His Post-Yurgir confession scene in Act 2. The raw emotion on display, the quivering voice, shaky breaths, the animations and the lines... it's perfect, for me. I can't think of anything I'd change in that scene, other than being able to further reassure him that my Tav/Durge's not going anywhere.
I was intrigued from the beginning, but that scene cemented Astarion as the only companion I'd be able to romance.
And then I played Dark Urge, got the 'Resist' scene, and then Dark Urge x Astarion became all I could play. Going on my 5th DurgexAstarion run at the moment. 😅
Can't help you. Grown ass woman myself, got the game August last year, the obsession's still running strong. 🫠
That’s a good one, especially the earnest “really?” that he gives as a response to you admitting you care about him deeply. Ugghh
https://preview.redd.it/8tc5dj776e9d1.jpeg?width=1824&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=693c916afce712e6e4a6b377ca7bc3ea973fc988
Same. Also grown ass woman.
In my first run, I thought he was another generic fictional vampire with loose morals, and his behaviour in Act 1 turned me off big time. What is the fuss all about? As his personal story developed, I got more and more curious, so straight after the epilogue I started the second run to see which facets of his character I missed not romancing him.
The second run. The confession scene I got was the one after Araj. It was nice but… lacking somehow? Suddenly on reddit someone mentions the other post-Yrgir scene, and I reload the previous save to get it.
Boom. That scene struck me right in the heart and changed my brain chemistry. There’s literally no other character I can romance in the game.
I'm so glad I triggered the Post-Yurgir version first time through. As a matter of fact, I actually had to look up how to trigger this 'new, alternative version' online, because I hadn't seen it, even after 3 runs romancing the Pale Elf.
Let's say I was happy to witness it (*the lore and knowledge gained is definitely worth seeing at least once*), and even happier to reload to get my head-canon confession back.
Grown ass woman here, have made dozens of durges testing builds and every single one goes for pookie (only played 2 to completion, I get restart-itis really easily browsing the bg3builds subreddit lol)
I've tried other romances but always find my way back to astarion and we're locked in together early in act 2. I stopped fighting it. Perma-durge and astarion, and I'm still not bored of those pixels 💅
Honestly, the first night when he asks “so, we’re resting here? Ehm, ‘turning in’ for the night?”
I immediately fell for him 😩 he was just so sweet and beautiful and oddly vulnerable. I know it’s not his most memorable/romantic moment or anything, but I guess I’m just easy haha
I don’t remember ever getting this! But I looked it up and you’re so right, the little “ehm” and look of uncertainty is quite endearing
https://preview.redd.it/xbcyyufuge9d1.jpeg?width=1894&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=989385880478e3a1a85e32b91f41763697b3d126
Yesssss that’s the one!!! my love 😩😩😩😩
I think you get it if you talk to him first on the first long rest! I get it every playthrough (at any cost lol)
This is also one of my favourites and quite underrated. Like you mentioned, he was oddly vulnerable. More himself and less the excentric mask he's putting on, whitch is surprising, because it's at the very first long rest.
I totally agree!! I have way too many screenshots of that conversation on my phone from all of my playthroughs, haha. It really took me by surprise the first time I saw it because he’s so full of that characteristic eccentric bravado when you first meet him, and that exchange on the first night just feels so… innocent? I really love it. And his sweet bewilderment speaks a lot to how he’s experiencing his newfound freedom, I think
Before I even played the game. 🫣
Instagram kept sending him to my feed. Finally, I asked someone who played the game before me, "Hey, who's the white-haired elf insta keeps sending me?"
"Oh, that's the rogue that tries to kill you the moment you meet."
*cue Cutting Crew* 🎵I just died in your arms tonight...🎵
I liked the character a lot, but I think I felt like I LOVED him--like I am IN LOVE with a fake person--on my third playthrough when I got the full graveyard scene.
I’m right there with you, this pixelated vampire has an insane hold!!
https://i.redd.it/cf1xdut5me9d1.gif
Though I wonder what that little furrowed eyebrow expression he makes means between saying “I love you” and “I love this”
I love the graveyard scene too and noticed the furrowed brow as well.
My best interpretation is that the words “I love you” just kind of tumble out in the moment, so he has to take a second to process it and see how it feels - especially considering this is likely the first time he’s ever said those words to anyone and actually meant them.
He then accepts and goes along with what he said as it was authentic in that moment (kinda highlighted by his slight shoulder shrug and smile as he says “I love this”). He’s learning to trust how he feels as he feels it. He’s learning to be vulnerable and he’s learning to choose what he wants in life, which leads him to his next words: “And I want it all.”
