anchor hitch

Supporters of this theory point to Astarion's dance in his Origin ending. Neil's statement that this movement symbolizes "the joy that he's now finally in control of his life" is reinterpreted to frame the scene solely as a display of bloodlust and predatory triumph. It is a clear example of how the broader narrative context can be pushed aside in favor of reinforcing the idea that the character never truly changes.

But if we look at the available interviews from Neil Newbon and the animation director, Greg Lidstone, the intent behind the scene is more nuanced than that.

Lidstone explicitly states that they originally recorded Astarion walking off "like a predator," and Neil himself rejected it. He insisted that "it doesn't feel right" and that "it's not the character."

"I thought, well, that seems weirdly contrary to his experience over the whole of the game," Neil says.

The Spawn route is framed as a path of freedom and joy, with the dance representing Astarion finally being in control of his body and his choices. It's the emotional lightness that comes when 200 years of terror no longer define every aspect of his existence. Rather than framing the scene as a simple predator's victory dance, Neil describes it in terms of liberation and agency. The dance becomes less about predatory anticipation and more about the emotional release of someone who no longer lives entirely through fear.

Yes, Astarion approaches a bound victim in this scene, but his words from the epilogue offer a clearer picture of how he chooses to direct his predatory nature. He isn't framed as hunting purely out of predatory thrill or a desire to dominate; he has adopted the cynical but practical ethics of an adventurer. As he puts it:

"I've taken a turn as an adventurer and hero. It turns out no one actually cares about murder, as long as you murder the right people. And apparently I'm rather good at it."

When Neil adds with a laugh that he's "still a predatory vampire, but a nice one," that's not him mocking fans. He's highlighting the irony of a creature built for killing who has reclaimed his autonomy enough to choose a "positive way" to exist. The dance isn't primarily about feeding; it's framed as the joy of someone who is finally in control of his own life.

It is also interesting to observe how Neil's "shades of gray" thesis is sometimes used to justify the claim that Astarion remains static regardless of the ending. References to "realistic acting" and the absence of a "black and white" morality are often presented as proof that there is no moral distance between Ascension and the path of recovery.

However, when Neil speaks of "every conceivable combination of situations" and "shades of gray," he is emphasizing the complexity of Astarion's nature, not a lack of growth.

Astarion isn't a monolithic, static character. Neil describes him as:

"Every conceivable possible combination of every situation that the character can face. It wasn't just Ascended or quote-unquote 'good,' better, or whatever Astarion. It was all the different shades of gray in between."

In both Ascension and the Spawn path, Astarion remains a "trauma sufferer" and a "survivor." The difference isn't that he "healed and forgot," but in how he processes that trauma: through perpetuating the cycle of pain (Ascension) or attempting to heal (Spawn).

Reducing Astarion to a static archetype risks flattening not only the writing, but also the performance work that gives those different paths their emotional texture. Neil doesn't have a "preferred" canon, but he also described the routes as "two different characters," emphasizing how differently players respond to them:

"To see people's reactions to these two different characters… if you find him scary when he has ascended, you should. He's terrifying. But other people might really like that ending for the character and feel, 'Actually, I saw Astarion always going that route,' whereas others might want to help him redeem himself, or help him not only survive, but thrive in a positive way."

Neil consistently frames the Ascended path as something meant to be unsettling, not as an aspirational or "correct" ending for "real gamers." He consistently speaks about Astarion through the framework of trauma and survival. Reducing the entire depth of his performance to "he's just a predator and everything else is nonsense" flattens the complexity of the performance to a single angle.

One important distinction often overlooked in these interpretations is that choosing the Spawn path isn't about trying to turn Astarion into a "saint" or a "cuddle-bug."

The transformation in this ending isn't about him suddenly becoming "good." It's about him becoming self-aware enough to consciously direct his predatory instincts rather than being governed entirely by fear and survival conditioning.

He stops being a victim who projects violence simply because he knows no other way. He gains maturity. His predatory nature hasn't vanished—it is now governed by his own will. As Neil puts it: "He's still a predatory vampire, but a nice one." This is a predator who can choose where that violence is directed, rather than being driven purely by fear or conditioning.

Irony mode on.

So, unless I’m mistaken, in BG3 there’s a buff with the wonderfully mysterious and incredible name “Happy.” I’m pretty sure very few people know about it—I only noticed it myself recently. It’s a buff Astarion gets when he drinks the blood of a sentient being, and it lasts until the next day. A buff with such a peculiar name that it would seem to imply satisfaction, well-being… happiness, perhaps?

He says something rather suggestive that might actually help clarify the matter, something along the lines of: “I feel good. Strong. Happy.”

What’s really incredible is that this buff grants Astarion a +1 bonus to rolls for the rest of the day, which could perhaps symbolize that the effect of sentient blood genuinely supports his psychological and physical well-being for quite a long time!

