Summary
Shadowheart is one of the most popularBaldur’s Gate 3characters, in no small part due to her memorable quotes.Shadowheart is a dynamic character, equally skilled at hurling insults, making clever jokes, and warming the player’s heart with genuine sincerity. Voice actorJennifer English also deserves a lot of credit for bringing Shadowheart to lifeand injecting such a distinct personality into all her lines.
Another reason Shadowheart is such a compelling companion is thather story can take two very different paths. Whether the player choosesto help her reject Sharor not plays a big role in how Shadowheart behaves in the later game, and both routes bring with them some very memorable moments and lines of dialogue. In lighter moments, Shadowheart also delivers some of the game’s funniest lines.
Larian Mix-Up Accidentally Gives Away Copies Of Baldur’s Gate 3
Some Baldur’s Gate 3 players have been sent a full digital version of the game by mistake.
10"Must we? No Harm In A Little Mystery, Don’t You Think?"
Shadowheart Says This In Act 1 When The Player Asks About Her
When players first talk with Shadowheart after escaping the Nautiloid, they are presented with a dialogue option “[w]e should get to know each other a little more.” Shadowheart’s reply in this moment is a perfect encapsulation of where her character starts and is also a good bit of game design. It immediately tells the player that Shadowheart has something to hide, and makes them interested to learn more.
This line is also a good guide for any players wanting to befriend or romance Shadowheart. Immediately, Shadowheart is making it clear thatshe doesn’t like people poking around for information about her. If the player takes that cue, respects her privacy, and waits for her to open up, they’ll have a much easier time winning her over. While the importance of this line could be easily missed on a first playthrough, players will realize on subsequent playthroughs that it perfectly signposts Shadowheart’s personality.
Jennifer English On How Baldur’s Gate 3’s Shadowheart Was “Her Dream Job”
Jennifer English discusses playing Shadowheart in Baldur’s Gate 3, her love for the role, and how she found the truth behind her character.
9"Gods I Hate Clowns. I’m Not Even Sure Clowns Like Clowns."
Shadowheart Says This In Act 3 At The Circus Of The Last Days
Shadowheart may be secretive, but she is never shy about expressing her dislike of something. This can be seen pretty clearly through her treatment of Lae’zel early on, or by her fear of wolves, which is revealed at the Emerald Grove. One of the most entertaining times Shadowheart expresses her distaste for something is in the game’s third act, just before players enter the city of Baldur’s Gate.
Outside the city gates, the player can visit the Circus of the Last Days, a small festival complete with games, fortune tellers, and, yes, clowns. If Shadowheart is with the player at the time,she will remark on how much she hates clownswith this funny line. Seeing as an estimated 10% of adults are afraid of clowns, this line likely resonated with quite a few players. Even if players don’t personally dislike clowns, Shadowheart’s sardonic dismissal of them is still very entertaining.
8"You’ll Need To Do A Lot More Leg-work Before I Commit To Any Hip-work."
Shadowheart Says This When Rejecting The Player’s Romantic Advances
While someBaldur’s Gate 3companions, like Lae’zel and Gale, seem ready to jump Tav’s bones as quickly as possible,romancing Shadowheart requires the player to put in a bit more effort. Shadowheart makes this very clear in this line, which she says if the player tries to romance her before winning her favor. Not only is the line an amusing turn of phrase, but it’s also perfectly suited for Shadowheart’s character.
Shadowheart knows what she wants and how she likes to be treated, and she isn’t afraid to just bluntly tell the player that they aren’t living up to her standards. However, the phrase “hip work” obviously brings with it some clear imagery, which Shadowheart likely knows will inspire the player to try harder to impress her. It shows that Shadowheart is open to changing her mind about things but that she needs to be given a good reason to do so. This is very much echoed in the rest of her story.
7"You Can’t Just Stick Your Hand In Every Strange Hole You Come Across"
Shadowheart Says This In Act 2 At Moonrise Towers
Sprinkled throughoutBaldur’s Gate 3, there are various holes and crevices that the player can stumble upon with a successful perception check. They will be offered the chance to reach inside, often accompanied by a skill check, to see if they can snag the goodies tucked away there. While this is classic video game mechanics,in the world ofBaldur’s Gate, it is undeniably strange behavior,which Shadowheart is not afraid to point out.
When the player reaches Moonrise Towers in the game’s second act, they find a wall in one of the rooms with strange tentacles growing on it. If they reach in, with Shadowheart in the party, she will chastise the player with this line. At this point, Shadowheart may have already seen the player rummaging around in four or five unexplored openings with reckless abandon. The moment makes the player laugh as they step away from the gameplay side of things and examine their behavior from Shadowheart’s perspective.
10 Huge Baldur’s Gate 3 Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Entire Campaign
There are so many decisions for the party to make throughout Baldur’s Gate 3, but some can have unintended and dire consequences later.
6"And I’d Chase You As Fast As My Tentacles Could Carry Me!"
Shadowheart Says This When Discussing Becoming A Mind Flayer
Each of the companions inBaldur’s Gate 3has a unique perspective on the Mind Flayer parasites that they all carry. If the player takes the time to chat with them all, they can learn a bit more about their companions’ outlooks on the situation. While Shadowheart is not happy about the possibility of becoming a Illithid,she still manages to have a sense of humor about the dark fatehanging over the party.
