Among the many decisions players will be forced to make throughout their Baldur's Gate 3 campaign, the one near the end of the story is arguably the most important. With the fate of the world at stake, players must choose between free the imprisoned Gith Prince Orpheus or leave the Emperor to handle the situation himself.
After grabbing the Orphic Hammer in the House of Hope, Baldur's Gate 3 players will have the opportunity to break the shackles of Orpheus. However, this may not be the best thing to do, as it could drastically affect the party's own fate. Here are the possible outcomes for this scenario.
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Updated on February 29, 2024 by Nahda Nabiilah: In addition to all the tough decisions players must make, they must also defeat Ketheric Throm, Lord Enver Gortash, and Orin before they can decide Orpheus' fate. To achieve this, players must carefully explore both the upper and lower districts of Baldur's Gate, locate each of the three “Chosen Ones” and slaughter them individually. Additionally, the decision carries significant weight, as some Baldur's Gate 3 companions may choose to sacrifice themselves for the greater cause. To change their minds and make them stick before and after facing Netherbrain's battle, players must be well prepared, as some interactions require a roll of 30.
The following contains spoilers for the ending of Baldur's Gate 3. Reader discretion is advised.
Will you free Orpheus in Baldur's Gate 3?
This is a tough decision to make, and it depends on what the players want out of their playthrough. At the beginning of Act 3, the Emperor will tell the players that keeping Orpheus contained is the only thing keeping the party from turning into Illithids. Of course, if Orpheus is released, one or all members of the party may be doomed to become Mind Flayers.
After failing to defeat Netherbrain, the Emperor will teleport the party inside the Astral Prism. Here they will be presented for a choice: do they free Orpheus, or do they let the Emperor assimilate the Prince of Gith to harness his power?
Side With The Emperor
Sided with the emperor spells the end for Orpheus, as he absorbs all of his brain's knowledge. Lae'zel and Karlach may not appreciate this as his survival is directly linked to their personal mission. This will give the party the edge they need to beat Netherbrain, but it may not be the most appealing outcome for fans of these characters.
To free Orpheus
On the other hand, freeing Orpheus will cause the Emperor to side with Netherbrain Baldur's Gate 3. Also, as previously mentioned, at least one of the party members may be doomed to become a Mind Flayer, which is counterintuitive to why they came together in the first place. But Orpheus will join the fight against Netherbrain along with the rest of the Githyanki in the encounter, and if you ask the Gith Prince to transform into the Mind Flayer in their place, he will not hesitate to save his people.
To summarize, players should side with the Emperor if they don't want to become Mind Flayersand they should free Orpheus if they don't mind risking tentacles on them or their companions. The former can cause Lae'zel to turn on the player, and that will force Karlach to return to Avernus, so her Infernal Engine won't cause any more problems. Regardless, it will be up to the players to decide which outcome suits them best.
What is the morally good game here?
This mostly depends on what the players think is good, but ultimately, it's all about loyalty. Orpheus is the rightful ruler of the Githyanki by virtue of being a descendant of Gith himself, and he directly opposes Vlaakith and her tyrannical rule. Acting on Orpheus should come naturally to a Githyanki roleplayer, but for everyone else, doing Voss and Lae'zel's bidding might be a bit too demanding. Gith don't care about everyone else, only themselves, even if they end up affecting the larger world around them in the process.
The Emperor, on the other hand, is just a good guy in general. He wants to stop Netherbrain, and he wants to help you and your party. But the Emperor understands that not all victories can be achieved without sacrifice. You may end up turning into an octopus at the end of your walkthrough if you follow the Emperor's plan, but at least you'll be a morally upright octopus. Keep in mind that there are multiple endings BG3so if you play your cards right you can get one that works best for everyone.

Baldur's Gate 3