The man behind the bear, everyone's favorite beefy wood elf! Just a little thing unpacking my interpretation of Halsin's character from Baldur's Gate 3.
I think they made a huge misstep with Halsin by not allowing him to join the party as soon as you rescue him. Saving the grove and lifting the shadowcurse are kind of his story beats and once you get him on, his entire story is over.
Halsin was not even meant to be an companion. But people in early access loved him sm that they added him. I would take soooo much more work for them to create content where he would be relevant in act 1
Respectfully, I don't think that his story really ends there. What he's going through is just less of the focus due to the main story components drawing for so much attention. One of the big things for him is actually going to a city itself and discovering the way in which it's failing so many. He refers to it (with his frame of reference) as a "canopy" where those that need the most nurturing are unable to get it. You actually build alot of approval from him by positively interacting with the animals and children in the city. He even gets angry about how he feels the city is failing people and your Tav can kind of confront his fatalistic way of thinking (I was in a relationship with him at this point so I'm not sure if that's always an option) and he speaks more about his own need to keep growing. I think a country mouse in the big city is his big arc of Act 3 because its how the game ends for him. During my playthrough we went off together and cared for all the refugees and children in the reformed shadowlands. I couldn't have asked for a more (and I mean this in the most positive way) boring ending for us. After all the nonsense we'd been caught up in a nice mundane life reading bedtime stories was all we wanted. And while this does not contribute heavily to the main story, it is an important part about how it all ends and the rebuilding of Baldur's Gate and improvement of society. He basically helps to establish a new place for the refugees, that the city had been rejecting, to live. And not all of that rejection was from fear of the Absolute invading. Plenty of the city folks were just being plain xenophobic. And don't even get me started on his growth through the relationship...
He joins your party at curse-breaking step 2/3, and he does offer to join your fight against the goblin leaders, it just reduces your chances of doing it with subtly
@@deniseh.8535 So I'm not really thinking they needed to add content, but after the party at the grove, there's all that time he "joins you" but kind of just stands at camp. I think he should have been playable at that point so he could play a more active (from player's perspective) role in removing the shadow curse and have the chance to be the party's initial guide through the shadow-cursed lands - which is kind of his thing. They already have a warning in place for bringing him into Moonrise Tower and they could have had him leave the party temporarily when the defending the portal quest comes up and I think it still would have worked.
I agree 100%. It’s awkward having him be at Camp without joining us! I don’t even need him to comment on everything I just want him to be a Companion immediately after he celebrates with the Tieflings/Deals with Kagha.
If Arabella dies, Halsin will cast out Kagha, even if she changes sides and repents. He draws a line in the sand at the death of a child, which is completely fair imo
@@dariaradac423 im gonna say something and it is no way meant to be a slight towards you as a human but honestly that is incredibly racist and in a real world scenario, very problem behavior, but i sympathize a little as in my first playthrough i felt the same until i killed "one" and "two". Then i sat there for like 10 minutes in DEEP regret. Gave a laugh and verbally said to nobody because i was alone, "i killed those kids out of sheer convienience." I know they would have made the fight a little harder and longer but they were children at the end of the day. If they werent in the goblin society they could very well grow to be productive members of a less babrbaric society. I wish you could find "one" amd "two" post-slaughter and add them to camp but i get why they wouldnt. Them throwing rocks at a bear is both cruel and stupid but those are activities they were taught are fun and "good". And imagine them and Halsin growing to pass that. It could even add a Halsin potential story beat where they are kidnapped by orin or gortash, probably more gortash than orin since she does the "lover" or close relationship nabbing, in act 3 and halsin is worried because he has grown to "care" for the goblin children as somewhat of a father figure. Idk it sounds interesting on paper.
@juniebugbear i can imagine he wasn't in the right mind at that point though. he had been hurt by the goblins and in that moment soecifically, tormented by one and two. i always make sure both survive, so neither of us have to feel too bad in the end lmao
Honestly, it makes perfect sense that Halsin and all the other companions might fall for Tav just by Tav being kind to them. So many of them haven't received that kind of care from anyone in years, if ever. It sounds like Halsin has been pretty lonely and sad since the Shadowcurse. Karlach hasn't had a real friend or even someone else's touch in a decade, Gale wasn't treated very well by Mystra and then was alone in his tower for a whole year (with Tara), Shadowheart had Nocturne but she can't remember that, Lae'zel's culture doesn't have that kind of care, Astarion hasn't had real care in 2 whole centuries. Wyll is the closest to normal here but he's so young as to be naive and inexperienced and I doubt he's had many real friendships since he took the pact.
Wyll is the easiest to have just a friendship with too imo, and he's v respectful if you turn him down. I must say though that dance scene in Act 2 with him damn near turned me from Gale, it was so *charming*.
@@K.C-2049 Halsin's very kind about it as well. If you turn him down, he respects your decision and doesn't wish for it to ruin the friendship him and Tav created.
@@salazar556 yeh if you turn down Gale he gets over it pretty fast too I guess so that the game can continue to game. IDK it would kind of be neat if the writers had put in some lines where the person you turn down stays kind of choked/sad for a bit and they slowly get over it, but I understand how logistically difficult that would be to implement. I did end up romancing Halsin and I liked it a lot better than Gale's romance tbh :3
honestly I bought it for and because of Astarion, but I am staying because of the best bear-turned-elf man, i still have no idea how i did my first walkthrough without him
I actually love the early access backstory where Halsin was the one that killed Isobel (datamine says that it might have been in self-defense). It makes the weapon of Sorrow and his guilt that much stronger. He's been struggling with that guilt and obsessing over curing the curse for 100 years.
I'd love to have heard more about how distressed he was being in the city. I've been doing an 'oops all druids' playthrough, and I've had SO much of Halsin speaking on refugees and orphans and he seemed to need a lot of comfort during act 3. He also seemed angry at the city and I don't think he has any sort of anger control issues, he was definitely a little bit spicer than he usually was! Anyway, I love Halsin. He's my comfort elf 🥺
Datamined content shows that they intended to make Halsin more plot relevant in causing Isobel's death and even wrote him being a werebear which would explain his Orin kidnap scene where she pretends that he snapped. And there is literally no reason for Halsin to have to wait to become a companion until act 2 AFTER you rescue Thaniel. Like the man just hangs out at your camp for a large part of the game just doing nothing, it would change nothing story-wise to have him recruit sooner. He even said that he names a new Archdruid so like what were the writers waiting for?
Halsin is such an awesome character. He’s been through so much and had EVERY reason to be closed off and mad. But he isn’t. He instead finds so much good in a world that has done so much harm to him. He enjoys such small things because over his hundreds of years living he’s learned just how much they matter. Ducks are also wonderful
Halsin was killed by Minthara in my game before I even entered the goblin camp and my best guess is that briefly entering the mountain pass to find the first fast travel point there triggered it. Make sure to finish the goblin camp before going anywhere!
Some people have interpreted the self control issues and strong connection with his bear form as Halsin potentially being a werebear! Some points in favor: -Druids typically don’t take on the wild shape traits while in their human form, but Halsin has several lines of dialogue about being partially large for a wood elf, being hairy, liking honey, etc. -it’s not really normal for Druids in dnd to have difficulties containing a wild shape, and it seems to be an entirely at will ability. Most of the time Druids have to put in effort to transform, not the other way around.
It could be argued that Gale was also SAed in a way, it's kind of nice to see male characters get that kind of representation. It doesn't happen all that often. Also I am very sorry you had to go through that.
@@jungtothehuimang Yes I think the same thing with Gale!!! Also thank you that's so sweet to say I've been in therapy for years now and it's helped a lot
@@jungtothehuimangNow that I think about it it's pretty interesting that three of the four main male cast were victims of sexual abuse, you don't see it often but it's very heavily represented in this game
@@gg2fan it think it was a very purposeful choice on Larian's part and I appreciate them both for giving male victims of SA representation and for allowing their female characters to have backstories that don't focus on SA.
I hope you get into some side characters in this series. Some deep dives into some of the really cool npc characters would be awesome! Especially because a lot of players who aren't paying attention might miss some of the real growth happening with SIDE characters in this game. I can totally see a whole bunch of people talking to Rolan once, thinking he's a pompous jerk, never talking to him again and missing out on one of the best character arcs in the game.
