He’s a hard case to open, but when you do, he’s filled with so much beautiful emotions and feelings inside that go from ‘survival of fittest’ to ‘I need to survive to protect you.’ And Astarion *loves* the hell out of you when you romance him, there isn’t a single moment he doesn’t compliment you or want to talk to, he’s just always there, always listening and hearing you out despite never getting the chance before his whole life. The way he acts and speaks, it all was a clever scheme first but breaks down the time he realizes PC loves him for who he is than who he was made as, and the small friendship we gave him was counterpart to 200 years of misery. Tldr; Astarion best man.
Same. The creators knew what they were doing with him, especially his eyes. You’re able to see vulnerability, sadness, anger, happiness, and other emotions. I love it!
@@snonyabeeswax, agreed. Getting to know who he really is, is key. Some people just kill him off before giving themselves a chance to know him. The reasons are stupid and endless. He’s a vampire, he can’t be trusted, he has no redeeming qualities, he’s too sarcastic, blah blah blah 😒 I can’t stand those people. Know someone, real or fictional, before you judge them.
He really speaks with his eyes, you can pin point where he's full of crap and when he's for real very easily. Larian did such a great job with subtle animations.
Patch 6 brought many of this subtle micro facial expressions, especially around the eyes 😉 You can easily notice the diffrents in „borrow” fragment with dragonborn Durge, who comes from patch 5 or even earlier one 😉
He so does.. the one thing that makes dominating the absolute as Durge worth while is the 'conversation' between him/her and Ascended Astarion the moment AA realizes that Durge is seizing control for them both. The meaning there actually makes it surprising to me that people haven't used it as part of the evidence that AA's rough actions with Tav/Durge is about ensuring their survival not because he's become an abuser.
That "What? Why?" always breaks my heart. The way he said it makes me think that no one has chosen him, or genuinely wanted him, in over 200 years. The fact that someone would decidedly pick him is almost incomprehensible to him
goblin vs tiefling party is a perfect example of how good Neil nailed his expressiveness...the lines are exactly the same, but you can tell in the goblin version he's reserved, almost a little afraid of you, whereas in the tiefling version he's relaxed and starting to let his guard down a little bit (even if he catches himself getting vulnerable and rushes you away).
I would do anything to protect Spawn Astarion tbh. Yeah, he starts off as a huge walking red flag, but earning his genuine trust and affection is worth it. I'll never agree with some people's take that he's pure evil or whatever. No, he's a deeply lonely and traumatized character who, first and foremost, wants desperately to feel safe and seen. And especially when you are playing the resisting Dark Urge, if you take care of him, he'll take care of you. Astarion is a character who has been literally FORCED to do terrible things against his will and had the kindness tortured right out of him. I love how the game allows you to help him get in touch with his feelings and his sense of empathy again. Sure, you can let him give in to his darker impulses, and a lot of people find that fun and exciting, but in my opinion it's the most tragic path for him and I couldn't bear to give that to him. He's a character who's at his best when he's able to properly start healing.
The way his voice breaks when he says “he said my screams sounded sweetest” is literally the most heartbreaking thing ever. Neil Newbon is too good for this world 😭
I saw the scene where Astarion talks about being locked in a tomb for a year in my own save and I had to take a break for a couple hours because I couldn't move on from that. I've barely seen anyone discussing that dialogue and I don't know why. Neil's acting is so phenomenal all throughout the game but his acting in that scene specifically was just something else entirely. There's just so much emotion. Re watching it had me sobbing again.
@@MadSnusmumrik It is act 3 but the scene is prior to Cazador's fight/convincing Astarion to stay a spawn. It happens after you fight his "siblings" when they try to kidnap him during a long rest shortly after talking to Petras and Dalyria in Fragyo's Flophouse in Wyrm's Crossing.
My favorite thing is how Astarion straight up is a sweetie. he's a softie and a little sweetheart. you just have to get through several layers of trauma first
It's not in the video but my favorite example of his vulnerability showing on his face and betraying his words is when he says "isn't that what you want? To lose yourself in me?" During the romance scene in act 1 if you ask him what he is wants. He looks so sad, like it's a line he's said a thousand times over and he's exhausted by it. He's literally giving himself over as an object to be used and his pain shows in his eyes. It hits harder the second time around after knowing his story
I need to show this to anyone who hates on Astarion and says he's just a bitchy character who wants to cause chaos and trouble. No, there's something much deeper underneath the surface.
Yes! He’s been conditioned by Cazador to act like a jerk, but he never wanted to act like that. Doing the right thing meant torture, so naturally he stopped doing good. When we meet him he was just taken away from Cazador, so naturally his soft side isn’t going to take over right away. He needs patience, kindness, and understanding on his journey to being his true self again.
Neil not winning the BAFTA was a travesty. His acting here is leagues above anything I have seen in a video game for years. Everyone else nominated was brilliant, but he's in a class all his own. How is he not a household name? He needs to be in everything.
Something that occurred to me recently is that if not for the tadpole, he'd have been the bad guy's "evil" minion who you'd kill without a second thought. His psychology is very interesting to me because it's so layered and complex. Surface level, he just seems like a cruel, sassy person, your classic token evil teammate. But the more you learn, the more you realize he's not an "uwu evil cuz he's sad" character as so many like to brush him off as. It's not just that bad things happened to him and that makes him so tortured and tragic, NO, he's someone who has been forced to partake in evil and someone whose good instincts have been brutally conditioned out of him. 10:44 this is the lynchpin of everything, as it illustrates this perfectly; doing the right thing is something to be swiftly and harshly punished. No wonder he chafes so much with heroic characters at the beginning. Imo, his apathy is as much a coping mechanism as his disassociation during intimacy is, and the closer he gets to Cazador, the more he leans on it. And yet it still wrestles with his empathy, which is not dead yet either. Faced with Sebastian and his other victims, he does almost nothing but grovel and apologize and promise to free them. With the right dialogue prompts, either Sebastian and/or the player can even inflict a STAT DEBUFF on him because they said something that made him feel THAT guilty--literal physic damage. Once Cazador is truly gone, he's allowed to let it go and actually indulge in his humanity again--which he does in his Spawn epilogues. He's such a fascinating character
Beautifully written! He has expressed time and again that he was forced to do bad things. He didn’t want to do these things, he wanted to do the right thing but doing the right thing meant torture so naturally he stopped trying. As he expressed at 10:42 he once tried to have mercy on someone and was then locked away in a tomb for a year; would you have the courage to do the right thing after that? Just like with war, after doing enough killing you get desensitized and then all you see are enemies. 200 years of doing evil things changes a person. After 200 years of being a certain person, it is going to take a LONG time for a person’s habits and philosophies to change. People need to give Astarion a break. How would we feel wif we were in his shoes? We would want people to be patient and caring with us.
