Dragon Age: Inquisition – Warriors / Characters

Tropes relating to characters who appear in Dragon Age: Inquisition as one of the Inquisitor's warrior companions.

open/close all folders

Cassandra Allegra Portia Calogera Filomena Pentaghast

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/da2_cassandra.png

Cassandra in 2

^{Cassandra in Inquisition}

Appears in: Dawn of the Seeker | Dragon Age II | Inquisition | Tevinter Nights | Absolution

Voiced by: Miranda Raison (Games), Colleen Clinkenbeard (Anime) (English)^{Foreign VAs}Kerstin Draeger (German)

"I'm not interested in stories. I came to hear the truth."

A member of the Seekers of the Chantry who interrogates Varric in order to understand the true nature of the Champion's story. Though she starts off suspicious of the Champion's actions, she eventually grows more amiable as she listens to what really happened. Cassandra joins the Inquisitor's party alongside Varric in Dragon Age: Inquisition, in hopes of ending the Thedas Civil War and uncovering the truth behind the demonic invasion from the Fade.

Tropes In Dragon Age II and Dawn Of The Seeker

Big Brother Worship: When recalling her deceased brother Anthony, Cass remarks that he was "everything kind and good," and she loved him very much.
Boyish Short Hair: Given that she's ostensibly a soldier, she presumably finds long hair to be somewhat impractical. She cuts it very short somewhere between Dawn of the Seeker and Dragon Age II.
Character Development: Despite only being a part of the framing device, Cassandra seems to mellow out as Varric tells the story. In the beginning, she's rude and nasty, even threatening Varric with a near-Groin Attack by plunging a knife through a book on his lap. By the end, she's quite willing to hear out Varric's story, and even lets him go without incident.
- Initially, she assumes that Hawke was the Big Bad and responsible for instigating the Mage-Templar War, but because of Varric's tale, she comes to understand that instead they were a heroic figure who simply tried to do the best they could with an already bad situation. By the end, she realises that Kirkwall was a ticking time bomb and there was little anyone could have done.
- In Dawn of the Seeker, she initially hates mages because of her Dark and Troubled Past, but slowly learns to grow out of it and realises they are people, too. That said, her prejudice isn't completely gone by II, since her initial assumption was that Mage Hawke was an apostate dissident who intentionally sowed discontent to bring down the Chantry. (Of course, she thinks Hawke was a dissident who did this no matter what class they are; but she seems a little more angry about it if Hawke is a mage.)
Conspiracy Theorist: Maybe not so much as the Chantry in general, but some of the ideas the Seekers have about the events of the game are a bit... out there.
Dark Is Not Evil: She's basically part of the Thedas equivalent of the Spanish Inquisition, wears all black, and is extremely grouchy... and she's also trying to stop a major war from breaking out for entirely selfless reasons.
Decoy Protagonist: Cassandra can be arguably considered the protagonist of the Framing Device set in the present, attempting to learn the truth of Hawke's tale as told via Varric's recollections.
Defrosting Ice Queen: Over the course of the Varric's tale, she becomes less irritable, softer-spoken and in the end, even decides to let Varric go.
Dual Wielding: Favours this style of combat in Dawn of the Seeker.
Freudian Excuse: As Dawn of the Seeker shows, she hates mages (and blood mages in particular) because maleficars killed her beloved brother... right in front of her, when she was twelve years old. They wanted him to get them dragon's blood for a ritual and he refused.
General Ripper: She initially assumes that Hawke is the mastermind of the war that's about to tear the world apart and that everything that has led up to this point was all part of their Evil Plan. However...
Good Is Not Nice: While she's initially portrayed as antagonistic to Varric and is implied to want to bring Hawke to justice, she's revealed to actually be trying to prevent the Mage-Templar war and wants to recruit Hawke to help stop the fighting.
Great Big Book of Everything: The Seeker record which she carries around. It apparently contains character portraits of Hawke's companions, (presumably) Varric's exaggerated version of Hawke's tale, as well as images of Flemeth, Morrigan, and - for some reason - Shale chasing pigeons...
- However, Inquisition party banter indicates that the book she stabs in Varric's lap isn't a Seeker record at all - it's Cassandra's copy of Varric's book The Tale of the Champion, which accounts for a lot of what's in it. (Shale and Morrigan's appearances remains unexplained, though.)
Groin Attack: Comes close to doing this to Varric during the introduction, when she shoves a dagger through a book to get him to start talking about the Champion of Kirkwall.
Hero of Another Story: She is the main character of Dawn of the Seeker.
Hero-Worshipper: Varric implies that Cassandra is being swept up in Hawke's legend. She'll deny it (and Varric's belief she's developing a crush) if it's male Hawke, but with female Hawke she has no problem admitting that she has respect for a woman who built herself up from nothing.
Hot-Blooded: Her initial reaction to Varric throwing Blatant Lies at her is to pull a knife on him and threaten him with a Groin Attack.
Internal Affairs: The job of a Seeker is essentially to keep an eye on the Templars and ensure they do not abuse their powers and/or stray from the will of the Chantry. The events of the game serve to indicate how bad things can get when the Seekers drop the ball.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Even though she's kind of a bitch to Varric in the beginning, it turns out that she's trying to prevent the Mage-Templar war.
Magic Skirt: Wears this in Dawn of the Seeker.
Pet the Dog: At the end of the interrogation, she actually smiles at Varric, keeps her promise to let him go, and asks that the Maker watch over him.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Despite being essentially part of the Chantry's Inquisition, she does seem quite willing to hear Varric out, even if what he has to say doesn't put some parts of the Chantry in a very good light. She's also willing to believe Varric, instead of denying what he says or twisting them to fit her preconceived notions.
The Reveal: Finding out that she's working with Leliana in the last scene of the game.
Royals Who Actually Do Something: She is both a member of the Nevarran royal family and a Templar Seeker.
Throw the Book at Them: Does this to Varric to get him to start talking. Literally.
Tsundere: Especially if Hawke is male, as Varric will imply that she has a crush on him, which she promptly denies. She also has this relationship with Galyan in Dawn of the Seeker.
Who Writes This Crap?!: Varric's opening tale portrays Hawke and whichever sibling will survive the prologue delivering a Curb-Stomp Battle to darkspawn and Flemeth coming to their aid as a dragon. (If the sibling is Bethany, he also enhances her figure.) Cassandra calls bullshit and Varric repeats the story - which happens to be mostly true.
Wrong Genre Savvy: Between narrations, she adamantly tries to pin the blame of all the events of the game on a Big Bad. There is none. Varric says that even Meredith, corrupted as she was by the Artifact of Doom, was irrelevant.

