The Guardian in Baldur’s Gate 3 is an interesting NPC. It’s the first character you are tasked with creating after you have customized your own character.
The Guardian appears in the first act of the game as a mental projection created by Mind Flayer’s parasite. Owing to the mysterious and close bond with this character, you, like many BG3 players might be wondering if a romantic relationship with the Guardian is possible.
To put it simply, yes, Guardian romance in Baldur’s Gate 3 is a viable option and you can indeed form a romantic partnership with them. However, it takes a significant toll which can adversely impact your gameplay experience.
Guardian Romance in Baldur’s Gate 3: The cost
The Guardian is inherently against the game’s initial objective. As you know, the main objective of your party, when formed, is to remove the parasite that the Mind Flayer has placed inside your head. As you progress, however, the Guardian strongly advises you to leave the parasite be. The Guardian is pretty ominous in its approach and right from the get-go, you will have to decide whether you want to trust or form a partnership with this dark character.
In order to romance the Guardian in Baldur’s Gate 3, you will need to keep the parasite in your character’s head. The weightage you give to Guardian romance in Baldur’s Gate 3 will dramatically shift the dynamics of your relationships with other members of your party and will have a major impact on your character’s abilities, decisions, and relationships with other NPCs in the game.
And it goes without saying, if you remove the parasite, the romance path with the Garden will cease existing in your playthrough.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Guardian Romance: The benefits
On the other hand, choosing to keep the parasite intact in your head may not be completely bad. Keeping the parasite with you can grant you access to an exclusive skill tree that cannot be unlocked once you remove it. This skill tree offers you Illithid powers and can be furthered by finding and consuming more of these parasites spread across the game’s map.
The skill tree unlocked by Guardian romance in Baldur’s Gate 3 offers five branches. These branches spread into 25 unique abilities inspired by Mind Fayer’s powers. They contain skills such as manipulation, psionics, health regeneration, and abilities to torment and damage enemies using dark powers, among others.
Keeping the parasite alive can offer you a chance to romance the Guardian, and unlock new skills and interesting dialogue options. You must keep in mind that there’s a huge price to this parasitic relationship. And according to many players, your companions and NPCs, such as Astarion and Shadowheart, make for much better romantic partners in-game.
