History Characters / DragonAgeOriginsPlayableCharactersTheWarden

** In ''Awakening'', a Dwarf Commoner Warden [[spoiler:will discover that they, a ''Casteless'', has been named a '''Paragon'''.]]
*** The Dwarf Noble will find out the same from [[spoiler:Gorim, your childhood friend and Second, who was forced to leave Orzammar after your exile. After telling you that it is all but certain you will be named a Paragon, he offers to resume his position as your Second, reuniting the two of you at last.]]

!! The Warden

* PhysicalGod: [[spoiler: A dwarf Warden will always be unanimously proclaimed a Paragon at the end, essentially becoming the a living Ancestor - the closest thing dwarves have to gods.]]

** The Human Noble is also implied to be Bryce Cousland's favorite child; but unlike the Dwarf Noble's brothers, big brother Fergus doesn't seem to be remotely distressed by this fact.

* OneManArmy: The tales of the First Blight say that every Grey Warden is able to fight ten or twenty darkspawn at once. The Warden is TheDreaded because of this. Duncan states, if you ask about the danger of the Joining, that he wouldn't have recruited you unless he thought you could handle it, implying good Warden recruiters look specifically for people who have the rare fortitude that affords them a chance at surviving the ritual. While this doesn't directly translate into combat prowess, it certainly would help. All the potential Wardens were superlative badasses before they were recruited.

* AuthorityInNameOnly: The Warden spends most of ''Origins'' as the acting Warden-Commander of Ferelden. The title is functionally meaningless since there is only one other surviving Grey Warden in the country and they are unable to make contact with any of the order's leadership or access any of their resources thanks to being labeled fugitives by Logain. It isn't until ''Awakening'' that their title is given official recognition and actual authority.

* RankUp: From Warden-Ensign[[note]]This is the starting rank of the Wardens who managed to survive the Joining.[[/note]] to Warden-Commander of the Ferelden Grey Wardens, providing that they survived the first game.

* AnythingThatMoves: The Warden can definitely be played this way. Some of the origins offer the opportunity to hit on/sleep with someone; you have four potential romances among your companions; female Wardens can flirt with Arl Teagan, who seems interested; male wardens can kiss Bella, the waitress of Redcliff's tavern; you can hire employees at the Pearl in Denerim, and there's even a chance to sleep with certain members of the Dalish clan you meet in the Brecilian Forest. You can also claim after finding out [[spoiler: Shale was once a dwarven woman that suddenly, she's ''very'' cute.]]
** In a Bioware first, a Male Dwarf Noble has the potential to have [[spoiler:fathered two children with ''two'' separate women over the course of the game]] with at least one, if not both, being accidents.

** Even more subverted with Leliana. By ''Inquisition'' not only are they still in a loving relationship but if Leliana becomes [[spoiler: Divine, she'll remove the restrictions surrounding priesthood, allowing anyone in the Chantry to be in romantic relationships]] so they can openly be together. Though, not like they weren't already open about it before she did this.

** Even more subverted with Leliana. By ''Inquisition'' not only are they still in a loving relationship but if Leliana becomes [[spoiler: Divine, she changes the rules, allowing anyone within the Chantry to be in a romantic relationship]] so they can openly be together.

** The after-mentioned also applies to a Warden who romances Zevran, as they left to reunite with him in Antiva and join him in his personal war against the Antivan Crows, taking them to places far outside of Ferelden. It is very unlikely the Warden would have had the time or means to be leading an organization in another country.

** Even more subverted with Leliana. By the time of ''Inquisition'' not only are they still in a loving relationship but if Leliana becomes [[spoiler: Divine, she changes the rules, allowing anyone within the Chantry to be in a romantic relationship]] so they can openly be together.

