Right before we’re introduced to a new cohort of allies in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, we can’t help but reminisce on the best companions who had our backs in the previous games.
One of Dragon Age‘s greatest strengths as a series has always been its cast of party members. Each installment brings its own team of capable allies, and the player character’s relationships with each of them make them so much more than just another hired hand you can call upon in battle. Depending on your choices, some go on to become major figures in the world, while others may fall in the line of battle or even betray you; regardless, chances are some of the most meaningful conversations in each game could revolve around the people who fight alongside you.
So, as we prepare for the long-awaited arrival of Dragon Age: The Veilguard this week, join us in saluting the best companions in the saga’s storied history:
5) Leliana (Origins, Inquisition)
One of the most prominent companions in Dragon Age: Origins, Leliana is not only a bard, but the player’s window into the Chantry. The juxtaposition between her piousness and her rogueish skills speaks volumes about her and the church alike, and shows us early in the series that BioWare’s not working in simple, monochromatic morality here. Leliana is a useful party member throughout the game if the Hero of Ferelden is either a warrior or mage, apparently following divine inspiration sent by Andraste herself. She even had a DLC chapter devoted to exploring her past.
What’s truly interesting, however, is the myriad ways this first chapter of her story can end. If she’s present for the Ashes of Andraste quest, she may be horrified at the Warden’s actions and attack, forcing the player to kill this once-trusted companion. She may also run afoul of her old benefactor, Marjolaine, and have a crisis of faith. Ultimately, the Warden can talk her into accepting her rogueish ways (“hardening” her, as can also be done with Alastair), or reaffirm her faith.
Regardless, Leliana reappears at various times throughout Dragon Age II—miraculously alive, if the Warden killed her in Origins—as the Left Hand of the Divine Justinian V. It turns out that she’s been working alongside Cassandra to locate Hawke, hence their extensive questioning of Varric, and this partnership leads to her becoming the Spymaster advisor in Dragon Age Inquisition (not usable in combat, but a collaborator all the same).
Because we get to see her complex journey across such a long span of time, serving alongside multiple player characters, Leliana belongs on the Mount Rushmore of Dragon Age companions.
4) Bethany (or Carver) Hawke (DA2)
Regardless of which class you play, a key element of Hawke’s backstory in Dragon Age II is their relationship with their siblings, Bethany and Carver. Protecting Bethany, an apostate mage, has been formative for the whole clan; we quickly get acquainted with the family drama in the prologue, just in time for it to be used against us when either Carver or Bethany is slain by Darkspawn in the clan’s desperate flight from Lothering. (Carver dies if Hawke is either a rogue or warrior, while Bethany is lost if Hawke is also a mage.)
The remaining sibling can join Hawke as a companion for the quest to the Deep Roads. If they stay in Kirkwall, Bethany is captured while Hawke is away and pushed into serving the Circle, where she quickly gains rank, while Carver joins the Templars to prove himself. If either sibling goes to the Deep Roads, they are infected with the Taint, and can only be saved if Anders is in the party—at the cost of becoming a Grey Warden against their desires.
All of these roads (except dying in the Deep Roads) lead to Hawke’s remaining sibling being deeply involved in the game’s culminating conflict, the Kirkwall Rebellion. They play a fundamental role in informing the player character’s view of the conflict, especially Bethany, giving Hawke a profoundly personal lens to view the conflict between the Circle and the apostates. Though they are forced out of the party early, they are perhaps the most important companions in Dragon Age II (but especially poor Bethany).
3) Dorian Pavus (Inquisition)
Dorian was immediately a curious figure when he popped up in Dragon Age: Inquisition, simply because he hails from the mysterious land of Tevinter. This is a land that is often alluded to during the previous games, but still barely understood, so lore-hounds found his insights tantalizing.
