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Census Survey Results, Pt. 10 - Opinions, DA2

With all the main responses posted, these last few posts are on the optional page at the survey where you were invited to give your opinion on each game and its companions, as well as giving you some text boxes to provide your views!

These ones are going to be long, so there's your advance warning. Believe me, this is me having cut it down as much as I could.

Most of these questions got hundreds of text responses (again, thank you so much - these were fascinating to read through, even if it took a long time!), so I've gone through and selected some that I think:

cover a range of opinions

make good or interesting points I don't commonly see

or sometimes they were just entertaining!

Please note that opinions being showcased here do not mean I personally agree with them - I did my best to give attention to a spread of perspectives, though obviously keep in mind I can only work with what I have; if a character got overwhelmingly positive or negative text responses, the discrepancy will probably show. There will likely be opinions here that you passionately agree with and passionately disagree with, so keep in mind that these are just video games and pixel people, while the survey respondents aren't. Responding to/commenting on results and points made is fine, but be civil.

Age range and gender signifier is included at the end of each response just for the sake of differentiating and giving people an easier way to spot their own responses if they were included. :) Onto the second game and its companions -

Dragon Age II

I love it (67.9%), I like it (18.9%), I have mixed/conflicted feelings (7.4%), I haven't played it (3.2%), I'm indifferent (1.1%), I dislike it (1%), I hate it (0.5%)

Baseline: Has its technical and structural flaws widely acknowledged, but its characters, tragedy, and intimate scale make it uniquely personal for people

Recurring points of praise:

The companions (the best/most iconic companion cast in Dragon Age; complicated, flawed, and recognisably human; more independent than companions in the other games; closely integrated into the central plot rather than accompanying Hawke because they share a mission; memorable even when respondents can't remember most individual quests)

Its smaller and more personal scope (Hawke being a refugee and comparatively ordinary person rather than a divinely chosen hero; political events growing out of local tensions and personal relationships; family, immigration, grief, and economic survival grounding the larger conflicts; Kirkwall becoming familiar over time; the same people and institutions changing across several years; Hawke becoming important because they repeatedly intervene, rather than possessing a special power or status from the beginning)

The tragedy and Hawke's inability to fix everything (Hawke's story invert the usual RPG power fantasy; individual heroism can't repair systemic oppression; success in one act often creates or fails to prevent a later disaster; love and effort retain emotional significance even when they can't avert the ending; Hawke is repeatedly blamed for crises larger than any individual could control)

Hawke as a defined protagonist (the diplomatic, humorous, and aggressive personality system; later ambient dialogue reflecting the personality used most often; the family and refugee background being integrated into the plot; different Hawkes feeling distinctive despite sharing a fixed identity; purple Hawke's humour in particular; the opportunity to depart suddenly from a usual personality when a situation becomes personal)

The friendship/rivalry system

Kirkwall as a place and almost a character

The three-act structure and passage of time (rumours becoming quests after more information emerges; each act's central crisis being visible before its true significance becomes clear; companions changing jobs, relationships, and beliefs between acts; Hawke gradually becoming wealthier and more influential; Kirkwall deteriorating rather than simply waiting for the protagonist; Act 2 functioning as Hawke's apparent peak before everything collapses)

Varric and the unreliable narrator framing

The combat (speed and responsiveness; flashier animation; dual-wielding rogue movement; mage staff attacks at close range; force mage abilities and spell combinations; shorter, more accessible encounters; the satisfaction of clearing gangs and moving quickly through the game)

Recurring criticisms:

Reused maps and environments (caves and warehouses being visibly identical; previously blocked doorways being used to pretend a map is different; Kirkwall feeling visually empty/small; difficulty remembering individual quests because every location blends together; exploration losing any sense of discovery; repetition making subsequent playthroughs expose the game's seams)

The rushed and unfinished production (recycled assets; Act 3 feeling unfinished; missing routes/choices; rough animation; abrupt plot turns; weak encounter design; scrapped content and unresolved storylines; limited companion conversations; inconsistent pacing; the game ending before Hawke's planned story was complete)

Act 3 and the ending (Meredith and Orsino both becoming mandatory boss fights regardless of Hawke's position; Orsino's transformation feeling unjustified; Meredith's behaviour being partially attributed to the idol rather than her own ideology; choices appearing to narrow sharply; pro-mage Hawkes being unable to act as strongly as players expect; Anders involving Hawke without allowing them to discover or knowingly support his plan; the game forcing its set pieces at the cost of player agency)

Limited roleplaying compared with Origins

Companion hostility (constant squabbling in banter; companions appearing to genuinely despise one another; party selection becoming stressful; "disaster found family" being more fan interpretation than canon; some relationships receiving conflict without enough affection or development to balance it)

Mage-templar framing and political centrism (the escalation of blood magic and possession being used to counterbalance templar brutality; the narrative treating anger at oppression as an equivalent danger to the oppression itself)

Qunari writing and racism

Combat encounter design (enemies materialising in successive waves; difficulty being created by adding more bodies rather than more interesting tactics; unclear balancing; Nightmare difficulty making certain classes/companions impractical; less tactical control than Origins; reduced weapon flexibility)

Recurring division points:

Its rushed construction is considered both its defining weakness and part of its distinctive charm

Its unavoidable tragedy is experienced as either thematically powerful or frustratingly railroaded

The friendship/rivalry system makes relationships richer while sometimes encouraging unnatural play

Text response selection:

“As I was playing it was such a slog, with so much hate I just wanted it over ASAP. Now that there’s been some space,I can recognize that it does have good bones and is the only other game to replicate the sheer grit and grimdark energy the first game and books put forth. That being said, the presentation was abysmal and abhorrent. As I was filling out this quiz I had to think very hard back to my decisions because I mentally checked out very early on. My friend and I have since gone back and rewritten this game for ourselves, with our canons in mind, sprucing up and accentuating parts that just needed more oomph, and I like what we’ve done. I don’t like the base game.” - 18-22NB

“This is the game that I've had the least trouble getting to run on my PC, and that has definitely biased me in its favor. But I also appreciate its less traditional storytelling format, taking place over seven years of one person's life and showing how the people and places change over that time. I also really love how Hawke is a hero not because they have to be it or because they have any unique abilities, but simply because they're the only one to stand up and be one.” - 28-35F

“When I first played it, I really enjoyed Dragon Age 2 on my first run and then felt increasingly let down on subsequent playthroughs. It's not a good game to play a bunch of different runs for, because the seams start to show very quickly. It wears its terrible dev crunch on its sleeve, for good or ill. The horribly repetitive combat and level design are the worst of it, but the fact that some routes are clearly unfinished and feel like they don't really take your choices into account (in Act 3 in particular) are also difficult to swallow. The tonal change also bothered me a lot when I was younger, coming from Origins' more medieval fantasy tone to the relatively more modern, Joss-Whedon-esque humor and dialogue felt like too much of a clash. In retrospect, however, I think DAII for all its faults was where the series started forming its series identity--not as a standard Medieval Fantasy Quest type of RPG franchise, but a fantasy world inhabited by relatable people with relatable problems (and the dialogue definitely wasn't as tonally jarring as it could have been, looking at VG.) Whatever you can say about its execution, the corruption and polarization in Kirkwall felt more real and grim, as well as thought-provoking, than the threat of the Blight in Origins. The contrast between Kirkwall and Ferelden helped to flesh out the world, and this is really the game where Thedas' visual style was first formed (as Origins' visuals were largely generic.) I wish that it had been given the budget and time that it needed. While the roleplaying element still felt like it was prioritized in the quest design, the personality indicator structure of designing Hawke's personality was obviously far more limited than Origins' silent protagonist with many dialogue options approach. I think that I will always prefer the Origins method of roleplaying, but I do appreciate that you were allowed to pick personalities that were DISTINCT from each other, and that the freedom to choose any option at any time meant that you could break character and therefore define your Hawke's personality further (such as a diplomatic hawke suddenly picking an aggressive option for someone they have beef with.) I can't deny that I just thought this entry was very cool and digestible, and the sound design alone sends me deep into nostalgia land. Plus, this game has my favorite companions in the series, not just because of how they were written but because of their integration into the main plot and the strength of their personal questlines. I missed the long conversations from Origins, but I don't feel as if they were required to get a handle on who they were as people. Legacy is also my favorite DLC, and I liked Mark of the Assassin as well, so.” - 28-35F

