Favorite minor/side character?

Don't know if he's a side or a main character but Raphael reallys stole the show for me. The character, the writing, the voice acting, everything was just perfect about him.

In terms of actual minor characters, I really liked Omeluum as an early proof that a mind flayer can have its own personality and doesn't have to be part of a hive mind.

The song*
I really liked him, too! I saw an interview with him where he talks about his song and how he sent it to friends unprompted haha

I'm torn about the writing for Omeluum but not his character exactly...I just feel like the emperor would have something to say about it since he says he's the only mindflayer to escape. They should have met in game imo
- Maybe they both kill other mindflayers on sight since they would assume the other mindflayer is controlled by the Absolute?
Raphael gives me Ian McShane vibes.
Raphael is just a phenomenal character. It is silly he sings while fighting you though. turned into a musical there.
- I love that he sings his own boss music, it's so self centered and exactly the kind of bs I'd expect from the >!son of Mephistopheles!<
That reminds me that I didn't actually find the Society of Brilliance in Act 3...

I know it's late enough in the game that it's a big whatever, but I really wanted to keep Hope. She was just exactly the kind of chaotic positive-but-insane energy I needed in that chapter of the game, and while I buy her personal conlusion, choosing to join you would make a lot of sense too.

I liked her too! House of Hope is a top 3 "dungeon" for me.
- House of hope was my No.1 abuse mechanic
She steals the show in her short part in BG3. I mean, it's so over the top her personality would probably dominate your group.

Alfira is such a big one. I know it's an easy choice because of her Weeping Dawn scene early on, but this girl has "Get in the Party" written all over her. Tragic backstory! Thirst for Adventure! She's a Bard; I need a Bard!

I'm only to Moonrise Towers so far; there may be more I've yet to encounter. Wulbren was a big letdown, I've been looking for him since I accidentally flung his friend off a windmill. I was hoping to find a fun gnome inventor, instead, he's just kind of a prick who doesn't even care I helped all his friends in the Underdark!

You can actually recruit her into your party in act 1 if you’re playing as the Dark Urge! Just talk to her in the Druid grove and then long rest before progressing the tiefling quest line
- I heard about that, and then you get to do a collaborative art project. This game truly is amazing.
- spoiler
  
  You monster.
- So I already knew aobut what was going to happen thanks to internet spoilers so I chased her off but it's scripted. The thing happens either way.
I want to get to know Alfira better, but I'm so damn annoyed that

act 2 spoiler

I've played through acts 1/2 three different times and she's died in a different way each time 😭
Wulbren's story is interesting and it's slightly different depending on the windmill scene. I dislike Wulbren was a person but like him as a character and that our stories intersect but he has a completely different objective

Mol is a stand out character in my opinion, charismatic, ambitious, a natural leader. She's going to be the terror of the sword coast one day

On that topic, I was really disappointed with the way her story just kind of... Went away? After the attack in act 2 and the subsequent conversation with Karlach, I was incredibly invested in Mol's story, helping her, and helping Karlach save what she sees as a small her from some of the pain she suffered.

But then we got to act 3 and I literally didn't find any story threads to continue with. The previous problem presented solved itself off-screen, Mol flipped from "I will kill for these kids" to "who?", Karlach never brought it up again, and there was no noteworthy dialogue with Mol other than "buy some stuff or fuck off".

Act 3 felt like it had a lot of unresolved story threads, early ends, and bugs resulting in the aforementioned problems, but this one really stands out to me. It's like I watched someone set up a whole domino sequence, flick the first one, and 70% of the way through a domino missed and the builder just told me that was supposed to happen and left.
- So, spoiler, but you can find her contract with Raphael in the house of hope. Then you can go back to her and give her back. This turns her into an ally at the end that gives you a very powerful buff.
- Yeah, you can really feel the cut content in act 3. There is an "end" to her story as the other reply says but it does feel a bit too minor. I wish we knew more about her

The fairy trapped in the lantern. "I'm gonna murder you so bad!"

She's not so much my favorite side character, but the Hag is one of my favorite villains. She is just so creepy and evil that her network of misdeeds were so well crafted and written. The only issue that I had with her was her appearance in Act 3. I was excited to see who "M" was in Baldur's Gate but was actually disappointed to see it was Ethel instead. It was kind of obvious she was shoehorned in Act 3 in the last minute.

God I was so tired of the forest when I got to her bright and cheerful beach I was so relieved. >!Only to pass a perception check...!<

Isobel deserved such a bigger part in this game. You immediately want to dump Shadowheart for her. And honestly that would have been a great "moral" choice to get rid of Shar's disciple for her in a good run.

Shovel. She's chaotic evil through and through, and I love her. She just wants to murderize and is bored with anything else (except arson). Hearing her maniacally shout "it's fisting time!" and "I'm gonna eat your babies!" Is still making me chuckle into act 3.

+1 for Shovel. She's a rude little shit and I love her. Between her and Astarion I spend a lot of my runs laughing.

In terms of extremely minor one-off characters, He Who Was was very cool. I was sad when he didn't show up in act three. Just a random Shadar-Kai warlock of the Raven Queen chilling in the Shadow Cursed lands, delivering warped justice to the dead, and collecting their tormented memories and emotions to sustain his queen.

First time I met him, he said to punish the hell out of her. So I naturally had her suffer the same fate she inflicted on others. He was surprisingly upset about that. Dude you said to deliver harsh justice! But apparently somehow I'm the psychopath?
IIRC there was an entire Raven Queen/Shadar-Kai plotline planned out but ended up cut, I assume he is all of it that actually ended up in the game.
- I could see that. She's got some thematic ties to Karsus, shares a home plane with Shar, and has a portfolio revolving around lost knowledge (ie, a potentially attractive avenue for recoving an amnesiac's memories) giving options for a subplot around her to resonate with a couple different origin characters. (And could potentially serve as a more "benign" (for certain definitions of the word) source of power to Wyll, if he wanted to retain his powers but escape his contract with Mizora.)
::Spoiler :: I loved the way his posture changed, when He spoke as the soul of the darf
He Who Was

I've never once seen this NPC and I've played through 7 times now. Where is he? Just a general area so I can go wandering.
- Yeah, as the other commenter mentioned, wander around north of the Shadowed Battlefield waypoint, make sure to explore all the nooks and crannies at the edges of the map, you'll find his campsite eventually.
- Iirc it's east of the last light inn in act 2. Between the mountain pass entry and the underdark entry to the area.

Permanently Deleted

Raphaël song was so awesome! But it's kind of the main cast I guess?

I love Isobel and Aylin. I love Hope too! I wish there was more with her but I don't know yet if I missed some stuff or not.

Hope was so well acted! God I both felt so bad for her and was cracking up at her delivery. Great suggestion!
When I said main cast I was more thinking companions so I think he counts!

If you completed House of Hope, that's it for her unfortunately
- I didn't save her sister. At least next time I'll do this. ^^

Popper! I want to take him from the circus and keep him in my camp.

I want to get to know Alfira better, but I'm so damn annoyed that

spoiler

I've played through acts 1/2 three different times and she's died in a different way each time 😭

I got a kick out of Crusher and all the dialog options with him and everyone around him. I laughed so hard at everything.

Shovel. She's such a rude little shit.

There are a lot of great minor characters but I especially liked Barcus and Rolan and being able to impact their stories. I would have liked to see where things were going with He Who Was but never ran in to him again. Did I miss it or was there just the one encounter?