History Awesome / DragonageOrigins

*** The glowing eyes may be a hint that the Warden is not a straight-up warrior but an Arcane Mage.

* A Mage possesses the ability to pull off one of these on their own if they have Master Coercion - after performing the blood magic ritual at Redcliffe to enter the Fade, and confronting the Desire Demon, if you have that skill, it's possible to not only ''browbeat'' the demon into leaving Connor's soul alone forever, but also get the demon to cough up one of the 'favors', whether that's the [[BloodyMurder Blood Magic]] specialization or an extra spell, free of charge. How's ''that'' for being persuasive?

* Though it's overshadowed by the [[TearJerker heartbreaking]] [[spoiler:deaths of Fergus' wife and son]], in the room where you find them, you also find a dead soldier, which means that an unarmed woman or an unarmed child killed an armed and armored soldier.

** The first is the 'Crosscut Drifters' a group of renegade dwarven miners who tell the assembly to piss off and go hunting for lyrium veins in high-risk areas. They break through a wall and find a cavern where a huge mass of darkspawn about to surprise attack Orzammar. What do they do? Blow the entire cavern up, burying the darkspawn...and they did this knowing that it would bury them in there as well.
* The second is an offscreen one for Willem Trialmont, an elf who came down to the Deep Roads to fight the Darkspawn. There's no record of him being a Grey Warden, so this elf was essentially a BadassNormal. He made enough of a name for himself that the dwarves gave him a full burial with honors and considered him one of their own when he finally fell in battle. What long-time Wardens regard as a suicide run, Trialmont walked into willingly.

* Jowan in the mage origin. A timid, lowspoken and somewhat pathetic guy, but the second his girlfriend is threatened with imprisonment he bellows with more force and rage than we ever see before or after: "NO!! I WON'T LET YOU TOUCH HER!", and then proceeds to stab through his own hand, raise his arms, and knock out the First Enchanter, Knight-Commander and an entire roomful of Templars with the sheer, brutal force of his own blood.
** You yourself, a comparatively much stronger mage, will have to go through about three fourths of the game before getting even remotely strong enough to solo so many enemies of that caliber, and Jowan has yet to go through his Harrowing. That's how angry and desperate he is.

** She gets a fairly awesome ThisIsNotMyLifeToTake moment if another option is chosen. Leliana tells Raleigh "I'm not going to kill you. I'm not that selfish." and turns and walks away from him. Raleigh looks like he can't believe his luck...until Leliana motions to Silas, who spent ''months'' being tortured in Raleigh's dungeon for a fairly minor offense. To cap it all off, once Silas throws him off the cliff, he grins at Leliana and says: "Thanks for that."

** Made even more awesome if you're playing as a female Dwarf, as ''every'' other female Casteless in the game is depicted as a Noble-Hunter. Its a testament to the Female Dwarf Commoner's skill with a blade that even ''Beraht'' recognises that she's more valuable to him as a Sellsword than if he were force her to be a Concubine like her sister, Rica.
* Duncan's summation of why he chose to recruit the Dwarf-Commoner in the first place;

** Getting rid of Caldrius and his goons as an Elven Arcane Warrior. The Tevinter blood mage came to Ferelden to take advantage of its dire situation and take as many Elven slaves as possible, only to end up meeting the first Elf in centuries to master the Elvhenan's forgotten branch of magic, one that was [[KarmicDeath specifically tailored for war]] and [[TheDreaded the bane]] of the Ancient Tevinters.

* Though it's not canon, the Sacred Ashes clip has plenty of these. First, the Warden (after picking up on the darkspawn's presence) blocks a thrown axe with a shield from beneath his cloak. Then Sten pushes a crowd of darkspawn off a cliff. Next, Leliana takes down a squad of darkspawn, delivers a PreAssKickingOneLiner and shoots an arrow at the darkspawn leader, hitting it in the chest. Following is The Warden and Morrigan acting as BackToBackBadasses. After which, Morrigan transforms into a giant spider (while flipping in the air) and takes down another squad. Then there's the dragon fight, starting with the Warden acting as a [[DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu distraction]]; Leliana shoots the dragon from atop a pillar, flips off of it when the dragon destroys it, and shoots at the dragon while running, Sten jumps on its side and dragging his sword through the side of its chest, Morrigan (after the dragon notices her) zaps the dragon with lightning, and the Warden finishes it by stabbing the beast in the head.game.

