10 Exact Moments Video Game Heroes Became Villains
3. Astartion - Baldur's Gate 3
Astarion is definitely in the top three followers in Baldur's Gate 3, but despite this popularity, he is also deeply misunderstood.
When you first meet him, he is a freshly escaped vampire spawn of the powerful bloodsucking lord of Baldur's Gate, Cazador.
He might act with sass and little regard for what others think, but in reality, he is terrified of his old master coming back to enslave him, and this fear is what can ultimately turn him into a villain if the player doesn't intervene.
In most cases, when your followers make a pivotal choice in their storyline, they can make up their mind without the player interfering, based on how your adventures shaped their personality.
Astarion is the only exception to this rule. His fear of Cazador's power and being subjected to a lifetime of slavery are so strong that without the player using a persuasion check, he will always choose to usurp Cazador's power in his final confrontation with him, becoming corrupted by the Awakening ritual and turning into a self-serving tyrant.
His decision is an act of fear, as indicated by the debuff that he gets when you enter Cazador's palace, so unless you bring him to his senses, defeating his old master will transform him into what he fears the most.