Dragon Age, Bioware’s fantasy video game series, has developed a large, loyal fanbase over the years. It’s only encouraged by the fact that the games ask players to create their own characters, make their own choices, and befriend their companions - who can blame fans for feeling attached to the world?
Unfortunately, Dragon Age fans are also some of the most patient. Dragon Age: Origins, the first game in the series, was released in 2009. It had some DLC content added on, so fans were generally kept occupied until the sequel, Dragon Age 2, came out in 2011. However, it took another three years until Dragon Age: Inquisition, the most recent release, came out in 2014. By now, fans have been waiting seven years for the next installment! What else is there to do but sit and wait, and maybe make a few memes?
10 Those Damn Orlesians
Any Dragon Age fan knows that Orlais, a country in the fictional world of Thedas based loosely on France and the rest of Europe, has had a complicated history, to say the least. The bad blood between Orlais and Ferelden is the most obvious in the games, since the player is often born in Ferelden, but Orlais’ history with any kingdom has been murky - including within itself.
Orlais may compete with Tevinter, as they each contain a different sect of the same religion, but Orlesians don’t get along with one another, either (especially when power and money come into the picture).
9 Never Gonna Give You Up
Alistair, a character who first appeared in Dragon Age: Origins, instantly became a fan favourite. For some, it was because of his adorkable jokes and trip-over-myself personality. For others, his romance with the Warden was too cute to resist.
If the player happened to choose to play a human warrior or rogue, it might have been a match made in heaven - the Warden could actually be crowned Queen of Ferelden beside Alistair if he became King. However, if they romanced him under any other conditions, their love would be doomed to end if Arl Eamon got his way and put Alistair on the throne.
8 Keep Calm and Carry On
Dragon Age 2 is a controversial game in the community, for a list of reasons too long to explore here. Whatever the players thought of its changes from Origins, the characters, the plot, or the rushed environments, fans seem to collectively agree that Dragon Age 2 is the story of a troublesome child ignoring the chaos around them in order to hang out with a bunch of losers and outcasts.
Bioware seems to agree, since their canon Hawke primarily uses the purple, humorous dialogue options .
7 The Savior For The Savior
Cassandra is a fearsome companion to the player, if they take the time to befriend her. Even at the game’s beginning, her faith and hope that the Herald of Andraste can find a solution to the Breach is immense, and she defends the player against even members of her own religion.
As a warrior, she’s also a valuable asset in any party compilation - rogues and mages need a reliable warrior to protect them from… well, anything. By the game’s nature, different fans have had different relationships with Cassandra, but those who love her know that she would protect the Inquisitor with her life.
6 The Good Place (Not Thedas)
The Good Place, a television show with an interest in philosophy, the afterlife, and situation comedy (an odd mix, we know), is a surprisingly good parallel for Thedas. In many ways, Thedas is also a fantastical wonderful place until the rotting core is discovered below (something that players get more than enough of in the games).
Sweet characters like Jason who have no sense of self-preservation are mirrored in the unbelievable decisions made by fan favourite companions such as Merrill.
5 A Hitch In The Plan
For a mage powerful enough to be a God (or close to it) in the days of ancient elves, Solas doesn’t always seem that bright. Befriending the player character seems risky enough, but to fall in love with them is an entirely different ballgame.
It does beg the question of why Solas allowed himself to start the relationship in the first place. He breaks it off down the line, of course, and the game seems to insinuate that he was just so swept up in his emotions that he couldn’t resist, but… we are talking about a magical elf with thousands of years under his belt, right?
4 Nowhere To Be Found
It’s hard to argue that the Warden deserves a break after all the Archdemon-killing and best-friend-betrayals in Dragon Age: Origins. Certainly, a Warden who wound up on the throne of Ferelden, or dead, has a perfectly valid excuse not to be spotted in the next games.
However, if they remained a Warden, it’s heavily implied that they’re off working on some secret mission of the utmost importance. Perhaps something that would help? Hard to say - it’s implied that it could be a cure to the Grey Warden’s calling, but the ramifications of that alone would be worth some screen time!
3 The Curious Case Of Cullen And His Mabari
In the Trespasser DLC for Dragon Age: Inquisition, Cullen can be spotted at the Winter Palace playing fetch with a Mabari warhound. He claims that he found the pup alone and that it was probably left behind from when the Orlesians had a fad of breeding Mabari.
Though we’re not 100% convinced that Cullen didn’t just steal some unsuspecting child’s best friend or something. Cullen can be a pretty gloomy character at times, but it was certainly a surprise to find him asking his furry companion whether they’d like to be eating fireballs.
2 Happy Little Accidents
The events that lead up to Dragon Age: Inquisition’s main problem (the Breach) are only revealed towards the end of the game. The player slowly regains their memory, gets a chance to speak with Divine Justinia, and learns in the post-game scene that Solas had a much bigger role than anyone suspected.
Once again, we must question Solas’ decision-making skills: giving an orb full of power to an ancient (prejudiced, revenge-hungry) Tevinter magister on the off-chance he might be capable of opening it? Solas might not have seen the Breach coming, but he should have foreseen something.
1 Insufficient Skill
Dragon Age: Origins is an incredibly replayable game, especially because of all the unique stories for each race and social class combination. However, that also, unfortunately, means that a few sections and lines of dialogue are hauntingly familiar to its fans.
The sound of a lock jostling and the “insufficient skill” message popping up is burned into players’ brains, along with the little lines of dialogue from Zevran or Leliana that activate, saying they can’t do that quite yet.
NEXT: Dragon Age: Chantry Stories And Their Alternate Tellings
