Since the release ofBaldur’s Gate 3back in August 2023, there has been a lot of debate regarding whether Enver Gortash, Chosen of Bane, is handsome or not.
If one were to search ‘Gortash Handsome’ on theBaldur’s Gate 3 subreddit, one would find a worrying number of threads discussing the aesthetics of the Archduke of Baldur’s Gate. Some people are attracted to his “washed-up rockstar look” while others tend to be critical of his faux emo haircut.
Baldur’s Gate 3’s Spiciest Speedrun Has A New World Record
The runner says his record is “unbeatable.”
While this conversation is very tired, a new aspect of the debate has come into the spotlight and it centres around the age of the Archduke. In dialogue involving Ketheric Thorm and Gortash, the latter is referred to as a “handsome, younger man with an easy smile.”
Naturally, this line had people confused and has been thoroughly made light of over the past few months as Gortash doesn’t come across as either a young man or someone whose smile comes easily.
How Young Is Young?
The key word here is ‘younger’ as the line is a comparison between Gortash and Ketheric, the latter of which is approximately 300 years old. Regardless of how you feel about Gortash’s looks, he is undoubtedly younger than his Half-Elf comrade.
However,another piece of dialogue has emergedthat is more damning. In a vision you can see through the Goblin priestess Gut, Gortash is referred to as “a handsome young man” by the narrator. Does this mean that Bane’s Chosen is canonically handsome, or does it perhaps only mean that Gut personally thinks he is handsome? That is open to interpretation.
In reality, we can calculate Gortash’s approximate age using some of his lore. Karlach was Gortash’s bodyguard before he sold her to Zariel to fight in the Blood War. This happened ten years before the events of Baldur’s Gate 3.
“Darkness seems to swallow the temple, leaving you with a vision of the goblin priestess, receiving instruction from a handsome young man. One of the Chosen…” - The Narrator
He was already a rising political star in Baldur’s Gate when he hired Karlach, so we can assume he was at least in his mid-20s, meaning he is now in his mid to late 30s or early 40s. Upon being presented with this information, a common joke on social media is that six months of working with Orin The Red has aged Gortash immensely, and perhaps he was handsome before their partnership.
It’s not likely a subject that will be dropped anytime soon, and looks are subjective, but at least we now know that Enver Gortash is considered ‘young’ at least by the narrator (or perhaps just in the psyche of a Goblin).
Larian’s Pivot Away From Baldur’s Gate 3 Is The Right Move
Larian has too much talent to be making someone else’s game.