Halsin is one of my favorites characters because he is so simple and complex at the same time. While I haven't done a Halsin manogomous playthrough yet I have seen a video on it and it is very wholesome too. If you settle down with him and agree to raise the wayward children he comes and sayw "I never knew settling down with one would fit for me but I like this" and he is dedicated to you. He is open to being in a poly relationship but if you don't want to or don't consent he is cool with being the two of you and finds a deep joy and happiness on that is well. You get sperated for a short time (he goes ahead while you tie up loose ends) and says how hard it is to leave you but how he will look forward to being with you again. I find with a game of so many deep complex characters he is kind of a breath air. While he has his own complexities he feels like an outsider looking in and still willing to go along for the ride and that's why I love him.
thanks for all these videos about BG3 characters! 😊Halsin is my favorite romantic choice considering how mature he is compared to the others, like an adult among rebellious idealistic teenagers. Yes, he is 350 years old, but this level of understanding and acceptance no matter what is an absolutely rare talent. and his impatience when excited only makes him more attractive to me. imagine how deeply a person excites him that he has to hold back despite of all these years and experience! 😄
As much as I love Halsin... Act 1 did him dirty. The archdruid of the emerald grove, centuries old elf who fought against Ketheric's forces and witnessed the rise of the Shadowcurse, shapeshifter who can turn into bear, boar, crow and rat (NPC exclusive too)... somehow got captured by a goblin party. If at the very least Minthara had been the one to subdue him but there's nothing, we just have to assume this beast of a man got caught . And he's perfectly capable of getting out too considering he smashes through his cage and can solo the entire worg room if you don't free him yourself, and if you do, he can just peace out as a rat nobody who care for if they even saw him. I also have to question why he got appointed as archdruid of the grove in the first place considering he doesn't like leading and he already had a self imposed duty to heal the Shadowcurse. And the whole Kagha situation... my my, he scolds her regardless of if she's redeemed or not and just peaces out, hoping the place won't go up in smoke by the time his successor arrives. I always get sad thinking about Halsin because his character interactions are absolutely golded, every single one... but his connection to the plot is weak if not kinda terrible outside of Act 2.
Really love these character deep dives and your take on Halsin! He's truly one of the few good depictions of a healthy male role model figure in recent media, his down-badness aside 😂. We need more characters like him
For me, I saw how lonely Halsin was as a character. Lost all his friends from the Shadow Curse, his family are all dead, kept as a slave in the Underdark, and escaped by chance...captured again by goblins and left to rot in a cell for days. Datamined audio states how he never settled down with a family of his own because of how dedicated to nature he is, despite being interested in doing so. He was made leader of the Grove without truly wanting to be, and it sounds like he wasn't that close with any of them. He has so many feelings of inadequacy despite his physical appearance and his image of being a powerful, wise figure. One being during the romance scene, he seems so angry with himself for having wildshaped and worried that Tav would be disgusted by him. Halsin also can't believe how Orin manages to kidnap him (if he is taken) despite his stature. Even after the final fight, he seems shocked you'd even want to go with him and stay by his side, and continues that worry at the party. It warmed my heart to see how happy he was with the family he'd always wanted, and to be in a place where he finally felt he belonged! He is my all-time favorite out of all the companions. I also like that he's totally not perfect despite seeming like he is. Halsin has a lot of dialogue once the party reaches Baldur's Gate that honestly make his character development take a step backwards. The dialogue to prove to Halsin not to be closeminded like the druids in the Grove or Shadow Druids were are very helpful to his character growth. It would have been nice if they happened before Act 3, though. I would have loved if Halsin could join the party after the Tiefling party D:
will forever mourn the fact that halsin was the one that had supposedly killed isobel all those years ago in moonrise (early access and datamined content gives us this glimpse). he seemed to have so much more to him and it’s no wonder he feels responsible for bringing the shadow curse in the first place. isobel dying was the catalyst and if he could’ve joined us earlier, i feel like that would’ve given his character that final push to being a little more fleshed out. i love the big bear guy as he is right now, especially when you do dive in deeper into his own trauma with sexuality and intimacy, but i don’t know. as he is, him joining us after the shadow curse quest is done feels like too big a jump since it just feels like his story is over. either way, would love to see more of that explored.
I love this man so much! It breaks my heart when he confesses about romanticizing his memories from when he was younger, especially with the drow. You can see and hear it in his voice as some of the trauma sinks in but he thanks you for helping him realize and listen. Plus I just love how his happy ending is Tav, a sweet little life being an adoptive parent and absolutely head over heels in love. He's legit perfect ❤
Really great seeing this. Halsin isn’t one of my favorites, and this was a nice contrast to my read on him. I tend to see him as a bit like early access Gale, needing one more pass and a slower romance path to let me appreciate him. Talking about him as a person rather than as fiction, I can see much of your take. But as he is now, I resented not being able to say “I’m flattered, but I’m already in a relationship” without him acting as though I’d led him on. He adjusts well enough, but it was uncomfortable.
In a murderous world where danger is around every corner and scepticism is a common thing... Kindness is rare. It's understandable that in such a cold world, kindness towards anyone could be interpreted as "wanting something"
A surface elf getting captured by the drow as a personal 'consort' to a matron mother went through more then just 'pleasurable' experiences. He's lucky to be alive, let alone in one piece. If you want a good look into the story of the drows lore, look into R.A Salvatore's Dritzzt Du'Urden series. The first 3 book are an amazing look into drow society.
I guess he doesn't really make that clear - he mentions that he could just as easily have been put to work in some mine or killed outright, but when talking about the experience itself, he stops at "I did what was necessary to survive... and perhaps a few things that weren't *necessary*😏" The thing is, the game could actually give you an idea of what drow women are like through Minthara - who, ironically, should be dead if you're romancing Halsin (though apparently there is a trick for keeping both alive) - but she's extremely tame, from what I've understood. She should technically be worse for Tav's health than romancing Lae'zel.
to me halsin seemed v much like an anarchist, he care abt ppl and nature and the good of everyone while also caring deeply abt autonomy and ppl's ability to make their own decisions. he rejects his position of authority and is preoccupied abt the failings of authority in general like how he hates being in a city and seeing ppl starving and uncared for while the rest of the city keeps going he wants everyone to have autonomy and help, he even says he thinks ppl have too narrow of ideas on what a person can or should be. i think it also fits with him being the only person that doesnt blame you if you dont help him, hes so appreciative if you do help him bc he knows you dont have to, and why he decides he wants to help you do whats for the greater good without having any personal reason to do so! his whole character is very ppl should be free to do what they want as long as they cause no harm which also includes inaction in the face of others suffering.
absolutely LOVED this analysis! Halsin is definitely in my top three of the companions and i think he is slept on (no pun intended) as a character beyond "Big bear daddy Halsin".
Literally I have never had Halsin in my party once in all my playthroughs but have still done his quest. Despite him never being in my party, he still has always tried to hit on me in act 3.
That is so interesting. He didn't come on to me or seem to accept my advances on play throughs where he was never on the party. I wonder what the difference is
Same. I barely ever use Halsin and he's always dtf. Doesn't matter if my Tav is in a relationship or not, manbearpig wants in. It's rather off-putting, actually.
@@MarieCurtis92 I really wish I could turn him down at the end of act 2 when he implies he's only sticking around because wants my ass, before he starts waxing poetic with the "My heart does not stir easily" speech.
Halsin is such a great character none the last because he was made a companion by popular demand so he's practically tailor made to the audience that wanted him. I gleefully include myself in that. But the writers at Larian gave him enough backstop and character development that kept him in theme with Baldur's Gate 3 and the breaking of abusive cycles. While Astarian, Shadowheart, and Lazel are all at the beginning of their journey, Halsin is the character that has come out the other side of it and his quiet, safe presence is testiment to it. Though tha being said, he always stuck me as the kind of person deals with his own problems by being very giving of himself, I think I remeber a diolauge with him about he's so used to taking care of everyone he's forgotten what it's like when someone asks how he's going. I think Halsin can also serve as proof that time can heal, at 350 he is the oldest of all the companions and just the amount of life experience. When people talk about the age of th e ompanion I dont think they take the racial stats in consideration; elf, human, half-elf, and so on. For example Astarian was turned age 39 which is firmly an adult by human standards and while Elves physically mature at the same rate as humans in dnd they don't reach thier cultural majority until age 40 so Astraion is the Elven equivalent of 17 or 18 and Shadowheart as a Half-Elf at age 40 puts her in the equivalent of her early 20s.
First play through I got through the camp with just myself (monk), shadowheart, and halsin because I didn’t know where the other companions were. He got beat to shit, went through all his wild shapes, and was bloody and bruised until I could recruit him. Like BRO, rest for silvanus’ sake!
