The 10 Best Karlach Quotes In Baldur's Gate 3, Ranked (2024)

All of the Baldur’s Gate 3 companions have interesting backstories and great quotes, and Karlach is no exception. In fact, for a late addition to the game, Karlach is very well-developed. She has a very distinct personality and always brings a fun energy to any scene she’s in. She’s also surprisingly upbeat for someone who is doomed to either die or return to D&D’s version of hell, making her hard not to love.

Karlach’s best quotes in Baldur’s Gate 3 show off her personality, her relationship with the player and the rest of the party, or are meaningful for her larger story arc. These lines range from lighthearted and funny to emotionally devastating, but they never fail to leave a lasting impression on the player. It’s this type of dialogue that has made Baldur’s Gate 3 such a standout RPG.

10 "Soldier."

Karlach Says This When Selected

“Soldier” is Karlach’s nickname for the player character. Since players won’t hear the characters saying their Tavs’ actual names, Karlach’s repeated use of “soldier” is the closest thing to a personal identifier the player gets in the game. This helps players feel a bit closer to Karlach than some of the other companions since she has a specific thing she calls the player, instead of just avoiding using their name like someone at a party who never bothered to learn it.

Karlach starts interactions with the player’s character by saying “soldier,” and also says it sometimes when selected by the player to be controlled. It may not be the most emotionally moving line, but its repeated use throughout the game helps hammer home that closeness with the character. This makes it more effective when Karlach uses the nickname in emotional cutscenes because the player has already come to identify with it, so it feels like Karlach is speaking directly to the player.

9 "F**k yes"

Karlach Says This When Joining The Party From Camp & In Various Scenes

Like the rest of the Baldur’s Gate 3 crew, Karlach isn’t thrilled about having a parasite in her head. However, she is pumped to be out of Avernus, and brings that enthusiasm with her into a lot of her interactions. That means when players do things like agree to help her find soul coins or even just let her join them from camp, she hits them with an excited “f**k yes.”

Karlach’s enthusiasm pairs nicely with her relative power to other companions early in the game. When mostly fighting enemies that do physical damage, Karlach’s damage resistance during a rage makes her feel invincible and very fun to play with. Having her character be just as enthusiastic about taking down enemies as the player is while controlling her is a good way to ensure the narrative of the game meshes with the actual gameplay. Besides, it’s just nice to have such a positive companion when the party’s situation is so dire.

8 "Aw, Was That Gale's Grandad?"

Karlach Says This In Act 2 After Elminster Visits Gale

Elminster is one of the most famous wizards both in the world of Dungeons & Dragons and among its fans. When Elminster arrives at the party’s camp in Baldur’s Gate 3 to talk to Gale, any long-time D&D fans likely felt the gravity of the situation, as such a powerful wizard wouldn’t show up for something trivial. However, players who were new to the world of the game, may have had a similar reaction to Karlach when Elminster leaves.

Karlach asking if Elminster was Gale’s grandfather is funny on multiple levels. It’s entertaining for experienced players who understand the juxtaposition between who Elminster really is and Karlach’s line. It’s also fun for newer players who were probably similarly confused about who this old guy in their camp was, making Karlach’s line more relatable. It’s also just a nice bit of levity for the player after just learning that Gale may need to sacrifice himself to fulfill his mission.

7 "Astarion, You Leech, You Can't Die Like This!"

Karlach Says This When Astarion Is Downed In Combat

One of the best parts of Baldur’s Gate 3’s storytelling is that players really feel like they are a part of a larger adventuring party, not just a sole person with interchangeable companions. One of the best ways the game creates this feeling is through dialogue between the companions while traveling or in cutscenes. This is especially entertaining with characters who are so different from one another, like Karlach and Astarion.

While traveling with these two characters, players will be treated to many lines contrasting Karlach’s upbeat attitude with Astarion’s natural pessimism. The two are also foils in other regards, with Astarion being more prim and proper while Karlach is more rough and tumble. However, despite their differences, it’s clear Karlach cares what happens to Astarion.

When Astarion is downed in combat, Karlach’s reaction is a perfect encapsulation of their friendship. Sure, she’ll make fun of Astarion and call him a leech, but she clearly cares about him. This line is funny, heart-warming, and speaks to the relationship that develops between non-player party members.

6 "Don't. Poke. The Karlach."

Karlach Says This When The Player Repeatedly Selects Her Character

The developers of Baldur’s Gate 3 were extremely thorough when it came to designing every aspect of the game. That means even little things like clicking on a specific character’s icon one too many times will trigger unique dialogue from that character. Each companion has several of these lines, and they can even change whether the character is sneaking or walking normally.

This particular line comes from Karlach when she is selection spammed and is one of the better lines in the game. It’s a bit of a fourth wall break, since the player’s cursor looks like a little finger most of the time. It’s also a nice play on “don’t poke the bear” since players know Karlach is far more dangerous than any bear they might encounter. Samantha Béart’s excellent line delivery also helps this joke land, as she perfectly captures Karlach’s annoyance and the implicit threat behind the words. It’s worth noting that Béart’s performance across the board enhances all of Karlach’s dialogue.

