Baldur's Gate 3: HBO's Royal Headache – Picking Just ONE Canon Ending
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
HBO's upcoming Baldur's Gate TV series, helmed by Craig Mazin, will pick a single canon ending from BG3's many player-driven conclusions, sparking curiosity and debate among fans on how their personal sagas will (or won't) align with the show's official narrative, as originally reported by Claire Lewis for Polygon.
Alright, adventurers, gather 'round the digital campfire, because I've been tinkering with some news that's wilder than a rogue spell in a crowded tavern. You know that feeling when you've painstakingly crafted your own epic saga in a game, made a gazillion choices, and then someone comes along and says, 'Right, we're just picking *one* of those for the official record'? Yeah, that. That’s pretty much the pickle HBO finds itself in with the upcoming Baldur's Gate TV show.
Our clever mates over at Polygon, specifically Claire Lewis, dropped the rather juicy scoop recently: HBO's Baldur's Gate series, with *The Last of Us* co-creator Craig Mazin at the helm – which, let's be fair, sounds promising – is officially set *after* the events of Baldur's Gate 3. And here’s the kicker: it’s going to canonize one of BG3’s glorious, player-driven endings.
Now, if you've sunk a few hundred hours into Larian's masterpiece like I have, you'll know that 'an ending' is about as specific as 'a wizard cast a spell.' Baldur's Gate 3 doesn't just have a handful of conclusions; it's got a sprawling tapestry of potential realities, each woven by the countless decisions you make. From your alignment to your companions' fates, to whether you embrace or resist the pesky little brain-wizards trying to turn you into a squiddy horror, the final moments of your journey are deeply, deliciously personal. So, which one will the big bosses at HBO deem 'the real one'?
Fair warning, mates: if you haven't finished Baldur's Gate 3, you might want to tap out now, because we're about to delve into spoiler territory like a Githyanki delving into a mind-flayer's brain (but with less squelching, hopefully).
BG3, bless its chaotic heart, offers up what Polygon helpfully categorizes as five main types of endings. Think of them as five distinct portals you can step through at the end of your adventure, each leading to a wildly different version of Faerûn's future.
First up, you've got the **'Good Guy Wins'** ending. This is your classic heroic arc: you thump the Netherbrain, persuade it to off itself and all its tadpole spawn, and then you and your surviving chums watch the sunrise over a recovering Baldur's Gate. Companions get their well-deserved closure, the city starts healing. It's the comforting cup of tea after a dragon fight. Simple, elegant, and generally makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside.
Then there's the **'Absolute Power Corrupts, Absolutely'** ending. This one sees you defeating the Netherbrain, sure, but instead of dismantling it, you slap on a crown, take the throne, and become the new Absolute. Your companions are horrified (initially, anyway), especially since you likely had to dispatch a helpful Mindflayer to get there. But don't you worry, those tadpoles are still wiggling, and now *you* control them. Cue brainwashed companions applauding your tyrannical reign as Mindflayers overrun the city. Bit of a darker brew, this one. Definitely not for the faint of heart, or for those who like their friends un-brainwashed.
Next, we wade into the delightful, yet deeply disturbing, realm of the **Dark Urge** playthroughs. If you embraced your inner Bhaalspawn but somehow managed to resist the Urge at every turn, refusing to be Bhaal's Unholy Assassin and destroying the Netherbrain, you get the **'Redemption Arc Dark Urge'** ending. Your soul gets a good scrub, Bhaal's torment is lifted, and you recover your lost identity. This one generally plays out similarly to the 'Good Guy Wins' ending, just with an added layer of personal triumph over inherited evil. A truly hard-fought victory, that.
But, oh, if you succumbed to Bhaal's whispers and claimed the Netherbrain's power in his name, you've got the **'Bhaal's Beloved Butcher'** ending. Here, the Narrator gleefully recounts your future of amassing an Illithid army for a slaughter-fest across Faerûn. And to kick things off, you're prompted to brutally murder your romantic partner with a dagger (while sharing one last kiss, because Bhaal is nothing if not dramatic). Then you compel your remaining companions to plummet to their deaths, before going on a murderous rampage through Baldur's Gate, literally painting the streets red. Father Bhaal, apparently, would be very proud. It's... intense. And bloody. And probably not great for featuring returning characters, eh?
Finally, there’s the **'Heroic Sacrifice (Gale Edition)'** ending. If you’ve played your cards right with Mystra and Gale, you can convince him to ascend the Netherbrain’s brain stem and detonate the Netherese orb in his chest. Boom! Netherbrain gone, tadpoles zapped, weakened Illithids on the ground. The people of Baldur's Gate then clean up the rest. Your surviving companions commend Gale’s sacrifice, though no one dares point out you probably could've achieved victory *without* him going kaboom. A bittersweet victory, that.
Now, which of these delicious narratives will HBO hoist up as the official starting point? Polygon's article astutely points out the bloody obvious: the 'Bad Dark Urge' ending is almost certainly off the table. And thank the bloody gods for that, mate. As much as I love a good villainous romp, wiping out your entire party and painting the city walls with entrails doesn't leave much room for 'new characters and familiar faces,' which the show has promised. Hard to have familiar faces when they're all six feet under, or splattered across a cobblestone street, isn't it?
It’s a massive ask, this. Baldur's Gate 3 isn't just a game; it's a testament to player agency. We weren't just watching a story unfold; we were *writing* it. Each choice, each romance, each betrayal felt personal. To then pick just one thread out of that intricately woven tapestry... well, it’s bound to ruffle a few feathers. Think of it like trying to adapt a choose-your-own-adventure novel into a single, linear film. You're always going to leave a significant chunk of your audience feeling like their personal journey was overlooked.
What's really fascinating here is Larian Studios' take on it. Despite having 'zero involvement' (which, fair dinkum, is a bit of a shame, but also probably saves them from the headache), founder and CEO Sven Vincke shared on X that they actually structured BG3's endings with future stories in mind. "Crazy that a story that started out in a small hotel conference room eventually evolved into a narrative inspiring enough for it to become a HBO series," he mused. "We worked incredibly hard on making Baldur's Gate 3 worthy of its legacy. Its characters and narratives are the result."
That's a clever bit of foresight, isn't it? It means that, while HBO has a tough choice, Larian might have subtly nudged them towards a more adaptable, less 'everyone dies horribly' kind of outcome. Perhaps there's a 'soft canon' baked into the design, allowing for an easier transition to a televised narrative. It's like leaving a little escape hatch in your grand magical fortress, just in case someone needs to re-enter it later.
Ultimately, this is where the wizardry of adaptation comes in. Craig Mazin proved with *The Last of Us* that he can take beloved gaming narratives and translate them beautifully to the screen, often making smart, respectful changes while retaining the core emotional beats. But Baldur's Gate 3 is a beast of a different colour. The sheer scale of player choice makes it a uniquely challenging adaptation. Will they go for the safest, most widely accepted 'good' ending, preserving the largest cast of potential returning characters? Or will they dare to pick something a little spicier, perhaps the 'Good Dark Urge' path, offering a more nuanced protagonist?
Whatever they choose, it's going to be a talking point. For us gamers, who poured our hearts and souls into shaping our Faerûn, it'll be fascinating to see which reality HBO decides is the 'official' one. Here's hoping they do it justice, eh? Because after all the chaos and tadpole-dodging, we deserve a good show that respects the magic we made.
Tags: BaldursGate3, HBO, GamingNews, TVAdaptation, LarianStudios
Original article: Polygon