Baldur’s Gate 3: Act 1 Bosses, Ranked

Highlights

• Boss battles in Baldur’s Gate 3 are more than just fighting – they are hyped up by storytelling and unique environments.
• Some bosses like Kahga and Dror Ragzlin may be underwhelming, but they still serve as appetizers for the rest of the game.
• Facing classic D&D monsters like Owlbears and Spectators in Baldur’s Gate 3 provides a nostalgic and challenging experience.

Baldur’s Gate 3 took a lot of inspiration from Dungeons & Dragons, and not just from its core mechanics and lore. It also knows how to end each dungeon or questline with a fun, climactic boss battle. A memorable D&D boss requires more than just being difficult to fight. The best encounters are hyped up through storytelling and are set in a unique environment that can either play to the party’s advantage or disadvantage.

Act 1 of Baldur’s Gate 3 includes a ton of bosses that fit this criteria, though some better than others. All of them, however, serve as a perfect appetizer for what the rest of the game has to offer.

11 Kahga

An Underwhelming Means to A Satisfying End

Gamers don’t pick a fight with Kahga expecting a creative, unique boss battle. They fight her out of seething anger for her xenophobic, child-endangering ways. The battle itself isn’t much different than any other run-of-the-mill encounter. The only real surprise is the sudden appearance of her new Shadow Druid buddies.

The fight is optional and easily missable if the player rescues Master Halsin before confronting her. Overall, Kahga gets off with barely a slap on the wrist, which is disappointing for players eager to see some karmic justice.

10 Dror Ragzlin

The Big Boss of the Goblins Is Hardly the Main Event

It’s easy to see why hobgoblins are the leaders of any goblin group. They’re essentially just bigger, slightly smarter gobbos. And that’s exactly what it’s like to fight one: one big gobbo rallying several smaller gobbo underlings with his commanding presence and impressive leadership.

That’s not to say a tougher goblin brawl is a bag thing, especially when there’s the chance the player might get shoved into a pit of giant hungry spiders. But among the three camp leaders, Dror Ragzlin’s fight is the least compelling.

9 True Soul Gut

“Divide and Conquer” is Easy But Not Much Fun

There are two potential arenas for battling the goblin priestess. Fighting her in the main hall is admittedly pretty fun, with her cronies coming to her aid and her telekinetically throwing down statues for some crushing AOE damage.

The smart way to kill her, though, is to lead her into her private chambers and then ganging up on her before she can call for backup. This avoids aggroing the rest of the goblins, but the quick-and-easy kill is much less fun than an all-out goblin brawl.

8 Owlbear

Puts Up An Impressive Fight With A Hearty Serving of Guilt Trip

The mighty owlbear is a staple of Dungeons & Dragons encounters. They’re hulking walls of solid muscle, armed with razor-sharp talons and a super-sharp beak. And this one, in particular, truly gives this fight their all. After all, they’ve got a cub to protect.

Should the player decide to just back away slowly, Mama Owlbeat will instead fall victim to some goblin spears. This is the less guilt-ridden way to adopt the newly orphaned cub. However, for those players hungry for a D&D classic, this monstrous beast doesn’t disappoint.

7 Flind

Make Her Do the Hard Work For You

They say there’s no reasoning with a hungry gnoll, but that can change with a little illithid intervention. Instead of attacking Flind outright, players can use a little tadpole-induced persuasion to convince her to turn against her own pack.

After gorging on her kin, Flind’s hungry gaze turns back to the player. But at this point, she’s much easier to pick off. More gruesome still, the player can try to further persuade Flind to find her next meal…within herself. It’s just as gnarly as it sounds.

6 True Soul Nere

Wipe That Smug Look Off His Face

The tensions at Grymforge come to a boiling point as soon as Nere steps onto the scene. He instantly gets on everyone’s nerves, Deep Gnomes and Duergar alike, only caring about his on ego and prestige. Violence is inevitable, and players have the option to choose whose side they’re on.

The battle itself is a free-for-all between different factions, with Nere starring as the biggest threat (being the main spellcaster). Killing him is not only pragmatic; it’s also well-deserved. Not even a “thank you” for rescuing him from that cave-in? Rude.

5 Minthara

The Real Boss of the Goblin Camp

It’s clear who really wears the pants around the goblin camp (and has the best lootable gear). This former paladin of Lolth is cunning, brutal, and unrelenting. Her main tactic is to freeze party members with “Hold Person,” then whale on them with her mace, giving even the heartiest tank a hard time.

On top of that, her battle arena is fairly cramped, making it difficult to get out of melee range while also avoiding her reinforcements or the bottomless chasms nearby. Nobody said dealing with cult fanatics would be easy.

4 Spectator

Respect The Classics

Deep in the Underdark, the player stumbles upon a field of Drow, their faces frozen in stone terror. Experienced D&D players already know what’s coming next: a fiant floating ball of deadly eyes and multiple rows of teeth.

The Spectator in Baldur’s Gate 3 delivers on this classic monster encounter in every way. Petrifying players, un-petrifying enemies, zapping bolts of magic, and flying across the battlefield to take massive chomps wherever they go. There is no beauty in the eye of a Beholder – only fun. Dangerous, nostalgic fun.

3 Phase Spider Matriarch

Nobody Puts Teleporting Spiders In A Corner

An important tactic in Baldur’s Gate 3 is knowing where to position party members. Tanks go out front, spellcasters hang back, and rogues still to the shadows. But the Phase Spider Matriarch and her spiderlings throw all this out the window. They teleport all across the battlefield, filled with sticky webbing and small stone pedestals.

This puts players on the back foot, forced to play the cards they’re dealt each turn. It’s a clever challenge early in the game, teaching players that sometimes, they need to think differently than they normally would in order to win.

2 Grym

We Can Do This The Easy Way Or The Hard Way

The secret underground adamantine forge had a lot of build-up leading to it, and its mechanical guardian is the ultimate payoff. A giant, nearly indestructable marvel of engineering that hits like a freight train.

Beating Grym takes some puzzle-solving skills. Gamers can fight him normally, or they can use the environment to do the hard work for them. Much like the One Ring, the place where Grym was made is the best way to unmake him. Heat him up with some lava, then let the hammer fall.

1 Auntie Ethel

This Green Hag’s Got This In the Bag

This little old lady turned out to be a hag, a dangerous fey creature. The entire Auntie Ethel experience has it all, beginning to end. Players journey through the eerie swamp, witnessing the hag’s many victims over the years, all to rescue poor Mayrina from the same wicked fate.

Once Auntie Ethel is cornered in the heart of her lair, she pulls out all sorts of nasty tricks befitting her fey nature. Conjuring illusions of herself, switching places with her captured damsel, and viciously mocking companions with all-too pointed insults. Vanquishing this ancient evil is just as fun as it is triumphant.