Summary
Baldur’s Gate 3allows the player to explore the world as either their own custom character orone of several Origin characters. Besides the six that players can either play as or recruit as companions, there is another - the Dark Urge. This character can be customized to fit the player’s playstyle at the start of the game, and they also have many dark options to choose from that can affect certain parts of the story.
Unlike with a regular character, players will sometimes get choices with great repercussions when playing the Dark Urge. With that in mind, these are thechoices a player should avoid while playing the Dark Urge inBaldur’s Gate 3if they wish to step away from their evil streak.
Updated on July 26, 2025, by Megan Smith:The Dark Urge choices continue to be some of the most brutal choices a player can make in Baldur’s Gate 3. With subclasses like Death Cleric being added in the 8th patch of BG3, many players may be persuaded to attempt a Dark Urge playthrough of BG3 but wonder what choices they should be avoiding in the hopes of playing a Dark Urge that doesn’t wish to mindlessly slaughter and therefore get the best out of their playthrough. From the Dark Urge meeting Arabella and avoiding allowing her to be killed, to the Alfira choice. These are the choices the player should avoid when playing as the Dark Urge in BG3.
The following article contains spoilers for the Dark Urge’s storyline in Baldur’s Gate 3.
12Submitting To Being A Bhaalspawn
Act Three – Fighting Orin
During the third and final act of the game, players who have decided to control the Dark Urge and have resisted the pull of evil that lives deep inside them will want to make a specific choice by the time they get todefeat Orin in the Bhaal Sanctum. After killing Orin, players will be given the option from Bhaal to submit to their evil blood and become his chosen, which spells the end of the world.
Doing this will not only anger some of the party members but also ruin all the work done by the player to avoid becoming a horrible person. Players who want to stay on the good side of history should deny their dark father till the end. This will also be mentioned later on in the article, but this is the one main moment in the Dark Urge storyline that truly defines how the end of the game will play out for that character. Those that accept their blood can’t have a happy ending.
11Saving The World After Being Evil
Some players may decide that they wish to give in to their dark urges instead of resisting them. Even if this is the case, there are still some choices that players should avoid making if they want what’s best for their Dark Urge character. At the very end of the game, the player will be given achoice to either save the worldby forcing the Elder Brain to destroy itself or take control of it.
If the player has accepted being Bhaal’s Chosen, then they should choose to control the brain and avoid getting the epilogue party. As discussed previously, a Dark Urge that has accepted their birthright can’t get a happy ending if they have chosen to save the world. Although Dark Urge can witness the party that arrived with the epilogue of the game, they will be punished by arriving at the party completely mad and only approaching their past friends to cause problems, preventing them from getting a happy ending during the part sequence.
10Don’t Murder / Torture Defenseless People
This Goes For Tieflings And Even Goblins
While this may at first seem obvious, players who are looking to keep friends while still being the Dark Urge should choose their moments of violence carefully. Yes, it may be fun to force choke a group of Goblins to befriend the followers of the Absolute, but breaking the legs of an already paralyzed Tiefling in Act One is just cruel.
That is, however, part of the fun whenplaying the Dark Urge, as players may feel that this character is their best excuse for an evil run. The Dark Urge doesn’t need to be the typical bloodthirsty stereotype that some players may wish to play as, when they can instead explore the world as this confused character that just wants to do good, even with those dark thoughts inside. Plus, making enemies with certain characters can make completing each act more of a challenge than it needs to be.
9Do Not Fantasize About Horrible Things
Act One — Meeting Gale
As the Dark Urge, the player is likely to have countless bloody fantasies that swirl around their head during every encounter with botha regular NPCand a possible companion. This can start very early in a player’s adventure, and the encounter with Gale is an especially noteworthy example.
Here, a new dialogue option will appear for the Dark Urge that sees them fantasizing about hacking off Gale’s hand. While it may be tempting for a player to stay in character of the Dark Urge and innocently think about hurting Gale, this option is a harsh warning of how evil the Dark Urge can be. After choosing this option, players will quickly realize that this vision was more than just a mere fantasy. Players won’t see Gale again after making this choice, but the potential companion will leave behind aSevered Handfor gamers to remember him by.
