Baldur’s Gate 3 has six Origin companions who can join in Act 1 — Shadowheart, Astarion, Gale, Lae’zel, Wyll and Karlach — plus four later permanent companions: Halsin, Minthara, Jaheira and Minsc. You only field four characters at once, but there is almost no reason to leave recruitable story content behind: recruit broadly, keep everyone at camp, then rotate companions into the active party when their personal quest or location matters.
Quick answer: BG3 has 10 permanent companions
The important current-version correction is Minthara. A heroic run no longer needs the old “temporarily hostile” exploit. If you side with the Grove, knock Minthara out instead of killing her; since Patch 7, all knockout methods create a Moonrise recruitment opportunity. She still becomes a permanent companion only after her Act 2 trial and rescue.
Lae’zel is one of several Act 1 companions with an early recruitment scene that can be walked past if you rush the main road.
All 10 permanent companions at a glance
Swipe horizontally to view all columns.
| Companion | Default class | Earliest permanent route | Main miss risk |
|---|---|---|---|
Shadowheart | Cleric | Ravaged Beach after the Nautiloid | Hard to miss permanently because the artefact is plot-critical, but recruiting early is cleaner. |
Astarion | Rogue | Trail west of the crashed Nautiloid | Easy to walk past if you never explore west of the crash. |
Gale | Wizard | Unstable Ancient Sigil Circle near Roadside Cliffs | Ignoring the portal delays/misses his normal Act 1 recruitment. |
Lae’zel | Fighter | Tiefling cage south of Emerald Grove | Can move to the githyanki patrol route if missed; repeated delays complicate recruitment. |
Wyll | Warlock | Emerald Grove | Siding with goblins/raiding the Grove makes him leave. |
Karlach | Barbarian | Risen Road river south of Toll House | Raiding the Grove makes her leave; Dammon survival matters for her quest. |
Halsin | Druid | Full companion during Lift the Shadow Curse in Act 2 | Do not attack the Grove; finish lifting the curse before leaving Act 2. |
Minthara | Paladin | Moonrise Towers after Act 1 survival | Kill her in Act 1 and the route is gone; heroic route requires knockout, not death. |
Jaheira | Druid | Near the end of Act 2 after first Ketheric rooftop fight | She must remain alive/non-hostile; her survival enables standard Minsc route. |
Minsc | Ranger | Act 3 Abandoned Cistern via The High Harper | Jaheira must be recruited; Minsc must be knocked out, not killed. |
Act 1: recruit the six Origins before the map sprawls
Shadowheart is normally the first permanent companion after the Nautiloid. If you free her in the pod, she appears on the Ravaged Beach; if missed, she has additional encounter points because the artefact she carries is central to the plot. Astarion waits west of the crash. Gale is pulled from the unstable Ancient Sigil Circle northeast/east of the crash. Lae’zel is in a tiefling cage south of the Grove, with backup progression toward the githyanki patrol if that encounter is missed.
Wyll appears in the Emerald Grove and joins after his introductory conflict. Karlach is farther north on the Risen Road, near the river south of the Toll House. Wyll and Karlach are designed to collide narratively: let the conversation play out instead of assuming one of them must die. On a heroic route, keeping the Grove and tieflings alive preserves both companions and keeps Dammon available for Karlach.
Karlach can join on the Risen Road; Wyll’s quest initially points at her, but the encounter does not require killing one companion to keep the other.
Wyll is met in the Emerald Grove and is permanently incompatible with a goblin raid on the Grove.
Minthara: the old “evil-only companion” advice is obsolete
Minthara still cannot become a permanent party member in Act
1. The question is simply whether she survives Act 1 in a valid state. If you raid the Grove with her, she naturally reaches Moonrise Towers. If you defend the Grove / kill the goblin leaders, knock Minthara out instead of killing her. Since Patch 7, all knockout methods produce a later recruitment opportunity.
In Act 2, Minthara appears at Moonrise facing Ketheric’s judgment. Follow Decide Minthara’s Fate, prevent her execution/torture outcome, and escort her out to camp. Do not confuse “she appears in Act 1” with “she is a companion in Act 1.”
