Baldur’s Gate 3 gives players a lot of freedom when it comes to creating their character.
Whether you want to be a hero or a villain, the game’s character creator lets you decide your race, background, stats, and appearance.
One of the most interesting choices in the game is the origin character called The Dark Urge—or Durge for short.
Unlike regular characters you create from scratch or other origin characters with known backstories, Durge is unique.
They arrive in the game world with a hidden past and a violent legacy they can’t remember. By default, Durge is a Dragonborn Sorcerer, which makes sense based on the character’s dark and magical roots.
But when you think about the story and the internal conflict this character goes through, there’s actually one class that fits even better: the Paladin.
Why Paladin Fits Durge’s Story Better?
In Baldur’s Gate 3, Paladins are warriors who follow sacred oaths. These oaths are not just for show—they shape how the Paladin acts in the world and what powers they get.
But if a Paladin breaks their oath, they lose many of their powers and become what’s called an Oathbreaker.
For most characters, this adds some gameplay challenge. But for the Dark Urge, this could have made the story deeper and more personal.
The Durge is constantly fighting their violent urges. Playing as a Paladin would have added even more weight to that struggle, trying to live by a moral code while being pulled toward chaos.
Imagine a Durge Paladin trying to stay good despite their dark past. Every choice would feel more intense. And if they gave in and broke their oath, it wouldn’t just be a game mechanic—it would be a powerful moment in the story.
Roleplaying as a Good or Evil Durge
Paladins are perfect for exploring both sides of the Dark Urge’s journey. On one hand, you can play a good-aligned Durge who is trying to rise above their origins.
Their oath could be their way of fighting back against what they were made to be. Maybe they swear to protect people instead of hurting them. That’s a meaningful character arc—turning a killer into a protector.
On the other hand, you can lean into the dark side. If your Paladin breaks their oath, they become an Oathbreaker, fully embracing the evil within them. This would work perfectly with Durge’s hidden identity and make the descent into darkness more powerful and emotional.
Sorcerer Durge Is Good—But Not as Deep
Of course, the default Sorcerer version of Durge is still a strong choice. Sorcerers are born with magic in their blood, just like Durge was born with a dark legacy. Some spells, like Inflict Wounds and Crown of Madness, suit the Durge’s violent nature.
But Sorcerers are more about inherited power, not personal growth. That makes them great for showing where Durge comes from—but not as good at showing how Durge changes.
Paladins, on the other hand, constantly face moral choices. They are tested again and again, and that makes their stories more intense.
Gameplay Benefits of Durge as a Paladin
Paladins aren’t just good for the story—they also bring a lot to combat. In Baldur’s Gate 3, they deal strong damage with moves like Divine Smite and can use both weapons and spells.
Combine that with Durge’s special story scenes, and you get a powerful character in every way.
Different Paladin subclasses also bring new depth. An Oath of Vengeance Paladin might swear to punish Durge’s creator. An Oath of the Ancients Paladin might try to protect the world from becoming darker. And if you fall and become an Oathbreaker, the roleplaying possibilities grow even more.
A Missed Opportunity for Baldur’s Gate 3
Baldur’s Gate 3 lets you play Durge however you want, but by making Sorcerer the default class, the game gently pushes players in that direction. It would have been a small but powerful touch if the game had encouraged Paladin as an option.
The Durge story is about struggling with who you are versus who you want to become. And no class in Baldur’s Gate 3 represents that better than Paladin—the one class built on moral codes, with rewards for staying good and consequences for going bad.
As talks about Baldur’s Gate 4 grow, it’s worth looking at how class choices can shape and deepen character arcs.
Durge, with its dark past and uncertain future, is the perfect example. And maybe next time, they’ll be given a class that lets players explore that story in its most powerful form.
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