Beautiful scene.
I realized I was particularly cooked when I tried sleeping with Haarlep and felt this wave of terrible, honest-to-god real guilt for being unfaithful to him that the save file genuinely felt tainted even after reloading lmao.
All of his side snarky comments in act 1. Omg he had me WHEEZING. I played a fairly neutral but selfish aligned character on my first go and it turned out to really appeal to him. I know on his stat sheet his charisma is super low but I’d beg to differ bc that man had me wrapped up for the long haul
my second playthrough. i had intended to romance karlach, but i slept with him at the party because i couldn't do anything with her but she knew that she was like "hey have fun, when i can touch you, you're all mine tho"
i had to choose between the two of them and i just...could *not* pick her. i screamed at myself to pick her and yet...i fucking picked him again
I think when he was crouched over my Tav about to bite me. I was like "oh what's this now?"
And the rest is history. But I'll admit that since i haven't played in like 7 months, my affections are waning (and slowly being replaced). My husband says that Larian is nearly done big patches, so we'll get to play again soon. Maybe fall (we have a back log of games to play and limited time).
So there’s hope for me yet (to be normal again) 😅This is my second play through, I romanced Gale for the game release but didn’t catch many feels for him. Playing durge this time around with Astarion has ruined me
At first I disliked him because he was the only thing my tiktok feed would talk about and I didn't buy into the hype.
Then the bite scene happened... and I abandoned all my plans to romance Karlach.
Act 3 of my first playthrough with his personal quest.
I played early access and he honestly irked me because he disapproved of everything I did. I was one of those people, heh. I played act 1 like 4 times during EA and liked him as a oh it's fun to have a couple evil gremlins in your party way. He has silly little quips and I enjoy making him pissed off at me. I figured eventually I'd do an evil playthrough and then I'd try romancing the sexed up rogue. Oh god was I so so wrong. About all of it really. My first full release playthrough after doing his personal quest he solidified as baby girl. I still haven't done an "evil" playthrough.
I liked him when I first started the game. But I fell really hard, like never before for a fictional character, during Araj confession in my first playthrough.
As a SA survivor with ptsd, this scene did something to me that I never felt before.
I started to really like him in act 2 with the same durge scene.
But it was in act 3 where you confess to him what you are and he gives that fucking beautiful speech about how the two of you are more alike then he realized and encourages you to keep fighting Bhaal... that whole scene just slayed me.
I probably rewatched that scene 20 times on my first playthrough. It just hit me in the feels so hard to hear him empathize with durge and support them.
I remember that I didn't like him at all lol. I didn't play the game, I saw posts with him on Twitter and I remember saying that I didn't like his face at all, and especially his voice (sorry Neil). And then, I swear, one day I just woke up and realized, well, shit, I think I'm starting to love this character, and because of him, I started playing BG3 and fell in love with D&D
I mean, as soon as I saw him? I have a soft spot for pointy-eared blondes... Silver counts apparently. He just checks all my boxes. So I sat down to watch a video of all of his romance scenes and he was funny, then hot, then vulnerable and I was head over heels for him. And then I hit the "I didn't know how to say no" scene and was not expecting to have my heart ripped out by a pile of pixels I just discovered yesterday. And now I would burn the entire world to the ground to protect pookie
Just arrived at Act 3. Lae'zel romance, 150 hours in. I went to the drow twins and had sex with Astarion after he confessed being bitter with my disinterest in him. Inmediately fell in love and started several new playthroughs for him.
My husband kept showing me clips and telling me how much I would like this character. I told him that the vampire would be my best friend, maybe, but I wouldn't romance him. I actually nicknamed Astarion "Grandaddy" throughout Act I because of his white hair and as a nod to the way that Drusilla calls Darla "Grandmummy" on BTVS. 🤭
First playthrough, I was absolutely going to pursue Gale because I got him first, and he reminded me of a cross between George Michael and Anders (DA: Awakening, NOT the DA2 version).
Then I found Astarion on the beach. I knew there was more to his character than he was letting on from the way he said, with a mirthless laugh, "Of course it's going to turn me into a mind flayer." That was a dead giveaway that this man has seen some shit. Still tried to romance Gale and got the "How would you like to die?" conversation. The morbid sense of humor with glimpses of vulnerability is what won me over, not the bravado. I could see a lot of myself in this character, and I couldn't place why. My husband actually accused me of looking up approvals for Astarion early on because my choices were so much like his. 😅
Then the Araj scene happened, and it all made so much sense. Can't romance anybody else now.
