Astarion

Astarion is a character in Baldur's Gate III. He is one of the playable Origin characters and may be recruited as a romanceable companion NPC when playing as another character. He is a High Elf rogue with the "charlatan" background.
Astarion is a vampire spawn from Baldur's Gate. He spent most of his life as a slave to a sadistic master, Cazador Szarr, until he was abducted and tadpoled. Prior to this, he possessed all the characteristics of a Child of the Night in the D&D 5E ruleset, such as being unable to enter a residence without an invitation from one of the occupants or being unable to walk in daylight."D&D 5E – Vampire Class and Custom Backgrounds" from Tribality He seems to have lost most of his vampire weaknesses since being tadpoled and become able to somewhat mingle with the living. He is the fandom's little black dress, being the catalyst for many fans' first contact with fanfiction and fanart, especially through TikTok.Short video by berskarbaby on instagram. The fan talks about the disconnect between fandom and regular gamers, gender in fandom and also Tik Tok's influence and the type of fans that come into fandom through TikTok. https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0fIynsvZpe/?igshid=MzY1NDJmNzMyNQ%3D%3D
== Canon ==
===Canonical History & Events===
See Baldur's Gate 3 Wiki's entry for more canon details.
thumb|left|Art by Lucatielle envisioning Astarion as a young child. Astarion's pre-turning hair and eye colour are unknown.
Little is known about Astarion's early life. His surname is Ancunín and he was born in 1229 DR of the Forgotten Realms chronology.Post by silver-horse on Tumblr By 1268, the year of his death/turning, he was a magistrate in Baldur's Gate."Astarion tells how he became a vampire Baldur's Gate 3" on YouTube One of his judgments provoked a mob to attack him in the street. Near death, he was found by vampire lord Cazador Szarr, who offered a Faustian bargain to save his life. Astarion awoke as a vampire spawn (fledgling vampire without full powers) and was forced to crawl out of his own grave."Astarion takes you to his grave (multiple endings/dialogue choices)" on YouTube For the next two centuries, Astarion was kept by Cazador as a sex slave, forced to use his body to "lure" victims for Cazador."'I want to thank you.' (Astarion Romance) | Baldur's Gate 3" In his first decade of slavery, Astarion ran from a "sweet man" he couldn't bear to entrap, for which Cazador locked him in a tomb without food for a year."'Don't you ever judge me.' | What Cazador did to Astarion and Astarion's Empathy | BG3 ACT 3 SPOILER" on YouTube Cazador barred his vampire slaves from drinking the blood of "thinking creatures" like humans and elves."[Astarion Origin Character Cazador nightmare & successfully biting companions]" on YouTube This meant that Astarion fed on rats and other vermin."ASTARION | Camp Dialogues - Drunk on a Bear | Oh, You Meant 'Be Kinder'? | Baldur's Gate 3" on YouTube"(BG3) Baldur's Gate 3 I Astarion Ate Rats (New Vampire Scene Dialogue) I Dialogue" on YouTube
In 1492 DR – the year in which the initial events of BG3 are set – Astarion was among the Baldurians abducted by mind flayers (an extra-dimensional Borg-like race). Taken aboard the Nautiloid (mind-flayer ship), he had a tadpole (mind-flayer parasite) implanted in his brain, removing some vampiric limitations (vulnerability to sunlight, running water, etc.) and creating a psychic bond with other abductees. The player, as one of these other abductees, may meet Astarion soon after the Nautiloid's crash. Astarion will initially react with fear and mistrust, but can be convinced to join the player's party."Meeting Astarion 🧛 All Dialog Options 🎬 All Skill Checks Successful & Failed 🎲 | Baldur's Gate 3" on YouTube In an early cutscene, he will attempt to feed on a sleeping companion, thereby revealing his vampirism to the party. This is shown to be an attempt to test Cazador's control through direct disobedience if playing as Astarion. Astarion otherwise hunts and feeds solely on wild beasts, calling the player his "first" if they agree to let him drink their blood.""You were my first" / Astarion Romance / Baldur's Gate 3" on YouTube
Astarion begins as sarcastic, self-interested, and often callous, approving mainly of cruel and chaotic player choices. He will try to seduce the player regardless of approval level. He later admits he hoped to protect himself by winning the player's favour."My nice, simple plan fell apart" on YouTube It is possible to have casual sex with Astarion twice during Act 1. As his personal quest ("The Pale Elf") and the game progress, he begins asserting his own wishes and may reveal a thoughtful, vulnerable side. If the player pursues his romance into Act 2, he confesses he's developed deeper feelings. He will also discuss how he has an extreme discomfiture with physical imitimacy due to his traumatic sexual history. Astarion's confession may involve a side quest in which a vampire groupie attempts to convince him to bite her. If the player demands sex from Astarion as a "reward" for supporting his refusal, he will reluctantly "provide" but will angrily break up with them the morning after."Astarion dumps you in the middle of the night after having sex - THE OPTIONS YOU WOULD NEVER CHOOSE!" on YouTube
The player may influence the outcome of "The Pale Elf" questline. Fans generally regard Astarian as having two main endings: one "good," in which he kills Cazador and ends his reign of terror, and one "bad" or "dark," in which he supplants Cazador and becomes the Vampire Ascendant in his place (a vampire with enhanced powers and without traditional vampiric weaknesses). Players who've built high approval with Astarion (whether as friend or lover) can persuade him not to take the second path.(CW: graphic violence) "Astarion persuaded out of becoming Vampire Ascendant after overcoming Cazador | Baldur's Gate 3" on YouTube Ascended!Astarion offers to turn the player into a vampire spawn and take them as his "dark consort" if in a romance."Becoming Astarion's Spawn - Baldur's Gate 3 on YouTube If the player agrees, he later declares them "the most powerful people in the world", but becomes extremely possessive and controlling."Astarion: All 4 Romance Scenes & Endings | Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3) on YouTube"Baldur's Gate 3 - Breaking up with Ascended Astarion -compilation-" on YouTube
=== Full Release Vs. Early Access ===
Some of Astarion's EA lore is still very much a part of fandom, being frequently used to complement his background when the Full Release has not covered it, or simply because some fans enjoy it better. It cannot also be ignored that fanart and fanfiction was already being produced during the EA period.