@@vella8650 even beyond having the courage, he straight up couldn't leave or rebel. People really gloss over the fact that Astarion is being entirely literal when he says he's a puppet to Cazador. He could try to disobey all he liked, but the magic would override his will and force obedience anyways. We can see this in action with Aurelia and Leon during the scene where they try to kidnap him; you can convince them to help you and Cazador's orders still take over their bodies and force them to attack anyways. I don't even think Cazador has to be aware of them turning on him, his just has to issue the orders once and the sire bond or whatever it is will automatically enforce his order. Who among us would keep trying to rebel when they know they'll be physically forced to do it anyways AND THEN punished horrifically for disobeying? Who wouldn't give up in such a hopeless situation?? Being the evil minion was the only thing that made existence more bearable because anything else was an excuse for his abuser to hurt him more. That would mess with anyone's sense of morality, especially after 200 years. It's honestly a miracle he's redeemable at all.
@@primrosettSo good to see people actually acknowledge it, I've seen others straight up saying that he's just evil for shits and giggles because he said something about murder being fun. I hate when people use their own 2024 morality in fantasy games/books and sure there are sick characters out there but in good writing there's always a reason for it and I think Astarion has an extremely good one to be the way he was when you meet him.
Honestly, I'd hug him a thousand times and another thousand times more... as long as he'll feel safe no matter what.. Sex is not the only thing to show affection and care for others.. hugs and kisses can too
It’s doubly strange when Ascended Astarion seemed to forget everything and began to behave abusively towards the Tav. Like a completely different person. Cruel, toxic and destructive.
@@Usergh5374 that’s cuz the ascension is profane for a reason.. after sacrificing that much lives… and gaining much power.. it basically threw all his character development out of the window because he doesn’t need it anymore since he’s an all powerful being who doesn’t have to be afraid or humble to anyone..
He was human, sincere and vulnerable with Tav. There is nothing to indicate that this was a lie. What made his personality such was not cowardice, helplessness or obedience. Perhaps with the denouement of AA the writers wanted to emphasize that violence begets a new cycle of violence. The version where Astarion remains a spawn breaks this circle. @@solaranceshiro1643
I had no idea he got his reflection back if he ascended! My dislike of AA aside, it does make me happy that he got to see himself again, even if I will have to hunt him down in a couple hundred years when he inevitably becomes total and pure evil 🙃
Yes, that softened my heart too. However, the sentences after are how beautiful he is and now understand why so many follow him to Cazador. I think soon he won't be interested anymore. just like in the sun (he will cast fog over the world) and then what's left?
We really need a scene where you can show him how he looks for the spawn ending. We could so easily use our ilithid powers to show him or even get Oskar to paint him (it'd make that dang quest more worthwhile at least :/) and you just... can't! For no reason! They dangle easy answers in front of us and don't let us use them, it drives me crazy.
Beautifully edited! Like this, it adds an amazing sense of context when overlapped. I can say with some confidence that this is the best argument for Spawn Astarion. Beneath the theatrics and chaos is a fragile heart, exposed and raw nerves, and the glimmer of a desire for change. When nurtured, it flares into hope, which will light the way to true realization and self actualization. Breaking a torturously endless cycle is the most beautiful aspect and action of Astarion's character. May we all be so lucky to find that desire and courage for change. ❤
I love this sweet man. I´m happy I romanced him. Long before I even got the game I saw him here and there as if it was a little subconcious calling. I dont look out for games that much. I play 2-3 games for years and then have a long break. Well, there he was, metaphorically lurking in the corners of my eye. That white hair always got me, long before him. White haired characters are just yes. An elf? Wow. Long ears?? Sign me up? I also found it somewhat healing to be able to look through him as a whole. I never distrusted my guts. Yes, its a little "too" personal, but he means a lot to me. I am on my 4th run and never had him leave my side. It makes me happi! Also your little ":O" was so unexpectedly cute!! Thank you for this video, dear stranger!
@@OonalovesAstarionssimpleplan Same here friend. For me its an entirely different story that would sound very strange for a lot of people not familiar with companions in terms of spirituality but that´s alright. But I can effortlessly talk about Astarion for hours. I often hyperfixate on details about him with friends who just listen and have no idea who im even talking about but they enjoy it haha. Anywho- I love calling myself his comfort plushie.
I have a lot of thoughts about this game, but one of them is that you really don’t need Astarion to ascend, even if it comes down to it being about being a powerful character you can use in battle. You don’t need to become and illithid either. You don’t need to make any change to any character in order to beat the game, because everyone you fight is perfectly beatable with a decent tactic. I didn’t ascend him, I became an illithid to give my party better chances, but then I beat the game with another save where nobody ascended and I was still the same old Tav, and I beat it anyway. It was only marginally harder, but still very much doable. And I love how these choices to corrupt your characters’ morals are not forced on you. You can literally beat the game however you want, aim for the outcome you want, and that way you’ll always be satisfied by how the story goes. Now I have to say I’m sad because I think I really found the perfect game that gave me everything I could’ve possibly wanted, so that means I’ll probably never experience anything like it again. And that’s just sad. But I mean, for now I’ll just keep exploring different storylines and outcomes I guess, so the fun’s not over… like, at all. One thing I’ll never do though is let Astarion ascend. Because i love him for the character he really is, and AA ain’t it.