Tropes In Dragon Age: Inquisition

Actually Pretty Funny: The Trespasser DLC features her reading excerpts from Varric's latest book while the credits roll. When she finally finds her own cameo in the pages, it pretty much amounts to her begging for Varric's forgiveness. Instead of being offended by it, she's delighted to be part of his story, and declares that she's going to "read the shit out of this!"
Amazonian Beauty: Much like Aveline, this isn't seen while she's in armor or, uh, naked; but in the epilogue for the Trespasser DLC she's seen with some very bulky forearms.
Art Shift: Of all the recurring main characters she seems to have undergone the most noticeable shift in the appearance of her character model. In Dawn of the Seeker and Dragon Age II she has a very Bifauxnen appearance, whereas in Inquisition she has rougher, more masculine, and more Westernized features.
Ascended Extra: Served as a skeptical listener for Varric tell his story to in Dragon Age II's Framing Device and Foreshadow the Mage-Templar War. Then she got her own movie, Dawn of the Seeker, and now she's the starting party member.
Badass Family: Subverted, actually; despite the Pentaghasts' reputation as dragon slayers, Cassandra reveals that these days, most of them are fat nobles living off the old glories of dead ancestors. Only she and her late brother, Anthony, lived up to the ancestral badass-ness.
Badass Longcoat: Some of Cassandra's armor designs have her wear one over the armor itself.
Badass Preacher: She can potentially become the Divine herself in the epilogue to Inquisition.
Betty and Veronica: She's the Veronica (blunt, intimidating, and a degree of leadership) to Josephine's Betty. She will, however, be the Betty to both Iron Bull and Dorian.
Big Brother Worship: As noted in the other folder, she idolized her elder brother, Anthony, who secretly taught her to fight and promised to take her away to hunt dragons with him. Then he was murdered in front of her; she was twelve at the time. The way she describes her history to the Inquisitor suggests that, even though it's been more than twenty years at this point, Cassandra reveres him as much now as she did when he was alive. Party banter between her and Cole reveals that she cherishes a locket with his portrait inside, which Cole rescues from a rat.
Blemished Beauty: She is acknowledged in-universe to be considerably attractive, but also has facial scarring. Her scars are indicators of her experience in battle but do little to detract from her appearance.
Bling of War: In Trespasser, if she's made the Divine she starts off with a unique golden armor set.
Braids of Action: The epilogue to Trespasser where she doesn't become Divine and serves as an advisor to either Leliana or Vivienne reveals she has adopted this as her hairstyle. Ironically, this is after she's semi-retired from being a warrior. She has a braid wrapped around the crown of her head as well during the time frame of Inquisition, so it's possible she's simply letting it down in the epilogue sketch.
Broken Pedestal: Once Blackwall's past is brought to light, she will never treat him the same way again. Their relationship never recovers.
Can't Take Criticism: Regarding the Chantry, Templars, Seekers, and everything in between. Any instance the Inquisitor makes statements that allude to them either supporting mage rights or not believing in the Maker, the Chantry's laws, or being The Chosen One earns a significant amount of disapproval from Cassandra. In fact, simply telling her that the Chantry has failed in its duties causes her to greatly disapprove.
The Chains of Commanding: If made Divine, she will beg the romanced Inquisitor to allow her to continue to be in his adventure party just to get away from all of the sycophants and paperwork.
Character Development: She becomes more relaxed over the course of the story. For instance, Iron Bull flirting with her at the start would probably cause her to respond with the below mentioned Character Tic in annoyance. But come Trespasser, she just laughs.
Character Tic: (Disgusted Noise).
The Clan: She comes from one. Despite being the 14th cousin, nine times removed, of King Markus, she still has the name Pentaghast, which means that the male line of the family alone is huge. She says as much if the Inquisitor talks to her about it, noting that it requires large charts to keep track of just how her family members are related to each other.
Cassandra: And they have them. Oh, yes.
Combination Attack: Due to having the same abilities as a Templar Inquisitor, Cassandra can create her own eldritch detonations without assistance from other party members by using Wrath of Heaven and following it with Spell Purge.
The Comically Serious: Despite being the most straitlaced party member in a team of snarky, unstable misfits, Cassandra has some of the funniest moments in the game by virtue of her awkwardness and disgust at her friends' misbehavior.
Conflicting Loyalty: At the start of the Mage-Templar War, she was forced to choose between her duty to the Seekers, who had led the Templars away from the Chantry, and her duty to the Divine. Cassandra ultimately chooses the Divine, since the Divine seeks to end the chaos while the Seekers are contributing to it.
Conspiracy Theorist: Her suspicion seems to have carried over from the second game. She meets the Inquisitor-to-be striding relatively unharmed out of a catastrophe that consumed an army and assumes (not unreasonably) that they had a hand in making it happen. Unlike most conspiracy theorists, however, Cassandra proves entirely willing to reconsider when the evidence begins to suggest that her theory is wrong.
Cool Big Sis: Cassandra slowly takes on this role for Sera, even proposing to teach her Seeker tricks against magic to fight her fear. But the sentiment is one-sided. While Sera likes and respects Cassandra, she is also attracted to her, which puts a damper on any potential sisterly feelings.
- She can also take on this role for a female (or non-romanced but befriended male) Inquisitor. Since Cassandra is in her thirties or forties by this point, the potentially younger Inquisitor can look up to her greatly. If her approval maxes out over time, they become very close friends.
Covert Pervert: She enjoys Varric's smutty literature series, Swords and Shields. How bad is it? Dorian may comment that he "feels dumber for having tried" to read it, and Varric himself sees the series as an Old Shame.
Creepy Uncle: Creepy cousin, more accurately. In party banter with Dorian, he describes a Pentaghast with whom his mother is acquainted, and Cassandra is surprised to find that, despite the sprawling size of her family, she actually knows who he means: "Cousin Loren, with the wandering hands."
The Creon: Like Leliana, Cassandra was essentially considered a de facto leader of the Inquisition, before the attack on Haven and the realization that it was actually the Player Character - the person she had initially accused of everything - who had been leading them. With no desire for power, she graciously steps down, something Solas finds amazing.
Crisis of Faith: While she appears to handle it far better than Leliana does, cracks in Cassandra's faith start to show here and there. The best example comes after learning that Varric knew where Hawke was the whole time (including during his narration of the second game). If this is all the Maker's plan, then that would mean everything that happened since the Conclave was all part of His plan. In fact, The Nightmare says that the lingering doubt that there is no Maker — and thus no greater good in the world — is her deepest fear. She has another one when she discovers that Seekers gain their powers not from meditation but from unknowingly communing with a Spirit of Faith after being made Tranquil. She wonders if the only reason she has faith is because of the Spirit, though Cole later assures her that it is the other way around; the Spirit was drawn to her by her faith.
Cassandra: ... It's difficult to know who [the Maker's plan] truly benefits. Or how.
