Like many otherDragon Agefans, I’ve been replaying the series ahead ofDragon Age: The Veilguard’s release date later this year. It actually worked out perfectly because I realized that I had six completed saves ofInquisition(not counting partial playthroughs) and there areseven romanceable companions inDragon Age: Veilguard. I just needed one more world state completed to build my Rooks around, and I always build parties based on who I intend to romance: 7 world states for 7 romances. My Mahariel was a Rogue who romanced Alistair (both remaining in the Grey Wardens), my Hawke was a Mage who romanced Merill, and my current Adaar Inquisitor is a Warrior who romanced The Iron Bull.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Although I’ve played throughDragon Age: Inquisitionseveral times, one detail recently jumped out to me that has sent me spiraling ahead ofDragon Age: Veilguard,as I tend to do. Namely, it’s that everyInquisitioncompanion (and perhaps the Inquisition itself) effectively has a dual identity. Sure, Solas as the meek, knowledgeable Elven Mage and as the Dread Wolf is the one that is most relevant and stands out the most, but all of this clicked for me during Varric’s personal quest. Carrying both companions with me, I saw one scene where Solas called Varric a Child of the Stone and then, shortly thereafter, I experienced banter of Varric discussing his hatred of the Deep Roads.
Sometimes these dual identities pose the crux of theDragon Age: Inquisition’s companions' personal quests, other times it is an inherent, unchanging part of their character, and it’s not always duplicitous in a way. It’s just a notable element that gives them more depth, but it also dives into one of the deepest themes of the game - and that’s somethingDragon Age: Veilguardneeds to bookend, in my opinion at least.
It’s worth noting that Inquisition is not the first game to feature dual identities (Anders/Justice, Flemeth/Mythal just to name a couple), but Inquisition seems to double down on it heavily.
Dragon Age: Inquisition’s Companions and Dual Identities Explained
Blackwall
Blackwall’s dual identity is easily noted because his is a case of stolen identity. As players learn, the real Grey Warden Blackwall is dead and the person players recruit is an Orlesian Captain Thom Rainier. It’s easy to relate to because Rainier is simply trying to escape his past, and I really think making Rainier jointhe Grey Wardensin full after dealing with Corypheus is a perfect arc. This case of dual identity is resolved in numerous ways, but he either “redeems” himself for his past or truly embraces the ideals he holds of the Wardens. As my Adaar said, somewhere along the way Rainier stopped pretending.
Cassandra
Cassandra’s dual identity is that of belief and duty, but what’s more interesting in that is how her opposing ideals exist in every aspect of her character. I love the small details that make her bigger picture even better. For example, I find her belief and duty admirable; she doesn’t initially want to be Divine but knows what she would do if so. She wants to restore the Seekers but knows her duty won’t let it be secretive. She wants to reform the Chantry, Templar Order, and Circles in increments, striking that balance between her faith and what she believes is her duty. She’s an idealist parading as a realist, and that comes across in even the little details. Her impulsiveness can be at odds with her duty, she performs acts of violence to remain calm (she loves hitting trees like it’s agame ofMinecraft), she fears helplessness because her duty drives her to act, and oh, yeah, she loves reading Varric’s, uh, “romance” novels. She’s an idealistic romantic at heart, who covers that identity with one of realistic duty. But she’s definitely reading any of Varric’sSwords and Shieldsnovel, if he wrote any more of them betweenDragon Age: InquisitionandVeilguard.
Iron Bull
The Iron Bulllives two lives that are at odds with each other. His history with the Ben-Hassrath leads to his re-education, where he basically becomes a spy masquerading as a Tal-Vashoth. Except, he is separated from The Qun for so long that he really becomes Tal-Vashoth in essence and he builds his own family in the Bull’s Chargers. He hates the idea of becoming Tal-Vashoth when we save the Chargers and anger The Qun, but that’s also the good choice for him (also I remember aligning with The Qun once (once!) and that choice come Trespasser is so heart-breaking). The Iron Bull must choose between The Qun and The Chargers, which, as Solas said, is perhaps the first real decision of his life.