Which might clash a little with the image many people have of this miserable vampire spawn endlessly languishing in the dark under the eternal pangs of hunger.

But funnily enough, it actually fits rather well with the scenario of a radiant hopeful Astarion happily feeding (and even doing a little dance in the Origin version) on criminals while playing vigilante around Baldur’s Gate. Or the version where he travels across Faerûn with his partner, playing the hero.

And if we consider that, to obtain this buff, he doesn’t necessarily need to kill anyone but could simply take a small nibble from his partner every night, then feeling happy and satisfied probably isn’t all that difficult for this particular spawn. In this scenario, the occasional local criminal or bandit along the way is practically just the cherry on top. The sugar in the coffee.

Sure, he’ll probably experience the pangs of hunger from time to time—well, nobody’s life is perfect—but overall he seems to be doing rather well in his ending as a simple adventurer. There’s still the issue of sunlight, of course… but as he himself says: “Maybe never seeing the sun again is just the price of freedom.” Not hunger. Sunlight. Funny how that’s the only thing he specifically mentions.

And even then, during winter the sun sets at four in the afternoon. Plus, in the world of D&D there are places without sunlight altogether. Or simply magical items that allow someone to move around in daylight—and, I don’t want to say nonsense since I haven’t read it personally, but I seem to remember that an object like that is mentioned somewhere in material tied to Astarion’s Book of Hungers.

Then again, we could even look at the regrets and torment of a true vampire, dear Cazador nonthless:

“These deathless dreams hold memories of a mortal life once-forgotten. Of the boy I was, the man I became, the monster that will not end. I sleep, but cannot rest. I live, but cannot die. I’m eternal, and I grieve.”

So, in short, being a vampire sucks. But apparently not because one is perpetually starving. Yes, alright, vampiric hunger is terrible. But the game itself seems to frame feeding as manageable rather than as an endless unbearable torment. More than anything, the misery seems to come from mourning life itself—and probably everything that was lost and once gave meaning to it while one was still mortal.

I’ll admit I’m not especially excited yet—I’m always a bit cautious. The product could be good, or maybe not. We’ll see.

I hope it is, of course, and that it can add even more juice to what is already plenty juicy.

This is the novel’s synopsis:

The roguish charlatan Astarion will free himself from a centuries-long fate of servitude or die (a second time) trying—in this decadently dark fantasy adventure by award-winning author T. Kingfisher. You’re too pretty to die. Astarion Ancunin was supposed to be a magistrate, not a vampire spawn. He was supposed to serve the law, not the vicious vampire lord Cazador Szarr. And he was supposed to drink fine wine, not rat blood. Alas—the city of Baldur’s Gate cares little for what’s supposed to happen. Though he has been powerless to resist his master’s bidding, haunting the nighttime streets to fetch warm blood, Astarion has never surrendered his hope. One day, this nightmare must end. He just has to find out how. When the vampire lord announces a twisted competition for his favor, an opportunity presents itself in the form of a rare prize . . . and an unlikely alliance. The blood of a dead god is buried deep beneath Baldur’s Gate, and, to get it, Astarion will need the help of a handsome Aasimar paladin named Hahn den Suriel. There are just a few problems. Astarion is not supposed to trust his fellow spawn. He’s not supposed to go out into the city for his own ends rather than the vampire lord’s. And he’s certainly not supposed to strike a deal with a stranger whose golden eyes can snare even a blackened, undead heart. But the city of Baldur’s Gate cares little for what’s supposed to happen.

There are some genuinely interesting parts here. The first concerns the old concept of Astarion as a corrupt magistrate. This excerpt seems to point in a rather different direction from the earlier idea that Astarion, while already serving as a magistrate, trafficked people for Cazador in exchange for the promise of immortality.

The overall tone of the first part of the text is not that of someone who willingly made a pact with evil and later paid the price for it. It feels much more like the tone of a tragic downfall—a life that was meant to follow a certain path but was violently derailed instead.

“Astarion Ancunin was supposed to be a magistrate, not a vampire spawn.”

This is not merely saying that Astarion was a magistrate. It is contrasting two identities: what he was supposed to be, and what he became. The magistrate represents status, order, citizenship, and social role. The spawn represents slavery, degradation, and the total loss of self. This is the narrative structure of a tragedy, not of complicity. (All the more so because, in the case of an alliance, the line would have needed to be something like: Astarion was supposed to become a free and immortal vampire, not a chained spawn reduced to servitude.)

Even more significant is the next line:

“He was supposed to serve the law, not the vicious vampire lord Cazador Szarr.”

To me, this is the most important part. The contrast is sharp: serving the law versus serving Cazador. If Astarion had already been working for him while alive, delivering victims to him, this opposition would lose much of its force, because he would in fact have already been serving him before his transformation.

