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The Emperor in Baldur's Gate 3, a powerful Mindflayer.
Screenshot by Dot Esports

Baldur’s Gate 3: Should you help or attack the Emperor in BG3?

The biggest choice you'll face.

After entering the Planecaster, a major moment in the story happens in Baldur’s Gate 3 involving the Guardian, who has been protecting and talking to you in your dreams. You’re faced with a crucial choice to either help or attack them.

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Which route should you go down?

What happens if you help the Emperor in BG3?

Creature with tentacles and a large head leaning back on his hands in a dream in BG3
He’s powerful, mysterious, and will kill you if you don’t help him. Image via Larian Studios.

If you help the Emperor, you will get an Astral-Touched Tadpole that will increase your Illithid powers and favor with the Emperor, but you will also start a war with the Githyanki.

  • By aligning with the Emperor, you must battle against the Githyanki hostiles in the area, with the Emperor and the Intellect Devourers (the walking brains) on your side—though the latter has severely limited HP.

Gaining favor with the Emperor is important because it has been revealed that the Emperor is the Guardian visiting you in your dreams. They’re the same person encouraging you to accept your Illithid powers. Like you, they were once an adventurer who took a tadpole to the eye, and, best of all, the Emperor is romanceable. So, if you want to explore that, you must side with the Emperor.

After helping the Emperor and defeating the four Githyanki, you will receive a gift: an Astral-Touched Tadpole that provides access to strong Illithid abilities. Still, it comes at a cost—you will become a half-Illithid hybrid.

Tip: A not so difficult choice

You do not have to accept the opportunity, and if you reject it, the Astral-Touched Tadpole will be given to you for future wishes, should you choose.

What happens if you attack the Emperor in BG3?

If you decide to go down this route and attack the Emperor to experience what happens, make sure you save first, as the choice is pretty catastrophic.

Attacking the Emperor in Baldur’s Gate 3 leads to the end of the game. Doing so sees you face off against them, the Intellect Devourer and the Githyanki. So, it’s not even worth attempting.

Why should you avoid attacking the Emperor in BG3?

Ultimately, you should help the Emperor in BG3 because you can gain advanced Illithid powers, his favor, and can continue playing through the story.

A Githyanki held prisoner in Baldur's Gate 3 in the Astral Plane.
Act Three has some big reveals. Screenshot by Dot Esports.

Even if you successfully defeat the Emperor, the Githyanki, and the other Mindflyers, you’ll see a cutscene where a new Mindflayer is born by bursting out of your character’s body, and that’s the end of you. Unless you’ve decided this is the end of your character’s journey, you should steer clear of this option.

Others Asked

What must you do to romance the Emperor Mindflayer in Baldur's Gate 3?

To romance the Emperor Mindflayer, you must embrace your Illithid Powers by consuming tadpoles, choose specific dialogue options that are friendly, side with your Guardian in the Astral Plane, and ultimately take the right steps during Act Three to achieve a romantic encounter and the Mind Blown achievement.

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Why might a player choose the "Raging Crusader" build in Baldur's Gate 3?

A player might choose the "Raging Crusader" build to improve durability and accuracy significantly, especially while Raging, making the character almost immune to Dexterity saving throws.

Was this helpful to you?
Why do players find the Emperor's motives in Baldur's Gate 3 questionable?

Players find the Emperor's motives questionable because the Emperor is known for being deceitful and manipulative, often trying to persuade the player to become an Illithid by consuming more tadpoles, and their lack of warning about Moonrise adds to this suspicion.

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Others Asked

What must you do to romance the Emperor Mindflayer in Baldur's Gate 3?

To romance the Emperor Mindflayer, you must embrace your Illithid Powers by consuming tadpoles, choose specific dialogue options that are friendly, side with your Guardian in the Astral Plane, and ultimately take the right steps during Act Three to achieve a romantic encounter and the Mind Blown achievement.

Was this helpful to you?
Why might a player choose the "Raging Crusader" build in Baldur's Gate 3?

A player might choose the "Raging Crusader" build to improve durability and accuracy significantly, especially while Raging, making the character almost immune to Dexterity saving throws.

Was this helpful to you?
Why do players find the Emperor's motives in Baldur's Gate 3 questionable?

Players find the Emperor's motives questionable because the Emperor is known for being deceitful and manipulative, often trying to persuade the player to become an Illithid by consuming more tadpoles, and their lack of warning about Moonrise adds to this suspicion.

Was this helpful to you?
Author
Image of Josh Challies
Josh Challies
Staff Writer
Staff Writer. Professional writer since 2014. Pokemon, Marvel, Star Wars and overall geek. Previously wrote for Yahoo Sport, Stats Perform and online news publications.
Author
Image of Jerome Heath
Jerome Heath
Senior editor
Jerome has been in and around the gaming industry for the last eight years, and he's not going anywhere anytime soon.