The Dragon Age series is known for its rich story, lore, and characters. Fans tend to have a lot of feelings about the characters, especially since the RPG gives them options to hold unique conversations with them and see them develop. Among these characters are villains, and a big one is Loghain from Dragon Age: Origins.
Loghain is the man who called a retreat during a battle against the Blight, betraying what was planned at the war table and indirectly killing many Grey Wardens and the King of Ferelden himself. He then declares Grey Wardens as traitors and himself as regent, which creates a civil war. As regent, he committed many atrocities, such as selling elves to slavery, hiring assassins, imprisoning and torturing political rivals, and employing someone to poison Arl Eamon. Despite all this, though, after reading Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne, a lot of fans see Loghain as a sympathetic villain.
What Fans Learned In The Stolen Throne
Loghain grew up in a family that was accused of tax evasion during the Orlesian occupation of Ferelden. Due to avoiding the tax, all but he and is father were killed, and their land was taken. They lived as outlaws for a time until Loghain ended up saving Maric, and they become close friends. Not only was Loghain his closest friend, but also became a military advisor and led the Night Elves (a faction of elf archers) in victory in many battles.
However, relationships did not exactly run smoothly. Maric was part of a political marriage to a girl named Rowan Guerrin. However, Loghain and Rowan fell in love with each other during the rebellion and Maric fell in love with an elf named Katriel. Loghain finds out that Katriel is actually an Orlesian spy, and when he tells Maric, Maric kills her. After that, Loghain decides that what's best for Ferelden is to set his feelings aside and have Rowan marry Maric. Due to this, Rowan, Maric, and Loghain all fell into a rather strained relationship in the aftermath of Ferelden's victory against Orlais.
How Fans Reacted To Loghain In The Book
The Stolen Throne does a great job at contextualizing Loghain's fall from hero to villain. He is presented as someone who has lost a lot and would die to keep what little he has left safe. Fans who never read the book only see Loghain at his worst, while the book shows him at this best and brightest. He cares greatly for Maric's legacy, to the point that he gave up his romantic feelings for Rowan (as well as their friendship) and watched his best friend marry her.
On Reddit, fans who read the book mention that they never thought they'd sympathize with Loghain, but then they do. Many stand by the idea that what he does in Dragon Age: Origins is inexcusable, but the book does make it explainable. Rather than make him forgivable to fans, most just see him as incredibly tragic after reading The Stolen Throne. Some even mention that after reading the book, they begin a new playthrough where they will keep him alive so that he can redeem himself later in Dragon Age: Inquisition as a Grey Warden or in Origins as a sacrifice to the Archdemon.
The Decent From Hero To Villain
What The Stolen Throne does a stellar job of is showing how heroic actions can devolve into villainous ones. Throughout the book, Loghain sets aside his feelings for the greater good. These actions build up over time to the point that he may follow a sunk cost fallacy in which more and more sacrifices should be made so that the previous sacrifices are not in vain.
What made the revolution so good is that Maric, Rowan, and Loghain formed an effective team. Maric and Rowan's skills and personalities balanced out Loghain's Flaws. In Origins, he no longer has Rowan or Maric to balance him out, so his flaws become worse. He is a military leader trying to play politics throughout Origins, and it really shows how he is unable to translate his battlefield genius onto the political field. He knows how foot soldiers react to things, but not nobles.
Dragon Age has great writing when it comes to complex villains. Loghain is a major example, and Solas' actions in Dragon Age 4 may actually be quite similar. In fact, it is very worth examining Loghain just to know what to prepare for in the future of the series. Like Loghain, Solas is a tragic figure that was once a hero, and he also follows the rules of sunk cost fallacy.
Dragon Age 4 is in development.