Instead, the text seems to present a very clear and sharply divided before and after: first he belonged to the civic world, then he was reduced to servitude by a predator.

Moreover, Cazador is described directly as:

“the vicious vampire lord”

That is, a cruel tyrant. Not an ambiguous ally, not a dark benefactor with whom Astarion struck a bargain out of personal ambition. He is presented as an external oppressive force.

The third line follows the same logic:

“He was supposed to drink fine wine, not rat blood.”

Once again: privilege and refinement contrasted with degradation and beastlike survival. Not the price of a bargain gone wrong, but the vertical collapse of a condition.

And then there is the closing line of the paragraph:

“Alas—the city of Baldur’s Gate cares little for what’s supposed to happen.”

Here the narrative responsibility expands to the city itself, to the system, to the chaos and corruption of Baldur’s Gate. As if to say: this is not merely the story of a greedy man who made the wrong choice. It is also the story of a city that devours people and allows the worst to thrive.

This does not necessarily mean that Astarion was flawless or innocent (although the idea that he was meant to serve the law rather than a vile vampire—almost in a predestined sense—does leave room for the possibility of a magistrate who was upright and just).

In any case, he could still very well remain vain, privileged, morally grey, or even corrupt as a magistrate. But there is an enormous difference between that and the seemingly immortal idea, in certain corners of the fandom, that he was already an active collaborator of Cazador, delivering victims in exchange for immortality.

There are also some genuinely juicy points in the rest of the synopsis that absolutely tickle the screaming monkey living in my brain. And they connect to many concepts I’ve already talked about—or that are currently lodged somewhere inside my skull together with said monkey. Lol.

For example, the fact that Astarion, despite being described as weak—by himself (“I gave in after only a few lashes”) and by his siblings—is actually also the most rebellious one. And by extension, the strongest one, because he never stopped fighting. He is strong in the very way that defines his vampire spawn ending: through hope.

“Astarion has never surrendered his hope. One day, this nightmare must end. He just has to find out how.”

And that is remarkable when we consider the context, because it reinforces the kind of environment Astarion is forced to survive in:

“When the vampire lord announces a twisted competition for his favor…”

Forced rivalry. Approval made scarce and conditional. Victims pushed against one another. It fits perfectly into the toxic family dynamic that many of us had already identified among the spawn: favoritism, jealousy, fear, competition for scraps of safety.

Then comes one of the richest passages:

“Astarion is not supposed to trust his fellow spawn. He’s not supposed to go out into the city for his own ends rather than the vampire lord’s. And he’s certainly not supposed to strike a deal with a stranger…”

Here we understand very clearly the structure of control he lives under. He is not supposed to trust others (especially his brothers and sisters): therefore complete isolation. He is not supposed to pursue his own goals: therefore autonomy forbidden. He is not supposed to create outside alliances: scorched earth all around him, no liberating relationship. Not even a comforting one. Everything arranged in favor of Cazador’s total power and control.

But what is revealing is that, despite everything he is not supposed to do, Astarion does exactly those things. He breaks every rule, whether openly imposed or silently understood. And this ties perfectly back to the idea that no, Astarion never stopped resisting—and he certainly is not weak.

Of course, we cannot be sure of the chronology, and perhaps these events take place before the year-long entombment.

Then there is the introduction of Hahn den Suriel, my personal favorite (although it may in some way complicate certain assumptions taken for granted in the game’s context):

“a handsome Aasimar paladin…”

This feels like a very deliberate symbolic choice. An aasimar paladin represents almost everything Astarion is not—or believes he is not, nor deserves to be anymore: light, divinity, purity, moral certainty, warmth.

And naturally, he is attracted to him.

There is no helping it: Astarion is drawn to heroes, even as he simultaneously despises them. And here we can already begin imagining what their relationship might be like…

Which leads to this wonderfully theatrical line:

“whose golden eyes can snare even a blackened, undead heart.”

There is so much packed into that sentence. It suggests that Astarion sees himself as tainted, dimmed, perhaps unworthy of tenderness. And yet, despite everything, he is still capable of desire, vulnerability, and connection.

As we know well: his heart is not dead. It is wounded.

TW/CW: discussion of abuse, dysfunctional family dynamics, scapegoating

This is the second half of my examination of Astarion's vampire "family" through the lens of dysfunctional family dynamics. If you didn't read the first part, I would recommend starting there as it will provide context for what I'm talking about in this part. You can access it here.

In Part 1, I talked about how Astarion appears to fill the dysfunctional family role of the scapegoat. In this section, I'm going to explain my personal theories based on what we see in the game as to why Cazador placed him in that role. Just for clarification, I do not mean to imply that the scapegoat ever does anything to deserve this role - they do not. However, abusers will often find reasons to justify their treatment of the scapegoat, and looking with a psychological perspective at the information we have in game, I believe there are four main reasons Cazador chose Astarion. 

