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* ChronicSelfDeprecation: While Morrigan is undeniably prideful of her abilities as a mage and archeologist, she is surprisingly this when it comes to parenting. When the Inquisitor praises Kieran as a fine young man and thus indirectly acknowledging her hand over his genteel demeanor, Morrigan wryly notes that given her origins, one wouldn't expect her to raise such a polite kid like Kieran. And her alternative line during her confrontation with Flemeth when she is about to take him alongside the Old God within the boy, that just as she was better off without Flemeth, Kieran would be better off ''without'' her, underscoring this trope in spades.
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* ChronicSelfDeprecation: While Morrigan is undeniably prideful of her abilities as a mage and archeologist, she is surprisingly this when it comes to parenting. When the Inquisitor praises Kieran as a fine young man and thus indirectly acknowledging her hand over his genteel demeanor, Morrigan wryly notes that given her origins, one wouldn't expect her to raise such a polite kid like Kieran. And her alternative line during her confrontation with Flemeth when she is about to take him alongside the Old God within the boy, she says that just as she was better off without Flemeth, Kieran would be better off ''without'' her, underscoring this trope in spades.
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* ChronicSelfDeprecation: While Morrigan is undeniably prideful of her abilities as a mage, she is surprisingly this when it comes to parenting. When the Inquisitor praises Kieran as a fine young man and thus indirectly acknowledging her hand over his genteel demeanor, Morrigan wryly notes that given her origins, one wouldn't expect her to raise such a polite kid like Kieran. And her alternative line during her confrontation with Flemeth when she is about to take him, that just as she was better off without Flemeth, Kieran would be better off ''without'' her, underscoring this trope in spades.
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* ChronicSelfDeprecation: While Morrigan is undeniably prideful of her abilities as a mage, mage and archeologist, she is surprisingly this when it comes to parenting. When the Inquisitor praises Kieran as a fine young man and thus indirectly acknowledging her hand over his genteel demeanor, Morrigan wryly notes that given her origins, one wouldn't expect her to raise such a polite kid like Kieran. And her alternative line during her confrontation with Flemeth when she is about to take him, him alongside the Old God within the boy, that just as she was better off without Flemeth, Kieran would be better off ''without'' her, underscoring this trope in spades.
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* ChronicSelfDeprecation: While Morrigan is undeniably prideful of her abilities as a mage, she is surprisingly this when it comes to parenting. When the Inquisitor praises Kieran as a fine young man and thus indirectly acknowledging her hand over his genteel demeanor, Morrigan wryly notes that given her origins, one wouldn't expect her to raise such a polite kid like Kieran. And her alternative line during her confrontation with Flemeth when she is about to take him, that just as she was better off without Flemeth, Kieran would be better off ''without'' her, underscoring this trope in spades.
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* StupidEvil: Often falls into this. She seems to take the position that helping others is universally wrong. Even PragmaticEvil people knows that there are certain aid that is explicitly rendered solely on the condition of later repayment (and even if the person being helped is absolutely critical to stopping the Blight).
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* StupidEvil: Often falls into this. She seems to take the position that helping others is universally wrong. Even PragmaticEvil people knows that there are certain aid that is explicitly rendered solely on the condition of later repayment (and and even if the person being helped is absolutely critical to stopping the Blight).Blight (which a result-oriented like Morrigan can't deny).
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* StupidEvil: Often falls into this. She seems to take the position that helping others is universally wrong, even if such aid is explicitly rendered solely on the condition of later repayment (and even if the person being helped is absolutely critical to stopping the Blight).
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* StupidEvil: Often falls into this. She seems to take the position that helping others is universally wrong, even if such wrong. Even PragmaticEvil people knows that there are certain aid that is explicitly rendered solely on the condition of later repayment (and even if the person being helped is absolutely critical to stopping the Blight).
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[[WMG:[[center:[-'''[[Characters/DragonAge Dragon Age]] Character Index'''\\
''[[Characters/DragonAgeOrigins Dragon Age: Origins]]'': [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsPlayableCharactersTheWarden The Warden]] | The Companions ([[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsWarriors Warriors]] | '''Mages''' | [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsRogues Rogues]]) | [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsNonPlayableCharacters Non-Playable Characters]] ([[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsNonPlayableCharactersFereldanNobles Fereldan Nobles]]) | [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening Awakening]] | [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsDLCCharacters DLC Characters]] \\
''[[Characters/DragonAgeII Dragon Age 2]]'' | ''[[Characters/DragonAgeInquisition Dragon Age: Inquisition]]'' -]]]]]
''[[Characters/DragonAgeOrigins Dragon Age: Origins]]'': [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsPlayableCharactersTheWarden The Warden]] | The Companions ([[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsWarriors Warriors]] | '''Mages''' | [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsRogues Rogues]]) | [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsNonPlayableCharacters Non-Playable Characters]] ([[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsNonPlayableCharactersFereldanNobles Fereldan Nobles]]) | [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening Awakening]] | [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsDLCCharacters DLC Characters]] \\
''[[Characters/DragonAgeII Dragon Age 2]]'' | ''[[Characters/DragonAgeInquisition Dragon Age: Inquisition]]'' -]]]]]
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''[[Characters/DragonAgeOrigins Dragon Age: Origins]]'': [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsPlayableCharactersTheWarden The Warden]] | [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsCompanions The Companions]] ([[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsWarriors Warriors]] | '''Mages''' | [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsRogues Rogues]]) | [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsNonPlayableCharacters Non-Playable Characters]] ([[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsNonPlayableCharactersFereldanNobles Fereldan Nobles]]) | [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening Awakening]] | [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsDLCCharacters DLC Characters]] \\
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''[[Characters/DragonAgeOrigins Dragon Age: Origins]]'': [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsPlayableCharactersTheWarden The Warden]] | [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsCompanions The Companions]] Companions ([[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsWarriors Warriors]] | '''Mages''' | [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsRogues Rogues]]) | [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsNonPlayableCharacters Non-Playable Characters]] ([[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsNonPlayableCharactersFereldanNobles Fereldan Nobles]]) | [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening Awakening]] | [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsDLCCharacters DLC Characters]] \\
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[[WMG:[[center:[-'''[[Characters/DragonAge Dragon Age]] Character Index'''\\
''[[Characters/DragonAgeOrigins Dragon Age: Origins]]'': [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsPlayableCharactersTheWarden The Warden]] | [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsCompanions The Companions]] ([[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsWarriors Warriors]] | '''Mages''' | [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsRogues Rogues]]) | [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsNonPlayableCharacters Non-Playable Characters]] ([[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsNonPlayableCharactersFereldanNobles Fereldan Nobles]]) | [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening Awakening]] | [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsDLCCharacters DLC Characters]] \\
''[[Characters/DragonAgeII Dragon Age 2]]'' | ''[[Characters/DragonAgeInquisition Dragon Age: Inquisition]]'' -]]]]]
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Tropes relating to the characters introduced in ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins Dragon Age: Origins]]'' as one of The Warden's mage companions.
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!!'''Morrigan'''
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dao_morrigan.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Morrigan in ''Origins'']]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Morrigan in ''Inquisition'']] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dai_morrigan.png[[/labelnote]]]]
!!!'''Appears in:''' ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins Origins]]'' | ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins Witch Hunt]]'' | ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition Inquisition]]''
!!!'''Voiced by''': Creator/ClaudiaBlack (English)[[labelnote:Foreign [=VAs=]]]Tanja Dohse (German), Monika Szalaty (Polish), Déborah Perret (French)[[/labelnote]]
->''"Apparently everyone seems to agree that a Blight is the perfect time to start killing each other. Marvelous, really."''
Morrigan is a LadyOfBlackMagic and the daughter of Flemeth, the mysterious Witch of the Wilds. She is forced to join the party by her own mother for reasons that are very unclear at first. Shale's nickname for her is "The Swamp Witch." After her disappearance through the Eluvian in ''Origins'', Morrigan returns in ''Inquisition''. She has become the Arcane Advisor to Empress Celene of Orlais, and she is assigned to the Inquisition as the liaison. Though not a party member, she plays an important role in the story.
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[[folder:Tropes In ''Dragon Age: Origins'']]
* AbusiveParents: She was raised by Flemeth who was emotionally abusive. Particularly heartbreaking is the story of how as a young girl she stole a golden mirror, as she had never been given beautiful gifts, only practical ones. She ran back to the Wilds with it held tightly in her hands for fear she would drop it, only for Flemeth to find out and smash it against a wall. If you take Morrigan into the Fade in the Broken Circle Quest, she reveals that physical abuse was not uncommon in her childhood as well, when she indicates that the Flemeth in the Fade is a better imitation of her mother after slapping her.
* AllAmazonsWantHercules: While not physically an Amazon, Morrigan does have a wildly independent and SocialDarwinist personality, valuing strength and power. Accordingly, the only characters she expresses interest in are a male Warden and Sten. While the former is subject to change, they're generally strong-willed and very competent, with decisive personalities, while the latter displays both incredible mental and physical strength. This keeps with the spirit of the trope, that strong women are only interested in stronger men. PlayedWith when you consider her magic, which makes her the more powerful member of the pairing. Anything less than a man of extreme physical and mental strength or toughness would be a mere plaything to her magics.
* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: A gender-flipped example if the Warden romances her. Goes both ways if the Warden is morally ambiguous himself, although more noble-minded Wardens can win her over as well. She tends to get irritated if the Warden gravitates towards the more decent and upstanding options than the pragmatic and unscrupulous ones, though the player being nice to her and providing her with gifts can also do the trick.
* AloofDarkHairedGirl: A tall, slim, gorgeous pale-skinned brunette who is detached, stand-offish and aloof to the point of hostility to everyone except for befriended or romanced Warden.
* AnimalMotifs: Being a Shapeshifter, this is to be expected:
** Shale comments that Morrigan resembles a bird, particularly the way she gazes at people. She also has a rather magpie-ish interest in jewelry.
** Some have compared her attitude to that of a [[CatsAreMean cat]].
** Sten knows a viper when he sees one.
* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: [[spoiler:She passes through an Eluvian to a place that is neither Thedas nor the Fade. It is impossible to know at this time if this is simply another dimension, or another Plane of Existence.]]
* BadPowersBadPeople: The most ruthless and unpleasant of the companions, she starts off with spells tilted toward destroying things and screwing with people's minds.
* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: A female Warden or a male Warden who doesn't romance her can be the first friend Morrigan has ever had in her entire life. Build up her regard properly, and her loyalty is powerful. The following conversation was triggered by a male Warden who did not romance her until the completion of her Personal Quest and triggering this conversation.
-->'''Morrigan''': "I am aware that I have…little talent for forming friendships. To put it lightly. ‘Tis something I know nothing of, nor ever thought I needed. Yet when I discovered Flemeth’s plans, you did not abandon me. Whatever your reasons you fought what must have been a terrible battle without hope of real reward."\\
'''Morrigan''': Even so, you went, no one has ever… ‘twas unexpected, that is all. The extent of my usefulness does not explain the interest and kindness you have shown since the Wilds. You could as easily have ignored me entirely, yet you did not."\\
'''Morrigan''': You will need to forgive me for speaking so awkwardly…but do you suppose that we have become friends, you and I? I have nothing to compare it to.
** This will even come up later if you carry a high approval with her into endgame, as Morrigan will cite that her feelings for the Warden are all the more reason for her to perform the Dark Ritual to save their life.
* BeneathTheMask: Underneath her confidence and cold exterior, Morrigan is an isolated and lonely woman, being an emotional and physical abuse survivor at the hands of her [[EvilMatriarch mother Flemeth]]. She yearns for connection and fears rejection, even if she has been taught that such closeness is dangerous.
* BerserkButton: Morrigan greatly values freedom and hates it when people are imprisoned, such as Sten and [[spoiler:Jowan]]. Those who willingly submit to imprisonment -- such as the Circle of Magi -- earn even more of her contempt. Also, as a VainSorceress, she has another fear:
-->'''Morrigan''': You... do not truly think I look as my mother does, do you?\\
'''Alistair''': Have you really been thinking about that all this time?\\
'''Morrigan''': I am simply curious.\\
'''Alistair''': And not insecure in the slightest, I'm sure.\\
'''Morrigan''': I think I look nothing like her.\\
'''Alistair''': I don't know. Give it a few hundred years and it'll be a spot-on match.\\
'''Morrigan''': I said that I look nothing like her!\\
'''Alistair''': All right. Got it. Totally different. I see that now.
* BetterWithNonHumanCompany: She freely admits that due to her time in the Korcari Wilds, she's better at understanding animals than people.
* BettyAndVeronica: The Veronica to Leliana's Betty, being more exotic and unemotional than optimistic Leliana. Is the Betty to Zevran's Veronica due to the latter being an assassin hired to kill the Warden.
* BlackWidow: She tends to respond to men hitting on her with threats of this sort. [[spoiler:Like mother, like daughter.]]
* BlamingTheVictim: If she is in the group and brought in the Circle when they get the whole situation explained by Wynne, [[LackOfEmpathy Morrigan will suggest that they should leave the innocent mages (including children) at the complete mercy]] of [[ArcVillain Uldred]] and his abominations, blaming the mages for letting themselves be deprived of their freedom by the Templars and consequently only getting what they deserve for giving up (from her point of view). [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech The player can call her harshly on this by rebuking that if it wasn't for Flemeth raising her and shielding her from the Templars, Morrigan could easily be in the same situation as them now]].
* BreakHisHeartToSaveHim: She attempts to invoke this with a male Warden who romances her, straight up begging him to say he doesn't love her at one point.
* BrokenBird: She has the detached, cynical personality, the troubled backstory, and the dark Gothic look. This is further reinforced by the mirror story, as well as some of her other dialogue which suggests that Morrigan is secretly desperate for a [[IJustWantToBeLoved connection with the outside world]] but has no idea ''how'' to go about it after years of Flemeth's abusive upbringing. This is especially evident when romancing her as a male Warden, who's able to break down some of her walls and expose her vulnerability. For Wardens who opt to not romance her until the completion of her personal quest, she would reveal that she had never thought it possible to be cared for beyond what she can offer (mainly her sexual beauty). This conversation could also initiate a romance with Morrigan for male Wardens.
-->'''Morrigan''': I have been with men physically, those who lusted after me and even professed love…but friendship with a man? I did not know ‘twas even possible."\\
'''Morrigan''': Tell me, could there ever be anything more… between you and I? Have you ever considered it?
* ByronicHero: She has troubled past, high intelligence and unique(magic) skills, doesn't fit in with society, and is highly complicated, passionate, and strong-willed, while also remaining sympathetic.
* ClingyJealousGirl: Immediately after initiating a relationship with a male Warden, she will repeatedly and in no uncertain terms tell him that they don't want any sort of romantic connection and that, in particular, she "[has] no designs on [his] independence." All lies. She'll tear the Warden a new one if she catches him trying to seduce other women or carrying on a relationship with another companion. Notably, she is the only romanceable companion who's not up to joining Isabela and the Warden for a threesome.
* CountryMouse: A more sardonic version as Morrigan is often confused by Thedas outside of Lothering and has no idea how to act appropriately. While she does treat large cities like Denerim with contempt she also likes fancy things such as jewelry which she couldn't get hold of out in the wilds.
* DamselErrant: She serves this role at the end of ''Witch Hunt'', particularly if a romanced male [[KnightErrant Warden]] chooses to follow her [[spoiler:through the Eluvian]].
%%* DarkActionGirl: Combined with a LadyOfBlackMagic.
* DarkIsEvil: She has black hair, wears black/dark violet garb, and is the TokenEvilTeammate. When the Warden first encounters Morrigan, she muses about whether they'll immediately assume she's evil because she's one of the Witches of the Wilds. Once she's spent a little time on the team, she turns out to have a nasty Darwinist streak [[spoiler:and in the endgame it is revealed that she's been assigned to help the Wardens solely to perform a dark ritual and capture the soul of the Archdemon for purposes unknown]].