Defector from Decadence: Cassandra quits the Seekers when she realizes that they are leading the world into chaos. This was also the reason she joined the Seekers to begin with; she had grown tired of the decadence of Nevarran nobility.
Defrosting Ice Queen: She puts up a very tough, cold, and pragmatic persona when her duty is at stake, but inside she's actually very warm, unshakably decent, and convinced she isn't living up to her own insanely high standards. This comes to the fore as she gets to know the Inquisitor better, and especially in a romance.
Deuteragonist: Probably the most important character in Inquisition next to the Inquisitor themselves. She actually was the one to call the Inquisition in the first place, and operated as its de facto leader until the Herald of Andraste was chosen to be Inquisitor.
Double Standard:
- Tends to condemn the rebel mages for the exact same actions she excuses or ignores for the Templars and Seekers; something pretty much every companion and adviser calls her out on at least once.
  Cassandra: Do you see this? The apostates have gone mad with power!
  Solas: I see just as many Templars.
  Varric: The Templars aren't looking any better!
- Cassandra believes the Dalish should add the Maker to the list of gods they worship, but doesn't believe humans should worship nor even respect elvhen gods.
Drowning My Sorrows: If her approval of the Inquisitor drops low enough, she deals with it by getting utterly hammered.
Everyone Has Standards: When Lord Seeker Lucius tries to convince Cassandra to join him in creating a new world order, Cassandra doesn't deign to reply; she just draws her sword.
Expecting Someone Taller: Inverted. After meeting Hawke, Cassandra mentions that she was expecting them to be shorter.
Face of a Thug: Not exactly a thug (though Chancellor Roderick calls her one), but she has a very square, angular face, a striking scar on her left jaw, piercing eyes, and eyebrows that naturally curve inwards. All of this means she can muster an impressive look of disapproval... which isn't much different from her resting face.
Scout Harding: Seeker Cassandra came through here earlier looking like a storm cloud. (Beat) That's just her face, though, isn't it?
Fangirl: At some point between reading the Tale of the Champion to find clues about Hawke's whereabouts and capturing Varric, she started reading his other, fiction books (ostensibly solely in hopes of finding more clues there) and became a hopeless fangirl of his writing. She is very closeted about it, though.
- She is also one to Hawke, asking Varric if Hawke would be willing to sign a copy of The Tale of the Champion for her.
  Varric: Doesn't your copy of The Tale of the Champion have a big hole in it?
  Cassandra: ...Yes. But it could also have Hawke's signature on it.
- She can potentially be something like this for the Inquisitor too, especially if she's female; Cassandra notes that, as with Andraste, the future of Thedas lies in the hands of a woman who brings hope to the masses.
  Cassandra: It makes me proud to know you.
Fantastic Racism: Downplayed. Cassandra tends to trust and support Templars but distrust and want to restrict mages. She also believes the Dalish should worship the Maker but humans shouldn't worship nor respect elvhen gods, and makes some pretty awful anti-elf comments if brought along to Mythal or along the questline of the Jaws of Hakkon DLC.
Fire-Forged Friends: Becomes this with Varric. Before the move to Skyhold, they're civil, although Varric never lets her forget she kidnapped him. This civility falls apart once Varric reveals he knew where Hawke was the whole time, and things become extremely tense between them. Over time, though, they become friends for real; they clearly have a lot of respect for each other, and at the same time playfully mock one another in party banter. The fact that she gets the first copy of his book about the Inquisition in Trespasser really says it all. If Hawke sacrifices himself, her first thoughts are how Varric will be unable to handle it.
- Also develops this relationship with the Inquisitor if they max out her Relationship Values. When they first meet, the Inquisitor is her prisoner; bound, interrogated, and harshly accused of a crime they did not commit. Cassandra is also slow to trust them, even at first denying them a weapon to defend themselves against demons. However, working together to close the Breach at Haven causes her to change her mind and trust you. From there, if the Inquisitor is not needlessly cruel or mocking toward her feelings or beliefs (and/or does enough things she approves of), working together within the Inquisition to restore order and save Thedas (first from the Breach, then Corypheus) eventually causes Cassandra to consider you two True Companions, and she swears Undying Loyalty to you. It's even more poignant if the Inquisitor is a mage or Qunari.
First Girl Wins: For male Inquisitors who choose to romance her; she's the first character they meet in the game.
Foil: To Leliana. Both are faithful women who serve the Divine, but they have different standings on the Chantry and the Inquisitor's opinion of it. Cassandra is so loyal to the Chantry to the point that she disapproves if the Inquisitor has negative things to say about it (even if they raise valid points against the Chantry); while Leliana is loyal to the Divine but is completely aware of the Chantry's flaws, as she understands if the Inquisitor doesn't trust the Chantry. They also have opposing opinions on mages and Templars, since Leliana supports the mages and distrusts the Templars whereas it's the other way around with Cassandra.
The Gadfly: Not Cassandra herself, but her rigid demeanor tends to elicit this behaviour from her comrades.
Gameplay and Story Segregation: Her specialization is Templar, even though Seeker abilities are completely different from Templar abilities.
Gilded Cage: These are the exact words she used to describe being born into Nevarran nobility. She lived in luxury, but had little freedom and didn't see "the real Nevarra" until much later in her life. In any case, it all disgusts her.
The Glomp: Delivers one to a male Inquisitor at the consummation of their romance.
Going Commando: Sera asks her in party banter about the color of her underpants; Cass replies that she doesn't wear any. It's unclear whether she's telling the truth or just trolling Sera right back.
Graceful Loser: She bears no ill will against Leliana if she is named Divine instead of her. She initially is fine with Vivienne as well, but two years later in Trespasser, Cassandra comes to view Vivienne as a tyrant and eventually quits the Exalted Council in disgust.
Good Scars, Evil Scars: She's picked up some, most noticeably the one on her jaw/left cheek.
Guilty Pleasure: She's a fan of Varric's works, particularly the "smutty literature" series Swords and Shields. The best part is that Varric himself considers it more "fluff" than smut, meaning Cassandra basically reads WAFF-y romance novels in her spare time.
Heartbroken Badass: As it turns out, after Dawn of the Seeker she wound up having a relationship with the mage Galyan. He died in the opening of the Breach. No wonder she was so vicious with the Inquisitor-to-be at the start; she lost her first love and Divine Justinia in one fell swoop, and possibly other friends/acquaintances as well.
Hero-Worshipper: Cassandra still has an extremely high opinion of and respect for Hawke. They were one of Cassandra's first choices to lead the Inquisition, and one of the reasons she is so enraged at Varric for hiding Hawke the whole time is that she thought that Hawke could have possibly saved the Divine had they been at the Conclave.
Hidden Depths: She'd never admit it outright (though everyone seems to know anyway), but she's a hopeless romantic that dreams of a beautiful "ideal" romance - candles, flowers, poetry, all that hokey stuff. Given her rough personality, she thinks that such a "flighty" side is too silly to indulge, since Men Are Uncultured. Doing those sorts of things for her anyway (or admitting he enjoys them too) is a good way to gain some affection; an Inquisitor who isn't romancing her can gain approval points by telling her that they like her passionate side. Conversely, the Inquisitor can grumpily tell her, "This is why you're alone."^note This is even harsher than it sounds, since Cass is grieving for a dead partner at the time.
