Census Survey Results, Pt. 9 - Opinions, Origins
With all the main responses posted, these last few posts will be 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 first game and its companions -
Dragon Age: Origins
I love it (68.4%), I like it (20.6%), I have mixed/conflicted feelings (7%), I haven't played it (2.2%), I dislike it (1%), I'm indifferent (0.8%), I hate it (0%)
Baseline: People love Origins substantially more than they enjoy playing Origins.
Recurring points of praise:
Playable origins and roleplaying freedom (the Warden having a concrete place in the world rather than being a blank slate; the same location/quest feeling different depending on origin; personal stakes such as Cousland's relationship to Howe, Brosca/Aeducan returning to Orzammar, and Tabris returning to the alienage, the range of dialogue personalities available to the Warden; being permitted to play someone kind, cruel, cynical, selfish, dishonest, prejudiced, or heroic; the origins increasing replayability and making people create multiple Wardens)
Story, writing, and world-building (strong political and moral conflicts; choices without an uncomplicated "correct" solution; extensive codex material and environmental detail; minor NPCs receiving proper conversations and personalities; the introduction to Ferelden's cultures, religions, and social divisions; a coherent main narrative with a satisfying climax; the balance of humour, horror, and sincerity)
Replayability and choice
Personal and emotional importance
Companions and character writing (especially Loghain, Morrigan, Zevran, and Alistair)
Dark-fantasy atmosphere
Recurring criticisms:
Combat, controls, and the general act of playing (too many repetitive encounters; long corridors and maps; slow movement; having to retrace routes to leave areas; confusing navigation; difficulty spikes; console controls; lack of controller support on PC; classes or builds that feel much less playable than others)
Specific areas dragging on (especially the Fade, the Deep Roads, the Circle Tower more broadly, Orzammar, the Brecilian Forest, and Ostagar/Lothering on repeated starts)
Technical age and accessibility (crashes on modern PCs, especially in Denerim; needing fan patches or extensive modding; poor performance; dated graphics and animation; tiny dialogue text; clumsy interfaces; difficulty obtaining or running the game; console players lacking access to the mods that make replaying easier)
Misogyny and reliance on sexual violence (sexual assault or threatened sexual violence appearing disproportionately in stories concerning women; elven women in particular repeatedly receiving sexualised violence in their backgrounds; female Wardens being harassed or treated as anomalies; the Broodmother concept and execution; Oghren and related humour aging badly; in-world sexism feeling inconsistent with a society whose dominant religious institution is led by women; the game claiming comparatively little gender discrimination while repeatedly writing misogynistic interactions)
It has been placed on an unreasonable pedestal
The story structure can feel generic or repetitive (insufficient urgency despite the Blight; the Warden solving disputes with which they have little personal connection; a conventional chosen-hero structure; the protagonist succeeding without being forced to process the sort of unavoidable failure central to DA2; some ostensibly complex decisions ultimately resolving through visibly game-like logic)
The consequences may be overstated (much of the variation appears in epilogue slides; later games ignore, retcon, or contradict some outcomes; evil actions sometimes have surprisingly little consequence; the broad destination of the story changes less than fans remember)
The voiceless Warden
Recurring division points:
Its tactical combat is considered both one of its greatest strengths and its largest barrier
Its dark tone creates both compelling moral weight and badly aged edginess
Nostalgia deepens its appeal while making consensus about its present quality difficult
Text response selection:
“The combat can be awful but it gave us the Shapeshifter specialization and boy do I miss becoming a giant-ass spider.” - 18-22M
“i like it overall, but one thing that's always bothered me is getting Alistair to sleep with Morrigan for the ritual. like it feels weird without the romance, but it feels even weirder when romancing him. he's CLEARLY not comfortable with it and it just feels icky, and i wish there was an option to get someone else to do it, like there are other Wardens around by that point, like let's just fuckin talk to Riordan and convince him to do it, dude was ready to die fighting the archdemon anyway and i feel like he'd be down for it if it meant that nobody would have to die to kill it, and plus since he dies in the fight anyway, it works out for Morrigan who prefers that single mom life” - 28-35F
“Literally my favourite game of all time, it rewired my brain chemistry 😭 I have A LOT of criticism for this game (mainly the writing, not so much the gameplay since I'm one of the three and a half people who adore DA:O's combat lol) but it's still 9/10 for me. My comfort game that carried me through very dark times in my life and helped me come to terms with my bisexuality. Dragon Age Origins they could never make me hate you!!!!!!!!” - 23-27F
“Probably the best written game in the series, the most cerebral, and a very strong introduction to the diverse cultures in the series via the origins and chosen questlines. It isn't without flaws--even putting aside the terrible graphics, it shows its age and starved development time in some of the writing, not all of the lore completely makes sense, and there's bugs galore. But those flaws aren't enough to break my immersion in the story. There is so much there to invest you in the world. So many minor characters you can have full conversations with; codex entries that change according to your origin to match what sources your character might have access to; so many interactables in the environment that don't necessarily tie into the main quest, but are there to reward exploration; SO many long conversations you can have with your companions. It's just such a good game to sink your teeth into and spend hundreds of hours on. Most important of all I think this is the only game where the roleplaying element felt like a PRIORITY in the writing. Quests were designed with a philosophy of allowing your character to have opinions on what is happening and define their beliefs and moral stances through their dialogue and actions. There is an expectation that you might be playing someone who is cruel, materialistic, or biased by their upbringing just as much as you could be playing someone who is kind, heroic, or generous. You're allowed to be rude and cynical. You're allowed to be a liar when it benefits you. And while its execution is limited, the world responds to this behavior. You can resolve to solve a questline one way, and then change your mind once you learn more information. You can pick a solution to some questlines, and then pick what your character's reasoning was for doing it. I'unno. It blew my mind coming from Fable where most of the time the only personality options were "good" or "evil".” - 28-35F
“The way the different origins actually affect the story, and the fact that all six of them canonically exist but the ones you don't play as DIE - like, that is genuinely fascinating. Plus it has all these really horrifying moments like the broodmother, finding out what the golems WERE, the werewolves… it's so great.” - 23-27NB
“The story is amazing and the choice mechanic is so thorough, but nearly every female NPC and player character backgrounds are centered around themes of sexual assault and abuse, something that I feel people are far too forgiving of.” - 23-27F
“The misogyny in this game is STAGGERING despite pretending that it's not and really shows a lack of imagination on the writers. The church is literally run by women; this brand of sexism just doesn't even make sense.” - 36-45F
“theres this text post thats like '*plays dragon age origins* god i hate this part. god i hate this part. god i hate this part. *finishes* game of the year' or smth. feel it in my soul” - 28-35NB
“I can definitely tell it's objectively the best written dragon age game, and it was my first DA game alongside being the first game I played on my own as an adult. I didn't notice it on my first playthrough, but the more I replay the more it bothers me that the Warden isn't voiced and barely has facial expressions, although I've probably just been spoiled by modern games since then. I love playing through the warden's origin, and having it affect so much of the story compared to the later games. My first warden was Aeducan who did the ultimate sacrifice, and it was such an epic way to experience RPGs for the first time. I loved that there are many choices that affect the story in major ways, while I enjoy flavour text choices too, it was really gratifying to watch the reactivity. Denerim was one of my favourite places, and I wish they had the resources to make the map even bigger back then. My biggest gripe is having to walk all the way back to the entrance of most maps to leave, I think some "waypoints" would've made all the difference. Other than the animations being dated I really have no complaints, the writing is almost 10/10 for me. I do wish npcs of different races had some varying body types, but I understand the limitations of the time.” - 23-27NB
“I started with DA2 and loved its intimate setting and the unavoidable tragedy. Going backwards to DAO, the fairly generic "you're the only one who can save the world" main quest and a main character who never has to come to terms with failure was a letdown, and the worldbuilding was already familiar to me, so didn't wow me either. I didn't really connect with the companions, either, and didn't like the combat system. Adding to all that, the extremely 2006 energy the game has hasn't aged well for me, so my opinion isn't getting any better as time goes on.” - 36-45F
