Why Jaheira, and not Viconia, Edwin, Imoen, Sarevok or another popular companion from BG 1/2?

[Blackdragon]

Minsc was always the #1 favourite companion from the original Baldur's Gate series, so it makes sense they've made him return for BG3. But Jaheira? Come on! Literally half of the BG roster is better than her! Such as Viconia, Edwin, Imoen, Sarevok, Xzar, Korgan, etc. etc.

They could even have added Irenicus and Bodhi as former BBEG-turned-companion, like ToB did with Sarevok.

Instead we get one of least favourite and most annoying characters out of the only 2 from the original cast? Why?

I seriously don't understand this decision. I'm happy that Minsc is back, but disappointed that Jaheira takes the spot of a better original cast member.

[Clovis Sangrail]

Originally posted by Blackdragon:

Instead we get one of least favourite and most annoying characters out of the only 2 from the original cast? Why?

I seriously don't understand this decision. I'm happy that Minsc is back, but disappointed that Jaheira takes the spot of a better original cast member.

Speak for yourself. I like Jahiera, and I wish I could romance her in BG1 in the tragic event something <cough, cough> unfortunate <cough, cough> should befall Khalid.

[Blackdragon]

Originally posted by Clovis Sangrail:

Speak for yourself. I like Jahiera, and I wish I could romance her in BG1 in the tragic event something <cough, cough> unfortunate <cough, cough> should befall Khalid.

I am not saying everybody disliked Jaheira, just that she was one of the less popular characters. So it really doesn't make sense to return her for BG3, when there are so many clearly more popular choices.

I just want to understand the thought process behind this decision. Like, okay, Minsc is a no-brainer, but Jaheira? Why?
If they wanted one guy and one gal, then Viconia or Imoen would have been the obvious choices.
If good + evil (so an option for both moralities), then again Viconia or Edwin or Sarevok to complement the "butt kicking for goodness".
If melee + caster, then again Viconia or Edwin.
If feels + story connection, then Imoen would have made the most sense.

Instead they've went with an unpopular character with a weird build (fighter/druid), who is too goody-two-shoes for an evil party (which would already struggle with Minsc). If they wanted a Harper connection, they could have made Jaheira a quest-giving NPC (like Xzar in BG2).

So what's your opinion? Why did they choose Jaheira, out of all the other original companions?

[Pan Darius Cassandra]

But how do you know she was less popular?

[mysticfall]

I believe most other companions of BG1/2 would have long been dead by the time the events in BG3 start to happen.

[Quillithe]

Aren't Edwin and Imoen likely canonically dead from old age? And Sarevok isn't really much of a party member since he can only be one at the very end.

Obviously they should have brought back Jan Jansen and Xan, of course, but there's no accounting for taste.

[Blackdragon]

Originally posted by Pan Darius Loveless:

But how do you know she was less popular?

Check any "best BG2 character" list, or ask any people who played BG2.

[Blackdragon]

Originally posted by mysticfall:

I believe most other companions of BG1/2 would have long been dead by the time the events in BG3 start to happen.

Forgotten Realms is chock-full of magic, there's a gazillion ways to keep even short-living humans alive for centuries, not to mention long-living races like elves. For example, to return Minsc, Larian simply used the "flesh to stone/stone to flesh" trick. R.A.Salvatore went as far as full-on rebirth/reincarnation to return his entire Drizzt troupe centuries after they bit the dust.

Originally posted by Quillithe:

Aren't Edwin and Imoen likely canonically dead from old age?

Edwin should canonically be an immortal lich. And Imoen as an epic-level half-mage Bhaalspawn should also have ways to trick death.

[KilledKillaB]

Originally posted by Clovis Sangrail:

Originally posted by Blackdragon:

Instead we get one of least favourite and most annoying characters out of the only 2 from the original cast? Why?

I seriously don't understand this decision. I'm happy that Minsc is back, but disappointed that Jaheira takes the spot of a better original cast member.

Speak for yourself. I like Jahiera, and I wish I could romance her in BG1 in the tragic event something <cough, cough> unfortunate <cough, cough> should befall Khalid.

Wait...something happens to him?! Guess I shouldn't of been summoning Drizzt so much in bg1 back then cuz he lived a fine life in my game haha. I do need to go back and replay it though, it has been a LONG time.

[sleeper]

Originally posted by Quillithe:

Aren't Edwin and Imoen likely canonically dead from old age? And Sarevok isn't really much of a party member since he can only be one at the very end.

Obviously they should have brought back Jan Jansen and Xan, of course, but there's no accounting for taste.

I think Xan was killed by harpers in BG2 so did his partner. You all know that Jaheira was the most worked companion in BG2 and she and Misc where our suffering partners since the begining of BG2.

[Blackdragon]

Originally posted by KilledKillaB:

Originally posted by Clovis Sangrail:

Speak for yourself. I like Jahiera, and I wish I could romance her in BG1 in the tragic event something <cough, cough> unfortunate <cough, cough> should befall Khalid.

Wait...something happens to him?! Guess I shouldn't of been summoning Drizzt so much in bg1 back then cuz he lived a fine life in my game haha. I do need to go back and replay it though, it has been a LONG time.

It's just the Baldur's Gate equivalent of putting your Sim in a pool and deleting the ladder. Like Jaheira and the gnolls *incident*.

[Quillithe]

Originally posted by sleeper:

Originally posted by Quillithe:

Aren't Edwin and Imoen likely canonically dead from old age? And Sarevok isn't really much of a party member since he can only be one at the very end.

Obviously they should have brought back Jan Jansen and Xan, of course, but there's no accounting for taste.

I think Xan was killed by harpers in BG2 so did his partener.

You're thinking of Xzar. Xan's the enchanter elf who keeps expecting you all to die.

[Blackdragon]

Originally posted by sleeper:

Originally posted by Quillithe:

Aren't Edwin and Imoen likely canonically dead from old age? And Sarevok isn't really much of a party member since he can only be one at the very end.

Obviously they should have brought back Jan Jansen and Xan, of course, but there's no accounting for taste.

I think Xan was killed by harpers in BG2 so did his partener.

You're thinking of Xzar (and Montaron). (Edit: Ninja'd, spent too long thinking about a Xzar/Xan pun).

[shinclone]

I always found Minsc incredibly annoying and never took him with me. Imoen would be a good one to bring back as would Viconia and Sarevok.

[Razorblade]

Imoen and Sarevok are canonically dead, as are all the Bhaalspawn. Bhaal was resurrected when the second-to-last Bhaalspawn was killed by the last, thereby making Bhaal's soul whole.

[BigFloof]

Because they ded.