Yes

Yes

(source)

It'd be great if this could magically put an end to the idiotic spawn vs ascended Astarion discourse because people think that choosing one or the other puts them on a moral high ground, but alas...

Exactly, maybe that's why it made me so uncomfortable, I came to Dark Fantasy for the hard moral questions, the bold and the weird, now it's like I'm back in middle school. Ascension fans, in the fandom right now it's probably like a clumsy, kiddo, weird and silly, who gets the least sweets. Everything he says is either a lie, delusion or ridiculous, and the others know better. It's just better to keep quiet unless it's fanfic&headcanon, because you're too weirdo for serious topics, theories, opinions and other points of view. If he dares to say anything against them, everyone loudly snided in the company or push him around and laughing behind his back at his weirdness and how he doesn't understand things.

I've decided for myself kiddo needs to be kind and civil, since we're strange llamas, once someone will take pity on us and listen to our weird thing like something serious.

"Newbon and Larian Studios writer Stephen Rooney didn't want Astarion to be interpreted as simply the 'traumatized' character, Newbon said. They wanted him to be as complex and layered as a real person. Trauma was simply one part of his story, yet it informed many of his behaviors" (my opinion: if I were to say straight out that this interpretation of my writing is... too much even in a whisper - it would be a scream "look different") A weird thing for example, Ascension is Apotheosis of Astarion's True Evil qualities, that were always with him. Kind of revealing his darkness in blood, but it's still him and there's even some good because he's not evil-sphere of evil in a very-bad cartoon. (I'm looking at you, Cazador. Mr., "a cut upper city, cut plot and a potential ally") It's not black&white in this world, no matter what we're talking about.

An arc of power relinquishment and redemption would be too, I think. Just much, much deeper. Some people didn't see arc at all, though, in EA. Only Stephen Rooney can say that, but it's the essence of art to decide for yourself, so the author won't say it, he's neutral. Unless, of course, Larian gives Stephen something to write, then yes, and we'll just learn more. The tragedy of man's sins and temptations. The tragedy of fear, desire, power, ambition, freedom. Even permissiveness. A story of evil, punishment and mercy. And a comedy, too. Because Ast written as evil-funny trickster.

Tragicomic its complex layered character in the Dark and Dangerous world of Fantasy.

Dark fantasy gives space for a fresh, bold, wild, edgy, multi-moral idea.

Of course, it's a weird thing but just-- yeah, I think it's a new headcanon, yeah, I'll go to home. I'm sorry it took so long-- I just-- Thanks for listening. *timidly and awkwardly going home*

"Ascended astarion girlies are trying to shove him down our throat"

The top posts in the ascended astarion tag are all about how the ascended ending is bad, most of them with thousands of notes. The opinion that asc!astarion is tragically continuing the cycle of abuse and will do so to Tav is the overwhelming majority.

In fact, several of those posts with thousands of notes, are directly mocking people who believe otherwise.

What, exactly, is the problem if a handful of people disagree? Let's say they're wrong - who cares? He's pixels. He doesn't matter. If they believe he still loves them...good for them? The writers, VAs, and the fandom as a whole overwhelmingly believe what you do but you want so badly to feel smarter than someone and have someone to bully that you have to bother a tiny handful of people who characterize him the ~wrong way~.

Not to mention that even the peiple who like him the ~right way~ have to put up with daily posts about how its fine to find him hot but you /are/ obiectifying this poor...fictional man? And have to self flagellate daily to prove they aren't Like Those Other Fans

Which, ironically, feels like an actually degrading situation instead of just people romanticizing a bad ending.

Just absolute peaked as a middle school bully behavior.

I was just grieving for the murdered gnomes, including the children. disapproves ... :D That bastard

I mean Astarion in love is completely wild, it seems.

The character of Astarion is inspired by: "the libertines of the eighteenth century" (artbook).

Libertinism (libertines) is described as an extreme form of hedonism. A libertine is a person devoid of most moral principles, a sense of responsibility, and sexual restraints. Mariquise de Sade, Don Giovanni, stands out among them when it comes to sexuality.

The description of Astarion in the artbook is: Dangerous and decadent.

Decadent - having or exhibiting low standards, especially moral standards, interested only in pleasures and enjoyment rather than serious things.

There's a strange confusion with Character Sheets. Where he's a courtesan, and not a charlatan as he is now. And he's got an old outfit.

But the quote from Digital Deluxe Artbook - id EA time, my bad. Well, What the character is inspired by is also important, no, is he 90% rewritten? I don't think so.

He's a pretty sexy character in his own right. (huh) \Oh, yeah, remember I misunderstood. Silly-horny-lama-uwu. I remind you the character was written by Stephen Rooney. In all seriousness Welch has some sort of problem of her own and blaming her won't give us anything and it was a leak. It's just that her words gave the toxic-moral-fans the superiority - which is sad. But things seems (?) to be getting calmer already\

Asration's idea of freedom extends to love. It's normal, as if a trauma caused him to have to fully lose his horny-thing. Stephen said he didn't want just "the prism of trauma", it's a part, Astarion complex and layered, like a real person. Especially vampirism should affect all that, he's a vampire for a reason. To me, vampirism is like a hint that the character is more prone to sins. But it's not black&white, since BG3 likes gray morality. Also, I think since Astarion is very Astarion, this thing of not just freedom but "do what the hell I want", permissiveness, could be dangerous and destructive on many levels.

I hate the statement of one writer that we perceive Astarion as a sexual object.

She is not even his writer, but with her statement she confused people and now many people think she is "Astarion's writer". A mistake, she is a Durge's writer. She has been working with Larian for about a year, and the game was created for 6 years, her opinion is not particularly weighty.

Personally, I'm not interested in sex at all, but especially in the game. If it were possible to start a romance without sex, I would be happy. But I don't like "equal" relationships, I like the dynamics of relationships when one character leads and the other follows them. There should always be a leader and I don't like when the leader is my character.

For me, Ascended Astarion is a leader.

It 's a shame when a complete stranger makes some judgments about me and my impressions of the character, just because she works as a Larian's writer. It's terribly rude.

'You misunderstand the character'. Well, everyone understands the character based on their life experience and gameplay. Be prepared that everyone understands the character in their own way and this is not a mistake or misunderstanding.

If she perceives character as a sexual object, then these are her personal problems.

astarion ascension haters will never experience the joy of being called his ‘pretty consort’ and ‘little love’

This man. He's kinda gonna let us bite him wherever we want. aUGh

BALDUR'S GATE 3 - Ascendant Vampire Astarion