Traveling to Avernus with Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of the most emotional and climactic moments players can experience. Avernus, the first layer of the Nine Hells, plays a significant role in Karlach’s story, especially as her infernal engine becomes more unstable. Reaching Avernus is not just about stepping into a hellish dimension it’s about deciding Karlach’s fate and possibly making a sacrifice. This journey involves a combination of relationship choices, story progression, and final act decisions that shape how the ending unfolds.
Understanding Karlach’s Background
The Infernal Engine
Karlach is a companion who escaped the hells after years of service under the archdevil Zariel. Her body was modified with an infernal engine that grants her power but also threatens her life. Throughout the game, the player learns that her engine is overheating and can’t be fixed in the material realm. This creates a narrative arc where traveling to Avernus becomes both a danger and a possible salvation.
Companion Loyalty and Romance
Your relationship with Karlach is central to the choices that lead to Avernus. Whether you pursue a romance or build deep friendship, the game offers several dialogue opportunities to support her. The stronger your connection, the more likely you are to unlock the necessary options to go with her to the Nine Hells.
Progressing Toward the Ending
Complete Karlach’s Companion Quest
To access the Avernus ending, you must complete Karlach’s personal quest, which reveals the limitations of her engine and the toll it’s taking on her. This includes:
- Speaking to Dammon, the tiefling smith who helps with infernal mechanics
- Progressing through Acts 1 and 2 without letting Karlach perish or abandon the party
- Listening to her thoughts and feelings through key camp interactions
If you fail to support her or neglect critical conversations, her quest may not fully resolve, and Avernus may not become an option in the ending.
Meet Dammon in Baldur’s Gate
In Act 3, Dammon appears in the city and provides more insight into Karlach’s condition. It’s here that the truth becomes unavoidable: her engine will burn out unless something drastic is done. Dammon cannot fix her fully, but the conversation opens the door to final choices that take shape later in the game.
The Final Battle and Decision Point
Reach the Morphic Pool
The final stage of the game brings you to the Morphic Pool, where you confront the Elder Brain. After this battle, various companions approach with their final decisions and wishes. If Karlach is still alive and present in your party, she will express that staying in the material realm will doom her.
Options for Karlach
At this point, you’re presented with several emotional outcomes:
- Leave Karlach behind She dies or fades painfully due to the engine
- Let Karlach go to Avernus alone She returns to hell to survive but is alone again
- Go to Avernus with Karlach You accompany her, sacrificing the material realm to support her in the Nine Hells
To choose the last option and go to Avernus with Karlach, your approval rating must be high, and you must select the correct dialogue choices that affirm your willingness to go with her.
How to Unlock the Option to Go to Avernus
Maintain High Approval
Throughout the game, engage in actions that reflect compassion, loyalty, and strength qualities Karlach respects. Avoid actions that harm innocents, embrace cruelty, or reject her trust. In key conversations, ask about her time in Avernus, her thoughts on Zariel, and how she’s feeling as the engine becomes more unstable.
Here are a few dialogue and action strategies to strengthen your bond:
- Support the tieflings in the Druid Grove
- Back Karlach’s decisions in arguments with other companions
- Choose romantic options if you’re pursuing a relationship
- Complete her engine upgrades by bringing infernal iron to Dammon
Final Dialogue Choices
After defeating the Elder Brain, when Karlach expresses her desire to return to Avernus, you’ll have the chance to say, I’ll go with you. This is the key phrase that locks in the ending. If it doesn’t appear, you may not have met the relationship or quest criteria.
Once you choose to go with her, the ending sequence changes to show you and Karlach leaving the material world behind, stepping into the fire-filled landscape of Avernus together. It’s a bittersweet but powerful ending that honors your bond with her.
What Happens in the Avernus Ending
A Life in the Hells
Going to Avernus with Karlach means giving up your life on the surface. It is never shown in full detail what happens next, but the implication is that you help her survive, fight off threats, and possibly reclaim some hope or power together in a realm of constant conflict.
This ending reflects the game’s theme of sacrifice and loyalty. By choosing this path, you make Karlach’s survival possible while embracing an uncertain future beyond the world you saved.
Impact on Other Companions
Other party members will comment on your choice depending on their own views and relationships with you. Some will respect your decision, others may mourn your absence. However, the game treats your bond with Karlach as strong enough to justify this dramatic departure.
Alternative Resolutions
Let Karlach Die a Hero
If you choose not to go to Avernus and instead allow Karlach to stay behind, she may die but do so peacefully, surrounded by friends. This ending also honors her bravery but ends her story on a more tragic note.
Send Karlach Alone
Choosing to let Karlach return alone to Avernus saves her life but isolates her. She accepts this with a heavy heart, often thanking you but clearly wishing things had turned out differently. It’s a safer outcome for the player but leaves Karlach without the support she deserves.
Final Thoughts and Tips
Replay for Different Endings
Baldur’s Gate 3 is rich in choice, and Karlach’s storyline is one of its most emotionally complex. If you miss the chance to go to Avernus, replaying the game with a focused goal on Karlach can open up new outcomes. Try different paths, dialogue choices, and moral decisions to see how the ending changes.
Watch for Narrative Clues
Throughout Acts 1 to 3, Karlach drops hints about her feelings toward Avernus and her fear of being alone again. Pay close attention to these moments they not only deepen her character but also foreshadow the choice you’ll eventually face.
Going to Avernus with Karlach is one of the most meaningful decisions in the game. It blends romance, sacrifice, and lore into a powerful conclusion that rewards players who invest time in her story. Whether you see it as a heroic act or a tragic love story, the journey is unforgettable for those who choose to walk with Karlach into the fire.