Baldur's Gate 4 Needs New Villains: Why We Must Move Beyond Bhaal and the Dead Three

Yo, fellow adventurers! As a long-time fan who's spent way too many hours in Faerûn, I was absolutely buzzing when I heard the official word from Wizards of the Coast president John Hight back in 2024: Baldur's Gate 4 is definitely happening! 🎉 No release date yet, which means we're in for a long wait, but hey, the confirmation alone is enough to send the hype train hurtling down the Sword Coast. But that hype comes with a big, gnoll-sized worry. With the monumental success of Baldur's Gate 3 setting the bar impossibly high, my biggest fear for BG4 is that it might play it safe. I'm terrified it'll just reheat the same old stew of Bhaalspawn and the Dead Three when the Forgotten Realms is a buffet of deliciously evil antagonists waiting to be served. Let's talk about why the series needs to evolve and who could step up to be the next big bad.

🚫 The Bhaalspawn Saga Has To End

Look, I get it. Bhaal, Myrkul, and Bane—the Dead Three—are iconic. Their legacy, intertwined with the Bhaalspawn, gave us three epic games full of divine drama and personal stakes. They're fantastic villains. But come on, it's 2026! Sticking with Bhaal and his spawn is a one-way ticket to Stagnation City. 🏙️

Remember the grumbling when Sarevok showed up in BG3? Some fans felt his appearance in the Murder Tribunal undid his hard-earned redemption arc from Throne of Bhaal. That's exactly the kind of narrative baggage we risk if BG4 keeps digging in the same grave. Repeating the "Bhaal wants to come back/needs a heir" story for a fourth time? That's not evolution; that's stagnation. It pins the entire identity of Baldur's Gate to one god's family drama and risks halting any real progression for the series and the city itself.

The true heart of Baldur's Gate isn't Bhaal—it's the city. The bustling, corrupt, glorious city of Baldur's Gate itself should be the constant. We need new threats that loom over its walls, new shadows in its alleyways, to tell fresh stories. Abandoning the Dead Three isn't abandoning the series' soul; it's giving it room to breathe and grow.

🌍 The Forgotten Realms Is a Villain Supermarket!

One of the best things about setting games in Baldur's Gate is the access to the entire, lore-rich Forgotten Realms. Wizards of the Coast, please, look beyond the usual suspects! There are so many fantastically devious big bads BG4 could introduce. Let me hit you with a couple of my top picks.

First up, the Red Wizards of Thay. ☠️ These necromantic power-players are no strangers to the series—they popped up in the original games and got a mention in BG3 via the Necromancy of Thay. But D&D veterans know there's so much more to them.

Thay is a nation ruled by scheming, backstabbing wizards with internal factions constantly at war. Imagine a plot where different Red Wizard factions are vying to use Baldur's Gate as a pawn in their power struggles, or as a resource for their undead armies. They have enough depth, history, and sheer magical menace to be the central threat for multiple games, easily filling the void left by the Dead Three.

Want a villain who's literally built for sequels? Say hello to Acererak. This guy isn't just any lich; he's the archlich. Acererak has been a thorn in the side of adventurers across the multiverse for decades, from classic modules like Tomb of Horrors to the more recent Tomb of Annihilation. His whole deal is questing for godhood, and here's the kicker: he will keep coming back unless his super-secret phylactery is destroyed. How perfect is that for a video game series? He's the ultimate recurring villain—defeat him in BG4, and he could be plotting his return in BG5 from some other plane of existence. Now that's long-term storytelling!

🎭 BG3 Already Gave Us Two Perfect Follow-Up Villains

Honestly, the smartest move might be to build on the incredible foundation Baldur's Gate 3 laid. The game didn't just wrap up a story; it set the table for the next feast with two antagonists who have serious unfinished business.

Let's talk about Vlaakith CLVII. The Githyanki Lich-Queen is absolutely terrifying, and she's got a bone to pick.

We messed with her plans for the Astral Prism (and the inside it). You think a millennia-old tyrant who consumes the souls of her most powerful followers is just going to let that slide? No way! Vlaakith would make a fantastic and vicious antagonist for BG4. Imagine her directing her fury at the Sword Coast, with Baldur's Gate as the primary target for a Githyanki invasion. It's a logical escalation: first Bhaal's cult, then mind flayers, and now an interplanar empire of dragon-riding warriors. This threat could work with most BG3 endings without invalidating player choices, which is always a tricky balance.

But my personal vote for the next big bad? Raphael. Oh, that charming, manipulative, theatrical cambion. 😈 He's the perfect successor.

Raphael makes the most sense as the next primary antagonist, not just for BG4 but for potential future games. He's a deal-maker, a schemer whose ambitions are literally infernal in scale. Even if we stopped him from getting the Crown of Karsus, a devil like him always has a backup plan. He could simply set his sights on a new, equally powerful artifact to cement his rule over the Hells. His story can easily accommodate the varied endings of BG3.

Think of the potential! Raphael as the main villain means:

• Endless theatrics and dramatic monologues to drive quests.

• Schemes within schemes that could involve the entire city's political and criminal underworld.

• The potential for amazing companion stories tied to his contracts.

• A villain who is personally connected to the player's legacy from BG3.

The Dead Three left some big shoes to fill, but I have zero doubt that the sheer presence and narrative potential of Vlaakith or Raphael could not only fill them but strut in them. They represent the kind of fresh, yet deeply integrated, threat that Baldur's Gate 4 needs to carve its own legendary story.

So, Wizards of the Coast, Larian (or whoever takes the helm), I'm begging you: let Bhaal rest. The Realms are vast, and Baldur's Gate deserves a new nightmare. Give us a villain that makes us gasp in 2026, not sigh with recognition. The future of the series depends on it! What do you all think? Who's your dream villain for BG4? Hit the comments! 💬⬇️