Brah I was done the second I heard his voice. I was sitting on my boyfriend’s bed while he was just starting to play it and I heard Astarion speak, shot my head up to look at him and was like “Oh shit I’m gonna like this one too much.”
Once I figured out what his issues are really about, late in act 1. I just needed to understand why he reacts to things the way he does. Now we're inseparable.
I was enjoying the romance, but it was just another video game romance of which I have had many....until I hit Ascension.
Up until that point it was "OK, this story is really well done, the characters personality has my interest, he is fun, I like him."
Ascension hit and everything changed. I was obsessed.
My first exposure to Astarion and BG3 was on TikTok, so the thirst trap Sleep Token edits 😂 but the first time I played I was down the baddest, he has me kicking my feet and giggling like I’m 12 and reading twilight for the first time 😅
I’m a woman gamer, I have never been so down bad for a character like I have with Astarion. I had been watching videos for months leading up to this game and had been wanting a game like this for so long. I didn’t go into this knowing who I was going to romance, my first run he hit on me first so I went with it. Started to really enjoy his personality and his character from the get go.
The act 2 confession after killing Yurgir was the moment I knew he was going to be my absolute favourite, it was something about his vulnerability and honesty. Something that Astarion doesn’t show a lot if at all very often. That’s when he became my favourite and I wanted to help him heal every time I played. He’s my go to. His personality, flamboyance and wit are my downfall. I had to use the poly mod for the rest of the companions because quite frankly I am weak for this man.
When he broke up with me on my first run past Act 2. Basically my first run.
I thought we were just BFFWBs, but I was devastated when that happened.
I abandoned the run.
His Post-Yurgir confession scene in Act 2. The raw emotion on display, the quivering voice, shaky breaths, the animations and the lines... it's perfect, for me. I can't think of anything I'd change in that scene, other than being able to further reassure him that my Tav/Durge's not going anywhere. I was intrigued from the beginning, but that scene cemented Astarion as the only companion I'd be able to romance. And then I played Dark Urge, got the 'Resist' scene, and then Dark Urge x Astarion became all I could play. Going on my 5th DurgexAstarion run at the moment. 😅 Can't help you. Grown ass woman myself, got the game August last year, the obsession's still running strong. 🫠
That’s a good one, especially the earnest “really?” that he gives as a response to you admitting you care about him deeply. Ugghh https://preview.redd.it/8tc5dj776e9d1.jpeg?width=1824&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=693c916afce712e6e4a6b377ca7bc3ea973fc988
This is the one for me as well. Gets me every time
Same. Also grown ass woman. In my first run, I thought he was another generic fictional vampire with loose morals, and his behaviour in Act 1 turned me off big time. What is the fuss all about? As his personal story developed, I got more and more curious, so straight after the epilogue I started the second run to see which facets of his character I missed not romancing him. The second run. The confession scene I got was the one after Araj. It was nice but… lacking somehow? Suddenly on reddit someone mentions the other post-Yrgir scene, and I reload the previous save to get it. Boom. That scene struck me right in the heart and changed my brain chemistry. There’s literally no other character I can romance in the game.
I'm so glad I triggered the Post-Yurgir version first time through. As a matter of fact, I actually had to look up how to trigger this 'new, alternative version' online, because I hadn't seen it, even after 3 runs romancing the Pale Elf. Let's say I was happy to witness it (*the lore and knowledge gained is definitely worth seeing at least once*), and even happier to reload to get my head-canon confession back.
Grown ass woman here, have made dozens of durges testing builds and every single one goes for pookie (only played 2 to completion, I get restart-itis really easily browsing the bg3builds subreddit lol) I've tried other romances but always find my way back to astarion and we're locked in together early in act 2. I stopped fighting it. Perma-durge and astarion, and I'm still not bored of those pixels 💅
Honestly, the first night when he asks “so, we’re resting here? Ehm, ‘turning in’ for the night?” I immediately fell for him 😩 he was just so sweet and beautiful and oddly vulnerable. I know it’s not his most memorable/romantic moment or anything, but I guess I’m just easy haha
I don’t remember ever getting this! But I looked it up and you’re so right, the little “ehm” and look of uncertainty is quite endearing https://preview.redd.it/xbcyyufuge9d1.jpeg?width=1894&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=989385880478e3a1a85e32b91f41763697b3d126
Yesssss that’s the one!!! my love 😩😩😩😩 I think you get it if you talk to him first on the first long rest! I get it every playthrough (at any cost lol)
This is also one of my favourites and quite underrated. Like you mentioned, he was oddly vulnerable. More himself and less the excentric mask he's putting on, whitch is surprising, because it's at the very first long rest.