AA is genuinely heartbreaking because he basically becomes the new Cazador. Cazador was also horrifically abused until he killed his abuser, just like Astarion. With AA, Astarion just continues the cycle of abuse and it’s damn tragic… The main difference between Cazador and Astarion is that Astarion has his found family to support him. It’s an amazing message about generational trauma.
I love the way you edited the video. The slowmo after the "its everywhere" scene, where you can see the shock in his face. And you edited the scene where you "force him to sleep with him" while he talks about how he lured victims for cazador. I love the details and visionalation. ❤
His voice (and the total disregard of other people at first that still is funny rofl) reminds me of Tom Ellis as Lucifer and his personality and line delivery of Klaus from Umbrella Academy! I guess I have 2 new faves now! (Astarion and the Voice actor!)
The AA fans who think it's ridiculous that Astarion becomes an insufferable asshole... like you helped him sacrifice 7000 people to an archdevil, and every character, ASTARION INCLUDED, will tell you making a deal with a devil (be it Raphael or Haarlep) is a terrible idea. So what makes him--and you-- think making a deal with Mephistopheles will turn out better? Nah, that's the bed you made. And it's got an archdevil in it. That being said I really like how giving Astarion what he wants will ruin him, but giving him what he needs will help him.
AA being an insufferable prick really drives home that this was not what he needed to be happy. He’s still terrified, under the surface. He clings to power in an effort to feel safe, but power comes with threats and so now he will NEVER feel safe. It’s tragic, and a perfect way to illustrate that it didn’t solve anything
His "I love you." At 6:00, I'm still not sure if he's just saying that to try to charm the player, like in the previous pick up lines. Seems like he subconsciously meant it, especially since he seems genuinely hurt after you say, "I don't want this." 😭😭😭
@@HugPug100 Many people interpret this differently. but we don't know. But I think that the moment he says it he is surprised that it is true. that he actually feels attracted but doesn't know how to deal with it. Otherwise why this sad look if it has no meaning. Oh and the Dialog if u reject him is soooo heartbreaking
idk if it was intentional, but it is like the graphics from the beginning of the game and the characters improve while the story occurs. The graphics are amazing after a long time. Idk if maybe it was the light.
Ugh, I love his spawn ending so much! I just entered Act 3 and am putting off Cazador because honestly…I bought the game for Astarion, and completing his arc feels like it’ll be the real win, elder brain be damned.
2:55 , if I’m correct, if you get the option to say he wasn’t fully there, there’s a chance you are on the misguided romance path. Essentially, astarion is faking it and is just a marvelous actor.
Omg! Is your name based off of the fairy from the movie Legend?! That's awesome! Also, any time I try to romance other characters I end up with Astarion.
Jahiras comment is what got me in the game. I was looking for it. "There is often more ignorance than inside in what they say". She is so awesome. Funny enough if you chose to leave Astarion right at the end in a friendly manner and if you killed the spawn, after everything is done at the final party, it is revealed that he joined the harpers and is now sorta a hero of baldursgate and Boo thinks very highly of him and Minsc is very proud. If you didn't kill the spawn, Astarion goes to the under dark, becomes the leader of the spawn teaches them what to feed on and even finds castle ruins and has started rebuilding them. He is a hero to his people then as well and Boo is very impressed. Minsc often tries to visit Astarion but for some unknown reason Astarion is always MIA when Minsc comes to visit 😂 So while romancing is kinda needed to bring out the best version his independent happy ending is probably the best for him.
I’ve got a bunch of characters I’ve made into tabs for bg3 and I’ve writing a few interactions with all of them. My warlock tav is romancing astarion and she tried her best to bring out the best in him, I’ve made it cannon they cuddle every night and she tells him he’s pretty every night to reassure him she won’t leave him.
Which end did you choose with him? because it seems, like you are together but seperated. Went to hell? Thx for the unknown dialouge about him helping the spawns, it's SO cute. i always end my runs with him together, looking for a healing
For the video I break up with him before the epilogue :( because as a friend he has a lot more to say than romanced. but I also prefer the ending with looking for a cure for him.❤
I kinda like the clip (not here?) where he decides to give you the push-off for talking/coercing him into sex. I kinda cheered him on, ngl. There's a shot of his expression after the act and it makes me sad and angry all over again.
I decided to do a Bhaal chosen/ ascended playthrough... After the ceremony, and his change, I hated it so much I was being petty, like getting garlic in his backpack or making him run around sunlight and fire, and even if it was only roleplaying, and a game it almost made me want to stop the run... Thankfully Halsin saved me, and i was able to break up with Astarion by saying "I have self-respect" and now I feel a lot better, loved, even if i havent told him yet that i'm bhaal's chosen and i will destroy the world... maybe 😅
I've thought that Dark Urge it's when you play like i lizard. But in this video Tav looks normal. Is it made with mods or i can choose human\lizard form for Dark Urge?
@@jessicaavery1080 no, you can choose everything yourself (class, appearance, male/female) even the level of difficulty. I initially thought Dark Urge would be more difficult, but it's not. you just have extra scenes and are an important role in the story.
It is an actual scene, not from Ast origin but after the encounter with Araj, you can coax him into having sex for pleasure with you. He is horribly shook by the encounter and gets forced into pleasuring you again, and in this scene he is just sitting staring into the distance contemplating gods know what but he breaks up with you shortly after.
@@simpingnightmare7518 there are many assumptions. I declare the one that convinced me. The difference whether it is a Goblin or a Tiefling party shows whether you have chosen the 'good' or 'evil' path. so you are on the side of the absolutes (evil) or the one who fights against the power of the absolutes (good). If you have the Goblin Party (evil), Astarion is more tense, he doesn't want to spend the night alone with you, the dialogue is at night and his facial expressions are more nervous. when you have the Tiefling party(good), he is more relaxed. you spend the night together, the dialogue is the next morning. he seems more relaxed. Meaning = he may feels more comfortable on the good side.
