BG3 Fans, We’ve Been Pronouncing Astarion’s Name Wrong
Baldur’s Gate 3 fans have finally learned the correct pronunciation of Astarion’s surname, ending years of community speculation. Despite over 236 hours of voice acting in the critically acclaimed RPG, no character ever speaks the character’s full name aloud in the game itself. Players discovered his last name—Ancunín—by examining text on the character’s gravestone in-game, but without hearing it spoken, fans had to guess at the pronunciation, with many settling on “an-KYU-nin.”
The mystery was solved this week through an excerpt from the new tie-in audiobook Baldur’s Gate 3: Astarion, which features voice acting by Neil Newbon, the actor who voices Astarion throughout the game. The audiobook provided the first-ever official spoken pronunciation: “an-soo-neen”—a notably different sound from what the fanbase had assumed over the past three years.
The revelation has caught the community off guard, sparking renewed discussion among players. It highlights the dedication of Baldur’s Gate 3’s fanbase, known for meticulously analyzing lore details and character development throughout the 100+ hour role-playing experience.