“I fucking love this game. Literally my favorite game of any series of all time. It's rushed and the environments suck, but there's such heart to the story and characters! The characters!!! They're so complicated and compelling bc they sometimes suck but in a way that makes complete sense with their biases and/or life experiences in mind. And the themes of family and loss and immigration and fascism and politics and religion and slavery and oppression?? Ooouuuhhggggghhg. There's also some really interesting and well-thought-out lore you can find that I wish was more obvious!! I really enjoy the skill tree, level progression, and friendship/rivalry mechanics too. This may be kind of an unpopular opinion, but I do really enjoyed the combat. It was really satisfying to me.” - 18-22M

“Objectively, a lot of DA2 is a hot mess. Even so, I adore it - its rushed production meant that many of the rough edges that usually get sanded off remain, and because of that so many of its character and story beats feel visceral in a way that other games in the series don't. I love the framework of Varric's storytelling that calls every detail of the narrative into question: is he even telling the truth? And the characters! They're flawed, and they're fascinating, and more than any other game they drive the plot as much as (or more than) the protagonist.” - 28-35NB

“i fucking love tragedies!!!! i love player characters that have personalities and backgrounds baked into the narrative!!! i love messy group dynamics and political conflicts and i love isabela dragon age most of all!!!!!!!” - 28-35NB

“The layers in this deeply flawed game compel me. The story of grief and home and loss. How everything is doomed from the beginning even though Hawke does so much. An individual can’t fix systemic problems but they sure can be blamed for them. I’m insane about this game. It’s so bad in so many ways. I could probably list all of them. The narrative and relationships though. Everything is fucked up and beautiful.” - 23-27

“Best game hands down. A tragedy thats very character focused and driven. I know earlier I said Anders did the wrong thing; to clarify i support him exploding the chantry, I do not agree with him lying to me and making me help him gather ingredients under false pretenses. Just tell me the plan and let me help with logistics, for fucks sake man youve known me 10 years by now you KNOW im down.” - 36-45F

“Criminally underrated. Easily the most compelling and increasingly relevant. I first played it in 2020 at the height of BLM and the ending totally hit different.” - 23-27F

“i heard da2 is gonna win best game of the year this 2026” - 23-27F

“Some of the best character writing in video games, but I don't love Act 3. I don't like how Hawke is brought in to help Anders with his plan and the player has no opportunity to find out before blowing up the Chantry. It would have added so much to Act 3 if Hawke could find out and then make a choice to continue helping or try to stop Anders (either with sabotage or maybe narc-ing to Meredith). Point is, it feels like player agency is yoinked from us at the last second to make sure the set piece takes place as planned.” - 28-35M

“it suffers from not enough time in development and it really shows, but i love how the quests pop up as rumors first and quests later, once you've discovered more information, and how the main quest of each act is visible from the very beginning but you don't know what it means or how it's going to happen until you're at the end of each act. i love the way kirkwall looks and feels and how the story builds up over a decade of in-game time, and how it really feels like a ragtag band that's come together as friends and rivals.” - 23-27NB

“Hawke may genuinely be one of my favourite video game protagonists of all time. The combat is really fun, especially as a dual-wielding rogue - I love how fast and snappy it is, I love backflipping over people and stabbing them in the back, I love how satisfying all the sounds are. I’m someone who gets tired of constant combat easily and will get fed up if it’s happening too often, but I found myself going out of my way to initiate it in DA2 with Lowtown gangs etc. just because I found it genuinely enjoyable. The characters are well-written and detailed and human in a way none of the other games quite match up to, even with characters I’m also emotionally invested in there. I love that the Kirkwall crew aren’t there because they have to defeat a world-ending threat or because they work for the same organisation, but just because they’re a group of friends in the same shitty stinky city and they care about Hawke even when they bicker and tease each other.” - 23-27M

“A lot of the criticisms of DA2 are very fair. But a lot of it is also things that age like fine wine. The rivalry/friendship system - and rivalry romances - are one of the most innovative and powerful things I have ever seen and it let you explore the companions in a way that is impossible to emulate any other way. It really makes playing the game a second time totally different if you go in a different way with the relationships - and it shows a lot about your hawke too. This game also is just so rich in choices that make your hawke unique over time and I love it. But the reused assets is frustrating, the level balancing isn't great past act 1, and there's just so many little things that feel weird (like only being able to teach fenris to read if you flirt with him - that's so gross)” - 28-35F

“it's my favorite. chewy story I've thought about for years and it's also so so bad. Act 3 save your sibling or romanced party member quest and Thrask tells Grace she's gone too far. There's a silent beat that lingers on him too long. He turns away from the camera. Finally cut to Grace and she thrusts the blunt end of a non-bladed staff into her gut to do evil scary blood magic. Game of all time. Anders is in this one.” - 28-35F

“This game should not be comforting/cozy, and yet it's the one I come back to the most, Kirkwall is so messed up but it feels like coming home anyway.” - 36-45NB

Anders

I love him (48.9%), I have mixed/conflicted feelings (20.6%), I like him (20.3%), I dislike him (5.9%), I hate him (3.3%), I'm indifferent (1%)

Baseline: Respondents overwhelmingly find him compelling, but split sharply over whether his final act was justified and whether his personality makes him tragic or unbearable

Recurring points of praise:

His commitment to mage liberation earns strong admiration

His years of peaceful work make his eventual radicalisation understandable

His deterioration creates a compelling tragedy

His relationship with Justice adds psychological and thematic complexity

His romance delivers powerful tragedy and angst

His difficult personality makes him feel unusually autonomous (doesn't exist merely to agree with Hawke; pursues a major plan behind the protagonist's back; has beliefs and priorities that can outweigh his relationship with the player; can be petty, jealous, or cruel while fighting for a just cause; forces the player to respond to his choices rather than making those choices for him; remains politically and emotionally difficult even at high friendship)

His transformation from Awakening gives both versions additional meaning

Recurring criticisms:

His self-righteousness and single-mindedness become exhausting

His treatment of Merrill and Fenris is widely condemned

His romance can feel possessive, manipulative, or emotionally unsafe

His deception makes Hawke feel used and betrayed

The Chantry explosion kills innocents and may worsen the situation for mages

His DA2 personality can feel disconnected from Awakening

Respondents frequently perceive hostility or prejudice in his writing (ableist in its use of mental illness and possession; biphobic or reluctant to acknowledge his bisexuality consistently; particularly uncomfortable in the f!Hawke romance; too interested in presenting rivalry or emotional mistreatment as the correct response; reducing Justice to an expression of Anders' anger or instability; adding extreme cruelty that they consider inconsistent with both earlier characters)