@@simpingnightmare7518 Now comes my thought as to - why? Astarion feels more attracted to the 'good' ones: Astarion was punished by cazador for pity, he considers him weak and pathetic. Nevertheless, Astarion has pity (for the darling boy, Sebastian, Jenna and he also pities his victims) he often covers it up, which is a sign that he has adapted to Cazador's world. That's why the jokes about slavery (overplaying) mean to me that Astarion is actually a good guy who, through 200 years of torture, tends to adapt to the bad guys.
May I suggest doing a GMV with Astarion and Tav ( female ) to the song Desire by Meg Myers or Dark Urge and Astarion with that one? Hmmm? Don't tell me none of you thought of this? Lol😅❤❤❤
The goblin party means an evil game (he seems to feel uncomfortable there) the Tiefling party means you have gone to the good side (he certainly feels more comfortable)
Goblin: you’ve confirmed his fears that the world’s a cruel, ugly place, and he has to keep an eye on you. Tiefling: you’ve shown him good-hearted people exist, and that he might actually be okay with you
He’s a hard case to open, but when you do, he’s filled with so much beautiful emotions and feelings inside that go from ‘survival of fittest’ to ‘I need to survive to protect you.’
And Astarion *loves* the hell out of you when you romance him, there isn’t a single moment he doesn’t compliment you or want to talk to, he’s just always there, always listening and hearing you out despite never getting the chance before his whole life.
The way he acts and speaks, it all was a clever scheme first but breaks down the time he realizes PC loves him for who he is than who he was made as, and the small friendship we gave him was counterpart to 200 years of misery.
Tldr; Astarion best man.
I think that's why Astarion is so popular. He's "the one you can fix" but in a controlled environment with no real risks to you.
You don't really "fix him". He fixes himself, you just give him the emotional support he needs for growth.
Beautifully said.
As long as he doesn’t do an Anakin Skywalker and turns into what he was supposed to defeat.
couldn't have said it better myself
I love how expressive his eyes are. The puppy eyes he shows when he is emotionally vulnerable get me every time 🥹
I focused myself on that. I believe that's how you recognized when something is meant seriously.
Same. The creators knew what they were doing with him, especially his eyes. You’re able to see vulnerability, sadness, anger, happiness, and other emotions. I love it!
its subtke but you can see when that facade of the pretty boi charmer thats got shit together drops if you bother trying to get to know him
@@snonyabeeswax, agreed. Getting to know who he really is, is key. Some people just kill him off before giving themselves a chance to know him. The reasons are stupid and endless. He’s a vampire, he can’t be trusted, he has no redeeming qualities, he’s too sarcastic, blah blah blah 😒 I can’t stand those people.
Know someone, real or fictional, before you judge them.
If we had a cuddle button in game I would never get anything done. I would just be cuddling Astarion all the time.
Astarion and Scratch!
At least half the characters in this game need a cuddle at least once.
saaaame
@@magdam1508 and the owlbear cub
YES
He really speaks with his eyes, you can pin point where he's full of crap and when he's for real very easily. Larian did such a great job with subtle animations.
Patch 6 brought many of this subtle micro facial expressions, especially around the eyes 😉 You can easily notice the diffrents in „borrow” fragment with dragonborn Durge, who comes from patch 5 or even earlier one 😉
He so does.. the one thing that makes dominating the absolute as Durge worth while is the 'conversation' between him/her and Ascended Astarion the moment AA realizes that Durge is seizing control for them both. The meaning there actually makes it surprising to me that people haven't used it as part of the evidence that AA's rough actions with Tav/Durge is about ensuring their survival not because he's become an abuser.
Oh my. That "What?! Why?!" when you tell him you'd rather be with him. Like...the shock blew right through all his shields for a second.
It was just in this scene that I really understood that it was all just a show and that there was more to him.
That "What? Why?" always breaks my heart. The way he said it makes me think that no one has chosen him, or genuinely wanted him, in over 200 years. The fact that someone would decidedly pick him is almost incomprehensible to him
goblin vs tiefling party is a perfect example of how good Neil nailed his expressiveness...the lines are exactly the same, but you can tell in the goblin version he's reserved, almost a little afraid of you, whereas in the tiefling version he's relaxed and starting to let his guard down a little bit (even if he catches himself getting vulnerable and rushes you away).
That sad look he got when ShadowHeart called him a monster. I just wanna hug him and protect him from everything
But he is. They all are
Do you have the time stamp? I wanna see but I'm trying not to watch the whole video cause spoilers
Same 😢
@@Pesky_Bee13 Around 2:13, you see his face drop for a moment after Shadowheart finishes her sentence.
The way the VA made Astarions honest and lying voices so distinct is wonderful.
"you brought my dead heart back to life. it WILL keep beating." OKAY NEIL
I would do anything to protect Spawn Astarion tbh. Yeah, he starts off as a huge walking red flag, but earning his genuine trust and affection is worth it. I'll never agree with some people's take that he's pure evil or whatever. No, he's a deeply lonely and traumatized character who, first and foremost, wants desperately to feel safe and seen. And especially when you are playing the resisting Dark Urge, if you take care of him, he'll take care of you.
Astarion is a character who has been literally FORCED to do terrible things against his will and had the kindness tortured right out of him. I love how the game allows you to help him get in touch with his feelings and his sense of empathy again. Sure, you can let him give in to his darker impulses, and a lot of people find that fun and exciting, but in my opinion it's the most tragic path for him and I couldn't bear to give that to him. He's a character who's at his best when he's able to properly start healing.
