Summary
Persona 6’s eventual roster could feature a bit of inspiration from one ofBaldur’s Gate 3’s own party members. ThePersonagames have experimented a lot with the types of characters seen in the party, andPersona 6will need to come up with interesting new ideas.Baldur’s Gate 3has such a diverse selection of party members that embody so many archetypes that it’s an easy game to look to for inspiration. However, one character in particular stands out in this regard, that being Astarion, as he sets an example that could lead to a new kind ofPersona 6party member.
The way thatparty members are introduced inPersonagameshas been consistent sincePersona 3. The party gets filled out over the course of the story, with the final member typically joining only a short time before endgame approaches.Baldur’s Gate 3, on the other hand, introduces most of its prominent party members over the course of the first act, giving the player access to many party combinations fairly early. Despite this difference in pace, both games reliably provide a lot of variety for players to mix and match their party, allowing for an array of strategies for tackling different dungeons and bosses.
Persona 6 Could Feature a Party Member in the Vein of Baldur’s Gate 3’s Astarion
Astarion Is a Morally Ambiguous Companion in Baldur’s Gate 3
One character that drew a lot of players' attention wasBaldur’s Gate 3’s vampiric companion Astarion. He’s particularly notable among the game’s cast for being one of the most unscupulous members of the party. He’s open about his negative qualities, and is one of the party members with the fewest qualms about violence, underhandedness, and cruelty. However, he isn’t truly evil at heart, and he does grow a fondness for the party eventually, especially the player character if romanced. That gives Astarion a unique dynamic with the rest ofBaldur’s Gate 3’s party, and it’s one that thePersonaseries has yet to replicate.
Minthara is another shady recruitable character inBaldur’s Gate 3, but until a recent patch, recruiting her made several other party members inaccessible.
Persona 6 Could Use its Own Rogue in the Party
This kind of character concept could be one of the best options for anew kind of party member inPersona 6. It would create a new dynamic between party members. Maybe they could be someone who was cynical about the idea of the adventure from the start, or a straight-up criminal character who’s only working with the protagonists out of convenience. It would be interesting to see a character start as aloof and standoffish before slowly starting to awaken the better sides of their personality during the game. There’s a lot of potential for such a character to become as fascinating as Astarion was.
An Astarion Figure Could Be a Step Forward for Persona
The concept of party members with antagonistic features isn’t entirely alien to thePersonaseries. The best-known example would bePersona 5’s Goro Akechi, who betrayed the party after working with them for a short time. ThePersona 2duology also featured Jun and Ulala, who both ended up having a connection to the villains, although they still remained heroic afterwards.Personahasn’t yet tackled the concept of a party member who starts unpleasant and gradually lightens up. Astarion already showed that such an idea can work, andPersona 6could attempt to recreate that success with a roguish character of its own.
Astarion was a memorable part ofBaldur’s Gate 3for his charm and interesting backstory, and his formula is one thatPersona 6could follow. It wouldshake upPersona 6’s storyto have such a character in the narrative, especially if they debut early in the game, much like Astarion himself. The series needs to find new stories to tell, and a subplot with a shady party member could do the trick.Persona 6could find success with its own version of Astarion.
