Summary
- Despite the adult themes of Baldur's Gate 3, a player has created a custom character based on Barney the Dinosaur from the children's show.
- The character customization options in the game allow for unique creations, and the player chose the Dragonborn race to resemble Barney.
- The realistic appearance of Baldur's Gate 3's character creation tools contrasts with Barney's soft and child-friendly design, but the custom character captures the essence of Barney in a darker tone.
A Baldur's Gate 3 player has used the game's character customization options to create the titular protagonist from the children's show Barney & Friends. Baldur's Gate 3 is known for adult themes, so this custom character is among one of the more unusual to be found in the game's community.
While most Baldur's Gate 3 players don't model their custom avatars after children's TV characters, the vast array of personalization options available allows for plenty of unique opportunities for player characters. Options for tweaking individual features through sliders aren't as robust as some games, but the selection of different fantasy races allows for an impressive amount of variation, allowing players to realize a number of unique creations, often based on characters from other media.
One Reddit user recently shared a custom character that they themed after Barney the Dinosaur. Like the Baldur's Gate 3 player who made Shrek's dragon, this player chose the Dragonborn race for the Barney build. Choosing this race is what laid the foundation for the dinosaur-based character, and the distinct purple of the scales helps contribute to the Barney likeness.
It would have been difficult for this player to perfectly replicate Barney, as the character's appearance in the TV show is decidedly soft and unthreatening; one could even argue that the character's iconic design deliberately tones down his dinosaur-like features in order to make him more appealing to children. This stands in stark contrast to the fundamental character creation tools in Baldur's Gate 3, which serve to offer characters with a more high-fidelity, realistic appearance. What's more is that Baldur's Gate 3's Dragonborn race is arguably rather terrifying, with predator-like features and a hard, scaly exterior that is a far cry from the original Barney's plush, felt-like skin. It's also interesting to note that the only Origin Character who is a Dragonborn is The Dark Urge, who is essentially a serial killer - something that stands in opposition to Barney's most recognizable qualities in obvious ways.
That said, this Barney creation is quite impressive and manages to capture the essence of this character, albeit in a more realistic, dark-fantasy tone. If Barney were to exist as a real creature with human intelligence, it's possible that he would look something like this custom character. Moreover, it is a testament to the creative potential of the game, as players can recreate grounded characters like Disco Elysium's protagonist just as easily as fantastical, family-friendly ones like Barney.
Baldur's Gate 3 is currently available on PC and PS5, with an Xbox Series X/S version in development.
