Astarion Ancunín is a fictional character from Larian Studios' Baldur's Gate video game series, which is based on the tabletop fantasy role-playing system of Dungeons & Dragons and set in the Forgotten Realms.

Making his first appearance in 2023's Baldur's Gate 3, Astarion is available as a major playable character, either as the primary protagonist, or as a recruitable party member.

Astarion was created by and primarily written by Baldur's Gate 3 senior writer Stephen Rooney, and is voiced and motion captured by English actor Neil Newbon.

[1] Discussing his process for bringing the character to life, Newbon stated that he was heavily influenced by commedia dell’arte, a comedic style of Italian theatre, and their inclusion of an amoral jester known as Arlecchino.

Astarion's mannerisms were adapted from several of Newbon's friends and by several creative individuals, namely makeup artist Leendert Van Nimwegen, actor Giles Foreman, and cabaret performer Reuben Kaye.

'"[2] Newbon acknowledged the importance of the character and the exploration of abuse through his questline, stating that "People have come up to me and said that they've felt inspired to deal with their own trauma.

He found it very fascinating to play a character who initially appears as a "decadent, manipulative, hedonistic vampire", but is actually deeply traumatised and wears a façade to protect himself from the pain and will do anything to keep his newfound freedom.

He also praised the character's pansexuality, and discussed how an intimacy coordinator was available for all of the performers to help them bring the game's sex scenes to life.

"[10] As a rogue, Astarion wears light armor and is proficient with several bladed weapons, including daggers, rapiers and longswords, as well as longbows and crossbows.

Astarion is skilled in acrobatics, deception, perception, performance, persuasion, sleight of hand, and stealth, making him well-suited to several tasks, including picking locks and disarming traps, which are invaluable early on in the game if the player has not also created a rogue character.

Depending on the outcome of his personal quest, he may gain an upgraded version of this ability, known as Ascendant Bite, and the power to transform into a cloud of mist.

Through dialogue at camp or in the party, Astarion can reveal more about past, such as information about his master, Cazador Szarr, who tormented him and his six vampire siblings for two hundred years.

He is disgusted by the prospect of using his body as a tool once more and forcing him to go through with this will significantly damage a player's friendship or romantic relationship with him, while standing up for him and allowing him to make his own decision will grant approval.

During the game's third act, the party can come across two of Cazador's spawn in a bunkhouse, who reveal that preparations for a ritual known as the Black Mass are underway, and that they believe they will gain significant power and "ascend" once it is completed.

Several of Astarion's fellow spawn can attempt to kidnap him during a rest at camp, and will take him to the mansion if successful, where he will be tortured by Cazador's servant Godey until rescued.

The party eventually confronts Cazador, who reveals that the scars on the backs of his seven original spawn will be used to sacrifice them and the other prisoners, allowing him to gain enough power to ascend.

If he is successfully persuaded not to complete the ritual, Astarion brutally kills Cazador before falling to his knees sobbing, finally free of the control of his master, but resigned to live out the rest of his days as a spawn.

Astarion notes that they have never learned to control their hunger, so releasing them could unleash a horde of bloodthirsty spawn into the city and advocates for killing or leaving them.

If released, Astarion will task his six siblings with leading the others and helping them control their urges, noting that they all deserve a chance to live with their newfound freedom.

Following the final battle at the conclusion of the game, Astarion will become vulnerable to sunlight again when the parasites are destroyed if he did not become a vampire ascendant and will run off to seek shelter.

His behaviour during the epilogue is dependent on the choice made during his companion quest: if the ritual was completed, Astarion will boast about becoming Baldurs Gate's puppet master and generally looks down on the player and the rest of the party, brushing off comparisons to Cazador.

If Astarion remained a spawn, he continues to act sarcastically and flamboyantly, bragging about his time as an adventurer and exhibiting a renewed sense of self that is accepting of his own identity and nature.

Jessica Fillby of Dexerto placed him in S-tier alongside Karlach and Shadowheart, stating: “it’s hard to resist Astarion in Baldur’s Gate 3, whether that’s the vampiric charm or the pure charisma he holds.