My first ever playthrough of the game I decided to go out on a limb and picked the Dark Urge origin, only having a small bit of secondhand knowledge of BG1 & 2 (coincidentally the same level of knowledge the Dark Urge also starts with). I spent the whole of act 1, 2, and the better part of 3 terrified that at any moment I would lose and kill my companions, that I had made a mistake choosing the Dark Urge and it would in turn act against me and ruin my experience, possibly even causing me to never want to play the game ever again, but even then I still tried to resist the urge. When Sceleritas threatened me with the proposal that if I didnt kill Isobel I would kill Laezel (my partner in the playthru), I started to think like the Urge, genuinely considering killing her just to spare Laezel. I decided to go against my better judgement and let Isobel live and in return I spent the night tied up, even more scared that I couldn't control the urge and it would get my party killed. When I stumbled in the sewers Orin revealed to me that she kidnapped Halsin and would kill him unless I killed Gortash, I dropped everything I was doing and immediately began scouring the sewers for where she could be hiding. I didn't want to have to be forced to kill against my will again. I had only found the entrance to the Undercity because I noticed a small blood circle ,which triggered some memory in a small recess of my mind that this was the symbol of Bhaal. I didn't even know Sarevok was alive yet, I skipped that quest, I was just going off my own knowledge. After I entered and fought my way to Orin, she along with the narrator revealed everything to me, coupled with the knowledge I had learned from reading various books along the whole game, everything had clicked into place. I knew I would have to fight Orin. I knew she had the Slayer form. But most importantly I knew that after I killed her, I, the only remaining Bhaalspawn, would be turned into that very same monster. It was tough, but despite me having "not trained well enough", I used the tactics, the tools, and the experiences I learned throughout the game to win the duel. When I saw Sceleritas' gored body float towards me however I knew that it was to all end here. Bhaal himself, not an avatar like Myrkul previously, would either kill me where I stood for having resisted him and played the evil character path wrong, or I would have to become his Chosen, the very thing I spent so long trying to avoid. Either way, all the progress I had made, the nearly three weeks I spent on my playthrough, would be erased. In the end I still stood firm and resisted, and in the end exactly what I had thought pass did, and I was killed right there. When the camera shifted to a cinematic view, and the narrator monologued I thought that was it. The Bad Ending to the Bad Character Origin. I was honestly content with the game ending there for me. Sure I was a little dismayed I would not get to defeat the Absolute, and I may not have fully understood when I started what I was getting into, but I was happy knowing despite the circumstances I did the best I could. That I had made what many consider the unideal first time playthrough matter to me. Of course though that wasn't how it ended. Where I thought I would be punished for resisting the very urges of the game itself, I was instead rewarded by Withers, the Avatar of Jergal, and the Avatar of the Game itself. Withers didn't just grant my character with life itself, but with the confirmation that despite everything, all of the circumstances, the confusion, the fear, I had truly done my best to make the worst better. That experience. That first playthrough. All of my odd choices I had made throughout the game, in the game or out of it that lead me to that one moment, had worked itself into creating an experience so utterly unique to me specifically that I don't think it will ever be truly replicated again. The Dark Urge is without a doubt the single best experience I ever had in a game. I started my journey afraid that starting with the Dark Urge would sour any attempt to replay it, in a way it kind of has, I don't think I can ever replay the game as any other character now.

Withers is the best. Ask him to explain? "No." Die for your redemption arc? "Get up. You have work to do."

Bhaal having a temper tantrum because another one of his kids has turned against him. Jergal laughing at Bhaal, reminding him that he was the original death god, and taking the Dark Urge as his chosen instead in the heart of his own temple. Nice

Withers: "Wake the fuck up, samurai..."

“What is better, To be born good, or to overcome your evil nature through great effort?”

Karlach telling you she's proud of you makes it worth it in all instances.

Withers gives the most genuine sweet grandfatherly smile when he tells you “the sole way to atone is to do better, in a new dawn. That dawn has come.” And I just love it. Do not disappoint grandpa Withers if you redeem the dark urge.

> Durge dies. Withers "Nah. I'd revive."

