How to Romance Minthara in Baldur's Gate 3 (2024)

Minthara's romance in Baldur's Gate 3 is one of the few options that will support an evil playthrough. In fact, the first real romantic interaction with the draw warrior can only be unlocked by committing genocide. That being said, Minthara is not some villain wandering around Faerun looking to kill and conquer everything in sight. She is a nuanced character, and once the path to her true romance begins the players realize that Minthara is just as much a victim of the Absolute and its cult as anyone else.

Where Minthara differs from most companions, though, is her ruthlessness. Raised in the politically unstable environment of the drow capital, Menzoberranzan, Minthara is just as cutthroat as any other drow born and raised in the Underdark. Players can win her approval and affection by being just as murderous and intent on avenging themselves as she is. This can make her a more complicated person to romance if the player has done good playthroughs previously.

Meet BG3's Resident Paladin in Act I

Siding With Minthara

• Players can share a romantic moment with Minthara after helping her destroy the Druid Grove.
• She will not be available as a companion until Act II.
• The game hints that she is not in full control of her mind.

Players first get the chance to meet Minthara after entering the goblin camp in the Shattered Sanctum. Typically, players will enter this ruined temple while pursuing the quest to find Halsin. It is when the player meets Minthara though that a new questline becomes available and the trajectory of the player's destiny can be altered. Minthara will offer to raid the Druid Grove with her goblins as support. If the player agrees, then this will necessitate murdering Halsin if they have not already.

They must then travel back to the Emerald Grove. Once inside, they can open the way for the goblins and proceed to massacre everyone inside. Bear in mind that this fight will include battling not only the Tiefling refugees and their protectors but also the druids who called the grove home before they showed up. It is a difficult fight to get through, as players must run the gauntlet of the entire camp. It becomes especially more difficult if the player has emotional attachments to the refugees from previous playthroughs.

Once the grove has been wiped out, Minthara will request to celebrate in the player's camp. This will later lead to the first romantic moment with her. However, it is important to note that at this stage of the game, Minthara is not in full control of herself. Even more importantly, players can have a relatively good playthrough while still romancing Minthara. Killing the Emerald Grove is only one way to experience a moment of passion and unlock the way for the evil playthrough.

A Night of Passion

At the camp celebration, Minthara will be waiting to speak with the player. Having witnessed their prowess and viewing them as the only other competent person for miles, Minthara immediately makes the offer to spend the night with the player in an intimate fashion. The player must accept to unlock this scene. What follows is an interlude of passion between the two characters as they embrace a night of carnal pleasure.

What is interesting about this scene is that Minthara is not yet a companion, nor will she be one for quite some time. There is even a chance players could kill her if they are doing a Dark Urge playthrough. This part is left up to the player's discretion, though. One thing players should note is that they are carrying the Mysterious Artifact at this point. While it does not free Minthara of the Absolute's influence, she does note that her brief time with the player was the first time in a long time that she hasn't felt her "god's" presence and found the experience enjoyable.

The following morning, Minthara will instruct the player on what path to take in order to reach Moonrise Tower, the center of the Absolute's operations for the time being. Minthara intends to meet the player and their companions there. At this point, she is expecting to bask in glory for the massacre she led, but this is where things take a turn, and a true romance with her is unlocked.

Act II Reveals That Minthara Has Been Deceived

Saving Minthara From Her Faith

• Players must save Minthara from Moonrise Tower.
• This will free her of the Absolute's control, restoring her true personality.
• She will slowly develop real feelings for the player after they kill Ketheric Thorm.

Players won't see Minthara again until Act II, and she will not be in the lofty position she was when they last saw her. Despite successfully destroying the Emerald Grove, Minthara is still vilified by Kehteric Thorm for her failure to locate the relic. For her failure, she is condemned to have her mind eroded by the questioners down in the tower's dungeons. Players will need to free Minthara and smuggle her out of the tower if they wish to pursue a true romance with her.

Upon eliminating the questioners and saving Minthara's mind, she will be freed from the Absolute's control by the artifact. Once this is accomplished, Minthara will realize that she has been manipulated the entire time and that her faith was nothing more than an illusion crafted by the Absolute. What's worse, as memories of her actions resurface she realizes that she was forced to do horrific deeds, things that even someone as ruthless as her was disturbed by. She also implies things were done to her as well, but exactly what is left up to the player's imagination.

This is where the true bonding process begins — the way to gain Minthara's approval is to be decisive when in conflict and also to put her and the player's goals above everything else. Sharing her desire for vengeance is an excellent way to gain her approval, especially if they take her along on the siege on Moonrise Tower. Upon defeating Ketheric, Minthara will sit on his throne, basking in victory.

