From 'Sexy Demon' to 'Girl Next Door': The Improvised Evolution of Baldur's Gate 3's Nocturne

In the years since its release, Baldur's Gate 3 has been lauded for its richly detailed world and the incredible depth of its characters, from the central party members to the most fleeting of NPCs. Each feels like a person with a history, a personality, and a soul. The game's sprawling dialogue tree is a testament to this commitment to character-driven storytelling. One of the most poignant examples of this narrative depth emerged not from meticulous planning, but from a spontaneous, on-the-fly creative decision during a recording session, fundamentally reshaping a minor but memorable character: Nocturne, the tiefling follower of Shar and former childhood friend of Shadowheart.

Nocturne's journey from the page to the player's screen is a fascinating case study in collaborative creativity. The character, as initially conceived, was far from the compassionate and sweet trader players eventually meet in the Shadow-cursed lands. In a recent interview, actor Abigail Thorn—known for her roles in House of the Dragon and The Acolyte—revealed the surprising original pitch. Thorn was first approached about the role by Baldur's Gate 3 voice director Beth Park while they were working on another project, Harmony Fall of Reverie. "She said, 'Oh, by the way, Abigail, I like what you're doing here. I've got this other part in this other video game, and the character is a sexy demon,'" Thorn recalled. This description immediately set a specific tone. "That sent me in a particular Mephistophelian direction," she added, referencing the archetypal, cunning devil.

Intrigued, Thorn agreed to learn more, only to discover the project was the highly anticipated Baldur's Gate 3, a sequel to a legendary franchise. The stakes, and her excitement, were immediately raised. However, concrete details about Nocturne were still scarce when she arrived for the recording session. While the character's final visual design wasn't complete, Thorn was shown an early concept image. "It was very much sexy demon," she described. "Someone with horns and smoke and a tail, and it was very, very sensual." Armed with this visual and the initial directive, Thorn entered the recording booth with a clear, sultry character voice in mind.

The Pivotal Session: An Instinctive Rewrite

What happened next highlights the dynamic and responsive nature of Larian Studios' development process. Thorn spent the first hour of the session performing as the "sexy demon" she had prepared for. However, a critical disconnect quickly became apparent. "It just wasn't really working, because it clashed with the lines," Thorn explained. The dialogue written for Nocturne didn't match the seductive, otherworldly persona she was performing; instead, it hinted at a much more familiar and emotionally vulnerable character.

Trusting her instincts as a performer, Thorn paused the session and proposed a radical reinterpretation. She told the director, "This isn't sexy demon. This is like your friend from school who you've not seen in years." She asked for permission to completely abandon the initial concept and instead explore this new, more human angle. With Beth Park's approval, Thorn made a swift and decisive change.

• The Voice Change: She abandoned the low, smoky register she had prepared.

• The Character Shift: She "pitched her up a little, made her more vulnerable and sweet."

• The Discovery: In that moment, she "found Nocturne on the spot."

The result was transformative. The team agreed that this new approach was the correct one, and they proceeded to re-record all the material from the initial part of the session. Nocturne was reborn, not as a fantastical temptress, but as what Thorn describes as the "girl next door"—a figure defined by kindness, nostalgia, and a palpable sense of lost friendship, which perfectly fits her role in Shadowheart's personal history.

A Culture of Creative Flexibility at Larian

This anecdote is not an isolated incident but rather indicative of Larian Studios' commitment to iterative perfection and actor input. The development of Baldur's Gate 3 was marked by a willingness to re-examine and refine content, even late in the process. In a separate revelation, the game's performance director disclosed that the entire cast was called back to re-record every line of dialogue to implement they/them pronouns for the player character, ensuring greater inclusivity—a significant undertaking that demonstrates a similar dedication to getting the details right, no matter the cost.

This environment allowed a character like Nocturne to evolve organically from a one-note archetype into a nuanced individual. Her final portrayal resonates with players precisely because of that humanity. She isn't defined by her fiendish ancestry; she's defined by her memory of a simpler time, her quiet faith, and her enduring care for a friend who took a different path. The emotional weight of Shadowheart's reunion with her is a direct product of Thorn's improvisational shift.

The Legacy of a Rethought Character

As we look back on Baldur's Gate 3's legacy in 2026, stories like Nocturne's underscore why the game's narrative continues to be celebrated. It showcases how the magic of game development often lies in these unplanned moments of collaboration. A performer's insight, combined with a director's openness, can elevate a character from a simple vendor or quest NPC into a memorable touchstone of emotional authenticity.

Nocturne's journey from "sexy demon" to a symbol of fractured childhood innocence is a microcosm of the game's broader philosophy: character is king. It proves that the most compelling stories aren't always the ones that are rigidly pre-ordained, but sometimes those that are discovered in the moment, through the creative synergy between writer, director, and actor. The sweet, melancholic tiefling that players remember is a testament to the value of flexibility and the courage to say, in the middle of a recording session, "What if we tried something completely different?"