Cole
Cole’s identities are as complex as they come.Cole is a Spirit of Compassion, so moved by the real-world Cole’s death that it becomes Cole, and players have to work through this. Of course, Solas thinks Cole needs to align with his values as a Spirit of Compassion, becoming more spiritual in the process, while Varric thinks Cole should lean more into being Cole, - the original, but new Cole, becoming more human in the process. The Ship of Coleseus, if you would.
Varric
Varric’s identity isn’t necessarily one where there’s a choice between two things, like Cole or The Iron Bull, but I think that’s what makes it even more fascinating. I once saw someone describe Varric as someone who defends the modern-day status quo, faults and all, while Solas is someone who would bring back the past and tradition, faults and all. In that, it’s interesting that Solas' dual identity revolves around his hidden power, actions, and plans for the future as The Dread Wolf, and Varric’s is about leaving behind tradition. Solas calling him a Child of the Stone, especially with everything we learn aboutTitans inDragon Age: Inquisition’s The Descent DLC, carries such a powerful undertone.
Varric’s personal identity—Andrastian businessman who hates theDeep Roads—is at odds with his racial identity—Paragons or Titans, memories over profits, and the Stone Sense. If we dig a little deeper, his love of storytelling is somewhat at odds with his business acumen, but storytelling is definitely a Dwarven trait that continues to live through him. It’s a question of who he is and who he was born to be, which is the same struggle Solas has always dealt with.
Sera
I love Sera for the sole reason that she’s basically the anti-Solas, and her dual identity is similar to Varric’s. Her personal identity is violently in conflict with her racial identity, something that Solas bemoans constantly. Really, Varric and Sera’s dual identities are inherently tied to Solas'. Between Varric and Solas, we see two ways of dealing with the past and the status quo. In Sera, we see Solas' worst nightmare thriving and living her best life, meaning that his plan doesn’t have to work for the Elves to be happy. It’s a bit more complex than that, but yeah,Sera’s personal identityisn’t at odds with her racial one—it’s at war.
Vivienne
Vivienne’s dual identity is more subtle, but it exists. The subtlety comes from her mastery of the Orlesian Game, perhaps, but also because she represents this middle ground of a Loyalist Mage. That itself feels somewhat contradictory, but it does make sense. Some mages are loyal to the Circle and Chantry. Instead, her dual identity lies in how she excels at places that are foreign to her. She’s the Adviser to Empress Celene, despite being born to merchants of Rivain, born and raised in The Free Marches. She didn’t come to Orlais until she was 19, but she quickly mastered Orlesian Politics and rose to her status. She pretends to be regal, but underneath everything, she is incredibly petty (in respectable ways). She’ll test the Inquisitor by rearranging furniture based on their choices with the mages; she’s also quite duplicitous, as one would expect from Orlesian politics, because banter with Cole will reveal she manipulated the Marquis during her recruitment.
None of this is to necessarily harp on Vivienne, as she has a lot of positives and is one of my favoritemages inDragon Age: Inquisition, but her wrath and pettiness undermine her cool, calm, and regal composure.
Dorian
Dorian, bless his heart, can find the good in anything. It’s clear how much he lovesthe Tevinter Imperium, but he is aware of the personal slights, the slights against other countries, and the slights against the world Tevinter has committed. His dual identity is somewhat simple. He hates being seen as the archetypal “Good Tevinter” in the South, but that’s also what he wants for all his countrymen - for Tevinter’s moral decay to stop and for his country to be able to hold its head high. He doesn’t want to be the only Good Tevinter; he wants Tevinter to be good.