* Though it's not canon, the Sacred Ashes clip has plenty of these. First, the Warden (after picking up on the darkspawn's presence) blocks a thrown axe with a shield from beneath his cloak. Then Sten pushes a crowd of darkspawn off a cliff. Next, Leliana takes down a squad of darkspawn, delivers a PreAssKickingOneLiner and shoots an arrow at the darkspawn leader, hitting it in the chest. Following is The Warden and Morrigan acting as BackToBackBadasses. After which, Morrigan transforms into a giant spider (while flipping in the air) and takes down another squad. Then there's the dragon fight, starting with the Warden acting as a [[DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu distraction]]; Leliana shoots the dragon from atop a pillar, flips off of it when the dragon destroys it, and shoots at the dragon while running, Sten jumps on its side and dragging his sword through its arm, Morrigan (after the dragon notices her) zaps the dragon with lightning, and the Warden finishes it by stabbing the beast in the head.game.

* The female city elf gets one of these in her origin. The other elves in the alienage make comments about the character's infamous martial training from her mother. [[spoiler: When cornered by two guards intending to rape the character, now unarmed and in a jail cell, and possibly just wearing her wedding dress...her cousin comes in with a sword. It looks like he's going to try and pull a BigDamnHeroes moment and get slaughtered. Then he leans down and slides the sword to you. The guards' comment? "[[OhCrap Oh, sod]]."]] Utterly badass, and the game's barely started.

* During the infiltration of the estate, the Male City Elf has the option to deal with a sleeping guard. You can either leave him, slit his throat in his sleep, or wake him up and ''then'' do it! The latter option manages to be both awesome and utterly ''terrifying'' in it's execution, since if you have thus far played as a NiceGuy, this perfectly conveys how utterly ''[[TranquilFury pissed]] [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge off]]'' you can get!

* Notice how the origins that begin the character at the lowest of the low also let them rock? The City Elf gets to hear the ruler of his/her city bargain for his life, and may enjoy the opportunity to cut him down. The casteless starts as a vocational scumbag with a crapsack lifestyle, an abusive mother, a whore sister and an equally scummy buddy, but comes out a champion, massively pissing off the collective ruling class who, because of Duncan, can't do a thing about it.

--->'''Arl Howe''': "There it is, right there. That damned look in the eye that marked every Cousland success that held me back. It seems you have made something of yourself after all. Your father would be proud. I, on the other hand, want you dead more than ever..."
* Though it's not canon, the Sacred Ashes clip has plenty of these. First, The Warden (after picking up on the darkspawn's precense) blocks a thrown axe with a shield from beneath his cloak. Then Sten pushes a crowd of darkspawn off a cliff. Next, Leliana takes down a squad of darkspawn, delivers a PreAssKickingOneLiner and shoots an arrow at the darkspawn leader, hitting it in the chest. Following is The Warden and Morrigan acting as BackToBackBadasses. After which, Morrigan transforms into a giant spider (while flipping in the air) and takes down another squad. Then there's the dragon fight, starting with The Warden acting as a [[DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu distraction]]; Leliana shoots the dragon from atop a pillar, flips off of it when the dragon destroys it, and shoots at the dragon while running, Sten jumps on its side and dragging his sword through its arm, Morrigan (after the dragon notices her) zaps the dragon with lightning, and the Warden finishes it by stabbing the beast in the head.game.
*** The glowing eyes may be a hint that The Warden is not a straight-up warrior but an Arcane Mage.
* The announcement trailer has the main character looking like a badass in polished silver armor, walking towards a huge door underground while casually butchering Darkspawn, and as the doors open the Warden's [[FlamingSword sword bursts into flames]] when he sees literally thousands of Darkspawn howling at him. He puts on his helmet and proceeds to kick ass. Did we mention that MarilynManson is [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome playing while he kills things?]]
** It has a little extra oomph after you learn that Grey Wardens [[spoiler:usually only visit the Deep Roads when they are nearing the end of their tainted life - and rather than withering away, they choose to take as many Darkspawn as they can down with them.]]"

-->"I’d sacrifice a lot more if I knew it would end the Blight. You saw those darkspawn, ser knight. Wouldn’t you die to protect your pretty wife from them? The babe she carries? Maybe you’ll die. Maybe we’ll all die. If no-one stops the Blight, we’ll all die for sure."