!!!'''Appears in:''' ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins Origins]]'' | ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening Awakening]]'' | ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins The Golems of Amgarrak]]'' | ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins Witch Hunt]]'' | ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition Inquisition]]''[[note]]War table[[/note]]

** The Male Dwarf Noble can sleep with one or two "noble hunters" (casteless women who're so poor and desperate that they sleep with male nobles hoping to bear a son who [[FantasticCasteSystem inherits his caste]] so she can move up a caste), and then promptly abandon them.
** The Human Noble can sleep with the son or handmaiden of a visiting noble. Iona the elven handmaiden is especially noticable because if you ask her if she resents how humans treat elves, she becomes ''very'' distressed and ''begs'' you not to ask further, since she can't lie to you but doesn't want to say anything that could get her in trouble.

* LovedINotHonourMore: Wynne lampshades this, reminding the Warden that they ''will'' have to put their duty as a Grey Warden ahead of their romance when it comes to saving the world.

** The Human Noble definitely is this, much to the chagrin of Arl Rendon Howe.

* {{Determinator}}: The Warden is forced to become this in order to unite Ferelden and defeat the Blight, even know the odds are impossibly against them at the start of the game in being one of the only Grey Wardens left in Ferelden.

** The Female Dwarf Noble is noteworthy as the Origin ''begins'' with their being declared [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority Commander of Orzammar's Army]], a position that various dialogue shows is ''very'' much deserved.

!!!'''Appears in:''' ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins Origins]]'' | ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening Awakening]]'' | ''Witch Hunt'' |''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition Inquisition]]''[[note]]War table[[/note]]

!!!'''Appears in:''' ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins Origins]]'' | ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening Awakening]]'' | ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition Inquisition]]''[[note]]War table[[/note]]

* AuthorityInNameOnly: The Warden spends most of ''Origins'' as the acting Warden-Commander of Ferelden. The title effectively meaningless since there is only one other surviving Grey Warden in the country and they are unable to make contact with any of the order's leadership or access any of their resources thanks to being labeled fugitives by Logain. It isn't until ''Awakening'' that their title is given official recognition and actual authority.

* AssKickingEqualsAuthority: If the Warden manages to survive the Blight, they will become Warden-Commander of all the Grey Wardens in Ferelden, which also effectively makes them the Arl/Arlessa of Amaranthine. In addition, they receive a special title linked to their origin and actions in-game:

* WeaponOfChoice: Depending on your class, your Warden will have longswords, greatswords, shields, daggers, bows, crossbows, and staves from which to choose.

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David Gaider said that if the Warden didn't recruit Ander than another Warden did instead. According to [[https://fextralife.com/forums/t107101/anders-he-didnt-do-it-but-he-will-dao-spoilers-may-contain-daii-spoiles this]].

** The Warden is indirectly responsible for [[spoiler: the Mage-Templar War, having canonically recruited Anders and the Spirit of Justice in ''Awakening''. This takes on a much darker tone after the events of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' when Anders, who has become Justice's new host, ends up blowing up the Kirkwall Chantry in order to force a confrontation between the Mages and the Templars, setting up the means for ''every'' Circle in Thedas to rise up in rebellion. It's made worse by the fact that this was likely due to the Grey Wardens' philosophy teaching him that UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans. And in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'', it snowballed to the Grey Wardens' growing poor reputation that even gets worse after the events of Here Lies the Abyss so much that the Inquisitor can banish them. In a way, the Warden is also indirectly responsible for the Grey Wardens losing their hold to southern Thedas.]]

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** The Warden is indirectly responsible for [[spoiler: the Mage-Templar War, having canonically recruited Anders and the Spirit of Justice in ''Awakening''. This takes on a much darker tone after the events of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' when Anders, who has become Justice's new host, ends up blowing up the Kirkwall Chantry in order to force a confrontation between the Mages and the Templars, setting up the means for ''every'' Circle in Thedas to rise up in rebellion. It's made worse by the fact that this was likely due to the Grey Wardens' philosophy teaching him that UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans. And in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'', it snowballed to the Grey Wardens' poor reputation that even gets worse after the events of Here Lies the Abyss so much that the Inquisitor can banish them. In a way, the Warden is also indirectly responsible for the Grey Wardens losing their hold to southern Thedas (particularly Orlais).]]