- She's also into literature. She specifically enjoys Varric's stories, her favorite being an Old Shame romance novel. Cassandra says she sees the mastery of what he writes, but Varric himself has to be talked into writing more, which he does simply to see her reaction.
  - Trespasser ends with her doing hilariously bad impersonations of everyone while reading and critiquing his book on the Inquisition.
    Cassandra: [reading a line of the Iron Bull's dialogue] "Come on, the dancer with the great rack is on in five." That is... spot on, actually.
Hypocrite:
- Cassandra is a Chantry loyalist and always disapproves if the Inquisitor badmouths it by saying that it's inherently corrupt, unnecessary, or beyond saving. She will also agonize over whether or not the Seekers should be reformed after she learns their Dark Secret. Both organizations have had long-lasting conspiracies that have persisted from their inception. And yet, she is unwilling to forgive Blackwall, even though his lie was about who he was and not his reasons or actions.
- On that note, while Cassandra gets very upset whenever the Inquisitor criticizes the Chantry, Templars, or Seekers (even if they're a mage and/or elf and therefore has very good reason to do so), if said Inquisitor opts to respect the rituals of Mythal, Cassandra scoffs, "Why are we wasting our time with this heathen nonsense?" Apparently respecting the Chantry is required, but respecting the elven religion isn't.
- Cassandra will encourage a Dalish Inquisitor to believe in the Maker, but yet doesn't volunteer to start worshiping Dalish gods in the interest of fairness.
- In her first conversation with Blackwall, she commends him for joining the Wardens, saying it is never too late to turn one's life around to do good. When the truth comes out, however, that Blackwall is not actually a true Grey Warden but a criminal posing as one, she can barely stand to be around him and never really forgives him. This is despite the fact that his pretending to be a Warden was actually his attempt to turn his life around to do good, as he really was going to be inducted into the Wardens but the real Blackwall died before the Joining ceremony was complete. And during their very first banter, he already makes it clear that rarely Wardens live a virtuous life prior of becoming Wardens, alluding to the fact that the Order is made of Army of Thieves and Whores and will accept people with questionable backgrounds so long as they have the ability to defeat the darkspawn. A possible explanation could be that just because she believes someone can change doesn't mean she has to like them.
- As stated above, she advocates for reforming the Seekers and the Templar Order, believing that they deserve a second chance despite the atrocities they've committed. However, she strongly objects if the Inquisitor does just that to the Grey Wardens, even though the Wardens committed atrocities out of good intentions (it helped that Corypheus manipulated them via false Calling) whereas the Seekers and the Templars committed theirs out of malicious ambition and pride, without anyone to manipulate them into doing so.
I Can't Believe a Guy Like You Would Notice Me: Mixed with a dose of Unequal Pairing. If the Inquisitor flirts repeatedly with Cassandra, she will eventually express her worries that such a powerful figure is taking an interest in someone as far beneath his station as her.
I Should Have Been Better: She holds herself to punishing standards and tends to dwell on what-could-have-beens.
Inquisitor: You're too hard on yourself, Cassandra.
Cassandra: Not hard enough, I think.
Inquisitor: You can't believe that.
Incompatible Orientation: A female Inquisitor who is nice and flirts with her at every opportunity actually makes Cassandra seem a little frightened, and after a while she will politely spell out that any relationship is not possible. If you flirt with her only a few times, though, it helps max out her approval.
Informed Ability: She claims to have the power to bend mages and Templars to her will by causing the lyrium in their blood to burn. She never displays this ability in-game when facing the various mage and Templar enemies.
Insecure Love Interest: Noted by Blackwall when he offers the Inquisitor romantic advice about her: Cassandra is used to being a soldier, rather than being treated like a woman, and she has a bit of a complex about it. She's a hopeless romantic that dreams of nothing less than the "ideal" romance (candles, flowers, poetry and all that). Thus, she feels it's unlikely the Inquisitor (or many other men, for that matter) would be interested in her. the Inquisitor can disagree and try anyway, or he can tell her "This is why you're alone".
Irony: In Trespasser, the Inquisitor comes across a dragon that's been chained and tortured by the Qunari so they can use its venom, and they must neutralise it as a threat. One of the party members will suggest killing it, but Cassandra says the poor creature deserves better than to be simply put down after such torment and wants the Inquisitor to free it. That's right: the dragon-slayer from a clan of dragon-slayers wants to avoid slaying the dragon.
It's Quiet… Too Quiet: She invokes the trope with some trepidation when investigating the Shrine of Dumat. Unsurprisingly, the creepy, ancient, seemingly abandoned temple to a (hopefully) long-dead corrupted Old God is infested with demons.
Cassandra: It is far, far too quiet.
Jack of All Stats: Of the three Warrior companions. She can't deal as much damage as Iron Bull or take it as well as Blackwall, but she has more damage potential than Blackwall and more durability than Iron Bull. Her "Templar" specialization has no particular dependency on the durability of either the Sword'n'Board or damage rate of Two-handed weapon configurations, unlike Blackwall and his Champion spec, or Iron Bull and his Reaver spec, respectively.
Jerkass Has a Point: Her anger towards Varric for hiding Hawke's location is understandable considering just what was going on at the time.
Knight in Shining Armor: A rare female example, but Cassandra is highly idealistic and romantic in her view of justice. Her views on the Chantry and the Seekers is that they should be serving the people.
The Knights Who Say "Squee!": Carried over from Dragon Age II, Cassandra has a high admiration for Hawke. Hawke was her first choice as leader of the new Inquisition. She even wants Hawke to autograph her knife-stabbed copy of The Tale of the Champion. She can grow to have a similar admiration for the Inquisitor.
Lady of War: She's a calm, regal warrior who is actually quite feminine.
Lame Pun Reaction: Her frequent "ugh." Everyone knows it as *disgusted noise* (courtesy of the subtitles).
Let Us Never Speak of This Again: After the Inquisitor stumbles upon her reading "smutty literature" written by Varric.
Cassandra: Pretend you don't know this about me.
Lightning Bruiser: Cassandra is the middle ground of the Inquisitor's three warrior companions. When used as a sword and shield tank, she can create her own eldritch detonations to cause large amounts of damage while still acting as an effective damage sponge. When used as a two-handed damage dealer, Cassandra's ability to stun large groups of enemies combines well with her various guard generating abilities to keep her alive while dealing damage. She can't quite match the Iron Bull's damage output or Blackwall's survivability, but Cassandra can excel no matter which role the player gives her.
Like Brother and Sister: Some of her interactions with Cullen suggests that they have this sort of dynamic. It's made more readily apparent through ambient dialogue with the Skyhold messengers, who are following her orders to check on him and report back to her (so she can monitor his lyrium withdrawal). She even comments with some amusement that she knows that she's annoying him, just like a big sister might. There is little to no romantic tension between them whatsoever - she's not even remotely eager to watch his walk of shame after the Wicked Grace game, for example - but they clearly respect and like each other a great deal. Trespasser shows that she's very supportive of his romance with a female Inquisitor (and if they get married, she's overjoyed for them).
