As players delve deeper and deeper into the full launch of Baldur’s Gate 3, certain companion characters are standing out as especially beloved to fans. There’s problematic faves Asterion and Shadowheart, who players are convinced they can “fix.” There’s (of course) the bear everyone wants to bang. And then there’s Karlach, who early access players are discovering has gotten one heck of a glow-up in the full release:
As many players have pointed out on Reddit, Karlach used to look, well, quite different. As you can see above, her earlier look left a lot to be desired. It was early access, after all. She’s gone through multiple appearance changes throughout early access, from her very first character model shown above to her current (quite literally) hot self. In fact, fans are so happy with her glow-up that some are taking the opportunity to see the old model off in, well, dramatic ways (CW: violence).
However, other fans have pointed out that there’s yet another version of Karlach they’d prefer that’s neither the early access version nor the current version. During early access, fans found a datamined Karlach appearance with a scarred face that they like so much some are modding it into the current game. Though the scarred appearance didn’t make it into the final version, many feel it suits Karlach’s battle-hardened backstory, contrasting well with her lighter, goofier personality.
But one thing everyone can agree on is that we all love Karlach and would protect her with our lives. If you haven’t tracked her down yet in Baldur’s Gate 3, I highly recommend you get on top of that with our Karlach companion guide. And for everything else you didn’t know you didn’t know about Baldur’s Gate 3, check out our guides to Races and Subraces, Classes and Subclasses, and How to Build a Character before you get started, and take a peek at our walkthrough whenever you find yourself stuck.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.