Getting to Know the True Minthara

Players can actually unlock Minthara's true romance shortly after defeating Ketheric. She made it clear early on that her intimate moment with the player, if that path was pursued, was not entirely of her own volition. With her mind now clear though, and the player in good standing in her eyes, she reaches out to the player's mind to establish a connection. If the player allows it, they can offer themselves as a lover to Minthara who will gladly accept.

Bear in mind, that a similar path can be unlocked even if players don't destroy the Emerald Grove. However, doing so requires that the player enact a complicated scenario to ensure that she will survive the destruction of the goblin camp. First, they must place Minthara in the temporarily hostile condition. Once that is accomplished, they must knock her out with non-lethal damage. This will guarantee that Minthara is "killed" in the quest to eliminate the goblin leadership and ensures that she will appear in Moonrise Tower when the player gets there.

Once the mindsharing scene has passed, Minthara will be much more open with the player. In her words, she has nothing to hide from them anymore. They can question her about her past, and her difficult upbringing as well as the unique relationship she has with her mother. As the player gets to know Minthara, it becomes clear that while she is tough, she is not the monster they first met in the Shattered Sanctum. There are some redeeming qualities in her and that is the part that they come to love.

Players Can Go For a Dark Ending With Minthara in Act III

Minthara's Quest for Vengeance

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• Minthara's quest in Act III is to seek vengeance upon Orin, the one who infected her.
• She is in full support of the player no matter what their decisions.
• If anything, she seems to admire them more in the evil ending.

Upon arriving in Baldur's Gate, Minthara will provide more information on one particular member of the Absolutist's true leaders: Orin. The Baalspawn was the one to infect Minthara with a mindflayer parasite. The result was to make Minthara subservient and even admiring of Orin. For this, Minthara wants vengeance upon her former mistress. Further pressing though reveals that Minthara is afraid of the assassin.

Defeating Orin basically becomes Minthara's questline throughout the game's third act. If the player is pursuing a Dark Urge playthrough then this actually becomes something the player and Minthara both have a stake in. Orin is responsible for the Dark Urge's downfall and no matter which way they look at it, the player will need to confront Orin at some point. Doing so earns Minthara's admiration and gratitude.

In truth, there are no real romantic scenes between this and the final battle with the Netherbrain. The player can take a moment with Minthara before plunging into battle though. If they do, then Minthara, who by this point is head over heels in love with them, will declare that even if this is their last moment together they will die together. It's grim, but oddly romantic.

Becoming a Conqueror Alongside Minthara

Once the Absolute has been defeated, the player can pursue several different routes with Minthara. If they are gunning for the evil ending, then they can assume control of the Absolute, and Minthara will be in full support of the player. To her, watching them on the cusp of conquering the world is the most beautiful thing she has ever seen. She will stand beside them as they claim the Netherbrain's throne for themselves and begin an illithid conquest of Faerun.

The other endings all depend on destroying the Netherbrain. Now free of the Absolute's influence, Minthara takes a moment to relax with the player before pondering what comes next for the two of them. The player can suggest paying Minthara's family a visit in Menzoberranzan. Minthara chooses to interpret this by suggesting they reconstruct the Steel Watch and take an army of automatons into the Underdark to conquer the drow kingdom for themselves.

The epilogue confirms that Minthara and the player have been leading a drow army in the Underdark. They have gathered outcasts, rebels, and exiles to their side and throughout it all remain happy in each other's company. Minthara is one of the more morally ambiguous companions and there is not a moment with her where the player isn't reminded of that. Through her, they can explore their inner conqueror and embrace their worst impulses with someone who more than approves at their side.

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Baldur's Gate 3

Baldur's Gate 3 is arole-playing video gamedeveloped and published by Larian Studios. It is the third main installment in the Baldur's Gate series.

RPG

Systems

OpenCritic Reviews

Top Critic Rating:96/100 Critics Recommend:98%

Franchise

Baldur's Gate

Platform(s)

PC , macOS , PS5 , Xbox Series X

Released

August 3, 2023

Developer(s)

Larian Studios

Publisher(s)

Larian Studios

Multiplayer

Local Multiplayer

Engine

Divinity 4.0

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence

How Long To Beat

100+ Hours

Metascore

96

Split Screen Orientation

Vertical Only

Number of Players

1-4

PS Plus Availability

N/A

Steam Deck Compatibility

yes

Local Co-Op Support

1-2 Players

Cross Save

yes

Cross-Platform Play

Baldur's Gate 3 doesn't support crossplay