When chatting with the player, Shadowheart asks them what they would do if she turned into a Mind Flayer. If the player says they would run away from her, she replies with the above line. Her delivery on the line is so playful it almost makes the situation sound cute rather than horrifying. After many serious conversations about removing the parasites and the terrible consequences of failure, it is a breath of fresh air to have Shadowheart inject some levity into the situation.
5"I Like Her. She Looks Like She Could Throw Me Over Her Shoulder And Carry Me To Safety."
Shadowheart Says This When Recruiting Karlach In Act 1
The way companions interact with the player character inBaldur’s Gate 3is only part of what makes them such great characters. A lot of life is injected into them through how they interact with, and speak about, one another. Like all party members,Shadowheart will give her opinion on the othersand comment on what’s happening around camp when the player speaks to her. One of the most entertaining instances of this is when the party first meets Karlach.
After the player recruits Karlach, Shadowheart will say this line if she is in the party at the time. Not only is this a characteristically blunt assessment of Karlach’s abilities, butthere are also some romantic undertones in the way Shadowheart says it. In many RPGs, romanceable companions’ love lives are often directed only at the player. It’s nice to seeBaldur’s Gate 3treating its characters more like fully realized people with their own desires, instead of simply props for the player to interact with.
4"They Bloom Where Few Ever See Them, And In That Moment, They’re Perfect. Then, They Return To The Darkness That Birthed Them."
Shadowheart Says This In The Game’s Ending Under Specific Conditions
One of the earliest bits of personal information the player can learn about Shadowheart is that she likes Night Orchids, a specific type of flower. Later in the game, players will have a chance to find a Night Orchid and give it to Shadowheart as a gift. While the flower is undeniably beautiful, it doesn’t compare with the description Shadowheart gives for why she likes them so much.
If the player does not have Shadowheart give up her Shar worship but does still romance her, they will get a sad ending to their story with her. Shadowheart will explain that she can’t stay with the player and has to return to her duties. Before she goes,she explains why she likes Night Orchids so muchwith this line.
Though the moment is heart-breaking, especially with the knowledge that the player could have helped Shadowheart realize there is a better life for her outside of Shar’s control, this line is still one of the best in the game.Shadowheart’s description here is the perfect summaryof how she became her best self during the game’s journey, only to have to return to the darkness she previously came from. It’s a testament toBaldur’s Gate 3’s writers that even one of the game’s bad endings has such great dialogue.
Shadowheart Says This In Act 3 After Defeating Viconia
Once players reach Baldur’s Gate, they can finally help Shadowheart confront the Shar worshippers who deceived her and attempt to free her parents. This means coming into conflict with Viconia Devir, Shadowheart’s Mother Superior, and a potential companion in theprevious twoBaldur’s Gategames. Once the party defeats Viconia, Shadowheart is left with the choice of what to do with her.
Instead of deciding, Shadowheart will leave things up to the player. She makes it clear that she no longer wants to waste any more emotional energy on Viconia after all she has put her through. This is a powerful moment for Shadowheart, as it shows she has finally stopped ignoring her own wants and well-being in seek of approval from Viconia and Shar. Shadowheart deciding she doesn’t even care what happens to Viconia is a far more decisive victory for her than simply killing the Mother Superior would have been.
2"You Can’t Cast A Shadow Without Some Light"
Shadowheart Says This In Act 3 After The Loss Of Her Family
When the party finally confronts Shar, they discover that she is unwilling to let Shadowheart’s family go unless Shadowheart continues to worship her. At the behest of her parents, Shadowheart refuses Shar. Though she is free, this also means Shadowheart has lost her family right after thinking she was going to get them back. During the conversation,Shadowheart also learns her true name was Jenevelle.
Following these events, Shadowheart can be found mourning at a shrine to Selûne. After a conversation, the player can ask her what she’d like to be called now, Shadowheart or Jenevelle.She decides to stick with Shadowheart, using this line as her reasoning for why the name still suits her. She also says she is unwilling to forget who she is anymore.
While Shadowheart does get a happier ending later on in the story once she has rejected Shar, this moment is the true conclusion to her arc. She has decided who she is going to be, free of Shar’s influence. She also reclaims the name given to her, changing the meaning it has to suit her new identity.
1"I’m Also God’s Favourite Princess, And The Most Interesting Girl In The World"
Shadowheart Says This When Speaking To A Githyanki Player
When speaking to Shadowheart, a player can accuse her of liking the sound of her own voice. When confronted with this, Shadowheart doesn’t deny it, saying anything sounds good when she says it. If the player is playing as a Githyanki, they will be given a special dialogue option demanding Shadowheart proves it by repeating a phrase. The player then whispers in Shadowheart’s ear, and she repeats the above line.
This line was actually added as part of an update to the game as a little treat for fans. After the game’s release, a fan posted images of differentBaldur’s Gate 3characters paired with appropriate Tumblr quotes. Shadowheart was paired with this quote, and fans found it so appropriatethatthey began referring to her as “god’s favorite princess.”
Due to the popularity of Shadowheart’s unofficial nickname, Larian Studios decided to officially put the line in the game. This kind of attention to its fan base by Larian is part of what madeBaldur’s Gate 3such a success. While it’s a shame they won’t be making any moreBaldur’s Gategames, it will be exciting to see what they do in the future.
