Baldur’s Gate 3 starts with a scary event when a Mindflayer implants a tadpole in your character’s head through the eye. You find yourself on a nightmarish Nautiloid ship with tentacled Mind Flayers and parasitic brain bugs. As you fight for freedom, a brain-in-distress, affectionately calling itself “Us,” begins telepathically begging for your help. It is lodged in the poor guy’s head and is asking for a second chance at… life. Given that you are playing an RPG, you will have choices: Should you save the brain on the Mindflayer in BG3, leave it, or destroy it? Let’s break down the possible options and see what makes the most sense in this situation to deal with the brain and Us the Intellect Devourer.
Why Should You Do with the Brain in Baldur’s Gate 3?
The quick answer is yes, you should save the brain in BG3, and here’s why you should do that:
Right at the start, you encounter “Us,” an Intellect Devourer—a horrifying creature that looks like a brain with legs, thanks to some not-so-humane handiwork by the Mindflayers. This brain claims to be controlled by the Mindflayer and is capable of psychic interaction. “Us” immediately starts calling you “friend” and asks for freedom from its current host, Myrnath. Helping it will add a powerful ally to your party, but is it worth the potential headaches?
With the Perception or Arcana checks, you’ll have some extra dialogue options that may be useful in making a choice. These are the dialogue options to overcome this dilemma:
- Save the brain: To liberate Us the Intellect Devourer, you’ll need a good roll check on skills like Medicine, Strength, or Dexterity. If successful, the little creature becomes a part of your ragtag team, ready to claw at imps or unsuspecting enemies on the ship. But this brain-in-a-body-bag has its own agenda—remember, it’s technically a creature that devours intellects.
- Mutilate the Brain: You can also try to weaken the brain after freeing it. This option requires a Dexterity check to ensure your new companion isn’t too deadly. Failing this roll, however, turns “Us” hostile, leading to a fight with it. The choice to weaken is mostly for the faint-hearted or the ones suspicious of brains on legs (who can blame you?). Otherwise, this decision has no serious impact or benefit I find.
- Destroy the Brain: It’s not recommended but you can eliminate “Us” with no rolls needed. Destroying it outright is simple and final but leaves you a brain-buddy short for the escape. Further, it brings a tragedy to Myrnath’s already grizzly fate.
If you decide to walk away, the quest completes, and you’ll miss out on the brain, aka “Us”, joining your party.
Should You Save or Destroy the Brain in Baldur’s Gate 3?
Freeing “Us” not only gives you a companion for the tutorial section but there will be a hefty tank with surprisingly strong melee attacks. If you are playing on Tactician difficulty, the brain is almost indispensable, helping you defeat Commander Zhalk and his impish minions. Otherwise, fighting without “Us” can be a lot of struggle, and his help makes more sense if certain achievements unlock are also on your to-do list for Baldur’s Gate 3’s journey.
Even after the tutorial, “Us” returns in Act 2, caged in an Illithid colony beneath the Moonrise Towers. If you free it again, you gain a permanent summon—an interesting element to call minions for help in tough fights. So, helping the Intellect Devourer early on lets you keep the brain-beast companion around for the long haul.
On the other hand, you might be suspicious of “Us” or enjoy a lone-wolf style. If so, skipping the brain or destroying it could suit more to your play style. Without the brain, you still have a whole bunch of members and many more coming ahead as it’s just an early-game scenario. Even if you skip the part here, Lae’zel, the Githyanki ally, will still guide you through the tutorial.
Still, for those playing as ethically challenged adventurers (aka chaotic players), this brainic living creature is a helpful tool for exploring the wild ethical playground Baldur’s Gate 3 came with. To have an ambiguous companion, “Us” checks the box with that cute “I’m your friend” telepathic chatter—until it gets peckish. Once freed, the brain grows legs and claws and stays with you as a helper in the upcoming combats on the ship. Even though he’s a little out of the ordinary, Us’s high hit point total makes him a reliable companion.
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