2023’s Game of the Year continues to receive high praise both in awards nominations and wins as well as gamers themselves, Larian Studios‘ Baldur’s Gate 3 so full of stories and characters that have made a clear and lasting impression on gamers, the popularity of the game seemingly unwavering. With the 20th BAFTA Games Awards ceremony approaching, they have shared a list of the 20 most iconic video game characters based on a poll that was engaged with by over 4,000 people internationally.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Included in the list are unsurprising characters that have decades of history and influence in games from Mario, Sonic, and Pac-Man to Agent 47 and the #1 spot-taker Lara Croft. Proving once again what a powerhouse of a game Baldur’s Gate 3 is, two characters from the less than a year old game made it to the list – Shadowheart in the #10 spot and Astarion in the #17 spot. The pair are the youngest characters on the list in terms of the game release date.
The list on BAFTA’s website notes that “Shadowheart charmed her way into the hearts of players worldwide” and “Astarion’s rogueish charms have made him a fan favourite.”
Neil Newbon’s performance as Astarion has been consistently celebrated by nominations and wins in awards as well, with the actor also nominated at the BAFTA Games Awards in the Performer in a Leading Role category. This nomination is one of Baldur’s Gate 3‘s whopping 10 total at the BAFTA Games Awards, with additional nominations including Best Game, Artistic Achievement, Music, Narrative, and more.
Sharing the Love
Back in December, Larian Studios shared some statistics from the game’s full release launch in August that confirmed what anyone who had interacted with the game already knew: Shadowheart and Astarion are incredibly popular characters. At the time, Astarion was a close second place (to Gale) as the most popular origin character for players to opt to experience the game as, with Shadowheart’s romance arc reigning as the most popular option with 51.3% of players reaching the final act.
The love of many isn’t the only thing Astarion and Shadowheart share, as the two characters have been heavily discussed within the game’s fandom for months now specifically for their individual character arcs. While each of the origin characters in Baldur’s Gate 3 have emotionally complex stories, all with their own journeys that have players making multiple trips through the game to experience each angle, Astarion and Shadowheart are two that come up consistently in online communities for their arcs and the growth they undertake in the game’s events.
Whether it’s an “I can fix them” attitude driving the love toward the characters or a profound connection to them due to all their stories represent in overcoming trauma and becoming more than our circumstances wanted us to be, Shadowheart and Astarion have made an impression on the video game community in their short time as part of it.
Are Astarion and Shadowheart the characters you were expecting to see on the list from Baldur’s Gate 3? Let me know if you think there’s someone more iconic on X at @amazingspidrhan or in the comments here!
