Baldur's Gate 3 is an impressively detailed game which truly embodies the spirit of Dungeons & Dragons - if you think there's an interesting way to get through a quest, it is probably something you can do. This makes it all the more surprising when certain aspects of the game appear to be missing. You would expect one side quest to have implications for one of the companions, but this doesn't seem to be the case in-game.

Astarion is a fan-favorite, and it's not hard to see why. Especially when compared to others, it's impossible to call his character "lacking." Even though he's not actually directly tied into the main plot like the rest of the companions, he has an incredibly rich story with some of the most unique content and dialogue in the whole game. Despite this, there's one thing which appears to have been overlooked to the point where it feels odd that Astarion doesn't comment on the outcome of saving a certain character.

Players Can Visit Oskar To Request Portraits Of Companions

This Item Doesn't Serve Much Purpose, But It Could Have Been A Plot Point For Astarion

Oskar Fevras is the main subject of the "Free the Artist" quest. He can be found as a captive of the Zentarim in Act one, and, if freed, is later found again in the third act in Lady Jannath's estate, where the player has the option to help him out once more after realizing he's been possessed. If you can manage to stop him from being dragged into the afterlife while keeping his relationship intact, Oskar will create a custom portrait of your Tav or one of your companions.

The possible names you can choose for the painting are "The Hero of Baldur's Gate," "Portrait of an Adventurer," "The Ghost Whisperer," "The Mighty Defender of the Arts," and "Skald Supreme, Orator Exroadinare, Master of Modesty." The latter is only available to bards.

Freeing Oskar can just be a fun side quest, but this is the only way players can acquire this portrait. The item doesn't serve a lot of purpose other than being a unique camp decoration, a memoir, or as a valuable item to sell. However, I think that it was a missed opportunity that Astarion doesn't have a reaction to the painting.

Astarion Is The Only Companion Who Can’t See Himself & Should’ve Had Unique Dialogue

Giving Astarion His Portrait Would Allow Him To See His Appearance For The First Time In 200 Years

Unlike the other companions, as a vampire spawn, Astarion cannot see his own face. If you try to interact with a mirror when playing as him, this will become apparent. When you meet him, he hasn't seen his face in over 200 years, and has gotten to the point where he has forgotten his original eye color. It would have made so much sense for him to have some emotional unique dialogue if he was able to see it once more through a painting, either as a companion or origin character.

Being able to commission a portrait of him would be such a sweet gesture, and could've made freeing Oskar a staple quest for those planning to romance Astarion in BG3. You can also request statues of your companions or yourself by talking to Boeny in the Circus of the Last Days, though I think a colored portrait is more of an intimate gift. Reddit Great_Art693 points out that players already have the ability to give Shadowheart a Night Orchid as a present, so giving Astarion the portrait could function in a similar way.

The only dialogue we have in the game of Astarion seeing his face again occurs if he looks into a mirror after he ascends. Making Astarion the Vampire ascendant is universally considered his bad ending, so it's a massive shame there's not another concrete way for him to see his face if he stays as a spawn. With so many tiny and obscure interactions hidden within the game, it's a little confusing that such an obvious opportunity was skipped over, especially considering how beloved Astarion is in the Baldur's Gate 3 fanbase.

Source: Great_Art693/Reddit