* DarkIsNotEvil: Beneath her dark veneer, Morrigan is one of the more innocent and naive characters, having only ventured out of the wilds a few times and never truly interacting with anyone other than Flemeth. Moreover, her beliefs are a result of Flemeth conditioning her to think and act in this way. By the end of ''Witch Hunt'', she's had enough time to defrost a little.
* DeadpanSnarker: And she hates Alistair. Thus their banter is [[SnarkToSnarkCombat highly snarky]].
* DefrostingIceQueen: If the Warden romances Morrigan, this trope is upheld in classic style for most of the trip [[spoiler:and then subverted all to hell when Morrigan panics at actually feeling something for the Warden, and immediately cuts him off and frantically retreats back into her snarky persona. The ''Witch Hunt'' DLC can end with the male Warden leaving Ferelden with Morrigan to see their son, making this a DoubleSubversion.]]
* DependingOnTheArtist: Her facial structure tends to vary between official depictions. Compare [[http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20131027153832/dragonage/images/d/dd/Morrigan_profile.jpg this in-game screenshot]] with [[http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090809032354/dragonage/images/b/b6/Morrigan_Concept_Art.jpg these]] [[http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20091002002306/dragonage/images/a/a6/Morrigan-Ogre.jpg two]] illustrations. She looks like an older version of her ''Origins'' self in ''Inquisition'', which makes perfect sense since ten years have passed.
* DeusSexMachina: In order to defeat the Archdemon, the Warden needs to [[spoiler:either concieve a child with her or make one of their companions do it]].
* DisappearedDad: Her biological father is unknown, but is heavily implied to have been of Chasind origin (reinforced by the fact that more than one character has pointed out that she resembles a Chasind). Given Flemeth's penchant for killing her lovers, [[OutWithABang it's unlikely he survived the encounter]].
* {{Druid}}: She is a Witch of the Wilds and can shapeshift into animals by "copying their soul", or so she claims in a dialogue with Shale. However, she doesn't care for such notions as balance, and while not fond of cities, she doesn't go on about it. Though she's a SocialDarwinist, she doesn't go out of her way to try to get anyone killed but Flemeth, and that only after she realizes that Flemeth's working on killing her.
* EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette: The first half of which is odd, considering she has spent most of her life outdoors, and Alistair outright says she "looks Chasind" during her introduction -- a racial minority of the Korcari Wilds who are everywhere else shown to be dark-skinned.
* EvenEvilHasStandards:
** Morrigan immediately expresses disgust that [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Sten]] has been caged like an animal in Lothering to serve as darkspawn chow by the "mercy" of the Chantry. Although he did kill innocent people, being captured by the darkspawn is one of the most horrible fates imaginable in the game and one that ''nobody'' deserves.
** If the player chooses to send her into the Fade to free Connor, it's revealed that even she wouldn't make a deal with the Demon, although this has less to do with standards and more with the fact that [[PragmaticVillainy she knows nothing good can come out of doing so]].
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Providing she is romanced, she falls deeply in love with the Warden and cares for him very much. She is heartbroken when she has to leave him to pursue her agenda.
* EvilCannotComprehendGood: The very idea of acting altruistically seems to be both alien and offensive to her for most of her time in the group, presumably due to Flemeth's teachings.
* EvilCounterpart:
** To Wynne. Both are powerful mages, but Wynne is a kind and pious healer from the Circle of Magi who conforms to its norms, while Morrigan is a cynical combat mage who can shapeshift into a GiantSpider or a [[BearsAreBadNews bear]] and a Witch of the Wilds who despises the Circles and the Chantry.
** To a heroic Mage Warden, who tries to save Thedas while Morrigan pursues her own agenda.
* FemmeFatale: She is attractive, mysterious and morally ambiguous. She has a two-part banter with Sten [[spoiler:in which they speak about the Qunari act]], and often talks about women only needing to bat their eyelashes to get men to do what they want. [[spoiler:Double]] subverted because she doesn't actively try to seduce the male Warden [[spoiler:until the end when she states that he should lay with her to perform the Dark Ritual.]]
* FirstGirlWins: She's the first female companion to be recruited, and if the Warden is male, she's a romance option.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: One epilogue slide in ''Origins'' stated a woman matching Morrigan's description was seen several years later in Orlais, having insinuated herself within the Empress' court. As of ''Inquisition'', this is exactly what happens.
* FreudianExcuse: She was raised in the wilderness away from society, and the only person around was her mother who was distant and emotionally abusive, and taught her to survive by any means necessary.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: And vice versa. The only people who get along with her to any degree are Zevran, the Dog, and possibly the Warden themselves.
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: When the Warden asks about her shapeshifting magic, she says that she's studied many of the creatures of the Korcari Wilds and learned to assume their forms. When she joins the party, however, the only shapeshifting form she's learned is Giant Spider. Justified as being the only form she finds useful in combat -- the form of a bird (which she mentions) and a wolf (which the player may witness) aren't strong enough for her purposes.
* GracefulLadiesLikePurple: She's a LadyOfBlackMagic who mostly wears purple and black. Violet is often emphasized with her in official artist's depictions, as well as occasionally being the color of her magic.
* HatesBeingTouched: When it comes to simple greetings, Morrigan is not a handshake person; she doesn't in the least understand the need for it. This doesn't include more intimate touching -- of all the possible lovers, she requires the least amount of approval to get her to sleep with the Warden. [[spoiler:Though considering what [[StalkerWithATestTube her plans are]], she wouldn't ''need'' to like the Warden to start sleeping with him.]]
* HollywoodAtheist: Not so much in the reasons for her non-belief, but in that her atheism goes along with being selfish, misanthropic, and actively contemptuous of religious people.
* HotWitch: {{Lampshade}}d, not that it's all that unusual for the setting.
* AnIcePerson: She starts out with the spell Winter's Grasp, and both her unique robes boost cold damage, pointing her in this direction.
* ILoveYouBecauseICantControlYou: Her relationship with a romanced male Warden.
* TheImmodestOrgasm: According to some dialogue that didn't make it into the retail game but can be accessed on the PC via mods, Morrigan's very loud during sex:
-->'''Leliana''': So you're saying you're wild and uninhibited? I suppose he must like your shrieking, you sound like a genlock being murdered -- a sweet, sweet sound to a Grey Warden. You should try a little harder next time he takes you. I don't think they heard you in the Anderfels.
* ImpossiblyCoolClothes: Her blouse is loose and draping from the shoulders and down the front, yet has a laced cinch at the back. It's possible, but difficult to make and impractical to wear. The Robes of Possession (which presumably belong to Flemeth) share the same design.
* IneffectualLoner: Morrigan's not a people person. Her tent is placed away from all the others in the camp, and she has her own private campfire (where only the Warden bothers to visit her).
* InformedAttribute: It's said she "looks Chasind" despite the fact that the Chasind are dark-skinned and she is very much ''not.''
* InLoveWithTheMark: [[spoiler:Her romance arc with a male Warden in a nutshell. She meant to get impregnated by the Warden, not to fall in ''love'' with him!]] If you completed Morrigan's Personal Quest at +75 Approval without romancing her, it would trigger a conversation where she reveals that she was, at minimum, intrigued by the Warden even before Flemeth started her plans upon meeting the four Warden recruits. In that same conversation, you could also initiate a romance.
-->'''Morrigan''': I am reminded of our first meeting in the Wilds, I had been in animal form for some time, watching your progress.\\
'''Morrigan''': I knew immediately that you were far more formidable than the other men you travelled with. I found you intriguing.
* InsecureLoveInterest: Morrigan tries to hide it behind a tough exterior; but [[spoiler:after the Warden kills Flemeth (or claims to have done so)]], she will thank him for taking the time to befriend and possibly romance her, despite her more unpleasant nature.
* InsufferableGenius: According to Alistair, who tries to use a Chantry-related question to mock her for it.
* {{Jerkass}}: She is a cynical and snarky SocialDarwinist. The only people who seem to get along with her are Zevran, Dog, and the Warden themselves.
* LadykillerInLove: Inverted since she's TheVamp. She's horrified when she realizes that she has developed actual feelings for the Warden if the player pursues a romance with her.
* LadyOfBlackMagic: A shapeshifter who is well-spoken and cunning—and evil. Listed as one of the few characters with "High" intelligence, her biography notes that she favors a look of wild elegance. She's the most ruthlessly pragmatic member of the party, uses destructive magic spells, and [=NPCs=] often comment she's very beautiful.
* LaughOfLove: She will giggle on occasion if romanced by the Warden, and with a high approval rating (which is very unlike her).
* LickedByTheDog: By Dog, of course. In ''Witch Hunt'', she's actually rather pleased at how happy he is to see her. In-game dialogues indicates that Morrigan sneaks treats to Dog when he begs despite her repeatedly insisting that she would ''not'' give him anything.
-->'''Morrigan''': "I know it was you rooting in my pack, mongrel."\\
'''Dog''': ''(Innocent whine)''\\
'''Morrigan''': "Who else? Alistair? He's a likely suspect, I admit, but no."\\
'''Dog''': ''(Bows head shamefully)''\\
'''Morrigan''': "I notice you avoided the hemlock."\\
'''Dog''': ''(Happy bark!)''\\
'''Morrigan''': "Yes, yes, very clever. Next time I will disguise it more carefully."\\
'''Dog''': ''(Sad eyes)''\\
'''Morrigan''': "Do not even try it! I would not give you a biscuit had I one."\\
'''Dog''': ''(Sadder eyes)''\\
'''Morrigan''': "Oh... very well. But tell no one.
* LongestPregnancyEver: If the Warden sleeps with her early in the game, and don't do it again later, [[spoiler:in ''Witch Hunt'' the player will find out she bore the Warden's son. He isn't the OGB, but still. The pregnancy lasted all of ''Origins'', stated in VideoGame/DragonAgeII to have spanned a year, and never ever showed...]]
* LoveHurts: If the male PC is romancing Morrigan, there is no way to get a traditionally happy ending, no matter what you do. If you don't take her up on her offer at the end, she leaves the party immediately. If you do comply with her plan, she vanishes anyway after the final battle. [[spoiler:The Witch Hunt DLC does allow the romanced Warden to enter the Eluvian with her and raise their children together]].
* LoveInterest: A possibility for a male Warden.
* LoveIsAWeakness:
** Morrigan has a conversation with Leliana where where she expresses with venom her feelings that love is a cancer; she doesn't want to love the Warden, as it only complicates her plan, and begs him to leave her be or tell her that he doesn't love her.
** When reuniting with a romanced Warden in ''Witch Hunt'', she points out the ironic role-reversal:
--->'''Morrigan''': And you once argued with me that "[[IronicEcho love is not a weakness]]"...
* LoveRedeems: Averted. She notices that a romance does soften her up and desperately backpedals into her old bitchiness out of fear of such unfamiliar feelings. [[spoiler:The trope is then potentially played straight at the end of ''Witch Hunt''.]]
** Wynne invokes this in banter with Alistair when they discuss the Warden's relationship with Morrigan. While Alistair believes she will lead him astray, Wynne points out that [[MagneticHero he may be a good influence on her]].
** Morrigan's personality during her appearance in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' depends heavily on whether or not the Warden took the time to befriend her in ''Origins''. If she was befriended, and especially if she was romanced, she behaves with much more warmth and compassion.
* MeaningfulName: The Morrigan was a shapeshifting Irish war and death goddess, but she averts the trope, since the lead writer said that Morrigan is named after a character of a friend of his and all similarities with the Irish goddess are coincidental, as they are with [[Myth/ArthurianLegend Morgan le Fay]].
** Seems the outfit designers didn't get that memo. The crow feathers on her shoulder are symbolic of the other Morrigan.
** In-universe, she seems to be named after a legendary Avvar warlord famed for her powers of seduction as well as her skills as a fighter. Given what Flemeth sent her to do, this was probably an intentional reference on her part.
* MerlinAndNimue: Her relationship with a more heroic male Mage Warden often has this vibe.
* MsFanservice: Morrigan is a HotWitch with one of the most revealing costumes in the game. Her default outfit alone doesn't leave much of her top to the imagination, exposing both her cleavage and sideboob. And combine that with her sultry voice and accent...
* NatureHero: An unconventional EvilCounterpart of the standard version. Instead of a kindly FriendToAllLivingThings, she lacks compassion for anything (barring a scant few exceptions), embraces social Darwinism, and doesn't hesitate to resort to murder if someone gets in her way. She's NatureIsNotNice personified.
* NavelDeepNeckline: Her top, being a simple cloth hung in a U-shape over her breasts, combines this with {{Sideboob}}.
* NoSocialSkills: She is largely tactless and ignorant of/annoyed by social mores; she considers shaking hands an offensive breach of her personal space, for example. This is because she was raised in the wilds, largely forbidden to interact with outside world.
* NoSympathy: A big part of her character; Morrigan just doesn't do empathy. The Warden can prove an exception -- if befriended/romanced, Morrigan genuinely cares about the Warden and their feelings (such as expressing sympathy over their mother's death or having girl talk with a female Warden). It can be inferred that Morrigan will only give a damn about people who manage to gain her trust and respect.
* NoYou: Notably in one of her conversations with Alistair:
-->'''Alistair''': So let's talk about your mother, for a moment...\\
'''Morrigan''': I'd rather talk about ''[[YourMom your]]'' mother.\\
'''Alistair''': But there's nothing to talk ab-- And besides, isn't your mother a scary witch who lives in the middle of a forest? Much more interesting.\\
'''Morrigan''': To you, perhaps. You would find the moss growing upon a stone interesting.
* OddFriendship: ''Any'' friendship she forms, given her complete lack of social skills. It's especially notable with a more heroic male Warden who does not romance her.
* OnlyFriend: If the Warden is female and grows close to Morrigan, Morrigan will admit that the Warden is the first friend she's ever had and that she views the Warden almost as a sister.
* PetTheDog:
** Get a high enough affinity with her, and she'll apologize to the Warden for her {{jerkass}} tendencies and say that she appreciates their friendship.
** At the Lothering Chantry, should the player ask for the revered mother's blessing, she will respectfully kneel along with the rest of the party (in spite of her usual dismissive attitude towards the Chantry and religious belief in general).
** She expresses her condolences to a non-Magi Warden who tells her the truth about the fate of their mother (dead, or a "useless drunk" in the Dwarf Commoner's case).
** Near the endgame, either Alistair or [[spoiler:Loghain]] will ask Morrigan on whether [[spoiler:the child she'll conceive from the dark ritual]] will be a threat to Ferelden in the future, to which she assures them with honesty that it won't be the case.
** In ''Witch Hunt'', [[spoiler:she practically does this literally. When the Warden finally catches up to her, both she and Dog are quite happy to see each other and she even cracks a rare smile.]]
* PleaseDumpMe: One of the conversations in the romance line.
* PreClimaxClimax: With the PC, Alistair, or Loghain, potentially.
* PregnantBadass: [[spoiler:She can potentially be in the earliest stages of pregnancy if the Dark Ritual is performed or if she spends the night with the Warden on the eve of the Battle of Denerim.]]
* RaisedAsAHost: [[spoiler:After finding Flemeth's grimoire she becomes convinced this was her mother's intent for her, since Flemeth has apparently been raising her daughters, teaching them magic and then [[GrandTheftMe taking over their bodies when her own gets to be too old]]. Morrigan then asks you to kill Flemeth for her. Exactly how true this is remains ambiguous until ''Inquisition''. Another of Flemeth's daughters named Yavana from ''ComicBook/TheSilentGrove'' calls Flemeth's possession "a gift" and Morrigan - a "poor, confused child.". Although the interpretation is left in the air considering Flemeth did have Robes of Possession hidden in her hut which can be equipped only by Morrigan and were described in the game files as designed to sap Morrigan's will and ease the ancient sorceress's possession of her daughter]]
* RavenHairIvorySkin: She has pale skin and black hair, and [=NPC=]s often comment that she's very beautiful.