I like him. He shows there is more to being polyamorous than fucking and that he cares and has bonds with all his partners. He is a great rep for polyam people he shows another side, the side that super judgemental people don't like acknowledging. He cares for the consent of your current partner if you got one already, he wants everyone to have agency. I love the big teddy bear
I love your analysis videos on each of the characters! You've honestly inspired me to make my own deep dive videos on these characters and share my own thoughts and opinions on each character and explain how I interpret them. I honestly have so much to say about each companion so who knows how long these videos would be but I love talking about this game so why not try it out! But yeah, your deep dive videos are awesome and are really well done! I love hearing how you interpreted the characters and reading other people's comments on how they interpreted them. That's what makes these characters so fun.
This video did NOT disappoint!! I was sooo excited for this one because I really wanted to learn more about him and man I didn't know I'd relate to him so much! I really like him!! ☺️
So many ppl hating on Halsin really got me confused 🤔 maybe i never have a problem with him while playing. If im romancing him it’s nice, but i romancing someone else and reject him he was very chill about it, never been spicy salty at all
Sweet, new Pocket video. Halsin is my second least character, not because of any fault of his own but because of how damn good the other companions are.
I think there's a lot more they could have done with him. Honestly, this is partially why I wish the Underdark played a bigger part. Halsin was made a slave by drow and I would have been interested in seeing him interact with more drows.
I don’t know if you already considered this but would you „unpack“ Gortash, Orin and Ketheric? I’ve also been thinking about Raphael cause people keep misinterpreting him as just a narcissist devil who only would like to sleep with himself and he is so much more than that 🧙♂️:(
Will say that redeeming Kagha after learning it was possible on my 3rd playthrough was when I actually enjoyed her as a problem. She actually means well and is being manipulated to think the Shadow Druid's path will be better for the Grove. My only issue with Kagha is that I wish they made her a bit younger so her being easily manipulated made sense.
"My only issue with Kagha is that I wish they made her a bit younger so her being easily manipulated made sense." well that makes absolutely no sense. She's a wood elf, they live around 750 years and aren't considered adults until they're 100. What do you mean 'a bit' younger? 20 years? 50? 100? Even if she was barely 100 years old, she's looked like that for the majority of her life so for her to look any younger she would have to be a child by elf standards and there's no way a wise druid like Halsin (who is 350 years old btw) would have a literal child as his 2nd in command.
I actually really appreciate them not making her young. It's an important thing to show, that adults...even older adults...can and do get manipulated into doing stupid stuff everyday in the real world. Being young doesn't inherently make you gullible, and being older doesn't make you immune to it.
I never have used Halsin as an active party memeber and that big bodied elf boi is always trying to get at me. 😂 I have yet to see the fabled "bear" scene...... Maybe one day. 🤣
up until like yesterday, i lowkey hated halsin. then i had an epiphany and i now love him dearly. i’m not sure what happened in my brain, but i’m glad it led me here. :-)
Halsin is also the absolute goat of most of my playthroughs because he’s always the one that gets kidnapped and he’s died permanently twice (my very first playthrough he glitched as a following companion and I couldn’t control him it was weird)
Most of this video willl need to wait on the Watch Later list for a bit. Managed to not acquire Halsin in my first two play throughs, first by overlooking the goblin prison entirely, and second by starting the ritual without resting after gumming up at Last Light so badly Ketheric was singing my praises
It should’ve been Kagha who joins the party. She has potential to be both a good or bad companion unlike Halsin and imo has more story to provide than Halsin as well. In act 1 give us the option to kick out or kill the teiflings and side with the Shadows. Have the SDs send Kagha with us to the Shadow lands to retrieve some shadow object or something. If we redeemed her then the SDs can show up in act two and Kagha has to once again resist temptation and stop them. With her we can maybe also decide to keep or heal the Shadow curse. In act 3 if evil the object could’ve been taken or broken and we have to find/fix it in the city. If good then she’s just with us continuing her redemption.
Kagha has barely any redeeming qualities and I was very happy when Arabella’s parents gave her the brutal death she deserved. I take my polyamorous bear over that snake any day (beside, I’m not into women). Her redemption felt cheap on top of that, Halsin forgave her way to easily considering she tried to commit murder on an innocent child. Besides, it’s more fitting for Halsin to cleanse the curse as it has a personal meaning for him as he took part in the first defeat of Ketheric.
Halsin is my dude for sure man. Super duper wholesome homie of the party. I was a little put off by how quickly he was tryin to bone my Dwarven Ranger. I was like "hey man you give the BEST hugs but thats as physical as Im trying to get
Ive never heard the idea of Halsin having control issues because of anger, i also really hate it because thats literally the complete opposite of who he is as a character. Halsin is joy and love, imo his control issues probably come from his inner child being a bit too strong, much like when you see an animal that is so cute you cant help but squee. This is probably why he became such good friends with Thaniel, an eternal child and why all the kids he adopts love him so much, because really he himself is still just a fun goofy kid at heart🤷♂️
To me Halsin reads as truly, deeply insecure. We meet him during what is probably the biggest professional fuck up of his life, then take him on a journey through his centuries old guilt complex. And after all of that when you talk to him, he talks repeatedly about his failures as a leader, his lack of closeness to other people in recent years, and his doubts that you want him. When you meet him in the woods during his romance scene, he’s surprised that you came. When he looses control of himself, he thinks that you’ll leave. I find it really hard to see the kind of fuck boy persona other players see in him.
I'm not sure how exactly you interpret the word 'fuckboy' here - it seems to be used in various ways from 'womanizer' to 'slut' to 'pretty and he knows it', I guess it must be the latter because the other two don't really imply a lack of insecurities, but then... he doesn't really behave in that way either? The way I see him, these are just two different and mostly unrelated sides of him. 1) He believes he's committed a few terrible fuck-ups in his life which he feels responsible for, and as a consequence of this he has deep-seated insecurities about his worth and believes he doesn't deserve certain things in life (at least until he's fixed them - "Currently, I bed down alone. Once I talk less of parasites and curses, perhaps my fortunes will improve". It only becomes possible to start that romance with him after the Shadow Curse has been lifted, because he feels like he finally deserves something positive in his life again). 2) He's highly sexual, and this is basically the one thing he is *not* insecure about. He knows he's hot and that he's good in bed. During the romance scene when he loses control, I feel like that's entirely understandable considering it's somewhat implied that he's been dry for a full century, but he just sees it as another manifestation of his tendency to fuck things up and expects Tav to interpret it in the same way. To me, he is a calming presence, strong and powerful when necessary, humbled by experience, and extremely comfortable with his own body - and those of others 😏 which he'll make extremely sure you'll know as soon as he's had a chance to vanquish some of his demons (and technically even before - even if he never actually accepts any advances before you lift the Shadow Curse, literally the first conversation I had with him as soon as I set foot in the Shadow-cursed lands, ended with him kinda staring at me for a second and going "Oh sorry sometimes I get distracted by the beauty of nature's creations". I did not flirt with him once, because my character is awkward like that, that was all him). And that mouth of his after the romance scene XD If you pick the druid-specific conversation option, he has to rein himself in to not just take you then and there. Dude *fucks* - once he allows himself to do it. His insecurities don't cancel that out, they basically just delay it (and honestly, who wants to fuck when they're miserable because they can't stop thinking about that one time they broke the world?)
I agree a thousand percent with this take. Halsin looking to start a relationship with Tav has always come across to me as him searching for a new purpose in life. No more grove, no more shadow curse to obsess over, no family to return to... Dude's looking for an anchor. Same with Minthara really, since she's lost everything.
Me (being mean to halsin): Tch. Stop being such a simp bear man don't let me talk to you like that. Halsin (being mad at my choice and yelling at me): ....I'm sorry..😢
In my playthrough as my female monk character, when Halsin proposed a polyamorous thing with me and Shadowheart, I gently let him down. He took it well but the VERY NEXT DAY, out in the field he talked about wanting to go swimming with me and Shadowheart. Then later on, when we visited the brothel, he tried again. Not cool Daddy Halsin. lol
I REALLY WANT TO BECAUSE I LOVE HER!!! Probably with in the next couple of months! I'm still actually making my way through the play through where she's on my party, so I want to wait until I finish that!
14:00 😢 I was romancing Karlach and she didn’t like that I brought up Halsin. I had originally wanted to pursue Wyll while I couldn’t touch her and she got upset as well
I find it very amusing that people give Laezel a break even though she starts off as a murderous racist zealot hell bent on sacrificing everything for her mission and we pretty much can assume she killed children befor because Laezel is a companion. But Kagha naaah bro she has shiny loot and isnt a companion, she is the worst how dare she... be misguided in her religous belief to the point of harming other people and considering them to be lesser beings... huh. And i mean at least Laezel killed children (again, very educated but a guess) because she thought it was the only way to survive... huh. I mean at least Laezel and learns and shows remorse while Kagha... huuuh... Also reality is that Halsin was young way over 100 years ago, since then he fought Ketheric, became archdruid and led a community for 100 years. If he couldnt deal with trauma from his past 100-200 years ago but only NOW decided to do it because he made contact with the player character, then he is either terribly written or mentally impaired, so i chose to believe he dealt with it on his own like adult that he is.
