It amazes me how many people misunderstand Minthara. They think she’s some crazy, bloodthirsty maniac who hates men and wants to watch the world burn. People see her in Act 1 and think she’s doesn’t get character development beyond this, and they’re absolutely wrong. Minthara is one of the most sincere and tender characters and she is written beautifully.
Firstly, after you save her from Thorm in Act 2, you get to see some character growth from her - namely she regains her own mind and self after being protected from The Absolute. In her camp scene we see her and the companions being weary of each other - very understandable. But this is when we get to see the character growth and her real personality. She tries to reach out for your mind, and immediately recoils when she realises what she’s doing, and she apologises immediately for touching your mind without your permission. She then ASKS for your permission to touch your mind, and allows you to touch hers as a matter of reciprocation. When you talk about your goals and aspirations, she provides you advice on how to achieve them.
You can ask her about the other companions, and she gives you an honest reading of them. Minthara is probably the most emotionally intelligent of all the companions. She understands everyone and who they are at their core. She has her own interpretation on how they should behave or what they should do, but she is generally supportive of them. We see that she doesn’t wish to hoard power to herself - she approves of Astarion becoming a Vampire Lord, of Shadowheart sacrificing her parents to be free of Shar, of Wyll sacrificing his dad for political power, and of Origin Gale for using the Shadow Weave to empower himself. She wants to be powerful, and she wants her allies to be powerful as well.
Now, at her core, she is also a slaver and a believer in using power to control others. She doesn’t want to slaughter everyone - she wants them subjugated to her wants and desires. However, we also see her say that through hard work that slaves should earn their freedom - remarkably kind for a Drow, let alone a Baenre. She’s quite like Lae’zel in this regard; while to many she seems harsh and unforgiving, given her species and culture, she’s positively forgiving.
Minthara also gets a reputation as a misandrist, which is not entirely accurate to her character. Firstly, Minthara is a noble Drow; she is always going to look at sexual dynamics and politics through that lens. To her, women will always be more desirable in every aspect of life over men - men are only there for her to create children with (something we know has happened as she has a daughter). However, that isn’t to say that she hates men. When she talks about Orin killing her honour guard, she calls them her “best men house Baenre could gather” and was horrified when Orin slaughtered them. Their deaths shook her and greatly saddened her. When Astarion and Gale make plays for greater power she supports them in these pursuits, something also open to a male Tav/Durge. She also holds Ketheric Thorm in high regard as a leader and commander. None of these are the actions of someone who hates men.
By the time we’re in Act 3, Minthara has an understanding of who you are as a player. She will continue to travel with and support you even if you wish to destroy The Absolute. She wants Tav/Durge to have their revenge. She wants an alliance with Gortash as it is politically favourable and he’s already fond of Durge. She is also unafraid to express how much Orin frightens her, and how scared she is; an act she would only engage in with someone she truly trusted. She also understands that once Orin is dead that is not the end of her revenge, and it leaves her feeling slightly empty. By the end of the story, Minthara is fighting Lolth and seeking to free the Drow from Lolth’s mania.
In short, she’s an incredibly complex character who I love dearly.
prguitarman
stormborns
