Should You Free Orpheus in Baldur’s Gate 3?

There are many choices you’ll make throughout your journey in Baldur’s Gate 3, but few are as important as whether or not you’re going to free Orpheus. Near the very end of the story in Act 3, you have the option to free Orpheus in Baldur’s Gate 3 or surrender him to his fate. Which should you do?

Editor’s Note: There will be spoilers for Orpheus and Act 3 in Baldur’s Gate 3.

First and foremost, let’s talk about what happens depending on which route you take in Baldur’s Gate 3 when it comes to the Githyanki Prince. Though he isn’t the easiest guy to be around, freeing Orpheus will allow you to have an upper hand in the upcoming final fight against the Elder Brain.

Orpheus will give your party the option to gain more power, and the options for who gets it will be between your character, Karlach, and Orpheus himself. Oddly enough, if you choose to not free Orpheus, you still pretty much see a similar situation.

Instead of Orpheus though, the Emperor of the Mind Flayers will take his place. This route, you’ll still gain power but it is between you, Karlach, and the Emperor. Orpheus dies in this scenario, too, but there is a bit more to it than that.

If you head this route, it is possible for someone like your character to become the Absolute. On the other hand, if you free Orpheus, he will be able to help the Githyanki people. It honestly comes down to your roleplaying and personal playthrough.

In my opinion, unless you are an evil character or someone who wants to take control of the Mind Flayer powers, you should probably opt to save Orpheus. This puts Lae’zel and her people in a solid position for the end of the game and wraps up the Githyanki plot nicely.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is available for PC and will release for the PS5 on September 6, 2023.