** Also worth noting that the death blow animations are determined by the weapon skill set your using (two hander, one hander and shield, or dual wielding), not by the specific weapon you're holding. This means that these can show you stabbing a mace or axe through an ogre or dragon's skull.

** It becomes a true CMOA if you play a Dwarf Noble, and then support Bhelen. Make it clear you don't like him but believe he's the best choice to get the troops you need for your campaign. Bhelen, who is initially distrustful, finally starts to favor you, convinced that you've put the past behind you and are acting in the best interests of the Wardens, Orzammar, and the surface. Then, at the very end, before the Assembly, tell them that the Paragon chose ''you'' to make the decision on who should be King - and ''choose Harrowmount.'' Bhelen's reaction is ''priceless.'' Turning on your manipulative, backstabbing brother, ''and'' turning the tables on him with your own ruthless backstab using Orzammar's politics is just plain ''awesome.''
*** Equally awesome (and also good for any Dwarf who wants Orzammar to succeed) is allowing Bhelen to become king. Your brother lives with the knowledge that he's only king because of the sibling ''he'' had exiled, and ''then'' said Assembly is named Paragon. It might not be as bloody as the alternative, but you still managed to best your brother at his own game in the end, turning his own actions around to your ultimate benefit.
* The Battle of Ostagar, where King Cailan and his men are positioned to crush [[TheHorde the Darkspawn]] once and for all. [[spoiler:It doesn't work, but]] the battle cinematic is truly awesome to see, especially on higher graphics and with the CrowningMusicOfAwesome blaring from your speakers at top volume.
* Riordan [[spoiler: leaping from the roof of the Fort Drakon tower to ride the archdemon, stab it a few times, and then tear a huge gash in its wing with his sword...it didn't work, but you can't fault him for trying. And it did do enough damage to the dragon's flying ability that it can't simply take wing and fly away once you're fighting it atop Fort Drakon.]]

--->'''Flemeth''': [[spoiler:"Come. She will earn what she takes. I have it no other way."]]

*** During one run-through the Battle of Denerim, both the Female Noble and a romanced Alistair ''repeatedly'' got the final strike on multiple Ogres, from various starting directions and ran the animation to take it down together. Made more awesome because during the Landsmeet [[spoiler: they'd become King and Queen of Ferelden]], proving that with Ferelden's premiere BattleCouple, the country is ''defintely'' in safe hands!

---> My lords and ladies, our land has been threatened before. It's been invaded and lost, and won times beyond counting. We Fereldens have proven that we will never truly be conquered so long as we are united. We must not let ourselves be divided now. Stand with me, and we shall defeat even the Blight itself.
** Made infinitely more Awesome if immediately following this speech, there's a slew of "South Reach stands with the Warden!" "Waking Sea supports the Warden!" "Dragon's Peak supports the Warden!"
* The opening cinematic to the endgame. The huge army that you've spent the entire game gathering finally assembles. You arrive at Denerim after a forced march and see the archdemon flying overhead. Before you go into battle, Alistair gives the army a RousingSpeech, saying that ''you'' are the greatest Grey Warden in history. The end of the speech tops it off, as Alistair ends it by yelling "For Ferelden! ''For the Grey Wardens''!", after which the entire army charges towards Denerim screaming, easily breaking into the city after dealing with the group of darkspawn that was outside. [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome With the heroic leitmotif playing, no less.]]

---> "Before us stands the might of the darkspawn horde. Gaze upon them now, but ''fear them not!'' The man beside me is a native of Ferelden, now risen to the ranks of the Grey Wardens. He is proof that glory is within reach of us all. He has survived ''despite'' the odds, and without him, ''none'' of us would be here today. Today, we save Denerim! Today, we avenge the death of [[spoiler: my brother,]] King Cailan! But most of all, today we show the Grey Wardens we ''remember'' and ''honor'' their sacrifice. FOR FERELDEN! ''FOR THE GREY WARDENS!!''"

* In the ending, [[spoiler:whoever kills the archdemon gets one.]]

* A Mage possesses the ability to pull off one of these on their own if they have Master Coercion- after performing the blood magic ritual at Redcliffe to enter the Fade, and confronting the Desire Demon, if you have that skill, it's possible to not only ''browbeat'' the demon into leaving Connor's soul alone forever, but also get the Demon to cough up one of the 'favors', whether that's the [[BloodyMurder Blood Magic]] specialization or an extra spell, free of charge. How's ''that'' for being persuasive?