Jergal sure has a soft spot for adventurers that challange Gods... Or at least the evil he once wielded.

As someone who who grew up playing the original games - when Jaheira finished off her speech with her catch phrase "... Nature's servant awaits." I was struck by a huge wave of nostalgia. Larian has created a fantastic story for a new generation but also has written a love letter to us older gamers who grew up with Baldur's Gate. Damn I love this game!

All of these cutscenes were so damn good. I feel that the Durge really is the main character of the game.

Dark Urge is the game's main character. A whole trilogy of baalspawn rebelling against their father.

Bhaal Avatar’s voice is Doug Cockle, AKA Geralt of Rivia. Can’t unhear it!

I enjoy that Larian gave Jergal some proper love. Although not talked about often in D&D, he will eventually have the largest role in the cosmic hierarchy at the end of everything.

I named my Dark Urge Dhawn, in dnd lore, it means plague. Perfect, a cute name with a dark double meaning just like my character. But I could have *never* imagined the payoff for her name. Wither's speech at 16:04 had me in tears. All at once, her name became the embodiment of the new life she fought for and the friends who gave her hope that it was even possible

What I love about the Dark Urge path is how much their journey mirrors the journey that the rest of our companions have been on. We're not on a journey to just have our parasites removed. We're on a journey to free ourselves from both our past and oncoming tyrants. The Dark Urge's bloodlust is a tyrannical influence on our mind just as much as the horrors that Karlach, Astarion, Lae'zel, Shadowheart and Wyll endured from their past choices and the choices made for them. This is why I can't do an Evil Dark Urge run. As to resisit the Dark Urge, as well as helping the friends we've made on our journey resist and defy their personal demons and tyrants, is an act of rebellion one must follow to be finally free. It is better to be free then it is to be powerful. I'd say that's the theme I got from the overarching narrative of Baldur's Gate 3 in the journey our party members have been on.

4:37 Omg! The expressions are so good! The dragonborn race is surprising the most expressive in this game! I love it!

Everyones voice is so dark and moody. Meanwhile, Karlach:" I'm so damned proud of you!"

Playing as The Dark Urge pretty much feels like the canonical way to play Baldur's Gate 3, since the previous Baldur's Gate games also featured the Dead Three as major plot devices, and The Dark Urge makes the story even more interesting as it tries to fight the urge within itself as a Spawn of Bhaal, given a chance for redemption through amnesia, all done by that disgusting and pathetic asshole of a mass murderer Orin.

Between BG3 and Cyberpunk 2077, I seem to be developing a liking to protags who die only to get back up to take the big bad down. "Wake up hero, we have an absolute to burn"

So I think it’s safe to say that the mc is unofficially Jergal’s chosen

I JUST REALIZED YOU NAMED THE MC FUCKING DOVAHKIN. THAT IS SUCH A GOOD FUCKING NAME HOLY SHIT

>You should've trained harder master! >Durge: One-shots Orin.

And thus, Yenna became the new Bhaal's Chosen, for she brought her own paring knife.

"A hero has risen from the legacy of death" seems like a little call back to Act 1's "Such raw hatred for life, born from death" xD

"Dovahkiin cast Howl of the Dead on Self" * Proceeds to scream * "Orin failed a Saving Throw against Dovahkiin" nice.

The part where the Dragonborn speaks is so cool!

I'm not gonna lie, as amazing as her voice actress is, and how cool her character design is (being the hottest Chosen notwithstanding...) The Dark Urge would have been a fascinating NPC to encounter similar to the other options, he would have been the ONLY dragonborn worth mentioning, and he would also be able to use any of the 8 custom character voice options to avoid conflicting with a default Tav's. Although Tav's voice is so rare to hear that even if it was literally the same guy I don't think anyone would really care.

I never get tired of this scene, 10/10 would play it again

Wow thats crazy, you could select the dark urge path and you could have a redemption arc??? IDK why but I wasn't expecting such depth, but since there already are so many things possible in this game I never imagined I guess I shouldn't be surprised haha. I am still probably going to go full dark urge because I was originally going to go fully evil. maybe Ill try redemption some time later.

