Although it may be many years away, confirmation thatBaldur’s Gate 4will be happening has got many speculating about what a sequel may look like. Expectations are high for the long-running series and the massive success ofBaldur’s Gate 3. However, I’m concerned thatBG4may overlook some fantastic new villains in favor of falling back on the familiar.
Wizards of the Coast gave anofficial update onBaldur’s Gate 4during a recent interview with Game Business. In it, President of Wizards of the Coast John Hight clarified thatthe next title in the series would definitely be happening, but with no firm date given. While this is fantastic news for long-time fans like myself, it also got me immediately wondering where WotC would be taking the story next.
The Baldur’s Gate Series Needs To Leave The Bhaalspawn Behind
The first thing that sprang into my mind when I heard the news thatBG4would be on the cards was:I really hope there aren’t more Bhaalspawn.
Don’t misunderstand me, the Dead Three, their history, and, by extension, the Bhaalspawn are fantastic antagonists who have provided wonderful motivations spanning three epic games. But I truly feel that the series needs to move on from them if it’s going to have any hope of continuing.
My concern is thatby sticking with the Dead Three, and Bhaal in particular, the series will stagnate. There were already those who were deeply unhappy with Sarevok appearing inBG3, sitting on the Murder Tribunal, and overriding his hard-won redemption. And that feels like the type of issue thatBG4will be setting itself up for if it doesn’t deviate from Bhaal and his children.
There are multiple Bhaalspawn seen and mentioned throughoutBG3, such as Orin, her mother Helena, and theplayable Dark UrgeOrigin.
While some may argue that this would mean abandoning the identity of the series, I disagree.The core of the series should remain focused on the city of Baldur’s Gateand expand its roster of villains in order to explore new stories. Reviving the same tired story of Bhaal holdsBaldur’s Gatein place and risks stopping any meaningful progression that the series could have.
The Red Wizards Of Thay & Acererak Are Only Two Examples Of Many Powerful D&D Villains
One of the advantages of having the game series set in Baldur’s Gate is that any story told has the entirety of the Forgotten Realms to draw lore from.There are some fantastically devious villains thatBG4could bring inwho would also have tons of lore to dive into. And two well-knownDungeons & Dragonsvillains that immediately sprang into my mind were the Red Wizards of Thay and Acererak.
Thenecromancers of Thayhave previously appeared inBaldur’s GateandBG2and are briefly mentioned inBG3with the Necromancy of Thay and Ilyn Toth.
However,DnDfans will know far more about the nefarious rulers of Thayfrom their many appearances throughout adventure campaigns and other game series. There is so much history, including warring internal factions, to dive into that the Red Wizards could easily serve as replacements for the Dead Three for multiple games.
For a more challenging antagonist, Acererak is the perfect candidate. The powerful lich has also made many appearances inDnDmedia such as novels, video games, and more recently inTomb of Annihilation.
Acererak has travelled throughout the multiverse in his quest for godhood, and what makes Acererak such a dangerous foe is that unless his hidden phylactery is destroyed, he will just keep coming back, which is perfect for sequels.
BG3 Already Set Up Two Perfect Villains
These Two Have Unfinished Business That Would Make For Great Sequels
However, what makes the most sense is for the franchise to stick closer to home and villains that are already established within the series.BG3has already set up two great villainsthatBG4could move forward with, each with unfinished business that could stretch over many games. I’d love to see either Raphael or Vlaakith asreturning characters inBG4, or even better, both of them.
Vlaakith would make a fantastic and vicious antagonistwho could easily take her anger over losing theMysterious Artefact, better known as the Astral Prism, out on the city of Baldur’s Gate.
It feels fitting for the series to go from Bhaal to Bhaal and the Dead Three using mind flayers, only for the githyanki to now set their sights on the city. Having Baldur’s Gate under threat of becoming a githyanki invasion beachhead also works for the various endingsBG3had without overriding too many player choices.
There are some variables that would need to be taken into account for Vlaakith, such as Lae’zel’s loyalty and the status of Prince Orpheus.
Raphael makes the most sense to be the next primary antagonistforBG4and perhaps any future installments. The crafty cambion can fit into a story while still honoring the majority of endings forBG3by having him set his sights on a new prize in place of the Crown of Karsus to achieve his goal of domination over the Hells.
There is a lot of fun that could be had with Raphael as the main villain ofBaldur’s Gate 4, with him able to supply plenty of theatrics to feed quests and potential companions. The Dead Three are pretty big shoes to fill, but I’m confident Vlaakith or Raphael could pull it off.