I don't think caring about consent deserves to be praised, it should be expected in the same way that paying for your food at a restaurant is expected. Letting evil people dictate the customs and course of our societies can't be a good thing in the long term. Weird bear sex thing aside, he seems like a really cool guy.
Oh you're absolutely right, it shouldn't be praised and should be expected. It's just the sad reality that it's not as common as it should be. When I was in college, they had required seminars all about defining consent and trying to teach people how important it was.
@@PocketLeaves Well I don't think colleges are capable of tackling such subjects in an effectual manor. Good morals are taught in stable home environments. Governments, corporations and colleges have proven themselves immoral and unfit to tell anyone how to live. Consent sounds like something that should be covered in sex ed, which should be covered long before you go to college.
I honestly love Halsin, he's my favourite character, but there's just one thing that makes me so infinitely annoyed when trying to romance him. You literally CAN'T unless you are already romancing another character. On my first playthrough that got to act 3, I was trying to romance Halsin, never showed interest in the other companions romantically, and I thought I'd be able to romance him. NOPE, nothing. And I mean, I get it, he's not technically a main story character, but I'd like to have the ability to romance him without having to go through another characters romance route. Just my take anyways.
I had a friend romance Halsin with out romancing anyone else? They even got the conversation with Wither's at the end of act 2 about not having a "bosom companion". Not entirely sure what approval you have to hit to romance him, I've always done it kind of on accident (mostly just not planned)
This is one thing I really love about this game. As much as we are all having similar experiences, slight variations are making big differences. During my first playthrough I was completely unable to romance Astarion at all (despite initially really wanting to) and ended up with Halsin almost by default. The approval rating system is the thing to really look out for...that and making choices associated with being helpful to others and kind to animals & nature.
me being in a polyamorous relationship myself makes me appreciate Halsins existence Cant help but wish poly romances were more common in gaming though(I will not forgive Larian for having Shadowheart fall with karlach at first sight and not allow a poly romance between em and Tav)
Im just finishing up my first playthrough and haslin has only been a hassle to equip since you get jaheira first and she does most of what he does better.
I didn’t know Lae’zel would leave you? I didn’t do the Crèche AT ALL in my first playthrough and Lae’zel brought it up and I basically got to apologize to her and she stayed. Maybe it’s cuz I had super high approval with her? Idk.
You can be evil and still save the shadow lands. Just talk to art via Speak to the Dead and he gives you enough information to then meet Helsin at the beach.
@PocketCon ahh see I still save the Grove even when evil because it gives more of a bonus especially if you have the druids attack the tieflings for the extra Exp. And being able to get the Nature Idol
It's not that they reach biological adulthood at 100, it's that they're considered full adults in traditional elven society at that point. Elves still grow and develop the same way humans, gnomes, half-elves, tieflings, etc do. Given that Astarion grew up in a primarily human community, him being a 40 year old magistrate wasn't anything different from a 40 year old human.
@@EgalitarianWomanif memory serves, thats not exactly true. Elves are considered fully grown at 100 because thats when their memory of past lives disappears in favor of only their own memory, so its at least somewhat biological
Halsin failed for me because I'm too gay for Karlach. I'm sorry buddy, but muscly big wholesome person who was forced to do terrible things against their will is a position already taken in my team
I usually don’t really care to pick him up, knowing I’ll just pick up Jaheira later, but I’ll give him a shot this next time. I wanted to see if I would feel more compelled to take Wyll along with me if I multiclassed him into Paladin, so a new save is incoming.
I think it's not so much that Halsin isn't interested in Monogamy he's just willing to take what a partner can offer him. He's not going to make an ultimatum that you devote yourself to him. He talks about being free to roam but once he finds a place that he feels he belongs he is happy to be stay. He also is much more willing to see Tav as a mate and in a monogamous relationship with them.
Btw, about of his personal involvement in curing the curse: Halsin mentioned that Taniel was his first friend. therefore, he felt responsible for the boy's fate. literally nature is his bestie, how could he become anything else than a druid?😂
He brings it up during act 3, I don't recall off the top of my head when exactly, but he may only talk to you about it if you're close with him or romancing him?
During my playthroughs he brings it up after sleeping with the Drow twins in Act 3 (most unsettling pillow talk I've ever experienced). He also speaks about it as a source for some of his racism towards Drow in the past. During my second (and current) playthrough I'm playing as a Drow and thought that it might impact how our romance unfolds but aside from speaking about that experience and stating that he's not as over it as he thought he was (until he encountered me) I haven't noticed much dialogue different than when I was playing as a half Elf before.
@@Ravingprep First, there are Drow twins you can sleep with? Second, a reluctance to trust or straight up prejudice against Drow isn't the worst thing imaginable in the Forgotten Realms, I mean Lolth controls a vast majority of the Drow. There are exceptions with Drow breaking away but Lolth demands are horrific, I'm surprised Halsin would survived enslavement, one of Lolth's demands that other subraces of elves be sacrificed during full moons to spite the other elvish gods. On top of that you've got the enslavement of any non-Drow and Lolth manipulating her faithful to plot against each other and slaughter each other because that's what she wants. Not even the Drow are safe from other Drow, questioning Lolth or those she favors results in death or worse, becoming a drider, turning you into a demonic abomination with your identity and free will stripped from you.
@@Armorion You can find the Drow twins at Sharess' Caress on the first floor next to where you meet the owner. I chose to do my Dark Urge run as a Drow for the exact reason of everything you detailed above. It felt like a good place to start. The way Halsin described it, it seemed like he was an anomaly and that was all that kept the husband & wife interested in him (as opposed to tortured and murdered) and he escaped during one of their many noble family fights that broke out.
I think they made a huge misstep with Halsin by not allowing him to join the party as soon as you rescue him. Saving the grove and lifting the shadowcurse are kind of his story beats and once you get him on, his entire story is over.
Halsin was not even meant to be an companion. But people in early access loved him sm that they added him. I would take soooo much more work for them to create content where he would be relevant in act 1
Respectfully, I don't think that his story really ends there. What he's going through is just less of the focus due to the main story components drawing for so much attention. One of the big things for him is actually going to a city itself and discovering the way in which it's failing so many. He refers to it (with his frame of reference) as a "canopy" where those that need the most nurturing are unable to get it. You actually build alot of approval from him by positively interacting with the animals and children in the city. He even gets angry about how he feels the city is failing people and your Tav can kind of confront his fatalistic way of thinking (I was in a relationship with him at this point so I'm not sure if that's always an option) and he speaks more about his own need to keep growing. I think a country mouse in the big city is his big arc of Act 3 because its how the game ends for him. During my playthrough we went off together and cared for all the refugees and children in the reformed shadowlands. I couldn't have asked for a more (and I mean this in the most positive way) boring ending for us. After all the nonsense we'd been caught up in a nice mundane life reading bedtime stories was all we wanted. And while this does not contribute heavily to the main story, it is an important part about how it all ends and the rebuilding of Baldur's Gate and improvement of society. He basically helps to establish a new place for the refugees, that the city had been rejecting, to live. And not all of that rejection was from fear of the Absolute invading. Plenty of the city folks were just being plain xenophobic.
And don't even get me started on his growth through the relationship...
He joins your party at curse-breaking step 2/3, and he does offer to join your fight against the goblin leaders, it just reduces your chances of doing it with subtly
@@deniseh.8535 So I'm not really thinking they needed to add content, but after the party at the grove, there's all that time he "joins you" but kind of just stands at camp. I think he should have been playable at that point so he could play a more active (from player's perspective) role in removing the shadow curse and have the chance to be the party's initial guide through the shadow-cursed lands - which is kind of his thing. They already have a warning in place for bringing him into Moonrise Tower and they could have had him leave the party temporarily when the defending the portal quest comes up and I think it still would have worked.
I agree 100%. It’s awkward having him be at Camp without joining us! I don’t even need him to comment on everything I just want him to be a Companion immediately after he celebrates with the Tieflings/Deals with Kagha.
If Arabella dies, Halsin will cast out Kagha, even if she changes sides and repents. He draws a line in the sand at the death of a child, which is completely fair imo
Except when he slaughters the goblin children in the camp lmaooo 😅
@@juniebugbear goblins are disgusting, so the point still stands.
