I’ve seen a lot of posts calling out Cullen as being unqualified to command the Inquisition’s forces. These posts usually suggest that Cassandra should have recruited someone else.
And, look, if people don’t like Cullen and wish that someone else had appeared in their place because of that, then… fine? Okay. Whatever. I’m not here to tell people what fictional characters to enjoy.
What I am here to do is to is argue against the idea that he was included as fanservice in spite of having an insufficient resume.
Cullen served for seven years under Knight-Commander Meredith Stannard. And, whatever you think of Meredith, there was a reason why she was the most powerful Templar in eastern Thedas. She was a prodigy who overthrew a corrupt dictator while she was still in her twenties. She kept hundreds of elite warriors in line even as she slipped into madness. She took over a city-state. She was probably one hell of a mentor.
Considering the blood magic problem in Kirkwall, Cullen’s service there would have involved a lot more open combat than most prison-guard Templars are likely to see. He would have been leading squads to take down demons and apostates on a regular basis.
Is that the same as leading an army? No. But don’t forget that Justinia had no idea that Corypheus existed when she asked Leliana and Cassandra to form the Inquisition. She thought she was putting together a force to contain the worst excesses of the Mage-Templar war. Someone with experience training recruits and putting together squads to contain local threads? Is exactly who they would have been looking for.
Cullen was also in charge of the Kirkwall Templars for at least three years – more, probably, since by the end of DA2 he’s taken over operations to the extent that the troops side with him over Meredith. He was responsible for training, provisioning, and keeping good relations with the local guard. All things that he also needs to do as Commander of the Inquisition, which is an NGO that needs to maintain partnerships with national militaries.
Recruiting Cullen is also important symbolically – something that Justinia would have been very aware of. It shows current Templars that there’s a place for them if they choose to walk away from the war. At the end of Inquisition, the remains of the organization decide whether or not to stay on lyrium entirely based on Cullen’s example. His finding another, better way to serve is kind of a huge deal for them.
And who else where they going to ask? The thing with experienced military commanders is that they usually gain that experience working in national militaries. They already have jobs. They are not looking to join up with a bunch of religious fanatics camping in the mountains.
Bringing Cullen into the Inquisition was probably the best option available to Cassandra.
Obviously the writers could have made up, oh, an invincible Rivaini seer princess general who’s won ten dozen military engagements in a war that no one has ever heard of before, and who for some reason has no other personal commitments. But barring that, Cullen was a damn good candidate.
origamiaround
areudirty
pixelskylines
jacobvanloon
dailybridgerton
gracieabrams
blakekathryn
kianamaiart
baratheonpilled
