Baldur’s Gate 3‘s community has already been hard at work since the game’s full release creating all kinds of custom characters referencing popular games, movies, and books. Creating custom characters has always been one of the biggest draws for many RPG players. Whether imagining a new character from scratch or replicating a favorite from other media, it’s an important part of the role playing experience to have a character that can be personally resonated with. Even with the extensive and excellent Origin character options in Baldur’s Gate 3, which players can either recruit or use as their main character, making a Tav from scratch may still be preferred.
There has been some criticism over Baldur’s Gate 3‘s lack of voice diversity for Tavs and limited appearance options, but the character creation system is still robust enough that the community has already begun making some hilarious and downright strange characters inspired by pop culture. It would certainly be easier to do so with body and facial feature sliders, something included in many other popular RPGs such as Bethesda’s latest title, Starfield, but imaginative players can work with the preset options regardless. The different fantasy races, classes, and magic items throughout Baldur’s Gate 3 can help solidify fun character concepts even further beyond just the core appearance, too.
10 Kratos (God of War)
One of the first pop culture character concepts, and one of the most popular to recreate, is Kratos, from the God of War video game series. As seen above in YouTuber Darron the Gamer’s build, Kratos’ trademark gray skin, red face tattoo, strong facial features, and bushy brown beard are all easily replicated with the options in Baldur’s Gate 3. Others have gone with a younger version of Kratos without the full beard, but thanks to the recent Norse-themed titles God of War and God of War: Ragnarok, Kratos’ long beard is mostly favored. Barbarian is an obvious class choice for this one, and the Dwarven Thrower in Baldur’s Gate 3‘s third act can be gotten so Kratos can once again destroy his foes from afar.
9 Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher)
Another pale-skinned protagonist from a popular action RPG, Geralt of Rivia is always a popular fan choice in any game with character customization. Baldur’s Gate 3 has proved no different, with players carefully recreating the beloved witcher (as seen in Senhoshi’s YouTube guide above). The best build for Geralt, however, is still up for debate. Eldritch Knight Fighter, Hunter Ranger, or Hexblade Warlock are all solid spellblade options. Alchemy is available to any character in Baldur’s Gate 3, so Geralt’s potion brewing is covered regardless of class choice. Unfortunately, having a horse companion like Roach isn’t quite possible (yet), but maybe he’s just stuck on a roof somewhere in Waterdeep.
8 Darth Maul (Star Wars)
The Sith lord Darth Maul from Star Wars is a great choice for a Dark Urge playthrough in Baldur’s Gate 3. Half-orc is one race option to capture Maul’s ferocity (as seen above in the build by Redditor Northixx), while Tiefling could be another option for some horns to match Maul. Monk is an obvious class choice, but Barbarian or Fighter could be used too. Commander Zhalk’s Everburn Blade in Baldur’s Gate 3’s tutorial may be the closest thing to a double-bladed red lightsaber, and taking on Illithid powers or using magic items can replicate Maul’s Force powers.
7 Dragon (Shrek)
Perhaps one of the most meme-worthy films of all time, Shrek has many beloved characters to try and replicate in Baldur’s Gate 3. One of the most imaginative, however, is Dragon. Although a pink Dragonborn with green eyes in Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t exactly the same as the full-sized dragon in the Shrek films, it’s similar enough that the concept is almost immediately recognizable. Redditor Scary_Snek also lined up a perfect screenshot in one the game’s ogre encounters, a wonderful reference to Dragon’s introductory scene. To really nail down the concept, the character can even romance Halsin. He can’t quite wildshape into a donkey, but a Deep Rothe is close enough.
6 Fiona (Shrek)
Another creative reference to the Shrek films is Fiona, the ogre magically transformed, for a time, into human form. Baldur’s Gate 3 players can use the new Magic Mirror in camp, the Disguise Self spell, or the Mask of the Shapeshifter (included with the Digital Deluxe Edition) to switch between two appearances for a bit more immersion. YouTuber Silver Lex shows how mods can also be used to get an even more accurate appearance for the character. A martial melee class such as Barbarian, Fighter, or Rogue should be Fiona’s base class, while a dip into Bard is a nice homage to her angelic (and sometimes dangerous) voice in the films.
5 Lord Farquad (Shrek)
Shrek himself is an obvious and easy picking for Half-Orc, but how many players would think to recreate Lord Farquad as a halfling? Redditor Robotic1927 did exactly that, replicating the chiseled jaw and slick, dark hair of Shrek’s original villain in Baldur’s Gate 3. Players can use red dye to turn some of the games fancier outerwear and hats into a Farquad outfit, along with any cape they find. Bard may be the most fitting class for this concept. Even though Lord Farquad isn’t musical or magical, a creative Baldur’s Gate 3 Bard build can support an egotistical charisma playthrough.
4 He-Man (Masters of the Universe)
One of the most legendary fantasy heroes of the 20th century, He-Man is a must-have in the creative character concepts lineup if for no reason other than nostalgia. Baldur’s Gate 3 happens to have a perfect hairstyle in the likeness of He-Man’s iconic bob, making it easy to whip up a human barbarian look-alike (as seen in Redditor PralineSolution’s build). The game even lets players hide their character’s armor to walk around in their underwear, for those truly dedicated to role playing He-Man as accurately as possible.
3 Illidan Stormrage (World of Warcraft)
With the inclusion of Tieflings as a prominent race in Baldur’s Gate 3, it was only a matter of time before players started making fiendish characters from fantasy titles such as World of Warcraft. Illidan Stormrage is a perfect fit with Baldur’s Gate 3’s many purple skins, face paints, and horns to choose from (as seen in the images above by Redditor Itsallcakes). Other famous characters from Blizzard Entertainment’s hugely popular franchise that can be recreated in Baldur’s Gate 3 include Garosh, Varian, Tyrande, Arthas, and Sylvanas.
2 Papa Smurf (Snow White And The Seven Dwarves)
Baldur’s Gate 3 allows players to play as infamous races from Dungeons & Dragons, including Drow, Svirfneblin (deep gnomes), and Duergar (dark dwarves). While these races are powerful and enjoyable in their own regard, they also offer some unique opportunities and inspiration for cleverly recreating characters from popular media. Papa Smurf is one such character that can easily be built as a Duergar (as seen above in the screenshot from Redditor thebigv55). Players can hide his armor and give him some colorful shorts, plus a fun hat if they can find one, to recreate the famous dwarf’s outfit. The Sleep spell is also recommended just for bonus references to the animated film.
1 Taylor Swift
Not every creative character concept in Baldur’s Gate 3 is inspired by other games or movies. Some players, such as Redditor Mokomokojojo1, have taken to celebrities for inspiration. Taylor Swift (or Swiftfoot, for a more immersive fantasy name) as a Dark Urge playthrough is certainly a fun thematic contrast to explore, but role-playing the award-winning musician could be just as fun with a custom origin, too. The Bard class makes any playthrough based on a real-world musician that much more tangible, so it’s definitely recommended for a Taylor Swift build.
