Should Shadowheart kill her parents or save them? Here’s the outcome for whether or not you kill or save Shadowheart’s parents in Baldur’s Gate 3.
How to Find the House of Grief
The House of Grief is located in the Lower City.
Once you have access to Lower City in hand, you’ll find the House of Grief at the top northwest of the Lower City map. It’s just to the left of Baldur’s Gate waypoint, and right above Lady Jannath’s Estate.
Where Are Shadowheart’s Parents?
You’ll find Shadowheart’s parents trapped in the very back room in the House of Grief. Shadowheart will then be faced with a decision by the Goddess Shar herself. Kill her parents and be free of the curse, or save them and endure it forever.
And that’s honestly how the two consequences boil down.
Baldur’s Gate 3: All Outcomes for Killing or Saving Shadowheart’s Parents (BG3)
Once Shadowheart learns the truth about her parents from Nightstong in the Temple of Shar in Act 2, she’ll be dead set on saving them from the House of Grief. Or, if you chose to let her go down the Dark Justiciar path, it’s possible she’ll stumble upon her parents after she kills the Matron who refused to allow her to ascend.
Dark Justiciar Path: If Shadowheart Kills Her Parents…
If you had Shadowheart kill Nightsong and become a Dark Justiciar in BG3’s Act 2, she’ll follow a markedly different, much darker path than if she had spared Nightsong. Both paths will lead her to the House of Grief where she stumbles upon her parents, but in Shadowheart’s pursuit of power as a Dark Justiciar, her choice to kill her parents will be framed as more blatantly evil.
In the Dark Justiciar path, if Shadowheart kills her parents, she’ll banish them to a hellish afterlife where they’ll be tormented by Shar. Shar will then wipe Shadowheart’s memory yet again as Shar continues to manipulate Shadowheart. Shadowheart will have no memory nor remorse for killing her parents. But you will.
If you want Shadowheart to be an ally you can call upon as part of the Gather Your Allies quest, this is the path and option you’ll need to take. Fully aligning with Shar will give Shadowheart command over any other living Justiciars in the House of Grief, and it’s these Justiciars who will help you out in the final battle when called upon.
Selune Path: If Shadowheart Kills Her Parents…
If you encourage Shadowheart to kill her parents while she walks the path of Selune, they’ll turn into Moon Motes—glowey orbs that will guide others lost in the darkness. Supposedly, Shadowheart’s Moon Mote parents will stick around with her forever, offering her guidance and support.
BG3 frames this action as a mercy killing that allows Shadowheart to move on with her life and start a journey as a new woman. Shadowheart’s parents aren’t mentally all there anymore, with their memories and health deteriorating, and they urge Shadowheart to let them pass.
Naturally, Shadowheart is tormented about the loss of her parents if she kills them. You can then comfort her about it back in camp, where she’ll admit an immense guilt that’s difficult for her to reconcile. She’ll eventually come to terms and accept it (the Moon Motes help), but it’s a long path of psychological healing for her.
But at least physically, Shadowheart will be fully healed if she kills her parents. The Curse of Shar that occasionally gives Shadowheart a debuff will be permanently lifted.
If you missed out on the little details of Shadowheart’s Sharran curse, it serves as a pseudo-shock collar Shar placed on Shadowheart to keep her on the Sharran path. Shadowheart’s natural inclination is to lean toward Selune’s path of light, so Shar delivers a jolt of pain every time Shadowheart even thinks of straying from the path of darkness. In terms of gameplay, the curse will inflict a debuff on Shadowheart every once in a while.
If Shadowheart Refuses to Kill Her Parents…
If you encourage Shadowheart to keep her parents alive (on either path), you’ll have to pass a very high religion or persuasion check. Pass this, and Shadowheart will refuse to kill them. Her father will protest, but her mother will agree with her.
Shadowheart will then release her parents, and they’ll embrace. Shadowheart’s parents will then head over to your camp where they’ll hang out for the rest of the game. Naturally, they provide comfort and support for Shadowheart.
Having not removed the Sharran curse, Shadowheart is eternally bound to Shar, and will forever be tortured by nightly pain “meant for a thousand people” (as described by Shadowheart). She claims she can withstand it, but it’s a helluva torment, and Shar implies she’ll eventually reclaim Shadowheart. Regardless, she’ll endure the periodic pain from her hand, and she and her family seem, overall, happier about it.
Should You Kill Shadowheart’s Parents?
In terms of combat in BG3, it’s better to kill Shadowheart’s parents. This will remove the debuff from the Sharran curse placed on Shadowheart and aid you in the final battle depending on the path you chose.
In terms of narrative, killing Shadowheart’s parents also seems to be framed as the more intended choice. If you’re on the Dark Justiciar path, this completes your indoctrination. And if you’re on the Selune path, this frees Shadowheart to move on and grow as a person.
Personally, we believe killing Shadowheart’s parents while on the path of Selune is the best option. It may be bittersweet, and it may not be comforting, but it’s an option that, in our eyes, gives Shadowheart’s character and arc more depth. It also makes for an interesting statement on healing through loss.
But, obviously, if making Shadowheart happy is your priority, we would recommend keeping her parents alive. Shadowheart will still experience loss and suffering—as everyone does—perhaps even more so since she’s still cursed, but at least you can temporarily improve her mood for the time being and give her some comfort from the loving embrace of a family she has no memory of.
That’s all for Shadowheart’s parents in BG3, but before you leave the chamber, be sure to interact with the Mirror of Loss. This complicated mirror can give your characters +2 Stats if you know how to handle it.
