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I feel sorry for Gale, the wizarding prodigy of Baldur's Gate 3. Not because he has an explosive orb in his chest, or that Elminster keeps coming to camp and eating his cheese, but because he's so often overlooked by the fanbase.
When people think of character development and depictions of real-world abuse and trauma, almost every single Baldur's Gate 3 fan will think of Astarion. Not to discredit Astarion's story in the slightest – it's truly masterful writing – but a lot of people don't give Gale's story the chance it deserves. He is complex, depicts issues that often go overlooked when men speak up, and not to mention his romance just makes me feel warm and fuzzy whenever I go down that path (which is every single playthrough). So buckle in, because I am going to try and convince you to give Gale's story a proper try, even if it does mean romancing a complete nerd.
Sole mates
A lot of people see Mr. Dekarios as a clingy young man, with a penchant for eating your magical boots. But it's not entirely his fault. When the game first launched, a bug sadly put a lot of people off exploring the Wizard of Waterdeeps storyline, myself included. Larian admitted that the character approval ratings being so low were a bug and Gale should never have wanted to be yours simply because you breathed within a 60ft radius of him. It was a scar that would take a while to heal in the fandom, and a lot of people to this day still see Gale as the easiest companion to romance because of this. It put so many people off, and a lot of my friends have told me they haven't romanced or even wanted Gale in their party because of this overbearing introduction.
It's a shame really, as Gale's backstory is just as turbulent and detailed as the other companions (perhaps except Wyll, who was woefully underdeveloped in my opinion - but that's a matter for another day). His story has so many layers, and complexities that people are just not willing to give the time of day. He is the only companion I see where people don't really talk about the deeper issues. Everyone just seems to take him at face value of a wizard with delusions of grandeur.
He's just a boy
One thing people seem to overlook is that Gale is in fact a survivor of an abusive, turbulent relationship, where power dynamics were never going to be on his side. I mean, this man literally dated a god. You're never going to be on an equal footing with a god.
The dynamic between Gale and Mystra, the Mother of all Magic, is kind of icky. It's made clear that Gale was first noticed by Mystra from a young age for his magical abilities, and as time went on she ended up becoming his teacher, muse, and eventually his lover. It sounds as if, when Mystra first came into his life, he was very impressionable – something that's never outright confirmed, but hinted at.
All of the gods in this universe are selfish and cruel, but Mystra took advantage of a young human male, stringing him along with promises and showing him powerful magic only to tell him he wasn't good enough to have it. Mystra took him as a Chosen, initiated a romantic relationship with him and twisted his views on not only romance, but himself. Gale even admits that magic is his life, so it's obvious why Mystra could so easily become his entire world.
The saddest part is Gale talks as if all of this is normal in relationships. Not being equals, being taken advantage of, and manipulated. He speaks so calmly and indifferently to what he's experienced. This is further backed up by the fact Gale feels he needs to perform grand gestures to show his love to you. He makes love to you as gods do, he takes you to the Outer Planes to prove to you everything he could be and provide for you. Nothing is simple for Gale, and he feels he has to achieve greatness to prove himself in both life and romance. This is the mark Mystra left on him.
In Act 3's romance scene Gale truly believes he has to be a god to be "the best version of himself". If you tell him you like him as he is, just a regular mortal man, he doesn't believe you, asking: "You would really prefer me as I am?" It's heartbreaking. It's so obvious Mystra left a mark which made him believe he was never good enough and would never achieve greatness.
A lot of people think Gale himself is manipulative, but perhaps don't appreciate that everything he experiences is heavily tied to how he was treated and manipulated by Mystra. He believed he had to have more to keep her. Yes, Gale wants the Crown of Karsus for power, but he doesn't want it for evil. You can even see that Gale doesn't really want power later in the game, he's content with being a university lecturer. He also doesn't eat your magic boots for fun, he literally needs them so he doesn't die. He is a book nerd with "a cat, a library and a weakness for a good glass of wine." There is a reason his God of Ambition ending is considered his 'bad' ending - Mystra is the worst, and I will die on that hill.
Come as you are
There's a lot more to delve into with Gale, and I could talk endlessly about my favorite wizard. I haven't even mentioned the fact he became a hermit, which obviously affected the way he interacts with your Tav at the start of the game, or that he was ready to end his life to appease his ex-girlfriend.
Gale's trauma really hit home with me, and the fact there was representation of something I have personally experienced in my own life in a video game was a moment I'll never forget. When I realized what Gale's story was about, it hit me like a sack of bricks. Astarion hit home with many sexual abuse survivors, Shadowheart shone a light on religious trauma, and Gale offers representation for those who have felt suicidal and unwanted, people with agoraphobia, loneliness, and grooming victims.
Gale made me realize we are not the traumas we have faced, but how we come out of it at the other end. We can be content with just being. We don't need to prove ourselves a god –just being here, alive, is enough. "I used to believe Mystra's forgiveness was worth dying for," says Gale, as he sits in a boat floating in the Outer Planes, with Elwyn, my Cleric of Ilmater sitting opposite him. "But I was wrong. You showed me just how much I have to live for."
Baldur's Gate 3 Patch 7 doesn't change one bard's grisly fate, but I'm glad she's dead
