"I like stories when the villain was the man beside you the whole time," was a quote said by Varric Tethras to The Iron Bull during one of the many random banters in Dragon Age: Inquisition. It has been pointed out by Dragon Age fans as one of the many instances of foreshadowing for Solas' eventual betrayal, as well as The Iron Bull's if the Inquisitor sacrifices his Chargers. However, there is way more to this quote than just The Iron Bull and Solas' stories, as Varric summed up the greatest theme in Dragon Age: betrayal.
Betrayal oozes from Dragon Age's lore, with major figures like Andraste, Mythal, and Flemeth all betrayed by those closest to them. In the books, King Maric and Briala find out that the women they loved ultimately betrayed their trust. The plot of Dragon Age: Origins begins with Loghain betraying the Wardens by leaving them to fight while his army retreats. Every game has sprinkles of betrayal, such as Arl Howe in the human origin story, Blackwall's background, Isabela's stealing of the Tome of Koslun, and some companions that will betray the player depending on their choices. Lastly, of course, there is Morrigan, Anders, and Solas, the infamous mages of the three main games that end up betraying the protagonist in the final act.
Dragon Age Betrayal: A Closer Examination Of The Pattern
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Betrayals in Dragon Age have been escalating with each game. In Dragon Age: Origins, Loghain's betrayal sets the plot in motion, and Morrigan's ultimate betrayal awaits towards the end. However, Morrigan's betrayal is softer than what happens in Dragon Age 2 and Inquisition, as she gives the Hero of Ferelden a choice to make a shady deal with her. The consequences of the deal are unknown and only guarantees that the Wardens will not have to sacrifice their lives to destroy the Archdemon. Due to this, many players did not have many feelings when Morrigan ran away, at least when compared to what came next in the series.
In Dragon Age 2, there are actually two major betrayals from companions. The first is committed by Isabela and her having stolen the Tome of Koslun, which caused the Qunari to attack Kirkwall. The second is at the end of the game from Anders, where he explodes the Chantry and starts an all-out war. Unlike in Origins, in this situation, Hawke has a lack of control and choice. The most they can do is choose a side in the war and either kill Anders or let him live. His betrayal basically ruined their life, while Morrigan's in Origins actually could save the lives of Warden characters. However, even Anders' betrayal could not be paralleled in its direness compared to what happens in Inquisition.
It is Dragon Age: Inquisition where the betrayal gets even more serious. Solas betrays the Inquisitor by taking their arm, planting a spy network in their inquisition, and by lying about his goals and who he actually is. Not only will Solas start a war as Anders did, but it may destroy all of Thedas in the process. This betrayal is the most severe, and it also set up Solas as the possible main antagonist of the next game. His lie in identity was even worse than Blackwall's, as he is the legendary Dread Wolf that changed the fate of Thedas long ago, not just some guy who committed a crime. Even more dire, the holes in the sky that drive the plot of Inquisition turn out to be partly Solas' fault.
What all three of these betrayals have in common is that they came from the first mage companion made in each game. Morrigan was the first in Origins, Anders in Dragon Age 2, and Solas in Inquisition. Fans may think that this pattern of mage companions allows them to figure Dragon Age 4 out ahead of time, but they could be wrong in that assessment. There is another pattern to the Dragon Age games which will make Dragon Age 4's first mage companion possibly different from all the others.
What This Means For Dragon Age 4
Besides betrayal happening in each game title, Dragon Age games also always include a companion from the previous title. Oghren carried over from Origins to Awakening, Anders from Awakening to Dragon Age 2, and Varric from Dragon Age 2 over to Inquisition. With such a pattern, it is all but guaranteed that a companion from Inquisition will carry over as a companion in Dragon Age 4 as well.
The companion from Inquisition that could also be the first mage in the party will likely be Dorian Pavus. This seems to be the most obvious companion carryover, as Dragon Age 4 will be exploring Teveinter, Dorian's homeland which he returned to at the end of Inquisition (even if romanced). Knowing all about Dorian from the books and Inquisition, his betrayal seems incredibly unlikely and uncharacteristic of who he is. In other words, the betrayal of Dragon Age 4 cannot be predicted.
Companions for Dragon Age 4 are yet to be revealed, but when they are, fans are going to need to be quite wary of all of them. The series has taught its fans that today's friends can be tomorrow's enemies and that not everyone is always who they say they are. In the end, the best players can do is pay close attention to banter as well as the possible hidden motivations of the characters. Since betrayals in the three games have escalated in terms of their impact, Dragon Age 4's betrayals may be incredibly devastating.
Dragon Age 4 is currently in development.