“I love Origins except for when I’m playing it” - 28-35NB
“I've played Origins more than any other Dragon Age game, upwards of 12 times. Most of these were as the same origin and the same character. It's what made me fall in love with the series. The characters are incredibly well done, and Loghain especially is part of what makes it stand out to me. I love a character whose convictions and genuinely largely good intentions are what make them a villain.” - 28-35F
“the way the different origins interact with different quests/enemies is just so juicy. orzammar to a brosca is different than to a tabris. a mahariel doesnt hold a grudge against arl howe, while cousland goes ballistic. the replay value is HIGH.” - 28-35NB
“Honestly I'd probably rank it higher but I'm really tired/burned out over everyone acting like it's the best game when in my opinion it's actually the worst one! Mind, it's still good, but the choices do NOT affect the story as much as people seem to remember they do. There's very little difference in outcomes aside from the final title cards, half of which became jossed with future games anyway (ex, cullen the serial killer!) it's fine as a game but overrated and I DO NOT FUCKING CARE ABOUT THE WARDEN.” - 36-45NB
“I do think it is overrated, and the story isn’t anything particularly special - the whole vague sketch of it is definitely the kind of thing I came up with when I was a kid writing stories, complete with the whole “go to this location and recruit a character, then go to this other location and recruit a character, then go to this other location-” rhythm (though I could never have achieved this kind of worldbuilding and detail back then). The romances are clunky and easily bugged, the combat is frustrating enough that I usually elect to cheat past it on replays, and it’s dated in terms of its themes and graphics. That said, the roleplay potential is something I took for granted at first - the amount of dialogue and the playable origins and the way they can influence your choices is fantastic and not something I appreciated until I played the later games where you don’t have any of that. I love that I can play The Kindest Warden Ever or The Evilest Bastard Ever and have them both make sense and be consistently allowed.” - 23-27M
“I think it's the best game objectively out of them all which is funny because the entire time I play it, I just go "God I hate the Brecilian Forest. God I hate The Circle and the Fade. God I HATE the Deep Roads." And then, without fail, at the end I go "Wow I really loved that :3"” - 23-27F
“I think Origins is the most complete package; nuanced, lovable characters, interesting and memorable story beats, lots of freedom of choice, a good balance between map size and filling and everything, gameplay that stays fun and has a nice learning curve, graphics that are pretty decent for its age. I love her. I love her! It's so hard to get new players involved in Origins though.” - 23-27F
Alistair Theirin
I love him (60.7%), I like him (27.9%), I have mixed/conflicted feelings (5.1%), I'm indifferent (3.5%), I dislike him (2.5%), I hate him (0.4%)
Baseline: Alistair is loved for being funny, kind, and emotionally vulnerable, but many respondents think the fandom flattens a much more intelligent, selfish, grieving, and complicated character into an innocent golden retriever prince
Recurring points of praise:
He's funny, goofy, and endearing
He was formative as a romance or fictional crush
He's kinder and more principled than his cynicism suggests
He's more intelligent and competent than his presentation suggests
His flaws and contradictions make him compelling
His youth and grief make his behaviour understandable
Recurring criticisms:
He avoids responsibility and places too much on the Warden
His moral convictions can become rigid or punitive
The fandom flattens or overexposes him
He's generic, boring, or overhyped
His romance restrictions are frustrating
Later appearances are disappointing (his model becoming paler or blonder; his resemblance shifting toward Cullen; his Inquisition appearance lacking the personality he had in Origins; Warden Alistair appearing bitter regardless of choices respondents thought should have left him content; his later appearances relying on familiar jokes rather than developing him; missed opportunities involving Fiona or his comics storyline)
Recurring division points:
His humour is considered both endearing and increasingly dated
His reluctance to accept responsibility makes him either sympathetic or exhausting
Making him king is viewed as either necessary growth or a violation of what he wants
Text response selection:
“This fucker is the reason I thought I was bisexual for way longer than I should have bc I loved him so much I thought that meant I was attracted to him and therefore men.” - 28-35NB
“Milk toast boy, he's fine. Very stereotypical guy to romance in video game” - 28-35F
“Alistair was exactly what I was into when I first played DAO in 2009 at 19 years old - now that I'm older, I find his very of-the-time self-deprecating humor and Whedon-esque quips a little grating. But overall, I think he holds up really well, he has a good depth to him.” - 36-45F
“Where Leliana and Morrigan have grown as characters as the games have gone on, Alistair is mostly doing the Mass Effect 3 Mordin thing of trying to remind you of why you liked him in Origins. Problem being I didn't like him that much in Origins.” - 36-45F
“He is literally 20 and has been a Grey Warden for 6 months. Like. No shit he immediately abdicates responsibility to the PC when the PC steps up to the plate! His mentor and all his colleagues and also his half-brother just DIED, he really holds together quite well under the circumstances! He is a sweet young man who deserves better than having to be a king, but unfortunately that won't stop me from shoving him and Anora together for political reasons.” - 28-35NB
“He is the coolest subversion of so many expected fantasy tropes. I love how strongly he rejects the demand that he be the protagonist. I love that he is young and petty and naive and lonely and love starved. I love that he is goofy and sweet but also very competent (and excellent at hiding that and dumbing himself down).” - 36-45F
“Class clown who became important at work.” - 28-35F
“I think Alistair is an especially great character because he hits that sweet spot of being really loveable to the player but with the simultaneous possibility of having Warden think differently. He really throws Warden under the bus after the Ostagar massacre, refusing the role of the leader despite having seniority, and can later turn around and even abandon the party if he doesn't like what Warden as the leader decides. Asshole moves, but with extremely understandable reasons, that the game takes time to explore.” - 28-35NB
“my first romance for every other background I did, until i played a tabris and could think a lot more critically about his role as someone both part of and separate from the nobility and how his wardenhood and birth are opposite circumstances that can make for a character with an interesting role on the world.” - 23-27NB
“See, I say I dislike him, but I do like him when I’m actually playing. He’s inoffensive. Frustrating and flawed and sometimes selfish (namely the fact that he refuses to take responsibility and makes you do it, doesn’t matter whether you want to or not, I guess your desires aren't as important as his, but then gets mad when you don’t make the decisions he would), but friendly and easy-going and moral. It’s just that when I close the game and am hit by an absolute neverending tsunami of constant praise and love for this completely Fine guy, I get so fed up that I start hating any mention of him. I really don’t understand why he’s so beloved. I see why he’s popular, sure - he’s a very generic Romance For Straight Girls, which is a thing for a reason - but to this degree? He’s not a unique character at all. I could find a thousand characters just like Alistair in media, he’s literally just a blend of the most cliche stereotypes in the book - the adorkable Funny Guy who isn’t that funny, the secret prince (because of course he is), the bumbling kid who grows into A True Leader. At this point I’m starting to think people praising how Different and Special he is have just not interacted with much fiction. Like… sure, whatever. I like him, his romance was cute, I’m moving on.” - 23-27M
“The Alistair that fandom loves is one they made up. He's not this golden retriever boyfriend that is pro-mage that everyone flattens him to be. He can be spiteful (abandons you to deal with the blight if you recruit loghain, yells at you if he disagrees with how you save connor from possession), ignores responsibilities that even if the warden is a circle mage who has never been outside they have to take the lead, makes sexist comments, agrees that the Circle should be annulled, calls Morrigan a bitch, etc. It frustrates that the fandom woobifies him and made him into a different character than he is in the game. For the sake sometimes of finding an alternative to Cullen because it's seen as "wrong" to romance him.” - 28-35F
“he's a templar and a bastard and a sad, sad man. love that he's an intelligent person who acts dumb so no one thinks he's important. love that he's incredibly critical of the institution he was raised in but still holds those beliefs. he's grieving for a good chunk of the game and rightfully so, and I'm glad that affects the way he acts. he's a complicated character beyond "comic relief tank" and I enjoy his writing and hearing him say snarky things when hitting people in the face” - 23-27NB
Leliana
I love her (49%), I like her (40.1%), I have mixed/conflicted feelings (5%), I'm indifferent (4.4%), I dislike her (1.2%), I hate her (0.4%)
Baseline: Players are often drawn to the contrast between her softness, faith, and whimsy, and her history of violence, manipulation, and espionage.
