Baldur's Gate 3's Dark Urge design is „honestly perfect,” according to this Reddit user

Today, in a lengthy Reddit post, fans are gushing over the only character in Baldur’s Gate 3 that you can play as, but not have as a companion: The Dark Urge, or Durge for short. To be clear, you can completely customize The Dark Urge to have any appearance at all, but there is one canon version, which is the white dragonborn. If you’re not familiar with this character, The Dark Urge is a character racked with evil thoughts, which the player must decide to give in to or resist. It adds a variety of different experiences compared to a normal Tav-focused playthrough, but it’s only recommended after you’ve played through the game at least once or twice. A Reddit user by the name Right_Entertainer324 went off on Durge’s canon character design, and the Baldur’s Gate 3 subreddit was here for it.

The Dark Urge white dragonborn design is “honestly perfect,” according to this Reddit user

To be fair, the Reddit post reads: “Okay, so I tend to read into things.” However, upon reading this post, the user made several excellent points about Durge’s white dragonborn design. The character is iconic, even if you haven’t played as them yet. The user explains: “He’s a white dragonborn. White is often associated with themes of peace and purity. Meanwhile, the accent colours of his scales… are red. Red [is] often associated with blood and anger.” They argue that Durge’s optional redemption arc, or “Resist Durge,” as the community calls it, is the canon storyline for this character. The white scales represent Durge’s true self, proud and pure, while the red scales, the incessant thoughts, continue to creep in.

The default Dark Urge White Dragonborn with red scale accents.Baldur's Gate 3, Developer: Larian Studios

This user also analyzed the character creator choices for Durge. “He uses Male Head 1… with a narrow, slender snout and sharp eyes. His crest is jagged, with his horns spiraling in different directions, but all leading up. His chosen jaw is prickly and jagged, as is his chosen chin.” Durge is physically imposing, as if the dangerous thoughts are literally sticking out of him, threatening to hurt anyone who gets too close.

The user concludes, writing, “…everything with Canon Durge, down to the last, tiny detail, is such a good way of portraying his character. Whoever made the default white dragonborn look needs a raise, cause the subtle storytelling in his design is incredible.” The comments section mostly agreed but couldn’t help but continually point out one thing.

An frightening pose.Baldur's Gate 3, Developer: Larian Studios

As someone who has played a lot of tabletop Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, which Baldur’s Gate 3 is based on, the thought came to my mind as well. In canon D&D lore, dragons are divided into two “factions.” Metallic dragons, Brass, Bronze, Copper, Gold, Silver, typically lean towards the side of good, while Chromatic dragons, Red, Blue, Green, White, Black, are typically evil. But there could be a particularly meaningful choice with Durge being a white dragonborn, as the top comment explains: “White Dragons are the most feral of all the dragons… they don’t like to plan with one exception: grudges, they love revenge.”

While I think that the top comment, from user -Agonarch, explains it well, a few other comments aren’t as friendly. One user wrote, “I’m sorry, I know you wrote this with the best intentions, but you’ve got a few things wrong out of lack of knowledge about the lore.” Which feels like possibly the most stereotypical Reddit comment I’ve ever read.

As if to say, "what have I done?"Baldur's Gate 3, Developer: Larian Studios

This user has a point about White Dragons in general, but according to the same lore, this does not extend to Dragonborn, as the 5th Edition rulebook states: “Dragonborn tend to extremes, making a conscious choice for one side or the other in the cosmic war between good and evil… Most dragonborn are good, but those who side with [evil] can be terrible villains.” There is no inherent connection between a dragonborn’s draconic ancestry and their leaning between good and evil. Even the 5th Edition Monster Manual gives White Dragons the option to be less feral, showing that even dragons, much like character design, can have nuance.

I would not be surprised to learn that this white dragon lore played a factor in Durge’s design, but that doesn’t take away from the original poster’s points either. The white scales with red accents, which practically resemble a splattering of blood, lend themselves well to this character design, too, regardless of any lore. It can be both. As the top comment says in their first line, “I think Durge has some D&D/Faerun white dragon traits too.” Emphasis on the “too.”

Totally not intimidating.Baldur's Gate 3, Developer: Larian Studios

Personally, I can’t stop making dragonborn characters in Baldur’s Gate 3, especially after learning about the simple option that lets you unlock so many more choices for scale colors. Reading this post has made me look forward to trying out a Dark Urge run sometime.

Baldur's Gate 3

August 3, 2023

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