Withers is like Captain America: "If they hurt you, hurt them back! If you get killed... walk it off!"

When i first saw this after playing BG1 and 2 it gave me the immediate and immense feeling of “HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TEACH YOU THIS LESSON OLD MAN”

BROOOO THE DRAGONBORN VOICE SOUND AMAZING

As a monk, I just spammed topple and stunning strike and Orin was stun locked the whole fight.

You know, I read that Withers is hinted to be Jergal, or at least connected to him. For him to be moved by this, wow

“You don’t deserve the Murder Lord’s Blessing!” “Fool… I AM THE MURDER LORD.” …at least that’s how my first playthough went. Come on. We all want to be the bad guy sometimes.

Gosh this game truly is incredible. It needs to win several game of the year awards for the writing, and script.

16:06 honesty this is so much motivation and self growth!

I find it funny how your companions just stand there looking at you dead

I haven't finished the game with the dark urge but i love watching these videos as if it was a tv serie about Dungeons and Dragons. And it's incredible how they gave so much depth to the whole Forgotten Realms pantheon and lore

So Seceleritas is indeed immortal. Which in turn would made him one of the Bhaal's avatars. Lesser one, but still. Huh.

Thank you for posting this. I didn't realize the Durge has this kind of redemption path. Much Gratitude.

Oh I get it now. if you reject the entire path she takes all your blessings. I had done everything and rejected the blessing at the end so I never got to see Orin's slayer form

Dovahkiin. Dragonborn. Heh

Pretty cool that you can play a redemption arc through it. I might try playing paladin with dark urge and resist

her shapshiftnig into you makes me wish that maybe dialogue being voiced by Tav would have been really cool

The Dark Urge as Dragonkin is just fantastic and menacing. It was my first playthrough, too.

The crazy part is he rejects not only bhaal.. he rejected his soul too by becoming half illithid

Baldur's Gate 3 casually having another Major Milestone - the Redemption Arc of a born evil

Okay now that I know you can have a redemption arc I'm gonna have to do a Durge playthrough next. I'm a sucker for a good redemption arc.

Urge is clearly Jergal's favorite/chosen!

4:29 Note that the appearance or whatever Mimic looking spell that is doesn't have the Withered appearance of the Character so that means if they were to impersonate the Dark urge they wouldn't even fool anyone especially without the scars

Sceleritas fel is such an interressting character And Withers is such a homie.

I wish we could play through the game with Durge as a companion, rather than having to play him ourselves. I'd love to be able to have my character interact with him, and guide him.

Why tf the Dead Three are all assholes, but Jergal, who actually was all three in one person, so to speak, is so much of a wholesome guy?

I almost didn't watch this because I haven't beaten Durge for myself yet, but I'm not one to be thrown off because of spoilers. I'm so glad I watched and I'm so excited to see all of this for myself. I'm so glad that Durge gets a second chance if they reclaim themself and stand up for what's right. Withers FTW.

this is exactly why I will never consider any other dark urge run as canonically.

I got to this fight and immediately got killed by Orin, I still defeated them after but it was far less satisfying to miss this great cutscene

Sororocide awaits, he gives it away what Orin is.

yenna running completely opposide way than going home is funny

Why did I not think of the name Dovahkiin? 😭😭 It's perfect. Though I guess it caught me off guard; my brain stopped as it had a "does not compute" moment. "Wait, this isn't... isn't this the wrong game?" 🤣

Something very satisfying about that killing blow being a cantrip

I rejected Bhaal just because I was playing as a manipulative dragonborn sorcerer who despises being someone's slave due to being a Dragonborn (Dragonborns were the slaves of dragons), and I still decided to be the biggest asshole I could so that my actions were truly my own and not some stupid God's.

You know, I get the feeling that Bhaal and his cult were inspired in no small way by Khorne.

You should have acted. They're already here. The Elder Scrolls told of their return. Their defeat was merely a delay, 'Til the time after Oblivion opened, When the sons of Skyrim would spill their own blood. But no one wanted to believe, Believe they even existed. And when the truth finally dawned, It dawns in fire! But, there is one they fear, In their tongue he is Dovahkiin: DRAGONBORN!