--> '''Desire Demon''': [[MuggingTheMonster I... see]]. Though you are alone in my domain, [[BullyingADragon I have no doubt of your power]]. I am not one for [[GenreSavvy taking risks]]. Have it your way, I relinquish my hold on the boy if you allow me to leave unhindered? I can offer nothing better.

** The first is the 'Crosscut Drifters' a group of renegade dwarven miners who tell the assembly to piss off and go hunting for lyrium veins in high-risk areas. They break through a wall and find a cavern where a huge mass of Darkspawn about to surprise attack Orzamarr. What do they do? Blow the entire cavern up, burying the darkspawn...and they did this knowing that it would bury them in there as well.
** Then there's the story behind the tale of 'Topsider's Honor.' An elf came down from the surface to fight Darkspawn with the Legion of the Dead. Just a regular elf too, not a warden. He was such a badass that not only did the Legion treat him as one of their own, but they gave him a full burial with honors.

*** And for those who were sick of Jowans manipulation and immaturity in the Origin, it's just as satisfying to track him down and punish him for all the damage he has done.
* Leliana gets one in her DLC, where her final confrontation with Raleigh ends with him mocking her that no matter what she does, he'll always "remember that little scared girl in my cell". Leliana calmly tells him "I remember her too. This is for her." And then ''throws him off of a cliff''.

* An Offscreen one for Willem Trialmont, an elf who came down to the Deep Roads to fight the Darkspawn. There's no record of him being a Grey Warden, so this elf was essentially a BadassNormal. He made enough of a name for himself that the dwarves gave him a full burial with honors and considered him one of their own when he finally fell in battle. What long-time Wardens regard as a suicide run, Trialmont walked into willingly.
-->''The Stone take this topsider as she would welcome her own. He was born to air and sky, but has served the Deep Roads better than a native son. Many will see another day because he fought at their side and fell in their stead. We don't know his rites, and I fear the loss of his family blade may cause unrest on whatever journey he faces, but we know him as brother in blood and extend that which is sacred to us. Willem Trialmont, if the path home is dark, the Stone is honored to have you in the foundation.''

--> '''Soris''': *''Speechless''* That was ''cold'' cousin!
* A city elf can rally his or her friends and family to defend the Alienage during the TheWarSequence. Supposedly any character can do this, but it's especially satisfying for a city elf warden.
* Notice how the origins that begin the character at the lowest of the low also let them rock? The City Elf gets to hear the ruler of his/her city bargain for his life, and may enjoy the opportunity to cut his nuts off. The casteless starts as a vocational scumbag with a crapsack lifestyle, an abusive mother, a whore sister and an equally scummy buddy, but comes out a champion, massively pissing off the collective ruling class who, because of Duncan, ''can't do a thing about it!'' The ancestors smile on me, you think? ''My'' ancestors are laughing their asses off!
** Contrast the Human Noble origin, which begins with every advantage a character could have, and loses it all in the most {{Tearjerker}} way. But it makes later confrontations with Howe and Loghain pay off with much more satisfaction than any other origin, and far more Crowning.
*** Something about standing up to Arl Howe and telling him to look you in the eye and see the person you have become, and that what he's done has only made you stronger is so satisfying and powerful. This troper originally didn't like the Human Noble origin, remaining an Alienage girl at heart, till that scene. Arl Howe's bitter awe and shock at your defiance is definitely one of the most awesome moments in the game.

*** This is aided by [[TimCurry Tim Curry's]] excellent voice acting where you can really hear the ([[TranquilFury surprisingly subtle]]) anger in his voice as he can't deny what he sees in the Human Noble.

* Though it's not canon, the Sacred Ashes clip has plenty of these. First, The Warden (after picking up on the darkspawn's precense) blocks a thrown axe with a shield from beneath his cloak. Then Sten pushes a crowd of darkspawn of a cliff in a very BadAss way. Next, Leliana takes down a ZergRush of darkspawn, delivers a PreAssKickingOneLiner and shoots an arrow at the darkspawn leader, hitting it in the chest. Following is The Warden and Morrigan acting as BackToBackBadasses. After which, Morrigan transforms into a giant spider (while flipping in the air)and takes down another ZergRush. Then there's the dragon fight, starting with The Warden acting as a [[DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu distraction]]; Leliana shoots the dragon from atop a pillar, flips off of it when the dragon destroys it, and shoots at the dragon while running, Sten jumps on its side and dragging his sword through its arm, Morrigan (after the dragon notices her) hits the dragon with lightning until its eyes pop, and the Warden finishes it by stabbing the dragon in the head.
** [[NeverTrustATrailer Which makes it]] ''[[NeverTrustATrailer so]]'' [[NeverTrustATrailer disappointing almost none of these things are possible.]] Glowy eyes indeed...
*** Though the music makes up for it.
**** And for those curious - [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5St9phiHHE here it is]]. Yes, [[NeverTrustATrailer trailers lie]]... but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable.
*** Not ALL of it, but a considerable number of those spells are in the game. Arrow of slaying, shapeshift (spider), taunt, lightning, walking bomb, indomitable, and overwhelm all make an appearance and are all usable in the game.