8Talking To Animals Without Speak To Animals
Act One — Roaming Near The Emerald Grove
Animal lovers should beware of the Dark Urge, as the character seems to have something against animals. As such, many ofthe adorable creaturesthat can be encountered inBaldur’s Gate 3can have different fates depending on the Dark Urge’s choices. This is just one of many moments when playing the Dark Urge that creates a completely different experience than playing the regular Tav.
After the trauma that is cutting off Gale’s hand, if a player approaches the adorable squirrel in Act 1 without having Speak With Animals active, then they will automatically see the player kick her into the tree. With no warning, some gamers are likely to be shocked upon realizing what has happened. The Dark Urge, on the other hand, will simply look confused. We are too buddy.
Act One — A Camp Moment
At first, it may seem like a good idea for the Dark Urge to admit to their party that they may have accidentallykilled the bard, Alfira. However, sometimes it’s better to hide bad things and act like nothing is wrong. Especially as this bad thing about the Dark Urge, Alfira’s choice not only involves innocent Alfira but also the mess that the Dark Urge has made of her body, leaving sacrificial runes where her corpse now lies.
Players will be saving their approval with the whole camp by simply denying they had any involvement with the body that may or may not be on the ground. It may even be a better idea to hide the body so that the companions will be none the wiser. Coming clean may clear a player’s conscience, but everyone will hate them for it.
6Being Prideful About The Urges
Every Gory Moment In The Game
As seen from the moment after killing the Bard during the first act, there are multiple other occasions where the player will be able to react to the horrors ofBG3’s narrative. This is integral to experiencing the Dark Urge’s story, as players can allow the unhinged nature of this Origin character to flourish as they permit themselves to revel inthe gore being displayed.
Players who wish to resist the urges of this past killer will need to hold their tongue when experiencing these moments by imagining the worst experience happening to someone or saying something they’ll regret. It isn’t completely the end of the world if a player chooses to revel in these thoughts as many of the companions brush it off as the player just being a little weird, but the thought still counts especially as players attempt to think little of the past.
5Encouraging The Death Of A Child
Act One — ‘Save Arabella’
Few games allow players to harm children, and while the Dark Urge can’t literally kill a child, they can encourage a snake to do it for them. When first meeting Kagha in the Druid Grove, players will see her arguing with another Druid about what to do witha small Tiefling girl.
Witnessing this display, the Dark Urge will realize how dangerous the snake is and can decide to encourage it to attack the girl. This will kill Arabella instantly, upsetting her parents and causing the player to miss out on future scenes that involve the young Tiefling. It’s safe to say that the Dark Urge and Arabella should never have met, though as these choices are up to the player, it is possible to resist the urge to kill a mostly innocent Tiefling girl, and instead persuade Kagha to stop her madness before the temptation to cause mayhem becomes too much.
4Murdering Isobel
Act Two — ‘Kill The Kindly Cleric’
Isobel is the only person keeping the people inside the Last Light Inn safe. Without her cleric abilities, the people within the inn would be taken over by the Shadow Curse. When using an average custom character, players will find themselves easily helping Isobel and the people within the inn. However, the Dark Urge has different ideas.
Meeting Isobel will fill them with rage, and they will want torandomly kill her. This is only further encouraged by the Dark Urge’s butler, who tasks them with Killing the ‘Kindly Cleric.’ Thankfully, players do not need to do every quest they are given, and this is one to definitely avoid for those who want to keep the people inside the inn safe. Players will also unlock some other interesting content with the Dark Urge by resisting their tendencies, though this upcoming scene can be just as stressful as avoiding harming Isobel.
3Never Harm A Loved One
Act Two – Refusing To Kill Isobel
While the story of the Dark Urge may be something that many players feel like they will have to deal with by themselves, there are risks associated with attempting to survive it alone. After refusing to kill Isobel, the player’s hand will be pushed when their butler tries to force them to kill the person they love. While a player may wish to survive it alone, doing so can result in the person they love getting hurt. Therefore, a player should wake up the sleeping victim and let them see who the Dark Urge really is.
This will serve as a vital moment in the Dark Urge’s story. It is arguably one of the most memorable but also slightly funny moments of the Dark Urge’s story, as their loved one will tie them up as the Dark Urge hurls all sorts of insults their way at how they wish they could wear their skin, all while the companion they have romanced seems quite amused by it all.