Dark Urge looks awesome.

I think if I ever get the game and play as the dark urge I will make my character look similar to Orin but much less gross lol.

Having Karlach cover her beautiful face in these cutscenes should get ur saves erased from steam lmao (only half kidding)

"Thou art now faithless - godless - and doomed to wander the Fugue Plane for eternity" wait, does that mean that, at long last, Wall of Faithless has been removed from the Forgotten Realms universe? I mean, wandering Fugue Plane for eternity is not exactly picnic, but it still beats fate of being turn into brick in wall that slowly erodes your consciousness.

Withers always comes in clutch

I appreciate that you have the two OG's alongside what I presume is the Romance pick. Adds a lot of substance to this scene. Withers cracked a smile! He witnessed a great legend unfold in real time, and even got to give a huge middle finger to Bhaal.

Sororicide awaits!

I did this duel with a storm/oathbreaker sorcedin, and my god, it was super funny. Orin couldn’t even get me below half my health, mainly because I went to the house of hope and got a bunch of goodies.

When I fought Orin as a barbarian Durge, I stunned her, and wailed on her. It was way easier than I anticipated, though it may have been because I was at max level

I wonder what astarions reaction is?

There should be a dlc where the long mission should be to kill bhaal for good.

I'm almost certain your dialogue option is an Avatar: The Last Airbender reference about inflicting agony tenfold, similar to Iroh saying the same to General Zhao.

Actual canon ending

I feel like Dark Urge redemption arc is the canon mc

I wished you gained a form that is opposite to the Slayer form for the redemption arc, it seems like a waste to lose that kind of power🤔.

I wanted the dark urge power but not submit to some pathetic god. Redeemed myself but continued to kill everything in sight

Do you think that Withers gave up his position as the God of Death for similar reasons? Eventually growing tired of answering the prayers of murderers and sinners, hoping that one day someone would turn against their nature and seek redemption, but they never did.

I think I understood most of that. I'll try to take it to heart and see what happens when I do an evil playthrough or a bad playthrough or something and when you saying resisting the first camping rest, do you mean killing that tiefling with the guitar? Is that the only thing you can't resist?

Sadly you couldn’t save your crazy butler too😢. Would have been cool if you could have made him normal too.

Its unfortunate Jaheira died in the assault on moonrise in my playthrough.

The withers isn’t a good guy.He merely saves you since there he has a famous adventurer to do what would otherwise be his own job.If you play as the dark urge even more so since he can then snatch bhaals prodigy into his own fold under the pretense of kinship.He is a true god.He could have anyone in the realms bend the knee to him.He choose the dark urge only to spit in the said faces of his own former coworkers the dead three that he himself choose to carry his own power before he weakened himself out of boredom.He saves the dark urge because it’s convinient. More so to the point illithid’s do not have souls in the traditional sense.Jergal the withers what ever you prefer to call him does not save you because he wants to help you as a friend.The dead three’s plans interferes with his own domain as much.As it does with the other pantheon gods in the story

And here I thought The a Dark Urge was just some dumb murder hobo character, he’s actually really important

What’s the name of the music that’s playing while the butler is being stabbed?

Never interested in the dark urge play through but with this redemption arc i might give it a try after all.

What was your character's class? Looks like a fighter/paladin multiclass, but I'm not so certain.

IIRC, Dark Urge was the original Tav, but Larian changed it up last minute.

Man Geralt was being kind of a dick here

My scalefriend in Bhaal what gear are you using?

What armor is your Dark Urge wearing?

what playthrough do you play dark urge?, cause I'm intrest to make it my first playthrough

So pretty much the dead 3 got greedy in their hunger for souls that they almost ruined the mortal realm and still would have lost as mindflaters have no souls.

What point is there to resist if saving the female silver Dragonborn bard is impossible?

Does he call you faithless and godless if you play as a cleric?

Is Bhaal voice also the Witcher's one? 😮

Yeah but you killed Alfira so there can be no redemption