Fandom discourse negatively affects how some respondents view him

Recurring division points:

His destruction of the Chantry is viewed as either necessary resistance or an indefensible atrocity

His change from Awakening is interpreted as either tragic continuity or inconsistent character replacement

His romance is considered both emotionally powerful and coercive

Anders and Justice are blamed in very different proportions

Text response selection:

“Blowing up the Chantry was fine, getting butthurt because his flirting in act 1 was turned down isn't.” - 28-35F

“Romancing him, being betrayed by him (in the form of Chantry bombing) since he didn't trust you enough, sparing him but breaking it off before the final battle because of the betrayal, and still having him say the line "Ten years, a hundred years from now, someone like me will love someone like you, and there will be no templars to tear them apart" absolutely crushed me. Listening to PJ Harvey's 'A Place Called Home' on repeat staring at a wall. In my head Hawke and Anders leave Kirkwall and it's terrible and difficult. In spite of it all they stay together, not necessarily romantically, until Hawke dies in the Fade and Anders dies of the Calling 💜” - 28-35F

“Tbh my opinion of Anders is hard to untangle from my opinion of his fans. He does and says a lot of gross shit that gets written off as "bad writing", when I think the in-game fact of his already existing flaws getting warped into cruelty by Justice, and himself warping Justice in turn, is a lot more interesting and tragic” - 28-35NB

“Fabulous character, should have assassinated Elthina and/or Meredith instead of blowing up the Chantry. More targeted attack.” - 36-45NB

“Big fan of how he tries so hard to do things peacefully for so long, but eventually realizes that nothing short of lethal force will bring the needed change. Bc yea. Sometimes you really need to stand your ground in the face of fascism by any means necessary, even if it means people get hurt or die. And people always seem to forget that he didn't immediately resort to terrorism. That was his last-ditch attempt to make mage's voices heard, and I think people are kind of unfair to him.” - 18-22M

“I love Anders until he goes off the deep end in the final act. The attempt at manipulation at the end really fucks with me personally and sours a lot of the past relationship. I hope he was able to find growth and peace in the aftermath of everything” - 23-27F

“hes way more sad but I like when you can see the bits of his previous life poking through. I also think it's so funny he asks fenris if he ever thought about killing himself” - 28-35NB

“He did nothing wrong, the Chantry Boom was the sexiest thing that's ever happened in a game.” - 28-35NB

“jennifer hepler tried to write an unlikeable irredeemable ableist character and accidentally ended up writing a really good portrayal of someone who is so committed to his beliefs that he has blinders to everything else, who puts his cause over himself and his loved ones without remorse, who works himself to the bone taking care of underprivileged people for free, who is fighting with the feeling of having another person in his mind and body who he can’t talk to and fearing that his identity might be lost. anders is often wrong, he often makes decisions that are difficult to grapple with, and i think that’s a good thing. he’s mean to fenris and merrill, he blames justice for things that are his own fault, he won’t outright tell hawke about his plan even if he 100% believes they would be on his side because he doesn’t want them to be punished for his actions. he puts mage freedom above anything else, and that kind of single-minded thinking has consequences! he’s not perfect by any means but he did what had to be done. after 7 years of quiet resistance, watching conditions for mages slowly get worse and worse, drastic action had to be taken. it makes perfect sense to me” - 23-27M

“i genuinely think anders is one of the most interesting and unique characters ive come across in fiction as a whole. hes a freedom fighter and a doctor that runs free clinics. hes possessed by an idea that has become inextricably entwined with his worldview to the point where they lose separation in degrees so that hes corrupting the spirit while the spirit changes him. hes flirty. hes a runaway. hes been tortured. hes the only one to realize that the status quo cant be changed by anything other than a violent awakening. anders dragonage the character that you are…” - 23-27NB

“they took. his kitty cat.... “ - 28-35NB

“If you want the angst, Anders is your man. I once did a red/aggressive playthrough that romanced him, and it's really interesting to see how much more Justice comes out to talk in that version of events. Really dysfunctional, but probably the only 'Rival-mance' that can justify its own existence and not feel ENTIRELY like it's just abusive.” - 28-35F

“Really like him. I think he’s correct and most of the discourse around his blowing up the chantry stems from white liberals being uncomfortable with the concept of oppressed people having exhausted options for liberation being forced to turn to violence. It’s compelling writing that he’s a dick to Fenris and Merrill - good depiction of the sort of lateral violence that can occur between different minority groups.” - 28-35NB

“Look, Anders HAS done wrong, but it's not blowing up a chantry or starting a civil war, it's being a dick to Merrill.” - 23-27F

“Honestly it's not the possession or the secrets, it's the lack of sexy earring that turned love into like.” - 28-35F

“Have I mentioned he's my fave? He's my faaaaave. Funnily, a friend asked me a few days ago what is the difference between Anders and other romanceable characters, what made me so attached, and that's what I answered: I'm so amazed that he hasn't given up, even though he's lived through all this horrible stuff and is still in a living nightmare. That he's still there even though it looks so hopeless. And that he's not just keeping his head down, trying to survive, but trying to change something actively about the situation of the mages and even though he's hated and feared (incorrectly) he helps people. It's mind blowing and commendable to me. And while he's doing that he looks good, holds his ground, can't help falling in love, has his flaws, isn't an easy character, hasn't lost his humor and says stuff that has ingrained itself into my head, from "you are the one bright light in Kirkwall", "it's still a thrill to turn and see you beside me" to the famous "No mage I know has ever dared to fall in love, this is the rule I will most cherish breaking". They come so often with a hint of sadness or doom and yet he keeps trying, I love him. His opener in DA2 got me immediately, what an entrance. What a guy 😍.” - 36-45F

“He feels extremely one-note to me. And while a single-minded focus to a cause is interesting, him ONLY focusing and talking about the same thing the entire game gets tired quick. I wish we got to see more of the side of him from Awakening; the boyish, flirty jokester. I understand that he went through a lot but he really does feel like an entirely different character.” - 23-27NB

“I love him, he was my rotten soldier in Awakening and I friendmanced him first in my first playthrough as a teen. Didn't realise how insanely toxic it was until replaying recently. It's a beautiful tragic story with him as a romance and the choice at the end, I think his romance adds a lot more layers to the tragedy of Hawke and I love hurting her. I wish Hawke could have knowingly helped him, but I am also choosing to believe that they could have and Varric just always tells Cassandra that Hawke had no clue- or Hawke tells Varric that. I had to scroll back up because I remembered a line that sticks with me. "One day, someone like you will love someone like me, and there won't be templars to keep them apart" and I just like that line. Let's commit crimes for a better future for everyone. Also this line came true- lucanis is romanced a lot without persecution” - 23-27F

Aveline Vallen

I love her (31.4%), I like her (31.4%), I have mixed/conflicted feelings (18.7%), I dislike her (8.8%), I'm indifferent (6.4%), I hate her (3.2%)

Baseline: Respondents often value her as a friend and character while strongly disapproving of how she uses (and fails to use) her authority

Recurring points of praise:

Her loyalty to Hawke makes her feel like family

Her friendship and rivalry with Hawke are both compelling

Her grief and protectiveness give her emotional depth

Her strength and responsible presence balance the party

Her romantic awkwardness is endearing

Her less conventionally feminine presentation resonates with many respondents

Her hypocrisy and cognitive dissonance make her fascinating

Recurring criticisms:

Her position as guard captain makes her appear corrupt and hypocritical (protects Hawke's group despite their extensive criminal activity; favours Donnic professionally and personally; shields guards from consequences; enforces laws selectively; uses Hawke to perform guard work unofficially; claims moral authority while routinely breaking the law herself; reproduces the same corruption she supposedly replaced)

Her handling of violence against elves is heavily condemned

Her failure to investigate serious crimes makes later tragedies feel preventable

Her treatment of Isabela and Merrill is misogynistic and prejudiced

Her refusal to help Carver is viewed as a personal betrayal

The narrative doesn't challenge her flaws enough

Her personal story focuses on Donnic instead of her power and politics

She can feel boring, sanctimonious, or overly conventional

Recurring division points:

Her loyalty makes her a reassuring friend while her selective protection makes that loyalty morally troubling

Her awkward courtship is considered either endearing comedy or an abuse of Donnic's workplace position

Her role as guard captain is interpreted as either pragmatic reform or institutional complicity

Text response selection:

“ACAB but she looks very polite.” - 28-35F

“ACAB includes Aveline. I used to think she was cool at 16 and then I stopped licking boots and realized she's pretty corrupt and part of the degeneration between relations between kirkwall and the Qunari is related to how shitty the city guards are.” - 23-27NB

“I get what the writers meant with her but first of all ACAB, second of all, tHERE WAS A SERIAL RAPIST TARGETING ELVES THAT SHE REFUSED TO INVESTIGATE RIGHT AFTER THE SERIAL KILLER WHO KILLED LEANDRA THAT SHE REFUSED TO INVESTIGATE, third of all ACAB, and fourth of all the vicious slut-shaming and misogyny against Isabela and anti-Dalish racism against Merrill. Like pick a struggle, Pippy Longstocking.” - 28-35NB

“The fact that she’s seen every level of Kirkwall society and yet still fights to uphold the status quo that would have seen her starve to death as a refugee disgusts me” - 28-35NB

“She's so interesting and I wish people would stop writing her off because she's sort of a bad person. Her rivalry route with Hawke where they have this weird unbreakable antagonistic bond is one of my favourite relationships in the game.” - 23-27M

“a cool character trapped in weird companion narrative design that never really explores the most interesting things about her. idgaf about donnic i hope jakey dies can we talk about the role of the guard in the mage templar conflict and your relationship to institutions and authority.” - 18-22F

“Aveline feels like an interesting mirror/paraller for Hawke both in friendship and rivalry routes. Their shared refugee background but different ways to make it in Kirkwall is so important.” - 28-35F

“I have never been a fan of Aveline and I really blame her Templar husband and sensibilities for this. I know it's necessary from a game quests standpoint but I always hated that she'd ask you to do stuff for the guard, but then wouldn't use her position to help you in return. Also her thing with the elves (chasing them down for murdering their sister's rapist murderer, when they were trying to join the Qunari bc a literal Cult was going to treat them as elves better than the justice system Kirkwall) at the end of Act 2 Pissed Me Off.” - 23-27NB

“i won’t stand by aveline slander writing her off as “a cop” and not thinking about anything else about her. aveline is fiercely loyal. on a friendship route, she stands by hawke even when she disagrees with the jobs hawke takes her on, because helping her friends is more important than the law. this makes her a very corrupt guard captain—she favors donnic, she lets hawke and co.’s crimes slide. she is not good at her job as a guard captain, let’s make that clear. she wants to protect people, and more than anyone else she wants to protect those she loves, after watching wesley die or killing him with her own hand. YES she says some pretty bad things to isabela, that’s because the writers are misogynists and a lot of pretty bad things are said about isabela across the board—but aveline is also always grappling with isabela being a criminal versus the companionship they’re developing in hawke’s company. yes, aveline is a criminal too, she’s a hypocrite. her morals are questionable. her priorities are also questionable. that’s what makes her so interesting. she is a woman who cares so much and wants to be a protector and when choices have to be made about who to protect, she’ll choose her friends over a whole city. she won’t lose her loved ones again. she’s forever grieving and i don’t think she ever gets over it even if she marries donnic or has something homoerotic going on with fhawke which is so awesome” - 23-27M

“i like her but i think the game presenting her as a non-corrupt cop in contrast with her predecessor, when she’s clearly breaking the law to protect hawke was kind of ineptly done.” - 36-45M

“I loved her personal quest in particular. As a woman who tends towards 'masculine' hobbies and preferences like her, it was so nice that the game was like "yeah, she deserves a man who makes her happy."” - 46-55F

“She's a great portrayal of someone who you maybe love but don't necessarily like that much. I appreciate how she clearly has her whole own life complete with a full-time job and potentially a marriage, but she still makes time for her friend Hawke and all the bullshit they put the gang through. She's someone you met during a challenging time in both your lives and that has forged a deep bond between you, even if under different circumstances you may not be the sort of people who ever hung out. You don't get that a lot in media, I think, which is a shame. Aveline is interesting.” - 28-35NB

“I feel like she's the one character in DA2 that doesn't get to have nuance. When she's accused of bias in her leadership we don't get to examine it at all, and we don't get to call her out on blocking Carvers guard application which I think sucks, and then there's the whole thing with the elves who's sister was raped by a guard and her response is something we should get to interrogate more. It feels like the game has decided she's always in the right, and they don't do that for any other companion” - 23-27NB

The moment I started disliking her was when I learned that after she got into the city with the Hawke family, she turned around and refused to help Carver get a job with the Guard. I mean, excuse me??? Hawke and Carver were indentured servants for a year while she got to waltz into the city, and then she refuses to help this 19-year-old desperate kid who just wants a job to help feed his family? Carver's desperation in Act 1, and its knock-on effects in his story, can be pretty largely set at her feet.” - 28-35F

“Every single thing that goes wrong in Act 2 is Aveline's fault. She is the reason Kirkwall sucks. Leandra dies? Aveline's fault. Leandra dies because of a serial killer - one that Aveline refused to investigate and ACTIVELY STOPPED OTHER PEOPLE FROM INVESTIGATING. She is so incompetent that she was literally helping the serial killer. The Blackpowder Courtesy? Aveline's fault because her guards were corrupt The Qunari Rebellion? The final straw was the elven viddathari. Her guards were raping people and she protected her corrupt staff over the people of the alienage. Racist and incompetent and then she's mad that the Qunari gave them sanctuary. She is a corrupt racist cop and I hate her.” - 28-35F

“I am in a minority but I weirdly enjoy Aveline as a character- she has so much cognitive dissonance and she genuinely cannot see how corrupt she is or how much the guards do not actually help the people of the city. It would be great if that was on purpose but from a death of the author reading of just the text she's fascinating. Also she wants to fuck Act3 red Hawke so bad it makes her look stupid. Anyway Lukas Kristjanson you will answer for your misogyny crimes” - 36-45F

“That speech about 'no one tells you how to grieve' still sticks with me. Not my favorite character, but I do like how her and hawke keep in touch. I do agree with criticisms that it's impossible NOT to support her in her guard escapades” - 23-27F

“I like Aveline! I think her character writing struggles sometimes with establishing exactly how good or bad she is at her job, but I appreciate the complexity of her relationship with Hawke and how her feelings on the mage/templar conflict evolve and how she struggles with anti-mage biases in a way that seem like a very honest portrayal of law enforcement. She's not always the good guy! And I think it's good to have a text that shows that law enforcement is often preferential and ineffective.” - 23-27NB