- That said, Cullen does leave her flustered and coughing when he has his Walking Shirtless Scene in the trailer that was created to thank the players for DAI being nominated for 2014's Game of the Year. Varric is thoroughly amused.
The Lost Lenore: It only comes up in a specific series of party banters with Varric following the conclusion of his "Well, Shit" quest, but as noted under Heartbroken Badass, Cass's first love died at the Conclave. It's a downplayed version of the trope, since their romance was already over at that point and she's eventually able to move on, but she still remembers him fondly.
Made of Iron: Interestingly averted; the game subtly suggests through dialogue, gameplay, and her armor that Cassandra is a scrappier brand of warrior than the usual brick wall sword and board users in the series has had. Before Inquisition, it was even up in the air whether she was a warrior or rogue. That said, her skill trees can be built well enough to basically turn her into this, making her able to withstand battles which bring down the rest of the party.
Meaningful Name: Her surname, Pentaghast, sounds almost identical to "Pentecost" — a Christian holy day that commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ while they were in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Weeks, as described in the Acts of the Apostles. A fitting name for a devout Andrastian.
Memento MacGuffin: It's only mentioned in party banter with Cole, but she prizes a locket she inherited from her grandmother, which contains a portrait of her brother Anthony. It becomes this trope because she loses it, and Cole returns it to her after fighting a rat who was hoarding it.
More Senior Subordinate: Played With. At the start of the game, the Inquisition is so new an organization, any differences in seniority between members are marginal, at best, but the old Chantry personnel, like Cassandra and Leliana, definitely hold the sway. The Herald, despite leading the Player Party on exploration excursions and making important tactical decisions, is technically the lowest-ranking member of the leadership, having been forcefully conscripted for their unique ability to close Fade rifts. Their standing, however, makes a 180 turn by the time the Inquisition relocates to Skyhold, as the entire organization now recognizes their leadership potential, and its founders proclaim the Herald their supreme leader.
My Greatest Failure: Specifically, the Seekers' greatest failure. Their inaction and poor handling of the upcoming Mage-Templar war, in addition to their change in focus, disillusioned her to the group and has caused her to blame herself in part for the conflict. Talking to Cole gives her a new perspective as to how horribly many mages were treated by Templars and how much of this the Seekers overlooked or possibly ignored, which horrifies and disgusts her. On a personal level, she believes that her absence at the Conclave (meaning she couldn't help Justinia) was a failure on her part as well. Vivienne assures her that this isn't the case.
Nephewism: She and her brother were raised by their uncle after their parents were executed for being on the wrong side of an attempt to overthrow Nevarra's king. He was an aloof guardian, being a Mortalitasi (sort of an undertaker) with no understanding of how to care for children; however, party banter with Cole suggests that he really does love his niece.
Nice Mean And In Between:
- Among the three initial companions, she is the Mean between Solas' diplomatic but goal-oriented In-Between and Varric's affable and irreverent Nice. Her Establishing Character Moment has her put the Player Character to capitivity and threatens them with execution for causing the Conclave explosion under the flimsiest evidence of being the Sole Survivor of the botched event, only to be cooled down once they prove their innocence and that someone is behind the predicament they are in.
- Takes the role of the Nice one among your three female party members, compared to Vivienne's Mean and Sera's In-Between. She's headstrong, empathetic, open-minded towards many things that challenged her beliefs, and believes in the better virtues represented by the Chantry. She is available as a romance option, unlike Vivienne, and her romance with the Inquisitor - be they a Mage, non-human, an atheist, non-Andrastian, or any combination of the above - is much smoother than Sera's romance with a Dalish Inquisitor.
- Takes the role of the In-Between among the three Divine candidates compared to Leliana's Nice and Vivienne's Mean. She chooses to reform the Circle, the Templars and, if so persuaded by the Inquisitor, the Seekers to the virtues they were meant to represent. This is also shown through her support of the Inquisition as Divine: She requires a positive approval (Leliana unconditionally supports the Inquisition) but still maintains a strained relationship even if you have negative approval (Vivienne seems to completely severe any ties with the Inquisition).
Noblewoman's Laugh: It doesn't happen often; but when she laughs in party banter, it sounds very much like one of these.
Not So Above It All:
- She admits that she enjoys Iron Bull's flirting with her, so long as he understands that nothing is ever going to happen between them. She even teases him back a few times, such as when she talks about taking a bath.
- Cassandra is one of the most idealistic and least corruptible characters in the entire franchise, to the point that she walks away from power without even once thinking of taking it for herself. And yet, when talking to the Inquisitor about her favorite book from Varric's series, she will excitedly, gleefully suggest that they could command Varric to finish it. She's only halfway through making this point when she stops herself and then says to pretend that this side of her was never known.
Odd Friendship:
- She is a Seeker, essentially a member of the Templar secret police, and yet she trusts and befriends Solas, a hedge mage who would be considered an apostate if the word hadn't lost all meaning in the Mage/Templar War.
- In spite of her uptight behavior, she also gets along remarkably well with the Iron Bull. She seems to enjoy his flirting, and he very obviously respects her. Of particular note, he doesn't press for details about how she became the Right Hand of the Divine, which surprises her. He says that he can see she doesn't like to talk about it, so he's willing to let it drop. Then he adds, "Bet you looked good doing it, though," which makes her chuckle.
- She is, at first, very firm with Cole, making it clear that she will kill him if he betrays their trust. When he calmly agrees, she is taken aback; and she is even more surprised when she discovers that Cole killed Lord Seeker Lambert. However, she eventually comes to accept his reasons for doing so, and develops a gentle and affectionate tone towards him (except for the occasional flustered reprimand when he peers into her romantic memories). This is all probably because she realizes that he is a benevolent spirit, like the spirit of Faith that communed with her when she was initiated as a Seeker.
- She also gets along rather swimmingly with Dorian, despite him being a mage from Tevinter. They have no animosity between them at any time (except, of course, when he criticizes her fondness for Varric's books), and in one string of party banter he goes so far as to call her "darling Cassandra".
- It takes them a while, but after having initially been at each other's throats, she and Varric eventually develop what could be considered a friendship.
Older Than They Look: She looks like she's in her twenties despite DAI taking place 20 years after Dawn of the Seeker, which means she's actually in her late thirties or mid-forties.
Once Done, Never Forgotten
