Should I Let Shadowheart Kill Nightsong?

When It Makes Sense

• Good fit: You are playing an evil or Shar-loyal campaign and want Shadowheart to remain faithful to her goddess. Letting her kill Nightsong completes the Shar trial, keeps Shadowheart on the Dark Justiciar path, and unlocks a distinct branch of dialogue and powers tied to her faith.
• Good fit: You are on a second or experimental playthrough and specifically want to see the darker outcome. This route produces unique companion reactions and late-game consequences that differ from the redemption arc.

When You Should Avoid It

• Warning sign: You want Shadowheart to grow beyond Shar, build deeper trust with the party, or pursue a romance. Sparing Nightsong is the major turning point that leads her toward redemption and opens more personal content.
• Warning sign: You want Aylin alive as an ally for later events, including the confrontation with Ketheric Thorm. Killing her removes that support and can change key battles and ending possibilities.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Advances Shadowheart’s Shar path and can unlock Shar-aligned combat benefits and equipment opportunities later in the game.
• Creates a darker, unique story branch with companion reactions and endgame consequences worth experiencing on a replay.

Cons

• Removes Aylin from the rest of the campaign, cutting off associated quests, ally support, and potentially altering the outcome at Moonrise Towers.
• Many companions disapprove, and Shadowheart’s personal growth and romance options become far more limited if she stays devoted to Shar.

Decision Checklist

• Do you value Shadowheart’s redemption and relationships more than Shar-aligned power and lore?
• Do you want Aylin alive as an ally for the Ketheric Thorm confrontation and later events?
• Have you saved the game so you can reload and compare both outcomes without committing permanently?

Alternatives to Consider

The main alternative is to stop Shadowheart or persuade her to spare Nightsong, which sets her on a redemption path and keeps Aylin alive. You can also defeat Balthazar before the confrontation, use a Persuasion or Insight check to influence Shadowheart, or make the decision on a separate save file to see both branches. In multiplayer, discuss the choice with other players so everyone’s preferred story arc is considered.

Final Recommendation

Let Shadowheart kill Nightsong only if you are roleplaying an evil or Shar-faithful run, or deliberately exploring that darker branch. For most first-time, good-aligned, or Shadowheart-focused playthroughs, sparing Nightsong is the more rewarding choice because it preserves Aylin, deepens Shadowheart’s story, and avoids cutting off late-game content. Since Baldur’s Gate 3 choices are permanent within a save, save before the scene so you can compare outcomes.