* The announcement trailer has the main character [[RatedMForManly looking as manly as steak]] in polished silver armor, walking towards a huge door underground while casually butchering Darkspawn, and as the doors open [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep the Warden's]] [[FlamingSword sword bursts into flames]] when he sees literally thousands of Darkspawn howling at him. He puts on his helmet and [[BadAss proceeds to kick ass.]] Did we mention that MarilynManson is [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome playing while he kills things?]]

** [[spoiler: The armour worn reappears in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' as the "Armour of the Fallen", implying that was indeed that Warden's Calling. If so, that was an ''awesome'' way to go out]].

* Though it's overshadowed by the [[{{Tearjerker}} heartbreaking]] [[spoiler:deaths of Fergus' wife and son]], in the room where you find them, you also find a dead soldier, which means that an unarmed woman or an unarmed child killed an armed and armored soldier.
* Easily overlooked is petty criminal Daveth's little speech to Jory right before the Joining ritual. Sheer unexpected awesomeness from an unlikely character:

** And then he is the first one to die from the Joining.

** As well as a melee character's slaying of an Ogre, which involves an [[{{Troy}} Achilles-like jump into the air before]] stabbing the ogre in the chest and bearing it to the ground before stabbing it again in the face, with a twist of the blade to finish. Did I mention that this is all done in slo-mo?
*** Which is even more awesome when said character is wielding a ''mace''.

** The animation for a two-weapon elven rogue slaying [[spoiler:the Broodmother]] was pretty awesome as well. You climb up on her flabby body to her shoulders, leaving her completely helpless. Then you slash her head a couple of times before slitting her throat with both blades. To top it off, you flip down to the ground.
** Also worth noting that the death blow animations are determined by the weapon skill set your using (two hander, one hander and shield, or dual wielding), not by the specific weapon you're holding. This means that these can show you stabbing a mace or axe through an ogre or dragon's skull. It's friggin' sweet.
* Defending the village of Redcliffe and ensuring that [[EveryoneLives EVERY defender lives]]. Most of the villagers were convinced they were going to die that night and it's pretty sweet proving them wrong. There's nothing quite like hearing Bann Teagan say "Dawn arrives, friends, and ''all'' of us remain!"

** It becomes a true CMOA if you play a Dwarf Noble, and then support Bhelen. Make it clear you don't like him but believe he's the best choice to get the troops you need for your campaign. Bhelen, who is initially distrustful, finally starts to favor you, convinced that you've put the past behind you and are acting in the best interests of the Wardens, Orzammar, and the surface. Then, at the very end, before the Assembly, tell them that the Paragon chose ''you'' to make the decision on who should be King - and ''choose Harrowmount.'' Bhelen's reaction is ''priceless.'' Turning your manipulative, backstabbing brother with aspirations of {{Magnificent Bastard}}ry into a mere SmugSnake, ''and'' turning the tables on him with your own ruthless backstab using Orzammar's politics is just plain ''awesome.'' The subsequent brawl in the Assembly Hall where you can kill Bhelen yourself is just the icing on the cake.
*** Equally awesome (and also good for any Dwarf who wants Orzammar to succeed) is allowing Bhelen to become king. Your brother lives with the knowledge that he's only king because of the sibling HE had exiled, and THEN said Assembly is named Paragon. It might not be as bloody as the alternative, but you still managed to best your brother at his own game in the end, turning his own actions around to your ultimate benefit.

*** Every boss has an epic deathblow animation. Somehow Alistair and Zevran managed to get the final strike at the same time, and both ran the animation together. '''Synchronized FATALITY!'''

* Loghain's [[LargeHam hammy speech]] to the Landsmeet.

