The Dragon Age franchise is known for its fleshed-out characters. Fan favorites aren't always paragons of virtue, and some of the most well-written characters are the most despised. In a few cases, an otherwise beloved character takes players by surprise by doing something truly awful. These Dragon Age characters are the ones fans either hate to love or love to hate.
The morality scale by which these characters are judged is in keeping with the in-game humanist-style attitudes toward their actions, from the popular to the divisive. Beyond that, how players feel about the choices of these characters depends on subjective taste. Either way, a lot of care was put into the design of these excellent, yet terrible, people.
11 Fenris: The Brainwashed Ex-Slave
An extremely popular character, Fenris' heartbreaking backstory makes fans of his ache to soothe his pain or be the one true friend he never had. As an ex-slave escaped from Tevinter, players learn all about the brutal abuse in his past that made him who he is by the time he's a Dragon Age 2 companion.
Fenris is brusque, single-minded, and even cruel, but he evokes empathy in most players. He embodies the moral conundrum of whether "butchering the butchers" is justifiable, and based on that alone, not many would judge him to be a bad person. Yet, he also admits to committing horrible acts under Darius' command, and his bloodthirsty approach to magic users at times seems as monstrous as what was done to him.
10 Sera: The Adult Child
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
Sera is mostly fantastic fun to be around, especially for players who enjoy crude humor and who roleplay views similar to hers. Her childhood trauma is close to the surface and easy to trigger if she's confronted, and she has a vicious streak when it comes to her Robin Hood-style worldview, but this only makes those who love her feel protective of her because they understand her.
If players are roleplaying traditionalist elves or human nobles, though, Sera can be insufferably opinionated and immature, even going so far as to demand that Dalish Inquisitors renounce their elven heritage. Her unwillingness to appreciate the larger context and to listen to opposing opinions puts a bee up many gamers' bonnets.
9 Morrigan: The Sociopath Apostate
However callous her attitude is at times, the enigmatic and morally ambiguous Morrigan is well-loved. Her growth throughout the franchise as a person is as enchanting as her unchangeable thirst for power is for players intrigued by this beautiful and treacherous Witch of the Wilds.
When it comes to the events of Dragon Age: Origins, Morrigan makes no effort to hide her contempt for the Warden's compassion, and her attitude makes perfect sense once the player learns about her emotionally and socially deprived childhood. By Inquisition, her character gains wonderful depth through experiencing motherhood, but she never becomes less ambiguous.
8 Merrill: The Collateral Damage Dabbler
Merrill is, for the most part, harmless, unless she's trying to help. Her penchant for blood magic should be a red flag for players taken in by her ditzy charm, particularly because she is far shrewder than her social awkwardness suggests.
Merrill accidentally causes her clan a lot of harm, and although her intentions are good, it doesn’t excuse what she does. Her lack of consideration for what her people ask of her would maybe deserve a pass if her results weren't so consistently disastrous.
7 Zevran: The Flirty Turncoat
Zevran does a lot to get on the player's good side, despite initially being hired to kill the Warden. The fact that he takes no issue with the profession he was raised in isn't all that surprising. How he owns himself is part of his appeal, and if players win over this sweet-talking elf, it's easy enough to secure his loyalty.
The thing about Zevran is that his morality seems to move along the axis of how personable he finds his targets. Although this makes him an unusual and likable assassin, the fact remains that he has to be bribed with friendly or romantic attention to do the right thing.
6 Blackwall: The Imposter Warden
There’s something off about Blackwall from the start, and his character becomes even more interesting as soon as players learn why. One of the most intriguing things about him is what a lousy Grey Warden he makes compared to what gamers expect after playing the Hero of Ferelden.
Inquisitors who felt shortchanged or lied to have the option to ditch this burly impostor, but those who choose to welcome Thom Rainier into the Inquisition, as himself this time, are introduced to an entirely new man who no longer has to pretend to be something he's not. In the end, depending on player choices, he lives up to the title he falsely claimed.
5 Cole: The Misguided Spirit
To be fair, Cole is not a person, and that's also his saving grace. As a spirit of Compassion made manifest in human form, he is driven by his nature to help people.
On the face of it, Cole's intentions seem virtuous, but his moral context is very different from that of the other characters. To a spirit of the Fade, the difference between life and death doesn't carry the same weight it does for mortals. Nothing highlights this better than when Cole murders miserable innocents in the name of compassion.
4 Leliana: The Killer Cloistered Sister
Leliana is first introduced as a reformed bard, but she doesn't renounce violence for too long. Although she appears to have a strong moral compass, with the emergence of the Blight, it's relatively easy to influence her to embrace her dark past.
Leliana can be said to be a force for good after Origins, and she can retain her sweet disposition. Still, it doesn't take much in Inquisition to convince her of the merits of a deadly solution. Depending on player choices, a hardened Leliana can turn into a cold and calculating spymaster who has no compunction about quietly eliminating threats to the Inquisition.
3 Loghain: The Traitor Of Ostagar
Anyone who reads the Dragon Age books knows Loghain isn’t a two-dimensional villain. In fact, in his early years, he helped his friend and future king, Maric Therin, liberate an occupied Ferelden. His hatred and mistrust of Orlais are well-founded, but his lack of faith in the Grey Wardens ultimately proves to be his downfall.
Depending on player choices, Loghain's poetic justice is a satisfying redemption arc as a Grey Warden himself. Still, it’s hard to watch him sound the retreat at Ostagar or sell elves into slavery and not feel that he deserves death.
2 Anders: The Possessed Terrorist
When mentioning terrible people, Anders and his two-faced cohabitant come to mind. When players first meet him, this charming mage is a fun-loving rebel and budding idealist, and players are the ones who introduce him to the spirit who would one day possess him, Justice.
The torment of their combined existence is palpable throughout Dragon Age 2, and it's morbidly fascinating to watch the essence of Justice become twisted into Vengeance in this character. It's debatable whether Anders would have blown up a chantry if he hadn't unwisely joined forces with a spirit of the Fade. He blows a lot of minds with that building, and he doesn't survive everyone's playthrough.
1 Solas: The Trickster God
Anders has nothing on this ancient elf whose aliases are synonymous with betrayal and chaos. Although his fans will hasten to point out that his intentions are noble, he demonstrates a willingness to pay any price to liberate his people. This makes him easily one of the most divisive Dragon Age characters.
That the events of the Inquisition can be laid at Solas' feet is reason enough to categorize him as a villain. But he tops that when he reveals his intention to bring down the Veil, thereby killing everyone in Thedas except the elves under his protection. It should also be noted that Solas is responsible for the Veil in the first place, which robbed the elves of immortality, among other things.