Recurring points of praise:
Her apparent sweetness conceals a much more dangerous and complicated person
Her development across games is widely complimented
Her faith is compelling (her faith encourages kindness and hope rather than simple obedience; she remains religious after betrayal, imprisonment, and violence; her beliefs are deeply personal rather than merely institutional; she questions the Chantry while retaining belief in the Maker; she can try to reform the institution from within; faith gives her a framework through which to rebuild herself; her certainty, doubt, and loss of faith all affect her development; she changed how some respondents thought about God, religion, or religious people; many respondents valued seeing a bisexual woman of faith)
She was an important bisexual/sapphic character
Her romance and friendship inspire strong attachment
The Warden can challenge her prejudice and see her reconsider it
Recurring criticisms:
Her religiosity alienates a significant group of respondents (finding fantasy Christianity irritating; being uncomfortable because of personal religious trauma; finding her preachy, zealous, or overly invested in the Chantry; disliking the amount of religious dialogue; having difficulty connecting with a devout character; finding her naive religious certainty grating in Origins)
Many prefer her in Inquisition to Origins
Some respondents simply don't connect with her
Her romance can trigger too easily
She's overfavoured by the series
Recurring division points:
Her faith is experienced as both compassionate spirituality and intrusive Chantry framing
Her transformation across the games is considered either compelling growth or a loss of her original warmth
Her relationship with Marjolaine provides rich character context while reproducing troubling queer tropes
Text response selection:
“Too French” - 36-45F
“bisexual, female, bard, religious trauma, evil ex gf. she's just like me” - 23-27NB
“I love her so much, she uses religion to spread kindness, which I wish is what all religious people would do. Her romance was so sweet. Always choose her as Divine, love that she can just be with her lover if she romanced the warden and no one can say anything about it.” - 18-22F
“Found her a little weird when I played for the first time (the religion stuff grated against my edgy atheist sensibilities xD), but with age, I've come to appreciate her nuance. Also LOVE her voice actress and the accent she does. Also, it was really cool seeing her come back in DAI and getting even more insight into her character. She fits DAI's narrative of "personhood versus duty/title" really well.” - 36-45F
“She's so fun. I love playing an elf and getting to actually change her opinions and realize her bigotry, and I ADORE the theory that she's elf-blooded herself - there's so many little pieces of evidence that just all add up. She's got a fascinating perspective and her devotion to the Maker after being a bard for so long is soooo interesting.” - 23-27NB
“I want to like her but she accidentally shadowmanced me when I was just trying to be nice?” - 38-45M
“My favorite character overall, but DAI is doing a lot of work here. I think her backstory with Marjolaine is genuinely interesting, but in the context of the whole game and knowing her romance was written with a male warden in mind, it's also kind of gross (woman is taken advantage of by older lesbian and then rescued by the church and a romance with a man). But also I only romance her as a woman, so I'm able to sort of overlook that.” - 28-35F
“i didn’t click with her at first, but her backstory is genuinely fascinating and informs the way she is. play her quest. play her dlc. stop writing her off as boring. people love chantry boys but draw the line at a religious woman” - 23-27M
“Genuinely guided my views on God” - 23-27F
“The only reason I give the Maker's existence the benefit of the doubt.” - 28-35F
“I love Leliana bc I started by seeing the end of her story, which just made me like seeing her origin more. She tells you stories, which my lorehound brain was all over, and has one of the only instances throughout the whole franchise where you can push back on a well-intentioned but racist remark, and then have the companion later come back and apologize, which feels very human.” - 23-27M
Loghain Mac Tir
I like him (25.7%), I have mixed/conflicted feelings (20.9%), I love him (16.2%), I'm indifferent (15.4%), I dislike him (12.3%), I hate him (9.4%)
Baseline: Great character, terrible man.