** Made infinitely more Awesome if immediately following this speech there's a slew of "South Reach stands with the Warden!" "Waking Sea supports the Warden!" "Dragon's Peak supports the Warden!"
* The opening cinematic to the endgame. The huge army that you've spent the entire game gathering finally assembles. You arrive at Denerim after a forced march and see the archdemon flying overhead. Before you go into battle, ''Alistair'' of all people gives the army a RousingSpeech, saying that YOU are the greatest Grey Warden in history. The end of the speech tops it off, as Alistair ends it by yelling "For Ferelden! ''For the Grey Wardeeeeeeeeeens!''", after which the entire army charges towards Denerim screaming, easily breaking into the city after dealing with the group of darkspawn that was outside. [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome With the Franchise/DragonAge heroic leitmotif playing, no less.]]

*** For me, it's just the sight of the darkspawn running away that fills me with pride. After an entire game of the darkspawn standing their ground, fighting to the very last darkspawn standing, the fact that they break and run like cowards is an inspiring sight.
*** Denerim opens with the city in flames and the darkspawn outside casually executing Denerim's soldiers. The camera focuses on one soldier, on his knees, a nasty looking darkspawn sword to his throat. He looks up and is stunned to see the army that you've gathered charging towards them. The darkspawn slits his throat a moment later, but I like to think that even though the soldier knew it was too late for him, his last sight gave him a flicker of hope for Denerim.
*** And after that, you fight alongisde ''all'' your companions(using only your character, but still) against ''dozens'' of darkspawns at the same time. And if they are storng enough, they are able to kill them in just one blow. Considering that at the very beginning of the game, you and your party had trouble dealing with a small group, there is nothing more satysfing and awesome than going alone to a bridge and one-hit killing each and every darkspawn that comes after you.

**** Or better yet, ''[[OneManArmy not]]'' ''[[BadAssCrew needing to]]''. You've assembled an army. Fine. Good. Who needs them? Your group is more than enough to take on the darkspawn.

* One for the entire Grey Warden order in the game's intro movie: we see the darkspawn rampaging along, massacring the dwarven armies, with Duncan providing the commentary, and then we see the Wardens charging at a massive horde of darkspawn - a half-dozen Wardens, and they ''tear'' into the darkspawn, swords swinging, magical fire burning, arrows striking. Then we see the darkspawn attacking a village, and ''two'' Gray Wardens are shown holding off virtually the entire darkspawn army by themselves - all while some truly heroic and badass music is playing in the background. If ''that'' doesn't get you pumped up at the idea of joining this particular order of heroic, near-suicidal, evil-slaying badasses, nothing can.
* Offscreen CMOA: Anders talks about his cat back at the Circle Tower, a tabby named Mr. Wiggums. Mr. Wiggums, who, upon being possessed by a rage demon, ''killed three Templars by himself.'' Yeah, that cat ''deserves'' that toast.
** And rage demons are the weakest, according to a loading screen. Yes, kitty, you ''can'' haz that cheezburger.
* If you manage to get the normally [[SquishyWizard frail]] and soft-spoken Irving to enter the Fade to rescue Connor, the way he confronts the Desire Demon behind it all is similar to another [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings bearded]], [[BigGood robed wizard]] declaring [[CrowningMomentofAwesome "YOU! SHALL NOT! PAAAAAASS!"]]. It shows why he was the First Enchanter.

* A Mage possesses the ability to pull off one of these on their own if they have Master Coercion- after performing the blood magic ritual at Redcliffe to enter the Fade, and confronting the Desire Demon, if you have that skill, it's possible to not only ''browbeat the demon into leaving Connor's soul alone forever,'' but also get the Demon to cough up one of the 'favors', whether that's the [[BloodyMurder Blood Magic]] specialization or an extra spell, free of charge. How's ''that'' for being persuasive?
** Especially in light of Irving's warning that one should never make deals with demons because they ''never'' end well. This one ''does'' end well, because dammit, ''you're the Warden and you say so!''
** Even better than that. Until that point, the Demon has been safe in the knowledge that even if anyone kills Connor in the real world, the Demon itself will still survive because they're in the Fade. They are literally untouchable! I mean, whats the Warden going to do? [[TemptingFate Come into the Fade and kick its ass?]] Hang on, is that-? OhCrap.