* RomanceAndSexualitySeparation: Morrigan is a FemmeFatale whose unclear motives, [[TokenEvilTeammate dubious morality]] and [[ConsummateLiar habit of being dishonest]] causes everyone in the party to [[WhatDoesHeSeeInHer believe she's playing a male Warden]] if he chooses to sleep with her. [[HoneyTrap And she is.]] The issue, though, is that if the player shows her enough kindness, she actually falls in love with him and thus refuses to sleep with him from that point on. [[spoiler:This is revealed to be a combination of her belief that LoveIsAWeakness, as well as an attempt to [[PleaseDumpMe make the Warden hate her]]. Her ultimate goal was to undergo a sexual ritual with a male Warden (her preference being the Warden, if she's in love with him) and become pregnant with the soul of an Old God. If romanced and the Warden agrees to impregnate her himself, this becomes the first time that she ever has sex for love.]]
* SarcasticDevotee: As much as she snarks at both the Warden and the other companions, and as easy as it is to earn her disapproval by doing anything heroic or altruistic (even if the motivation for it is completely pragmatic), it's actually pretty difficult to piss her off to the point that she'll leave the party. Furthermore, there is no single choice in the game that will cause her to leave if mishandled, which (with the exception of Dog) is not the case for any of the other companions. [[spoiler:This is perhaps because she has a reason for following the Warden besides helping them fight the Blight.]]
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: [[spoiler:Leaves the party right before the final battle if the Warden refuses the Dark Ritual.]]
* SequelHook: [[spoiler:If she conceives a child by one of the Wardens, you just know the child is going to show up again. And of course, he does -- in ''Inquisition''.]]
* SharedUnusualTrait: Just like her mother Flemeth, she possesses striking golden eyes.
* ShooTheDog: If she and the Warden are intimate, the Warden has saved her from Flemeth, and her approval is above 90%, she gets desperate to get him to break up with her, down to flat out ''begging'' him to say he doesn't love her.
* TheSmartGuy: Morrigan is one of the smartest members in the Warden's group. And [[InsufferableGenius she knows it]].
* SocialDarwinist: Flemeth raised her to be a pretty severe example of this. As a result, Morrigan believes that people who can't solve their problems on their own are worthless. It actually explains many of Morrigan's more StupidEvil tendencies. Perhaps the best example is in the "Broken Circle" quest, where [[spoiler:she insists the Warden leave the Mages to their fate, claiming that their current plight is their own fault for both agreeing to be caged in the Tower in the first place and not being strong enough to stop Uldred before things got out of hand.]]
* SomeoneToRememberHimBy: This can happen if a male PC romances her, but refuses to make love to her before the final battle as part of her "dark ritual". If he slays the Archdemon himself, he will die. However, the epilogue states that she is pregnant with their child, who was conceived at some point beforehand.
* StalkerWithATestTube: Her real reason for joining the party is that [[spoiler:she needs to become pregnant by a Grey Warden in order to complete a dark ritual.]]
* TheStarscream: To Flemeth, [[spoiler:albeit out of self-defense rather than ambition.]]
* {{Stripperific}}: Her default costume. Although every human female in Thedas shares the same body type, Morrigan is the only one who can wear it.
* StupidEvil: Often falls into this. She seems to take the position that helping others is universally wrong, even if such aid is explicitly rendered solely on the condition of later repayment (and even if the person being helped is absolutely critical to stopping the Blight).
* SupernaturalGoldEyes: She's a witch with golden eyes that she got from [[HumanoidAbomination her mother]].
* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial: Morrigan falls into this when she realises she's actually started to fall in love with the Warden.
** She emphatically insists that just because she gave a ring to a romanced Warden, which was part of a set, and the rings are magically bonded, the gesture does not have ''any'' kind of deeper meaning... [[EveryoneCanSeeIt Yeah, right!]]
* TeacherStudentRomance: If a Mage Warden has Morrigan teach him Shapeshifting, then romances her.
* TheTease: Toward a male Warden, Sten, and even occasionally Alistair.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: Morrigan does very little to make herself a little more appreciated by the other members of the group, especially with Alistair and Wynne.
* TokenEvilTeammate: Unlike Zevran or Shale (who, besides [[EvenEvilHasStandards some]] [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes exceptions]], merely fail to object when the Warden does "evil" things), Morrigan actively ''disapproves'' of acting selflessly and helping others.
* TooManyBelts: Her default outfit features a skirt that appears to be made out of rags and strips of cloth stitched together with belts.
* TookALevelInKindness: Can take one over the course of ''Origins'' if befriended by the Warden. Similarly, despite her constant irritation at the Dog, she broadly smiles upon seeing him again at the end of ''Witch Hunt''.
* {{Troll}}: A large portion of her in-game banter with other companions is this, particularly with [[TheStoic Sten.]]
-->'''Sten''': [[INeedAFreakingDrink Paarshara!]] Why do you pester me?\\
'''Morrigan''': [[ItAmusedMe Because 'tis amusing,]] that is why.
* {{Tsundere}}: Oh yes. Type A, mostly tsuntsun, but being nice to her and/or romancing her brings out the deredere (as much as she is capable of, anyway). If the player gets her approval high enough, she even apologises for her behaviour in a very roundabout {{Tsundere}}-ish manner.
* {{Tykebomb}}: One of many raised by Flemeth. Unusually, she ends up [[DefusingTheTykeBomb defusing herself]] to a certain extent, planning Flemeth's death the moment she realises her end use; it's not until ''Witch Hunt'' that she finally slips her leash altogether, though. [[spoiler:Temporarily, anyway.]]
* UselessUsefulSpell: Played with with her shapeshifting.
** Her shapeshifting powers sound cool in theory, but in practice are nearly useless as they don't enhance her combat ability all that much, take far too long to activate, and prevent her from using her other spells. Although her swarm form is easily the quickest method of moving around, it does require that you don't mind the other three characters trailing a mile and a half behind you.
** Building Morrigan into a tank-mage with the Arcane Warrior specialization, however, makes her shapechanging powers ''much'' more useful. She can kite, she can tank, she can beat down opponents in melee, and she can do everything an Arcane Warrior does. The only problem with Shapeshift is the same problem with any other skill: if the player doesn't develop it ''and'' learn how and when to use it properly, it won't be useful.
* VainSorceress: Morrigan is a magpie when it comes to jewelry. The gifts that boost her approval most (aside from the golden mirror and her mother's grimoire) are pieces of jewelry.
* TheVamp: Played with for male Wardens. Morrigan fully intends to play this trope straight when she joins the Grey Warden, and ''every'' member of the party is certain that this is what she is, but how it all comes down depends on the player. If the Warden romances her, she begins to panic when she ''actually'' [[LadyKillerInLove starts to feel something for the Warden]]. Several times, she tries to warn or mock him in order to [[ShooTheDog force him to break up with her]]. If you don't listen, she only becomes more upset and flat out begs him to say he doesn't love her. And then, in the ending, she uses him for her own purposes, regardless of what her feelings may be.[[note]] If the Warden romanced her, she will admit she cares for him and will be more insistent in case the Warden refuses the ritual. [[/note]]
* VerbalTic: Almost all of her dialogue is spoken in a sing-song rhythmic style, which is not that noticeable at first but becomes far more apparent the more the player talks to her. She also has a noticeable fondness for the word "'tis". and she uses the "over" instead of "too", as in "overlong and "overmuch".
* VoluntaryShapeshifting: Her specialization. She can only be persuaded to teach it, however, if her approval is ''not'' too high; she has to have a sort of lukewarm opinion of the Warden in order to be willing to share her knowledge.
* VoodooDoll: Her ''Feastday Pranks'' DLC gift is an Alistair voodoo doll which has a variety of effects on the poor guy.
* WasItAllALie: Male Wardens who romance her can ask her whether [[spoiler:her desire to birth an old god baby]] was the reason she entered their relationship. She says no.
* WhatDoesHeSeeInHer: She'll pretty much ask a male Warden this word for word if he chooses to romance Leliana instead of her. The other companions say the same thing for a male Warden who ''does'' romance her.
* WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove: The very concept of forming attachments to others confuses and terrifies her. She's quite disdainful of "sentiment", so the fact that she becomes genuinely fond of the romanced Warden drives her crazy, although she's not visibly distressed by the platonic affection she can develop for a non-romanced Warden.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tropes In ''Dragon Age: Inquisition'']]
* AdventurerArchaeologist: She spends most of her time seeking out ancient artifacts and exploring prehistoric magical sites in search for arcane relics and secrets such as eluvians.
* AgentScully: Acts as one, especially towards Solas, at the temple of Mythal. She dismissed the supposed godhood of the Elven Gods while trying to find logical explanation for whatever mystical and arcane things happening during the reign of Elvhenan.
* TheArchmage: If she didn't qualify as such towards the end of ''Origins'', she certainly qualifies now as the new Enchantress of Celene's Orlesian Imperial Court thanks to the decade since the first game which she explored and deepened her arcane knowledge learned from Flemeth mixed with the Old Elves culture. Further emphasized out if the Inquisitor will allow her to drink from Mythal's well, which guarantees an almost inexhaustible source of unimaginable arcane knowledge and abilities.
* TheBusCameBack: Morrigan, who hasn't been seen since ''Origins'' (and the ''Witch Hunt'' DLC), finally returns in ''Inquisition''.
* BreakingTheCycleOfBadParenting: If the player slept with Morrigan and/or allowed her to undergo a "[[SexMagic ritual]]" in ''Videogame/DragonAgeOrigins'', she will return 10 years later in ''Inquisition'' with a son. Regardless of the partnership or circumstances (whether she conceived the child with her OneTrueLove, whether the boy is the reincarnation of an Old God and whether or not she and the father raised the boy together), Morrigan loves her son and is [[MamaBear very protective of him]]. [[spoiler:If the boy IS a reincarnation, during the course of the game, he will be abducted by Morrigan's mother, Flemeth, and Morrigan will do everything she can to get him back. She says this is because she's determined to [[TakeThat not be the sort of mother]] to him that Flemeth was to her. Flemeth is visibly hurt by that statement, and then takes the Old God soul from Kieran before giving him back to his mother, almost as if in apology.]]
* CallBack: Her outfit serves as something of a BrickJoke to ''Origins'', being almost exactly like the one that Leliana described as wanting to see her in if they went clothes shopping together. Leliana actually questions her about this. Morrigan will admit that Kieran picked it out, if Kieran exists.
* CallingTheOldManOut: [[spoiler:Absolutely ''lets Flemeth have it'' when they meet again in the Fade, ''especially'' if Morrigan has Kieran, and thus tells her that [[EvenEvilHasStandards for all her faults]], Morrigan will ''never'' be [[AbusiveParents the kind of mother]] Flemeth was.]]
* CharacterDevelopment: [[TookALevelInKindness Massively]] since the events of ''Origins'', particularly if [[spoiler: she and the Hero of Ferelden had a child, and whether she has a child regardless of the father's identity]].
%%* CourtMage: To Celene.
* EducationMama: Mildly as while she's not oppressive about it, she insists Kieran keep up with his studies, mostly as a way to keep him out of trouble.
* EvilChancellor: To Celene, in the eyes of the court, since she brings with her a view of magic untainted by Andrastianism. Some believe she has enthralled Celene with BloodMagic, but others dismiss the claim since an enthralled Celene likely wouldn't argue with Morrigan as often as she does.
* FateWorseThanDeath: The one who drinks from the Well of Sorrows is [[spoiler:bound to serve Mythal[=/=]Flemeth for all eternity. While Flemeth seems willing to let them go free,]] it's going to be hanging over them for the rest of their life... ''and'' afterlife. After meeting [[spoiler:Flemeth]], Morrigan will either express regret at drinking from the Well or relief if the Inquisitor did so instead.
* TheGoodChancellor: What she ''actually'' is. During the Winter Palace arc, she does her part [[spoiler: to save Celene's life.]]
* GoodParents: Very much so. She genuinely cares for her son and wants to give him a better life than she had.
* HappilyMarried: If romanced, her relationship to the Warden is all but stated to be this. His letter to the Inquisitor even outright calls her and Kieran "my family", and she refers to him as "my Warden".
* HumblePie: Her conversation with [[spoiler:Flemeth within the Fade]] is an especially humbling experience for her. As she says, sometimes she needs to be reminded that she ''doesn't'' know everything.
* IgnorantOfTheirOwnIgnorance: She learns a ''harsh'' lesson in this, this time around. [[spoiler:The Temple of Mythal and its fallout]] is a particularly humiliating experience for her.
* ImpracticallyFancyOutfit: Averted. Her character kit mentions that Morrigan designed her outfit to be fashionable enough to fit in with Orlesian nobility, but had enough flexibility to cast spells at any [[ProfessionalKiller Bards]] she'd encounter in the DecadentCourt.
* LoveHurts: If imported as the lover of a Warden who made the [[HeroicSacrifice Ultimate Sacrifice]] but still conceived a son with her, this is more or less her reaction when Alistair, if alive and a Grey Warden, asks about him.
-->'''Alistair''': At least you have Kieran.\\
'''Morrigan''': ''(quietly)'' [[TearJerker I could have had them both]].
* TheMagicComesBack: Morrigan's goal once she learns about [[spoiler:the Well of Sorrows. She believes the Well's power could be used to restore ancient magics to Thedas, taking away some of the 'mundanity' of the world.]]
* MamaBear: Morrigan will protect her son from ''anything,'' even a PhysicalGod.
* TheMistress: Technically, she will have this role if the Human Noble Warden impregnated her, but married Anora in ''Origins''. However, if the Warden helped her raise Kieran, he and Morrigan make it clear that ''she'' is the favorite and his true love.
* MyGreatestFailure: If she did not do the Dark Ritual with the Warden and was not romanced, she says that parting on bad terms with the Warden is her greatest regret.
* NoNameGiven: In keeping with the writing style of Creator/FailbetterGames, her appearances in ''The Last Court'' only refer to her as "The Scornful Sorceress."
* NotSoAboveItAll: Provided she was romanced (and joined) by a male Warden in the first game, contacting him in ''Inquisition'' has her express mild gratitude about Leliana having not opened the note intended just for her -- as its contents would likely make even an Orlesian blush.
* OfCorsetsSexy: Well, just look at her ''Inquisition'' trope image. That's while wearing her outfit during the Winter Palace ball -- afterward, she's seen in [[NavelDeepNeckline her old familiar outfit]].
* OhCrap: She has two major moments.
** When she sees [[spoiler:exactly how Corypheus keeps coming back.]]
--->'''Morrigan''': This cannot be!
** When she realizes that [[spoiler:Flemeth is Mythal. ''Especially'' if Morrigan drank from the Well of Sorrows]].
* OlderAndWiser: While she hasn't completely grown past her arrogance and cynicism, she's far more learned about the world and far less venomous. She used to struggle just socializing and was confused about the norms of high society but now she's more amiable, if still aloof, and carries herself in Empress Celene's court with ease.
* OneTrueLove: If romanced, her comments on Warden pretty much declares him as the love of her life.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: [[spoiler:Morrigan's composure completely shatters if Kieran goes through the Eluvian into the Fade. At that point she's not a Witch of the Wilds, but a terrified mother desperate to find her child.]]
* PassiveAggressiveKombat: Morrigan's dress in ''Inquisition'' is designed specifically to annoy the rich and powerful of Orlesian society: it's just similar enough to what they themselves wear to be acceptable at court, but is way too dark to not stick out like a sore thumb. Remembering how and where she grew up, her contempt for the decadent Orlesian court is very understandable.
* PossessionImpliesMastery: Morrigan believes that because she possesses a working eluvian and some knowledge on elven lore and magic, that makes her a greater expert on all things elven than any elves anywhere. [[spoiler:The Temple of Mythal and her encounter with ''the'' [[GodWasMyCopilot Mythal]] in the Fade afterwards humbles her considerably.]]
