Women Who Love Vampires: Analysis of the Popularity of the Astarion Character from Baldur’s Gate 3 Video Games Among Non–Male Players

Although it is evident that more and more women are playing video games of all genres today, this media is often treated in public discourse as exclusively for men. In accordance with this stereotype, the characters from video games are most often made for the male gaze. However, when Baldur's Gate 3 (the third part of the now legendary franchise) was released in 2023, it was evident that the character named Astarion had become extremely popular among female gamers. Therefore, this paper analyses what attracted them to Astarion, with special emphasis on the vampiric nature of character. Looking at the history of the vampire archetype and its connection with sexuality and taboos, as well as women's love for vampiric fantasy, the paper researches if Astarion fits or doesn’t fit into this trope, and what are the reasons for overwhelming female love.