* If your PC kills the Archdemon [[spoiler: and dies in the process]], Sten travels back to Par Vollen. He is asked if there was anyone honorable outside of Par Vollen. Sten replies that in all his travels, [[ItHasBeenAnHonor he only ever met one.]] If having TheStoic from a race of [[PlanetOfHats stoics]] praise you to his people isn't awesome, I don't know what is.

* Ser Otto the blind templar. Going into the Alienage to solve a problem with no real help, fighting demons in a haunted orphanage, all pretty damn badass. But his ultimate crowning moment has to be when in mockery a rage demon throws a book at him, Otto simply swats it away in a manner that makes you question how powerful templars can really be and made me respect them a lot more.

* Jowan in the mage origin. A timid, lowspoken and somewhat pathetic guy, but the second his girlfriend is threatened with imprisonment he bellows with more force and rage than we ever see before or after: "NO!! I WON'T LET YOU TOUCH HER!", and then proceeds to stab through his own hand, raise his arms, and knock out the First Enchanter, Knight-Commander and an entire roomful of Templars with the sheer, brutal force of his own blood. [[WhatCouldHaveBeen Woe the day they gave up on the possibility of recruiting him to your party.]]
** You yourself, a comparatively much stronger mage, will have to go through about three fourths of the game before getting even remotely strong enough to solo so many enemies of that caliber, and Jowan has yet to go through his Harrowing... That's how angry and desperate he is.

* It's a small moment, and I'm not quite sure if it counts, but I found it to be pretty awesome. When playing a female City Elf who killed Vaughn, I was asked by Wynne how I was recruited into the Grey Wardens. Not mincing words, my character explained to her that she had killed the Arl of Denerim's son for hurting her family and friends, and that if she had the chance, she would kill him all over again. Knowing Wynne, I expected to get a lecture. So I was shocked at her reply:
-->'''Wynne:''' You say that with such cold conviction it frightens me. But I can find no fault in your actions. ''I would have done the same thing''.
** And then I remembered [[MamaBear how much ass Wynne kicked when protecting her apprentices from the demons at the Circle,]] and realized that yes, she '''would''' have gone after Vaughn, and she would have torn the little monster apart. Holy crap. I think it's safe to say Wynne = BadassGrandma.
*** Well she IS made of win after all...
*** I now have an image in my head of Wynne beating Vaughn to death with her staff. And it is GLORIOUS.
*** Wynne's BadAss cred only gets more solid if you take her to the final battle. Her Spirit Healer specialization virtually guarantees that she'll be the last one standing, every time, and adding [[GameBreaker Arcane Warrior]] to that only makes it better. Particularly if she's got melee weapons out and gets the fatality on the Archdemon. Yeah. That elderly grandmother type who is so sweet and kind? [[BewareTheNiceOnes She's perfectly willing to jump onto a giant dragon and stab it in the head until it dies.]]

* Hell, Duncan's summation of why he chose to recruit the Dwarf-Commoner in the first place;

* [[EnsembleDarkhorse Bann]] [[BadAss Teagan]] gets one near the beginning of the game right after the battle at Ostagar. When Loghain gets back to Denerim and is trying to set himself up as regent, Teagan is the only one out of the entire Bannorn to stand up to him and point out that his retreat at Ostagar was pretty goddamn convenient. Though the entire Landsmeet must have been thinking the exact same thing, Teagan is the only one with the balls to call Loghain out directly. When Loghain basically tells him to shut up and fall in line, Teagan hits him with the following.

** Keep in mind, Eamon is sick at this point, meaning Teagan is standing up to the most powerful man in the country, completely by himself, simply because it is the right thing to do. There's a reason some fans have dubbed him [[FanNickname the Bannhammer.]]

** Another Teagan moment hit me the same way in the same cutscene. Not only does he call Loghain out, he all but says to Anora that he believes her father left the king - Anora's husband - to die. This troper feels that Teagan is, in fact, a [[BadassNormal Badass Normal]].
--> '''Anora''': Bann Teagan, my father is doing what is best.
--> '''Teagan''': Did he also do what was best for your husband, your Majesty?
* This troper allowed Loghain to live and during the battle with the Archdemon, he landed the killing blow. He roared, "''''''FOR MARIC!'''''" and jumped onto the Archdemon's head, slashing it to death. It was a really nice finishing touch in the battle for Ferelden's survival.
* Having a Mage Warden channel Gandalf and unleash the spell combination "Storm of the Century" while defending the Alienage, effectively wiping out ''every single darkspawn'' attempting to ZergRush across the Bridge. Considering how neglected, mistreated and powerless the Alienage Elves often seen to be, having the Warden HoldTheLine in their defence and go tactically nuclear with one of the most powerful spells in their arsenal is incredibly satisfying. Even more so if playing as an Elven mage unaware of where they were born, as they were likely Alienage-born themself.
** Also getting rid of Caldrius and his goons as an Elven Arcane Warrior. The Tevinter blood mage came to Ferelden to take advantage of its dire situation and take as many Elven slaves as possible, only to end up meeting the first Elf in centuries to master the Elvhenan's forgotten branch of magic, one that was [[KarmicDeath specifically tailored for war]] and [[TheDreaded the bane]] of the Ancient Tevinters.
** Better yet, sinking enough points into Willpower that you can use that spell as an opening move in a fight, if for no other reason than ''just because you can'' and to hammer home how utterly screwed anyone who fights you is moments before they are reduced to their base components.

