Summary
Baldur’s Gate 3was in early access for almost three years before launch. This meant that, in some cases, actors were playing the same character for years at a time, across various updates and rewrites, seeing their stories through until the very end.
Neil Newbon was one of these actors. He played Astarion from the very first playable build of Baldur’s Gate 3 and continued to shoot scenes until well after launch, expanding his character further. Now,Lariantells us that Newbon got so used to playing Astarion that he was actually able to influence his ending, changing the tone of his final cutscene.
This comes fromour interview with the Baldur’s Gate 3 team, including Greg Lidstone, director of animation. Here, Lidstone goes over the process of filming the final Origin Astarion scene - the one you’ll get if you’re playing as him, rather than having him as a companion.
Astarion’s Origin Ending Was Influenced By Neil Newbon
“We recorded it once where [the light] touched his hand, and then he turned and walked off like a predator,” says Lidstone. “And then Neil said it doesn’t feel right. […] He’s like, ‘It’s not the character’”
Lidstone continues, explaining Newbon’s issue with the original scene. “Astarion’s challenge wasn’t directly related to him being a vampire. It was that he was a spawn, and that he wasn’t free,” says Lidstone. “He is technically free now. […] He’s okay with being a vampire.”
So, they reshot the scene with this new vision in mind. Instead, Newbon did a little dance towards Astarion’s prey, giving the scene a much more positive tone. In another take, they balanced the two, toning down the dance slightly, and this is what we get in the final game.
You’ll only get this ending if you’re playing as Astarion and decide againstbecoming the Vampire Ascendant.
“For my money, it’s one of the best scenes in the game. I thought it was really exciting. And it was just really cool because [Newbon] had owned this character.”
Ultimately, the creation of Astarion was a joint effort between Newbon and many of the folks at Larian. As well as being directed by Lidstone, the character was brought to life byformer Larian writer, Stephen Rooney.
Ever since Baldur’s Gate 3’s full launch, Newbon has shed some light on his performance too. Previously, he admitted thathis take on the character was a “risk"and that “not everybody was sure about it” at first. However, given Astarion’s popularity, it’s fair to say that this risk paid off.