* RaisedAsAHost: [[spoiler:Contrary to Morrigan's belief, Flemeth never intended to forcefully possess her daughter, though she did raise her as a host -- not for herself, but for Mythal, an ancient elven "goddess" whose spark Flemeth was bearing until she passed it to Morrigan at the end of the game]].
* ScaledUp: [[spoiler: Turns into a dragon to fight the red lyrium dragon, should she drink from the Well of Sorrows. Said dragon bears a strong resemblance to her mother's dragon form in the previous games.]]
* SixthRanger: She joins the Inquisition much later in the game than the other major characters.
* ThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow: Subverted, as preventing that very mindset is revealed to be her highest priority. She believes that ancient magic needs to be preserved, no matter how feared or dangerous. She believes this so completely that she's willing to use something totally unknown and untested on herself just to save it from destruction. Even if it claims her life, or keeps her from seeing her son again, she considers it worth the cost.[[spoiler:.. at first. She learns the hard way that Flemeth was ''counting'' on this.]]
* TookALevelInKindness:
** Morrigan appears warmer and more compassionate if the Warden took the time to befriend her during ''Origins'', especially if she [[LoveRedeems was romanced]], [[spoiler: [[ChildrenRaiseYou became a mother]], [[BabiesEverAfter or]] [[SomeoneToRememberHimBy both]].]] This is proven true if she joins the Inquisition, as she offers advice and praise to the Inquisitor all the time, with only a little snark, and none of it anywhere near as spiteful as she once was.
** Notably, her relationships with Alistair (if he's still a Warden) and Leliana are much more amiable, particularly with her son present.
* UnknownRival: Vivienne ''despised'' Morrigan with a passion for essentially replacing her as Celene's mage advisor. Morrigan barely knew or cared who she was.
* UnreliableExpositor: She is not as knowledgeable as she thinks she is, and she isn't above small lies or withholding crucial info, either.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: She wants to, in her own words, preserve ancient and lost magic for the future, no matter the price she would pay.
* {{Weredragon}}: If she drinks from Mythal's well, she will learn to transform into a dragon like her mother.
* WhiteMansBurden: She believes that she alone can revive ancient Elvhen magic and lore from extinction; none of the elves are capable of understanding the intricacies or complexities of their own lost heritage that she can.
[[/folder]]
----
[[folder:Wynne]]
!!Wynne
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dao_wynne.png]]
!!!'''Appears in:''' ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins Origins]]'' | ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening Awakening]]'' | ''Literature/{{Asunder}}''
!!!'''Voiced by''': Susan Boyd Joyce (English)[[labelnote:Foreign [=VAs=]]]Margit Straßburger (German), Barbara Kałużna (Polish), Yumi Fujimori (French)[[/labelnote]]
->''"I'm not the sort of person that leaves things unfinished. I'll see this through, I promise."''
A senior enchanter of the Circle of Magi, Wynne is a notable voice among the mages, preferring action over sitting around in the Tower. Prior to the start of the game, she is among the mages who volunteer to go to Ostagar and battle against the darkspawn; later, the PC meets her during the "Broken Circle" quest, where she eventually joins the party. Shale's nickname for her is "The Elder Mage," much to her chagrin.
----
* TheArchmage: If the Circle was saved, she mentions that Irving wanted her to take his place as First Enchanter, but she refused.
* BadassBookworm: A senior Enchanter in the Circle.
* BadassTeacher: As a senior Enchanter, Wynne is responsible for teaching the unharrowed mages.
* BewareTheNiceOnes:
** She's almost always nice, but she can occasionally get downright nasty when provoked. In one banter with Morrigan:
--->'''Morrigan''': Of course I am still young, beautiful, and my life is my own -- while you are bound to that Circle. Hmm. I wonder why I asked. It would be a silly thing, prolonging your life. A waste.\\
'''Wynne''': Think what you will, Morrigan. When the end comes, I will go gladly to my rest, proud of my achievements. While you... you will see how empty your life was. You will realize that because you never had love for others, you never received love in return. And you will die alone and unmourned.
** While she's a little politer to a Mage Warden, her reaction to seeing non-Mage Wardens for the first time since Ostagar is to calmly ask what they're doing at the Circle Tower and inform them that if they try to hurt the children, she will ''end them''.
* CantLiveWithoutYou: [[spoiler:Wynne is dependent on a friendly Fade spirit to keep her alive.]]
* CantStopTheSignal: [[spoiler:In the novel ''Asunder'', she sends a message to all the Circles in Thedas on the way back from the Adamant Fortress, ensuring that all mages everywhere will know it's possible to reverse the Rite of Tranquility even if she and her companions don't get the chance to spread the word in person.]]
* CategoryTraitor: In ''Literature/{{Asunder}}'', it's mentioned that many mages have come to feel this way about Wynne, due to her leading the vote ''not'' to break away from the Chantry.
* CombatMedic: Wynne starts with the [[WhiteMagic Spirit Healer specialization and three of the Heal tree talents]], but also has two attacks in Arcane Bolt and Stone Fist. Those are just what she starts with.
* CoolOldLady: She may be relentlessly nice, but she's a tough old broad, too.
* CrazyCatLady: Her Feastday Prank is the Cat Lady's Hobble-Stick, which can summon cats that can be used to distract enemies in combat.
* CryIntoChest: Zevran asks her if he may do this. She's having none of it.
* DangerousForbiddenTechnique: [[spoiler:Vessel of the Spirit weakens the spirit that keeps Wynne alive, further reducing her life span.]]
* DatingCatwoman: [[spoiler:''Asunder'' reveals the father of her son, Rhys, was actually a Templar. ''[[AllThereInTheManual World of Thedas Vol. 2]]'' heavily implies that the Templar in question was Knight-Commander Greagoir.]]
* DeadAllAlong: [[spoiler:She is already dead when she appears in the Warden's party as a HeroicRROD. A spirit from the Fade helps her to stay in the material world a little more.]]
* DeadManWalking: Wynne [[spoiler:is already dead, but is able to remain among the living due to the intervention of a benevolent spirit from the Fade]]. She has no idea how long she has left.
* DishingOutDirt: Her default spells focus on the Earth line of the Primal School.
* DudeMagnet: Somehow gets the attention of [[LikesOlderWomen Zevran]] and [[CasanovaWannabe Oghren]]. Even ''Alistair'' in the ''Return to Ostagar'' [=DLC=] flirts with her. She even admits waking up in bed with a man younger than her before.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: [[spoiler: One of Wynne's first conversations with the Warden is about the nature of abominations. Later, the player will find out why she's grateful if the Warden tells her that if an abomination retains their personality and doesn't behave evilly, it really isn't an abomination.]]
* GoodIsNotDumb: As explained in her TokenGoodTeammate entry below, Wynne is the only character in the party to stay unambiguously good and never give up her sense of morals. She also is a wise, experienced, very savvy woman, who correctly identifies [[ObviouslyEvil Uldred]] as a traitor, provides many interesting discussions on morality and capable of as much snark as Morrigan or Zevran.
* HeroicFatigue: [[spoiler:Starts to show signs of this early on in ''Asunder''. Which leads to...]]
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:She sacrifices herself to save the mage-sympathetic Templar Evangeline in ''Asunder''. Though, actually, she'd already done a HeroicSacrifice back in ''Origins'' to save the Tower's child apprentices from a demon, but a Spirit of Faith who was intrigued by her since her youth bound itself to her to save her. The two events are related: she passes the Spirit on to Evangeline, who herself was just killed, and the spirit was the only thing keeping Wynne alive.]]
* HiddenDepths: You really wouldn't expect a sweet, grandmotherly old woman like Wynne to know so much about alcohol; one of the best gifts for her other than books is a bottle of wine. She even enjoys ''Oghren's homemade ale'' - [[GargleBlaster the same stuff that can KO the Warden if his or her Constitution is too low]] - and manages to correctly identify the ingredients he uses for spicing. [[spoiler: This surprises Rhys, Adrian, and Evangeline in the novel ''Asunder'', when they stop at a local inn to rest and eat.]]
* HumanoidAbomination: [[spoiler:Ironically, despite being probably the most moral of any of the party members, she'd count as one by the standards of at least some Templars.]]
* {{Hypocrite}}:
** Wynne will try to persuade any mage she can to return to the Circle (including a Mage Warden and [[spoiler:her former apprentice Aneirin]]), yet takes any chance she can get to leave it herself. This is despite the fact that the former is dedicated to fighting the Blight and the latter [[spoiler:would be killed on sight after being branded a maleficarum]].
** She frequently lectures the Warden about duty, but turned down her responsibilities to the remnants of the Circle to adventure (Irving even tells her the Circle needs her). Even after the Blight ends, she declines to return to the Circle in favor of [[spoiler:becoming the new royal mage adviser, or helping Shale find a new body.]]
** She gets called out on her hypocrisy in ''Asunder'', as other mages point out that her staunch support of the Chantry and claiming that the mages have to prove they're worthy of trust (read: not being killed by Templars) rings hollow when she's pretty much the only mage allowed to leave the Circle freely who doesn't have "First" or "Grand" in their title, and that's only because she helped the Hero of Ferelden.
* IntergenerationalFriendship: With the Warden, and also with Alistair, for whom she develops a particularly strong maternal attachment.
* KnightErrant: She's firmly convinced Grey Wardens are supposed to be this, which is her argument for why the Warden should be a CelibateHero (though the Warden can convince her otherwise).
* LadyOfWar: Am [[NeverMessWithGranny older one]] if given the Arcane Warrior specialization because of her wisdom and experience.
* TheLastDance: [[spoiler:She comes to see her journey with the Warden as one.]]
* LivingOnBorrowedTime: [[spoiler:She doesn't know just how long the spirit inside her will be there to keep her alive, so she makes every moment count]].
* MeaningfulName: Wynne's name has many appropriate meanings in Old English and Welsh, as seen [[http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Wynne here.]] All apply to the character. It may just be fan opinion, but Wynne is pronounced "Win" for a reason.
* MentorArchetype: Especially pronounced with a mage Warden.
* MissingMom: Wynne is this to her own son, assuming he is even still alive. The delivery was extremely difficult, and the newborn was sent away before she'd even recovered enough to see him, as is the policy for all children born to magi. She reveals this to Alistair, and admits that she would have liked her son to be like him.
-->'''Alistair''': Do you ever think about him?\\
'''Wynne''': ... All the time.
** As it turns out, [[spoiler:he is alive. In ''Asunder'', she and her son are finally reunited; he's a mage named Rhys.]]
* MrsRobinson: Hints at it when she flirts with Alistair in ''Return to Ostagar''. It's not treated very seriously, though, probably because of the mother-son sort of attachment they share.
* MyGreatestFailure: Her first teaching assignment ended badly. [[spoiler: She was apparently [[SternTeacher such a bitch]] to her student that he fled the Circle Tower. He was hunted down by the Templars and presumed dead]]. The only silver lining of that incident was that it taught her how to be a better mentor to new mages (something the Grey Warden can point out). The Warden can help Wynne find closure in her personal quest by discovering [[spoiler:that her former student actually survived and bears her no ill will.]]
* NeverMessWithGranny: Or you'll get a [[DishingOutDirt Stonefist]] to the face.
* NotAfraidToDie: Wynne explains to the Warden that there is no need to fear death.
* NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent: Fereldan humans almost all speak with different kinds of English accents. Wynne speaks with a standard American accent, like elves do. Part of this can be explained by Wynne growing up in the Tower, where humans and elves co-mingle freely. Even [[TheArchmage Irving]] seems to speak with a New England accent.
* OrphansOrdeal: In a conversation with the Warden, she mentions that she cannot recall her parents and that her earliest memories are of living on the streets. She briefly lived with a family who let her sleep in the barn, until the day she accidentally set their son's hair ''[[PlayingWithFire on fire]]'' because he was tormenting her. The Templars arrived to take her to the Circle shortly afterwards.
* ParentalSubstitute: To Alistair and the Warden, a mage Warden in particular.
* PowerStrainBlackout: Wynne's plot power, Vessel of the Spirit, leaves her stunned and disoriented every time she uses it. This effect is only alleviated after completing her personal sidequest, wherein she receives an amulet which augments the power.
* SequelHook: [[spoiler:If the Warden speaks to Wynne at the end of the story, she will explain that she will be travelling with Shale, claiming that Shale wants to become organic again. As Shale is inspired by the Warden, they apparently travel to Tevinter to see if there is a "cure" of some kind.]]
* SilverVixen: She has really smooth skin for someone her age, and her body model is exactly the same as that of the younger Morrigan and Leliana. Zevran even comments a couple of times on her "magical bosom." She's not amused:
-->'''Wynne:''' Zevran, I'm old enough to be your grandmother!\\
'''Zevran:''' [[LikesOlderWomen You say that like it's a bad thing.]]
** Parodied by Shamus Young [[https://web.archive.org/web/20130805044653/http://www.escapistmagazine.com:80/articles/view/comics/stolen-pixels/6848-Stolen-Pixels-148-Dragon-Aged here]].
** Oghren seems to think so too.
** When Alistair compliments that she looks younger every day, she jokes that he should watch who he flirts with... it would not be the first time she's woken up to a younger man beside her in bed. [[spoiler:This could be a reference to the father of her child - which, if he is who ''World of Thedas Vol. 2'' suggests he is, would indeed be a bit younger than she is.]]
** Wynne's original design had her as a short, slightly hunchbacked hag, but the developers decided to streamline things and give her a stock female body; it's also the reason Sten doesn't look like or is the size of later horned Qunari.
* TheSmartGuy: As a senior enchanter, she's the wisest of the party. It's part of the Guardian's question for her if she's taken along to the Gauntlet.
* SternTeacher: Was an incredibly strict demanding teacher in her youth, [[MyGreatestFailure much to her shame]]. She's far more mellow these days, although she occasionally slips back into this when she feels the Warden and Alistair aren't taking their duty as Wardens seriously. Similarly occurs whenever she offers advice to the Mage Warden.
* SuperMode: [[spoiler: Her Vessel of The Spirit power can give her a truly massive boost to Spellpower, the [[OneStatToRuleThemAll most critical stat for a mage]], especially after her personal quest is complete and she gets an item to augment the power.]]
* SymbioticPossession: [[spoiler:She has a symbiotic relationship with the benevolent Spirit of Faith possessing her. She provides it a host body in the physical world, and it's kept her alive since she was killed protecting the child mages of the Circle from a demon.]]
* TheTalk: Teasingly given by Wynne to Alistair in a bit of party dialogue after the female PC begins a romance with him. She will also (more seriously) engage with TheTalk with the Warden if they are engaged in a romance, expressing her disapproval and offering a recommendation of NoHuggingNoKissing. She especially has concerns if the relationship is with Alistair, given his inexperience with women and the fact that both are Wardens. She will, however, eventually change her mind and apologize to the Warden, provided the player get the Warden's love interest's approval rating high enough. She'll even defend your relationship with Morrigan to Alistair during party banter.
* TeamMom:
** Alistair likes to act as if she were his grandmother. If the Warden is a mage, she has a great deal of additional dialogue, some of which imply, if the player chooses, that the Warden does in fact look up to Wynne in an almost parental fashion, no doubt since the Circle commonly assigns Mages to older mentors. Non-Mage Wardens can also have a feeling like this toward her, but not nearly as explicitly.
*** When she tells you a story about the Grey Wardens, if you like, you can treat it like you're a petulant child wanting a good bedtime story. "Are there griffins?" Wynne indulges you.
** She plots to knit a sweater for Sten. How much more motherly can you get?
** [[spoiler:And she reunites with her son Rhys in ''Asunder''.]]
** She lectures the Warden regarding who (s)he chooses to romance. [[spoiler: Morrigan will even yell at her to stop treating the Warden and Alistair like they are her kids.]]