-->'''Alistair''': Forget Maric. ''This is for Duncan. [kills him]''
* An Offscreen one for Willem Trialmont, an elf who came down to the Deep Roads to fight the Darkspawn. There's no record of him being a Grey Warden, so this elf was essentially the definition of BadassNormal. He made enough of a name for himself that the dwarves gave him a full burial with honors and considered him one of their own when he finally fell in battle. What long-time Wardens regard as a suicide run, Trialmont walked into willingly, as either a DeathSeeker or a '''solid thirty-two-karat badass.'''

* Though it's not canon, the Sacred Ashes clip has plenty of these. First, Sten pushes a crowd of darkspawn of a cliff in a very BadAss way. Next, Leliana takes down a ZergRush of darkspawn, delivers a PreAssKickingOneLiner and shoots an arrow at the darkspawn leader, hitting it in the chest. Following is The Warden and Morrigan acting as BackToBackBadasses. After which, Morrigan transforms into a giant spider (while flipping in the air)and takes down another ZergRush. Then there's the dragon fight, starting with The Warden acting as a [[DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu distraction]]; Leliana shoots the dragon from atop a pillar, flips off of it when the dragon destroys it, and shoots at the dragon while running, Sten jumps on its side and dragging his sword through its arm, Morrigan (after the dragon notices her) hits the dragon with lightning until its eyes pop, and the Warden finishes it by stabbing the dragon in the head.

--> '''Warden''': How about you leave and I do not ''destroy'' you?

--> '''Warden''': On the contrary, I think you can offer ''[[BeatThemAtTheirOwnGame more]]''.

* If you manage to get the normally [[SquishyWizard frail]] and soft-spoken Irving to enter the Fade to rescue Connor, the way he confronts the Desire Demon behind it all is similar to another [[TheLordOfTheRings bearded]], [[BigGood robed wizard]] declaring [[CrowningMomentofAwesome "YOU! SHALL NOT! PAAAAAASS!"]]. It shows why he was the First Enchanter.

*** This is aided by [[TimCurry Tim Curry's]] excellent voice acting where you can really hear the anger in his voice as he can't deny what he sees in the Human Noble.

** [[spoiler: The armour worn reappears in ''DragonAgeII'' as the "Armour of the Fallen", implying that was indeed that Warden's Calling. If so, that was an ''awesome'' way to go out]].

* The opening cinematic to the endgame. The huge army that you've spent the entire game gathering finally assembles. You arrive at Denerim after a forced march and see the archdemon flying overhead. Before you go into battle, ''Alistair'' of all people gives the army a RousingSpeech, saying that YOU are the greatest Grey Warden in history. The end of the speech tops it off, as Alistair ends it by yelling "For Ferelden! ''For the Grey Wardeeeeeeeeeens!''", after which the entire army charges towards Denerim screaming, easily breaking into the city after dealing with the group of darkspawn that was outside. [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome With the DragonAge heroic leitmotif playing, no less.]]

* Oghren gets one in ''Awakening'' with his Joining. While everyone who takes it and survives passes out, Oghren chugs the goblet and lets out a hearty burp, treating it as merely another one of his {{Gargle Blaster}}s.

* In ''Awakening'', if playing as Female Noble who became Queen, the Warden has been effectively retired for the past six months while they've attended court and aided in the rebuilding of Ferelden. Yet moments after arrive at Vigil's Keep they begin mowing down countless Darkspawn left, right and centre, performing flying takedowns of Ogres and can manage to save every NPC present as well. Like to see the Empress of Orlais do ''that!''