The Githyanki are a race that went from slave to hunter.

They were broken, twisted and eventually rebuilt into what they are now: a hateful, spiteful and brutally dangerous people.

Yet, with a history like theirs, can we really blame them for becoming what they are?

This is a species that didn’t simply break free from captivity. They turned around and helped shatter the empire that had enslaved them.

They were forged through fire into steel, and then took that steel themselves and sharpened it.

But survival came at a cost.

The Githyanki escaped one form of oppression only to build a society defined by militarism, conquest, indoctrination and an almost obsessive hatred of the Illithids who once enslaved them.

So how does an entire society go from victim to aggressor?

In our newest video, we take a hard look at the history and psychology of the Githyanki, examining how generations of slavery, war and ideology helped shape them into one of the most dangerous cultures in Baldur’s Gate 3.

We’ll also compare their fictional history with examples from our own world and explore a much bigger question:

What happens when a society survives its oppressors, but never truly escapes the trauma they left behind?

Watch the Video

Content Warning: This video includes discussion of real-world political and historical subjects, including Zionism, as part of a comparison with themes explored in the game. These topics are discussed in an analytical context and may be sensitive or upsetting for some viewers.