*Astarion's teeth: It appears Astarion's EA teeth were tiefling teeth. They differ from his current vampiric ones, but many fic and fanart feature his old teeth. Some fans prefer this look, calling it "cute" and also "piranha teeth" and have modded their game to reflect that.Astarion's Early Access Fangs (very sharp spawn teeth return) by cobaltv on NexusModshttps://www.nexusmods.com/baldursgate3/mods/1934 There's also a mod to completely replace his head with the EA one.Astarion Early Access Head Replacer Nexus mod by achitophelhttps://www.nexusmods.com/baldursgate3/mods/6254
*Astarion's past: Astarion has had his origin changed from noble to courtesan (which is still visible in the Character Sheet that came with the Deluxe Edition)Screenshots https://www.tumblr.com/saeterdaeg/731710358157508608/reddit-dive-into-anything, and ended up as charlatan in the Full Release. In Idle Champions, Astarion possesses forged patents of nobility, possibly indicating he might have been a real noble in the EA, but was reworked into having bought his way into nobility later.
*Astarion's clothes: His EA default armour became Pale Petras' (his sibling) in the FR, much to some fans' disappointmentAstarion's EA outfit? on Reddit by DidgeDrawshttps://www.reddit.com/r/BaldursGate3/comments/15lmsu7/astarions_ea_outfit/. The poem he had embroidered on the inside of his eccentric shirt is also not part of the FR, but fans have continued to use it, for example, with the plum trope in the Halstarion pairing. This outfit was even modded into the FR of the game due to how popular it was amongst fans.Astarion's Early Access Outfit by bubblebones on NexusMods https://www.nexusmods.com/baldursgate3/mods/1944 Fortunately, it was re-introduced during Patch 5, during the epilogue, carrying with it an inscription "While the leather is cheap and the silver is simply paint, this outfit is clearly loved and well looked after."Astarion's new clothes descriptions in the epilogue, spawn vs ascendant by scallionccbagel on Reddithttps://www.reddit.com/r/OnlyFangsbg3/comments/18byoog/astarions_new_clothes_descriptions_in_the/ that was put in contrast with his counterpart's more decadent look and tone, fuelling the Spawn vs. Ascendant wank.
*Vampire lore: Some parts of DnD vampire lore were removed or retconned for the Full Release. One of them was the ability to cross running water, which Astarion has in the current version of the game.Astarian Can't Cross Running Water by Pen-and-Verse on Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/BaldursGate3/comments/jdr05n/astarian_cant_cross_running_water/ This was implemented during Patch 7 of EAAstarion can still walk through running water - Patch 8 (first reported in Patch 7) by AnArtExiled on Reddithttps://www.reddit.com/r/BaldursGate3/comments/w15tih/astarion_can_still_walk_through_running_water/, and many fans were disappointed but understood the limitations of the curse if kept. Fans make use of bits of lore they enjoy as tropes, but tend to follow what is explicit in game. Due to this, some knowledge of EA is seen as confirmation to some of the vampiric curse as it exists currently.
== Fandom ==
Fans often joke about how both Astarion and Halsin are perceived as opposites of who they really are. This perception was, during a short period of time following the full release, often used as a way to sus out who had played the game, as initial impressions are very deceiving. Astarion is initially perceived as a flirt (with himself alluding to being a rake/playing the rake often, which is old english for an "immoral womanizer", and it's used to mean that he plays loose and free to be sexually attractive), will hit on the Player multiple times and call them pet names while Halsin enters the narrative as a serious, seemingly naïve man with no time for anything but his duty. In reality, Astarion is uncomfortable with sex and only puts on a show for the Player and Halsin is a bit of a sexual deviant who enjoys sex and has had many lovers.
Some stories portray Astarion eating or sleeping. He can be seen in a state of reverie in his sleeping bag during the long rest cutscenes as this is how regular pure-blooded High Elves restA state of reverie from the Forgotten Realms Wiki https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Reverie#:~:text=Elves%20were%20sometimes%20able%20to,ill%2C%20wounded%2C%20or%20exhausted., but he also sleeps during an Astarion Origin scene if he does not feed in front of his companions, and is likely asleep as well during the first night of his first solo rest after escaping his bad memories during reverie.Tumblr description of one of Astarion's sleeping scenes https://www.tumblr.com/saeterdaeg/732701370413629440/astarion-enters-reverie-but-also-sleeps?source=share&ref=daisyannieReference and analysis of Astarion's sleeping habits https://www.tumblr.com/asstariontrash/732009180477767680?source=share Some sources state that normal food and drink do nothing for vampires and cause them to forcefully vomit it up within moments. While others offer that while they can eat, the food and drink taste either like ash at best and rotten at the very worst. In DnD 5E lore, Elves can sleep, though they actively choose to enter the trance state instead of sleep. They believe reverie to be a superior way of resting since they are fully aware and can go through their memories. It is for this reason that elves decided to make sure future generations would use reverie, rather than sleep, as dreaming feels weird for them.Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, page 38, side leaflet. 
