The Iron Bull's two personalities: Bull vs Hissrad
This is my favorite topic of discussion
I'm not referring to dissociative identity disorder here. These are two sides of the same character, but both personalities are in conflict with each other, one always dominating the other
What we have (my opinion):
Bull: Is the main personality, his innate characteristics. I would also call it Ashkaari. His curiosity about the world, his sociability, his mischief/cunning, but most importantly, his desire to care for others and his strong sense of justice. These are the character traits that make him such a wonderful friend and loving partner
Hissrad: Is a personality shaped for survival in Qun, a consequence of the propaganda he was forced to live with from birth. Discipline, a cool mind, absolute devotion to Qun, the ability to be a weapon in the hands of others, suppressed emotions and desires. He is a soldier. A soldier for whom nothing is more important than Qun
And there's a third, unifying personality - The Iron Bull. It's a combination of these two personalities. It's a state of internal conflict: on the one hand, he still believes in Qun and fears he'll go mad without it. But on the other, he's lived far from his homeland for so many years and sincerely enjoys his "role" as a spy, though he denies it. He believes he's a weapon, cold and unfeeling, yet he sacrifices his eye for a strange Tevinter boy. He says Qun is good, but he knows if Qun spreads further, people will suffer (he doesn't want this)
When faced with the choice of sacrificing Chargers or Dreadnoughts, we choose between Hissrad and Bull
By sacrificing his guys, the ones he loves, we close off his chance to escape Qun. Hissrad takes control because being Bull is too painful now. He shuts off his emotions, leaving only cold calculation. He no longer thinks, he waits for Qun's orders. Does he love the Inqui/Dorian then? I'll write about that another time, but the short answer is I think so, but in a different way than Bull, because he's too broken. Either way, in the end, he chooses Qun. Hissrad doesn't have a happy ending, at least not in canon..
Scenario two. Bull. He's exiled from Qun. He's scared, terrified. He doesn't know how to live, because the world he knew has been destroyed. But he'll cope, he just needs time. The Chargers and the Inquisition will save him; they'll replace Qun for him. He'll understand that he's been lied to, that he won't go crazy just because he's without Qun. And with time, he'll even realize how foolish he was, because now he feels good, especially with his Kadan by his side. Bull gains freedom.
And this is just a small fragment of this vast topic. The difference in behavior between Bull and Hissrad is quite noticeable in the game (though I would have been happy to see more). They're the same character, but they behave so differently depending on a single choice. And I'd like to write many more thoughts on this: How does Bull and Hissrad's love differ? What's really going on in Hissrad's head when he betrays us? What if the Chargers are alive, but Bull is still in Qun (if we don't take his quest)?
I have a lot of headcanons and ideas, and I hope I can share them all
I made a redraw last year's art
Happy Valentine's Day everyone! May your relationship be as strong as Bull's arms, and may your love be greater than his boobs
Rook found out about this at the same evening when she came back to look for Marethari as well as to eat and spend the night with the Dalish clan. Varric returned too late. Although he knew that the girl sometimes stayed with the clan he hoped to find her somewhere in the city before she went to the elves. He searched for her all day but eventually found her frozen in the place where the clan had once been. She was silent her eyes fixed on the empty field as though she were unable to comprehend what she was seeing.
Varric tried to lead Rook away but she seemed rooted to the ground. He called out to her, but she did not hear him. Quietly in a barely audible whisper she asked Varric where Marethari was. Where the others were. But he could not bring himself to tell her the truth.
Then, without waiting for an answer, the girl suddenly ran into the darkness. Varric searched for her in vain until morning. Just as she had come from nowhere so she disappeared into nowhere.
Well, hello!
Want something sad? I made this animatic a few months ago, I was in the mood for something heartbreaking and I decided to imagine what would have happened if my Inqui Yohas hadn't saved the Chargers and Bull had betrayed him.
Yohas couldn't kill Bull, he would most likely feel guilty about Chargers. So he would kill other Qunari, but he wouldn't even fight Bull and would surrender immediately. This is not my canon, but it matches my character's personality
A translation of the song in the video (Yang Ge - "Cry"):
"You put a gun to my head
I close my eyes and I'm d-i-e-d
D-i-e-d, d-i-e-d
Demands of the Qun, or How the Inquisitor's Choice Answers the Iron Bull's Most Important Question
I was having a chat about the Iron Bull and his personal quest with some friends and one person said in response to something I said that I should make it a Post, so here it is! And a usual disclaimer: this is not about which in-game decision is "correct"--it's an RPG, there's no wrong way to play the game. I just want to talk about the meaning of this decision for Bull's character and for his future.