(Side note: I know there is a popular headcanon that Astarion looked like Cazador's former master, Vellioth, and that lead to Cazador's unique treatment of him. Although that would add another layer to their relationship, it's not part of my analysis.)

Astarion is strong-willed

Abusers feel extremely threatened by anyone who has a will of their own. Although Astarion mentions that he eventually stopped outwardly fighting against Cazador, it is clear that Cazador still sees him as defiant.  In his journal Cazador says the following about Astarion: 

“I ought not to be surprised - the boy has always been troublesome.  But to disappear now, when we are all but ready?  It is unconscionable, even for him.” (My emphasis)

“Astarion, standing in the sun’s light?  Willing and able to disobey me?” - That is Cazador’s emphasis, not mine. He’s less surprised by the fact that Astarion is willing to disobey him and more surprised by the fact that he is actually able to.

We only know of one big instance where Astarion outwardly defied Cazador, when he refused to bring him the “darling boy” and tried to run away.  That was a pretty big one, as he managed to break multiple rules in one go.  Astarion also mentions refusing to “dine” with Cazador when invited, which Cazador could view as defiant, and Astarion would get flayed as a result.  Since Astarion was one of the first spawn, he may have been the first to disobey like that, which may have sealed his fate as the scapegoat no matter who came after.  I think there’s still more to it, though.  

For one, abusers expect complete obedience to the point that they want willing obedience. There’s plenty of proof that even though Astarion was forced to follow orders, he did not do so eagerly:

When first talking about Cazador, Astarion says: “I was never able to resist [his] commands.”  He says this with a very sad, ashamed tone.  It’s not something he wanted or was proud of.  The fact that he says “never able” to resist also implies that he did try, at least at some point.    

A couple of Astarion’s siblings also have lines that imply he did not eagerly follow orders:

Petras: “You never liked following orders, brother.  That’s why you won’t ascend with the rest of us.”

Aurelia: “You always were pigheaded, brother.”

Astarion also maintained other aspects of his strong personality.  Although it probably comes out more once he’s free, both Cazador and the spawn have comments about Astarion talking a lot, being haughty, and being a smart ass. Cazador undoubtedly influenced his personality, but never managed to completely erase it, another sign that Astarion wasn’t fully broken.  

Astarion still has a lot of fighting spirit.  Just because he physically was unable to exercise it, and “did what [he] had to” in order to survive, doesn’t mean there wasn’t a spark lurking under the surface.  I think Cazador sensed that although Astarion was complying, his heart was not in it and knew that if he gave Astarion an inch he would fight back. And he’s right - it doesn’t take Astarion long after he’s free to start talking about how he’s going to kill Cazador. I think Astarion says it best himself if you tell him that Cazador broke him:

“No, he didn’t.  I am still here.  And I will fight him until I fight my last.” 

That type of attitude is extremely threatening to Cazador and a threat must be beaten down. 

Astarion sees through Cazador's BS

Scapegoats get the worst of the worst so they have no delusions about who the abuser really is. Astarion despises Cazador on a level that we don’t quite see with the other spawn. He spits his name out each time he says it and calls him “monster”, “bastard”, “insane”, etc. He has no loyalty towards him and no hesitation in spilling his dirtiest secrets to people he’s just met. He also enjoys mocking him - especially in the “exalted vampiric master” line - and makes it clear that while he fears Cazador and sometimes envies his power and freedom, he does not respect him.

You better believe Astarion was flipping off Cazador in his head at all times.

This is the exact opposite of how Cazador wants Astarion to see him. In Cazador’s world, Astarion should see him as his savior and benefactor and be grateful that Cazador “suffered” putting up with his imperfect self for so long.

Astarion also has enough awareness to recognize what Cazador is doing and why he does it. He knows that Cazador is obsessed with power and control and has no real justification beyond that for what he does. He even knows to some degree that Cazador never needed a reason to abuse him, which he’ll tell you if you ask him what he did to deserve eating bugs and rats:

“I existed. That was enough for him. He reveled in having power over me.” 

Astarion wasn’t drinking the Cazador Kool-Aid and whether he outwardly displayed that or not, an abuser like Cazador could sense it bubbling under the surface, another sign that Astarion is a threat to his total control.

We can also see this if we compare Astarion with his siblings. While he always uses the terms “brother”, “sister” and “family” sarcastically and with disdain, his “siblings" use them more seriously. Astarion sees the whole “family” narrative as the farce it is. The other spawn also believe that Cazador intends to set them free with the ritual, something that I can’t see Astarion buying even if he stayed with Cazador. And of course, there’s the most extreme case of Petras who thinks Cazador’s abuse was good for them.