Solas
Then, of course, there’s Solas: the meek, unassuming Elf who is The Dread Wolf, whatever that entails. His plans lead to the creation of The Veilguard, and it’s so interesting that his dual identity is more hidden than everyone else here. Sure, those who pay close attention to his words know there’s a little more to him, but it’s not until he seemingly absorbs Mythal’s power and his eyes glow at theend ofDragon Age: Inquisitionthat something malicious seems realistic.
Indeed, what’s more is how his challenges of identity are visible in all ofDragon Age: Inquisition’s companions, but none of them—even those that should—ever realize. Leliana looks into his disappearance at the end of the game, but she never realizes his plans or his infiltration of the Inquisition. The Iron Bull’s keen Tal-Vashoth skills don’t sniff him out, Cole keeps Solas' pain to himself, and Varric never sees through his friend’s pain (the same mistake he made with Blondie). Like Cassandra, he is torn between his duty and his ideals; like Dorian, he’s torn between what he represents of The People and what The People could be. Even like Sera, his identity as Solas is at odds with his racialidentity as The Dread Wolf. And that dual identity carries over into the Inquisition itself and, for this to really be done right, I hope it’s in the Veilguard too.
The Inquisition’s Strengths Become Its Weakness
The Inquisition is another example of dual identity and one that I believe will carry over intoDragon Age: Veilguardas well. I know this is tinfoil hat territory but bear with me. At its core, The Inquisition is a diplomatic, militant intelligence organization, assymbolized by Josephine, Cullen, and Leliana. It was a little upstart before becoming the type of organization that it rallied against. It is both Ferelden and Orlesian, but neither. It is both an intimate operation, at least in the Inner Circle, and not. It is a fight against corruption, both literally in the Blight/Corypheus and philosophically with what goes on with the Mages/Templars/Grey Wardens and so forth.
In accumulating power, especially among the Inner Circle, companions leave (or can leave) behind their past factions or see them become subservient to the Inquisition. Sera and her Red Jennies are an example of the latter, while Blackwall/The Grey Wardens and Iron Bull are examples of the former. When and if they don’t, the Inquisition becomes corrupted itself. The Iron Bull begins to spy on the Inquisition for the Qun (if he does not become Tal Vashoth) among other Qunari spies, and inDragon Age: Inquisition’s Trespasser DLC, Solas' elves have infiltrated the Inquisition. Solas wields the Inquisition against the Qunari and reveals his schemes, knowing they have become too big. As he says in Trespassers, his spies tripped over the Qunari spies within the organization, leading to this entire sequence of events. Trespasser begins with the question of what the Inquisition is without Corypheus, and it ends with the player’s choice of whether they believe The Inquisition can resist becoming corrupt if it remains. It’s a beautiful dichotomy, but it’s not a complete one. That’s whereDragon Age: Veilguardcomes in.
How Dragon Age: Veilguard May Be Leaning Into Dual Identities As Well
The Inquisition and Veilguard Are Two Sides of the Same Coin
I am proudly wearing my tinfoil hat here, but even I’ll admit that this major thematic component couldn’t be predicted on a minute level. I have no idea how dual identity could be explored among most ofDragon Age: Veilguard’s companions, but the bigger picture is a little easier to see.
All marketing and trailers forDragon Age: Veilguardpaint the new organization as less than the Inquisition; in fact, it’s called a Fellowship, which suggests a completely different power dynamic than The Inquisition. Whereas The Inquisition took power from others and made it its own, even if for the greater good, it seemsthis Veilguard and Fellowshipwill instead rely on the power of others. I think the best way to see this as completing the incomplete dichotomy of the Inquisition. In the Inquisition, the companions represent the power of larger institutions: Dorian represents Tevinter Mages, Blackwall represents The Grey Wardens,Cassandra represents The Seekers and Chantry, and so forth. They represent the factions that have become entwined, subservient, or otherwise part of the Inquisition.