Due to a dialogue during Act 1 where he appears intoxicated after drinking the blood of a bear, it is headcanoned that Astarion can become drunk if he drinks from Halsin, even in his Wood Elf form. 
=== Controversies and Fandom Wank ===
Since becoming a vampire (let alone an Ascendant one) would, according to DnD loreAre vampires always evil? dnd beyondhttps://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/d-d-beyond-general/story-lore/132759-are-vampires-always-evilThread: Do vampires have to be evil? Giant in the Playground Forumhttps://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?480776-Do-vampires-have-to-be-evilDnD Vampire Official Bestiary at Fandom Wikihttps://officialbestiary.fandom.com/wiki/Vampire_(D%26D), turn Astarion evil and not allow him to truly care for others, the romance with Ascendant!Astarion (also known as Ascendarion) began by having a stronger impact with the Slayer!Dark Urge or evil runs and it still retains a position in the top tags for the Astarion/The Dark Urge pairing. Ascendant!Astarion is so popular it has it's own tag on AO3Vampire Ascendant Astarion (Baldur's Gate) on AO3 https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Vampire%20Ascendant%20Astarion%20(Baldur's%20Gate)/works (it's assumed that without it, the Astarion in works in likely to be Spawn!Astarion) The vampire Ascendant version of him is popular in pairings with Female Original Characters in fandom as well, although he is not usually depicted true to canon, instead more commonly in a BDSM Master/Slave relationship with the OC, instead of true slavery like in-game. The fandom spaces where Astarion as Ascendant is discussed have become filled with wank, especially after Patch 5's introduction of an epilogue and some Larian and Neil Newbon interviews about this version of the character.
=== HighrollersDnD Stream ===
On the 22nd and 24th of September, 2023, HighrollersDnD streamed a D&D session on Twitch with the VAs of the origin characters as players, in which they played as their character from Baldur's Gate III. During these streams, Neil Newbon, who plays Astarion, made his character interact in several hilarious and flirtatious ways with Tim Downie's Gale, which caused a rise in Bloodweave fans, art and fanfic. During that same weekend, the official Larian studios took notice of the pairing nameTwitter (X) post where Larian takes notice of the shipping name https://twitter.com/larianstudios/status/1705518366382080110, making the pairing known to more fans as well. Several pieces of fanart were produced based on the campaign and many of the character's mannerisms were adopted into general fandom (such as Astarion treating Gale as his sugar daddy, his taste for boots and fashion, having an urge to steal things randomly and the peculiar way with which he made a medicine checkNeil Newbon roleplaying as Astarion, performing a medicine check https://twitter.com/larianstudios/status/1705628157208920574).
=== Common Storylines & Tropes ===
* Bondage/BDSM: It's also a common theme to put Astarion in bondageTwitter (X) of a modded Astarion struggling in bondage by sonne431 https://x.com/sonne431/status/1735880102960050595?s=20Twitter (X) of a popular fan made Astarion bondage/BDSM figurine by GodPanStudio https://twitter.com/GodPanStudio/status/1741827467902681165, be it in fanart or fanfic. It might tie with the sexual slavery and torture trope, but not necessarily. Fans also explore the themes of BDSMTwitter (X) art of Astarion and Halsin in the in-game kink leather suits https://twitter.com/ebash6669/status/1731698188585681404Twitter (X) art of Astarion in a kink relationship wearing shibari under his clothes by sonne431 https://twitter.com/sonne431/status/1742415849477353624 through this trope, with Astarion being somewhat experienced with some form of it due to his background. Many of the stories use bondage as a way of showing his sexual liberation and consentTwitter (X) art with Astarion in what appears to be a 24/7 S/M relationship, he appears happy by sonne431 https://twitter.com/sonne431/status/1733835536358670709Twitter (X) of Astarion with a metal muzzle, smiling up at his lover by XunHe1145 https://x.com/XunHe1145/status/1742664723940655599?s=20, while others place him in less healthy relationships.
* Breaking the chains/Ascending: Many stories follow his personal quest, culminating on either freeing him from his master or replacing Cazador as Vampire Ascendant. Art also is many times symbolic in relation to this theme.Twitter Art (X) of Astarion and playing cards, one of the cards features Cazador and another Astarion in a position of power holding Rapsody, while the one he holds shows himself (spawn) as a Joker by washanapple https://x.com/washanapple/status/1735985521887981653?s=20
* Canities subita: Astarion has a pale vampiric complexion, sporting red eyes and white/gray hair. While his eyes were canonically a different colour (which is unknown and should forever remain up to fans to headcanon clipped stream where Astarion’s VA and lead writer discuss the topic https://www.tiktok.com/@blueowlzmedic/video/7281107435211771178), there is no information regarding his hair colour. Some of his vampiric siblings sport a similarly bleached hair colour, which lead some fans to speculate he might have had a different hair colour while alive.Art of alive brown haired Astarion by tuherrushttps://twitter.com/tuherrus/status/1712957764899590275 Most fan speculation tends towards brown hairTwitter (X) art of Astarion as a vampire and pre-vampire magister, with brown hair by iruka_khttps://x.com/Iruka_k/status/1743305673482416620?s=20 (with the trend starting during the Early Access phase of the gameReddit thread with an Early Access modded pre-vampirism Astarion with green eyes and brown hair by a deleted userhttps://www.reddit.com/r/BaldursGate3/comments/n3li1i/my_version_of_dream_lover_astarion_as_he_might/), even though the majority of fans also believe him to be a moon elf.
