So, it turns out, Githyanki are one ofBaldur’s Gate 3’s least popular races. I didn’t know that sad little factoid until today, but apparently the information wormed its way into the collective consciousness back in December 2023. Five months after launch,Larian released a bunch of player data from the game’s first five months of full release. These stats showed that the Gith were the fourth-least popular race option, ahead of only halflings, gnomes, and dwarves.
But the Githyanki have, by far,the most unique dialogue options. With 260 Githyanki-specific choices, it’s handily in first place, with Lolth-Sword Drow in a distant second with just 80.
Did I Have A Uniquely Good Baldur’s Gate 3 Playthrough?
Knowing that the race I roleplayed had, by far, the largest amount of unique dialogue has me rethinking my playthrough a bit. I’m wondering how much my perception of Baldur’s Gate 3 was colored by this unique experience, or how much more I like the game because I played as a member of its most thoroughly-written race.
Judging by the near-unanimous praise the game received, I’m probably overthinking this.
Though Elves, Humans, and Half-Elves are far more popular, picking a Githyanki character was the best fit for my playstyle. For me, the core appeal of playing a role-playing game like Baldur’s Gate 3 — especially the kind where you’re able to fully define your character’s name, history, appearance, and motivations— is, well, to roleplay. I like to define their personality, sketch a rough backstory, then drop them into the game. From there, I respond to situations how they would, not how I would.
The Gith Are The Path To Greatness
To that end, Githyanki seemed like the most interesting option available. Though the three most popular races are easier to see yourself in, I wasn’t trying to see myself. I was trying to work together with the game to tell an interesting story. I wasn’t familiar with the race prior to Baldur’s Gate 3, but I was drawn in by their history of being opponents with the Mind Flayers, especially since I knew that the ticking tadpole timebomb would play a huge role in the game’s narrative.
That paid off. In a lot of ways, BG3 is a Githyanki story. Lae’zel was prominent in the marketing materials, which introduced would-be players to the race before they hit the character creator. Crèche Y’llek is a major location in Act 2, especially if you’re playing as a Githyanki, which will prompt Lae’zel to push you to go visit the Githyanki who have turned the area beneath Rosymorn Monastery into a military base.
you may get a Githyanki egg there (though, come to think about it, I don’t think I ever figured out what I was supposed to do with this). You meet a bunch of other Gith. And a major plot point in the latter parts of the game revolves around the Githyanki prince, Orpheus, who you can rescue from the Astral Plane (against the Emperor’s will) or leave to his fate, angering the Gith.
They’re a major, plot-critical faction in the game, and coming from that background enriches the game. The Githyanki having the most dialogue options just reinforces what I already knew: playing as a Githyanki can make for a great playthrough. But, Baldur’s Gate 3 — more than, maybe, any RPG ever made — is what you make it.