** When helping to prepare Redcliffe Village for the nightly onslaught of undead from the keep, having Wynne along when trying to coax a child out of the cabinet results in her scolding the kid out of there. The kid complies readily.
** If the Warden chooses to wait for rescue when they get taken to Fort Drakon, the other party members will launch a rescue mission and try to trick their way into the fort. Wynne's excuse (except when paired with Dog, Leilana or Morrigan) will be that they came to deliver handmade scarves the people made for "our boys" at the fort as a gift.
* TokenGoodTeammate: Out of the entire party, she is the only one who starts with and refuses to abandon her selfless sense of morals. Alistair and Leliana can be hardened and convinced to turn a blind eye to some/most evil, self-serving actions. Not Wynne.
* WideEyedIdealist: Her perception of the Wardens is very idealistic, contrasting considerably with the victory at any cost mentality of the actual organization.
* WhatTheHellHero:
** She will get pissed if the Warden makes unscrupulous decisions, [[spoiler:and will turn on them if they destroy the Urn of Sacred Ashes.]]
** She is initially concerned if the Warden romances a companion, but backs down if it blooms to Love.
** It's mentioned in ''Literature/{{Asunder}}'' that amongst the Circle of Enchanters, she led the vote ''not'' to break away from the Chantry entirely. Unfortunately, this has caused many Mages to regard her as something of a [[CategoryTraitor traitor]] as a result.
* WhiteMagic: She's geared towards using healing magic, making her the intended party heal bot.
* WhiteMagicianGirl: A rare elderly example of this archetype, being around sixty when she first meets the Warden. Once she joins the group she quickly falls into the role of the resident Healer, frequently is shown to offer kind words of wisdom to various characters and becomes the unofficial TeamMom of the group.
* YoungerThanTheyLook: Supplementary materials put her age around 47 during the Blight. Between the white hair and the way she talks, she comes off as someone in their seventies.
%%* YoureNotMyMother: Morrigan and potentially the Warden calls Wynne out on her trying parent them.
* YourDaysAreNumbered: [[spoiler:She survives the massacre at the Circle Tower only thanks to the intervention of a spirit of faith, which soon begins to weaken, meaning that she is literally living on borrowed time. Apparently she has more time than she thought, considering several of the epilogues mention her leaving to travel the world for several years, or becoming the head of the Circle of Magi after the current one dies. She meets her end in ''Asunder'', sacrificing her life to save Evangeline.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Merrill]]
[[quoteright:733:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/merrill_dao.jpg]]
!!!'''Appears in:''' ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins Origins]]'' | ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII''
!!!'''Voiced by''': Erin Matthews (''Origins'')[[labelnote:Foreign [=VAs=]]]Creator/EveMyles (''Dragon Age II'') (English); Schaukje Könning (German)[[/labelnote]]
->''"It's a Keeper's job to remember. Even the dangerous things."''
A Dalish Elf, and First to Keeper Marethari's First of the Dalish Sabrae Clan. She is a temporary companion in the Dalish Elf Origin. She returns in ''Dragon Age II'' as a companion after leaving her clan for mysterious reasons.
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''See more information about Merrill in [[Characters/DragonAgeIIMages this page]].''
[[/folder]]
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''[[Characters/DragonAgeOrigins Dragon Age: Origins]]'': [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsPlayableCharactersTheWarden The Warden]] | [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsCompanions The Companions]] ([[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsWarriors Warriors]] | '''Mages''' | [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsRogues Rogues]]) | [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsNonPlayableCharacters Non-Playable Characters]] ([[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsNonPlayableCharactersFereldanNobles Fereldan Nobles]]) | [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening Awakening]] | [[Characters/DragonAgeOriginsDLCCharacters DLC Characters]] \\
''[[Characters/DragonAgeII Dragon Age 2]]'' | ''[[Characters/DragonAgeInquisition Dragon Age: Inquisition]]'' -]]]]]
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Tropes relating to the characters introduced in ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins Dragon Age: Origins]]'' as one of The Warden's mage companions.
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!!'''Morrigan'''
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dao_morrigan.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Morrigan in ''Origins'']]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:Morrigan in ''Inquisition'']] https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dai_morrigan.png[[/labelnote]]]]
!!!'''Appears in:''' ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins Origins]]'' | ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins Witch Hunt]]'' | ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition Inquisition]]''
!!!'''Voiced by''': Creator/ClaudiaBlack (English)[[labelnote:Foreign [=VAs=]]]Tanja Dohse (German), Monika Szalaty (Polish), Déborah Perret (French)[[/labelnote]]
->''"Apparently everyone seems to agree that a Blight is the perfect time to start killing each other. Marvelous, really."''
Morrigan is a LadyOfBlackMagic and the daughter of Flemeth, the mysterious Witch of the Wilds. She is forced to join the party by her own mother for reasons that are very unclear at first. Shale's nickname for her is "The Swamp Witch." After her disappearance through the Eluvian in ''Origins'', Morrigan returns in ''Inquisition''. She has become the Arcane Advisor to Empress Celene of Orlais, and she is assigned to the Inquisition as the liaison. Though not a party member, she plays an important role in the story.
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[[folder:Tropes In ''Dragon Age: Origins'']]
* AbusiveParents: She was raised by Flemeth who was emotionally abusive. Particularly heartbreaking is the story of how as a young girl she stole a golden mirror, as she had never been given beautiful gifts, only practical ones. She ran back to the Wilds with it held tightly in her hands for fear she would drop it, only for Flemeth to find out and smash it against a wall. If you take Morrigan into the Fade in the Broken Circle Quest, she reveals that physical abuse was not uncommon in her childhood as well, when she indicates that the Flemeth in the Fade is a better imitation of her mother after slapping her.
* AllAmazonsWantHercules: While not physically an Amazon, Morrigan does have a wildly independent and SocialDarwinist personality, valuing strength and power. Accordingly, the only characters she expresses interest in are a male Warden and Sten. While the former is subject to change, they're generally strong-willed and very competent, with decisive personalities, while the latter displays both incredible mental and physical strength. This keeps with the spirit of the trope, that strong women are only interested in stronger men. PlayedWith when you consider her magic, which makes her the more powerful member of the pairing. Anything less than a man of extreme physical and mental strength or toughness would be a mere plaything to her magics.
* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: A gender-flipped example if the Warden romances her. Goes both ways if the Warden is morally ambiguous himself, although more noble-minded Wardens can win her over as well. She tends to get irritated if the Warden gravitates towards the more decent and upstanding options than the pragmatic and unscrupulous ones, though the player being nice to her and providing her with gifts can also do the trick.
* AloofDarkHairedGirl: A tall, slim, gorgeous pale-skinned brunette who is detached, stand-offish and aloof to the point of hostility to everyone except for befriended or romanced Warden.
* AnimalMotifs: Being a Shapeshifter, this is to be expected:
** Shale comments that Morrigan resembles a bird, particularly the way she gazes at people. She also has a rather magpie-ish interest in jewelry.
** Some have compared her attitude to that of a [[CatsAreMean cat]].
** Sten knows a viper when he sees one.
* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: [[spoiler:She passes through an Eluvian to a place that is neither Thedas nor the Fade. It is impossible to know at this time if this is simply another dimension, or another Plane of Existence.]]
* BadPowersBadPeople: The most ruthless and unpleasant of the companions, she starts off with spells tilted toward destroying things and screwing with people's minds.
* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: A female Warden or a male Warden who doesn't romance her can be the first friend Morrigan has ever had in her entire life. Build up her regard properly, and her loyalty is powerful. The following conversation was triggered by a male Warden who did not romance her until the completion of her Personal Quest and triggering this conversation.
-->'''Morrigan''': "I am aware that I have…little talent for forming friendships. To put it lightly. ‘Tis something I know nothing of, nor ever thought I needed. Yet when I discovered Flemeth’s plans, you did not abandon me. Whatever your reasons you fought what must have been a terrible battle without hope of real reward."\\
'''Morrigan''': Even so, you went, no one has ever… ‘twas unexpected, that is all. The extent of my usefulness does not explain the interest and kindness you have shown since the Wilds. You could as easily have ignored me entirely, yet you did not."\\
'''Morrigan''': You will need to forgive me for speaking so awkwardly…but do you suppose that we have become friends, you and I? I have nothing to compare it to.
** This will even come up later if you carry a high approval with her into endgame, as Morrigan will cite that her feelings for the Warden are all the more reason for her to perform the Dark Ritual to save their life.
* BeneathTheMask: Underneath her confidence and cold exterior, Morrigan is an isolated and lonely woman, being an emotional and physical abuse survivor at the hands of her [[EvilMatriarch mother Flemeth]]. She yearns for connection and fears rejection, even if she has been taught that such closeness is dangerous.
* BerserkButton: Morrigan greatly values freedom and hates it when people are imprisoned, such as Sten and [[spoiler:Jowan]]. Those who willingly submit to imprisonment -- such as the Circle of Magi -- earn even more of her contempt. Also, as a VainSorceress, she has another fear:
-->'''Morrigan''': You... do not truly think I look as my mother does, do you?\\
'''Alistair''': Have you really been thinking about that all this time?\\
'''Morrigan''': I am simply curious.\\
'''Alistair''': And not insecure in the slightest, I'm sure.\\
'''Morrigan''': I think I look nothing like her.\\
'''Alistair''': I don't know. Give it a few hundred years and it'll be a spot-on match.\\
'''Morrigan''': I said that I look nothing like her!\\
'''Alistair''': All right. Got it. Totally different. I see that now.
* BetterWithNonHumanCompany: She freely admits that due to her time in the Korcari Wilds, she's better at understanding animals than people.
* BettyAndVeronica: The Veronica to Leliana's Betty, being more exotic and unemotional than optimistic Leliana. Is the Betty to Zevran's Veronica due to the latter being an assassin hired to kill the Warden.
* BlackWidow: She tends to respond to men hitting on her with threats of this sort. [[spoiler:Like mother, like daughter.]]
* BlamingTheVictim: If she is in the group and brought in the Circle when they get the whole situation explained by Wynne, [[LackOfEmpathy Morrigan will suggest that they should leave the innocent mages (including children) at the complete mercy]] of [[ArcVillain Uldred]] and his abominations, blaming the mages for letting themselves be deprived of their freedom by the Templars and consequently only getting what they deserve for giving up (from her point of view). [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech The player can call her harshly on this by rebuking that if it wasn't for Flemeth raising her and shielding her from the Templars, Morrigan could easily be in the same situation as them now]].
* BreakHisHeartToSaveHim: She attempts to invoke this with a male Warden who romances her, straight up begging him to say he doesn't love her at one point.
* BrokenBird: She has the detached, cynical personality, the troubled backstory, and the dark Gothic look. This is further reinforced by the mirror story, as well as some of her other dialogue which suggests that Morrigan is secretly desperate for a [[IJustWantToBeLoved connection with the outside world]] but has no idea ''how'' to go about it after years of Flemeth's abusive upbringing. This is especially evident when romancing her as a male Warden, who's able to break down some of her walls and expose her vulnerability. For Wardens who opt to not romance her until the completion of her personal quest, she would reveal that she had never thought it possible to be cared for beyond what she can offer (mainly her sexual beauty). This conversation could also initiate a romance with Morrigan for male Wardens.
-->'''Morrigan''': I have been with men physically, those who lusted after me and even professed love…but friendship with a man? I did not know ‘twas even possible."\\
'''Morrigan''': Tell me, could there ever be anything more… between you and I? Have you ever considered it?
* ByronicHero: She has troubled past, high intelligence and unique(magic) skills, doesn't fit in with society, and is highly complicated, passionate, and strong-willed, while also remaining sympathetic.
* ClingyJealousGirl: Immediately after initiating a relationship with a male Warden, she will repeatedly and in no uncertain terms tell him that they don't want any sort of romantic connection and that, in particular, she "[has] no designs on [his] independence." All lies. She'll tear the Warden a new one if she catches him trying to seduce other women or carrying on a relationship with another companion. Notably, she is the only romanceable companion who's not up to joining Isabela and the Warden for a threesome.
* CountryMouse: A more sardonic version as Morrigan is often confused by Thedas outside of Lothering and has no idea how to act appropriately. While she does treat large cities like Denerim with contempt she also likes fancy things such as jewelry which she couldn't get hold of out in the wilds.
* DamselErrant: She serves this role at the end of ''Witch Hunt'', particularly if a romanced male [[KnightErrant Warden]] chooses to follow her [[spoiler:through the Eluvian]].
%%* DarkActionGirl: Combined with a LadyOfBlackMagic.
* DarkIsEvil: She has black hair, wears black/dark violet garb, and is the TokenEvilTeammate. When the Warden first encounters Morrigan, she muses about whether they'll immediately assume she's evil because she's one of the Witches of the Wilds. Once she's spent a little time on the team, she turns out to have a nasty Darwinist streak [[spoiler:and in the endgame it is revealed that she's been assigned to help the Wardens solely to perform a dark ritual and capture the soul of the Archdemon for purposes unknown]].
* DarkIsNotEvil: Beneath her dark veneer, Morrigan is one of the more innocent and naive characters, having only ventured out of the wilds a few times and never truly interacting with anyone other than Flemeth. Moreover, her beliefs are a result of Flemeth conditioning her to think and act in this way. By the end of ''Witch Hunt'', she's had enough time to defrost a little.
* DeadpanSnarker: And she hates Alistair. Thus their banter is [[SnarkToSnarkCombat highly snarky]].
* DefrostingIceQueen: If the Warden romances Morrigan, this trope is upheld in classic style for most of the trip [[spoiler:and then subverted all to hell when Morrigan panics at actually feeling something for the Warden, and immediately cuts him off and frantically retreats back into her snarky persona. The ''Witch Hunt'' DLC can end with the male Warden leaving Ferelden with Morrigan to see their son, making this a DoubleSubversion.]]
* DependingOnTheArtist: Her facial structure tends to vary between official depictions. Compare [[http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20131027153832/dragonage/images/d/dd/Morrigan_profile.jpg this in-game screenshot]] with [[http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090809032354/dragonage/images/b/b6/Morrigan_Concept_Art.jpg these]] [[http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20091002002306/dragonage/images/a/a6/Morrigan-Ogre.jpg two]] illustrations. She looks like an older version of her ''Origins'' self in ''Inquisition'', which makes perfect sense since ten years have passed.
* DeusSexMachina: In order to defeat the Archdemon, the Warden needs to [[spoiler:either concieve a child with her or make one of their companions do it]].
* DisappearedDad: Her biological father is unknown, but is heavily implied to have been of Chasind origin (reinforced by the fact that more than one character has pointed out that she resembles a Chasind). Given Flemeth's penchant for killing her lovers, [[OutWithABang it's unlikely he survived the encounter]].
* {{Druid}}: She is a Witch of the Wilds and can shapeshift into animals by "copying their soul", or so she claims in a dialogue with Shale. However, she doesn't care for such notions as balance, and while not fond of cities, she doesn't go on about it. Though she's a SocialDarwinist, she doesn't go out of her way to try to get anyone killed but Flemeth, and that only after she realizes that Flemeth's working on killing her.
* EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette: The first half of which is odd, considering she has spent most of her life outdoors, and Alistair outright says she "looks Chasind" during her introduction -- a racial minority of the Korcari Wilds who are everywhere else shown to be dark-skinned.
* EvenEvilHasStandards:
** Morrigan immediately expresses disgust that [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Sten]] has been caged like an animal in Lothering to serve as darkspawn chow by the "mercy" of the Chantry. Although he did kill innocent people, being captured by the darkspawn is one of the most horrible fates imaginable in the game and one that ''nobody'' deserves.
** If the player chooses to send her into the Fade to free Connor, it's revealed that even she wouldn't make a deal with the Demon, although this has less to do with standards and more with the fact that [[PragmaticVillainy she knows nothing good can come out of doing so]].
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Providing she is romanced, she falls deeply in love with the Warden and cares for him very much. She is heartbroken when she has to leave him to pursue her agenda.