* Crossdressing/Lingerie: Fans enjoy drawing Astarion in different types of clothes, be they canon, like the Elegant RobeElegant Robe on BG3 Wiki https://bg3.wiki/wiki/Elegant_Robe, or not. There's a particular interest in crossdressingTwitter (X) post of 3D Astarion art wearing a french maid outfit, by noctis_no https://twitter.com/noctis_no/status/1741766590235037746, if canon, with the Wavemother's Robe, if not, particularly with similar looking dressesTwitter (X) Art of Astarion wearing a double split dress with a short corset by cerudinae https://twitter.com/cerudinae/status/1737851801918206428 and lingerie.Twitter (X) art of Astarion in a corset, choker, garter blelt and thigh high socks with a half-cut skirt by JasminDarnell https://twitter.com/jasmindarnell/status/1738752250926022801Art of Astarion wearing lingerie and a waist cinch belt by waesabi https://www.tumblr.com/waesabi/737512781507641344/which-option-are-yall-picking For this last, fans enjoy pin-upsTwitter (X) post with Pin-up underwear art by SunsetagainD https://twitter.com/sunsetagaind/status/1738963932730331636 as much as "putting him in soft things".Tumblr quote from marbledgummi, who also drew Astarion in lingerie https://www.tumblr.com/marbledgummi/736372122649247744/coughs-loudly-into-the-mic-hello-i-hope-that There is some representation of this trope in fanfic as well.
* Death of a lover: Due to his immortality, there are stories and art that feature his unlife or actual death post the death of his loved one.A Soft Caress; As Cold As Death by ZiGraves is an Astarion/Tav/Halsin story that takes place after the death of Tav, Astarion's lover https://archiveofourown.org/works/50026435Astarion after his lovers' death by hamrikaahttps://x.com/hamrikaa/status/1713239994855305584?s=20Astarion choosing to see the sun one last time as his lover dies by hamrikaa https://x.com/hamrikaa/status/1707534423799767120?s=20 This is delayed or circumvented completely with his lover either being a Druid (usually Tav or Halsin) or being turned into vampire spawn (following the Ascendant path in his quest).
* Embroidery/Sewing: It also appears to be canon that Astarion can sew and possibly embroider.Fanart and screenshot of an in-game article of clothing that belongs to Astarion https://twitter.com/doyasprout/status/1703345355352576200 Symbolically it can play a part in his "self-repair", overcoming his past and trauma, but it's common in fanfiction and art to see Astarion fixing his clothesPAST:Despite living a dirty life, his dignity shines faintly. In the game, although his clothes are old, they are still exquisite and embroidered with poetry. I can imagine how he often mends them, which makes my heart soft. Art by Astarioncat on Twitter (X) https://x.com/astarioncat/status/1747623943756779747?s=20Art of Astarion repairing his clothes by elvengraceshttps://twitter.com/elvengraces/status/1714260149953515689 or others' cherished items,Art featuring Astarion creating a plush toy for Yenna, while Karlach grins with her teddy by atelierlilyarthttps://twitter.com/atelierlilyart/status/1708231862601277731 such as Karlach's teddy, Clive.Art featuring Astarion fixing Karlach's teddy by tuherrus https://twitter.com/tuherrus/status/1707165071879684247 Fandom has also seen his ability as an indicator of a possible job for Astarion, with many fans seeing him as a tailorTumblr post featuring Astarion in post-canon, working as a tailor and making clothes for his ex-companions by hamrikaa https://www.tumblr.com/hamrikaa/738687127525687296/the-continuation-of-tailor-astarion?source=share or fashion designer, either in AUs or post-game.
* Feeding: Many of the fics featuring Astarion have a minor or major focus on his vampiric hunger. Although he does not eat, he is shown with a cup or chalice of what appears to be wine several times during AE. References of him actually drinking it were removed in the full-release of the game and the cup near his tent seems to hold blood instead. It appears he can get intoxicated by drinking the blood of a bear. It's uncertain if he achieves this by drinking a large amount of blood or if the blood of a bear itself is what gets him drunk.