Bethany Hawke

I love her (45.5%), I like her (34.6%), I'm indifferent (14.3%), I have mixed/conflicted feelings (3.9%), I dislike her (1.1%), I hate her (0.7%)

Baseline: Respondents are deeply fond of her, with many arguing that her suppressed anger and guilt make her far more complex than her "sweet little sister" reputation suggests

Recurring points of praise:

Her warmth and little sister relationship inspire fierce protectiveness

Her suppressed anger and resentment give her hidden complexity

Her Warden route is especially compelling

Her Circle route is tragic and psychologically rich

Her relationship with Hawke gives the family story emotional weight

Her loving sibling dynamic feels realistic to respondents with similar families

Her sweetness and combat ability create a compelling contrast

Recurring criticisms:

She can feel too bland or agreeable to remain engaging

The game doesn't foreground her deeper personality enough

Mage players are prevented from knowing her properly

Carver's more overt conflict can make him the more compelling sibling

None of her possible outcomes feel truly happy or self-determined

Her fandom portrayal as pure "sunshine" is considered reductive

Recurring division points:

Her sweetness is considered either genuine warmth or a mask for suppressed anger

Her Circle and Grey Warden outcomes offer competing versions of fulfilment

Text response selection:

“I'm emotionally attached to her to a weird degree I don't know how to explain it but she's the only videogame character I can never let anything bad happen to. And I hate how often the fandom flattens her into a "generically nice boring little sister" when to me she is the most complex and compelling character in DA2.” - 23-27F

“Warden Bethany discovering her anger is so important to me. Circle Bethany continuing to make herself smaller for survival breaks my heart.” - 36-45F

“Bethany is the reason Hawke did anything.” - 36-45M

“I don’t understand why people say just because she’s nice and gets along easily with Hawke means she’s not realistic as a sibling. Why does everyone think siblings have to be the cliche bickering constantly dynamic? I have two sisters and I love them, I don’t think we’ve ever seriously argued in our lives. Bethany and (blue)Hawke’s relationship is very relatable to many of us who have siblings.” - 23-27M

“Bethany's struggle with religion and her magic is one of the most interesting dynamics. She is genuinely happy in the circle because for the first time in her life - she's not a detriment to her family, she's in line with her faith, and she feels useful. The amount of guilt she carries for how her magic affected her siblings - preventing them from a full life - is so insane” - 28-35F

“Let Bethany be angry! People need to let her be angry. She’s great and I love how deeply she’s defined by Hawke not being a mage. (I dislike the mod that keeps both twins alive for this reason- she cannot be the same character with a mage sibling.)” - 36-45NB

Carver Hawke

I love him (38.8%), I like him (29.4%), I have mixed/conflicted feelings (12.1%), I'm indifferent (11.3%), I dislike him (7.5%), I hate him (0.9%)

Baseline: Respondents find him infuriating but deeply loveable, with his resentment making the Hawke sibling relationship more compelling and realistic

Recurring point of praise:

His messy relationship with Hawke feels like a convincing sibling bond

His resentment at living in Hawke's shadow is sympathetic and well-written

His love and protectiveness remain visible beneath his hostility

His unpleasant personality makes him funny and endearing

His Grey Warden path gives him satisfying growth

He provides valuable resistance to the player character

His grief is expressed messily but convincingly

Recurring criticisms:

His constant hostility toward Hawke can become exhausting

The game pushes his relationship with Hawke toward rivalry too aggressively

His decision to join the Templars feels like a betrayal of his family

His anger at Hawke can feel misdirected and immature

Class restrictions prevent many players from knowing him properly

He leaves the active party before the relationship receives enough development

Recurring division points:

His resentment makes him either painfully realistic or intensely frustrating (or both)

Joining the Templars is seen as either an unforgiveable betrayal or a coherent attempt to rebuild an identity

Grey Warden Carver is generally more likeable but can feel less dramatically distinctive

Text response selection:

“he's SUCH an interesting and integral part of da2 to me. resentful and obviously struggling AND stuck in kirkwall. unfortunate” - Anon

“unfortunately he got slimed immediately 😔 sorry man one day i’ll play da2 with a mage hawke” - 18-22F

“I know people consider him annoying, and I don't care. Carver has Hawke's back, Hawke trusts him 100%, and while they may have different opinions, at the end of the day they love each other dearly. That moment where Fenris verbally attacks Hawke during his recruitment mission, and Carver immediately jumps in to say "hey, you leave my bro alone" made Carver my favourite warrior of DA2.” - 28-35F

“I know a lot of people dislike Carver but as an older sibling I am here to defend him. he reminds me of my younger brother: a little surly, bad at communicating. I think his grief is the best written in game. god forbid a guy's grief isn't palpable and gets a little explosive. the fun part of his and hawke's dynamic to me is that theyve been deeply hurt by the events they both went through but they're struggling in ways that end up hurting the other. carver feels inadequate compared to his sibling's ability to carry on and lashes out accordingly. hawke is doing their best to repress their shit and feels like carver is disrupting their repression by dragging it out there. its so juicy and so realistic frankly bc grief and siblings are messy and they hurt each other but the hurt can never fully destroy the love they have for each other. at the end of the day carver just wants to protect his sibling and prove himself. at the end of the day hawke wants carver to be safe. they love each other and nothing will ever change that. tldr I'm insane.” - 23-27NB

“Carver is just such a good portrayal of an overshadowed younger brother, especially with a blue Hawke. He loves Hawke dearly. He wants Hawke to be safe. He starts a fight at every turn. The pair can never communicate normally. Such an awesome sibling relationship with such much mixed tension and resentment and love.” - 28-35F

“God he’s the worst. grey warden carver isn’t nearly as bad but how are you going to join the Templars when you have TWO mage siblings Jesus Christ” - 28-35NB

“He gets left alone for 2 seconds and joins a theocratic authoritarian group designed to wipe out or imprison half his family members” - 28-35F

“I dont like his tiny face” - 28-35F

“Y’know… I just realised I don’t think I’ve ever had a playthrough with rival!Carver. My Hawke always ends up as high Friendship with him as you can get, so I never really understood what people were talking about when they said he’s hostile or resentful. Like what do you mean! He said he’s proud to be Hawke’s brother!” - 23-27M

“Carver deserves so much better than the world gives him. His siblings having magic meant that he never got to have a real relationship with his father - Malcolm was always taking care of the other kid(s). On top of that he's the younger sibling so he's the tag a long. But he couldn't have his own life either. Couldn't make real friends or romances because he can't let anyone get close to his family - he has to protect them. And even when he tries to do things on his own - join the Guard in Kirkwall (which Aveline denies him) or join a merc guild (which Varric squashes) he's sabotaged at every turn. Then he learns that a Templar saved his family - a templar is the reason his family exists - and people are mad that he wants to change the system and join them? Absolutely insane. Justice for Carver Hawke” - 28-35F

“I don’t understand why he gets so much hate. His reaction to Hawke always being the golden child and even his decision to join the Templars to protect his family both make sense with his own personal logic and ethics. He’s a little shit but it’s fun! I find him endearing and one of the more convincing characters.” - 28-35F

Fenris

I love him (66.4%), I like him (23.7%), I have mixed/conflicted feelings (3.9%), I'm indifferent (3%), I dislike him (2.1%), I hate him (0.9%)

Baseline: Respondents love his trauma writing and romance, even when they find his anti-mage views deeply frustrating

Recurring points of praise:

His trauma is portrayed as painful, persistent, and psychologically convincing

His romance is widely considered one of the series' strongest

His visual design and voice acting create enormous immediate appeal

His growth toward freedom and self-directed relationships is rewarding

His fear of mages is considered psychologically understandable

His humour and softness make him more endearing than his reputation suggests

His revenge against slavers is satisfying

Recurring criticisms:

His anti-mage absolutism is frustrating and insufficiently challenged (using Tevinter as the reference point for every mage society; showing little sympathy for abuse within the Kirkwall Circle; supporting institutions that imprison, abuse, or tranquilise mages; treating individual mages as potential versions of Danarius; refusing to recognise how powerless southern mages are; potentially siding with Meredith during the final conflict; requiring Hawke to work unusually hard before he'll defend the mages)

His cruelty toward Merrill is difficult to excuse

His familiar brooding elf archetype initially puts some respondents off

His popularity and fandom can make him harder to enjoy

His friendship and rivalry mechanics can interfere with roleplaying

Some respondents admire his writing without becoming emotionally invested

His absence from later games feels like a wasted opportunity

Recurring division points:

His hatred of magic is considered either understandable trauma, unfair prejudice, or both

Text response selection:

“Just one of the best written and most interesting characters in all Dragon Age. Illiterate polyglot. Romantic and expresses devotion in public as banter over and over???! I AM YOURS? That armor and design? Gideon Emory? He was designed for me specifically” - 36-45F

“words cannot begin to describe how much i love this man. white haired elf who broods, wields a greatsword, AND has no problem getting bloody. im a lesbian but- the romance is just... wow. so good, im a friendmance fenris truther bc i just love the growth and healing it brings not only hawke but also fenris. watching his story unfold really helped me come to terms with my own ptsd” - 23-27NB

“I kind of ship Hawke with both Anders and Fenris if I'm 100% honest xD Fenris is very interesting because he, like Anders, is a victim of severe abuse - but he deals with it in completely different ways. Which is why they hate each other so much (apart from the whole mage thing) - people don't like seeing themselves and their weaknesses reflected in others. Especially if the "other" seemingly copes "better".” - 36-45F

“Fenris was designed in a lab to appeal to me specifically and fanart of him made me actively avoid the franchise for three years because I can sniff hyperfixations a mile away.” - 36-45M

“I like that his trauma is never toned down or convenient. He’s angry and rightfully so! He has strong morals and strong opinions and he’s not always kind about it! He’s also not always right, either. 10/10.” - 23-27

“I like that he has his own theme song and nobody else does. He is that guy” - 28-35NB

“While I like him, and he became my main Hawke's romance, his anti mage BS is infuriating because you can't call him out. No, Fenris, my little sister would NOT be better off being physically, mentally, and potentially sexually abused by a system that rarely sees her as a person. Go fuck yourself.” - 28-35F

“He's having his own journey and I don't care to hear any of his opinions.” - 28-35F

“DO SOME HOUSECLEANING YOU WEIRDO” - 28-35F

“I love how complicated and hurt he is, that love isn't enough to just make everything better. That the way his romance arc plays out, he and Hawke spend years supporting each other anyway and just building their friendship, even with no guarantee of romance in the future.” - 36-45NB

“Have you seen the puppy-dog eyes on this guy when he asks you to go with him to meet his sister? I rest my case. Astonishing emotional maturity for a guy who doesn't remember a lot of his life. One of the only companions in this bunch who knows how to give a sincere apology.” - 28-35NB

Isabela

I love her (66.3%), I like her (20.4%), I have mixed/conflicted feelings (6.5%), I dislike her (3.4%), I'm indifferent (2.6%), I hate her (0.8%)

Baseline: Respondents love her as a funny, deeply guarded woman whose eventual choice to return and accept love makes her selfishness worth grappling with

Recurring points of praise:

Her humour and charisma make her consistently entertaining

Her hidden kindness makes her more complex than her shallow persona suggests

Her return with the Tome gives her a satisfying moment of growth

Her romance is deeply loved for allowing affection to frighten her

Her relationship with freedom, consent, and survival gives her emotional depth

Her selfishness and moral ambiguity make her more compelling

Her confidence and attractiveness have lasting appeal

Recurring criticisms:

Her selfishness and deception cause enormous harm

Her departure can prevent players from experiencing her strongest material

Her sexualised presentation can obscure her actual character

Bioware's broader treatment of her is repeatedly criticised as racist or misogynistic (her skin being lightened or inconsistently depicted; her treatment in the comics; other characters repeatedly slut-shaming her; her later portrayal being toned down or reduced to a joke)

Some respondents never connect with her personality or archetype

Some of her sexual comments (e.g. towards Fenris) undermine the otherwise consent-conscious reading

Recurring division points:

Her selfishness is considered both the source of her strongest arc and a genuine betrayal of Hawke

Her sexual confidence is viewed as either positive autonomy or excessive sexualisation

Text response selection:

“I (real person) love her for being a bit of a shit and acting in ways that can hurt Hawke-me. Hawke fighting the Arishok for her and getting catastrophically injured and almost dying? That's so good. And then she LEAVES for three years? I like to think that it was out of guilt and because she is incapable of saying thank you. I never let her be with Fenris cause he is my romance, but I like the idea of this woman sold into marriage who is very very serious about consent and care with sex even as she is emotionally casual then being someone who helps him recognize a healthy sexuality” - 36-45F

“Like Morrigan, the games don't always serve her but she always serves them.” - 36-45M

“she claims to have no morals and to not care either way on sociopolitical issues but she is truly kind, loving, and passionate. she puts her survival first, and who wouldn’t when you’ve experienced what she has!! but she cares deeply, she cares about her friends and hawke, and caring about people is frightening. it says so much that she’s willing to come back to kirkwall, to do the right thing and give the tome back despite the risk to herself. and then she’s willing to rely on hawke to help her take castillon out. the way she opens up and lets herself love and be loved is really so so good" - 23-27M

“She's one of the best characters in the whole game, will defend her with my life, even if it means running around in circles screaming, waiting for my potions to recharge, while the Arishok chases me.” - 28-35F

“unbelievable how deeply i feel for isabela. i literally cant play this game without romancing her. the way she comes back but doesnt want to admit she loves hawke. and stays with them even if they arent 100% on the same page about everything. like thats actual love not just trying to say what someone likes to appeal to them. her backstory is so rich and her presence in all the games is the least she deserves for how much i love her” - 23-27NB

Merrill

I love her (67.2%), I like her (21.8%), I have mixed/conflicted feelings (5.4%), I'm indifferent (3%), I dislike her (1.6%), I hate her (1%)

Baseline: Respondents overwhelmingly see her as intelligent and unfairly infantilised, while dividing over whether her magical research is responsible or dangerously reckless

Recurring points of praise:

Her intelligence and magical competence are appreciated

Her sweetness exists alongside determination and considerable power

Her dedication to recovering Dalish history is admirable

Her position on blood magic persuades many respondents (she uses her own blood rather than taking it from unwilling victims; she practises for years without becoming possessed; lyrium's nature complicates attempts to treat all blood-based magic as uniquely immoral; fear of blood magic causes more harm in her story than her actual use of it; other forms of magic can be equally destructive; she understands the danger and makes an informed decision to accept it; her project should be judged by what she does rather than by assumptions about what she might do)

Her autistic-coded traits resonate with several respondents (knowing a great deal within her own field while struggling with unfamiliar social conventions; communicating in ways other people misread; becoming intensely dedicated to a long-term project; having her competence ignored because she appears naïve; enjoying soft or whimsical things without becoming less knowledgeable)