@@supremeoverlorde2109 I love every word here
The way his voice breaks when he says “he said my screams sounded sweetest” is literally the most heartbreaking thing ever. Neil Newbon is too good for this world 😭
@@georgerobins4110 yes.... Gosh.. My heart
I literally came looking for a comment about this!
I saw the scene where Astarion talks about being locked in a tomb for a year in my own save and I had to take a break for a couple hours because I couldn't move on from that. I've barely seen anyone discussing that dialogue and I don't know why. Neil's acting is so phenomenal all throughout the game but his acting in that scene specifically was just something else entirely. There's just so much emotion. Re watching it had me sobbing again.
in what act did you see that dialog?
@@MadSnusmumrik3, if u persuade him to stay spawn
@@Sad_Realm thank you
@@MadSnusmumrik It is act 3 but the scene is prior to Cazador's fight/convincing Astarion to stay a spawn. It happens after you fight his "siblings" when they try to kidnap him during a long rest shortly after talking to Petras and Dalyria in Fragyo's Flophouse in Wyrm's Crossing.
@@DM-nw5lu thank you ❤️
My favorite thing is how Astarion straight up is a sweetie. he's a softie and a little sweetheart. you just have to get through several layers of trauma first
It's not in the video but my favorite example of his vulnerability showing on his face and betraying his words is when he says "isn't that what you want? To lose yourself in me?" During the romance scene in act 1 if you ask him what he is wants. He looks so sad, like it's a line he's said a thousand times over and he's exhausted by it. He's literally giving himself over as an object to be used and his pain shows in his eyes. It hits harder the second time around after knowing his story
Oh yes, a good one. and can only be recognize very briefly.
LOL I love how you suddenly cut away from ascended Astarion like "whoops nope NOT WHOLESOME LET'S MOVE ON"
Thats it with 'soft' :D
Shadowheart's comments while Tav hugs Astarion gets me right here! 💝
I need to show this to anyone who hates on Astarion and says he's just a bitchy character who wants to cause chaos and trouble. No, there's something much deeper underneath the surface.
Yes! He’s been conditioned by Cazador to act like a jerk, but he never wanted to act like that. Doing the right thing meant torture, so naturally he stopped doing good. When we meet him he was just taken away from Cazador, so naturally his soft side isn’t going to take over right away. He needs patience, kindness, and understanding on his journey to being his true self again.
there always is.
The whispered "don't become his" at 13:09 is so heart wrenching
HELP! HIS LITTLE "HELLO" IS SO ADORABLE 😭😫
I love him 😭😭😭
Neil not winning the BAFTA was a travesty. His acting here is leagues above anything I have seen in a video game for years. Everyone else nominated was brilliant, but he's in a class all his own. How is he not a household name? He needs to be in everything.
Words :')
Something that occurred to me recently is that if not for the tadpole, he'd have been the bad guy's "evil" minion who you'd kill without a second thought. His psychology is very interesting to me because it's so layered and complex. Surface level, he just seems like a cruel, sassy person, your classic token evil teammate. But the more you learn, the more you realize he's not an "uwu evil cuz he's sad" character as so many like to brush him off as. It's not just that bad things happened to him and that makes him so tortured and tragic, NO, he's someone who has been forced to partake in evil and someone whose good instincts have been brutally conditioned out of him. 10:44 this is the lynchpin of everything, as it illustrates this perfectly; doing the right thing is something to be swiftly and harshly punished. No wonder he chafes so much with heroic characters at the beginning.
Imo, his apathy is as much a coping mechanism as his disassociation during intimacy is, and the closer he gets to Cazador, the more he leans on it. And yet it still wrestles with his empathy, which is not dead yet either. Faced with Sebastian and his other victims, he does almost nothing but grovel and apologize and promise to free them. With the right dialogue prompts, either Sebastian and/or the player can even inflict a STAT DEBUFF on him because they said something that made him feel THAT guilty--literal physic damage.
Once Cazador is truly gone, he's allowed to let it go and actually indulge in his humanity again--which he does in his Spawn epilogues. He's such a fascinating character
Beautifully written! He has expressed time and again that he was forced to do bad things. He didn’t want to do these things, he wanted to do the right thing but doing the right thing meant torture so naturally he stopped trying. As he expressed at 10:42 he once tried to have mercy on someone and was then locked away in a tomb for a year; would you have the courage to do the right thing after that? Just like with war, after doing enough killing you get desensitized and then all you see are enemies. 200 years of doing evil things changes a person.
After 200 years of being a certain person, it is going to take a LONG time for a person’s habits and philosophies to change. People need to give Astarion a break. How would we feel wif we were in his shoes? We would want people to be patient and caring with us.
@@vella8650 even beyond having the courage, he straight up couldn't leave or rebel. People really gloss over the fact that Astarion is being entirely literal when he says he's a puppet to Cazador. He could try to disobey all he liked, but the magic would override his will and force obedience anyways. We can see this in action with Aurelia and Leon during the scene where they try to kidnap him; you can convince them to help you and Cazador's orders still take over their bodies and force them to attack anyways. I don't even think Cazador has to be aware of them turning on him, his just has to issue the orders once and the sire bond or whatever it is will automatically enforce his order. Who among us would keep trying to rebel when they know they'll be physically forced to do it anyways AND THEN punished horrifically for disobeying? Who wouldn't give up in such a hopeless situation??
Being the evil minion was the only thing that made existence more bearable because anything else was an excuse for his abuser to hurt him more. That would mess with anyone's sense of morality, especially after 200 years. It's honestly a miracle he's redeemable at all.
Just wanna say I love your comment.
@@primrosettSo good to see people actually acknowledge it, I've seen others straight up saying that he's just evil for shits and giggles because he said something about murder being fun. I hate when people use their own 2024 morality in fantasy games/books and sure there are sick characters out there but in good writing there's always a reason for it and I think Astarion has an extremely good one to be the way he was when you meet him.