5 "I Want To Ride You 'Til You See Stars."

Karlach Says This At Camp In Act 1 If The Player Has Romanced Her

At the start of Baldur’s Gate 3, Karlach is in a pretty unenviable position. The infernal engine that has replaced her heart causes her body to burn so hot that she can’t physically touch anyone without burning them. As the player character can remark on in dialogue, this likely leaves Karlach pretty “pent-up,” and she is quick to confirm that’s the case. If players choose to romance Karlach, she gets pretty explicit about just how pent-up she really is.

If the player romances Karlach enough, they will eventually get a unique scene between their character and Karlach that takes place at the party’s camp. Karlach expresses her desire to physically touch the player in a very direct way. This line is very on-brand for Karlach, who is very much a straight-shooter when discussing what she wants. Her straightforward approach to all things, be it battle or romantic relationships, makes her a very endearing character. Lines like this perfectly capture her penchant for directly saying what she means.

4 "There's Courage In Being Terrified, But Still Going Forward."

Karlach Says This In Act 3 When She Knows The Infernal Engine Will Kill Her

It’s no secret throughout Baldur’s Gate 3 that Karlach’s infernal engine is causing her problems. However, things take a turn for the worse in Act 3 when Karlach is definitively told that the engine will kill her if she stays on the Material Plane instead of returning to Avernus. Karlach is determined to see the party’s mission through, and is equally determined not to return to Avernus. This leads to her contemplating her impending death.

When speaking to the player, she shares her new revelations about what it means to have courage. She says that she previously thought it meant being fearless, before giving this new definition she has decided on after learning of her fate. This line isn’t just a strong show of determination from Karlach but a good lesson for anyone who is confronted with scary circ*mstances. It’s a powerful realization and Karlach realizes at this moment that courage is not the absence of fear but the active defiance of it.

3 "Better Let These F***ers Know I’m Back. And This Time, I’m Not Alone."

Karlach Says This In The Game’s Epilogue While In Avernus With Either Wyll Or Tav

Originally, one way or another, Karlach’s story ended at the docks in Baldur’s Gate. However, after some updates were made to the game, Karlach was given an ending that was far more fitting. Forced to return to Avernus or die, Karlach can be accompanied by either Wyll, the player character, or both when she goes back. Her new epilogue shows her and her companion(s) getting ready to face down whatever forces Zariel plans to throw at them.

In the scene, Karlach sparks a fire by snapping her fingers, lighting up two cigars before offering one to the player. When it comes time for them to head into the fray, she delivers her final line, cementing her place as the most fearless in the Baldur’s Gate 3 group. This line is a much more fitting send-off for Karlach, and hints at the exciting new adventures ahead for her and whoever accompanies her to Avernus.

2 "My Gods, If I Smile Any Bigger My Face Is Going To Crack."

Karlach Says This When The Player Tells Her They Love Her

It’s hard to go wrong with a Baldur’s Gate 3 romance, but Karlach is easily one of the sweetest partners available. She can be a little crude at times, but it’s clear she has one of the purest hearts in the team (which is ironic since she doesn’t technically have one). Perhaps one of Karlach’s most endearing traits is her occasional attempts to be smooth, which are frequently undermined by her excitable and open nature.

If the player has romanced Karlach enough, Karlach will try to play things cool by saying “I adore you.” If the player responds saying “I love you,” Karlach will instantly reciprocate with enthusiasm, saying that she has wanted to say it for a long time. The transition from playing coy to excitedly telling the player how she really feels is a great character moment and likely has the player smiling as much as Karlach says she is.

1 "I Want To Live!"

Karlach Says This After Defeating Gortash In Act 3

The emotional climax of Karlach’s story comes in Act 3 when players defeat Gortash, the person who betrayed her and caused her to be sent to Avernus. After finally getting her revenge, Karlach is forced to confront her own mortality without any mission left to keep her going. Understandably upset, Karlach expresses how unfair her circ*mstances are before declaring that she doesn’t want to die.

Up until this point, Karlach seems largely resolved on her fate, but this is the first time she expresses a strong desire not to die. It’s a powerful moment to see Karlach have to deal with the hand she’s been dealt and her realization of what it could mean for her if she can’t be saved. Some players have also expressed that Karlach’s turn from quiet resignation about her fate to a strong declaration of wanting to live resonated with them due to their personal struggles with mental health.

Karlach’s story is far from a happy one, and even her best ending is bittersweet. Still, this moment was hopeful in a way as it showed Karlach was ready to keep fighting instead of simply accepting death. It’s these poweful human moments that make Baldur’s Gate 3 just as satisfying on an emotional level as it is on a mechanical level.

Baldur's Gate 3

Franchise

Baldur's Gate

Platform(s)

PC , Stadia , macOS , PS5 , Xbox Series X

Released

August 3, 2023

Developer(s)

Larian Studios