Every BG3 Romance Unlocked: Approval Thresholds, Key Choices, and the Scenes You Can't Miss (2026)

The approval gate is real: every companion romance in Baldur’s Gate 3 locks behind a specific numerical threshold, and most players never see the exact numbers. Astarion’s proposal for a night together needs 40 or more approval before the Save the Refugees quest is resolved. Gale’s Weave scene doesn’t fire until 36. Karlach’s infernal engine means even a brief kiss in Act 1 leaves your lips burnt. This guide gives you every threshold, the fastest approval-building choices per companion, and the five Act 1 mistakes that close off relationships before you reach the Shadow-Cursed Lands. For a full overview of each companion’s combat role and party composition, see our BG3 Beginner’s Guide.

Checked against bg3.wiki on 29 October 2026. Approval values and scene triggers may shift with future patches.

BG3 Romance Quick Start: 5 Steps Before Long Rest

Recruit companions immediately. Approval only changes when the companion is close enough to the player during a qualifying event; if they are too far away, nothing happens. Bring the companion you want to romance along for key choices.
Know each companion’s core value. Astarion rewards self-interest and pragmatism. Wyll responds to heroism and protecting innocents.
Save the Emerald Grove. The Tiefling Refugee Celebration — the densest romance window in Act 1 — follows saving the Grove, and it can bypass the usual relationship checks. If you complete the raid on the Grove instead, Wyll and Karlach leave the party permanently and you get a goblin celebration, where Minthara may offer a one-night stand.
Hit your target approval before the celebration. See the master table below. Several of the thresholds are hard gates: below the number, the dialogue option does not appear or the companion turns you down.
Mind the romance limits. Before the celebration you can start early romance stages with up to two origin companions, and only one can be kept later. The celebration allows up to three; see the mistakes section.

The Approval System: How the Gate Actually Works

Approval is a hidden number capped at 100, with exact thresholds that unlock or block specific scenes. A companion whose approval reaches −50 or lower leaves permanently, taking their equipped items, with warnings at −20 and −40. Some events check exact values that don’t line up with the categories below. Typical changes are ±1, ±5, or ±10 for small, medium, and large events respectively.

Range	Category	What It Means for Romance
−19 to 20	Neutral	Wyll accepts a romance at 10+; Lae’zel, Karlach and Shadowheart’s party invite need 20
21–40	Medium	Friendly stage begins for Astarion and Gale; Gale’s Act 1 scene needs 36+
41–60	High	Astarion’s proposal (40+) and Shadowheart’s “connect” option (40+) sit at the bottom of this band
61–80	Very High	Astarion’s alternate Act 2 route needs Very High (70+)
81–100	Exceptional	Capped at 100; further approval cannot be earned

One mechanic most players miss: distance. If the companion is too far from the player during a qualifying event, their approval does not change.

All 8 Romanceable Companions: Approval Thresholds at a Glance

All 8 romanceable BG3 companions with their approval thresholds for romance unlock — All 8 romanceable companions in BG3, from Wyll’s forgiving 10-approval flirt threshold to Astarion’s 40-approval gate — Minthara (Act 2) and Halsin (Act 3) come later

Companion	Min. Approval	First Romance Trigger	Available From
Wyll	10 (flirt) / 20 (romance)	Celebration kiss — DC 15 Charisma check	Act 1
Lae’zel	20	Defeat a hag, the ogres, the owlbear or a Spider Matriarch with her in the party → exclamation icon above her head	Act 1
Karlach	20	Celebration: she accepts at 20+ and visits during the long rest; in Act 1 a kiss burns your lips	Act 1
Shadowheart	20 (party invite) / 40 (direct)	Party invite or direct approach at celebration	Act 1
Gale	36	Weave scene at camp at 36+ (three DC 5 checks)	Act 1
Astarion	40	Proposal for a night together at 40+ before Save the Refugees is resolved; the celebration is a second chance	Act 1
Minthara	No number listed on the wiki	Recruited at Moonrise Towers; goblin celebration one-night stand if you raid the Grove	Act 2
Halsin	No number listed on the wiki	Romance scene after you complete Lift the Shadow Curse	Act 3

The Six Origin Companions: What to Do and What to Avoid

Astarion — Approval Threshold: 40

Astarion’s 40-approval threshold is the highest in Act 1, but he accumulates it fast if you match his values: self-interest, pragmatism, and no martyrdom. On “bite night” he tries to drink your blood after the party’s second long rest: saying you trust him gains approval, and letting him drink gains more.