@@dariaradac423 im gonna say something and it is no way meant to be a slight towards you as a human but honestly that is incredibly racist and in a real world scenario, very problem behavior, but i sympathize a little as in my first playthrough i felt the same until i killed "one" and "two". Then i sat there for like 10 minutes in DEEP regret. Gave a laugh and verbally said to nobody because i was alone, "i killed those kids out of sheer convienience." I know they would have made the fight a little harder and longer but they were children at the end of the day. If they werent in the goblin society they could very well grow to be productive members of a less babrbaric society. I wish you could find "one" amd "two" post-slaughter and add them to camp but i get why they wouldnt. Them throwing rocks at a bear is both cruel and stupid but those are activities they were taught are fun and "good". And imagine them and Halsin growing to pass that. It could even add a Halsin potential story beat where they are kidnapped by orin or gortash, probably more gortash than orin since she does the "lover" or close relationship nabbing, in act 3 and halsin is worried because he has grown to "care" for the goblin children as somewhat of a father figure. Idk it sounds interesting on paper.
@juniebugbear i can imagine he wasn't in the right mind at that point though. he had been hurt by the goblins and in that moment soecifically, tormented by one and two.
i always make sure both survive, so neither of us have to feel too bad in the end lmao
Halsin heard about the “I choose the bear” thing and was like “I can do that if you’ll have me🐻”
Bear Halsin is in fact the chosen bear....
Honestly, it makes perfect sense that Halsin and all the other companions might fall for Tav just by Tav being kind to them. So many of them haven't received that kind of care from anyone in years, if ever. It sounds like Halsin has been pretty lonely and sad since the Shadowcurse. Karlach hasn't had a real friend or even someone else's touch in a decade, Gale wasn't treated very well by Mystra and then was alone in his tower for a whole year (with Tara), Shadowheart had Nocturne but she can't remember that, Lae'zel's culture doesn't have that kind of care, Astarion hasn't had real care in 2 whole centuries. Wyll is the closest to normal here but he's so young as to be naive and inexperienced and I doubt he's had many real friendships since he took the pact.
Wyll is the easiest to have just a friendship with too imo, and he's v respectful if you turn him down. I must say though that dance scene in Act 2 with him damn near turned me from Gale, it was so *charming*.
@@K.C-2049 Halsin's very kind about it as well. If you turn him down, he respects your decision and doesn't wish for it to ruin the friendship him and Tav created.
@@salazar556 yeh if you turn down Gale he gets over it pretty fast too I guess so that the game can continue to game. IDK it would kind of be neat if the writers had put in some lines where the person you turn down stays kind of choked/sad for a bit and they slowly get over it, but I understand how logistically difficult that would be to implement. I did end up romancing Halsin and I liked it a lot better than Gale's romance tbh :3
I bought this game with a mission, kiss the big warm hearted elf bear man I saw on twitter
Same
I bought it for the character creator and the vampire twink
honestly I bought it for and because of Astarion, but I am staying because of the best bear-turned-elf man, i still have no idea how i did my first walkthrough without him
The most amusing thing is the boar waiting in Halsin to “bring him a mate.”😂😂
Wonder if he’ll get one. Poor thing seem so desperate.
I'm playing a Dwarf Beast Master Ranger rn and just found that one. I became unalive from the laughter
All I know is, a hug from halsin would literally cure all my troubles.
NGL that shit do sound super nice
SAME 🥲
I actually love the early access backstory where Halsin was the one that killed Isobel (datamine says that it might have been in self-defense). It makes the weapon of Sorrow and his guilt that much stronger. He's been struggling with that guilt and obsessing over curing the curse for 100 years.
I'd love to have heard more about how distressed he was being in the city. I've been doing an 'oops all druids' playthrough, and I've had SO much of Halsin speaking on refugees and orphans and he seemed to need a lot of comfort during act 3. He also seemed angry at the city and I don't think he has any sort of anger control issues, he was definitely a little bit spicer than he usually was! Anyway, I love Halsin. He's my comfort elf 🥺
Datamined content shows that they intended to make Halsin more plot relevant in causing Isobel's death and even wrote him being a werebear which would explain his Orin kidnap scene where she pretends that he snapped. And there is literally no reason for Halsin to have to wait to become a companion until act 2 AFTER you rescue Thaniel. Like the man just hangs out at your camp for a large part of the game just doing nothing, it would change nothing story-wise to have him recruit sooner. He even said that he names a new Archdruid so like what were the writers waiting for?
Halsin is such an awesome character. He’s been through so much and had EVERY reason to be closed off and mad. But he isn’t.
He instead finds so much good in a world that has done so much harm to him. He enjoys such small things because over his hundreds of years living he’s learned just how much they matter.
Ducks are also wonderful
Halsin is one of a few who chose to be there without being infected. That alone meant a lot.
"I feel more in touch with nature after having it inside of me" 😂😂😂
Halsin was killed by Minthara in my game before I even entered the goblin camp and my best guess is that briefly entering the mountain pass to find the first fast travel point there triggered it. Make sure to finish the goblin camp before going anywhere!
To be fair the game does warn you before you enter the mountain pass. You get locked out of quite a bit of content that way, not just Halsin!
Some people have interpreted the self control issues and strong connection with his bear form as Halsin potentially being a werebear!
Some points in favor:
-Druids typically don’t take on the wild shape traits while in their human form, but Halsin has several lines of dialogue about being partially large for a wood elf, being hairy, liking honey, etc.
-it’s not really normal for Druids in dnd to have difficulties containing a wild shape, and it seems to be an entirely at will ability. Most of the time Druids have to put in effort to transform, not the other way around.
As someone who was SAed I feel seen by him and Astarion I love those boys so much
It could be argued that Gale was also SAed in a way, it's kind of nice to see male characters get that kind of representation. It doesn't happen all that often. Also I am very sorry you had to go through that.
@@jungtothehuimang Yes I think the same thing with Gale!!! Also thank you that's so sweet to say I've been in therapy for years now and it's helped a lot
@@jungtothehuimangNow that I think about it it's pretty interesting that three of the four main male cast were victims of sexual abuse, you don't see it often but it's very heavily represented in this game
@@gg2fan it think it was a very purposeful choice on Larian's part and I appreciate them both for giving male victims of SA representation and for allowing their female characters to have backstories that don't focus on SA.
I hope you get into some side characters in this series. Some deep dives into some of the really cool npc characters would be awesome! Especially because a lot of players who aren't paying attention might miss some of the real growth happening with SIDE characters in this game. I can totally see a whole bunch of people talking to Rolan once, thinking he's a pompous jerk, never talking to him again and missing out on one of the best character arcs in the game.
Rolan is one of my favorite NPCS! I would love to do videos on more of the side characters!
I second the idea of a Rolan video. @@PocketLeaves
MINTHARA NEXT ARRRGH (she’s my favorite non-origin companion I adore her and her societal trauma and trust issues.)
In my first (and current) playthrough he broke himself out, so he has even less reason to help me out, yet he still wants to. He's too pure
Halsin is one of my favorites characters because he is so simple and complex at the same time. While I haven't done a Halsin manogomous playthrough yet I have seen a video on it and it is very wholesome too. If you settle down with him and agree to raise the wayward children he comes and sayw "I never knew settling down with one would fit for me but I like this" and he is dedicated to you. He is open to being in a poly relationship but if you don't want to or don't consent he is cool with being the two of you and finds a deep joy and happiness on that is well. You get sperated for a short time (he goes ahead while you tie up loose ends) and says how hard it is to leave you but how he will look forward to being with you again.
I find with a game of so many deep complex characters he is kind of a breath air. While he has his own complexities he feels like an outsider looking in and still willing to go along for the ride and that's why I love him.
thanks for all these videos about BG3 characters! 😊Halsin is my favorite romantic choice considering how mature he is compared to the others, like an adult among rebellious idealistic teenagers. Yes, he is 350 years old, but this level of understanding and acceptance no matter what is an absolutely rare talent. and his impatience when excited only makes him more attractive to me. imagine how deeply a person excites him that he has to hold back despite of all these years and experience! 😄
i love wandering the map and i found oliver before i even knew who he was. man i was confused
As much as I love Halsin... Act 1 did him dirty. The archdruid of the emerald grove, centuries old elf who fought against Ketheric's forces and witnessed the rise of the Shadowcurse, shapeshifter who can turn into bear, boar, crow and rat (NPC exclusive too)... somehow got captured by a goblin party. If at the very least Minthara had been the one to subdue him but there's nothing, we just have to assume this beast of a man got caught .
And he's perfectly capable of getting out too considering he smashes through his cage and can solo the entire worg room if you don't free him yourself, and if you do, he can just peace out as a rat nobody who care for if they even saw him.
I also have to question why he got appointed as archdruid of the grove in the first place considering he doesn't like leading and he already had a self imposed duty to heal the Shadowcurse. And the whole Kagha situation... my my, he scolds her regardless of if she's redeemed or not and just peaces out, hoping the place won't go up in smoke by the time his successor arrives.