Recurring points of praise:
He's considered one of Dragon Age's strongest antagonists
His motivations are understandable without excusing his actions
He represents what happens to a revolution after victory
Recruiting him reveals a more compelling side of him
His possible Warden arc is seen as a fitting conclusion
His relationship with Anora adds depth
Recurring criticisms:
Selling the alienage elves into slavery is the central dealbreaker
His actions after Ostagar are harder to defend than the retreat itself
Too much of his depth exists outside the game
The game undermines its own attempt at moral complexity by giving him such extreme actions
Most respondents have never recruited him (loyalty to Alistair; making Alistair king; playing a city elf; refusing to forgive the slavery; considering the Joining too uncertain to justify replacing an established Warden; feeling that sparing him is out of character for their Warden)
Recurring division points:
Recruiting him is considered either the fullest version of his story or an impossible betrayal of the Warden's loyalties
Text response selection:
“I feel like a lot of his really interesting stuff comes from supplemental material but that's certainly not a him-exclusive phenomenon. I think he's an excellent villain and Alistair demanding he be killed instead of recruited to the Wardens is one of the things that makes me lose respect for him” - 28-35NB
“I am SO insane about Loghain Mac Tir it's not even funny. he's my favorite character in DAO. everything is wrong with him. he's insane about Maric even though Maric's been presumed dead for years. he doesn't try to excuse his horrible actions. you get approval for debating how to kill him after you recruit him, and he gives you suggestions. who is doing it like him. also reading The Stolen Throne unfortunately fundamentally altered my view of him forever, which for a book that kind of sucks is really unfortunate because now i have to recommend everyone read TST and it's just not very good. except when it's really good. i don't understand people who don't like him because picking a favorite war criminal is the whole point of dragon age, i think.” - 23-27NB
“grandpa warcrimes” - 28-35NB
“Much like the character of Robert Baratheon from A Song of Ice and Fire, Loghain was a fascinating look at what happens to a character after the fairy tale ends? When the war against an evil oppressive regime is over and freedom for you people achieved, how do the survivors deal with peacetime?” - 28-35F
“That guy is FULL of CRUNCHY.” - 36-45NB
“He's an interesting character, but he interests me primarily through his relationship to Anora, which says more about my love for her than for him.” - 28-35F
“I like him as an antagonist, but I've never recruited him because of the whole selling elves into slavery bit and it doesn't make sense to me to trade a guaranteed ally for someone who might potentially survive the Joining.” - 28-35NB
“One of the best written characters of the series. He’s a villain, I don’t agree with him, but man is he compelling. One of the best part of origins is recruiting him just to chat and have your warden finally ask him all those “Why”s. He’s a human being, full of flaws.” - 23-27M
“I almost always include him in my Inquisition world state because I feel making him the Warden sacrifice in Here Lies the Abyss to be the most compelling choice. It really wraps up his arc, it lets him sit in his failures for a decade and come to terms with where he went wrong, and then make the most selfless choice he can.” - 28-35M
“I read the stolen throne. I still don’t like him. What he went through obviously sucks but he did betray Maric like Flemeth said he would. He was a very flawed man but wasn’t a bad person. He let fear and his need to control get to him and did things that I could never condone. I don’t like him but I’ve considered the nuances” - 23-27F
“He was so set on not letting Orlais gain a foothold in Fereldan again that he lost everything else.” - 36-45F
“as a villain? fantastic. love that he's doing awful things in the name of protecting his country and doing it completely wrong. was pulling out of ostagar the right choice? maybe! was taking the throne away from his daughter the competent queen, declaring the wardens traitors, selling his own people into slavery, collaborating with a blood mage, trusting rendon howe, poisoning arl eamon, and fighting a civil war the right choice? probably not! as a companion I don't have a lot of experience with him. I know he's aware he fucked up and that he seems actually fond of the warden in awakening and that seems very fun to me, but i have yet to play that route myself.” - 23-27NB
“Here's the thing about Loghain: he is the veteran of an anticolonialist revolutionary struggle, and he's willing to do literally anything to maintain the independence he earned, including assassination, murder, and slavery. His dialogue is so well-written-- I think he's some of Mary Kirby's best work. I do not love him as a person, but I love his character writing, particularly his descriptions of Orlesian occupation.” - 23-27NB
Morrigan
I love her (68.4%), I like her (20.3%), I have mixed/conflicted feelings (7.2%), I dislike her (1.7%), I'm indifferent (1.4%), I hate her (1%)
Baseline: People love the gap between the person Morrigan tries to present (cold, worldly, self-sufficient, and moral) and the frightened, isolated young woman underneath
Recurring points of praise:
She's one of the series' most iconic and beloved characters
Her cruel/abrasive exterior conceals intense vulnerability
Her friendship with the Warden is deeply valued
Her relationship with Flemeth resonates strongly
Many respondents love seeing her relationship with Kieran and breaking the cycle of abuse
Recurring criticisms:
Many wish she were romanceable by women
Veilguard's treatment of her is overwhelmingly disliked
Her role as an authority on elven culture in Inquisition is widely criticised
Her hostility can become exhausting
Her visual design is frequently criticised as sexualised
Recurring division points:
Her later emotional growth is admired while her softening remains divisive
Her recurring importance is either rewarding continuity or excessive narrative favouritism
Her cruelty is both part of her appeal and a serious obstacle to affection
Text response selection:
“Befriending Morrigan, and the final conversation with her before fighting the archdemon, is one of the most satisfying things I've done in a game.” - 28-35F
“I like her later when she figures out who she is. The insecure teenager who tries to put others down to feel good about herself is not necessarily a bad archetype, but it doesn't work for me.” - 36-45F
“morrigan is awesome 90% of the time until they made her act like an expert on elven culture in front of my dalish mage inquisitor. thats not your culture girl…” - 23-27NB
“I dont really care about her and I have my criticisms re why a human was made the face of the elves but more importantly I hate how much she was always pushed by bioware” - 28-35
“Girl why are you leaving the party because I couldn't convince Alistar to fuck you? You knew you needed to fuck him this whole time and decided to antagonize him! Don't blame me for your choices.” - 28-35F
Oghren
I have mixed/conflicted feelings (25.4%), I dislike him (18.9%), I like him (18.7%), I'm indifferent (15.1%), I hate him (12.7%), I love him (9.2%)
Baseline: There's an interesting man buried underneath a comic relief character that many respondents can't tolerate long enough to uncover
Recurring points of praise:
Respondents repeatedly see substantial potential (alcoholism and addiction; depression; trauma and possible PTSD; toxic masculinity; domestic abuse; Orzammar's rigid caste expectations; being trained for violence and then punished for displaying it; social ostracism; the collapse of status and identity; being abandoned by one's spouse and community; fear of becoming a harmful husband or father; trying to rebuild oneself through the Grey Wardens)
His sincere moments affect people much more than his comedy (his gratitude when the Warden treats him respectfully; his speech before the final battle; thanking the Warden for reminding him what honour means; his loyalty once he considers the Warden a friend; crying if the Warden sacrifices themselves; naming his child after the Warden; his belief that becoming a Grey Warden might fix him or give him somewhere safe to belong; his insecurity about being a father; his continued complicated attachment to Branka; his astonishment when the Warden listens to him or gives him something meaningful)
His history illustrates the damage caused by Orzammar
Some respondents appreciate having an unpleasant/non-admirable companion
His humour genuinely works for a minority
Recurring criticisms:
The sexual harassment and misogyny are the overwhelming problem
His alcoholism is treated as a punchline
The game doesn't appear to know when it wants him taken seriously
His comedy feels badly dated
His behaviour overwhelms whatever depth he has
Awakening regresses his development