His Act 2 partnering happens at Moonrise Towers: either speak with Araj Oblodra and pick the romance-progressing options, or reach 70+ approval, kill Yurgir and hear Raphael’s scar explanation. His Act 3 path splits into an ascended and a non-ascended Astarion, and the relationship plays out differently in each.

Don’t: Coerce him into sex, fail the check to convince him to use the Astral-Touched Tadpole, sleep with Mizora (unless you pass a DC 15 Persuasion or Deception check), or refuse to become his spawn after he ascends. Each of these ends the romance.

Shadowheart — Approval Threshold: 20 (party invite) / 40 (direct)

At the tiefling party, 20+ approval gets you her invitation to “share a bottle”; 40+ unlocks the “chance to connect” option. Both lead to the long-rest invitation and the waterfall scene. Giving her the Idol of Shar (found in Grymforge) or the Night Orchid (Shadow-Cursed Lands) grants approval.

Her Act 2 pivot is the Nightsong choice in the Gauntlet of Shar. If you spare the Nightsong, Shadowheart defies Shar and asks to be with you. If you kill it, she becomes a Dark Justiciar devoted to Shar, “leaving no room for others”, though she stays in the relationship if you insist.

Don’t: After the waterfall scene, say “it was a mistake” or that you “got carried away.” Either response closes the romance path immediately.

Karlach — Approval Threshold: 20

Karlach’s romance has a physical constraint: her infernal engine is too hot to touch. A brief kiss in Act 1 leaves your lips burnt, though cold or water magic lets you manage a light kiss. The Act 2 intimate scene happens on a long rest after Dammon repairs her engine at the Last Light Inn.

At the celebration party, accept her advance with 20+ approval (and no more than one other active romance). Her Act 3 “first date” at The Singing Lute is one of the game’s warmest scenes. For builds that complement her playstyle, see our BG3 Best Builds guide.

Don’t: Miss the Act 2 intimate scene, or partner with someone else before it. If the scene isn’t triggered before you leave Act 2, Karlach ends the relationship on arrival in Act 3.

Gale — Approval Threshold: 36

Gale’s romance trigger is a nighttime scene that fires at 36+ approval: he offers a Weave lesson built on three checks (gesture, incantation, harmony), each DC 5 where a DC is listed. Pass all three and picturing a kiss or a hand-in-hand walk moves the romance into the flirting stage. The scene doesn’t appear below the threshold.

Resolving two or more of the Emerald Grove situations peacefully prompts his youth stories. His Act 2 partnering happens at the Moonrise Towers waypoint and requires that you aren’t partnered with another companion. The Weave cutscene must happen before you enter the Mind Flayer Colony.

Don’t: Skip his Act 2 Weave cutscene: the option disappears once Ketheric Thorm is defeated.

Lae’zel — Approval Threshold: 20

The visual cue for her Act 1 romance window is an exclamation icon that appears above her head after you defeat a hag, the ogres, an owlbear or a Spider Matriarch with her in the party. Speaking to her then leads to her offering a night of pleasure. The dialogue option “Is it just me, or have you been looking at me differently lately?” needs 20+ approval and disappears once selected.

Her Act 2 includes a mandatory combat duel. Win or lose, both outcomes advance the relationship. She is possessive and will not share you — multiple concurrent romances are incompatible with her path.

Don’t: Arrive at the celebration already dating two other companions, or with approval of 19 or lower: she rejects you.

The Githyanki Creche in Act 1 and the Vlaakith loyalty test in Act 3 are the two decision points that break most Lae’zel romances. Our Lae’zel Romance Guide covers the exact approval table, Vlaakith decision tree, and which endings keep the relationship intact.

Wyll — Approval Threshold: 10 (flirt) / 20 (romance)

Wyll has the lowest romance threshold and the most forgiving path — heroic choices that any good-aligned player takes naturally stack his approval without deliberate effort. At the Tiefling Celebration he turns you down if you have under 10 approval, are double-dating, or already agreed to spend the night with another companion. The kiss requires a DC 15 Charisma or Persuasion check. Failing the check doesn’t end the romance.

His Act 2 dance scene happens during a long rest once you are dating him, have 20+ approval and have visited the Last Light Inn or Moonrise Towers. His Act 3 acorn proposal at the Wilden Oak requires that Ulder Ravengard is not dead.