I always get sad thinking about Halsin because his character interactions are absolutely golded, every single one... but his connection to the plot is weak if not kinda terrible outside of Act 2.
Halsin is my favorite 💙
I love Halsin so much. I agree the shadow curse is basically his quest but id love a proper quest for him
Really love these character deep dives and your take on Halsin! He's truly one of the few good depictions of a healthy male role model figure in recent media, his down-badness aside 😂. We need more characters like him
WAITED FOR THIS-!! MY BEAR HUSBAND, FINALLY-!! 😭🐻❤️❤️❤️❤️
For me, I saw how lonely Halsin was as a character. Lost all his friends from the Shadow Curse, his family are all dead, kept as a slave in the Underdark, and escaped by chance...captured again by goblins and left to rot in a cell for days. Datamined audio states how he never settled down with a family of his own because of how dedicated to nature he is, despite being interested in doing so. He was made leader of the Grove without truly wanting to be, and it sounds like he wasn't that close with any of them. He has so many feelings of inadequacy despite his physical appearance and his image of being a powerful, wise figure. One being during the romance scene, he seems so angry with himself for having wildshaped and worried that Tav would be disgusted by him. Halsin also can't believe how Orin manages to kidnap him (if he is taken) despite his stature. Even after the final fight, he seems shocked you'd even want to go with him and stay by his side, and continues that worry at the party. It warmed my heart to see how happy he was with the family he'd always wanted, and to be in a place where he finally felt he belonged! He is my all-time favorite out of all the companions.
I also like that he's totally not perfect despite seeming like he is. Halsin has a lot of dialogue once the party reaches Baldur's Gate that honestly make his character development take a step backwards. The dialogue to prove to Halsin not to be closeminded like the druids in the Grove or Shadow Druids were are very helpful to his character growth. It would have been nice if they happened before Act 3, though. I would have loved if Halsin could join the party after the Tiefling party D:
will forever mourn the fact that halsin was the one that had supposedly killed isobel all those years ago in moonrise (early access and datamined content gives us this glimpse). he seemed to have so much more to him and it’s no wonder he feels responsible for bringing the shadow curse in the first place. isobel dying was the catalyst and if he could’ve joined us earlier, i feel like that would’ve given his character that final push to being a little more fleshed out. i love the big bear guy as he is right now, especially when you do dive in deeper into his own trauma with sexuality and intimacy, but i don’t know. as he is, him joining us after the shadow curse quest is done feels like too big a jump since it just feels like his story is over. either way, would love to see more of that explored.
I love this man so much!
It breaks my heart when he confesses about romanticizing his memories from when he was younger, especially with the drow. You can see and hear it in his voice as some of the trauma sinks in but he thanks you for helping him realize and listen.
Plus I just love how his happy ending is Tav, a sweet little life being an adoptive parent and absolutely head over heels in love.
He's legit perfect ❤
Really great seeing this. Halsin isn’t one of my favorites, and this was a nice contrast to my read on him. I tend to see him as a bit like early access Gale, needing one more pass and a slower romance path to let me appreciate him.
Talking about him as a person rather than as fiction, I can see much of your take. But as he is now, I resented not being able to say “I’m flattered, but I’m already in a relationship” without him acting as though I’d led him on. He adjusts well enough, but it was uncomfortable.
That's fair. I will admit it's a bit jarring when you're not trying to romance, because it's really hard to avoid if you're not ignoring him.
In a murderous world where danger is around every corner and scepticism is a common thing... Kindness is rare. It's understandable that in such a cold world, kindness towards anyone could be interpreted as "wanting something"
Literally just opened bg3 and just got the notif for this video right now, girl i love you and your timing
A surface elf getting captured by the drow as a personal 'consort' to a matron mother went through more then just 'pleasurable' experiences. He's lucky to be alive, let alone in one piece. If you want a good look into the story of the drows lore, look into R.A Salvatore's Dritzzt Du'Urden series. The first 3 book are an amazing look into drow society.
I guess he doesn't really make that clear - he mentions that he could just as easily have been put to work in some mine or killed outright, but when talking about the experience itself, he stops at "I did what was necessary to survive... and perhaps a few things that weren't *necessary*😏"
The thing is, the game could actually give you an idea of what drow women are like through Minthara - who, ironically, should be dead if you're romancing Halsin (though apparently there is a trick for keeping both alive) - but she's extremely tame, from what I've understood. She should technically be worse for Tav's health than romancing Lae'zel.
to me halsin seemed v much like an anarchist, he care abt ppl and nature and the good of everyone while also caring deeply abt autonomy and ppl's ability to make their own decisions. he rejects his position of authority and is preoccupied abt the failings of authority in general like how he hates being in a city and seeing ppl starving and uncared for while the rest of the city keeps going he wants everyone to have autonomy and help, he even says he thinks ppl have too narrow of ideas on what a person can or should be. i think it also fits with him being the only person that doesnt blame you if you dont help him, hes so appreciative if you do help him bc he knows you dont have to, and why he decides he wants to help you do whats for the greater good without having any personal reason to do so! his whole character is very ppl should be free to do what they want as long as they cause no harm which also includes inaction in the face of others suffering.
absolutely LOVED this analysis! Halsin is definitely in my top three of the companions and i think he is slept on (no pun intended) as a character beyond "Big bear daddy Halsin".
Literally I have never had Halsin in my party once in all my playthroughs but have still done his quest. Despite him never being in my party, he still has always tried to hit on me in act 3.
That is so interesting. He didn't come on to me or seem to accept my advances on play throughs where he was never on the party. I wonder what the difference is
Same. I barely ever use Halsin and he's always dtf. Doesn't matter if my Tav is in a relationship or not, manbearpig wants in. It's rather off-putting, actually.
@@MarieCurtis92 I really wish I could turn him down at the end of act 2 when he implies he's only sticking around because wants my ass, before he starts waxing poetic with the "My heart does not stir easily" speech.
Halsin is such a great character none the last because he was made a companion by popular demand so he's practically tailor made to the audience that wanted him. I gleefully include myself in that.
But the writers at Larian gave him enough backstop and character development that kept him in theme with Baldur's Gate 3 and the breaking of abusive cycles. While Astarian, Shadowheart, and Lazel are all at the beginning of their journey, Halsin is the character that has come out the other side of it and his quiet, safe presence is testiment to it. Though tha being said, he always stuck me as the kind of person deals with his own problems by being very giving of himself, I think I remeber a diolauge with him about he's so used to taking care of everyone he's forgotten what it's like when someone asks how he's going.
I think Halsin can also serve as proof that time can heal, at 350 he is the oldest of all the companions and just the amount of life experience. When people talk about the age of th e ompanion I dont think they take the racial stats in consideration; elf, human, half-elf, and so on. For example Astarian was turned age 39 which is firmly an adult by human standards and while Elves physically mature at the same rate as humans in dnd they don't reach thier cultural majority until age 40 so Astraion is the Elven equivalent of 17 or 18 and Shadowheart as a Half-Elf at age 40 puts her in the equivalent of her early 20s.
I was legit about to come watch Neil's new stream and I get this notif instead so fuck it let's goooooo
With the amount of MUSCLES this man is carrying i think it is a heinous crime hes not multiclassed bear totem barbarian 😂
YES! Ready for some Halsin content! I love him so much
First play through I got through the camp with just myself (monk), shadowheart, and halsin because I didn’t know where the other companions were. He got beat to shit, went through all his wild shapes, and was bloody and bruised until I could recruit him. Like BRO, rest for silvanus’ sake!
I like him. He shows there is more to being polyamorous than fucking and that he cares and has bonds with all his partners. He is a great rep for polyam people he shows another side, the side that super judgemental people don't like acknowledging. He cares for the consent of your current partner if you got one already, he wants everyone to have agency.
I love the big teddy bear
Love your vids especially the deep dives
These analysis vids are brilliant, thank you very much. Just getting back into the game now with a new playthrough.
really interesting analysis on Halsin, keep up the great work!
This is my favourite series currently happening on youtube ✨ (second is your black butler overviews lmao)
I had been waiting for this video 😍 great point that Halsin is a foil as a leader to the dead three
I love your analysis videos on each of the characters! You've honestly inspired me to make my own deep dive videos on these characters and share my own thoughts and opinions on each character and explain how I interpret them. I honestly have so much to say about each companion so who knows how long these videos would be but I love talking about this game so why not try it out! But yeah, your deep dive videos are awesome and are really well done! I love hearing how you interpreted the characters and reading other people's comments on how they interpreted them. That's what makes these characters so fun.
