Every Animal Companion In Baldur’s Gate 3, Ranked

Highlights

• The Wolf is a good general choice for a Ranger companion, but lacks versatility compared to other options. At max level, the Wolf gains a flamboyant sword attack.
• The Boar is overlooked but can be useful for knocking enemies down and tanking damage. At higher levels, Boars gain rage-like abilities and become a great DPS choice.
• The Wolf Spider is an underrated companion with useful mobility traits and web-shooting capabilities. It can also entomb enemies and poison them, spreading disease.

If you choose the Druid or Ranger in Baldur’s Gate 3, then it’s likely that you love spending time with animals, speaking with them and learning about their unique quests. But while Druids transform into their furry friends, Rangers can have them as helpers on their journey, facing enemies as one.

Keep in mind that, if you want to have one of these animal companions, you must choose the Beast Master subclass at level three. Once that choice is made, you’ll be able to summon the companions at will, but always outside of combat. So, you should know what they bring to the table before committing to one in battle.

Updated on January 6, 2024 by Alfredo Robelo: With the many updates Baldur’s Gate 3 has had since launch, the animal companions have grown in power. We wanted to reflect this, so we have updated this list to include the abilities these (mostly) furry friends gain at max level.

5 Lupus, The Wolf

A Good General Choice

Wolves are the most commonly picked companion for Rangers across all media, not only by players but also by characters in fiction. And it makes sense; they represent a sense of companionship, reminding us of our own little canines and being keen to hunt in packs. After watching Game of Thrones, everyone wanted to be a Stark to get their own Dire Wolf, and the summonable Wolf in this game looks just like one.

While they still look amazing in Baldur’s Gate 3, the Wolf companion just lacks the options the other animals give. And once you reach level five, the other animals gain new versatility while the Wolf stays the same. Add to that a certain character’s fear of wolves, and you’re having problems in and out of combat. Not a bad choice by any means, but if you’re too disappointed that the Wolf isn’t the best companion, you might want to consider a respec to another subclass, at least.

Still, it’s not all bad, since the Wolf makes for a great general choice, since while the animal isn’t tailor-made for any single combat scenario, there are also few where it’s at a disadvantage. And, at max level, the Wolf gains an attack where it holds a sword in its mouth, slashing away with it; the style points gained by that move can’t be understated.

4 Verres, The Boar

Knocking Them Down

Boars tend to be overlooked by Rangers, and most games don’t even have them as options. And yes, the competition for these husked mammals is steep; no claws, no sharp fangs, and they’re not even hunters in their natural habitat. But they can be very vicious, and those husks aren’t for show; they are made for charging. That’s why games that might not have them as pets have them as enemies.

In Baldur’s Gate 3, closing the gap to the enemy is crucial, and if you can knock them prone in the process, all the better. Boars are a great combination for a classic bow-using Ranger, since they can knock a line of enemies prone, giving you ample time to finish the job. Later levels only make them better at what they do, being able to tank plenty of damage while still knocking people down left and right.

At the endgame, Boars learn to rage like Barbarians, gaining a size and damage boost while in combat. While this adds little beyond more damage, it makes them a great DPS choice when planning your party, and the size increase can be of use in battles with heavy pushing.

3 Aranea, The Wolf Spider

Underground Masters

While not the most appealing to the eye, the Wolf Spider is actually one of the most useful companions on offer. Verticality is a big deal in Baldur’s Gate 3, and having your own giant arachnid is a huge help. As a companion, the Wolf Spider can jump to incredible heights, and it can even crawl up webs made by other spiders. You can also combine it with the Spider Familiar, since it shares these mobility traits.

Yet, mobility isn’t the only useful trait of this companion. As expected, it can shoot webs of its own, slowing anyone in a large area caught by the web. Since it’s flammable, you can then combine it with a fireball for massive damage, not to mention the residual damage enemies can take if they stay on the fire field for too long. And, in later levels, the Wolf Spider can entomb one enemy, effectively leaving them out of combat. It’s best to entomb enemies with low physical scores like casters, since there is a save each turn to get free from the web.

The final ability the Wolf Spider can learn is to poison its enemies, giving them a disease that can spread from one foe to another. The logistics of the spell are something that most people wouldn’t want to think about (it involves spider babies), but the results speak for themselves.

2 Corvus, The Dire Raven

Air Superiority

The strategic advantage a flying unit can give you in any kind of encounter is invaluable, making the Dire Raven one of the most useful animals in the game. For starters, it can hover over many hazards, making fights over lava a non-issue. It can even scout ahead over any terrain, letting you know how to best approach a situation, or a tricky treasure chest. Besides, it won’t trigger any traps from pressure plates, the most common traps in the game.

When it comes to pure combat, your flying friend also shines. It can rend enemies, so they’re less likely to hit; it can also send it against far-away casters, so the rest of your party can approach safely. At higher levels, it even gains a ranged attack, something unique to the Dire Raven alone. This feather throw is also a debuff, cursing enemies and lowering their stats.

At the final stages of the game, the Dire Raven calls the whole pack to join in the fun, letting you summon two additional Ravens for free. These new companions can’t be controlled, and they’re clearly weaker than your actual companion, but you shouldn’t look at a gift bird in the beak.

1 Ursa, The Bear

Perfect Front Line

The purpose of an Animal Companion is to have strength in numbers, so you might as well take the strongest of them all. The Bear companion is clearly filling the tanking role for your party, letting you have two roles with one character without multiclassing. The Bear’s mighty roar taunts enemies into targeting it, letting you have a party of mostly damage dealers as your enemies are distracted.

In later levels, the Bear even gains the ability to disarm opponents, something crucial for tricky encounters. While it won’t be useful against massive creatures, it gives the Bear something to do once that knight is already focusing on it. These abilities and the Bear’s stat line make it the best choice, especially if you’re planning a Tactician playthrough.

If you’re worried the Bear won’t be able to withstand the damage output of the endgame bosses, the developers seemed to agree, since the final ability the Bear gains is to summon another Bear. Now then, two Bears can certainly take on any challenge you throw at them, and you can even change pets afterward and keep the new bear until you long rest.