Don’t: Sleep with Mizora (Wyll ends it the next morning regardless of dialogue), let Duke Ravengard be killed, or choose Halsin. Each ends the relationship.

The Non-Origin Companions: Halsin and Minthara

Halsin — Act 3 Only, Polyamorous

Halsin’s romance is only available in Act 3, and you must complete Lift the Shadow Curse before you set out on the Road to Baldur’s Gate. Earlier flirting doesn’t affect existing relationships. He is polyamorous: if you already have a romance with Shadowheart, Astarion or Karlach, you can ask them to consent to adding Halsin (Shadowheart agrees enthusiastically, Astarion if you confirm you’re still happy with him, Karlach is skeptical but supportive). Lae’zel, Wyll and Gale always decline. If you don’t get permission before the next long rest, the Halsin romance closes permanently.

Minthara — Act 2 Recruit

Minthara is recruited at Moonrise Towers in Act 2, where Ketheric Thorm sentences her to death. If you sided with the Absolutist and raided the Grove, she joins with no extra steps; if you sided with the druids, she must be knocked out in battle, or you can free her from the Moonrise Towers prison. She can be romanced by characters of any gender, and the wiki lists no approval threshold. If you raid the Grove, she may also offer a one-night stand during the goblin celebration.

Which Companion Should You Pursue? Player-Type Picker

Your Play Style	Best Match	Why
First playthrough, heroic build	Wyll or Karlach	Lowest thresholds: Wyll accepts at 10+, Karlach at 20+
Roleplayer, story-focused	Shadowheart or Gale	Most story-reactive arcs; Shadowheart’s Nightsong choice changes who she becomes
Completionist (all scenes, all paths)	Astarion	Ascended vs. non-ascended gives two Act 3 variations
Chaotic or dark run	Minthara	Easiest via the Grove raid, where she joins at Moonrise Towers with no extra steps
Polyamory run	Karlach or Shadowheart + Halsin	Only Astarion, Karlach and Shadowheart can consent to adding Halsin; Gale, Lae’zel and Wyll decline
Combat-first player	Lae’zel	Her romance window opens after you defeat a hag, ogres, an owlbear or a Spider Matriarch

Five Mistakes That Cost You a Romance

Siding with the goblins. Completing the raid on the Emerald Grove means no Tiefling Celebration, and Wyll and Karlach leave the party permanently. If Wyll or Karlach is your target, this decision is irreversible.
Leaving companions far from key decisions. If a companion is too far from you during a qualifying event, their approval doesn’t change, so bring Gale or Shadowheart along for the choices they care about.
Mishandling the three-romance limit at the celebration. Before the party you can start early stages with only two origin companions; the celebration bypasses that check and up to three romances work there. If you try for more than three, a companion’s cutscene can be skipped. In a three-romance setup, start Shadowheart first.
Treating Astarion’s bite night as a throwaway scene. Saying you trust him gains approval, and letting him drink gains more.
Losing Shadowheart’s “connect” option. The 40+ “chance to connect” line is lost if you are already dating or partnered with someone else, if the tiefling party has already happened, or once you have left Act Two.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you romance more than one companion simultaneously?
You can start early romance stages with up to two origin companions, but only one can be maintained later and the game eventually forces a choice. The only structured polyamory option is adding Halsin to an existing romance with Astarion, Karlach or Shadowheart; Lae’zel, Wyll and Gale always decline.

Does approval carry between acts?
Approval is a stored value that keeps its number as you move between acts. Companions who join later can see larger shifts (one conversation gives Halsin 20 approval). Halsin’s romance is only available in Act 3, and clearing the shadow curse is the prerequisite.

Can you permanently miss a romance?
Yes — several are missable. Wyll and Karlach leave permanently if you complete the raid on the Emerald Grove. Karlach’s romance closes if you skip her Act 2 intimate scene before entering Act 3. Halsin’s closes if you romance someone else without permission before the next long rest. The Tiefling Celebration is the easiest entry point, since it can bypass the usual relationship checks.

Related: BG3 Karlach Romance: All 4 Endings Explained — decision tree for all four Act 3 outcomes, approval threshold table, and the Act 2 lock most players miss.

Related guides

Sources

Michael R.

I've been playing video games for over 20 years, spanning everything from early PC titles to modern open-world games. I started Switchblade Gaming to publish the kind of accurate, well-researched guides I always wanted to find — built on primary sources, tested in-game, and kept up to date after patches. I currently focus on Minecraft and Pokémon GO.