* EvilCannotComprehendGood: The very idea of acting altruistically seems to be both alien and offensive to her for most of her time in the group, presumably due to Flemeth's teachings.
* EvilCounterpart:
** To Wynne. Both are powerful mages, but Wynne is a kind and pious healer from the Circle of Magi who conforms to its norms, while Morrigan is a cynical combat mage who can shapeshift into a GiantSpider or a [[BearsAreBadNews bear]] and a Witch of the Wilds who despises the Circles and the Chantry.
** To a heroic Mage Warden, who tries to save Thedas while Morrigan pursues her own agenda.
* FemmeFatale: She is attractive, mysterious and morally ambiguous. She has a two-part banter with Sten [[spoiler:in which they speak about the Qunari act]], and often talks about women only needing to bat their eyelashes to get men to do what they want. [[spoiler:Double]] subverted because she doesn't actively try to seduce the male Warden [[spoiler:until the end when she states that he should lay with her to perform the Dark Ritual.]]
* FirstGirlWins: She's the first female companion to be recruited, and if the Warden is male, she's a romance option.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: One epilogue slide in ''Origins'' stated a woman matching Morrigan's description was seen several years later in Orlais, having insinuated herself within the Empress' court. As of ''Inquisition'', this is exactly what happens.
* FreudianExcuse: She was raised in the wilderness away from society, and the only person around was her mother who was distant and emotionally abusive, and taught her to survive by any means necessary.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: And vice versa. The only people who get along with her to any degree are Zevran, the Dog, and possibly the Warden themselves.
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: When the Warden asks about her shapeshifting magic, she says that she's studied many of the creatures of the Korcari Wilds and learned to assume their forms. When she joins the party, however, the only shapeshifting form she's learned is Giant Spider. Justified as being the only form she finds useful in combat -- the form of a bird (which she mentions) and a wolf (which the player may witness) aren't strong enough for her purposes.
* GracefulLadiesLikePurple: She's a LadyOfBlackMagic who mostly wears purple and black. Violet is often emphasized with her in official artist's depictions, as well as occasionally being the color of her magic.
* HatesBeingTouched: When it comes to simple greetings, Morrigan is not a handshake person; she doesn't in the least understand the need for it. This doesn't include more intimate touching -- of all the possible lovers, she requires the least amount of approval to get her to sleep with the Warden. [[spoiler:Though considering what [[StalkerWithATestTube her plans are]], she wouldn't ''need'' to like the Warden to start sleeping with him.]]
* HollywoodAtheist: Not so much in the reasons for her non-belief, but in that her atheism goes along with being selfish, misanthropic, and actively contemptuous of religious people.
* HotWitch: {{Lampshade}}d, not that it's all that unusual for the setting.
* AnIcePerson: She starts out with the spell Winter's Grasp, and both her unique robes boost cold damage, pointing her in this direction.
* ILoveYouBecauseICantControlYou: Her relationship with a romanced male Warden.
* TheImmodestOrgasm: According to some dialogue that didn't make it into the retail game but can be accessed on the PC via mods, Morrigan's very loud during sex:
-->'''Leliana''': So you're saying you're wild and uninhibited? I suppose he must like your shrieking, you sound like a genlock being murdered -- a sweet, sweet sound to a Grey Warden. You should try a little harder next time he takes you. I don't think they heard you in the Anderfels.
* ImpossiblyCoolClothes: Her blouse is loose and draping from the shoulders and down the front, yet has a laced cinch at the back. It's possible, but difficult to make and impractical to wear. The Robes of Possession (which presumably belong to Flemeth) share the same design.
* IneffectualLoner: Morrigan's not a people person. Her tent is placed away from all the others in the camp, and she has her own private campfire (where only the Warden bothers to visit her).
* InformedAttribute: It's said she "looks Chasind" despite the fact that the Chasind are dark-skinned and she is very much ''not.''
* InLoveWithTheMark: [[spoiler:Her romance arc with a male Warden in a nutshell. She meant to get impregnated by the Warden, not to fall in ''love'' with him!]] If you completed Morrigan's Personal Quest at +75 Approval without romancing her, it would trigger a conversation where she reveals that she was, at minimum, intrigued by the Warden even before Flemeth started her plans upon meeting the four Warden recruits. In that same conversation, you could also initiate a romance.
-->'''Morrigan''': I am reminded of our first meeting in the Wilds, I had been in animal form for some time, watching your progress.\\
'''Morrigan''': I knew immediately that you were far more formidable than the other men you travelled with. I found you intriguing.
* InsecureLoveInterest: Morrigan tries to hide it behind a tough exterior; but [[spoiler:after the Warden kills Flemeth (or claims to have done so)]], she will thank him for taking the time to befriend and possibly romance her, despite her more unpleasant nature.
* InsufferableGenius: According to Alistair, who tries to use a Chantry-related question to mock her for it.
* {{Jerkass}}: She is a cynical and snarky SocialDarwinist. The only people who seem to get along with her are Zevran, Dog, and the Warden themselves.
* LadykillerInLove: Inverted since she's TheVamp. She's horrified when she realizes that she has developed actual feelings for the Warden if the player pursues a romance with her.
* LadyOfBlackMagic: A shapeshifter who is well-spoken and cunning—and evil. Listed as one of the few characters with "High" intelligence, her biography notes that she favors a look of wild elegance. She's the most ruthlessly pragmatic member of the party, uses destructive magic spells, and [=NPCs=] often comment she's very beautiful.
* LaughOfLove: She will giggle on occasion if romanced by the Warden, and with a high approval rating (which is very unlike her).
* LickedByTheDog: By Dog, of course. In ''Witch Hunt'', she's actually rather pleased at how happy he is to see her. In-game dialogues indicates that Morrigan sneaks treats to Dog when he begs despite her repeatedly insisting that she would ''not'' give him anything.
-->'''Morrigan''': "I know it was you rooting in my pack, mongrel."\\
'''Dog''': ''(Innocent whine)''\\
'''Morrigan''': "Who else? Alistair? He's a likely suspect, I admit, but no."\\
'''Dog''': ''(Bows head shamefully)''\\
'''Morrigan''': "I notice you avoided the hemlock."\\
'''Dog''': ''(Happy bark!)''\\
'''Morrigan''': "Yes, yes, very clever. Next time I will disguise it more carefully."\\
'''Dog''': ''(Sad eyes)''\\
'''Morrigan''': "Do not even try it! I would not give you a biscuit had I one."\\
'''Dog''': ''(Sadder eyes)''\\
'''Morrigan''': "Oh... very well. But tell no one.
* LongestPregnancyEver: If the Warden sleeps with her early in the game, and don't do it again later, [[spoiler:in ''Witch Hunt'' the player will find out she bore the Warden's son. He isn't the OGB, but still. The pregnancy lasted all of ''Origins'', stated in VideoGame/DragonAgeII to have spanned a year, and never ever showed...]]
* LoveHurts: If the male PC is romancing Morrigan, there is no way to get a traditionally happy ending, no matter what you do. If you don't take her up on her offer at the end, she leaves the party immediately. If you do comply with her plan, she vanishes anyway after the final battle. [[spoiler:The Witch Hunt DLC does allow the romanced Warden to enter the Eluvian with her and raise their children together]].
* LoveInterest: A possibility for a male Warden.
* LoveIsAWeakness:
** Morrigan has a conversation with Leliana where where she expresses with venom her feelings that love is a cancer; she doesn't want to love the Warden, as it only complicates her plan, and begs him to leave her be or tell her that he doesn't love her.
** When reuniting with a romanced Warden in ''Witch Hunt'', she points out the ironic role-reversal:
--->'''Morrigan''': And you once argued with me that "[[IronicEcho love is not a weakness]]"...
* LoveRedeems: Averted. She notices that a romance does soften her up and desperately backpedals into her old bitchiness out of fear of such unfamiliar feelings. [[spoiler:The trope is then potentially played straight at the end of ''Witch Hunt''.]]
** Wynne invokes this in banter with Alistair when they discuss the Warden's relationship with Morrigan. While Alistair believes she will lead him astray, Wynne points out that [[MagneticHero he may be a good influence on her]].
** Morrigan's personality during her appearance in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' depends heavily on whether or not the Warden took the time to befriend her in ''Origins''. If she was befriended, and especially if she was romanced, she behaves with much more warmth and compassion.
* MeaningfulName: The Morrigan was a shapeshifting Irish war and death goddess, but she averts the trope, since the lead writer said that Morrigan is named after a character of a friend of his and all similarities with the Irish goddess are coincidental, as they are with [[Myth/ArthurianLegend Morgan le Fay]].
** Seems the outfit designers didn't get that memo. The crow feathers on her shoulder are symbolic of the other Morrigan.
** In-universe, she seems to be named after a legendary Avvar warlord famed for her powers of seduction as well as her skills as a fighter. Given what Flemeth sent her to do, this was probably an intentional reference on her part.
* MerlinAndNimue: Her relationship with a more heroic male Mage Warden often has this vibe.
* MsFanservice: Morrigan is a HotWitch with one of the most revealing costumes in the game. Her default outfit alone doesn't leave much of her top to the imagination, exposing both her cleavage and sideboob. And combine that with her sultry voice and accent...
* NatureHero: An unconventional EvilCounterpart of the standard version. Instead of a kindly FriendToAllLivingThings, she lacks compassion for anything (barring a scant few exceptions), embraces social Darwinism, and doesn't hesitate to resort to murder if someone gets in her way. She's NatureIsNotNice personified.
* NavelDeepNeckline: Her top, being a simple cloth hung in a U-shape over her breasts, combines this with {{Sideboob}}.
* NoSocialSkills: She is largely tactless and ignorant of/annoyed by social mores; she considers shaking hands an offensive breach of her personal space, for example. This is because she was raised in the wilds, largely forbidden to interact with outside world.
* NoSympathy: A big part of her character; Morrigan just doesn't do empathy. The Warden can prove an exception -- if befriended/romanced, Morrigan genuinely cares about the Warden and their feelings (such as expressing sympathy over their mother's death or having girl talk with a female Warden). It can be inferred that Morrigan will only give a damn about people who manage to gain her trust and respect.
* NoYou: Notably in one of her conversations with Alistair:
-->'''Alistair''': So let's talk about your mother, for a moment...\\
'''Morrigan''': I'd rather talk about ''[[YourMom your]]'' mother.\\
'''Alistair''': But there's nothing to talk ab-- And besides, isn't your mother a scary witch who lives in the middle of a forest? Much more interesting.\\
'''Morrigan''': To you, perhaps. You would find the moss growing upon a stone interesting.
* OddFriendship: ''Any'' friendship she forms, given her complete lack of social skills. It's especially notable with a more heroic male Warden who does not romance her.
* OnlyFriend: If the Warden is female and grows close to Morrigan, Morrigan will admit that the Warden is the first friend she's ever had and that she views the Warden almost as a sister.
* PetTheDog:
** Get a high enough affinity with her, and she'll apologize to the Warden for her {{jerkass}} tendencies and say that she appreciates their friendship.
** At the Lothering Chantry, should the player ask for the revered mother's blessing, she will respectfully kneel along with the rest of the party (in spite of her usual dismissive attitude towards the Chantry and religious belief in general).
** She expresses her condolences to a non-Magi Warden who tells her the truth about the fate of their mother (dead, or a "useless drunk" in the Dwarf Commoner's case).
** Near the endgame, either Alistair or [[spoiler:Loghain]] will ask Morrigan on whether [[spoiler:the child she'll conceive from the dark ritual]] will be a threat to Ferelden in the future, to which she assures them with honesty that it won't be the case.
** In ''Witch Hunt'', [[spoiler:she practically does this literally. When the Warden finally catches up to her, both she and Dog are quite happy to see each other and she even cracks a rare smile.]]
* PleaseDumpMe: One of the conversations in the romance line.
* PreClimaxClimax: With the PC, Alistair, or Loghain, potentially.
* PregnantBadass: [[spoiler:She can potentially be in the earliest stages of pregnancy if the Dark Ritual is performed or if she spends the night with the Warden on the eve of the Battle of Denerim.]]
* RaisedAsAHost: [[spoiler:After finding Flemeth's grimoire she becomes convinced this was her mother's intent for her, since Flemeth has apparently been raising her daughters, teaching them magic and then [[GrandTheftMe taking over their bodies when her own gets to be too old]]. Morrigan then asks you to kill Flemeth for her. Exactly how true this is remains ambiguous until ''Inquisition''. Another of Flemeth's daughters named Yavana from ''ComicBook/TheSilentGrove'' calls Flemeth's possession "a gift" and Morrigan - a "poor, confused child.". Although the interpretation is left in the air considering Flemeth did have Robes of Possession hidden in her hut which can be equipped only by Morrigan and were described in the game files as designed to sap Morrigan's will and ease the ancient sorceress's possession of her daughter]]
* RavenHairIvorySkin: She has pale skin and black hair, and [=NPC=]s often comment that she's very beautiful.
* RomanceAndSexualitySeparation: Morrigan is a FemmeFatale whose unclear motives, [[TokenEvilTeammate dubious morality]] and [[ConsummateLiar habit of being dishonest]] causes everyone in the party to [[WhatDoesHeSeeInHer believe she's playing a male Warden]] if he chooses to sleep with her. [[HoneyTrap And she is.]] The issue, though, is that if the player shows her enough kindness, she actually falls in love with him and thus refuses to sleep with him from that point on. [[spoiler:This is revealed to be a combination of her belief that LoveIsAWeakness, as well as an attempt to [[PleaseDumpMe make the Warden hate her]]. Her ultimate goal was to undergo a sexual ritual with a male Warden (her preference being the Warden, if she's in love with him) and become pregnant with the soul of an Old God. If romanced and the Warden agrees to impregnate her himself, this becomes the first time that she ever has sex for love.]]
* SarcasticDevotee: As much as she snarks at both the Warden and the other companions, and as easy as it is to earn her disapproval by doing anything heroic or altruistic (even if the motivation for it is completely pragmatic), it's actually pretty difficult to piss her off to the point that she'll leave the party. Furthermore, there is no single choice in the game that will cause her to leave if mishandled, which (with the exception of Dog) is not the case for any of the other companions. [[spoiler:This is perhaps because she has a reason for following the Warden besides helping them fight the Blight.]]
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: [[spoiler:Leaves the party right before the final battle if the Warden refuses the Dark Ritual.]]
* SequelHook: [[spoiler:If she conceives a child by one of the Wardens, you just know the child is going to show up again. And of course, he does -- in ''Inquisition''.]]
* SharedUnusualTrait: Just like her mother Flemeth, she possesses striking golden eyes.
* ShooTheDog: If she and the Warden are intimate, the Warden has saved her from Flemeth, and her approval is above 90%, she gets desperate to get him to break up with her, down to flat out ''begging'' him to say he doesn't love her.
* TheSmartGuy: Morrigan is one of the smartest members in the Warden's group. And [[InsufferableGenius she knows it]].
* SocialDarwinist: Flemeth raised her to be a pretty severe example of this. As a result, Morrigan believes that people who can't solve their problems on their own are worthless. It actually explains many of Morrigan's more StupidEvil tendencies. Perhaps the best example is in the "Broken Circle" quest, where [[spoiler:she insists the Warden leave the Mages to their fate, claiming that their current plight is their own fault for both agreeing to be caged in the Tower in the first place and not being strong enough to stop Uldred before things got out of hand.]]
* SomeoneToRememberHimBy: This can happen if a male PC romances her, but refuses to make love to her before the final battle as part of her "dark ritual". If he slays the Archdemon himself, he will die. However, the epilogue states that she is pregnant with their child, who was conceived at some point beforehand.
* StalkerWithATestTube: Her real reason for joining the party is that [[spoiler:she needs to become pregnant by a Grey Warden in order to complete a dark ritual.]]
* TheStarscream: To Flemeth, [[spoiler:albeit out of self-defense rather than ambition.]]