The quest that likely introduces him to the party, “In Hushed Whispers,” is among the best in the base game. Fade shenanigans send him and the Inquisitor a year into the future, showing what might lay in store should they fail, and he gets to prove himself one of the most level-headed magic users in the series while showing his talent for banter (“It’s the same old tune. ‘Let’s play with magic we don’t understand, it will make us incredibly powerful!'”) He’s an interesting counterpart to fellow party mages Solas and Vivienne, and he also offers perspective on the Venatori, who worship the so-called “Elder One.”
However, what was truly impactful about Dorian was his status as Dragon Age’s first male romance option exclusively available to other men. In prior games, male player characters could romance bisexual male companions like Zevran, but BioWare finally broke the mold with Dorian. Better still, his sexuality is not just a box to be checked, but a fundamental part of his essence which informs his viewpoint and his personal quest. His full wit and charm, and the depth of his character—stemming from excellent writing by BioWare veteran David Gaider, and the portrayal of voice actor Ramon Tikaram—is brought to bear in his personal quest, where he must confront his estranged father.
2) Morrigan (Origins)
Morrigan was a recognizable face for Dragon Age early on, appearing in marketing materials like the earliest trailers, and she quickly made a name for herself in Origins. Thanks to Claudia Black’s nuanced performance, Morrigan is another character of intriguing contradictions: an alternate viewpoint on the mages, an authority existing outside their tightly maintained Circles as a “Witch of the Woods,” but also deemed little more than a child by her ancient mother, Flemeth. Mommy Dearest sends her to aid the Wardens, catapulting her to a central role in the conflict against the Darkspawn—and likely, a battle with Flemeth herself.
Morrigan proved herself one of the best-written characters in Dragon Age: Origins, a trusted moral compass during quests and a delight to speak to at camp. Her proposition at the end of Origins can prove instrumental to ending the conflict, and has dramatic ramifications for the Warden (or possibly their Grey Warden comrade). Like Leliana she earned her own chapter of DLC, Witch Hunt, that helped set up the concept of Eluvians, and proved especially powerful for those who engaged in her excellent romantic subplot.
That romantic subplot is what made me leap out of my seat when she unexpectedly returned in Dragon Age: Inquisition. Thanks to the game allowing you to carry forward decisions from the previous games, when she arrived at Skyhold, she spoke to my Inquisitor about the fate of my old Warden and introduced their son, Kieran. It was a beautiful extension of my former avatar’s journey—followed by the thrill of fighting alongside her once more, even briefly.
Morrigan is Dragon Age‘s first, and arguably most, captivating character, and only one person can hold a candle to her in this popularity contest:
1) Varric Tethras (DA2, Inquisition, Veilguard)
If Morrigan was the initial face character for Dragon Age, she passed the torch to Varric, and this stubborn dwarf has not relinquished his hold on it. For a series that often keeps its playable companions playable in only one game (even if those characters remain involved in the plot of subsequent games), Varric has been a constant companion for the player since the sequel.
Initially introduced as a sort of narrator or point-of-view character in Dragon Age II, Varric filled the role of “witty rogue” in Hawke’s party—a prospector and businessman (and bestselling author), he’s the one to propose the fateful Deep Roads mission to Hawke, a mission that has huge ramifications on them and the city alike. His banter and insight were an immediate highlight, helping flesh out the very “character” of Kirkwall, and his relationship with his brother Bartrand is a mirror to Hawke and Bethany/Carver.
So, it was great news to see him and his crossbow Bianca return in Dragon Age: Inquisition, appearing alongside Cassandra in the game’s introductory mission as the Herald wrestles with their newfound power. He acts like a mentor to everyone while also playing aloof, and once again, the choices made in the previous game (in this case, whether to give him the red lyrium or not) have a big impact on Inquisition‘s plot. We even meet the real Bianca in the process.
There is no companion more steadfast than Varric, now serving as a playable ally in 3 of 4 Dragon Age games; his is the closest thing to a singular narrative voice for this series that changes protagonists, gameplay styles, and perspectives with each installment. Though I have a deeper personal resonation with Morrigan, faithful Varric is simply the best choice to top this list.