I love everything you said ❤
Honestly, I'd hug him a thousand times and another thousand times more... as long as he'll feel safe no matter what.. Sex is not the only thing to show affection and care for others.. hugs and kisses can too
It’s doubly strange when Ascended Astarion seemed to forget everything and began to behave abusively towards the Tav. Like a completely different person. Cruel, toxic and destructive.
@@Usergh5374 that’s cuz the ascension is profane for a reason.. after sacrificing that much lives… and gaining much power.. it basically threw all his character development out of the window because he doesn’t need it anymore since he’s an all powerful being who doesn’t have to be afraid or humble to anyone..
He was human, sincere and vulnerable with Tav. There is nothing to indicate that this was a lie. What made his personality such was not cowardice, helplessness or obedience.
Perhaps with the denouement of AA the writers wanted to emphasize that violence begets a new cycle of violence. The version where Astarion remains a spawn breaks this circle. @@solaranceshiro1643
i’ve never noticed his conserned reaction on the durge killing squirrel 0_o
another great video! Neil's voice acting is so pure and raw
Thanks. Neil is phenomenal. There are scenes that I have seen many times and yet they still grab me again and again.
I had no idea he got his reflection back if he ascended! My dislike of AA aside, it does make me happy that he got to see himself again, even if I will have to hunt him down in a couple hundred years when he inevitably becomes total and pure evil 🙃
Yes, that softened my heart too. However, the sentences after are how beautiful he is and now understand why so many follow him to Cazador. I think soon he won't be interested anymore. just like in the sun (he will cast fog over the world)
and then what's left?
We really need a scene where you can show him how he looks for the spawn ending. We could so easily use our ilithid powers to show him or even get Oskar to paint him (it'd make that dang quest more worthwhile at least :/) and you just... can't! For no reason! They dangle easy answers in front of us and don't let us use them, it drives me crazy.
@@primrosettPLEASE THÉ OSKAR THING IS SUCH A GOOD IDEA 😭😭😭
16:10 the moment he realises that the only person that really loved and understands him will be consumed by darkness. :'(
I love how you overlapped Jaheira and Shadowhearts’ lines on some of the best skinships he ever had! It made me smile from ear to ear ❤️❤️❤️
I'm glad. I was nearly crying during this❤
Beautifully edited! Like this, it adds an amazing sense of context when overlapped. I can say with some confidence that this is the best argument for Spawn Astarion. Beneath the theatrics and chaos is a fragile heart, exposed and raw nerves, and the glimmer of a desire for change. When nurtured, it flares into hope, which will light the way to true realization and self actualization. Breaking a torturously endless cycle is the most beautiful aspect and action of Astarion's character. May we all be so lucky to find that desire and courage for change. ❤
i love when he shows you his true self and lets out his real feelings
ohhh my baby boy 😭
I love this sweet man. I´m happy I romanced him. Long before I even got the game I saw him here and there as if it was a little subconcious calling. I dont look out for games that much. I play 2-3 games for years and then have a long break. Well, there he was, metaphorically lurking in the corners of my eye. That white hair always got me, long before him. White haired characters are just yes. An elf? Wow. Long ears?? Sign me up? I also found it somewhat healing to be able to look through him as a whole. I never distrusted my guts. Yes, its a little "too" personal, but he means a lot to me. I am on my 4th run and never had him leave my side. It makes me happi!
Also your little ":O" was so unexpectedly cute!! Thank you for this video, dear stranger!
thank you for your comment. This character suddenly hit me and I haven't been able to get away from him ever since
@@OonalovesAstarionssimpleplan Same here friend. For me its an entirely different story that would sound very strange for a lot of people not familiar with companions in terms of spirituality but that´s alright. But I can effortlessly talk about Astarion for hours. I often hyperfixate on details about him with friends who just listen and have no idea who im even talking about but they enjoy it haha. Anywho- I love calling myself his comfort plushie.
when he says cazador says his screams were the sweetest it makes me sob
His voice in that...the way it gets close to breaking...
I cant believe you didnt include when he cried his eyes out!
I deliberately left out the entire scene in the chamber. but yes, the scene could stand on its own
when does this happen?
Seeing that first one after going all the way through, I hear the unspoken word. "What else did i expect?"
...Freedom.
I have a lot of thoughts about this game, but one of them is that you really don’t need Astarion to ascend, even if it comes down to it being about being a powerful character you can use in battle. You don’t need to become and illithid either. You don’t need to make any change to any character in order to beat the game, because everyone you fight is perfectly beatable with a decent tactic. I didn’t ascend him, I became an illithid to give my party better chances, but then I beat the game with another save where nobody ascended and I was still the same old Tav, and I beat it anyway. It was only marginally harder, but still very much doable. And I love how these choices to corrupt your characters’ morals are not forced on you. You can literally beat the game however you want, aim for the outcome you want, and that way you’ll always be satisfied by how the story goes. Now I have to say I’m sad because I think I really found the perfect game that gave me everything I could’ve possibly wanted, so that means I’ll probably never experience anything like it again. And that’s just sad. But I mean, for now I’ll just keep exploring different storylines and outcomes I guess, so the fun’s not over… like, at all. One thing I’ll never do though is let Astarion ascend. Because i love him for the character he really is, and AA ain’t it.
AA is genuinely heartbreaking because he basically becomes the new Cazador. Cazador was also horrifically abused until he killed his abuser, just like Astarion. With AA, Astarion just continues the cycle of abuse and it’s damn tragic…
The main difference between Cazador and Astarion is that Astarion has his found family to support him. It’s an amazing message about generational trauma.
One of my favorites:
Having fun, are you?
"I am - its hard not to, with you."
The split second ":0" response when he says he didnt care for you when you first met made me laugh.
The squirrel REALLY caught me off guard. Then I laughed entirely too hard. I'm a terrible person.
I can relate, me too ;}
"I've been thinking about people, other than me..."
:O
I love his reaction as you later Araj meet again. 😮 he's so sweet here.