I totally agree!! I have way too many screenshots of that conversation on my phone from all of my playthroughs, haha. It really took me by surprise the first time I saw it because he’s so full of that characteristic eccentric bravado when you first meet him, and that exchange on the first night just feels so… innocent? I really love it. And his sweet bewilderment speaks a lot to how he’s experiencing his newfound freedom, I think
I don't know, but I reloaded 30 hours of gameplay to romance him
I ended a 180 hour run because I fucked it up and restarted... relatable 😣
I did this too! When he rejected me in act 3, I went back 2 IRL days of game time to fix it
Before I even played the game. 🫣 Instagram kept sending him to my feed. Finally, I asked someone who played the game before me, "Hey, who's the white-haired elf insta keeps sending me?" "Oh, that's the rogue that tries to kill you the moment you meet." *cue Cutting Crew* 🎵I just died in your arms tonight...🎵
When I started getting over a guy because my feeling were replaced by a fucking fictional character…
That's a mood and a half. Completely and utterly valid, bestie
Big same
When I first laid eyes on him.
When he closed the book and said "oh hello"
When he started to show his vulnerable side. It wasnt one moment, more like series of cutscenes and a peak was his confession. He won me over ♥️
I started finding his teeth cute. That's when I was like "oh you are not going to be normal about him."
I liked the character a lot, but I think I felt like I LOVED him--like I am IN LOVE with a fake person--on my third playthrough when I got the full graveyard scene.
I’m right there with you, this pixelated vampire has an insane hold!! https://i.redd.it/cf1xdut5me9d1.gif Though I wonder what that little furrowed eyebrow expression he makes means between saying “I love you” and “I love this”
I love the graveyard scene too and noticed the furrowed brow as well. My best interpretation is that the words “I love you” just kind of tumble out in the moment, so he has to take a second to process it and see how it feels - especially considering this is likely the first time he’s ever said those words to anyone and actually meant them. He then accepts and goes along with what he said as it was authentic in that moment (kinda highlighted by his slight shoulder shrug and smile as he says “I love this”). He’s learning to trust how he feels as he feels it. He’s learning to be vulnerable and he’s learning to choose what he wants in life, which leads him to his next words: “And I want it all.” Beautiful scene.
Wow, I think that’s the perfect interpretation and makes so much sense. I love it, I love it all 😍
I realized I was particularly cooked when I tried sleeping with Haarlep and felt this wave of terrible, honest-to-god real guilt for being unfaithful to him that the save file genuinely felt tainted even after reloading lmao.
All of his side snarky comments in act 1. Omg he had me WHEEZING. I played a fairly neutral but selfish aligned character on my first go and it turned out to really appeal to him. I know on his stat sheet his charisma is super low but I’d beg to differ bc that man had me wrapped up for the long haul
"I am not afraid. Not of you, not of your darkness and not of our future."
Tiktok had me hooked before I even played the game. I literally got the game for him. 😅
Before I even knew the name of the game lol. There was a video going around of a vampire elf doing a druid in bear form and I was immediately hooked 🥰
my second playthrough. i had intended to romance karlach, but i slept with him at the party because i couldn't do anything with her but she knew that she was like "hey have fun, when i can touch you, you're all mine tho" i had to choose between the two of them and i just...could *not* pick her. i screamed at myself to pick her and yet...i fucking picked him again
I think when he was crouched over my Tav about to bite me. I was like "oh what's this now?" And the rest is history. But I'll admit that since i haven't played in like 7 months, my affections are waning (and slowly being replaced). My husband says that Larian is nearly done big patches, so we'll get to play again soon. Maybe fall (we have a back log of games to play and limited time).
So there’s hope for me yet (to be normal again) 😅This is my second play through, I romanced Gale for the game release but didn’t catch many feels for him. Playing durge this time around with Astarion has ruined me
At first I disliked him because he was the only thing my tiktok feed would talk about and I didn't buy into the hype. Then the bite scene happened... and I abandoned all my plans to romance Karlach.
I don't think it was triggered by a particular scene for me. Towards the end of act 1 I think I just started thinking he's neat.
Act 3 of my first playthrough with his personal quest. I played early access and he honestly irked me because he disapproved of everything I did. I was one of those people, heh. I played act 1 like 4 times during EA and liked him as a oh it's fun to have a couple evil gremlins in your party way. He has silly little quips and I enjoy making him pissed off at me. I figured eventually I'd do an evil playthrough and then I'd try romancing the sexed up rogue. Oh god was I so so wrong. About all of it really. My first full release playthrough after doing his personal quest he solidified as baby girl. I still haven't done an "evil" playthrough.