* Magistrate!Astarion: Before dying and becoming a vampire, Astarion worked as a Magistrate in Baldur's Gate. It was one of his rulings against the Gur that precipitated his turning at the hands of Cazador.Tumblr art featuring Astarion dying after his attack by the Gur, when Cazador reveals himself to "save him". The art also focuses on his eye colour pre-vampirism by mong-mongi https://www.tumblr.com/mong-mongi/728034765733838848/little-star-little-star-darkened-before-his?source=share There are many different opinions on this matter, due to one of his background retcons during Early access.Reddit Thread discussing Astarion's background as a magister (that eventually became canon in the Full Release of the game). It was retconned from Astarion originally being a corrupt magistrate who worked for vampires and ruled in their favour by Neleothesze https://www.reddit.com/r/BaldursGate3/comments/jix9do/spoiler_astarions_background_retcon_or_extra_depth/ Originally Astarion was a corrupt magistrate who worked for the vampires of Baldur's Gate and the level of his corruption was what got him enslaved to Cazador.Tumblr WIP art about Astarion's death scene where the artist uses the tag section to talk about Astarion's likely corruption in the Full Release of the game by sleepy-bear-tmhttps://www.tumblr.com/sleepy-bear-tm/728540698521042944/the-price-of-corruption?source=share During Full Release he continued to be a magistrate but there are no references to his possible corruption, although many believe him to not have changed.Tumblr post about Astarion being a corrupt magistrate in the Full Release by glitteryinknoteshttps://www.tumblr.com/glitteryinknotes/733101911814848512/there-is-a-level-of-deep-bitterly-poetic-and?source=share Cazador having found him to "save" him can be hinted at as having been planned, in order to force Astarion to accept his deal (as a way of playing with his food, for example): this is especially suspicious considering the Gur are known to work for Cazador under duress. The exploration of this in his EA and FR canon storylines is quite common, but so is having him use his knowledge of law to help out his companions (it is canon that he offers Wyll help with his contractTumblr post with a screenshot of in-game dialogue with Wyll (only possible as Origin!Astarion) where he offers to help with his contract, stating he was a magistrate (if dialogue is had without party knowing Astarion is a vampire, he will state he *is* a magistrate) by applejuicewerewolfhttps://www.tumblr.com/applejuicewerewolf/727905552033841152/since-some-people-seemed-confused-heres-the?source=share). AU re-imaginings of his life as a magistrateTumblr art featuring the artist's take on Astarion as a Magistrate before his vampirism by meddledeath https://www.tumblr.com/meddledeath/733585583439560704/oh-whats-to-tell-im-a-magistrate-back-in-the?source=shareTumblr art post of Astarion in his Magister Robes by dopepoisonivyoncrack https://www.tumblr.com/dopepoisonivyoncrack/736881300004306944/astarion-bg3-sketchdump-some-elf-ear-anatomy?source=shareThe Blue Above His Smile by Acinonyx1 on AO3 is a story that focuses on the meeting between Astarion and Halsin when the former was a magistrate https://archiveofourown.org/works/52447972 or Modern AUs as a lawyerHoney, this isn’t a Hallmark movie! by volleycatnika on AO3 is an AU story about Astarion being an ex-lawyer who quit his job to run away from Cazador https://archiveofourown.org/works/52388953i want to see you in your dreams. by mr_charles for judypoovey on AO3 is an AU story about Astarion becoming a foster dad to most of the game's female companions. In this story he works in the legal field https://archiveofourown.org/works/51230599 (even though he calls himself a judge in the game) are also seen in fanworks.
* Portrait Creation: Astarion does not have a reflexion due to his vampirism and does not recall what he looks like. This has inspired fanworks in which an artistically-gifted companion sketches or paints a portrait of him. Sometimes, the likeness is instead a magic double, usually created by an arcane expert like Gale.
* Scarification: Astarion has suffered much at the hands of his master, carrying part of an infernal contract on his back (which he was initially told was a poem). The discovery of the scars, their care and/or consequences are a popular trope both in fanart and fanwriting.Tumblr art depicting the aftermath of Cazador carving the infernal contract onto Astarion's back by arradraws https://www.tumblr.com/sadist69/736933218820980736?source=share 
* Sexual Self-Coercion/Manipulation/dissociation: Because of his past and vampiric nature there are a number of stories that focus on Astarion forcing himself to have sex with others for protection and to gain allies against Cazador. He typically uses this to manipulate them into liking him/protecting him/not attacking him once they find out he’s a vampire. It’s common for him to dissociate during these encounters.
* Sexual slavery/torture/"200 Years of pure shit": Cazador has had a supernatural vampiric compulsion over Astarion for 200 years and has used it to control every aspect of his life, usually by forcing him to lure people back to him, typically by seducing them. Cazador holds this compulsion mainly with his four rules, but is able to control spawn more directly as well. During this time Astarion has been starved, humiliated, manipulated (both using vampire powers and regular manipulation), gaslit and sexually exploited. This reality has shaped him and his actions during the game, and is mentioned as part of his background in stories. To a lesser degree, usually in flashbacks or pre-game fanfiction and fanart, it’s the major focus.