* {{Stripperific}}: Her default costume. Although every human female in Thedas shares the same body type, Morrigan is the only one who can wear it.
* StupidEvil: Often falls into this. She seems to take the position that helping others is universally wrong, even if such aid is explicitly rendered solely on the condition of later repayment (and even if the person being helped is absolutely critical to stopping the Blight).
* SupernaturalGoldEyes: She's a witch with golden eyes that she got from [[HumanoidAbomination her mother]].
* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial: Morrigan falls into this when she realises she's actually started to fall in love with the Warden.
** She emphatically insists that just because she gave a ring to a romanced Warden, which was part of a set, and the rings are magically bonded, the gesture does not have ''any'' kind of deeper meaning... [[EveryoneCanSeeIt Yeah, right!]]
* TeacherStudentRomance: If a Mage Warden has Morrigan teach him Shapeshifting, then romances her.
* TheTease: Toward a male Warden, Sten, and even occasionally Alistair.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: Morrigan does very little to make herself a little more appreciated by the other members of the group, especially with Alistair and Wynne.
* TokenEvilTeammate: Unlike Zevran or Shale (who, besides [[EvenEvilHasStandards some]] [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes exceptions]], merely fail to object when the Warden does "evil" things), Morrigan actively ''disapproves'' of acting selflessly and helping others.
* TooManyBelts: Her default outfit features a skirt that appears to be made out of rags and strips of cloth stitched together with belts.
* TookALevelInKindness: Can take one over the course of ''Origins'' if befriended by the Warden. Similarly, despite her constant irritation at the Dog, she broadly smiles upon seeing him again at the end of ''Witch Hunt''.
* {{Troll}}: A large portion of her in-game banter with other companions is this, particularly with [[TheStoic Sten.]]
-->'''Sten''': [[INeedAFreakingDrink Paarshara!]] Why do you pester me?\\
'''Morrigan''': [[ItAmusedMe Because 'tis amusing,]] that is why.
* {{Tsundere}}: Oh yes. Type A, mostly tsuntsun, but being nice to her and/or romancing her brings out the deredere (as much as she is capable of, anyway). If the player gets her approval high enough, she even apologises for her behaviour in a very roundabout {{Tsundere}}-ish manner.
* {{Tykebomb}}: One of many raised by Flemeth. Unusually, she ends up [[DefusingTheTykeBomb defusing herself]] to a certain extent, planning Flemeth's death the moment she realises her end use; it's not until ''Witch Hunt'' that she finally slips her leash altogether, though. [[spoiler:Temporarily, anyway.]]
* UselessUsefulSpell: Played with with her shapeshifting.
** Her shapeshifting powers sound cool in theory, but in practice are nearly useless as they don't enhance her combat ability all that much, take far too long to activate, and prevent her from using her other spells. Although her swarm form is easily the quickest method of moving around, it does require that you don't mind the other three characters trailing a mile and a half behind you.
** Building Morrigan into a tank-mage with the Arcane Warrior specialization, however, makes her shapechanging powers ''much'' more useful. She can kite, she can tank, she can beat down opponents in melee, and she can do everything an Arcane Warrior does. The only problem with Shapeshift is the same problem with any other skill: if the player doesn't develop it ''and'' learn how and when to use it properly, it won't be useful.
* VainSorceress: Morrigan is a magpie when it comes to jewelry. The gifts that boost her approval most (aside from the golden mirror and her mother's grimoire) are pieces of jewelry.
* TheVamp: Played with for male Wardens. Morrigan fully intends to play this trope straight when she joins the Grey Warden, and ''every'' member of the party is certain that this is what she is, but how it all comes down depends on the player. If the Warden romances her, she begins to panic when she ''actually'' [[LadyKillerInLove starts to feel something for the Warden]]. Several times, she tries to warn or mock him in order to [[ShooTheDog force him to break up with her]]. If you don't listen, she only becomes more upset and flat out begs him to say he doesn't love her. And then, in the ending, she uses him for her own purposes, regardless of what her feelings may be.[[note]] If the Warden romanced her, she will admit she cares for him and will be more insistent in case the Warden refuses the ritual. [[/note]]
* VerbalTic: Almost all of her dialogue is spoken in a sing-song rhythmic style, which is not that noticeable at first but becomes far more apparent the more the player talks to her. She also has a noticeable fondness for the word "'tis". and she uses the "over" instead of "too", as in "overlong and "overmuch".
* VoluntaryShapeshifting: Her specialization. She can only be persuaded to teach it, however, if her approval is ''not'' too high; she has to have a sort of lukewarm opinion of the Warden in order to be willing to share her knowledge.
* VoodooDoll: Her ''Feastday Pranks'' DLC gift is an Alistair voodoo doll which has a variety of effects on the poor guy.
* WasItAllALie: Male Wardens who romance her can ask her whether [[spoiler:her desire to birth an old god baby]] was the reason she entered their relationship. She says no.
* WhatDoesHeSeeInHer: She'll pretty much ask a male Warden this word for word if he chooses to romance Leliana instead of her. The other companions say the same thing for a male Warden who ''does'' romance her.
* WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove: The very concept of forming attachments to others confuses and terrifies her. She's quite disdainful of "sentiment", so the fact that she becomes genuinely fond of the romanced Warden drives her crazy, although she's not visibly distressed by the platonic affection she can develop for a non-romanced Warden.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tropes In ''Dragon Age: Inquisition'']]
* AdventurerArchaeologist: She spends most of her time seeking out ancient artifacts and exploring prehistoric magical sites in search for arcane relics and secrets such as eluvians.
* AgentScully: Acts as one, especially towards Solas, at the temple of Mythal. She dismissed the supposed godhood of the Elven Gods while trying to find logical explanation for whatever mystical and arcane things happening during the reign of Elvhenan.
* TheArchmage: If she didn't qualify as such towards the end of ''Origins'', she certainly qualifies now as the new Enchantress of Celene's Orlesian Imperial Court thanks to the decade since the first game which she explored and deepened her arcane knowledge learned from Flemeth mixed with the Old Elves culture. Further emphasized out if the Inquisitor will allow her to drink from Mythal's well, which guarantees an almost inexhaustible source of unimaginable arcane knowledge and abilities.
* TheBusCameBack: Morrigan, who hasn't been seen since ''Origins'' (and the ''Witch Hunt'' DLC), finally returns in ''Inquisition''.
* BreakingTheCycleOfBadParenting: If the player slept with Morrigan and/or allowed her to undergo a "[[SexMagic ritual]]" in ''Videogame/DragonAgeOrigins'', she will return 10 years later in ''Inquisition'' with a son. Regardless of the partnership or circumstances (whether she conceived the child with her OneTrueLove, whether the boy is the reincarnation of an Old God and whether or not she and the father raised the boy together), Morrigan loves her son and is [[MamaBear very protective of him]]. [[spoiler:If the boy IS a reincarnation, during the course of the game, he will be abducted by Morrigan's mother, Flemeth, and Morrigan will do everything she can to get him back. She says this is because she's determined to [[TakeThat not be the sort of mother]] to him that Flemeth was to her. Flemeth is visibly hurt by that statement, and then takes the Old God soul from Kieran before giving him back to his mother, almost as if in apology.]]
* CallBack: Her outfit serves as something of a BrickJoke to ''Origins'', being almost exactly like the one that Leliana described as wanting to see her in if they went clothes shopping together. Leliana actually questions her about this. Morrigan will admit that Kieran picked it out, if Kieran exists.
* CallingTheOldManOut: [[spoiler:Absolutely ''lets Flemeth have it'' when they meet again in the Fade, ''especially'' if Morrigan has Kieran, and thus tells her that [[EvenEvilHasStandards for all her faults]], Morrigan will ''never'' be [[AbusiveParents the kind of mother]] Flemeth was.]]
* CharacterDevelopment: [[TookALevelInKindness Massively]] since the events of ''Origins'', particularly if [[spoiler: she and the Hero of Ferelden had a child, and whether she has a child regardless of the father's identity]].
%%* CourtMage: To Celene.
* EducationMama: Mildly as while she's not oppressive about it, she insists Kieran keep up with his studies, mostly as a way to keep him out of trouble.
* EvilChancellor: To Celene, in the eyes of the court, since she brings with her a view of magic untainted by Andrastianism. Some believe she has enthralled Celene with BloodMagic, but others dismiss the claim since an enthralled Celene likely wouldn't argue with Morrigan as often as she does.
* FateWorseThanDeath: The one who drinks from the Well of Sorrows is [[spoiler:bound to serve Mythal[=/=]Flemeth for all eternity. While Flemeth seems willing to let them go free,]] it's going to be hanging over them for the rest of their life... ''and'' afterlife. After meeting [[spoiler:Flemeth]], Morrigan will either express regret at drinking from the Well or relief if the Inquisitor did so instead.
* TheGoodChancellor: What she ''actually'' is. During the Winter Palace arc, she does her part [[spoiler: to save Celene's life.]]
* GoodParents: Very much so. She genuinely cares for her son and wants to give him a better life than she had.
* HappilyMarried: If romanced, her relationship to the Warden is all but stated to be this. His letter to the Inquisitor even outright calls her and Kieran "my family", and she refers to him as "my Warden".
* HumblePie: Her conversation with [[spoiler:Flemeth within the Fade]] is an especially humbling experience for her. As she says, sometimes she needs to be reminded that she ''doesn't'' know everything.
* IgnorantOfTheirOwnIgnorance: She learns a ''harsh'' lesson in this, this time around. [[spoiler:The Temple of Mythal and its fallout]] is a particularly humiliating experience for her.
* ImpracticallyFancyOutfit: Averted. Her character kit mentions that Morrigan designed her outfit to be fashionable enough to fit in with Orlesian nobility, but had enough flexibility to cast spells at any [[ProfessionalKiller Bards]] she'd encounter in the DecadentCourt.
* LoveHurts: If imported as the lover of a Warden who made the [[HeroicSacrifice Ultimate Sacrifice]] but still conceived a son with her, this is more or less her reaction when Alistair, if alive and a Grey Warden, asks about him.
-->'''Alistair''': At least you have Kieran.\\
'''Morrigan''': ''(quietly)'' [[TearJerker I could have had them both]].
* TheMagicComesBack: Morrigan's goal once she learns about [[spoiler:the Well of Sorrows. She believes the Well's power could be used to restore ancient magics to Thedas, taking away some of the 'mundanity' of the world.]]
* MamaBear: Morrigan will protect her son from ''anything,'' even a PhysicalGod.
* TheMistress: Technically, she will have this role if the Human Noble Warden impregnated her, but married Anora in ''Origins''. However, if the Warden helped her raise Kieran, he and Morrigan make it clear that ''she'' is the favorite and his true love.
* MyGreatestFailure: If she did not do the Dark Ritual with the Warden and was not romanced, she says that parting on bad terms with the Warden is her greatest regret.
* NoNameGiven: In keeping with the writing style of Creator/FailbetterGames, her appearances in ''The Last Court'' only refer to her as "The Scornful Sorceress."
* NotSoAboveItAll: Provided she was romanced (and joined) by a male Warden in the first game, contacting him in ''Inquisition'' has her express mild gratitude about Leliana having not opened the note intended just for her -- as its contents would likely make even an Orlesian blush.
* OfCorsetsSexy: Well, just look at her ''Inquisition'' trope image. That's while wearing her outfit during the Winter Palace ball -- afterward, she's seen in [[NavelDeepNeckline her old familiar outfit]].
* OhCrap: She has two major moments.
** When she sees [[spoiler:exactly how Corypheus keeps coming back.]]
--->'''Morrigan''': This cannot be!
** When she realizes that [[spoiler:Flemeth is Mythal. ''Especially'' if Morrigan drank from the Well of Sorrows]].
* OlderAndWiser: While she hasn't completely grown past her arrogance and cynicism, she's far more learned about the world and far less venomous. She used to struggle just socializing and was confused about the norms of high society but now she's more amiable, if still aloof, and carries herself in Empress Celene's court with ease.
* OneTrueLove: If romanced, her comments on Warden pretty much declares him as the love of her life.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: [[spoiler:Morrigan's composure completely shatters if Kieran goes through the Eluvian into the Fade. At that point she's not a Witch of the Wilds, but a terrified mother desperate to find her child.]]
* PassiveAggressiveKombat: Morrigan's dress in ''Inquisition'' is designed specifically to annoy the rich and powerful of Orlesian society: it's just similar enough to what they themselves wear to be acceptable at court, but is way too dark to not stick out like a sore thumb. Remembering how and where she grew up, her contempt for the decadent Orlesian court is very understandable.
* PossessionImpliesMastery: Morrigan believes that because she possesses a working eluvian and some knowledge on elven lore and magic, that makes her a greater expert on all things elven than any elves anywhere. [[spoiler:The Temple of Mythal and her encounter with ''the'' [[GodWasMyCopilot Mythal]] in the Fade afterwards humbles her considerably.]]
* RaisedAsAHost: [[spoiler:Contrary to Morrigan's belief, Flemeth never intended to forcefully possess her daughter, though she did raise her as a host -- not for herself, but for Mythal, an ancient elven "goddess" whose spark Flemeth was bearing until she passed it to Morrigan at the end of the game]].
* ScaledUp: [[spoiler: Turns into a dragon to fight the red lyrium dragon, should she drink from the Well of Sorrows. Said dragon bears a strong resemblance to her mother's dragon form in the previous games.]]
* SixthRanger: She joins the Inquisition much later in the game than the other major characters.
* ThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow: Subverted, as preventing that very mindset is revealed to be her highest priority. She believes that ancient magic needs to be preserved, no matter how feared or dangerous. She believes this so completely that she's willing to use something totally unknown and untested on herself just to save it from destruction. Even if it claims her life, or keeps her from seeing her son again, she considers it worth the cost.[[spoiler:.. at first. She learns the hard way that Flemeth was ''counting'' on this.]]
* TookALevelInKindness:
** Morrigan appears warmer and more compassionate if the Warden took the time to befriend her during ''Origins'', especially if she [[LoveRedeems was romanced]], [[spoiler: [[ChildrenRaiseYou became a mother]], [[BabiesEverAfter or]] [[SomeoneToRememberHimBy both]].]] This is proven true if she joins the Inquisition, as she offers advice and praise to the Inquisitor all the time, with only a little snark, and none of it anywhere near as spiteful as she once was.
** Notably, her relationships with Alistair (if he's still a Warden) and Leliana are much more amiable, particularly with her son present.
* UnknownRival: Vivienne ''despised'' Morrigan with a passion for essentially replacing her as Celene's mage advisor. Morrigan barely knew or cared who she was.
* UnreliableExpositor: She is not as knowledgeable as she thinks she is, and she isn't above small lies or withholding crucial info, either.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: She wants to, in her own words, preserve ancient and lost magic for the future, no matter the price she would pay.
* {{Weredragon}}: If she drinks from Mythal's well, she will learn to transform into a dragon like her mother.
* WhiteMansBurden: She believes that she alone can revive ancient Elvhen magic and lore from extinction; none of the elves are capable of understanding the intricacies or complexities of their own lost heritage that she can.
[[/folder]]
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[[folder:Wynne]]
!!Wynne
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dao_wynne.png]]
!!!'''Appears in:''' ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins Origins]]'' | ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening Awakening]]'' | ''Literature/{{Asunder}}''
!!!'''Voiced by''': Susan Boyd Joyce (English)[[labelnote:Foreign [=VAs=]]]Margit Straßburger (German), Barbara Kałużna (Polish), Yumi Fujimori (French)[[/labelnote]]
->''"I'm not the sort of person that leaves things unfinished. I'll see this through, I promise."''
A senior enchanter of the Circle of Magi, Wynne is a notable voice among the mages, preferring action over sitting around in the Tower. Prior to the start of the game, she is among the mages who volunteer to go to Ostagar and battle against the darkspawn; later, the PC meets her during the "Broken Circle" quest, where she eventually joins the party. Shale's nickname for her is "The Elder Mage," much to her chagrin.
