Really? Shadowheart does nothing for me.
I think she is just kinda the default if you have no imagination - softspoken human female that isn’t totally obnoxious.
In terms of female romance options Lae’zel is the only one who it seemed to make sense would be forward enough to try and jump your bones after just 2 or 3 days. Karlach wasn’t even an option for me, she had no romance adjacent dialogue at the tiefling party. I wonder if part of that was just how late she joined up in act 1, I did get her engine “fixed” for the first time but it was one of the last things I did and I can’t remember if it was before or after clearing the goblin camp.
I did really enjoy Shadowheart’s arc though, especially since I generally adopted a policy to not suggest or try to interfere with the companions’ quests. Just left them to their own decisions without trying to sway them, and the fact that Shadowheart chooses to reject Shar and Lae’zel chooses to reject Vlaakith (or at least hear Voss out) made for two of the most powerful moments in act 2 IMO. There is lots to like about all three of them throughout their arcs and that’s part of what makes them so great.
Shart also happens to be ridiculously hot.
I literally can’t read any of the left, it’s too blurry on my mobile client.
I only make decisions to see “Astarion approved”
Lae’zel is my best friend. If anyone makes her sad, I will kill them.
Additionally, my favorite i interaction with her involved freeing the Drow Nere, who I then talked to. I was like, “Nere, you use slaves, thats terrible,” and I saw a little ‘Lae’zel disapproves’ box. Nere was mouthy, then I responded, “You don’t understand. You aren’t leaving here alive.” I then saw ‘Lae’zel approves’ immediately after. Best natural interaction ingame I’ve had.
Her trust bar is maxed out for me because if bad people give me shit, I tend to murder them enthusiastically, and when good people give me shit, I ignore them and tell them to go screw themselves. And hey, she’s gone from evil crazed zealot to less-evil skeptic that loves me. She’s my bestie 💓
I tried to get along with her but just can’t. During beta, I did a playthrough where I shot her in her cage at the beginning and kept wearing her armour. That was the most satisfying experience I had with her yet. Now after full release I kept her in my party for the whole act 1, trying to make it work but I just can’t bear her snarky arrogant zealot shit so she stays in camp condemning me for helping people from there.
I think it takes a certain kind of person who can put up with snarky comments and act extremely aggressively towards people. Like my character! I made my classic Neutral Tiefling Fighter I play in tabletop, who doesn’t give a shit what others believe, thinks violence is the second option if the first one fails, likes killing and fighting, tries to respect other cultures (most of the time,) and hates slavery. I tend to get strange looks at my table when I say, “Not saying we should, but we could just kill him,” in regards to the innocent guards protecting a prison. Karlach is like my second best friend ingame, and she’s like a good version of my character.
Anyway, Lae’zel respects that if my character doesn’t like someone, I’m cutting off their head then and there. My character also tends to be brutally honest with people, and she enjoys that. You can have her like you without being evil, I still helped the grove and tieflings, I saved the Harpers, helped Halsin and stormed the Moonrise towers. AND I murdered dozens of her kind at her crèche and she was pretty chill with it after some stuff I won’t get into involving the parasite and Vlaakith.
She’s my favorite character.