Astarion is expressive

Even when Astarion is trying to hide his feelings, you can see moments where the mask drops and his true emotions show on his face. During his nightmare in his origin, he’ll attempt to force himself to smile when he thinks Cazador is coming, but his smile is more of a grimace and almost immediately reverts to a frown:

Not a very happy smile

His true feelings when the mask drops.

Cazador would undoubtedly see any moments of emotion Astarion failed to hide and consider them another sign of defiance if Astarion was showing the “wrong” emotion at any given time. Cazador even references Astarion’s “fits of temper” during their confrontation, implying that Astarion would sometimes lash out with emotion, perhaps even if it was just through showing an angry expression. 

As awful as it is, Cazador’s sadism could also play a role in why he particularly enjoys abusing Astarion. Since Astarion is so expressive, it could be “fun” for Cazador to rile him up because he knows he’ll get a reaction (with the added bonus of punishing him for said reaction after). We actually see him do that in the ritual chamber. Additionally, Cazador, Godey, and the spawn all mention that Astarion would react strongly to torture and that may have fed Cazador’s sadistic pleasure as well. Ugh.

Astarion is better than Cazador in many ways

Astarion has a lot of strengths. He is charming, witty, beautiful, and, as I already mentioned, has inner strength. Cazador can’t have that. He can’t have Astarion or the other spawn recognizing or capitalizing on these strengths without giving up even a sliver of his complete control. So, Cazador turns those strengths into weaknesses. Astarion’s humor and charm are turned into “tired jokes” and “endless prattle”. His confidence is turned to arrogance. He’s constantly called weak to detract from his strength. His beauty is weaponized against him, forcing him to use his body against his will and reducing it to the only quality he has. 

Cazador does acknowledge one other “strength” that Astarion has - “one of his few redeeming qualities is that he never trusts anyone.” Why would Cazador call that a strength? Because that quality is one that Cazador created in him and it keeps Astarion isolated and afraid, which allows Cazador to keep his control.

There is also another crucial trait that Astarion has over Cazador. After all he has been through, he is still capable of empathy and forming connections with others. I’m not saying Astarion is a paragon of empathy. He is perfectly capable of being selfish and even cruel. But the environment and conditioning Cazador forced on him was intended to crush every ounce of empathy out of him, and it still didn’t fully succeed. Astarion’s earliest “crime” when he saved the “darling boy” was because of that empathy and the ability to form connections with others. I think it’s significant that the first time he tried to run was to help someone else, not himself. Cazador knows this about Astarion as well. If you speak with him without Astarion present, Cazador will acknowledge Astarion’s relationship with his partner, call him a “sweet idiot” and mention using Tav/Durge as bait to lure Astarion to the palace because he knows Astarion will come looking for them. Cazador has completely lost his empathy and ability to connect with others. Even his “family” relationships are maintained through the threat of torture and literally forcing people to be with him. The fact that Astarion still hasn’t completely lost that ability is threatening, as with others on his side, Astarion may be able to gain some power. And ultimately it is Astarion’s ability to connect with the player as a friend or partner and his ability to still feel sympathy for Cazador’s other victims that leads him to be better than Cazador and break the cycle of abuse.

"I can be better than him."

In sum, Cazador targeted Astarion not because he was weak, but because he was strong.

I’ll end by mentioning how much I LOVE that Astarion, the black sheep, is ultimately the one to kill Cazador. Turns out Cazador was right to feel threatened by him after all! Ironically, in his endless efforts to break Astarion’s spirit, Cazador ended up just giving Astarion even more reasons to hate him, bringing about his own downfall, in a way. You love to see it. 

Thank you for reading and giving me a place to share my ramblings! I would love to hear your thoughts and appreciate every comment! 

TW/CW: discussion of abuse, dysfunctional family dynamics, scapegoating

Okay, here goes my first long analysis post on Tumblr. This was originally a three-part series on Reddit and some of you may have read it before, but I've spruced it up with some images and additional thoughts. I originally wrote this after many discussions about how the vampire "family" presented in the game eerily and accurately portrays how many dysfunctional families play out in real life. Although these are fictional characters, the topic and themes discussed are very real to many people (including me) and so I would ask that you please be respectful in the comments.

In making this analysis I found this video very helpful as it contains all the recorded lines of Cazador and Astarion's "siblings".

Cazador, the abusive "parent"

I’m going to start by focusing on the abusive parental figure, Cazador, who, although not a parent to the spawn, is trying to establish some sort of warped family dynamic. He displays many characteristic consistent with an abusive/narcissistic parent. 

1. An obsession with power and control. Astarion mentions multiple times how obsessed Cazador is with power, especially power over people. Cazador frequently expresses that Astarion belongs to him - I counted 13 different lines where he refers to Astarion as “mine”. (If you want to see what imo is the scariest version, skip to 6:32 in this video and notice Cazador’s face and growl in his voice as he says “he’s mine”). Cazador also mentions how after the ritual he will be “free to crush any that stand against me with merciless power!” Power and control are clearly his MO.