Astarion's hotness aside Neil's voice acting is amazing
Omg this is so beautiful! Thank you! 💜 I snorted when the :/ popped up and you skipped to the next scene while he was mid sentence! 😂
Cause that's it with 'soft' :D
That thumbnail alone is enough to kill me.
I love the way you edited the video. The slowmo after the "its everywhere" scene, where you can see the shock in his face. And you edited the scene where you "force him to sleep with him" while he talks about how he lured victims for cazador. I love the details and visionalation. ❤
Thank you so much for your comment. it means a lot to me :)
@@OonalovesAstarionssimpleplan you are welcome! ❤ it must have been a lot of work and it is seen!
Q_Q So ein genialer Zusammenschnitt... Tausend Dank dafür! Und mindestens genauso viele Lobgesänge!
Danke :')
I love Neil’s delivery of his voice.❤
1:25 This is exactly what it looks like.
All he had to do was ask. 😉
I'll never be happy because he is not a real man i can marry and protect forever
His voice (and the total disregard of other people at first that still is funny rofl) reminds me of Tom Ellis as Lucifer and his personality and line delivery of Klaus from Umbrella Academy! I guess I have 2 new faves now! (Astarion and the Voice actor!)
This became my lullaby video. I listen to it trhought the night❤
Good night ☺
"moments that reveal his softer side"
**Ascends him**
.....ok 😶
I understand, I had a hard time finding something i believe its true or soft. In the end there wasn't much left.😂
The AA fans who think it's ridiculous that Astarion becomes an insufferable asshole... like you helped him sacrifice 7000 people to an archdevil, and every character, ASTARION INCLUDED, will tell you making a deal with a devil (be it Raphael or Haarlep) is a terrible idea. So what makes him--and you-- think making a deal with Mephistopheles will turn out better? Nah, that's the bed you made. And it's got an archdevil in it.
That being said I really like how giving Astarion what he wants will ruin him, but giving him what he needs will help him.
AA being an insufferable prick really drives home that this was not what he needed to be happy. He’s still terrified, under the surface. He clings to power in an effort to feel safe, but power comes with threats and so now he will NEVER feel safe. It’s tragic, and a perfect way to illustrate that it didn’t solve anything
I love how he said "I won't kill them... Maybe Shadowheart." 5:30
His "I love you." At 6:00, I'm still not sure if he's just saying that to try to charm the player, like in the previous pick up lines. Seems like he subconsciously meant it, especially since he seems genuinely hurt after you say, "I don't want this." 😭😭😭
@@HugPug100 Many people interpret this differently. but we don't know. But I think that the moment he says it he is surprised that it is true. that he actually feels attracted but doesn't know how to deal with it. Otherwise why this sad look if it has no meaning.
Oh and the Dialog if u reject him is soooo heartbreaking
5:50 is such a real reaction DX
I'd never seen that bit about the Underdark at the end. It actually made me tear up. ❤
What an amazing arc his story can have.
idk if it was intentional, but it is like the graphics from the beginning of the game and the characters improve while the story occurs.
The graphics are amazing after a long time.
Idk if maybe it was the light.
5:50 ..ah!... hello-
literally hes so cute
Waa für ein großartiges Edit von unserem beliebten Vampir, super! Vielen Dank für's Teilen ☺️
Danke und gern geschehen ☺
Ugh, I love his spawn ending so much! I just entered Act 3 and am putting off Cazador because honestly…I bought the game for Astarion, and completing his arc feels like it’ll be the real win, elder brain be damned.
I don't know.. I love every second of this video. Truly portray how sweet he can be 🥺
I love the confession cutscenes with shadowheart and jaheira's dialog thrown in. 👌🏻❤
Thank u
Hahah. It’s funny, your Tav looks almost exactly like mine. 😂
We're beautiful sisters
16:10 Watch this Lis, you can actually pinpoint the SECOND his heart rips in half
2:55 , if I’m correct, if you get the option to say he wasn’t fully there, there’s a chance you are on the misguided romance path. Essentially, astarion is faking it and is just a marvelous actor.
My sweet little star❤ please protect him 🙏
Thank u for the big speach thingi
what do you mean exactly?
Omg! Is your name based off of the fairy from the movie Legend?! That's awesome! Also, any time I try to romance other characters I end up with Astarion.
I have to disagree with the whole ascendant part as those are no TRUE moments. He is just playing with Tav masking again.
Yes, u're right.I had a hard time finding something I really believe it's true. In the end there wasn't much left😂
I love this video so much! Love the cute emojis too lol
Thank u
I love this man so much 😩
the “ah. hello :> “ was so cute lol
Your thumnail is so perfect❤
Okay but him seeing himself in the mirror almost made me cry - AA HAS FEELINGS I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL.
oh you mean feelings like self-love, hate and the desire for more power? :D
Why are you so bothered?@@OonalovesAstarionssimpleplan
@LegallyBoopy I'm not, I'm amused
Jahiras comment is what got me in the game. I was looking for it. "There is often more ignorance than inside in what they say". She is so awesome.
Funny enough if you chose to leave Astarion right at the end in a friendly manner and if you killed the spawn, after everything is done at the final party, it is revealed that he joined the harpers and is now sorta a hero of baldursgate and Boo thinks very highly of him and Minsc is very proud.
If you didn't kill the spawn, Astarion goes to the under dark, becomes the leader of the spawn teaches them what to feed on and even finds castle ruins and has started rebuilding them. He is a hero to his people then as well and Boo is very impressed. Minsc often tries to visit Astarion but for some unknown reason Astarion is always MIA when Minsc comes to visit 😂
So while romancing is kinda needed to bring out the best version his independent happy ending is probably the best for him.
@@annaavertho4944 oh, what u wrote is interessting. He joind the Harper?? 🥺 i can absolutly see that.
“Looking for a cuddle?” I mean, yes…
the ending was so cute and sweet and UGHHH
I am totally not cryyyying over some video of fictional character. I'm too old for that, come on.
