Peace Amongst the Graves: Karlach & Emmrich
Two heroes. Worlds apart. Yet even a barbarian and necromancer can find common ground.
Spoiler warning for Baldur’s Gate 3 and Dragon Age: The Veilguard! If you’re still playing through Karlach and Emmrich’s arcs, come back later.
A brash, fiery tiefling barbarian and a refined, intellectual necromancer walk into a room. What happens next? A heartfelt discussion on loss and family…after an awkward introduction, of course.
On the surface, Karlach from Baldur’s Gate 3 and Emmrich from Dragon Age: The Veilguard couldn’t be more different. Karlach charges through life with exuberance, ready to face any challenge, while Emmrich takes the scholar’s path, preferring reflection and caution.
Even their relationship with death seems opposite. Karlach, cursed with an infernal engine that could kill her at any moment, presses forward with fierce courage, and even embraces sacrifice if it means protecting her companions. Emmrich, by contrast, is a necromancer haunted by an all-consuming fear of death.
Yet despite these differences, both characters share a surprising connective theme: how grief and family loss shaped the paths they walk. What makes their arcs especially interesting is the way Larian Studios and BioWare chose to reveal those stories.
Both Karlach and Emmrich have poignant cutscenes at their parents’ graves, giving us intimate glimpses into their pasts. But here’s the key difference: Emmrich’s moment is a required step in his questline, while Karlach’s is something you might stumble across entirely by chance.
In The Veilguard, BioWare moves away from the freedom of Origins and Inquisition, creating a more linear structure. While you can technically ignore Emmrich’s questline, the game makes it clear that skipping it leaves him unprepared for the final battle. If you want him at full strength (and access to his allies), you’re guided to complete it, which starts with learning how he was orphaned and brought to the Necropolis.
Emmrich reflecting with Rook during a personal visit to the Necropolis.
Personally, I’m not a fan of this approach. In a story with old gods and world-ending stakes, I’d expect personal baggage to take a backseat, but that’s a discussion for another day. The point is: BioWare pushes you toward Emmrich’s grief whether you want it or not.
Larian, on the other hand, leans into discovery and replayability. Karlach’s graveside scene only appears in Act 3 if she’s in your party during a specific visit to the cemetery. I didn’t find it until my third playthrough and it floored me. (Also, did you know her last name was Cliffgate? Because I sure didn’t.)
This design philosophy makes each run of BG3 feel fresh, echoing the openness of Origins and Inquisition. It’s an element I really missed in The Veilguard.
But design aside, what lingers with me most is the emotional weight of these moments. Emmrich still wonders what his parents would want for him now. Karlach wrestles with her parents’ different theological perspectives. Both scenes give us a raw, human look at characters who, despite magic, monsters, and world-ending stakes, are defined by the same thing we are: the ache of family and the question of how to carry grief.
🎮 Video games and stories give us safe spaces to explore themes of grief, love, and loss, but sometimes those emotions reach beyond the screen. If you’re currently struggling with grief or loss, know you don’t have to go through it alone. Resources like Good Grief and SAMHSA’s Coping with Bereavement and Grief can provide help and community.
All in-game images, footage, and characters are the property of their respective developers and publishers. Screenshots and clips from Baldur’s Gate 3 © Larian Studios and Dragon Age: The Veilguard © BioWare/Electronic Arts, used under fair use for commentary and critique.