- The Inquisitor can tease her about her romance novel fascination in dialogue after they convince Varric to finish his series for her. And it's all but a foregone conclusion that Varric will eternally torment her over it as well.
- Varric will also never let Cassandra forget that she kidnapped and interrogated him, but his barbs slowly lose their spitefulness as they become friends.
- When she first arrested Varric in Dragon Age II, she stabbed a copy of his book Tale of the Champion, which event comes up several times in her party dialogue with Varric in Inquisition.
Only Sane Man: There's a reason why she has her famous *disgusted noise*. She just wants to be serious about the task at hand, while everyone else is off cracking lame jokes and getting up to Maker knows what kooky shenanigans.
Out-of-Character Moment: Briefly but incredibly jarring. She's (mostly) very respectful to those with non-Andrastian views... unless the player chooses to take her to the Temple of Mythal, in which she starts spouting very anti-elven views and show little to no respect for elven history or the ancient elves. She does something similar, though to a lesser extent, in certain parts of the Jaws of Hakkon DLC. Again, it's extremely jarring for such an otherwise open-minded character.
Overly Long Name: Revealed if you take her with you to the Halamshiral Ball. It's implied that if she hadn't interrupted, the announcer would have kept going, meaning she has many more names that weren't revealed.
Announcer: Cassandra Allegra Portia Calogera Filomena—
Cassandra: Get on with it!
Announcer: Pentaghast.
The Paladin: Cassandra is basically a Paladin in all but explicit title. She is a knight sworn to the service of a religious order, whose supernatural holy powers come after years of reflection, training and solidifying her devotion. Said powers allow her to cause immediate harm to a specific type of enemy. And on a personal level, she's devoted to the spirit of her religious order, and not its teachings, which means she rebels in order to do good.
The Paragon Always Rebels: First, she rebelled against the Seekers to side with the Chantry when she felt the Seekers stressed order over justice. She later rebels against the Chantry, when they demand the same.
Parental Abandonment: Her parents were executed for treason when she and her brother were children. They were raised by their Mortalitasi uncle, who didn't really know how to raise children. This is one of the reasons why Cassandra chose to abandon her family to become a Seeker.
Percussive Therapy: It's her favorite way of dealing with her anger. Books, training dummies, walls (according to Vivienne); she's not too picky about her targets.
Varric: Define "calmed down" in terms of who or what she's punching right now.
- She also punches trees. According to a party banter with Blackwall, she has terrible allergies, and when she was younger, her brother had playfully suggested she punch the tree to get back at it. For some reason, she says, it actually seems to help.
Perpetual Frowner: She's a... forceful personality, which makes her look and sound angry even when she isn't:
The Herald: You would have done differently, I suppose?
Cassandra: (looking genuinely surprised) ... Oh, I do sound like I'm blaming you, don't I? I don't disapprove. In fact, you did well.
- Harding can also comment on it, if you speak to her in Skyhold:
  Harding: Seeker Pentaghast came through here looking like a storm cloud... but that's just her face, isn't it?
Pet the Dog: After butting heads with Varric for hiding Hawke from her all along, she is the first one to try to console him if Hawke sacrifices themselves in the Fade. It doesn't work, but she tries.
Poor Communication Kills: Doubles as Heel Realization. After Hawke arrives at Skyhold and Cassandra chews Varric out, she half-admits, half-realizes that Varric lied about not knowing Hawke's location partly because she didn't explain why she needed Hawke. She had been so harsh and demanding that Varric naturally believed that Hawke would have been arrested or worse had he revealed his friend's whereabouts, and Cassandra feels like her poor communication is what led to her fight with Varric. Varric and the Inquisitor can both point out that there's no proof that Hawke could have saved the Divine, and Varric not telling Cassandra might be the only reason they are all still alive. And after she sobers up, she also admits that no way Hawke would listen to her had she didn't believe Varric and managed to track them, knowing that they wouldn't trust her for a second (much more reason not to trust her if Hawke sides with the mages).
Pragmatic Hero: She tends to favor pragmatic decisions over softer approaches.
Dorian: The voice of pragmatism speaks! And here I was just starting to enjoy the circular arguments.
Precision F-Strike: An absolutely hilarious one during the credits of Trespasser.
Cassandra: That dwarf, he... he... he put me in the book! [giggles] I'm in the book! I'm reading the shit out of this.
Quickly-Demoted Leader: At the start of the game, she is one of the four de facto leaders of the Inquisition. In fact, she is the one who declared it. But she quickly loses all of that authority and becomes a party member with no more power than, say, Varric or Vivienne: well-respected, to be sure, but that's about it. Solas actually commends her on being able to walk away from her de facto leadership once the de jure leader was picked.
Reality Warper: Inverted according to a conversation with Solas, who says that Seekers and Templars make the world more stable, blocking the Fade from transforming it.
Cassandra: Well, no one's ever accused me of "reinforcing reality" before.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Despite her often harsh demeanor, Cassandra is willing to give prisoners a chance to explain themselves and lets them go free with no strings attached if convinced of their innocence. She also handles her subordinates fairly and deals with the complaints of the mage/Templar forces who join the Inquisition. If she's Divine, she shows incredible tolerance and wants to give everyone a chance to prove themselves, including the College of Enchanters, which is directly in opposition of the Circle of Magi.
Religious Bruiser: Cassandra's faith is her sole motivating factor in everything she does. She implies that the only way she copes with everything that goes wrong in her life (and the world at large) is to believe that everything is part of the Maker's plan. To wit, she will constantly approve whenever the Inquisitor says or does something that reaffirms her faith or demonstrates that a good end comes from a bad beginning. Solas corroborates this in his "Friendship Conversation", stating that the difference between the Inquisitor and Cassandra is that if Cassandra had to choose between her faith and reality, she would always choose her faith.
Right for the Wrong Reasons: Cassandra does not believe the Dalish pantheon is worthy of worship. This is due to her absolute faith in the Maker, of course. However, given what is eventually revealed about the Evanuris, particularly the fact that they were not gods and definitely have a part of the mess Thedas is in for several ages, she's this trope.
Romance Sidequest: She is a romance option for a male Inquisitor of any race.
Royals Who Actually Do Something: The Pentaghasts are the Nevarran royal family, who originally rose to prominence as dragonslayers. In fact, they were largely responsible for nearly bringing about the near-total extinction of the species during the Steel Age, three centuries ago. That being said, she points out that she's actually very far down the line of succession. She's 78th in line for the throne, and at the Winter Palace ball, it's stated that she's King Markus's 14th cousin, nine times removed. So her connection to the royal family is more a matter of technicality than anything. She finds the whole business deeply annoying and would rather act like it doesn't exist. Much of the rest of the family are fat aristocrats who rest on ancestral laurels. Cassandra, on the other hand, is made of cast iron and has killed a dragon like the Pentaghasts of old. If made Divine, she will still ditch the vestments on occasion to help rebuild the Seekers, wearing quite provincial clothes. If the Inquisition is disbanded, she'll meet with the Herald in her old armor to discuss plans to stop Solas — all this while still being Thedas' Pope.
Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: Cassandra believes that doing what she knows to be right is more important than law or duty.
Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: If Vivienne becomes Divine Victoria, then Cassandra eventually abandons her position in the Exalted Council and as the Right Hand of the Divine due to her belief that Vivienne is too much of a tyrant.
Second Love: If the Inquisitor romances her, he becomes this to Cassandra; her first love was Galyan.
Shield Bash: Powerful enough to clear obstacles.
Shrouded in Myth: If the stories are to be believed (and according to Cassandra, they are not), she has killed seventeen dragons.
Sibling Team: She remarks in conversation that, if her brother Anthony was still alive, they probably would be slaying dragons together.
Squee: She comes just shy of doing this while gushing over Swords and Shields to an amused Inquisitor.
Sugar-and-Ice Personality: The Stoic is her default mode, but she occasionally shows a softer side, especially during her romance.
Superior Successor: If the Inquisitor romances her and she becomes Divine, the Chantry experiences a golden age under her reign.
Tautological Templar: Very, very slightly. Cassandra will always do what she feels to be right and doesn't slacken her morals when it's convenient. She will always defend good and fight evil. The problem, though, is that she's often too quick to assume which is which, and once her mind is set, it's hard to change it. But even then, when confronted with proof that she was mistaken, she is very hard on herself.
To Be Lawful or Good: Twice she's been presented with this choice: follow the Templars and Seekers into rebellion or stay in service to Divine Justinia as Her right hand, and later to obey the orders of the remaining Chantry hierarchy after Justinia's death or form the Inquisition without their support. She makes the latter choice in both cases, disobeying the chain of command because they are not doing what she believes to be right. She can even have a discussion with the Inquisitor about following the letter of the law as opposed to the spirit; she believes in helping people more than following arbitrary rules.
Tomboy with a Girly Streak: She mentions, in party banter, that she hates wearing dresses, and to all appearances she qualifies as a tomboy. However, she's got "a true romantic heart," as the Inquisitor can say teasingly, and enjoys things like love poetry, romantic novels, and candlelit interludes.
Took a Level in Kindness:
- After the death of Divine Justinia V, Cassandra later becomes one of two possible candidates to replace her (the other is Leliana). If Cassandra is chosen over Leliana to become Divine Victoria, she enacts reforms for a new Templar order and a new Circle of Magi, and re-dedicates the Seekers to being protectors of the innocent.
- How she regards Cole develops as this. At first, she's much like Vivienne, regarding him as a potential demon and wanting him to be sent away. But as Cole helps her untie all her own emotional knots, she warms up to him and shows gratitude for his efforts, and eventually doesn't take umbrage much at all when Cole starts reading her.
Tragic Keepsake: The locket mentioned above; it belonged to her grandmother, and contains a portrait of her beloved and ill-fated brother.
Tsundere: She still waves this flag on occasion; a shining example is if the Inquisitor romances her. If the Inquisitor straight-up tells her that he wants her love, she becomes flustered and states that romance is not what she wants, walking away and slamming a door... before coming straight back and saying yes, that's exactly what she wants.
Unexpected Successor: Justinia's death makes Cassandra and Leliana candidates to replace her.
Unfit for Greatness: One reason she relinquishes leadership of the Inquisition to the Herald. She believes that she isn't the kind of person who can fill the role of The Hero.
Vitriolic Best Buds: She eventually develops this kind of dynamic with Varric, if they're together often enough in the party. In Trespasser she even admits, in a roundabout way, that she's missed him.
Varric: Be still my heart. I've grown on you!
Cassandra: (almost playful) Like fungus.
Vow of Celibacy: If she gets elected Divine: while more progressive than Vivienne, she isn't nearly as willing to make changes as Leliana. And allowing the Divine to marry would be a great change. It doesn't stop her and the Inquisitor from remaining faithful and loving to one another.
- In Trespasser, she is still very much in love with the Inquisitor, and makes no secret of the fact that they are a couple.
Wants a Prize for Basic Decency: Downplayed. Varric will not let Cassandra forget that she kidnapped and interrogated him. In party banter, she gently reminds him that she could have used harsher methods to make him talk. Varric calls her out on it, saying she doesn't get a prize for not adding torture to her list of other crimes against him. Cassandra wisely drops it.
Warrior Princess: Although her Royal Blood is of no real interest to her, she's this; if asked for her opinion of Cassandra, Josephine explicitly calls her "a princess of Nevarra." Despite being very distant from the throne, she is perhaps the most like the Pentaghasts of old in terms of martial prowess in comparison to the rest of her rather large family. She even has a dragon-slaying notch on her belt (and can add more during the course of the game), further living up to her ancestors' legends.
What the Hell, Hero?: When Varric reveals that he's been in contact with the "missing" Hawke all along, she is furious.
- Her codex entry has her doing this in a letter to her superiors in the Seekers, accusing them of exacerbating the chaos of the Mage-Templar War by breaking away from the Chantry instead of trying to restore order.
- Out of all the characters, she is by far the most outraged at the Inquisitor if the player chooses to pardon Blackwall after his secret is exposed. She eventually forgives the Inquisitor, if her approval is high enough otherwise, but Trespasser reveals that she really never does forgive Blackwall.
- If her approval drops low enough, the Inquisitor can find her getting drunk and taking them to task for the wrongs they have committed. She will never leave, though, just like Varric and Solas.
What the Hell Is That Accent?: Countless forum threads have been dedicated to this questions, yet still nobody seems to be sure where to place Cassandra's accent. A mix of Germanic and Austrian inflections spoken by someone who spent a long time in an English-speaking country seems to be the most widely accepted answer so far. What a whole lot of people do seem to agree on is that Miranda Raison's voice work is exceptional, and that Cass's accent is incredibly sexy.
When She Smiles: Cassandra is one of the most stoic characters in the franchise and a Perpetual Frowner to boot, but there are a few opportunities to make her smile even for Inquisitors that aren't romancing her, and when it happens, it's a wonderful sight to behold.
Who Writes This Crap?!: A Brick Joke from the previous game crops up in Trespasser when Varric gives her, essentially, Dragon Age: Inquisition: The Novel. She first can't get over the title, All This Shit Is Weird, then has a blast reading out and imitating the characters and pointing out the accuracy (or lack thereof) in each portrayal.
You Are Better Than You Think You Are: The Inquisitor has the option to tell her this after her row with Varric.
You Know I'm Black, Right?: Can invoke this reaction from a non-human Inquisitor, especially early in the game when she asks if/why don't you believe in the Maker? A non-human Inquisitor can point out and they're not human and/or they have their own religion.
Cassandra: I'm curious. Do you even believe in the Maker?
Lavellan: I'm Dalish. I believe in our own gods.