This video did NOT disappoint!! I was sooo excited for this one because I really wanted to learn more about him and man I didn't know I'd relate to him so much! I really like him!! ☺️
I HAVE BEEN WAITING SO LONG FOR THIS VIDEO LETS GOOOOOI
So many ppl hating on Halsin really got me confused 🤔 maybe i never have a problem with him while playing. If im romancing him it’s nice, but i romancing someone else and reject him he was very chill about it, never been spicy salty at all
Astarion freaking F tire, walking talking red flag vampire man.
Halsin beyond S tire he's in yes please tire.
Sweet, new Pocket video. Halsin is my second least character, not because of any fault of his own but because of how damn good the other companions are.
OMG that's so fair! That's my problem with ranking all the companions. I just love them all so much
I love Halsin sm, and while I enjoy the Polyamory representation, my heart broke when he told me about his time in the Underdark. :(
I think there's a lot more they could have done with him. Honestly, this is partially why I wish the Underdark played a bigger part. Halsin was made a slave by drow and I would have been interested in seeing him interact with more drows.
I don’t know if you already considered this but would you „unpack“ Gortash, Orin and Ketheric? I’ve also been thinking about Raphael cause people keep misinterpreting him as just a narcissist devil who only would like to sleep with himself and he is so much more than that 🧙♂️:(
Yes, I would love to cover more of the characters!!
@@PocketLeavesI’m looking forward to it! Don’t stress tho and take your time, looking into a character takes a lot of time 🫶🦇
If you solo romance him he says you can take others but he only needs you, and I find that sweet and understanding
Will say that redeeming Kagha after learning it was possible on my 3rd playthrough was when I actually enjoyed her as a problem. She actually means well and is being manipulated to think the Shadow Druid's path will be better for the Grove.
My only issue with Kagha is that I wish they made her a bit younger so her being easily manipulated made sense.
"My only issue with Kagha is that I wish they made her a bit younger so her being easily manipulated made sense."
well that makes absolutely no sense.
She's a wood elf, they live around 750 years and aren't considered adults until they're 100. What do you mean 'a bit' younger? 20 years? 50? 100? Even if she was barely 100 years old, she's looked like that for the majority of her life so for her to look any younger she would have to be a child by elf standards and there's no way a wise druid like Halsin (who is 350 years old btw) would have a literal child as his 2nd in command.
I actually really appreciate them not making her young. It's an important thing to show, that adults...even older adults...can and do get manipulated into doing stupid stuff everyday in the real world. Being young doesn't inherently make you gullible, and being older doesn't make you immune to it.
i love this man so much. he's so perfect in every way. where do i find a man like him??
I never have used Halsin as an active party memeber and that big bodied elf boi is always trying to get at me. 😂 I have yet to see the fabled "bear" scene...... Maybe one day. 🤣
*looks for BG3 character analysis as videos like this help me get things done*
TH-cam Recommendations in my time of need:
up until like yesterday, i lowkey hated halsin. then i had an epiphany and i now love him dearly. i’m not sure what happened in my brain, but i’m glad it led me here. :-)
Halsin is also the absolute goat of most of my playthroughs because he’s always the one that gets kidnapped and he’s died permanently twice (my very first playthrough he glitched as a following companion and I couldn’t control him it was weird)
Most of this video willl need to wait on the Watch Later list for a bit. Managed to not acquire Halsin in my first two play throughs, first by overlooking the goblin prison entirely, and second by starting the ritual without resting after gumming up at Last Light so badly Ketheric was singing my praises
It should’ve been Kagha who joins the party. She has potential to be both a good or bad companion unlike Halsin and imo has more story to provide than Halsin as well.
In act 1 give us the option to kick out or kill the teiflings and side with the Shadows. Have the SDs send Kagha with us to the Shadow lands to retrieve some shadow object or something. If we redeemed her then the SDs can show up in act two and Kagha has to once again resist temptation and stop them. With her we can maybe also decide to keep or heal the Shadow curse.
In act 3 if evil the object could’ve been taken or broken and we have to find/fix it in the city. If good then she’s just with us continuing her redemption.
Kagha has barely any redeeming qualities and I was very happy when Arabella’s parents gave her the brutal death she deserved. I take my polyamorous bear over that snake any day (beside, I’m not into women). Her redemption felt cheap on top of that, Halsin forgave her way to easily considering she tried to commit murder on an innocent child. Besides, it’s more fitting for Halsin to cleanse the curse as it has a personal meaning for him as he took part in the first defeat of Ketheric.
As much as I love me some Halsin, this would have made for some compelling story telling
I would've loved to have Kagha as a companion instead. Just with different hair. 🤣 The devs did her so dirty with the look they ultimately gave her.
@@MarieCurtis92 Her hair is supposed to resemble a cobra. I think that fits very well with her character.
@@Candy_McK That's a cool take. I didn't see that before.
fav party member
my only reasoning is "big bear man 😍"
Halsin is my dude for sure man. Super duper wholesome homie of the party. I was a little put off by how quickly he was tryin to bone my Dwarven Ranger. I was like "hey man you give the BEST hugs but thats as physical as Im trying to get
I would love to hear your thoughts on Dame Aylin!
Ive never heard the idea of Halsin having control issues because of anger, i also really hate it because thats literally the complete opposite of who he is as a character. Halsin is joy and love, imo his control issues probably come from his inner child being a bit too strong, much like when you see an animal that is so cute you cant help but squee. This is probably why he became such good friends with Thaniel, an eternal child and why all the kids he adopts love him so much, because really he himself is still just a fun goofy kid at heart🤷♂️
I have found a father figure 🥹
To me Halsin reads as truly, deeply insecure. We meet him during what is probably the biggest professional fuck up of his life, then take him on a journey through his centuries old guilt complex. And after all of that when you talk to him, he talks repeatedly about his failures as a leader, his lack of closeness to other people in recent years, and his doubts that you want him. When you meet him in the woods during his romance scene, he’s surprised that you came. When he looses control of himself, he thinks that you’ll leave. I find it really hard to see the kind of fuck boy persona other players see in him.
I'm not sure how exactly you interpret the word 'fuckboy' here - it seems to be used in various ways from 'womanizer' to 'slut' to 'pretty and he knows it', I guess it must be the latter because the other two don't really imply a lack of insecurities, but then... he doesn't really behave in that way either?
The way I see him, these are just two different and mostly unrelated sides of him.
1) He believes he's committed a few terrible fuck-ups in his life which he feels responsible for, and as a consequence of this he has deep-seated insecurities about his worth and believes he doesn't deserve certain things in life (at least until he's fixed them - "Currently, I bed down alone. Once I talk less of parasites and curses, perhaps my fortunes will improve". It only becomes possible to start that romance with him after the Shadow Curse has been lifted, because he feels like he finally deserves something positive in his life again).
2) He's highly sexual, and this is basically the one thing he is *not* insecure about. He knows he's hot and that he's good in bed. During the romance scene when he loses control, I feel like that's entirely understandable considering it's somewhat implied that he's been dry for a full century, but he just sees it as another manifestation of his tendency to fuck things up and expects Tav to interpret it in the same way.
To me, he is a calming presence, strong and powerful when necessary, humbled by experience, and extremely comfortable with his own body - and those of others 😏 which he'll make extremely sure you'll know as soon as he's had a chance to vanquish some of his demons (and technically even before - even if he never actually accepts any advances before you lift the Shadow Curse, literally the first conversation I had with him as soon as I set foot in the Shadow-cursed lands, ended with him kinda staring at me for a second and going "Oh sorry sometimes I get distracted by the beauty of nature's creations". I did not flirt with him once, because my character is awkward like that, that was all him). And that mouth of his after the romance scene XD If you pick the druid-specific conversation option, he has to rein himself in to not just take you then and there. Dude *fucks* - once he allows himself to do it. His insecurities don't cancel that out, they basically just delay it (and honestly, who wants to fuck when they're miserable because they can't stop thinking about that one time they broke the world?)
I agree a thousand percent with this take. Halsin looking to start a relationship with Tav has always come across to me as him searching for a new purpose in life. No more grove, no more shadow curse to obsess over, no family to return to... Dude's looking for an anchor. Same with Minthara really, since she's lost everything.
Hes forgettable next to everyone because hes mentally well and has a moral core.
Me (being mean to halsin): Tch. Stop being such a simp bear man don't let me talk to you like that.
Halsin (being mad at my choice and yelling at me): ....I'm sorry..😢
Do you have any plans on doing minthara in the future?