2. Arrogance and grandiosity. If you visit Cazador without Astarion, he can brag about the ritual and be excited to have an audience. “Blessed are you all to witness my ascension.” He has other high opinions of himself too: “I have been gifted with inordinate intelligence.” Even the way he speaks is over-the-top and screams grandiose egomaniac.

"Witness the birth!" So happy to have an audience.

3. Related to the above, Cazador is concerned with appearances and social status. He hosts extravagant parties and wants to be seen as one of the “great and good” of Baldur’s Gate.

4. A strong sense of entitlement. When you arrive to confront Cazador he is throwing a tantrum about Astarion ruining the ritual he is entitled to. He scream writes in his journal “I WILL HAVE MY DUE” after Astarion doesn’t return. He believes his spawn owe him their gratitude for everything (in his mind) that he has done for them. There’s also this line, which I think sums it up his sense of entitlement beautifully: “I am the immortal Cazador Szarr. And I always get what I want.”

5. Professional victimhood. Related to that sense of entitlement, Cazador is also a professional victim. Out of every miserable soul in the palace, he's the one that's really suffering. He has a diary just for writing down how much his spawn disappoint him (never mind the fact that he’s the one abusing them). The infamous line of “I have known you for two centuries. Have I not suffered enough?” to Astarion is another example. Ironically, Astarion would have happily left at any time if he could have, making Cazador “suffering” his presence Cazador’s own fault.

6. Gratification from humiliating/degrading/hurting someone. Astarion tells us Cazador took pleasure in his pain. We also see a few examples firsthand. If you talk to Cazador without Astarion present and tell him that Astarion is scared, Cazador will respond “indeed, he is terrified” with a gleeful expression. Another example is how much Cazador visibly enjoys riling Astarion up during their confrontation and the malicious joy in his eyes when he incapacitates Astarion and tells him he is a “small, pathetic little boy who never amounted to anything.”

The face of someone who is relishing the pain he is causing.

In addition to having these traits, Cazador uses techniques straight from an abuser’s playbook.

Gaslighting/blame shifting: Abusers use gaslighting to try to get their victims to question their reality. A related term is blame shifting, in which the abuser refuses to take responsibility for their actions and instead places the blame on the person they hurt. Cazador does both of these. He takes every opportunity to tell Astarion how grateful he should be for the “gift” Cazador gave him, attempting to shape Astarion’s reality into one where Cazador is his benefactor instead of his tormentor. When Astarion calls Cazador out on his actions, Cazador is quick to shift the blame to him. For example, when Astarion talks about how Cazador never forgave anything and constantly punished him, Cazador replies: “I strove for perfection in all things, even those as imperfect as you” - i.e., “it’s your fault I had to punish you so much. You should have been better.”  

Double binds: A double bind is when the abuser places someone in a lose-lose situation. The classic one is Cazador’s “dining” ritual where Astarion could “choose” between eating a decaying rat or being flayed. Astarion even says “hard to say which was worse.” Another example is during the confrontation. If you speak up for Astarion, Cazador will berate him: “have you fallen so far that this speaks for you?” But when Astarion does speak for himself, Cazador flips the script and now berates him for talking too much: “I fondly remember your empty boasting, your tired jokes, your endless prattle.” Damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t. 

Infantilization: Cazador does not treat Astarion as an adult or even slightly competent. He calls him boy, child, brat and tells him “without me, you are less than nothing.” Obviously we know that Astarion is very capable without Cazador. Infantilization is just another tool to chip away at Astarion's confidence and autonomy and maintain control over him. 

Sowing discord among the spawn: I’ll touch more on this next, but Cazador purposely pits the spawn against each other so that they have no chance of uniting against him.

If I had to choose one quote of Cazador’s that I feel really encompasses him as an abuser it would be this one: “You were only ever a means to an end. I made you to be consumed.” 

For many abusers, people only exist as an extension of them, for the purpose of meeting their needs. In real life, people may not be consumed in the sense of literally sacrificed in a ritual, but their needs, wants, and personality are consumed to fit what the abuser desires. I think looking at Cazador helps to understand Astarion's character and what the spawn went through, not just physically, but psychologically. Cazador can already control his spawn by compelling them, but his use of these other techniques are a way to further his control, disorient and confuse them, and chip away at their sense of self. To me, this Cazador is more terrifying than if he were just a generic evil vampire lord, because the abusive techniques he uses hurt real people every day. He’s so realistically-written that he’s almost triggering.

