More than any other Dragon Age game so far, the main plot of Dragon Age 4 will likely pick up where the last one left off. Solas, the Inquisition companion eventually revealed to be the Dread Wolf, is trying to tear down the Veil between the world of Thedas and the magical realm known as the Fade.
There have been recurring characters throughout the series so far, and fans can expect plenty of other familiar faces to reappear in Dragon Age 4.
Returning Inquisition Characters
Dragon Age 4's main antagonist is a character from Inquisition. Solas is determined to destroy the Veil, unleashing magic which he believes will help restore the Elves of Thedas to their former glory, likely at the chaotic cost of the continent's other races. The question with Solas is not if he will be included, but how, and when. The character had the potential to be very close to the Inquisitor, especially if the Inquisitor was an Elf female who romanced the Dread Wolf. How BioWare will handle the transition of an old villain to a new protagonist remains to be seen.
Varric is the other companion practically confirmed to return in the next game. Already a fan-favorite, Varric was made Viscount of Kirkwall in Dragon Age: Inquisition's Trespasser DLC. Either his tenure is up or the position has very flexible hours, because Dragon Age 4's trailer has Varric promising the player that he's got their back against "demons, dragons, darkspawn, even the Dread Wolf."
As well as being a beloved character, Varric may provide insight into one of Dragon Age's biggest mysteries. His novel "Hard in Hightown" speculated that a group known as the Executors were behind the mysterious murder of Antivan Queen Madrigal at the end of the Exalted Era. Inquisition and Tevinter Nights heavily hinted that the identity of the Executors would be revealed in the next game, and Varric may well be on the case when players meet him in Dragon Age 4.
Since Dragon Age 4 takes place in the Tevinter Imperium, Dorian Pavus is also very likely to return. When the Inquisitor reunited with Dorian in Trespasser, he had returned to his homeland, joined the government as a Magister, and had begun pushing for reforms within the Magisterium. This likely has him based in the capital, the city of Minrathous. Minrathous will be central based on the city in the trailer, and Dorian's appearance is unlikely to be far behind.
In Inquisition players chose the new Divine of the Andrastian Chantry. Although Tevinter operates under the Imperial Chantry, it is likely that either Vivienne, Leliana, or Cassandra will return as the Divine Victoria depending on who the Inquisitor picked. Dragon Age 4's setting will likely help the game avoid dealing with the different implications of their rules, but anxieties surrounding the Chantry's new management in the south will likely be worsened by the Qunari aggression seen in Trespasser. Only a united Chantry was able to push the Qunari back during the Qunari Wars.
Dragon Age 2 Characters
Dragon Age 2 may have the fewest characters likely to return, but there are still some possibilities. As well as Varric, it is possible that Sebastian, Prince of Starkhaven from the Exiled Prince DLC will reappear. Inquisition confirmed that he had retaken his throne, and with Varric as Viscount of Kirkwall it is possible they're in contact.
Although players had the option to hand Isabela over to the Qunari Arishok in Dragon Age 2 it is confirmed that she escapes and takes the Tome of Koslun with her. She is confirmed to be alive in Dragon Age: Inquisition regardless of the player's choice, leaving the door open for her return. It's clear from her role alongside Varric and Alistair in Dragon Age: The Silent Grove that her story has more potential. Her return seems most likely in relation to the growing conflict with the Qunari, but there are other characters those tensions make even more likely to reappear.
Dragon Age: Origins And Player Characters
It has been confirmed that Sten, the Qunari companion from Dragon Age: Origins, is the Qunari Arishok by Dragon Age: Inquisition. As their military leader, this would mean Sten was central to the assassination attempts committed by the Qunari in the Trespasser DLC. It isn't just Trespasser which heavily hints at the potential for a reignited conflict with the Qunari in the next game.
The series' lore has also established than in 9:44 Dragon the Qunari retook the Tevinter city of Ventus, which they had held for a time during the Storm Age. All of the mages in the captured city were given huge doses of Qamek, a poison that effectively renders them mindless slaves. In Tevinter, a nation ruled by mages, this is very unlikely to go without retaliation.
The possibility of Alistair's dramatic death as a Grey Warden in Dragon Age: Inquisition makes his return in anything more than a cameo role - akin to his Dragon Age 2 role if King of Ferelden - unlikely. Nonetheless, it is possible there will be references to King Alistair throughout Dragon Age 4 depending on the player's world state.
At the end of Inquisition, Flemeth appeared to be absorbed into Solas in some way. This may have been the Dread Wolf absorbing the soul of Mythal, the ancient Elven goddess who possessed her. In this sense the character could return, though likely in a very different form. Both Mythal and Solas were part of the original pantheon of Elven "gods," so whatever Solas needs Mythal's spirit for is likely closely connected to his plot to bring down the Veil. Dragon Age 4 would be the first game in the series not to include Flemeth, so even if she doesn't appear directly she will likely remain important as the full extent of her ambitions unravel.
Last but not least, Inquisition set a precedent for past Dragon Age player characters to return. The possibility of Hawke's death in DA:I makes their return less likely, and the same can be said for the Warden's potential death at the end of DA:O. The Inquisitor could still return, however, and their business with Solas may be far from over.
Dragon Age 4 is in development.