*Terms of Endearment/Meaningful Name: "Little star" is commonly used as an affectionate nickname for Astarion in fanworks. This is based on a fan theory positing that his name is derived from Ancient Greek aster, "star," and -ion, a patronymic suffix.Jadzia Brown, "Baldur's Gate 3: 10 Facts You May Not Know About Astarion", Game Rant, 15 November 2023"ἀστήρ" on Wiktionary"-ίων on Wiktionary Others have interpreted his name as being formed from Tolkien's constructed language of Quenya (astar, "faith, loyalty", and -ion, a masculine suffix meaning "son") or Sindarin (ast, "light or heat of the sun", and ar, "noble, high," combined with a cognate suffix)."Astarion's name true meaning? (NOT "Dewdrop"/"Little Star")" on r/BaldursGate3 on Reddit"astar" on Eldamo.org"-ion" on Eldamo.org"ast" on Eldamo.org"ar(a)- on Eldamo.org 
* "Where were you when I was new?": Astarion starts the game hating hero typesYoutube video with the Nere/rockfall rescue dialogue during Act 2, where Astarion shows contempt at PC being a hero by EPKongroo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21aHFltz_nY&ab_channel=EPKongroo, but if following his good ending, he can abscond with his romantic partner, becoming a hero himself.Baldur's Gate 3 - Good Astarion Epilogue (every version, romance & friendship) by MGamingVideos on Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T38on5gUWF0&ab_channel=MAstarion’s Character Growth (Epilogue) by ItsBeenFunIG on Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/BaldursGate3/comments/187zye2/astarions_character_growth_epilogue/ He confesses how he wished he’d been saved, but that he had not been seen as the damsel in distress but instead as the monster (due to being spawn). His hatred stems from him never have been rescued and enduring torture at the hands of Cazador for two centuries. It’s a common trope, especially with Tav and Wyll (one being the possible hero of the adventure and the other the “Blade of the Frontiers”), to see him hating acting like a “good guy” and/or fighting his conflicting feelings over being rescued, while coming to terms with it. The name of the trope is taken from a quote in The Last Unicorn.Molly Grue / The Last Unicorn: "Where have you been? How dare you? on YouTube
=== Pairings ===
Astarion centric pairings are by far the most popular in the fandom. Due to players frequently choosing to start playing with Tav (Original Player Character) and often, due to the sheer amount of hours a single playthrough amounts to, not playing the game again using another Origin character, this is the first and only contact with a canon Astarion romance many players get. This is considered the fandom's most popular pairing. Astarion is shipped with them under many pairing names. As of the 19th of September 2023, the main Astarion/Player Character stats on AO3 are as follows:
* Astarion/Tav (default Player Character name): 1,244
* Astarion/Original Characters: 1,269
* Astarion/Original Female Characters: 805
* Astarion/Charname: 371
* Astarion/Original Male Characters: 390
* Astarion/Reader: 398
* Astarion/The Dark Urge: 176
* Astarion/You: 67
==== Issue with quantifying Astarion/Player Character pairings and Charname ====
It is important to note that, apart from the tags featuring Tav, any other Astarion-centric pairing might feature a character that isn't the Player Character (for example: Original Female Character might simply mean the character was created for the fic and isn't the Player Character, the Reader might not necessarily be Tav, Charname might be someone else but Tav as well etc.)
As such, there's no quick way to quantify exactly how many works are part of the Astarion/Original Player Character pairing. Several of these tags also overlap (for example: a fic featuring Astarion/Tav as main pairing also uses the tag Astarion/Original Male Character(s) to refer to the exact same pairing).
In stories featuring Charname (in which the name tag is used instead of an original name) the reader is meant to copy the text to a text editor and replace the placeholder with their chosen moniker, which could be Tav, their original Player Character name or any other name, such as their own. Although, as a relic from Baldur's Gate I and II, Charname is also simply what later became in-game "Tav" in Baldur's Gate III and means the author chose to not call their character Tav. The use of this tag has caused chaos in the search for Baldur’s Gate I and II pairings and protagonist centric stories on AO3, since as of now (14th November 2023) it has merged with the protagonists of the first games, who are the Baldur’s Gate series original “Charname”.
==== Other Canonical Pairings featuring Astarion ====
There is also a canonical OT3 featuring Astarion, the Player Character and Halsin. The pairing tag is featured 24 times on AO3 (19/09/2023).
There is a growing appreciation for Astarion/Companion pairings. These are canonical as well, depending on Player choice. The slow growth might come from the fact that most players choose to create their own character for their initial playthrough (which can take over 100 hours to finish if the Player wishes to experience most of the gameplay), but then might choose to use an Origin Character (such as Astarion) for their next time, thus experiencing the full game as the character.
As of the 19th of September 2023, the Astarion/Companion stats on AO3 are as follows:
* Astarion/Gale (known as BloodWeave): 66
* Astarion/Halsin (known as Halstarion): 50
* Astarion/Wyll (known as BloodPact): 29
* Astarion/Lae'zel: 12
* Astarion/Karlach (know as FireBlood): 4
* Astarion/Shadowheart: 4
Although the number of fanfics written is diminute, the kudos ratio is not. Beast by molmor (a multichaptered Astarion/Halsin fic) and Break in the Illusion by Acinonyx1 (a oneshot Astarion/Halsin fic) boast 2,042 and 1,237 kudos, respectively, and both are present on the first page of the Astarion Tag when sorted by kudos. Since then Beast by molmor has also become the most kudo'd fic in the entirety of the Baldur's Gate fandom. On the 27th of December 2023, Beast by molmor was deleted from AO3, after being top five most kudo'd of the Baldur's Gate III tag for months. The fic was being used to advertise a book on amazon by the same author of the fic, who had been warned by other fans that this went against AO3's Terms of Service. 
There is a lot of difficulty finding art featuring these pairings however. This is mainly due to artists not using pairing tags (slash pairing name or Portmanteau) when posting.
There are also some pairings that aren't canon, such as Astarion/Cazador (it is implied in Early Access as a forced relationship), Astarion/Gortash and Astarion/Raphael.