The spawn dynamics

Unfortunately, we don’t get a lot of information on the spawn dynamics, however it’s clear that there is some degree of infighting. One example is in Violet’s diary, where she talks about putting garlic in Yousen’s bed and also calls Yousen a “runt” and Leon a “snob”. Petras and Dalyria seem to get along better than others in the Flophouse scene, but even then they are arguing about whether they should go back to the palace or stay and get “one more mark” for Petras. 

Any infighting between the spawn was certainly encouraged by Cazador. He also established what looks like a golden child/scapegoat dynamic in the family. This particular dynamic is common in familial abuse and basically involves the golden child or children receiving extra privileges and more positive attention while the scapegoat receives blame, criticism, and the brunt of the abuse. In this case, the “golden child” is whoever is the “favored spawn” at the moment. Although they are still abused, they get to live in relative luxury with their own room, privacy, and access to blood. This system works out well for Cazador, as it does for all abusers, because it forces the spawn into competition for better living conditions, reducing the likelihood of any unity within the spawn, which could threaten Cazador. 

In terms of the scapegoat, I believe there is plenty of evidence in the game that Astarion was forced into this role:

Astarion says his “screams sounded sweetest” to Cazador and in the same conversation says that he pities his “siblings” now that he’s not around to take most of the abuse.

Astarion is not on the “favored spawn” list, which shows that he wasn’t the golden child, at least.

Cazador focuses especially on Astarion’s mistakes and punishments in his journal.

The spawn call Astarion “master’s favorite toy”, “runt of the kennel”, and say he “always whimpered when he got beat” - implying he spent the most time out of all of them in the kennel being tortured.

Astarion says that “nobody ever looked out for me” or “said a kind word to me”, implying that he was especially isolated.

Definitely giving him a hug next time I load up my file.

In terms of the other spawn, it appears they also perpetuate this scapegoating dynamic:

Both Petras and Leon call Astarion “runt”. Petras even says he should be “put down”. 

The spawn call Astarion “weak” for not fighting back, but also call him stubborn and mention that he “never liked following orders”. They also guilt-trip him for currently fighting back and not going back for the ritual. These contradictions show that it is less about Astarion’s behavior and more about the fact that they just need to blame him for something. The scapegoat is never meant to win. 

The spawn parrot a lot of Cazador’s criticisms of Astarion - he talks too much, he thinks he’s funny and he’s not, he’s weak etc., essentially going along with his scapegoating.

Leon and especially Petras are the two spawn that have the most negative things to say about Astarion. In the case of Petras, he certainly seems to have not only a history with Astarion, but also appears the most supportive of Cazador:

“You don’t know what my lord is capable of.  You don’t know his power.”

“True power only comes from the master.”

“The master has always been strict.  But we’re better for it!” (After origin Astarion tells Petras that Cazador has given them nothing but beatings)

If Petras is truly somewhat pro-Cazador, then it makes sense that he would be the one that goes along with the scapegoating most heavily, since he is either more likely to see things the way Cazador does, or more eager to gain his favor by going along with his narrative. Astarion also becomes extremely angry when encountering Petras, hinting at a level of suppressed rage and history between the two of them, perhaps because Petras went along with the scapegoating. 

In terms of Leon, he mentions wanting Astarion to fight against Cazador with him in the past - perhaps to help him free his daughter - but it seems Astarion didn’t and that led to hostility. However, Leon is the current “golden child” in the favored spawn room and has not been a spawn for very long. He is certainly still a victim, but he probably hasn’t become as jaded as Astarion has and can’t really see his perspective, which may lead to him having harsher views towards him and contributing to the scapegoating. 

Having a scapegoat benefits an abuser for a variety of reasons. One of them is absolving them of their terrible actions by placing the blame on the scapegoat. Think about how Cazador presents the ritual to the spawn. To them, he presents it as a wonderful gift that will allow them freedom - failing to mention that he will actually be sacrificing them. Then, when Astarion isn’t around for the ritual, Cazador gets to blame him for ruining this wonderful gift. Even though the ritual is delayed, Cazador still benefits from the narrative - he gets to be the “good guy” and Astarion, the problem, perhaps even a problem that his other spawn will eagerly catch and drag back. I can picture Cazador throwing a tantrum, telling the spawn “it’s all your brother’s fault”. Cazador also punishes the spawn when they fail to bring Astarion back, giving them another reason to blame and hate Astarion because they could avoid that if he would just fall in line. Chamberlain Dufay also blames Astarion when he’s afraid of being substituted for the ritual, calling him a “brat” instead of placing the blame on who it really falls - Cazador - for planning the ritual in the first place. Cazador’s narrative seems to have worked, because when the other spawn reunite with Astarion they call him out for ruining things and even tell him he’s not part of the “family” anymore:

“This is our only chance to be free, to end centuries of slavery.  You will not ruin it, Astarion.” (Aurelia)

“Don’t listen to him, Dal.  We’ve been loyal.  We’ve earned our reward.  Unlike the runaway.” (Petras)

“I can’t believe you’d turn on us.  On your own family.” (Dalyria) 

“He’s NOT our family.  Not anymore.” (Petras)

This is very typical behavior when the scapegoat goes against the family.