Her romance and close relationships inspire considerable affection

Recurring criticisms:

Her persistent naivete can become frustrating

The game's writing infantilises her and limits her agency (Hawke is often pushed toward patronising dialogue; companions conflate unfamiliarity with stupidity; her informed decisions are treated as childish mistakes; the rivalry route can feel controlling or abusive; the narrative assumes that refusing to support her is the mature response; her specialised knowledge receives less authority than outsiders' fears; the game gives insufficient room to respect her while still discussing risk)

Her personal quest is considered confused, punitive, or poorly framed (Marethari isolating her from the clan; her receiving blame for decisions other people make; the clan's survival depending on an unclear dialogue choice; Hawke having too little opportunity to confront Marethari; friendship and rivalry reducing a complicated dispute to a binary; the destruction of another Dalish clan being used as tragedy without sufficient necessity)

Her romance can feel infantilising or uncomfortable

Her characterisation feels disconnected from Origins

The wider series wastes her expertise and narrative potential

Recurring division points:

Her magical research is regarded as either careful cultural preservation or dangerous hubris

Her naivete makes her either charmingly unfamiliar with city life or frustratingly implausible

Her romance is experienced as either deeply sweet or uncomfortably unequal

Text response selection:

“Technically all Thedas magic is blood magic (Lyrium is titan blood) and it’s not like she’s cutting anyone else against their will” - 28-35NB

“straight up bug. watched her intro where she was looking at that thing and thought 'this woman is a bug'. beautiful” - 18-22M

“I see my autistic self in her sometimes. She is so smart, but out of her culture, and also so dedicated to what she thinks needs to be done, to support her people. She gives us the perspective that magic is magic, even if blood is involved. It's just how you use it.” - 36-45F

“She has done nothing wrong, ever, in her entire life. She never got possessed! Keeper fucking Marethari got possessed but it wasn't Merrill's fucking fault! It was Marethari's fault! Merrill practiced safe blood magic for YEARS and NEVER got possessed, because she's not ACTUALLY stupid” - 28-35NB

“merrill did nothing wrong even when she was wrong. she wants to preserve her culture no matter the cost. and she may have been naive about making a deal with a demon, but ultimately she did it because she cares about restoring the eluvian enough to take big risks. the dalish have been erased by the world, and she isn’t content with keeping things the way they are. she’s also genuinely right that blood magic is not inherently bad and can be used for good. i detest the ending of her plotline because bioware just loves killing dalish clans for fun and games and there is no need for things to end that way if you let merrill defend herself. bioware hates the dalish as much as the world of thedas does and it sucks” - 23-27M

“i will never stop being angry at how the game depicted merrill being stupid and wrong for pursuing historical cultural knowledge in contrast to morrigan in dai. and also the whole shitty writing of her personal quest where her mentor is explicitly depicted as having isolated her from the clan and made a deal with audacity to ostensibly protect merrill and somehow this is merrill’s fault. yet another angel and light of my life. her romance and magical girl armor upgrade are wonderful.” - 36-45M

“She suffers from woobification like no other character in the series. Just because someone is curious, hopeful, grew up in a wildly different place and has big eyes doesn't mean they're naive, stupid or in need of protection from themselves. She is a grade A professional in what she does and she does it responsibly. She can also enjoy softer things in life without it lessening her knowledge.” - 28-35NB

“I like Merrill as a character, but I really think they wasted her potential. Considering how important the eluvians turn out to be, it's sad that all her work and research never gets mentioned. Instead Morrigan gets all the credit.” - 36-45F

“Her clan fumbled her entirely. Marethari has got to be concussed or something because jesus they fumbled Merrill badly.” - 18-22NB

Sebastian Vael

I'm indifferent (25.4%), I like him (22.1%), I have mixed/conflicted feelings (17.3%), I dislike him (16.2%), I love him (10.6%), I hate him (8.4%) Note: The "I'm indifferent" stat may be slightly inflated as a handful of people didn't read the instruction to skip the question and specified after selecting it that they haven't played the DLC.

Baseline: Respondents see strong potential in his faith and family conflict, but generally feel his DLC-limited writing fails to realise it

Recurring points of praise:

His conflict between religious devotion and princely responsibility is compelling

His religious conditioning resonates with respondents who have similar experiences

His firm principles give him an identity independent of Hawke

His accent, voice acting, and appearance are widely appreciated

Some respondents think his reputation is harsher than his actual behaviour warrants (he isn't constantly proselytising merely because he discusses his faith; he can be more respectful toward Merrill than his reputation suggests; his family's treatment and Elthina's influence are frequently overlooked; other flawed companions receive more sympathetic analysis; people often decide that he's boring before recruiting him; his contradictions reward closer attention)

His rivalmance and corruption potential appeal to several respondents

Recurring criticisms:

His DLC status leaves him underdeveloped and disconnected from the group

He frequently feels boring or insubstantial

His devotion to the Chantry often comes across as preachy or condescending

His treatment of mages and non-Andrastian beliefs alienates respondents (banter about reporting Anders or Merrill; disapproval when Hawke considers blood magic to find Leandra; his refusal to respect Merrill's gods on their own terms; condescension toward non-Andrastian beliefs; his position feeling hostile when Hawke is also a mage; his inability to separate individual people from the Chantry's rules)

His final ultimatum over Anders feels disproportionate and destructive

His romance is thin, restrictive, and frequently disappointing

Recurring division points:

His faith makes him either a compelling victim of religious conditioning or an insufferable Chantry apologist

His final refusal to support Hawke is interpreted as either principled autonomy or vindictive hypocrisy

His chaste romance is considered either distinctive and meaningful or underwritten and restrictive

Text response selection:

“I'm glad he has the Scottish accent it means I can remember him” - 28-35F

“Underappreciated king. I find his issues with religion relatable as someone who escaped the church. His relationship with the grand Cleric I find familiar and upsetting because it reminds me of someone I used to know who manipulated me in similar ways. I wish there was more for him and that people were able to look at him with as much grace as they do Anders. Also stop fuckin whitewashing him.” - 23-27NB

“I like him okay but he's so awkwardly tacked into the end of the game. Smash cut to Seb going NOOOOOOOO. Can't recruit him or he wrecks the vibe of the ending” - 28-35NB

“I refuse to spend real-life money on a shitty fucking Catholic.” - 28-35NB

“I really like how he will change and grow from Hawke, but his core principles stay. It doesn’t matter how much he loves or likes or supports you, he cannot support Anders’ actions.” - 23-27M

“if he was gay and we had a Catholic gay repression arc he would've been 10/10” - 23-27NB

“it sure is nathaniel ho- hey wait a minute.” - 18-22NB

“So much wrong with this guy. I wish we got to see a bit more of who he was before the Chantry got to him, but I love that he's not ready to give up power in exchange for peace. I think it would be very fun to put him and Leliana in a room together.” - 28-35M

“I'm fond of him in the sense that he's a character in a game I love, and I think the game feels incomplete without him there, but also I would throw rocks at him in public. Any time he comes up I'm mad to see him there. I love that in the comics they went out of their way to show us that he has an enormous ye olde poster of Andraste in his room, because that's the biggest dunk on him as a person I've ever seen.” - 28-35F

“Sebastian is a sweet mild-mannered altar boy and my Hawke is the delinquent in his high school marching band tempting him off of his virtuous path by offering him sugary soda and showing him anime” - 28-35F

