There was actually one more companion planned for Baldur’s Gate 3. A halfling bard with her own original story

Larian Studios spent years working on their magnum opus, and let’s be real, a lot can change in that time. In Baldur’s Gate 3, Astarion was originally supposed to look completely different (thankfully, that didn’t stick!), and even some villains were in the running to become companions. And sure, they reworked a bunch of great ideas along the way, but at least most of them made it in some form. That wasn’t the case for poor Helia, a potential party member who got completely scrapped.

Roll for tragedy – Helia was cut from BG3

Right before Baldur’s Gate 3 launched on PC, Larian Studios teased us with the promise of another Origin character. They even said we’d get to learn more about them in a special showcase. But in the end, Karlach turned out to be the final playable character and that mysterious new companion never showed up.

Source: Larian Studios

But if you’re willing to dig around in the game’s files, the truth is still there, and someone did exactly that. What they found was evidence of a halfling bard named Helia.

Helia wasn’t just your average skald, she had a unique trait: lycanthropy. Yes, she was supposed to be our adorable little werewolf friend. Larian never officially confirmed her, so all we really have are the breadcrumbs left in the code, but that’s enough to get the clear picture.

The halfling werewolf we almost had

Helia has around 770 recorded lines, including some where she criticizes the goddess Selune, which makes sense, considering her furry condition. Even Karlach and Astarion have dialogues that reference her, so she got pretty far along in development.

Helia was likely going to be found in the Goblin Camp, stuck in her wolf form and used as entertainment for the goblin kids, much like how we met Halsin. Her official appearance remains a mystery, as her portrait reuses the face of another NPC. Interestingly, the same placeholder approach was also used for Karlach during development.

And that’s the story of Helia. No wonder there’s no shorty companion in BG3, which feels very off for a DnD game. One was planned all along; she just ended up getting cut before the finish line.

Baldur's Gate 3

August 3, 2023

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• D&D / Dungeons & Dragons (franchise)
• Larian Studios
• Baldur's Gate (franchise)