My Journey as Karlach: Behind the Scenes of Baldur's Gate 3's Fiery Heart

It's 2026, and the legacy of Baldur's Gate 3 still burns bright in our collective gaming hearts. 🎮✨ I still get chills thinking about my time breathing life into Karlach Cliffgate, the tiefling barbarian with a heart of literal fire and a soul scarred by Avernus. It was more than just a role—it was an emotional odyssey, a deep dive into trauma, resilience, and finding joy in the ashes. Today, I'm peeling back the curtain on the mocap suit, the late-night recording sessions, and the profound conversations that shaped one of gaming's most beloved companions. Let's talk about the infernal engine, the misunderstood rage, and why a 'perfect' ending would have betrayed her entire story.

🔥 Finding Karlach's Core: From Hell to Redemption

People often see Karlach as this bubbly, sweet giant—all puppy-dog eyes and enthusiastic exclamations. But for me, her essence was forged in the hellfires of Avernus. To understand her, I didn't just think 'demon realm'. I imagined a supermax prison—a place with no hope of parole, where you have to join the worst gangs and commit atrocities just to see another sunrise. That was her decade. So when she escapes? That unbridled joy isn't just naivety; it's a conscious, fierce decision. She's saying, "I get to decide who I am now. I refuse to be that survivor of hell anymore." It's a redemption arc she gives to herself.

My favorite scene to perform will always be confronting Gortash. That moment when he's finally at her feet... all the gates came off. The ugliness, the rage she'd suppressed for the entire game—it all erupted. That wasn't just anger at a villain; it was a decade of stolen life, of betrayal, screaming to the surface. It was cathartic, both for Karlach and for me. And funnily enough, I recorded that hatred without even knowing Jason Isaacs was playing Gortash! I only found out later and immediately 'straggled' him online. 😈

⏳ The 'Rushed' Myth & Our Recording Sprint

There's a persistent myth that Karlach and Wyll's content was 'rushed'. Let me set the record straight: it wasn't. Theo Solomon and I were the last principal actors to start recording, which meant we had to cram the same monumental workload into a tighter timeframe. But this wasn't a disadvantage—it was a unique creative engine. While others were re-recording lines from Early Access, we got to plough ahead with relentless momentum. We had the full, polished script, a clear character trajectory, and could build performance energy without long breaks. In a way, it afforded us a focus others didn't have. The narrative was complete, deliberate, and ready to go.

❤️🩹 The Engine That Couldn't Be Fixed: Why Tragedy Matters

This is the big one. I know fans have clamored for a 'fix' for Karlach's infernal engine—a magic spell, a divine intervention, a happy ending where she lives forever. But that was never her story. Larian wrote a tragic character, and to undo that would be a disservice. I've met so many players—especially those with chronic or terminal illnesses—who've told me Karlach's journey comforted them. It made them feel seen. The narrative of facing a finite timeline with courage, of finding meaning and love even when you know the end is coming... that's powerful. It mirrors real, painful human experiences. As a player, you're sometimes put in the position of the carer, having to accept a loved one's choice when they say, "I'm ready to go." That's hard, but it's real. Making her 'all better' with a spell would have been a cheap trick that robbed the story of its profound emotional weight. She's a Viking at heart; she was always going to die young and seek her Valhalla.

🌈 Unapologetically Queer: Crafting Karlach for Everyone

Was Karlach written to be queer? In my heart and performance, absolutely. As a non-binary performer, I take a non-gendered approach, but I was hyper-aware of not letting our sapphic players feel left out. I've seen too many games where romance is designed only for a presumed straight male audience. Not here. Karlach is a big biker chick—the original character breakdown mentioned her rolling up on a Harley Davidson. To me, that energy is inherently, wonderfully queer-coded. She's pansexual, but I played her neutral, allowing every player to see themselves in her warmth. The goal was inclusion, not exclusion. I'm thrilled she's a lesbian icon, but I'm also genuinely surprised and moved by the straight men who adore her. It shows our attraction is broader than marketing thinks!

🎙️ The Village Behind the Character

I never want to take sole credit for Karlach. She was a village effort. Sarah Baylus wrote her incredible dialogue. Cinematic leads, animators, directors, and even other actors who did additional mocap—they all shaped her. That's why I started my video series, It Takes A Village, to spotlight the invisible devs, writers, and artists. In this secretive industry, too many work for years on cancelled projects they can never discuss. It's heartbreaking. We need to give people their flowers while they can still smell them.

🚀 Looking Ahead in a Changing Industry

The political landscape since 2024 has shifted, and I know from friends in dev that inclusive storylines are being cut. Appeasement rarely works. But I have hope. Indie games exist. Communities will gather. We will tell our stories. As for me, I'm diving into new projects like the indie game Fading Echo and Absolum. And I'll always be that introvert who helped bring a fiery tiefling to life, ready to hide and say, "Your turn next."*

Karlach's story was about making every moment count, even the painful ones. I hope her legacy reminds us to do the same—in games and in life. 🔥