or break the cage before leaving the area.
If you miss that scene, Lae'zel can move to the githyanki patrol encounter near the Mountain Pass. The later route is more dangerous, so recruiting her at the cage is safer. Her story is closely tied to the githyanki crèche and remains relevant through the finale.
Wyll
Wyll appears during the first battle outside the Emerald Grove. Once the gates reopen, find him inside the settlement teaching young tieflings to fight. Speak with him and accept his hunt for Karlach.
You do not need to kill Karlach to keep Wyll. Recruit her, hear her account, and resolve their confrontation at camp. If Karlach reaches camp before you speak to Wyll in the grove, he can arrive there on his own and still become a companion.
Karlach
Follow the Risen Road to the river below the Toll House. Karlach waits at the end of a blood trail. Speak with her before treating the nearby paladins' claim as fact, then invite her to the party.
Karlach and Wyll can both leave if you choose to raid the Emerald Grove. Her personal quest also depends on the tiefling smith Dammon surviving and appearing in later acts, so speak with him before major region transitions. Recruiting Karlach early lets you settle Wyll's hunt and begin searching for infernal iron.
Halsin
Halsin is imprisoned in the Worg Pens inside the Shattered Sanctum at the Goblin Camp. Free him and defeat the goblin leaders without attacking the Emerald Grove. He then joins the camp, but he is not immediately selectable as a regular party member.
To make Halsin playable, continue his story in Act 2 and complete Lift the Shadow Curse. That quest involves finding Thaniel and resolving the curse before leaving the Shadow-Cursed Lands. If you move on without completing it, Halsin does not continue as a companion.
Minthara
Minthara begins as one of the Goblin Camp leaders. An evil route can side with her and raid the Emerald Grove. A non-evil route can keep her alive by switching to non-lethal attacks and knocking her out instead of killing her. Finish the other goblin-leader objectives, then continue to Act 2.
Minthara later appears at Moonrise Towers facing judgment. Follow her to the prison, free her from the interrogators, and escort her out. Once she reaches safety and joins camp, she becomes a permanent Paladin companion.
Patch updates made the knockout route an intended way to preserve her. Halsin and Minthara can both exist in the same broader roster, although their histories and camp presentation are less interconnected than the six Origin companions.
Jaheira
Meet Jaheira at Last Light Inn in Act 2 and keep her alive through the Shadow-Cursed Lands. During the assault on Moonrise Towers, ask her to join you as a controllable follower rather than leaving her to the battle's artificial intelligence.
After the first confrontation with Ketheric Thorm at the top of the tower, speak with Jaheira and invite her to the permanent party. She must survive for Minsc's recruitment path in Act 3, so protect her and keep her available even if she is not part of your usual four-character group.
Minsc
Minsc is the last permanent companion. In Act 3, continue Jaheira's The High Harper quest through the Counting House and into the Lower City Sewers. When the party finally fights Minsc, toggle non-lethal attacks and knock him unconscious with a melee finishing blow.
Jaheira must be alive and on your side. After the Emperor protects Minsc from the Absolute, follow him to Boo and complete the conversation. Killing Minsc or losing Jaheira closes the recruitment route.
Can you recruit everyone in one playthrough?
Yes, the current game allows one campaign to recruit all ten permanent companions, including both Halsin and Minthara. The cleanest route is:
- Recruit the six Act 1 Origin companions.
- Defend the Emerald Grove and keep Dammon alive.
- Knock Minthara unconscious with non-lethal melee damage at the Goblin Camp.
- Free Halsin and complete the goblin-leader quest.
- Rescue Minthara from Moonrise Towers in Act 2.
- Complete Lift the Shadow Curse to make Halsin playable.
- Keep Jaheira alive and recruit her during the Moonrise assault.
- Follow Jaheira's Act 3 quest and knock Minsc unconscious in the sewers.
Make a manual save before the Goblin Camp, the Moonrise assault, and the final Minsc fight. Non-lethal attacks apply only to melee finishing damage; spells and ranged attacks can still kill a target after you toggle the passive.
Who should be in the active party?
Only four characters travel together, but there is no universally correct lineup. Bring companions whose skills and story connections suit the current objective. Lae'zel adds context at the crèche, Shadowheart matters throughout the Gauntlet of Shar, Jaheira unlocks substantial Act 3 material, and personal quests often reward having the relevant character present.
For ordinary exploration, cover frontline durability, locks and traps, support, and ranged or area damage. That does not require the companions' default classes. Withers can rebuild any of them for 100 gold without changing their identities or quests.
Talk to people at camp even when they are not in the active group. Long rests queue companion scenes, approval conversations, and quest updates. The Baldur's Gate 3 beginner's guide explains how resting, reactions, and party roles work without prescribing a fixed build.
Companion recruitment checklist by act
Before leaving Act 1, confirm that you have addressed Shadowheart, Astarion, Gale, Lae'zel, Wyll, Karlach, Halsin, and Minthara. Before leaving Act 2, finish Halsin's curse quest, rescue Minthara, and recruit Jaheira. In Act 3, follow Jaheira's quest until Minsc joins.
The Baldur's Gate 3 Guide Hub keeps these recruitment steps beside our other focused guides. PC players changing the presentation rather than the party can also use the existing true third-person camera mod guide.