The Inquisition represents someone who gains power, but as past marketing has suggested, Rook is someone without power. He’s essentially Frodo fromLord of the Rings; based on what we’ve learned aboutDragon Age: Veilguard’s prologue, Rook is essentially burdened with carrying Solas around inside him and stopping what he has unleashed, just like Frodo has to carry the ring. Frodo relies on the other members of the Fellowship to make his journey doable, just like Rook will. The Inquisition needed power to do what it did, so everything had to answer to The Inquisitor. On the flip side, it sounds like the institutions represent the companions inVeilguard: how can Davrin and The Grey Wardens contribute to the fellowship? How can Lucanis and the Antivan Crows contribute to the fellowship? How can Emmrich and the Mourn Watch contribute to the fellowship? The various institutions come together with a representative, instead of representatives bringing institutions together, like in the Inquisition.
From size and intent to relationships with companions and factions, it would seem that Veilguard and Inquisition become their own dual identities for combatting Solas.
Inklings of Dual Identities Among Rook and Veilguard Companions
Of course, it remains to be seen. I could be wrong, but I really think I see the vision here. I will gladly admit I am wrong when the game comes out if that’s the case, BUT while we’re in tinfoil hat territory…
The Ring creates a tragic dual identity in Smeagol and Gollum, and we even see that influence trying to take shape on Frodo, who he can trust, what he says, and how he acts about The Ring and those around him. IfSolas is trapped in the Fade but tied to Rook through Blood Magic(as it’s hinted at), then Rook is…well, essentially they are an abomination, not unlike Anders and Vengeance. I also buy into the theory that Solas is something like a Spirit of Creation and that the Dread Wolf is its nature perverted (like Spirits becoming demons) if for no other reason than the rule of cool. Players are both Rook and Rook with Solas' voice in their ear. That’s a dual identity right there.
I ain’t done.
The Elven mage and Veilguard companion Bellara has a bow. I repeat, the Elven mage. has. a. bow. That’s already some kind of implied dual identity between a rogue and a mage there, but I think it’ll go even further. The prologue showsElgar’nan and Ghilan’nain escaping their prison in the Fade, the latter of whom was a huntress of The People and Andruil’s chosen, the youngest elf to ever become a “God.” Andruil is the Elven goddess of the Hunt and, of course, magic is inherent to The People. Andruil could perhaps be envisioned as a bow and magic long beforeVeilguardwas revealed, and Bellara possesses both. If Bellara isn’t also Andruil, I’ll eat my hat.
Nah, nah, we still ain’t done. HOW doesHarding have magic powers? That simply didn’t exist beforeDragon Age: Inquisition’s DLC, which means the events of The Descent are important and somehow Harding was impacted. I’m not sure where Valta is, but if Harding represents rogues and mages like Bellara does, that’s a basic dual identity right there. Pile the lore on top, and this could go in any number of exciting directions since companion builds are unique to them. Davrin is billed as a monster hunter and a Grey Warden. Taash is a renowned Dragon Hunter, and we have to know the full relationship between The Qunari, Dragons, and the “decay in their blood” - thanks to Corypheus for fueling THAT obsession for 10 years. According toTevinter Nights, Lucanis feels an “itch behind his eyeball” whenever something taps into The Fade, like what does that even mean? And there’s still Neve and Emmrich and how they tie into all of this too.
Dual Identity was a key part ofDragon Age: Inquisition, and while it remains to be seen how heavilyVeilguardleans into that, it seems obvious to me that it’ll play a big role, even if all my conspiracy theories are wrong.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
WHERE TO PLAY
Enter the world of Thedas, a vibrant land of rugged wilderness, treacherous labyrinths, and glittering cities – steeped in conflict and secret magics. Now, a pair of corrupt ancient gods have broken free from centuries of darkness and are hellbent on destroying the world.Thedas needs someone they can count on. Rise as Rook, Dragon Age’s newest hero. Be who you want to be and play how you want to play as you fight to stop the gods from blighting the world. But you can’t do this alone – the odds are stacked against you. Lead a team of seven companions, each with their own rich story to discover and shape, and together you will become The Veilguard.