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* TheArchmage: If the Circle was saved, she mentions that Irving wanted her to take his place as First Enchanter, but she refused.
* BadassBookworm: A senior Enchanter in the Circle.
* BadassTeacher: As a senior Enchanter, Wynne is responsible for teaching the unharrowed mages.
* BewareTheNiceOnes:
** She's almost always nice, but she can occasionally get downright nasty when provoked. In one banter with Morrigan:
--->'''Morrigan''': Of course I am still young, beautiful, and my life is my own -- while you are bound to that Circle. Hmm. I wonder why I asked. It would be a silly thing, prolonging your life. A waste.\\
'''Wynne''': Think what you will, Morrigan. When the end comes, I will go gladly to my rest, proud of my achievements. While you... you will see how empty your life was. You will realize that because you never had love for others, you never received love in return. And you will die alone and unmourned.
** While she's a little politer to a Mage Warden, her reaction to seeing non-Mage Wardens for the first time since Ostagar is to calmly ask what they're doing at the Circle Tower and inform them that if they try to hurt the children, she will ''end them''.
* CantLiveWithoutYou: [[spoiler:Wynne is dependent on a friendly Fade spirit to keep her alive.]]
* CantStopTheSignal: [[spoiler:In the novel ''Asunder'', she sends a message to all the Circles in Thedas on the way back from the Adamant Fortress, ensuring that all mages everywhere will know it's possible to reverse the Rite of Tranquility even if she and her companions don't get the chance to spread the word in person.]]
* CategoryTraitor: In ''Literature/{{Asunder}}'', it's mentioned that many mages have come to feel this way about Wynne, due to her leading the vote ''not'' to break away from the Chantry.
* CombatMedic: Wynne starts with the [[WhiteMagic Spirit Healer specialization and three of the Heal tree talents]], but also has two attacks in Arcane Bolt and Stone Fist. Those are just what she starts with.
* CoolOldLady: She may be relentlessly nice, but she's a tough old broad, too.
* CrazyCatLady: Her Feastday Prank is the Cat Lady's Hobble-Stick, which can summon cats that can be used to distract enemies in combat.
* CryIntoChest: Zevran asks her if he may do this. She's having none of it.
* DangerousForbiddenTechnique: [[spoiler:Vessel of the Spirit weakens the spirit that keeps Wynne alive, further reducing her life span.]]
* DatingCatwoman: [[spoiler:''Asunder'' reveals the father of her son, Rhys, was actually a Templar. ''[[AllThereInTheManual World of Thedas Vol. 2]]'' heavily implies that the Templar in question was Knight-Commander Greagoir.]]
* DeadAllAlong: [[spoiler:She is already dead when she appears in the Warden's party as a HeroicRROD. A spirit from the Fade helps her to stay in the material world a little more.]]
* DeadManWalking: Wynne [[spoiler:is already dead, but is able to remain among the living due to the intervention of a benevolent spirit from the Fade]]. She has no idea how long she has left.
* DishingOutDirt: Her default spells focus on the Earth line of the Primal School.
* DudeMagnet: Somehow gets the attention of [[LikesOlderWomen Zevran]] and [[CasanovaWannabe Oghren]]. Even ''Alistair'' in the ''Return to Ostagar'' [=DLC=] flirts with her. She even admits waking up in bed with a man younger than her before.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: [[spoiler: One of Wynne's first conversations with the Warden is about the nature of abominations. Later, the player will find out why she's grateful if the Warden tells her that if an abomination retains their personality and doesn't behave evilly, it really isn't an abomination.]]
* GoodIsNotDumb: As explained in her TokenGoodTeammate entry below, Wynne is the only character in the party to stay unambiguously good and never give up her sense of morals. She also is a wise, experienced, very savvy woman, who correctly identifies [[ObviouslyEvil Uldred]] as a traitor, provides many interesting discussions on morality and capable of as much snark as Morrigan or Zevran.
* HeroicFatigue: [[spoiler:Starts to show signs of this early on in ''Asunder''. Which leads to...]]
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:She sacrifices herself to save the mage-sympathetic Templar Evangeline in ''Asunder''. Though, actually, she'd already done a HeroicSacrifice back in ''Origins'' to save the Tower's child apprentices from a demon, but a Spirit of Faith who was intrigued by her since her youth bound itself to her to save her. The two events are related: she passes the Spirit on to Evangeline, who herself was just killed, and the spirit was the only thing keeping Wynne alive.]]
* HiddenDepths: You really wouldn't expect a sweet, grandmotherly old woman like Wynne to know so much about alcohol; one of the best gifts for her other than books is a bottle of wine. She even enjoys ''Oghren's homemade ale'' - [[GargleBlaster the same stuff that can KO the Warden if his or her Constitution is too low]] - and manages to correctly identify the ingredients he uses for spicing. [[spoiler: This surprises Rhys, Adrian, and Evangeline in the novel ''Asunder'', when they stop at a local inn to rest and eat.]]
* HumanoidAbomination: [[spoiler:Ironically, despite being probably the most moral of any of the party members, she'd count as one by the standards of at least some Templars.]]
* {{Hypocrite}}:
** Wynne will try to persuade any mage she can to return to the Circle (including a Mage Warden and [[spoiler:her former apprentice Aneirin]]), yet takes any chance she can get to leave it herself. This is despite the fact that the former is dedicated to fighting the Blight and the latter [[spoiler:would be killed on sight after being branded a maleficarum]].
** She frequently lectures the Warden about duty, but turned down her responsibilities to the remnants of the Circle to adventure (Irving even tells her the Circle needs her). Even after the Blight ends, she declines to return to the Circle in favor of [[spoiler:becoming the new royal mage adviser, or helping Shale find a new body.]]
** She gets called out on her hypocrisy in ''Asunder'', as other mages point out that her staunch support of the Chantry and claiming that the mages have to prove they're worthy of trust (read: not being killed by Templars) rings hollow when she's pretty much the only mage allowed to leave the Circle freely who doesn't have "First" or "Grand" in their title, and that's only because she helped the Hero of Ferelden.
* IntergenerationalFriendship: With the Warden, and also with Alistair, for whom she develops a particularly strong maternal attachment.
* KnightErrant: She's firmly convinced Grey Wardens are supposed to be this, which is her argument for why the Warden should be a CelibateHero (though the Warden can convince her otherwise).
* LadyOfWar: Am [[NeverMessWithGranny older one]] if given the Arcane Warrior specialization because of her wisdom and experience.
* TheLastDance: [[spoiler:She comes to see her journey with the Warden as one.]]
* LivingOnBorrowedTime: [[spoiler:She doesn't know just how long the spirit inside her will be there to keep her alive, so she makes every moment count]].
* MeaningfulName: Wynne's name has many appropriate meanings in Old English and Welsh, as seen [[http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Wynne here.]] All apply to the character. It may just be fan opinion, but Wynne is pronounced "Win" for a reason.
* MentorArchetype: Especially pronounced with a mage Warden.
* MissingMom: Wynne is this to her own son, assuming he is even still alive. The delivery was extremely difficult, and the newborn was sent away before she'd even recovered enough to see him, as is the policy for all children born to magi. She reveals this to Alistair, and admits that she would have liked her son to be like him.
-->'''Alistair''': Do you ever think about him?\\
'''Wynne''': ... All the time.
** As it turns out, [[spoiler:he is alive. In ''Asunder'', she and her son are finally reunited; he's a mage named Rhys.]]
* MrsRobinson: Hints at it when she flirts with Alistair in ''Return to Ostagar''. It's not treated very seriously, though, probably because of the mother-son sort of attachment they share.
* MyGreatestFailure: Her first teaching assignment ended badly. [[spoiler: She was apparently [[SternTeacher such a bitch]] to her student that he fled the Circle Tower. He was hunted down by the Templars and presumed dead]]. The only silver lining of that incident was that it taught her how to be a better mentor to new mages (something the Grey Warden can point out). The Warden can help Wynne find closure in her personal quest by discovering [[spoiler:that her former student actually survived and bears her no ill will.]]
* NeverMessWithGranny: Or you'll get a [[DishingOutDirt Stonefist]] to the face.
* NotAfraidToDie: Wynne explains to the Warden that there is no need to fear death.
* NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent: Fereldan humans almost all speak with different kinds of English accents. Wynne speaks with a standard American accent, like elves do. Part of this can be explained by Wynne growing up in the Tower, where humans and elves co-mingle freely. Even [[TheArchmage Irving]] seems to speak with a New England accent.
* OrphansOrdeal: In a conversation with the Warden, she mentions that she cannot recall her parents and that her earliest memories are of living on the streets. She briefly lived with a family who let her sleep in the barn, until the day she accidentally set their son's hair ''[[PlayingWithFire on fire]]'' because he was tormenting her. The Templars arrived to take her to the Circle shortly afterwards.
* ParentalSubstitute: To Alistair and the Warden, a mage Warden in particular.
* PowerStrainBlackout: Wynne's plot power, Vessel of the Spirit, leaves her stunned and disoriented every time she uses it. This effect is only alleviated after completing her personal sidequest, wherein she receives an amulet which augments the power.
* SequelHook: [[spoiler:If the Warden speaks to Wynne at the end of the story, she will explain that she will be travelling with Shale, claiming that Shale wants to become organic again. As Shale is inspired by the Warden, they apparently travel to Tevinter to see if there is a "cure" of some kind.]]
* SilverVixen: She has really smooth skin for someone her age, and her body model is exactly the same as that of the younger Morrigan and Leliana. Zevran even comments a couple of times on her "magical bosom." She's not amused:
-->'''Wynne:''' Zevran, I'm old enough to be your grandmother!\\
'''Zevran:''' [[LikesOlderWomen You say that like it's a bad thing.]]
** Parodied by Shamus Young [[https://web.archive.org/web/20130805044653/http://www.escapistmagazine.com:80/articles/view/comics/stolen-pixels/6848-Stolen-Pixels-148-Dragon-Aged here]].
** Oghren seems to think so too.
** When Alistair compliments that she looks younger every day, she jokes that he should watch who he flirts with... it would not be the first time she's woken up to a younger man beside her in bed. [[spoiler:This could be a reference to the father of her child - which, if he is who ''World of Thedas Vol. 2'' suggests he is, would indeed be a bit younger than she is.]]
** Wynne's original design had her as a short, slightly hunchbacked hag, but the developers decided to streamline things and give her a stock female body; it's also the reason Sten doesn't look like or is the size of later horned Qunari.
* TheSmartGuy: As a senior enchanter, she's the wisest of the party. It's part of the Guardian's question for her if she's taken along to the Gauntlet.
* SternTeacher: Was an incredibly strict demanding teacher in her youth, [[MyGreatestFailure much to her shame]]. She's far more mellow these days, although she occasionally slips back into this when she feels the Warden and Alistair aren't taking their duty as Wardens seriously. Similarly occurs whenever she offers advice to the Mage Warden.
* SuperMode: [[spoiler: Her Vessel of The Spirit power can give her a truly massive boost to Spellpower, the [[OneStatToRuleThemAll most critical stat for a mage]], especially after her personal quest is complete and she gets an item to augment the power.]]
* SymbioticPossession: [[spoiler:She has a symbiotic relationship with the benevolent Spirit of Faith possessing her. She provides it a host body in the physical world, and it's kept her alive since she was killed protecting the child mages of the Circle from a demon.]]
* TheTalk: Teasingly given by Wynne to Alistair in a bit of party dialogue after the female PC begins a romance with him. She will also (more seriously) engage with TheTalk with the Warden if they are engaged in a romance, expressing her disapproval and offering a recommendation of NoHuggingNoKissing. She especially has concerns if the relationship is with Alistair, given his inexperience with women and the fact that both are Wardens. She will, however, eventually change her mind and apologize to the Warden, provided the player get the Warden's love interest's approval rating high enough. She'll even defend your relationship with Morrigan to Alistair during party banter.
* TeamMom:
** Alistair likes to act as if she were his grandmother. If the Warden is a mage, she has a great deal of additional dialogue, some of which imply, if the player chooses, that the Warden does in fact look up to Wynne in an almost parental fashion, no doubt since the Circle commonly assigns Mages to older mentors. Non-Mage Wardens can also have a feeling like this toward her, but not nearly as explicitly.
*** When she tells you a story about the Grey Wardens, if you like, you can treat it like you're a petulant child wanting a good bedtime story. "Are there griffins?" Wynne indulges you.
** She plots to knit a sweater for Sten. How much more motherly can you get?
** [[spoiler:And she reunites with her son Rhys in ''Asunder''.]]
** She lectures the Warden regarding who (s)he chooses to romance. [[spoiler: Morrigan will even yell at her to stop treating the Warden and Alistair like they are her kids.]]
** When helping to prepare Redcliffe Village for the nightly onslaught of undead from the keep, having Wynne along when trying to coax a child out of the cabinet results in her scolding the kid out of there. The kid complies readily.
** If the Warden chooses to wait for rescue when they get taken to Fort Drakon, the other party members will launch a rescue mission and try to trick their way into the fort. Wynne's excuse (except when paired with Dog, Leilana or Morrigan) will be that they came to deliver handmade scarves the people made for "our boys" at the fort as a gift.
* TokenGoodTeammate: Out of the entire party, she is the only one who starts with and refuses to abandon her selfless sense of morals. Alistair and Leliana can be hardened and convinced to turn a blind eye to some/most evil, self-serving actions. Not Wynne.
* WideEyedIdealist: Her perception of the Wardens is very idealistic, contrasting considerably with the victory at any cost mentality of the actual organization.
* WhatTheHellHero:
** She will get pissed if the Warden makes unscrupulous decisions, [[spoiler:and will turn on them if they destroy the Urn of Sacred Ashes.]]
** She is initially concerned if the Warden romances a companion, but backs down if it blooms to Love.
** It's mentioned in ''Literature/{{Asunder}}'' that amongst the Circle of Enchanters, she led the vote ''not'' to break away from the Chantry entirely. Unfortunately, this has caused many Mages to regard her as something of a [[CategoryTraitor traitor]] as a result.
* WhiteMagic: She's geared towards using healing magic, making her the intended party heal bot.
* WhiteMagicianGirl: A rare elderly example of this archetype, being around sixty when she first meets the Warden. Once she joins the group she quickly falls into the role of the resident Healer, frequently is shown to offer kind words of wisdom to various characters and becomes the unofficial TeamMom of the group.
* YoungerThanTheyLook: Supplementary materials put her age around 47 during the Blight. Between the white hair and the way she talks, she comes off as someone in their seventies.
%%* YoureNotMyMother: Morrigan and potentially the Warden calls Wynne out on her trying parent them.
* YourDaysAreNumbered: [[spoiler:She survives the massacre at the Circle Tower only thanks to the intervention of a spirit of faith, which soon begins to weaken, meaning that she is literally living on borrowed time. Apparently she has more time than she thought, considering several of the epilogues mention her leaving to travel the world for several years, or becoming the head of the Circle of Magi after the current one dies. She meets her end in ''Asunder'', sacrificing her life to save Evangeline.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Merrill]]
[[quoteright:733:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/merrill_dao.jpg]]
!!!'''Appears in:''' ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins Origins]]'' | ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII''
!!!'''Voiced by''': Erin Matthews (''Origins'')[[labelnote:Foreign [=VAs=]]]Creator/EveMyles (''Dragon Age II'') (English); Schaukje Könning (German)[[/labelnote]]
->''"It's a Keeper's job to remember. Even the dangerous things."''
A Dalish Elf, and First to Keeper Marethari's First of the Dalish Sabrae Clan. She is a temporary companion in the Dalish Elf Origin. She returns in ''Dragon Age II'' as a companion after leaving her clan for mysterious reasons.
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''See more information about Merrill in [[Characters/DragonAgeIIMages this page]].''
[[/folder]]
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