19:55 how all the lonely creatures of this plain, *are B-*
Why this made me laughing my ass off😭😭😭
@@ŻebrowskizRivii 🤣
I’ve got a bunch of characters I’ve made into tabs for bg3 and I’ve writing a few interactions with all of them.
My warlock tav is romancing astarion and she tried her best to bring out the best in him, I’ve made it cannon they cuddle every night and she tells him he’s pretty every night to reassure him she won’t leave him.
5:50 That was hilarious 😂
One of my favorit moments of him. It's as if he forgot his role as a sexy vampire for a moment.
Which end did you choose with him? because it seems, like you are together but seperated. Went to hell? Thx for the unknown dialouge about him helping the spawns, it's SO cute. i always end my runs with him together, looking for a healing
For the video I break up with him before the epilogue :( because as a friend he has a lot more to say than romanced. but I also prefer the ending with looking for a cure for him.❤
Eine wunderschöne Geschichte.
Ich mag ihn so sehr.
Yay! I'm not the only one who doesn't like ascended Astarion 🤣🤣🤣
I kinda like the clip (not here?) where he decides to give you the push-off for talking/coercing him into sex. I kinda cheered him on, ngl. There's a shot of his expression after the act and it makes me sad and angry all over again.
Do you mean this scene at 8:40 ?
It's just a second around 8:46
The vulnerable look, the disgust that drips from his voice...whole thing is just 👩🍳💋
That finally broke my heart😢❤
Can we have a hug option as well as a kissing one, please? We need more hugs!! Cuddles!! 😢❤
Is reminds me of Lucifer the show, he sounds just like him
I decided to do a Bhaal chosen/ ascended playthrough... After the ceremony, and his change, I hated it so much I was being petty, like getting garlic in his backpack or making him run around sunlight and fire, and even if it was only roleplaying, and a game it almost made me want to stop the run... Thankfully Halsin saved me, and i was able to break up with Astarion by saying "I have self-respect" and now I feel a lot better, loved, even if i havent told him yet that i'm bhaal's chosen and i will destroy the world... maybe 😅
I've thought that Dark Urge it's when you play like i lizard. But in this video Tav looks normal. Is it made with mods or i can choose human\lizard form for Dark Urge?
yes, you can make yourself a normal character. Don't worry, I thought that too at first
I think you just have to play paladin, don't you?
@@jessicaavery1080 no, you can choose everything yourself (class, appearance, male/female) even the level of difficulty. I initially thought Dark Urge would be more difficult, but it's not. you just have extra scenes and are an important role in the story.
11:09 😢well done Astarion well done mate🫡
😢❤
Just realized I bought the worlds most expensive dating sim, and I don’t regret it one bit. Spawn Astarion > Ascended Astarion!!
Is the scene at 8:44 an actual scene in the game? (If so I assume, Astarion origin?)
It is and is not Astarion origin. You basically have to pressure him into sex after the Araj scene.
@@emma2884 Woah 😵💫 ok that makes sense!
@@emma2884 and it was A hard time doing that. I felt so bad after that😢
It is an actual scene, not from Ast origin but after the encounter with Araj, you can coax him into having sex for pleasure with you. He is horribly shook by the encounter and gets forced into pleasuring you again, and in this scene he is just sitting staring into the distance contemplating gods know what but he breaks up with you shortly after.
I'm crying...
I have a question on the goblin and tieflings party. Please explain my dumb ass why is there such an emotional difference.
I would be very grateful
@@simpingnightmare7518 there are many assumptions. I declare the one that convinced me. The difference whether it is a Goblin or a Tiefling party shows whether you have chosen the 'good' or 'evil' path. so you are on the side of the absolutes (evil) or the one who fights against the power of the absolutes (good). If you have the Goblin Party (evil), Astarion is more tense, he doesn't want to spend the night alone with you, the dialogue is at night and his facial expressions are more nervous. when you have the Tiefling party(good), he is more relaxed. you spend the night together, the dialogue is the next morning. he seems more relaxed.
Meaning = he may feels more comfortable on the good side.
@@simpingnightmare7518 Now comes my thought as to - why? Astarion feels more attracted to the 'good' ones: Astarion was punished by cazador for pity, he considers him weak and pathetic. Nevertheless, Astarion has pity (for the darling boy, Sebastian, Jenna and he also pities his victims) he often covers it up, which is a sign that he has adapted to Cazador's world. That's why the jokes about slavery (overplaying) mean to me that Astarion is actually a good guy who, through 200 years of torture, tends to adapt to the bad guys.
I need, I NEED the thumbnail photo. I'm begging 💀
Im so attached to him, so romancing gale is hard
May I suggest doing a GMV with Astarion and Tav ( female ) to the song Desire by Meg Myers or Dark Urge and Astarion with that one? Hmmm?
Don't tell me none of you thought of this? Lol😅❤❤❤
I don't know this song... but now.... so yes... Maybe
Also ich habe es ja nie auf Deutsch gespielt aber ...wird da tatsächlich dauernd gesiezt??
@@theinkyspoon ja😄. Was super seltsam ist, aber zu Astarion am Anfang gut passt irgendwie.
@@OonalovesAstarionssimpleplan ja ne am Anfang ist ja ok..aber die haben sich dann nackt gesehen und mehr..., siezen sollte da nimmer sein haha 😅
@@theinkyspoon aufjedenfall 🤣
No I won't kill them well maybe shadow heart
poor squirrel q_q
Why the difference between Tiefling and Goblin?
The goblin party means an evil game (he seems to feel uncomfortable there) the Tiefling party means you have gone to the good side (he certainly feels more comfortable)
Goblin: you’ve confirmed his fears that the world’s a cruel, ugly place, and he has to keep an eye on you.
Tiefling: you’ve shown him good-hearted people exist, and that he might actually be okay with you
@@OonalovesAstarionssimpleplan poor goblins... always the villains.😉
@@gilesluver A ❤ for Goblins