Late recruitment works against him
Recurring division points:
His humour occasionally works while frequently destroying the more serious character underneath it
His trauma and addiction create compelling material that the games treat as a punchline
His return in Awakening offers possible growth while also repeating his worst traits
Text response selection:
“Literally awful. Like actually genuinely objectively one of the worst characters. He's so gross and sexist and racist and all around bad. Unfortunately I like him. I like what he could have been. Like a pathetic kind of shit washed up warrior who was (canonically!) abused and mistreated by his entire family and wife, whom EVERYONE put on a pedestal and used as more of a reason to punch down on him. And yet he never ever gave up on her. Even if he agrees with you in Branka's confrontation, he still disapproves of you yelling at Branka and killing her! And I love his arc in Awakening. He's so scared of fucking up again (rightfully so) that he runs away to the one place he feels is safe or can fix him because he believed in the HoF and their order that much. Also he names his baby after the Hof 🥺” - 23-27NB
“I like him more as in universe societal commentary than a character in his own right.” - 28-35F
“Awful guy, but when he's being sincere, oh man does he get to me. I keep thinking "aw man, he's just a bit abrasive, he's really a great character" and then the fucker opens his mouth Once Again.” - 23-27M
“Quoting my own post from 3 years ago: He’s my best friend, he’s my pal, he’s my homeboy, he’s my rotten soldier, he’s my sweet cheese, he’s my good time boy. He’s my comrade-in-arms who thanks me for reminding him what honor is and vows to be the warrior I taught him to be (I am a rogue). He’s my sad-sack uncle who drinks to cope with being socially pressured into becoming a Berserker, reliant upon blinding rage in battle, and then being ostracized and practically stripped of his caste for accidentally killing an opponent in a Proving when he has literally no way to put the brakes on the killing rage he was made to cultivate. He makes misogynistic comments because that’s how he was taught to treat women but he still speaks fondly of Branka—who despised him, cheated on him, and then left him in Orzammar while stealing the rest of their House and killing them in the Deep Roads—and respects her lover Hespith, his own lover Felsi, Wynne, Morrigan, Sigrun, Velanna, and a female Warden. He makes homophobic comments but holds nothing against queer people and is open to non-traditional sex acts if his partner is interested in them. He’s bisexual and has no fucking idea. He thanks the Warden for being his friend and treating him with respect even though he feels he doesn’t deserve it and is used to being casually degraded and disrespected by his own people. He dropped his baby twice (I dropped both my nieces more than that lol) and fled his family to become a Grey Warden because he was terrified of genuinely hurting his child with his inexperience and ineptitude and is deeply insecure about it. He drunkenly asks the Warden for a pony because Branka used to collect figurines and he still loves her in some way. He considers insulting banter a form of bonding, both with friends and lovers, and also blushes and stutters and is pleased when the Warden is openly friendly and complimentary. He’s doing his best with the shitty tools he’s been given, and knows that he needs to improve, but he doesn’t know how to do that himself. He genuinely loves drinking and booze of all kinds as a hobby and is so fucking pleased when Wynne takes his offer of taste-testing his brew seriously and professionally breaks down its composition and flavors. He respects Tranquil mages when even other mages don’t because he may not understand what Tranquility means but he damn well knows that they’re people. When boisterous and over-the-top when you first give him specialized gifts and then when you’re actual friends he switches to being genuinely touched and grateful. He wants to drive a war-chariot pulled by mabari and tries multiple times to convince Dog that it’s a good idea. He hates the Fade, and dreaming, and the first time he’s in the Fade he politely asks you if it’s okay if he throws up, and the second time he panickedly asks you why you keep bringing him there and is best calmed down when you promise that he’s allowed to kill stuff as a grounding technique. He’s ride-or-die, genuinely and without hesitation. He loves you. And I’m like the only person who genuinely loves him back.” - 28-35NB
“Oghren's humor and personality bring a fun vibe to the party, complementing the more serious tones of the narrative.” - 28-35M
“They played up the grosser aspects of his character for comedic effect but the person he is under that is so sad. Married to a crazy successful woman who lost her mind and drove her whole family into the deep roads, trying to get ANYONE to help him find them, still has some bitter attachment to her even after all this time, only to find its so much worse than he thought. Id drink too, the fuck.” - 36-45F
“Oghren is gross and pathetic and upsetting, but that is wholly on purpose. He is also tragic and sad and a stark mirror of what the Warden (or honestly Hawke or the Inquisitor or Rook) could be in the future if public opinion shifts the wrong way. He had everything and lost it because he made stupid choices and it feels like he makes himself gross and pathetic to justify it so people feel disgust or maybe anger instead of pity.” - 36-45F
“This is the only companion I will not engage with. I don't care how good his character arc is (though I'm not sure I believe it's that good), I am not sitting through hours of casual misogyny and homophobia to get to it.” - 28-35F
“You'd think I'd hate him but actually i love Oghren bc he's exactly who he says he is. No subterfuge or fuckery, not even trying to social climb or leverage relationships. He's just a drunk who is really willing to help out.” - 36-45NB
“does he suck? objectively yes. he says a lot of very insensitive things. but he suffers from dragon age’s extremely insensitive handling of alcoholism. bioware’s attempt at making the most unsavory guy possible required that they make him an alcoholic, which is used as a punchline, and everything about that decision deserves to be scrutinized. also, his story is very interesting, especially his relationship with branka and how he moves forward in awakening. i understand why people don’t want to give him the time of day, but when all’s said and done i do really enjoy him as a character” - 23-27M
“he sucks but i like that in a dude. people hated oghren too loud and then by the time we got veilguard no one sucked anymore and that was worse. we love an awful little freak who sucks” - 28-35M
“Sometimes he's funny, but my god, at what cost?” - 28-35NB
“listen. what can I say about oghren. he's a gross misogynist who will hit on women who tell him to stop, then burp and pass out so he can do it all over again in the morning. he's also a fascinating look at dwarven culture, and a very, very sad man who was abandoned by his wife and his community. his conversation about being taught to be a berserker and then being outcast for actually doing what he's been expected since birth to do hits me some kind of way. I wish we didn't need so much sexual harassment along the way but it is admittedly a trait of his that says something about him as a character. it's an upsetting character trait but if I can step away from it enough to look at it as part of the whole, he's just a very sad man who blames everyone else for his problems. sometimes he's right.” - 23-27NB
“omg. i wasnt joking when i said i wish he had a romance route. i have a warden planned for it and everything. i think hes just so interesting as someone shunned from his society and yes he sucks and it took me playing the game 7 times but im endeared.. the cutscene where he sees the sun for the first time 18-22NB
“I know lots of people who hate him. I don't have strong feelings, he feels real, even if he's not always agreeable or even likeable. I don't particularly need every companion to be likeable and I can appreciate those that aren't for what they bring.” - 28-35M
Shale
I love her (51.6%), I like her (32.9%), I'm indifferent (12.7%), I have mixed/conflicted feelings (1.7%), I dislike her (0.8%), I hate her (0.3%)
Baseline: Shale stands out because the violent, misanthropic comedy works alongside a genuinely horrific story about bodily autonomy, lost identity, and dwarven history
Recurring points of praise:
Respondents repeatedly compliment her humour and personality
Her concept and backstory make her one of the game's most unique companions
Her exploration of gender and identity resonate with trans and nonbinary respondents
Recurring criticisms:
People wish the series had done more with her
Making her DLC limited her reach
Some respondents find her underdeveloped or one-note
Her attitude can be off-putting
Recurring division points:
Her violent, abrasive humour is considered either perfect for her or too dependent upon edgy repetition
Her relationship with gender is fascinating while the writing around it can feel incomplete or play into non-human stereotypes
Text response selection:
“A lot of the Origins characters have edgy dialogue for the sake of having edgy dialogue. This is true of Shale but Shale makes it work. I have 100% faith that Shale would happily stomp everyone in that party flat and keep on trucking.” - 28-35M
“SHALE IS EVERYTHING TO ME. her backstory!!! her determination!!! the lore of golems is deeply horrific and her story is so fascinating. i forgot to recruit her the first time around and i’m so happy i went to get her on every further replay, she’s become a staple of my party. i adore everything she has to say. she’s so funny and witty and not afraid to say what she means and i find her so endlessly charming” - 23-27M
“Very important gender moments. I played this game before realising I was a man, so it really was wonderful to meet a female character who was just a lump of rocks and didn’t care about being feminine. Having her strip your warden of gender was relieving. I love her very dearly.” - 23-27M
“I do think Shale would be non binary if they were written now and I always read them as non binary then and loved them. I know, as well, that it's like an overdone trope to make non-binary/aro-ace/autistic characters other but as someone who is all of those things and has been othered my whole life I loved Shale.” - 28-35NB
“After her high approval dialogue where she talks about how she’s interested in reclaiming her old dwarven identity and body as Shayle, I really wonder what she’s up to nowadays! Since it’s unlikely we’ll ever see her again, I like to think she’s achieved it and is out there living her best life. Hopefully no longer killing pigeons as often.” - 23-27M
Sten
I love him (41.6%), I like him (39.1%), I'm indifferent (12%), I have mixed/conflicted feelings (5.4%), I dislike him (1.6%), I hate him (0.3%)
Baseline: Respondents value Sten because friendship with him doesn't require ideological agreement - he questions the Warden, expects them to defend their choices, and can respect them without changing his own convictions
Recurring points of praise:
Earning his respect feels unusually satisfying
He provides a compelling view of the Qun
His friendship remains meaningful despite its limits
His dry humour and unexpected softness are endearing
Many wanted to romance him
Recurring criticisms:
Respondents wanted more of him after Origins
His sexism is a persistent barrier
Some find him flat or insufficiently developed
Recruiting him can be difficult to justify in character
His loyalty to the Qun never disappears
Recurring division points:
His rigid worldview makes friendship feel earned while also making his beliefs difficult to tolerate
He's considered both the series' strongest Qunari portrayal and part of its troubling foundations
His sparse characterisation rewards attention but leaves some players with almost nothing
Text response selection:
“I find his love for his culture despite all its flaws engaging and his begrudging appreciation for non-qunari culture is funny” - 23-27NB
“My favourite origins companion. Made me fall in love with the Qunari. Sten really made qunari culture sound like a place of belonging, and while he was probably biased in the same ways as Iron Bull, the way he spoke about it all with so much conviction made me really want to see Par Vollen. Sad that veilguard totally seemed to vilify the qunari.” - 23-27NB
“He has a hilarious dry sense of humor and yet. The FUCKING QUN. Fuuuuccckkk the Qun. Oh sure a mage Warden can be called kadan just like anybody else, but does this man ever actually reconsider his general view of mages? Not really!” - 28-35NB
“Look this man was out here picking fights about my every choice while actively respecting all of them if I respected/didn't back down from his challenges and questions and the whole time calling me his soulmate. They don’t write characters like this anymore and I do not understand why.” - 36-45F
“Sten as a character confused me until I realized he was also a bewildered and traumatized teenager, or at the very least extremely young adult, furiously clinging to the few things he can be certain of. And despite that! He likes it when you meet him on an intellectual level. He's more self-aware than almost anyone else in the party. He has by far the most rewarding friendship arc of the game.” - 28-35M
“I free him but never recruit him. I bring a sort of “I think a man murdering children and other innocents over his own macho bullshit is bad” vibe to dragon age that dragon age fans really don’t like” - 28-35F
“I think this is my favourite dragon age character. I talk about how I love all the origins guys, but Sten is the one I want to get a tattoo about (specifically Asala). I couldn’t figure out how to talk to him in my first playthrough, I kept getting disapproval and couldn’t figure out WHY. So I remember starting a run with the sole goal of understanding him. It was my first time trying to get a character from different angles and taught my teenage self how to analyse speech. My wardens have never fully agreed with him, but debating the disagreement lets them understand each other. I think that’s a part of RPGs I find missing in other places. Finding friendship through not seeing eye to eye. Other games you’re often friends or not friends. Sten’s a weird nuanced grey. You love each other very much, but if you ever meet again, he’ll have to kill you. You know he cares because he’ll fire a warning shot.” - 23-27M
“i like him now but one time i got the challenge scene and i didn't have a previous save and he beat my tiny elf girl to death repeatedly before i could beat him and I've never quite been able to unsee it” - 36-45
“That's my best friend. That's my best friend!!!!!!!!! When my Warden got taken to jail Sten was one of the ones to come bust me out and I'll never forget his unimpressed deadpan, "The irony of this moment is not lost on me" as he opens the door to your cell.” - 28-35F
Wynne
I like her (39.6%), I love her (24.5%), I have mixed/conflicted feelings (17.4%), I'm indifferent (11.4%), I dislike her (6.3%), I hate her (0.8%)
Baseline: Respondents often find Wynne more interesting than likeable - they value the complexity created by her Circle conditioning, maternal instincts, and contradictions, while frequently finding her preachy, politically frustrating, strangely underdeveloped, or simply less engaging than the ideas behind her
Recurring points of praise:
Respondents find her Circle-shaped psychology complex and compelling
Her maternal presence can be comforting and emotionally valuable
Having an older woman in the party is appreciated
Her relationship with a mage Warden creates strong roleplaying opportunities
Her spirit possession adds fascinating lore and thematic depth
Her judgmental and stubborn qualities make her more interesting than her fanon image
Recurring criticisms:
Her advice often feels preachy and intrusive
Her support for the Circle frustrates many respondents
Her age is portrayed absurdly inconsistently
She can feel boring, generic, or underdeveloped
Too much of her important character material exists outside Origins
Her grandmotherly portrayal flattens her complexity
Recurring division points:
Her mentorship is considered both comforting and intrusive
Her support for the Circle is either valuable ideological context or infuriating accommodation
Her attempt to embody an elderly mentor feels realistic to some and absurdly caricatured to others
Text response selection:
“I think she gets “grandma’d” by the fandom too much. She’s a pretty complex character outside of her just being an older lady.” - 18-22M
“She gets a little too preachy about the Warden's romance choices, but otherwise, she acts true to character in game. Where I really object to her is in the novels, when she has all this freedom to travel and do what she wants because of her past with the Hero of Ferelden, yet keeps voting to keep things as they are with the Mage Towers for everyone else. It feels slimy.” - 36-45F
“i really like her kind of twisted views of things shaped by a lifetime in the circle that you can predominantly see surfacing when she tries giving you advice, i like how kind of horrifying it all is. i hate her fandom perception of just being a nice mellow old lady who does the chores for her found family <3 because shes anything but that.” - 18-22NB
“I'm glad we were exposed to her perspective as players. I also love having an older woman as a companion option, although her actual stated age iirc was merely in her 50's, and she was depicted in appearance and behavior as being in perhaps her 70's. They ought to just have made her canonically older so the rest would make sense.” - 36-45NB
