Minthara

The drow paladin of the Absolute, act-one villain and act-two companion.

Minthara Baenre is a character in the 2023 Baldur's Gate 3, voiced by Emma Gregory. A drow Paladin in service of the game's antagonist, she is a central villain of the first act, and depending on the player's actions can be recruited as a companion in the second act and romanced.

She also appears on cards for Magic: the Gathering.

Quick Facts

Series: Baldur's Gate
First game: Baldur's Gate 3 (2023)
Voice: Emma Gregory
Class: Paladin
Home: Menzoberranzan
Race: Drow
Designer: Mohamed Abdelfatah (face); Wiktoria Kubien (hair)

Facts from the source article.

Background

Lead writer Adam Smith wrote her as a drow, a matriarchal race of elves with grey skin, white hair and red eyes, and as a sidekick meant to shed a different light on one of the game's major villains; unlike other companions she is not an origin option. Under the Absolute's control she behaves chaotically, as its blunt weapon; once freed, her arc shows a pragmatic approach to evil, someone who picks her targets carefully, without a redemption arc.

After release Larian found that an oversight had disabled a large amount of her dialogue, which director Swen Vincke felt hurt how players saw her, and fixed it quickly. Players also discovered that knocking her out with non-lethal damage completed her quest as if she were dead, letting them recruit her without losing other companions; a simplified version became an official option in a later patch.

Reception was mostly positive, especially for the portrayal of drow culture and a strong female character who needs no redemption, though some outlets questioned whether recruiting her was worth the game's penalties.

What players say: Player verdict on Baldur's Gate 3 — Rotten Tweets