==Portrayal of Trauma and Sexuality==
Astarion is a deeply traumatised character and following his personal quest will put the Player in contact with various themes of abuse, manipulation, and sexual assault. The character is also considered queer in his mannerisms, provoking a strong negative response in some players.Example in the Official Larian Forum (warning for slur) https://forums.larian.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=788995&page=7Example with mentions of groping (there is no groping in-game) https://www.reddit.com/r/BaldursGate3/comments/15llvi3/pro_tip_kill_astarion_as_soon_as_youre_able/Long thread on the Steam Forums of the game, slurs are censored https://steamcommunity.com/app/1086940/discussions/0/3416559391452414520/?l=indonesian&ctp=12Reddit Thread with references to now deleted videos of homophobic streamers and other homophobic behaviours by players of the gamehttps://www.reddit.com/r/gaymers/comments/15s5vxx/im_surprised_with_some_of_the_homophobia_ive/ Astarion is shown during gameplay to be canonically queer (his VA, Neil Newbon states he is pansexualshort clip from one of Neil Newbon's streams, where he talks about Astarion's sexuality https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxULYKs1OBQ&ab_channel=janellewaldeninterview where Newbon discusses Astarion’s sexuality and its impact with acceptance and normalisation of sexuality https://screenrant.com/baldurs-gate-3-astarion-neil-newbon-interview/). All of his important relationships have been with men and canon background is presented as largely homosocial. Even though forced to seduce any gender of victims, he mentions to the player character that they could not bring themselves to lure a certain "sweet" man they had seduced to their master, calling this man a "darling boy" (Astarion would have been around 50 years old at the time, so the term "darling boy" is possibly more a term of affection towards a person he found kind or nice, rather than just a younger man).The transcription of the dialogue https://twitter.com/amirdrassil/status/1702350664054055205 During the final part of his personal quest, the Player comes face to face with Sebastian, a man who Astarion taught how to kiss. Astarion has a very dark perception of himself, not holding back with insults and self-hate. It is possible to hear a self-deprecating dialogue where he considers the sexual slavery he suffered at the hands of Cazador to be just prostitution.A short clip where the Player wishes to sleep with an elven prostitute and this promps the dialogue from Astarion if the Player tried to sleep/slept with him as well https://www.youtube.com/shorts/sRIH1p-K7ck
== Fanworks ==
=== Fanfiction ===
* A Break in the Illusion (one-shot Astarion/Halsin) by Acinonyx1, Astarion wants to hide during sex. Halsin does not let him. (2023)
* wanted to kiss your skin and your everything (Astarion/Gender-neutral Tav) by FlowerCitti, You draw Astarion to show him what he looks like. (2023)
* lost and never found (one-shot pre-game Astarion/Cazador) by arenathesia, There was only one way this would end. And it never ended with Astarion escaping. (2023)
* En Prise (Astarion/Gale) by positivejam, It’s not often Astarion sees his own hunger reflected in another’s eyes. So yearning for a look in the mirror, he can't help but stare. (2023)
* Silver-Tongue (Astarion/Karlach)by starkraving, Origin-run Astarion fic because its interesting to me how the party reacts to their vampire buddy if he doesn’t have Tav to be a social buffer for him. Act 2 content and spoilers. (2023)
*Perceived Impressions (multichaptered Astarion/Halsin) by Acinonyx1, Now a captive of the Absolute, Astarion is left starving and huddled in the corner, waiting for the beast that shares his cell to finally strike. (2023)
* Pyrrhic Victories (Astarion/Wyll) by The_Dancing_Walrus, In which Astarion figures that what heroes really want is someone to save. And then assumes he can't possibly develop any feelings for a sweet, sincere hero who wants to do just that. (2023)
* Playing With Your Food (Astarion/Female Charname) by Cantique, There's blood, but in the fun, vampire sex way. Written during Early Access. (2020)
* Ravenous (one-shot Astarion/Male Tav) by Acinonyx1, When the Shadow-Cursed lands lack suitable prey, Astarion distracts himself from the hunger with sex until he can’t anymore. (2023)
* What is Sharing (Astarion/Halsin/Original Female Character) by Silvergryphon06, Astarion and Halsin come to an agreement. (2023)
* Beast (multichaptered Astarion/Halsin) by molmor, “God, Astarion…” Halsin whispered, yet his eyes were not looking up anymore. He was marvelling at the naked flesh before his face. (2023)
* Revivify With Cloth And Thread (one-shot Astarion & Karlach and Astarion & Wyll) by AbigailMoment, Karlach's treasured teddy bear is torn almost in half. The day is reluctantly saved by an exasperated vampire who has spent two centuries mending his own clothing. (2023)