“wynne is a character of all time to me. yes yes she spouts chantry propaganda but there is a REASON for that!!! they took her child! she stepped out of line once and got punished for it forever! everything she says to the warden is because of her regrets, for the child she couldn’t raise and the apprentice she failed. she always wants to do better, be the perfect caretaker, the perfect mentor, and not be punished. she operates out of love and out of fear. faith saved her because it believed in her—she has faith in those she cares for and in the world to improve. but all she has ever known is the circle and chantry teachings. duty is what’s most important to her, because that’s what she’s been told to believe. she warns the warden against love, because love led to the greatest tragedy in her life. wynne is a mage who is afraid to think beyond the status quo because she knows what happens to those who act out, and she wants to protect herself and others. more than anything she CARES. and she isn’t always doing it in the most perfect way, because she’s imperfect! she is traumatized! a lot of the reason she tries to be so polite and motherly is because she is a woman as well as a mage and has been forced into being demure by the system she is trapped in. i’m not saying she’s never been wrong, but i AM saying she is a FANTASTIC character and i will defend her to the ends of the earth” - 23-27M
“I like the different perspective she brings to a circle mage, especially when playing a mage origin! It's an interesting mixture of power dynamics, with Warden being the group's de facto leader but also Wynne still treating them as if they were still part of the circle hierarchy, aka someone she has authority over.” - 28-35NB
“Wynne would be AMAZING if she was written how she is on purpose. Wanting to be a wise elder (despite not being that old!), she’s still showing the same flaws she claims to have grown past, still being preachy, judgemental and unable to see where others need patience instead of a lecture. That’s great!- except from all I’ve heard it was AN ACCIDENT.” - 36-45NB
“She's 48 going on 70 going on one foot in the grave. She does add a perspective to the circle of magi that's good to know, especially when considering SOME acts of revolution carried out by SOME mages in SOME game. She is essentially dead and it's just taking a while to set in, and it gives an interesting view of mortality if you think about it.” - 18-22NB
“Wynne to me is a tragedy and she's so well written but I get sad every time I think about how she's resigned herself to this constant unceasing oppression and encourages mage wardens to resign themselves to the same system because she views it as inevitable. I like how she perpetuates the system because it's broken her and the way she keeps going, the way she literally comes back from the dead, is her faith that if she complies with the system she will be spared from further suffering.” - 23-27NB
Zevran Arainai
I love him (72.1%), I like him (22%), I'm indifferent (3%), I have mixed/conflicted feelings (1.9%), I dislike him (0.8%), I hate him (0.3%)
Baseline: Respondents overwhelmingly love him for the tenderness and pain beneath his flirtatious persona, while a smaller group struggles to see beyond (or enjoy) the constant sexual presentation
Recurring points of praise:
His humour and flirtation make him highly entertaining
His romance is one of the most beloved in Origins
His friendship is meaningful even without romance
His bisexuality was meaningful representation for many respondents
His Crow background gives him compelling themes of exploitation and escape
The pain beneath his flirtatious persona gives him emotional depth
Earning his loyalty makes the relationship feel consequential
Recurring criticisms:
His late recruitment and limited content leave many respondents wanting more
His sexual presentation alienates a smaller group
Some respondents find him overhyped or fail to connect with him
His later appearances in sequels feel poorly handled
Some respondents perceive a double standard between Zevran and Oghren
His approval and betrayal mechanics can be frustrating
His accent and sexualised archetype feel dated to some respondents
Recurring division points:
His sexual confidence is interpreted as either liberating performance or relentless harassment
His limited content makes his hidden depth rewarding but easy to miss
Text response selection:
“Assassin that you adopt and ends up being your bestie or your lover, love that trope so much. His interactions are some of the funniest and his loyalty is so meaningful. I didn't recover from his romance route. I also didn't recover from learning that his automatic tactic is attacking those who attack the warden.” - 18-22F
“he’s been trapped and traumatized and it’s hard to break out of the mindset he’s developed. self-preservation, cutting himself off from love and friendship because when he finally chased that it was ripped away from him in the worst way. he blames himself for it, but it’s the crows’ fault. he wants to keep himself alive, but he also takes the job to kill the warden because it seems like a job that’s doomed to fail and he thinks death is a worthy punishment for what he did. and yet he still bargains for his life. he Wants, he wants freedom and love and connection and the ability to become his own person and not the property of the crows, but the idea of Wanting scares him. so he bottles it up and uses jokes and sex to pretend he’s perfectly content and none of his Wanting comes up until the very end. he’s flippant about others’ lives because he’s never been able to care, and when he did care, it fucked him over. but zevran is younger than wynne, and while she still thinks the circles work, zevran knows the crows don’t. he wants out. and he’s so afraid. and i would do anythjng for him” - 23-27M
“MY GUY!!! He's touch starved, he's not used to kindness, he has a natural light and joy to him that the Crows couldn't stamp out. He's suicidal, he's given a second chance by the warden .... he sees that he can be more than what the Crows expect of him, made him to be” - 28-35NB
Anders (Awakening)
I love him (46.5%), I like him (35.4%), I have mixed/conflicted feelings (7.4%), I'm indifferent (6.9%), I dislike him (3.1%), I hate him (0.7%)
Baseline: Respondents enjoy his humour and yearning for freedom, while sharply disagreeing over whether his lighter personality is more appealing or less compelling than his DA2 self
Recurring points of praise:
His humour and irreverence make him an entertaining companion
His desire for freedom makes his conflict with the Circle sympathetic
His love of cats is endearing
His lighter personality makes his later fate feel tragic
Many respondents wish that he had been romanceable
His relationship with Justice provides valuable context for both characters
Recurring criticisms:
His personality feels like an imitation of Alistair's
His flirtation can feel sexist, intrusive, or unpleasant
His voice performance is highly distracting
Some respondents find him shallow or underdeveloped
The transition into DA2 feels inadequately shown
His humour can become annoying or overly performed
Recurring division points:
His lighter personality is considered either delightful or comparatively shallow
His flirtation is experienced as either charming bisexual chaos or unwanted persistence
His contrast with DA2 inspires disagreement over whether he was improved or ruined
Text response selection:
“For me, getting to know what anders was like before da2 adds a lot of interest to his character and makes me go insane thinking about how he's changed and why. Awakening anders is fun and is interesting in his own right but i think hes elevated knowing the context of da2” - 18-22M
“honey, you've got a big storm coming” - 23-27NB
“He is so funny I hope nothing bad happens to him” - 23-27NB
“just told greg ellis to be his smarmy self” - 18-22NB
“I remember playing the dlc and thinking wow, i wish I could kiss this guy hehe hes so funny. Truly a monkeys paw moment” - 28-35
“he means well bless his heart” - 28-35F
Justice
I like him (37.1%), I love him (36.2%), I'm indifferent (13.8%), I have mixed/conflicted feelings (10.6%), I dislike him (1.7%), I hate him (0.7%)
Baseline: Respondents value him as a unique window into spirits and morality, while often wishing the games had developed him more fully and treated him better after Awakening
Recurring points of praise:
His nonhuman perspective makes him a distinctive companion
He enriches the lore surrounding spirits and possession
Watching an ideal confront an imperfect world is compelling
His fascination with mortal beauty and love makes him endearing
His relationship with Anders gains significance through DA2
His body and identity create intriguing questions (whether Justice remains entirely himself; how Kristoff's memories and emotions affect him; his responsibility toward Aura; the boundary between possession and identity; the contrast between an immortal concept and a decaying physical body; the horror and absurdity of casually travelling with a walking corpse)
Recurring criticisms:
Awakening doesn't develop him enough
His conceptual appeal doesn't always translate into personal attachment
His rigid understanding of justice can be frustrating