In my playthrough as my female monk character, when Halsin proposed a polyamorous thing with me and Shadowheart, I gently let him down. He took it well but the VERY NEXT DAY, out in the field he talked about wanting to go swimming with me and Shadowheart. Then later on, when we visited the brothel, he tried again. Not cool Daddy Halsin. lol
🐻👈❤
Unpacking Minthara when pls ((bc I find her so fascinating))
I REALLY WANT TO BECAUSE I LOVE HER!!! Probably with in the next couple of months! I'm still actually making my way through the play through where she's on my party, so I want to wait until I finish that!
@@PocketLeaves YIPPEEE
14:00 😢 I was romancing Karlach and she didn’t like that I brought up Halsin. I had originally wanted to pursue Wyll while I couldn’t touch her and she got upset as well
I find it very amusing that people give Laezel a break even though she starts off as a murderous racist zealot hell bent on sacrificing everything for her mission and we pretty much can assume she killed children befor because Laezel is a companion.
But Kagha naaah bro she has shiny loot and isnt a companion, she is the worst how dare she... be misguided in her religous belief to the point of harming other people and considering them to be lesser beings... huh.
And i mean at least Laezel killed children (again, very educated but a guess) because she thought it was the only way to survive... huh.
I mean at least Laezel and learns and shows remorse while Kagha... huuuh...
Also reality is that Halsin was young way over 100 years ago, since then he fought Ketheric, became archdruid and led a community for 100 years. If he couldnt deal with trauma from his past 100-200 years ago but only NOW decided to do it because he made contact with the player character, then he is either terribly written or mentally impaired, so i chose to believe he dealt with it on his own like adult that he is.
I don't think caring about consent deserves to be praised, it should be expected in the same way that paying for your food at a restaurant is expected. Letting evil people dictate the customs and course of our societies can't be a good thing in the long term.
Weird bear sex thing aside, he seems like a really cool guy.
Oh you're absolutely right, it shouldn't be praised and should be expected. It's just the sad reality that it's not as common as it should be. When I was in college, they had required seminars all about defining consent and trying to teach people how important it was.
@@PocketLeaves Well I don't think colleges are capable of tackling such subjects in an effectual manor. Good morals are taught in stable home environments. Governments, corporations and colleges have proven themselves immoral and unfit to tell anyone how to live. Consent sounds like something that should be covered in sex ed, which should be covered long before you go to college.
Can you do a character analysis of a unnamed bandit 15
I dumped Gale for Halsin in act 3 and honestly I regret it a little
I honestly love Halsin, he's my favourite character, but there's just one thing that makes me so infinitely annoyed when trying to romance him. You literally CAN'T unless you are already romancing another character. On my first playthrough that got to act 3, I was trying to romance Halsin, never showed interest in the other companions romantically, and I thought I'd be able to romance him. NOPE, nothing. And I mean, I get it, he's not technically a main story character, but I'd like to have the ability to romance him without having to go through another characters romance route. Just my take anyways.
I had a friend romance Halsin with out romancing anyone else? They even got the conversation with Wither's at the end of act 2 about not having a "bosom companion". Not entirely sure what approval you have to hit to romance him, I've always done it kind of on accident (mostly just not planned)
I also turned away everyone and got to romance halsin solo in act 3. Wonder if it's an approval rating thing?
This is one thing I really love about this game. As much as we are all having similar experiences, slight variations are making big differences. During my first playthrough I was completely unable to romance Astarion at all (despite initially really wanting to) and ended up with Halsin almost by default. The approval rating system is the thing to really look out for...that and making choices associated with being helpful to others and kind to animals & nature.
I only romance Halsin but i thought the same as you ( it took me 4 long rest doing nothing in act 3 to wait for the romance dialogue)
me: watching this while doing an evil run, because my ranger's run got sidelined by mod updates: .. ;_; i miss halsin.
The worst part of an evil run
me being in a polyamorous relationship myself makes me appreciate Halsins existence
Cant help but wish poly romances were more common in gaming though(I will not forgive Larian for having Shadowheart fall with karlach at first sight and not allow a poly romance between em and Tav)
I also really wish there were more ways to do poly romances with out downloading mods! But I'm glad people have made mods to make that possible!
Fun thing is that in dnd lore it has been established that wood elves like Halsin are known to be very poly unlike their other elven counterparts.
Im just finishing up my first playthrough and haslin has only been a hassle to equip since you get jaheira first and she does most of what he does better.
Omg yeah. Jaheira was way easier for me to use well! I think her default subclass is just one that I enjoy more
YES GIRLIE I’VE NEVER CLICKED SO FAST IN MY LIFE
I didn’t know Lae’zel would leave you? I didn’t do the Crèche AT ALL in my first playthrough and Lae’zel brought it up and I basically got to apologize to her and she stayed. Maybe it’s cuz I had super high approval with her? Idk.
Halsin is daddy
Jaheira is only 150 years old making her Halsin's junior by 200 years
Oh wow! The way she talks, I thought she was at least 400 or so.
@@PocketLeaves I'm sure she feels that old XD
I have a friend who was convinced he was a fae and tbh its ruined my life
You can be evil and still save the shadow lands. Just talk to art via Speak to the Dead and he gives you enough information to then meet Helsin at the beach.
Ooh my evil run, Halsin didn't even survive past act 1
@PocketCon ahh see I still save the Grove even when evil because it gives more of a bonus especially if you have the druids attack the tieflings for the extra Exp. And being able to get the Nature Idol
Wait, Astarion was 39 when he was turned into a vamp spawn? But dnd-elves reach adulthood at 100?
It's not that they reach biological adulthood at 100, it's that they're considered full adults in traditional elven society at that point. Elves still grow and develop the same way humans, gnomes, half-elves, tieflings, etc do. Given that Astarion grew up in a primarily human community, him being a 40 year old magistrate wasn't anything different from a 40 year old human.
@@EgalitarianWomanif memory serves, thats not exactly true.
Elves are considered fully grown at 100 because thats when their memory of past lives disappears in favor of only their own memory, so its at least somewhat biological
@@williamchristy9463 Depends on what version of D&D.
@@EgalitarianWoman Talking about specifically forgotten realms, of course, because that's the game's setting.
Halsin failed for me because I'm too gay for Karlach. I'm sorry buddy, but muscly big wholesome person who was forced to do terrible things against their will is a position already taken in my team
I usually don’t really care to pick him up, knowing I’ll just pick up Jaheira later, but I’ll give him a shot this next time. I wanted to see if I would feel more compelled to take Wyll along with me if I multiclassed him into Paladin, so a new save is incoming.
I think it's not so much that Halsin isn't interested in Monogamy he's just willing to take what a partner can offer him. He's not going to make an ultimatum that you devote yourself to him. He talks about being free to roam but once he finds a place that he feels he belongs he is happy to be stay. He also is much more willing to see Tav as a mate and in a monogamous relationship with them.
Btw, about of his personal involvement in curing the curse: Halsin mentioned that Taniel was his first friend. therefore, he felt responsible for the boy's fate. literally nature is his bestie, how could he become anything else than a druid?😂
14:50 I have 436 hours in this game and I have never heard of this, where do you find this out?
He brings it up during act 3, I don't recall off the top of my head when exactly, but he may only talk to you about it if you're close with him or romancing him?
As far as I remember, he may mention it after a night with the drow siblings in the brothel
During my playthroughs he brings it up after sleeping with the Drow twins in Act 3 (most unsettling pillow talk I've ever experienced). He also speaks about it as a source for some of his racism towards Drow in the past. During my second (and current) playthrough I'm playing as a Drow and thought that it might impact how our romance unfolds but aside from speaking about that experience and stating that he's not as over it as he thought he was (until he encountered me) I haven't noticed much dialogue different than when I was playing as a half Elf before.
@@Ravingprep First, there are Drow twins you can sleep with?
Second, a reluctance to trust or straight up prejudice against Drow isn't the worst thing imaginable in the Forgotten Realms, I mean Lolth controls a vast majority of the Drow. There are exceptions with Drow breaking away but Lolth demands are horrific, I'm surprised Halsin would survived enslavement, one of Lolth's demands that other subraces of elves be sacrificed during full moons to spite the other elvish gods. On top of that you've got the enslavement of any non-Drow and Lolth manipulating her faithful to plot against each other and slaughter each other because that's what she wants. Not even the Drow are safe from other Drow, questioning Lolth or those she favors results in death or worse, becoming a drider, turning you into a demonic abomination with your identity and free will stripped from you.
@@Armorion You can find the Drow twins at Sharess' Caress on the first floor next to where you meet the owner.
I chose to do my Dark Urge run as a Drow for the exact reason of everything you detailed above. It felt like a good place to start. The way Halsin described it, it seemed like he was an anomaly and that was all that kept the husband & wife interested in him (as opposed to tortured and murdered) and he escaped during one of their many noble family fights that broke out.