* Another Path (Astarion/Wyll) by Asidian, Astarion has spent two hundred years waiting for a hero to come. It isn't the foolish sort of idle dreaming that one reads about in adventure tales, no – he doesn't moon about in picturesque arched windows, pressing his hand to his chest and sighing. But he does hope sometimes, furtive and distantly yearning, in the same way he still prays to gods who never listen, every now and again. (2023)
* Strange Smile (Astarion & Lae'zel, Astarion & Karlach and Astarion & Wyll) by starkraving , part 1 of an on-going series, Wyll, Karlach, and Lae’zel speak with a Gur monster hunter in a bog and Astarion happens to be there. It’s a very awkward way to get outted as a vampire to your (mostly) unsuspecting teammates. AKA: Tav-less party jumps the team rogue and holds him down for questioning. It's fine. (2023)
* Seen, Seen, Seen (character study Astarion & Halsin) by ZiGraves, "Whatever Halsin was, it was a lot more familiar to Astarion than any proud, heroic druid should have been." As Astarion cultivates a relationship with the pleasantly untouchable Karlach, he observes the way druid disguises aspects of himself. (2023)
=== Fanart ===
* six feet under (spoilers for Act 3) by parcivalewaves on Twitter (X)
* Sunburn by SunsetagainD on Twitter (X)
* Astarion being Astarion (spoilers for Act 2) by Momotexx on Twitter (X)
* Wavemother's Robe (a popular in-game item to put on Astarion) by SunsetagainD on Twitter (X)
* art thou nasty? by velnna on Twitter (X)
* my boy (spoilers for Act 1, possibly Act 2 if not romanced) by izonak1 on Twitter (X)
* Astarion catches the shuriken in his mouth (based on the DnD session) by sekaaliart on Twitter (X)
* these two have been occupying my mind 24/7 recently (Bloodweave) by Valc0_ on Twitter (X)
* gales new look (based on the DnD session) by madvalgo on Twitter (X)
* "We don't need to do anything. We can just be." (Astarion/Karlach) QuelFabulous on Twitter (X)
* They're everything to me (Tav/Astarion/Halsin) by velnna on Twitter (X)
* 真好玩 (a wonderful time) (Astarion/Halsin) by yixishangyong on Twitter (X)
* “Well…it was nice while it lasted.” (spoilers for the "good" ending) by aimoahmed Twitter (X)
* boots moment (based on the DnD session) by fransi_mosshead on Twitter (X)
=== Cosplay ===
* AeroCat_ on Reddit
** Astarion Cosplay 👀 (genderswap)
*Leon Chiron (cosplayer), photos by A.Z.Production on Flickr
**one, two, three, four, five
* darksideofnyarl on Twitter
** one, two, three
* eufiemoon on Twitter
**Cosplay Masquerade winner eufiemoon with Neil Newborn at Insomnia the Gaming Festival #i71
** Who stuck Astarion in a jester hat? poor fella - (it was me)
* Fuzzy_Aspect1385 on Reddit
**Astarion Cosplay
* _hakaynaa on Twitter
**blood&pain
*iToshl on DeviantArt
**Minthara's armor: one, two, three
**Camp oufit: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven
*JackieUniverse on DeviantArt
** one, two, three, four (CW: blood)
* _junllo on Twitter
** "I'm flattered, but I think not. It's not you, you understand, it's me. I have standarts."
*shinorisucos on Twitter
**"Careful... I bite."
* thatvampire on Twitter
** Just dropping my Astarion cosplay here ♡
* tigerwasalone on Reddit
** My Astarion cosplay first try on
* ujalice on Twitter
**The pale elf, Astarion
=== Fan Vids ===
* Astarion Animatic by farewell_transmissions on Youtube
* Astarion vs Cazador animation I did for fun!! by _Tonestar_ on Twitter (X)
* Astarion edit by svrgned on TikTok
* Astarion edit by aesahettr on TikTok
==Gallery==
File:Astarion - Redemption by darpustoshi.jpg|Astarion: Redemption by darpustoshi
File:Astarion by Elainuar.jpg|Astarion by Elainuar
File:Astarion_by_emikart.jpeg|Astarion by emikart
File:Astarion by Escuisi.jpg|Astarion by Escuisi ‎
File:Astarion by Evil-Siren.jpg|Astarion by Evil-Siren
File:Astarion Portrait by KATATATT.jpg|Astarion Portrait by KATATATT
File:Astarion by Leshiye-Art.jpg|Astarion by Leshiye-Art
File:Astarion Study by Llythium-art.jpg|Astarion Study by Llythium-art
File:Astarion Waiting by lydiayue.jpg|Astarion Waiting by lydiayue 
File:Astarion Pencil by lydiayue.jpg|Astarion pencil portrait by lydiayue
File:Fansketch Astarion by Matcha-Bun.jpg|Fanart by Matcha-Bun
File:Astarion by MaXKennedy.jpg|Astarion by MaXKennedy
File:Astarion by MissDarien.png|Astarion by MissDarien
File:Astarion by Ewa Sztefka.png|Astarion by Ewa Sztefka 
File:Astarion 2 by Ewa Sztefka.png|Astarion by Ewa Sztefka 
File:Lovely Astarion by VinogradovaArtroom.jpg|Lovely Astarion by VinogradovaArtroom – Astarion with red poppies, a traditional symbol of "pleasure, sacrifice, remembrance," and of death and sleep. This may reference Astarion's vampirism and traumatic history.
File:Blood moon by wild0moon.jpg|Blood Moon by wild0moon
File:Astarion by xxthiers.jpg|Astarion by xxthiers ‎ 
File:Astarion by Yara-V.jpg|Astarion by Yara-V ‎ 
File:Não sei se hei de rir ou chorar by SaeterDaeg.jpg|Não sei se hei de rir ou chorar (I don't know whether to laugh or cry) by SaeterDaeg‎ 
== Resources ==
* Astarion tag on Tumblr
* Astarion (Baldur's Gate) on Archive of Our Own
* Astarion on the Baldur's Gate 3 Wiki
* 5th Edition of Dungeons & Dragon's handbook Wiki
* Dialogue parser for BG3 by an anonymous creator on Tumblr
== References ==
Category:Baldur's Gate Characters