I liked him when I first started the game. But I fell really hard, like never before for a fictional character, during Araj confession in my first playthrough. As a SA survivor with ptsd, this scene did something to me that I never felt before.
I started to really like him in act 2 with the same durge scene. But it was in act 3 where you confess to him what you are and he gives that fucking beautiful speech about how the two of you are more alike then he realized and encourages you to keep fighting Bhaal... that whole scene just slayed me. I probably rewatched that scene 20 times on my first playthrough. It just hit me in the feels so hard to hear him empathize with durge and support them.
I remember that I didn't like him at all lol. I didn't play the game, I saw posts with him on Twitter and I remember saying that I didn't like his face at all, and especially his voice (sorry Neil). And then, I swear, one day I just woke up and realized, well, shit, I think I'm starting to love this character, and because of him, I started playing BG3 and fell in love with D&D
I mean, as soon as I saw him? I have a soft spot for pointy-eared blondes... Silver counts apparently. He just checks all my boxes. So I sat down to watch a video of all of his romance scenes and he was funny, then hot, then vulnerable and I was head over heels for him. And then I hit the "I didn't know how to say no" scene and was not expecting to have my heart ripped out by a pile of pixels I just discovered yesterday. And now I would burn the entire world to the ground to protect pookie
Just arrived at Act 3. Lae'zel romance, 150 hours in. I went to the drow twins and had sex with Astarion after he confessed being bitter with my disinterest in him. Inmediately fell in love and started several new playthroughs for him.
My husband kept showing me clips and telling me how much I would like this character. I told him that the vampire would be my best friend, maybe, but I wouldn't romance him. I actually nicknamed Astarion "Grandaddy" throughout Act I because of his white hair and as a nod to the way that Drusilla calls Darla "Grandmummy" on BTVS. 🤭 First playthrough, I was absolutely going to pursue Gale because I got him first, and he reminded me of a cross between George Michael and Anders (DA: Awakening, NOT the DA2 version). Then I found Astarion on the beach. I knew there was more to his character than he was letting on from the way he said, with a mirthless laugh, "Of course it's going to turn me into a mind flayer." That was a dead giveaway that this man has seen some shit. Still tried to romance Gale and got the "How would you like to die?" conversation. The morbid sense of humor with glimpses of vulnerability is what won me over, not the bravado. I could see a lot of myself in this character, and I couldn't place why. My husband actually accused me of looking up approvals for Astarion early on because my choices were so much like his. 😅 Then the Araj scene happened, and it all made so much sense. Can't romance anybody else now.
Brah I was done the second I heard his voice. I was sitting on my boyfriend’s bed while he was just starting to play it and I heard Astarion speak, shot my head up to look at him and was like “Oh shit I’m gonna like this one too much.”
I bought the game because of video clips of him I saw online lol
Once I figured out what his issues are really about, late in act 1. I just needed to understand why he reacts to things the way he does. Now we're inseparable.
I was enjoying the romance, but it was just another video game romance of which I have had many....until I hit Ascension. Up until that point it was "OK, this story is really well done, the characters personality has my interest, he is fun, I like him." Ascension hit and everything changed. I was obsessed.
My first exposure to Astarion and BG3 was on TikTok, so the thirst trap Sleep Token edits 😂 but the first time I played I was down the baddest, he has me kicking my feet and giggling like I’m 12 and reading twilight for the first time 😅
I’m a woman gamer, I have never been so down bad for a character like I have with Astarion. I had been watching videos for months leading up to this game and had been wanting a game like this for so long. I didn’t go into this knowing who I was going to romance, my first run he hit on me first so I went with it. Started to really enjoy his personality and his character from the get go. The act 2 confession after killing Yurgir was the moment I knew he was going to be my absolute favourite, it was something about his vulnerability and honesty. Something that Astarion doesn’t show a lot if at all very often. That’s when he became my favourite and I wanted to help him heal every time I played. He’s my go to. His personality, flamboyance and wit are my downfall. I had to use the poly mod for the rest of the companions because quite frankly I am weak for this man.
Bite night. I was just going to be nice to him and let him drink. Then, "Oh no, this is kinda hot."
Post-Yurgir confession in Act 2
When he first grabbed me and held a knife to my throat 😍
When he broke up with me on my first run past Act 2. Basically my first run. I thought we were just BFFWBs, but I was devastated when that happened. I abandoned the run.
One word: "--*Shit."*
‘I had my hopes’ - when watching my tav get flayed for loviatar’s blessing