“Annoying straight man but he does fulfill an interesting niche in world that I don’t think we’ve really seen otherwise in companions - devout, traditional with no doubts and no alternative interpretations from traditional dogma” - 28-35NB

“Sebastian suffers from being a dlc character. the rest of the companions feel more involved in the world and everything Sebastian does feels very insular. when he is screaming and raging at the chantry being destroyed and no one is even looking at him, it's so jarring that it takes away any emotional impact it's supposed to have.” - 23-27NB

“People get him so wrong all the time. They just dismiss his character all the time and don't even interact with him or give him a chance. Like they make claims of him being preachy when he is not really its like yes he talks about his faith but people need to understand the difference. Like dude is more respectful to Merrill than a lot of the other companions. It's just like there is so much to his character that can be looked at and examined that is just overlooked in part with him being a DLC companion. I just like him a lot and think he is interesting and some of the things people say about him drives me insane with how it shows they never actually talked to the dude or interacted with him.” - 28-35M

Varric Tethras

I love him (67%), I like him (21%), I have mixed/conflicted feelings (5.1%), I'm indifferent (4.3%), I dislike him (2.2%), I hate him (0.4%)

Baseline: Respondents love him as Hawke's funny, unreliable narrator, but many resent his political neutrality and the assumption that every Hawke considers him a best friend

Recurring points of praise:

His unreliable narration is central to what makes the game work

His relationship with Hawke gives the protagonist a meaningful long-term companion

His humour and immediate charisma make him easy to enjoy

His dishonesty and moral ambiguity make him more interesting

His care for the other companions gives his friendliness substance (helping Merrill navigate Kirkwall; trying to lift Anders' mood; taking an interest in Hawke's mabari; maintaining friendships across a group whose members frequently hate one another; protecting people while pretending not to be emotionally invested; continuing to support companions whose decisions he doesn't entirely approve of)

Recurring criticisms:

His political neutrality frustrates many respondents (treats mage oppression and templar violence as equivalent extremes; prefers maintaining the status quo to confronting structural injustice; changes his apparent position according to Hawke's choices; avoids principles that might create interpersonal conflict; is treated as reasonable largely because he refuses decisive commitments; benefits from Kirkwall's existing political and economic arrangements)

The assumption that he's every Hawke's best friend can feel forced

His repeated appearances eventually make him feel overused

Some respondents find him overhyped or less interesting than the rest of the cast

Recurring division points:

Being Hawke's designated best friend is either deeply comforting or artificially imposed

Keeping Hawke and Varric platonic is either one of the relationship's strengths or the series' greatest missed romance

Text response selection:

“Thinking about the scrapped fem!Hawke/Varric romance while listening to the credits version of 'I'm Not Calling You a Liar'” - 28-35F

“I love his used car salesman swag in DA2. Best version of Varric.” - 23-27F

“i wish my best friend was a pathological liar who made everyone think i was more powerful than god” - 23-27NB

“Love a dedicated centrist crime boss who refuses to actually stand up for a principle because then what if his friends get mad at him 💗” - 28-35NB

“I know he's many people's favorite but I never especially liked him. He seems too much like a "character I'm supposed to like". I appreciate him for being an unreliable narrator (another thing Veilguard flattened - suddenly Varric of all people is supposed to be taken at his word??) and for his in-universe role... but Veilguard really soured me on him retro-actively. The emotional beats with him didn't land with me AT ALL.” - 36-45F

“Varric Tethras is either an arsehole who is choosing to be nice, or a nice person choosing to be an arsehole, and I can never decide what's happening there. Probably how he prefers it.” - 36-45M

“I find his narrative role past Da2 to be frustrating. Also, he has the moral backbone of a chocolate eclair and that would be fine if we could stop pretending he doesn't.” - 36-45NB

“Varric surprised me. After loving him in DAI, I was sure he'd be my bestie but I couldn't stand him in DA2. He's constantly trying to force every other character into being a trope he can easily control or mold, and often times teases or mocks them for following that trope (most prominent with Carver and Fenris - Carver has to be the jealous little brother at all times and Fenris has to be broody elf). He also tends to do that with Merrill, right up to the point I feel smacks of infantilizing her. He's also just so aggro on Sebastian for literally no reason. I love him later, but DA2 Varric has the humor and emotional intelligence of a teenage edgelord.” - 23-27M

“peak centrist representation. a fun game character, but irl he would be ungodly levels of insufferable to deal with and hearing his all lives matter level takes would be like following david gaider on twitter.” - 36-45M

“Varric was at his best in DA2, where he's a pseudo mob boss but one who takes care of his friends. I liked his neutrality--that his moral stance was just whichever one allowed him to keep being friends with you. I feel like he was "allowed" to be a flawed character in DA2 in a way later entries seem to have forgotten.” - 28-36F

“I know he's written to be hawke’s best friend but I can't stand him I'm sorry. to me he's a two-faced person who's disingenuous just for the sake of trying to get along with everyone. I dislike how he tries to pry into your privacy right from the get go to get inspiration for his books or whatever” - 28-35F

“Character of all time. Love him so fucking much. Literally my fave from all the games. Ughhhhh. He lies for fun and he's the narrator of the game. That's fucking iconic. I love an unreliable narrator and the fucking intro that showing off that he is unreliable is fucking amazing because the game will only remind you once in a while that you should really be questioning everything because Varric cannot really be trusted as a narrator. I love it. I love him. I think it is right that we can't romance him in DA2 and he will always be my Hawke's bestie, no matter the other circumstances of the playthrough.” - 23-27F

“Straight up I find him overrated. Like when I first played I did not realize he was so popular when I just did not take him unless I had to. Like it was more indifferent at first but it does get annoying when a lot of the fandom just decides he is always Hawke's best friend when that is just not true for me at all. Like usually it ends up friendly when I play but like it's not even that close of friendship imo based on how I play the game with rarely using him.” - 28-35M

Tallis

I'm indifferent (43.5%), I like her (22.8%), I dislike her (14.2%), I have mixed/conflicted feelings (16.5%), I love her (4.7%), I hate her (4%) Same note as Sebastian re: people who voted indifferent despite not playing the DLC.

Baseline: Respondents find her potentially interesting but poorly integrated, with her celebrity-based presentation overwhelming the character herself

Recurring points of praise:

Her position as an elf who voluntarily follows the Qun offers an interesting perspective

Her humour and lively presence appeal to a smaller group

Recurring criticisms:

Her connection to Felicia Day overwhelms her identity as a character

Her design looks uncanny and visually out of place

Her writing feels overly quippy, self-conscious, and determined to impress the player

Hawke can't challenge her defense of the Qun adequately

The DLC doesn't provide enough time to establish trust or emotional investment

She often feels underdeveloped, forgettable, or unnecessary

Text response selection:

“"oh the Qun is so good to the marginalized people of Thedas" unless you're a FUCKING MAGE–” 28-35NB

“Y’know… I’ve always said I dislike her, and there are elements I still find frustrating, like the complete lack of ability to push back on her about the Qun re: mages, but the more I think about it the more I think if it wasn’t for Felicia Day I would’ve had less of an issue with her. Her appearance means I just cannot ignore the fact that she’s Felicia Day’s Super Cool Basically Unbeatable In Combat Or Arguments Self-Insert OC. Maybe if she’d had a more appropriate visual design I wouldn’t be so irritated.” - 23-27M

“That's not really a character thats just real life woman Felicia Day” - 36-45F

Next post will focus on Inquisition!

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