Minthara’s permanent recruitment happens through her Act 2 Moonrise fate, even when she survived Act 1 through a non-lethal heroic route.
At Moonrise, dialogue and rescue choices determine whether the surviving Minthara can be taken out of the prison and invited to camp.
Freeing Halsin from the Worg Pens and resolving the Grove conflict makes him a camp follower, not immediately a full adventuring companion. In Act 2 he becomes central to Lift the Shadow Curse. Progress that quest until he joins as a full companion, and finish the curse-lifting route before taking the Road to Baldur’s Gate. If you leave Act 2 without fully lifting the curse, Halsin stays behind in the Shadow-Cursed Lands.
Jaheira first meets the party at Last Light Inn. Keep her alive and non-hostile through Act
2. During the assault on Moonrise she can fight as an attached follower, and after Ketheric retreats from the rooftop she can become a permanent companion. If Last Light falls, Jaheira can still survive in some outcomes, but the cleanest recruitment line is to keep her allied and alive throughout the assault.
Minsc first appears in Act 3 around the Counting House storyline and is found again in the Lower City Sewers / Abandoned Cistern as part of Jaheira’s The High Harper quest. Jaheira must have joined the party. During the final fight, defeat the Absolutists but knock Minsc out. If he dies, he cannot be revived, and Jaheira leaves permanently.
Jaheira: survival is the recruitment requirement / Halsin: rescuing him is only the first half / Minsc: the finishing blow must be non-lethal
Turn on Non-Lethal Attacks before the finishing blow.
Use a melee weapon/unarmed final hit. The non-lethal toggle does not make ranged attacks or damage spells non-lethal.
Check damage riders, surfaces and allies: an extra damage source can kill a 1 HP target after the “safe” hit.
The Abandoned Cistern encounter is the Minsc recruitment fight: the objective is not merely to win, but to leave Minsc alive.
Companion | Full romance? | Notes
Shadowheart / Astarion / Gale / Lae’zel / Wyll / Karlach | Yes | All six Origin companions have multi-act relationship arcs.
Halsin | Yes | Main romance begins in Act 3 after the Shadow Curse is resolved.
Minthara | Yes | Formal romance can begin after recruitment / approval in Act 2; her relationship is highly exclusive.
Jaheira | No | Recruitable full companion, not a romance option.
Minsc | No | Recruitable full companion, not a romance option.
Who can be romanced?
Safest recruitment order
1. Recruit Shadowheart, Astarion, Gale and Lae’zel around the crash/Grove approach.
2. Recruit Wyll in the Grove, then follow his quest toward Karlach and recruit her.
3. Resolve Goblin Camp while keeping Halsin alive and Minthara alive if you want both later.
4. In Act 2, finish Halsin’s Shadow Curse progression and rescue Minthara at Moonrise.
5. Keep Jaheira alive through the Act 2 climax and recruit her after the first Ketheric rooftop phase.
6. In Act 3, follow Jaheira’s High Harper route and knock Minsc out in the Abandoned Cistern.
Common failure points
Using a 2023 guide that says Minthara requires destroying the Grove.
Killing Minthara instead of knocking her out on a Grove-saving run.
Leaving Act 2 before fully lifting the Shadow Curse, causing Halsin to stay behind.
Letting Jaheira die in Moonrise and then expecting the normal Minsc route to work.
Using a spell, arrow or lingering damage effect for Minsc’s final hit.; Refusing to recruit someone because their default class overlaps with Tav — Withers can fix class overlap without losing companion content.
FAQ
How many permanent companions are there? Ten: six Origins plus Halsin, Minthara, Jaheira and Minsc.
Can I recruit Halsin and Minthara together? On the current heroic route, yes: keep the Grove, rescue Halsin, knock Minthara out, then recruit each through their Act 2 route.
Can I recruit Minthara without raiding the Grove? Yes. Knock her out rather than killing her, then rescue her at Moonrise.
Can Minsc be revived if I kill him? No. The recruitment fight must end with Minsc knocked out.
Can Jaheira or Minsc be romanced? No.