Dragon Age: Inquisitionâs âDemands of the Qunâ is, for me, one of those quests where the RPG format of âplayer character makes major decision for companion characterâ really works. I do not see this as an example of game mechanics taking away agency from an NPC. I think Bull has agency in this situation.
The Chargers are not Inquisition soldiers. They are mercenaries, and Bull is their commander. If the Inquisitor makes a call he doesn't like, he is free to say "Screw you" and take his people and leave, because they are not soldiers, they're independent contractors, so leaving isn't desertion, it's just quitting. If he were already certain he wanted to leave the Qun, he could simply call the retreat himself, take the Chargers and leave. Similarly if he were certain of his loyalties and willing to sacrifice the Chargers for that purpose, he could do that, regardless of what the Inquisitor says.
He lets the Inquisitor make this choice.
The Iron Bull has had one foot out the door of the Qun for a long time now. But he's gone back and gone back, submitted himself for re-education and done his best to keep serving the Qun, because he believes he needs the Qun. To him, becoming Tal-Vashoth means losing himself, his identity, his purpose, his very sanity, and as the Fade tells us in "Here Lies the Abyss," this is quite literally his greatest fear. Bull could never bring himself to leave the Qun with nowhere to go instead, nothing to give his life purpose and meaningâand no one to entrust himself to should he doubt his own sanity.
But in his work in the south, the Iron Bull has found community and identity and purpose outside the Qun. The very name he has given himself speaks to that, as does his close relationship to the Chargers.
Right from the beginning, there is tension in "Demands of the Qun." Bull remarks that he's gotten used to the Qunari being "over there" during his life in the south. I think Bull has a very potent anxiety when he meets Gatt again on the Storm Coast, and introduces him to the Inquisitor and their party. To me, it very much has the vibes of introducing two friend groups, where you're not only pretty sure they won't get along, but you're also very aware that they know very different sides of youâand neither of them are going to like seeing the other side. Bull's discomfort is visible both when Gatt speaks freely about Bull's work in the Ben-Hassrath, and when the Inquisitor's other companions make disparaging remarks about the Qun. His two worlds have collided, calling into conflict two sides of his sense of self that he has thus far managed to avoid confronting.
And this is likely part of the point. The Qun does not truly respect alliances with any outside the Qun. I wouldn't say for sure that the Qunari set up this whole situation just to test Bullâit's possible they knew exactly how many Venatori would show up, but they couldn't have known precisely how the Inquisition would respond. That, and their desire to root out the Venatori is no doubt sincere. But I do think they are watching Bull's actions very closely throughout this proposed alliance, gauging his loyalty. Gatt tells him outright that many already believe he has betrayed the Qun.
Bull's internal conflict quickly becomes an external one when the Venatori reinforcements show up, and Bull is faced with the decision of whether to withdraw the Chargers or defend the dreadnought at the cost of their lives.
The thing is, Bull is not neutral on this. He tells the Inquisitor what he wants. He wants to save the Chargers. If the Inquisitor says that the Chargers still have time to retreat, Bull agrees. When Gatt tells him they need to hold position, he says in a low, intense tone, "They're my men."
And then, when Gatt tells him in no uncertain terms that calling the retreat will make him Tal-Vashoth, the Iron Bull looks to the Inquisitor.
Again, he is not neutral. He knows what he wants. He is standing there basically begging the Inquisitor with his eyes to save his boys.
So why doesn't he just make the call himself?
Because just as this whole situation is in part a test of Bull's loyalty, this is also a test of the Inquisitor.
What Bull needs to leave the Qun is not simply for someone else to make the choice for him, but to believe that there is a future for him outside the Qun. That he will still be himself, that he will have purpose, and meaning, and that someone else is worth trusting. Bull cannot bring himself to leave the Qun if it means he will be left utterly alone with nothing but his own mind and his deepest fears. And if that's what leaving the Qun means⌠then in his mind, it would be better to stay.
The Inquisitor's choice will answer that question.
To sacrifice the Chargers leaves Bull with nothing outside of the Qun. He has just watched his closest friends die, and he cannot trust the Inquisitor. With Krem and Rocky and Skinner and Stitches and Dalish and Grim, the new sense of self that the Iron Bull has found in the south also dies.
Of course he turns back to the Qun. He has nothing else left.
But if it's the Inquisitor who makes the call to save the Chargers⌠Bull can leave. He has friends who care about him. He has purpose. He has someone whose command he can trust. He has hope. None of this makes the choice easy for him. It is quite clearly very painful and difficult, and I don't think there's any way it could be otherwise. But he has a way forward nonetheless. The choice makes leaving possible.
The Inquisitor doesn't force the Iron Bull to become Tal-Vashoth. Instead, Bull implicitly asks a question, and the Inquisitor by their choice gives him an answer.
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