DA2 is widely seen as reducing or mistreating him (reduces him from a person to a source of Anders' anger; treats him as an evil or corrupting force; gives him little independent voice; fails to provide closure for what happens to him; loses the curiosity, nuance, and love of mortal life established in Awakening)
A smaller group blames him for what happens to Anders
Recurring division points:
His uncompromising morality is considered both fascinatingly alien and frustratingly rigid
His merge with Anders is either the culmination of his story or the destruction of both characters
Text response selection:
“Justice is my best fucking friend and I will hear no bad words against him. Go talk to him about the unexpected beauty of the mortal world and how the idea of love is something beautiful and worth experiencing and protecting and maybe you'll calm down.” - 28-35NB
“He didn't do much for me when I first played Awakening but on a recent playthrough I noticed that he gives SO MUCH information on the Fade and spirits, and looking back from Veilguard and DAI, that's all extremely interesting. I also wonder how Solas would interact with him.” - 36-45F
“really good character. in the fade he was just a concept, a pure ideal, and now he suddenly has to deal with the real world. its great watching him grapple with justice as an action instead of as an idea. his distaste for anders makes what eventually happens between them incredibly funny.” - 18-22M
“The pure personification of Justice was fascinating to have along, as he was puzzled by things, thereby pointing out what was nonsensical in society.” - 36-45F
“Ehhnnn leave Anders alone about Ser Pounce, come on. It's not slavery or imprisonment, it's a mutually beneficial companionship agreement. But it is super cool to have a spirit as a party member.” - 28-35NB
“JUSTICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! he’s so in love with how much the mortal world has to offer, and it’s so beautiful and inspiring. there’s so much to learn in every corner of life. kirkwall makes it hard to cling to his outlook but he still pushes through, he still always believes that things can be better. i refuse to believe that he ever fully becomes vengeance (i have thoughts on spirits/demons but that’s its own thing). i know this is the awakening section but i adore him when you meet him in the fade in night terrors. a lot of the way he’s written in da2 is because hepler saw him as an expression of anders’s Evil Bad Anger And Bipolar Disorder and not as a character in his own right. he deserved better. he’s written with so much nuance and care in awakening and it just makes me smile every time i talk to him” - 23-27M
“This isn't meant to be its circus but it supposes since it's stuck here, these may as well be its monkeys, provided they act justly and valiantly, else it must start culling them.” - 18-22NB
Nathaniel Howe
I love him (39.2%), I like him (39.2%), I'm indifferent (16.1%), I have mixed/conflicted feelings (3.5%), I dislike him (1.7%), I hate him (0.3%)
Baseline: Respondents like his growth and family drama, particularly with Cousland, but often feel he deserved far more content
Recurring points of praise:
His relationship with Cousland creates an especially compelling dynamic (both lose their homes and families through the actions of the other's father; Nathaniel initially sees the Warden as the person who destroyed his family; Cousland knows firsthand how monstrous Rendon Howe was; their inherited hostility can gradually become trust and friendship; Nathaniel provides a continuing consequence of the Cousland origin rather than leaving the Howe conflict entirely in the base game)
His struggle to accept his father's crimes gives him a satisfying arc
His changing relationship with the Warden is rewarding
Many respondents wish that he'd been romanceable
His honour and capacity for change make him sympathetic
His interactions with other companions are enjoyable (especially Oghren and Velanna)
Recurring criticisms:
Awakening doesn't give him enough development
He can feel dull, forgettable, or insubstantial
Too much of his appeal depends upon playing Cousland
His later appearances are far too limited
Recurring division points:
His hostility toward the Warden is considered either understandable family loyalty or misplaced resentment
His understated growth is satisfying while his limited presence keeps it from reaching its full potential
Tone response selection:
“My first warden was a cousland and the way their stories parallel each other is my favorite thing so I still have a very big soft spot for him” - 28-35NB
“unforchy he died protecting the keep 💔 rip nathy. his friendship with oghren is really sweet and i love their interactions. watching him come to terms with his father being terrible is great. i wonder what would happen if i told him that oghren dealt the killing blow” - 18-22M
“You just kind of watch him work through 30 years of daddy issues. In the sense that he matures from a bitter son idolising his father to a principled leader that acknowledges and accepts the atrocities committed by his father, and attempts to make good for it and rebuild his family's legacy. He finds a new home and purpose within the Grey Wardens that he never really had within his family. And also, his bard song scream will never cease to be the funniest thing on this earth.” - 18-22NB
Sigrun
I love her (53.8%), I like her (31.4%), I'm indifferent (13.8%), I have mixed/conflicted feelings (0.9%), I dislike her (0.1%), I hate her (0%)
Baseline: Respondents find her delightful and distinctive, but overwhelmingly wish Awakening and the wider series had given her more content
Recurring points of praise:
Her cheerful personality makes her immediately loveable
Her brightness contrasts compellingly with her status as one of the dead
Her perspective expands the Legion of the Dead and dwarven culture
Her combination of cuteness and violence is entertaining
Many respondents consider her one of Awakening's strongest companions
Many respondents wish that she'd been romanceable
Recurring criticisms:
Awakening doesn't give her enough time or development
Her limited material can leave her feeling forgettable or bland
The wider series wastes her by never bringing her back
Recurring division points:
Her concise appearance makes her refreshing while leaving major parts of her unexplored
Text response selection:
“Perky, curious Legion of the Dead. She's a delight. It's also another view on how one could take on the banner of "already dead" rather than just serious and morose.” - 36-45F
“She's so cheerful in a whimsical, suicidal way. The type of girl to say "whoops better go die!" when she stubs her toe. She's so ready for it the Warden-Commander has to actively keep her from running to her death. You can't say she's not dedicated to the cause.” - 18-22NB
“Our only Duster companion!! She's scrappy and funny and gives an insight into dwarven culture that non-dwarf origins never see. I wish she had more interactivity with Brosca!” - 23-27NB
Velanna
I love her (39%), I like her (33.3%), I'm indifferent (16.7%), I have mixed/conflicted feelings (7.5%), I dislike her (3%), I hate her (0.4%)
Baseline: Respondents largely sympathise with her anger and wish the series had given her more room to develop
Recurring points of praise:
Her anger toward humans is considered understandable and justified
Her prickly and uncompromising personality appeals to many respondents
Her devotion to her sister gives her emotional weight
Her development across Awakening feels meaningful
Her Dalish perspective enriches the expansion
The original concept of her merging with Justice fascinates respondents
Recurring criticisms:
Her abrasiveness makes her difficult to befriend or enjoy
Awakening doesn't develop her enough
Her treatment of innocent deaths is morally alienating
Her writing can feel like a familiar fantasy-elf archetype
The series wastes her by never bringing her back
Recurring division points:
Her anger is considered both justified and difficult to live with
Her lack of content makes her feel either full of possibility or too unfinished to love
Text response selection:
“I thought her anger was totally justified, and I think people judge her too harshly for being "mean". One of those characters where if she were a guy, she would be a fan favourite like fenris.” - 23-27NB
“I like that she and Mahariel know and recognise each other.” - 28-35F
“Sometimes I think of how differently the series would have had to unfold had the devs had HER bond with Justice instead of Anders. The conflict of the abuses of the elves might have been more coherent than the abuses of mages.” - 36-45F
“Her development throughout the DLC feels very earned. She's genuinely learning from her previous mistakes, and admits them, and then she works on them. She embodies the consequence of what she went through and witnessed, and she has to unlearn the deep-seated hatred it left her with. She goes from being a vengeful murderer in the woods to protecting any and all who need it.” - 18-22NB
Next post will focus on the DA2 responses!
