Cosplayers Bring Baldur’s Gate 3 Characters Karlach and Astarion to Life

Cosplayers Ekaterina “Elysian Rebel” Lann and Asya “asyawrites” Mikhailova have brought Karlach and Astarion from Baldur’s Gate 3 to life as they journey across the Forgotten Realms.

The universe of the role-playing game Baldur’s Gate 3 continues to delight cosplay fans with new photos capturing various characters and their engaging adventures.

Photographer Victoria “Milligan” Romanova captured a photoshoot featuring models Ekaterina “Elysian Rebel” Lann and Asya “asyawrites” Mikhailova as Karlach and Astarion.

The relationship between Karlach and Astarion builds on a striking contrast in their personalities alongside similarities in their tragic pasts. When both travel in the main character’s party, their interactions resemble a friendship between a gloomy cat and a cheerful puppy. Astarion initially treats the former Avernus soldier with his customary arrogance and skepticism, but Karlach quickly melts that ice with her sincerity.

Both characters spent years in brutal servitude under merciless masters: Cazador Szarr and Zariel. Astarion deeply sympathizes with Karlach and even admits in one conversation that he would once have given anything for his body to burn anyone who dared touch him. If a love triangle arises between them and the main character during the game and the player chooses Karlach, Astarion steps aside with surprising gentleness, sincerely asking not to break her heart because she deserves happiness.

If the player decides to choose one of them as the main character and romance the other, their story takes on a completely different depth. Karlach’s infernal engine completely rules out physical contact in Act 1, which disrupts Astarion’s usual tactics of using seduction for manipulation and protection.

He has to communicate with Karlach on emotional and verbal levels, which causes him to open up as a person much faster and more sincerely. A romance with Astarion, remaining a vampire spawn, turns out to be very touching, as he is ready to support Karlach until the very end.