What Does a Guardian Do in Baldur’s Gate 3?

At the start of Baldur’s Gate 3, you are asked to create a Guardian. However, the game does not explain what the Guardian does or why you need one. If this is causing you to pause on that screen, here’s a quick explanation of who the Guardian is and what they do.

Who is the Guardian in Baldur’s Gate 3?

The Guardian is a story-relevant character within Baldur’s Gate 3. You’ll first encounter them during a Long Rest at some point in your playthrough. There is no set time for their appearance, but it will follow a scene where the Mind Flayer tadpole threatens to turn your character.

The Guardian reveals themselves to you in your dreams. They are a mysterious figure who is helping to protect you from the Illithid influence. They will show themselves at random points during the story, always in your character’s dreams. They will also encourage you to use the parasites that you find throughout the game. This can give you some additional powers and some disapproval from party members.

Their role is mysterious and slowly revealed throughout the game’s story. However, their presence has little impact on gameplay outside of the choice to use the parasites.

How should I create My Guardian in Baldur’s Gate 3?

It’s entirely up to you. Due to their role being a story-driven one and not related to gameplay, there are no options to select a class for your Guardian. All the specifics when creating them are purely cosmetic, so create whatever you think suits your character.

You could lean into the roleplay and make them look like someone you think your character would trust. For my Guardian, I made him look like a kindly old father figure. Or you could just pick random features and roll with whatever you make.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is available now for PC and PS5.