Finally, a scapegoat is an example of what happens if you get on the abuser’s bad side. It keeps people who aren’t the scapegoat afraid of ending up like them. For this reason, the other spawn can find a way to benefit from this. As long as it’s not them, they can avoid some of the abuse by hiding behind Astarion. They can also gain some protection by going along with the scapegoating behavior. I want to add, that even though I’ve discussed the harmful behavior of the other spawn, they are absolutely also victims of Cazador and if they are going along with the scapegoating, it is a survival tactic in a ruthless environment. In the same vein, I also want to acknowledge that Astarion most likely hurt his siblings as well - there are references in the game to him lashing out. But the fact remains that when the other spawn go after him, they are punching down, just as Cazador wants them to. Astarion did not have a high status in the “family” and almost certainly got the most frequent abuse. This may be why he’s not so hesitant to sacrifice his fellow spawn when he is considering the ritual. In his mind, these people perpetuated his abuse, to some degree. Yet, he still feels some sympathy and compassion for them, which it doesn’t seem like all of them return. It’s a very complicated situation.

Like during Act 3 they have the opportunity to set camp at their home instead of the Elfsong Tavern. Just imagine your disappeared kid suddenly showing up back at home, potentially accompanied by:

A vampire

A githyanki warrior

An ex-Sharran

A guy with a bomb in his chest

A tiefling on fire

The son of the duke who's now a devil

A mountain of an elf, occasionally bear

An ex-antagonist noble drow

The head of the Harpers

The ranger hero of the city

A miniature giant space hamster

A god skeleton

The daughter of the moon goddess and her used-to-be-dead girlfriend

The fiend patron of the duke's son

The Grand Duke

An old couple, with one of them being a lycanthrope

A random orphan

A dog, a cat and an owlbear

UNORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES: A Jaheira x The Dark Urge comic. -PAGE 2

Girl couldn't pry these bhaalspawn off of herself if she tried.

And what I find interesting about it, is that this line perfectly encapsulates all his denial in this very moment.

He says it as if he wasn’t like them, as if he didn’t have decades of hatred inside of him. He can’t even begin to imagine how it feels? But, in truth, we know, by this point, that not only he can imagine, but that he feels exactly the same!

As I already explained here, he distances himself from the other spawns; as he did several times before.

He pretends they are not like him. He doesn't want to remember that he used to be just like them, and not so long ago: like his siblings, he wants to see them as if they were nothing, and he can't be as "pathetic" as them... right?"

It’s too hard for him to look at his past and to accept that he wasn’t so different from them. And it’s understandable.

There's another layer of shame here, and it's guilt. Because he was the tool who brought them here, whether he wanted it or not, he's involved in their damnation.

Wouldn't it be easier to make them disappear and pretend they never existed? So that he never has to look at his own shame again, shame of being like them, shame of being the one who doomed them.

Besides, Astarion also widens the gap between himself and the other spawns because he’s lured by the temptation of the ritual, and he knows they’ll be sacrificed if he ascends; so he’s desperate to find any excuse to justify their sacrifices, desperate to numb his guilt by pretending they are hopeless. As if saying: "We can't do anything for them, better make use of them through their destruction".

It’s easier to pretend they’re below him – nothing like him. To pretend there is nothing to expect from them, while he should be at the top. He needs to believe they have nothing in common to make their sacrifice easier to deal with.

But he’s a victim too. He used to be one of the “wretch’s servants” too for decades, and hatred fuels him too, just like it fuels them. As feral, as dangerous, as yearning for revenge.

And it blinds him: his fears, his guilt, his deep need to feel safe. The so called safety of the Ascension blinds him so much it keeps him from relating to the other spawns.

And yet, I tend to believe that, by belittling the other spawns, Astarion belittles himself (unconsciously or not); that’s why he thinks, in this very moment, that only the ritual can make him worthy, put him above them and rid him of his shame: let’s make them disappear so I don’t have to see them again, so I never have to witness my shame, so I never have to see those people who remind me of my own misery, of the slave I used to be.

He used to be one of those “scraps of misery”. But it’s too painful to acknowledge now, now that he’s finally free.

But he will acknowledge all this later on.

The words he says if he doesn’t ascend but if you kill the others spawns are relevant:

If you call the spawns "monsters", he makes it clear you could have said the same about him, and by doing that, he breaks down the wall he built between him and the other spawns: They are alike, there's no great difference between them.

He was just like them, their traumas and violence grow in the same gruesome cradle, and yet, he is not a "monster". Once free, he learned another way, made the best decisions for himself and others, and if he could do it, they could have done the same.