Boo is Minsc's pet and companion. Boo is actually a 'Miniature Giant Space Hamster' who is intelligent and can clearly communicate with him.

Baldur's Gate

Boo appears in one of Minsc's quick item boxes, which is where potions and scrolls would go. If the player clicks on Boo, he will make a squeak and will run away as you try to get him while Minsc will give you a harsh glare.

Some of Minsc's dialogue includes Boo in it. Examples:

• "Go for the eyes, Boo. GO FOR THE EYES! RrraaaAAGHGHH!"^[1]
• "Camaraderie, adventure, and steel on steel. The stuff of legend! Right, Boo?"
• "[Ahh!]^[2] We are all heroes, you and Boo and I! Hamsters and rangers everywhere, rejoice!"

Baldur's Gate II

In Baldur's Gate II, Boo will squeak when Minsc says certain quotes. The hamster is often mentioned when Minsc is engaged in dialog. For example, Imoen has one banter in which she reveals that she would like to have a hamster for her own. Jan Jansen will try to steal Boo several times, without success.

This section is about unofficial content that is only available via fan-made mods.

If the mod Unfinished Business for Baldur's Gate II is installed, the player will have access to the quest The Kidnapping of Boo, which centres around recovering Boo after he goes missing.

Trivia

• When trying to shut down any Baldur's Gate game in the Bhaalspawn series from the GUI, you get the following notification: "Are you sure you want to quit? Boo will miss you..."
• There are several BioWare games in which references are made to Boo. In Mass Effect 2, Shepard can buy a space hamster in a pet shop. Tali’Zorah can be heard saying, “Go for the optics, Chiktika! Go for the optics!” to her combat drone.
• Boo is also alluded to in Torment: Tides of Numenera, where you can meet a trader named Madelia Glittering who has three orbs orbiting her head, each containing a rodent. The rodents are named Bei, Bu and Bao, and are stated to be not for sale. Under certain conditions, however, it is possible to obtain Bao, who serves as an artifact providing a bonus to your damage at the expense of Intellect, along with allowing to blind enemies.
• Gorion's Ward can unwittingly make an allusion to Boo, whether or not they have encountered Minsc before, when first meeting Melicamp the Chicken: "I fear I have taken one too many blows to the head. Next I'll be hearing hamsters speak."
• Boo (and Minsc) appear in the idle game Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms. Their ultimate attack is called "Go for the Eyes!".
• Boo appears as a creature token in the Magic: The Gathering set Adventures in the Forgotten Realms. It is created by the card Minsc, Beloved Ranger, which also has an ability that can turn it into a large Giant Hamster. The token's flavor text reads "Go for the eyes, Boo!"
• In the 2020 video game Dungeons of Naheulbeuk, there is a quest with an NPC named Binsc to rescue his hamster named Moo.
• The launch trailer for Baldur's Gate III briefly shows Minsc and Boo. The duo are playable in the game. Boo may be thrown at enemies, possibly inflicting Blinds, and uniquely being immune to the damage that would normally be inflicted on a thrown creature.
• In 2022, Wizards of the Coast published the Spelljammer box set, featuring a book titled Boo's Astral Menagerie with an image of Boo on the cover.

Gallery

Boo as seen in Minsc's Baldur's Gate II portrait

References