Baldur’s Gate 3, unleashed by Larian Studios on August 3, 2023, has cemented itself as a titan in the RPG world, selling over 10 million copies by early 2025 and earning a 96 on Metacritic. It’s a sprawling epic rooted in Dungeons & Dragons, where every choice feels like it could reshape the Sword Coast. From sparing a tiefling child to dooming an entire grove, the game hands you a dizzying array of decisions, each rippling through its 2.2-million-word script. As an evil-playthrough enthusiast—someone who’s gleefully torched bridges with Minthara and sided with Auntie Ethel—I’ve spent hours chasing the darkest paths. Yet, after nearly two full runs, I’ve hit a wall that’s both frustrating and fascinating: you can’t recruit two of the game’s juiciest villains, Ketheric Thorm and Cazador Szarr, as allies. At first, it felt like a glaring oversight—why tease such powerful figures and then lock them out? But the more I dig into their stories, the more I see it’s a deliberate choice that makes Baldur’s Gate 3’s world feel achingly real.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Doesn’t Let You Side With Everyone

Being Evil Still Needs To Have Limits

Let’s start with Ketheric Thorm, Act 2’s towering antagonist. This half-elf general, voiced with chilling gravitas by J.K. Simmons, rules the Shadow-Cursed Lands from Moonrise Towers, a Chosen of Myrkul with a necromantic grip on death itself. He’s a grieving father twisted by loss—his daughter Isobel’s death drove him from Selûne’s light to Shar’s shadows, then to Myrkul’s bony embrace. By the time you face him, he’s orchestrating the Absolute’s cult, an elder brain scheme that’s as ambitious as it is vile. In an evil run, it seems logical to cozy up to him. Hand over the Nightsong—Dame Aylin, his key to immortality—and join his crusade, right? X posts from players like @RPGFanatic suggest this could’ve been a game-changer: “Imagine Ketheric as a companion—Act 3 would’ve been chaos.” Yet, no matter how you play it, he betrays you. Deliver Aylin, and he turns her into a thrall, then sics his army on you. There’s no alliance, just a boss fight atop the towers and a showdown in the Mind Flayer Colony. It’s a hard no from Larian.

Then there’s Cazador Szarr, Act 3’s vampire lord and Astarion’s tormentor. This sadistic mastermind’s been harvesting innocents for centuries, plotting a ritual to ascend via 7,000 spawn souls—including Astarion’s. In an evil playthrough, handing Astarion over to secure Cazador’s favor feels like a no-brainer. He’s a powerhouse: charming, ruthless, and dripping with potential as an ally against the Absolute. Steam forums buzz with players wishing for a deal: “Why can’t I trade Astarion for a vampire lord teammate?” But when you storm his palace, your options are binary—kill him to free Astarion or fuel the ascension. No negotiation, no pact. Cazador’s too proud to bend, and the game enforces that with a stake through any alliance dreams.

Some Interesting BG3 Choices Wouldn’t Make Sense

Everyone Would Or Should Want To Side With You

At first, this chafed me. Baldur’s Gate 3 thrives on unlikely partnerships—think Lorroakan, a haughty wizard, or Bhaal himself via the Dark Urge. The “Gather Your Allies” quest in Act 3 lets you rally everyone from criminal gangs to a hag. So why not Ketheric or Cazador? Other baddies flip sides—Minthara joins if you spare her, and Gortash and Orin pitch alliances in Act 3 (though they’re shaky at best). X users like @BG3Enjoyer argue it’s a missed chance: “Evil runs feel capped when you can’t team up with the big dogs.” I get the gripe. Picture Ketheric’s necromancy bolstering your ranks or Cazador’s vampiric guile turning battles. It’d be a wild twist, especially for a game that revels in moral ambiguity.

But here’s where I’ve come around: these absences aren’t flaws—they’re the glue holding the story’s realism together. Ketheric and Cazador aren’t just obstacles; they’re characters with ironclad motivations that clash with any notion of teamwork. Ketheric’s a zealot, shackled to the Absolute’s plan. His betrayal if you give him Aylin isn’t a plot contrivance—it’s who he is. He’s spent centuries bending the world to resurrect Isobel, damning the rest. Joining you? That’d mean abandoning his daughter’s thrall and Myrkul’s favor, a 180 his arc can’t stomach. Web dives into his lore—like Moonrise’s hidden notes—reveal a man too broken and proud to pivot. As one Redditor put it, “Ketheric’s not a hireling; he’s a god-chosen tyrant.”

Baldur’s Gate 3 Is About Managing Unlikely Feats, Not Impossible Ones

Staying True To A Character’s Nature Helps Create Realism In Fantasy Worlds

Cazador’s the same flavor of inflexible. This isn’t some vampire willing to share power—he sees everyone, including you, as beneath him. Centuries of manipulating spawn like Astarion have forged an ego that’d never stoop to an equal partnership. Handing him Astarion might win a nod, but he’d still view you as a tool, not an ally. His ritual’s all-or-nothing; there’s no room for a sidekick. X debates, like @VampLoreLord’s take—“Cazador’s too narcissistic to join anyone”—nail it. Larian could’ve forced a deal, but it’d feel like a cartoon villain twirling his mustache, not the calculating monster we get.

This ties into Baldur’s Gate 3’s Dungeons & Dragons roots. A good DM doesn’t bend every NPC to the party’s whim—some stay foes because their goals don’t align. Ketheric and Cazador embody that. Contrast them with Minthara: she’s a pragmatist who’ll switch teams if it means survival and revenge. Gortash and Orin offer deals because they’re schemers playing a longer game. But Ketheric’s a crusader, Cazador a despot—neither has the flexibility or incentive to tag along. It’s a limit, sure, but it grounds the world. As a DM myself, I’ve told players “no” when an alliance defies logic—it’s not less freedom; it’s more meaning.

Does it sting? Yeah. I’d love to see Ketheric’s undead legions march with me or Cazador’s bloodlust turn on Orin. Evil runs already feel constrained—you can’t fully serve the Absolute without becoming a thrall, a non-ending per X gripes like @DarkUrgeMain. But that’s the point: Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t a sandbox for every fantasy—it’s a story where characters live beyond your whims. Ketheric’s tragic descent, Cazador’s cold cruelty—they’d lose punch if you could sway them with a dice roll. Realism trumps chaos here, and it’s why their boss fights hit so hard.

Larian’s not blind to this tension. Patches have tweaked evil paths—like Minthara’s expanded role—showing they hear the clamor. But Ketheric and Cazador stay untouchable, and I’ve made peace with it. It’s not about what’s missing; it’s about what’s gained: a world that feels alive, not just malleable. Next run, I’ll still burn bridges and hoard Netherstones, but I won’t pine for these two. Their refusal to join is their strength—and the game’s. In Faerûn, not every villain’s your pawn, and that’s a truth worth embracing.