Summary

• Surprisingly, only 15% of players choose the Dark Urge Origin in Baldur's Gate 3.
• Misunderstandings about the character may lead to fear of being locked into an evil playthrough.
• The Dark Urge offers the flexibility of a custom character with the depth of an Origin, making for unique playthroughs.

It's hard to believe that it's been a year since Baldur's Gate 3 arrived, and as part of the first-anniversary celebration, Larian Studios shared some statistics about gameplay. As I looked over the data showing information like who was the most romanced companion, the most popular class, and vital owlbear cub data, something caught me by surprise. Because, while over 93% of players prefer to play as a custom character, only 15% of them choose a key BG3 Origin.

One of my favorite things about Baldur's Gate 3 is that there is such variety when choosing to start a playthrough. With seven Origin characters to choose from, as well as the option to lovingly craft a Tav from scratch, the roleplay opportunities really do begin from the moment the game starts. But there is one Origin that is getting left out in the cold by a lot of players, and I think I've figured out why.

Very Few BG3 Players Are Choosing The Dark Urge

The Dark Urge Has Deep Links To The Main Plot

While Larian’s data shared via X, formerly Twitter, on the feels like the intended main character.

It seems that even a year after launch, people are still wary of this character. This got me thinking about why people are being put off by this brilliant Origin, and I’ve got it narrowed down to two reasons. Both seem to stem from a misunderstanding of the character, perhaps arising from the Origin’s name and the secrecy surrounding their involvement with the narrative and key NPCs.

Players Fear A Purely Evil Playthrough Of Baldur's Gate 3

Many May Worry About Being Locked Into An Evil Character

To begin with, I think that some might be under the impression that the Dark Urge is a set-in-stone character just like the other Origins with little flexibility for roleplay. While it’s true that the Dark Urge has a fixed background just like Astarion, Wyll, or Karlach, the way their backstory unfolds during the game allows for almost the same amount of flexibility as a fully custom character. However, when deciding whether to play as a custom or Origin character, the Dark Urge falls into a strange middle ground.

Although the character selection does have a notice stating that the Dark Urge’s class and appearance can be customized, I think many have misunderstood the role the Dark Urge plays compared to the other Origins. Given the name of the Origin, it’s not a huge leap to assume that many will think that playing this character would lock them into an evil playthrough. As the Dark Urge’s intro plays, and he speaks about how his blood urges him to kill, it would be safe to conclude the sinister turn any Dark Urge playthrough can take.

And while that is the case, at the same time, there is phenomenal freedom when playing the Dark Urge. In the intro, the character speaks about resisting the urges and regaining their memories, before they hurt someone. This duality of the Dark Urge Origin is one of my favorite things about it, with redemption and corruption possible to make each Dark Urge playthrough a unique experience.

Misunderstanding How The Dark Urge Differs From Other Origins

The Dark Urge Does Not Appear In The Story Unless Played

The second reason I think the Dark Urge is getting overlooked is the mistaken belief that they will appear later in the game like the other Origin characters. People wait for the character to show up to learn about them and see if their background piques their interest enough to want to learn more. But then the white dragonborn default Dark Urge never arrives and is possibly forgotten about.

While Lae’zel, Shadowheart, and Wyll are all met during Act 1’s narrative, a little exploration is needed to track down the rest of the Origin companions. Astarion is tucked away in a different section of the beach, and during my first early access playthrough I missed him entirely. Likewise, to recruit Karlach means finding where she is tucked away, and Gale is literally hidden inside a malfunctioning waypoint. It’s not inconceivable to think that the Dark Urge could be lurking around a corner in the Ruined Village or Auntie Ethel’s swamp.

Then, because the Dark Urge is absent, and the story pushes the party forward, it’s possible they become an afterthought. However, I can understand why the Dark Urge doesn’t appear in the story unless they are the player character, because a huge part of their journey is about choice. Without the player to make that choice, the Dark Urge is a static character, doomed by the world around them to fall back into Bhaal’s influence.

The body of Dark Urge can be found during other playthroughs on the floor of Orin’s bedroom in Act 3 and explains the apparent plothole of their absence in BG3.

Two Examples Of Very Different Dark Urges

The Dark Urge Origin Offers As Much Flexibility As Tav

I’ve found playing as the Dark Urge a massive amount of fun and a brilliant way to experience Baldur’s Gate 3 from a new perspective after completing it many times. When I play as an Origin character, I tend to respond in-game as them, so when playing as Wyll, I will approach quests and conversations as him. When I play as Karlach, it’s a different experience to playing as Lae’zel, but ultimately I’m acting how I think they would behave.

However, the Dark Urge offers all the benefits of a custom character with the in-depth backstory of an Origin and this is just one of many reasons to play as the Dark Urge. This means that I can imprint any personality I choose onto them, just as I do with my custom characters. For example, I have two Dark Urge characters, and although they have the same in-game backstory and background, and will experience the same cut scenes, they are worlds apart.

My first Dark Urge playthrough was with a drow necromancer, and she was the sweetest, most confused, cinnamon roll in Faerûn. I resisted the urge at every turn, helped those in need, and aimed to save the world with as few casualties as possible. She was horrified to learn of her past, defied her "father," and ended up living happily ever after with Shadowheart. My second Dark Urge playthrough takes a different turn and it’s ridiculously funny.

I'm currently playing a Dark Urge multiplayer game with my sister and a friend, and we've made our characters to be the B-team for the Dead Three. I am playing as a Dark Urge Assassin rogue, with the other two making Myrkul- and Bane-based characters, a necromancer and warlock respectively. We are aiming for maximum damage, making the worst choices possible, and in the end, will probably rule as the Absolute.

These two characters serve as the perfect examples of how versatile the Dark Urge Origin is in Baldur’s Gate 3. They have different goals, values, and approaches to the world despite having the same backstory. So my advice to those concerned or on the fence about the Dark Urge limiting their roleplay, or being forced down a path they don’t want for their character, is to give it a shot. Apply the same character creation ideas to this overlooked Origin as you would Tav, because despite their past, the Dark Urge can be whoever we want them to be.

Source: Baldur's Gate 3/X