Blackwall

Appears in: Inquisition

Voiced by: Alastair Parker (English), Thomas Nero Wolff (German)

"All a Warden is, is a promise. To protect others, even at the cost of your own life."

Warden-Constable Blackwall is a Grey Warden who was once stationed in Val Chevin, and elects to join the Inquisition. He is a romance option for a female Inquisitor of any race.

Affectionate Nickname: If romanced, he'll call the Inquisitor "my lady".
All There in the Manual: Blackwall's first name, Gordon, is only given in World of Thedas Vol. 2. The real Blackwall, that is. It's unknown if Thom Rainier even knew Gordon's first name.
Artifact Alias: Blackwall will continue to go by the dead Warden's name instead of his own, even if the Inquisitor tells him to live under his real name - Thom Rainier. Averted in Trespasser, when both he and the UI use Thom Rainier to refer to him.
At Least I Admit It: Inverted. When the Inquisitor first speak to him at Haven, Blackwall will tell them, if they are non-human, that he expected them to be one. The Inquisitor can say that they appreciate the honesty, but Blackwall will admonish himself for thinking something so foolish.
The Atoner: He pretends to be Warden Blackwall to atone for accepting a bribe, ordering his troops to slaughter an Orlesian general and his family, and deserting his post, allowing his subordinates to be punished in his stead. He also feels unworthy over the fact the real Blackwall died saving him from a darkspawn ambush.
Bash Brothers: He best fits this with Iron Bull. Cassandra might have also fit before The Reveal.
Beardness Protection Program: He grew the beard to keep others from realizing that he wasn't really Blackwall, as well as to help distance himself from his old identity of Thom Rainier. If you're curious, he looks like this◊ when the beard's removed with mods.
Becoming the Mask: If taken to the Grey Wardens after the battle against Corypheus, he will survive the Joining and become a true Grey Warden. In the Trespasser epilogue, it is stated that between his duties as a Grey Warden, he will continue to do what he did while disguised as Blackwall despite having no reason to continue acting this way. Furthermore, if the Inquisitor romances him, they will have proof that he became Warden-Constable (second most important Warden in a whole country), which is the same title as the real Blackwall.
Birds of a Feather: If a female Dwarven Inquisitor romances him, since both of them are ex-criminals trying to make a new life. Blackwall will acknowledge the similarity himself.
Broken Pedestal: He's on both ends of this trope.
- Giving on: During the Warden questline, he's shocked to see the actions his fellow Grey Wardens would do when hearing the Fake Calling and ultimately is nearly shattered completely by the end. Given that he respects them because he isn't actually one, it makes sense why he does.
- Receiving: The party, for the most part, all respect Blackwall and see him as a good man and a fine example of a Warden. When it turns out he's not the real Blackwall, most of the party vehemently dislike him. The biggest example is Cassandra, who goes from seeing Blackwall as an ally and friend to practically regarding him as an enemy, and only working with him because he may still be in the Inquisition. The only people to respect and like him still are Varric, Sera and Cole (who always knew Blackwall's secret and therefore wasn't surprised or bothered). Iron Bull, Dorian and Solas ease up a little; Cullen will eventually forgive him in the Trespasser DLC; and Cassandra eventually seems to warm up a little through some banter, or at least becomes less hostile to him. The only person who doesn't seem affected by the revelation is Vivienne, as she never held Blackwall in very high regard to begin with, though she does admit she is impressed by how well Blackwall maintained the masquerade, to the point that even she was fooled.
Bystander Syndrome: Blackwall tells a story about when he was a boy and failed to intervene to save a dog that was being hung and tortured by the other kids. He laments that he could've done something about it, and warns that the Inquisition should not be a bystander, in any conflict, because they have the power to help people.
Cathartic Exhalation: Tends to hold his breath in tense situations, and comments on it once the danger is passed. He also sighs a lot in banter with other companions, usually as a way to express his exasperation.
Blackwall: [sighs] And you live. I can breathe again.
Chairman of the Brawl: On the giving and receiving end of this trope. Shortly before his recruitment to the Wardens, Blackwall gets into a barfight defending a waitress. A chair is broken over his back, but he's unaffected and instead takes the remains of the chair and uses it to beat his attackers until they're begging for mercy.
Character Development: Both off-screen and during the game. He goes from an amoral mercenary captain and murderer to a champion of the weak. Then, just after he's earned a position in the Inquisition and the respect that goes with it, he gives it all up and surrenders himself to save one of his men facing execution for following his orders. If he doesn't go to the Wardens, then two years later the player finds he's started using his old name again and has been tracking down and speaking to his men. And getting punched a lot, but he can take it.. If he does go to the Wardens, he will continue to help others after officially becoming a Warden, fully embracing his vision.
Chronic Hero Syndrome:
- He feels that the Grey Wardens' role should not be restricted to fighting darkspawn, but also protecting the defenseless whenever possible. Not a sentiment shared by most Grey Wardens. Of course, given that the main threat in Inquisition turns out to be the darkspawn, he still has an excuse.
- Interestingly, this also serves as a sort of foreshadowing, depending on the Inquisitor's choices. If the Wardens are recruited to the Inquisition after the siege of Adamant instead of being exiled from Orlais, the epilogue states that they eventually break away from the motherhouse at Weisshaupt and dedicate themselves to not only fighting darkspawn, but also to helping people in a variety of other ways - just as Blackwall wanted.
Color-Coded Eyes: His gray eyes hits several archetypes associated with the attribute: a lone-wolf mentor figure, a resolute, iron-willed idealist, and a history as a calculating, amoral killer.
Compensating for Something: When Sera asks why Dwarven architecture is so large when dwarves are so short, this is Blackwall's explanation. When Sera turns that back at him by pointing out that he swings around a big sword, he replies, "That's not compensation. That's a counterweight."
Courtly Love: If not romanced, he engages in this with Josephine, sending her anonymous gifts of flowers and receiving scented handkerchiefs and other tokens in return. It starts after The Reveal. If asked about it later in Trespasser, he says that he knew it was never going to go anywhere.
Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: How he was recruited into the Wardens. His recruiter saw him entering the inn and took him for some random drunkard. When a customer tried to force himself upon a waitress, however, that same drunkard was off his seat and on that customer in an instant. He then proceeded to beat him and his four friends with the broken leg of a chair (which one of the attackers broke on his back, not fazing him in the slightest) so hard that they were crying for the Maker when he was done. It was then that the Warden decided to recruit him, no questions asked.
Cultured Warrior: Among other things, he surprises Vivienne with his detailed knowledge of the trappings of Orlesian nobility.
Dead Person Impersonation: Of the original Blackwall.
Death Faked for You: During his sidequest, one option is to have Leliana's agents swap him with a double so that his death is faked a second time.
Death Seeker:
- Downplayed, but Blackwall takes the "in death, sacrifice" part of the Warden creed very seriously.
- If you bring him along on "In Hushed Whispers", he's moved to hear of his future self's sacrifice, somberly noting that he was "worth something in the end."
- His first conversation after reaching Skyhold, he vows to take Corypheus down even if it kills him. Trying to discourage that line of thinking yields disapproval.
Determinator: Described as "The Resolve" of the team.
Dirty Coward: As Thom Rainier, he was bribed to kill a member of the Orlesian court and sent his men in to do the dirty work instead, which ended in them killing the man and his wife and children. Then he fled justice and let his men take the fall for him. He grows out of this during his companion quest, arriving to tell the truth in time to stop his second-in-command from being hanged in his stead.
Distressed Woodchopping: After "Here Lies the Abyss", Blackwall can be found chopping wood out of frustration over the revelations in the quest regarding the Grey Wardens.
Dramatic Irony: After the real Blackwall was killed, Rainier wanted to continue to Val Chevin to complete his Joining but thought that he had no proof of his recruitment and feared the other Wardens would accuse him of killing Blackwall. Players who at least completed the Ostagar sequence in the first game will know what the vial of blood Rainier collected was for and that it would have made excellent proof of conscription, but the Wardens' secrecy meant that Rainier himself had no idea.
Early-Bird Cameo: A transcript of one of his speeches during the events of Origins appears in The World of Thedas Vol. 1. Except he isn't the Blackwall that wrote that speech, he's just pretending.
Empowered Badass Normal: A part of being a Warden is enhanced strength and stamina. The surgeon even asks if she can study him. Ultimately, of course, it doesn't apply to him. However, he does become one if he takes his Joining and survives sometime two years later.
Establishing Character Moment: When the Inquisitor finds Blackwall, he's using his status to teach victims how to stand up for themselves, and when a bandit shoots an arrow at the Inquisitor's back, he blocks it without even knowing who he's protecting.
Exact Words: In the Warden plotline, if asked if Corypheus's fake Calling is affecting him and if he's a threat, Blackwall says bluntly that Corypheus has no hold on him, but note that he declines to say why. It's because Blackwall can't hear the Calling; he's not a Grey Warden. He's a wanted criminal named Thom Rainier.
Expecting Someone Taller: If the Inquisitor is not human, when they first speak to Blackwall at Skyhold, he reluctantly admits that he was expecting them to be one. The Inquisitor will actually praise him for being honest. A Dwarf Inquisitor will, in fact, literally say, "At least it's not 'I was expecting you to be taller.'"
Faking the Dead: In his backstory, he used the real Blackwall's death to fake his own.
Foreshadowing: As to him not really being a Grey Warden.
- When the Inquisitor first sees him, he's teaching some local "conscripts" how to fight, and then sends them home after the battle. Warden conscripts are not sent home and are trained to permanently join.
- When first met by the Inquisitor and asked if he's Warden Blackwall, he responds aggressively and even draws a sword. His defensiveness was likely fear that an organized group had suspected something is off about his name, which is supported by the letter found on a slain enemy after (which pretty heavily confirms some people know he isn't actually Blackwall).
- When the Inquisitor first recruits him, he makes a very solemn and saddened face while stating that Grey Wardens can inspire someone to be better than they think they are.
- And his quote? The promise is all wrong. The priority of the Grey Wardens is (and always has been) to end the Blight through whatever means necessary, moral qualms be damned. However, one thing his quote does sound like is a romanticization of the Wardens' duties—like that of someone who was inspired by the Wardens but never actually joined the organization.
- A non-human Inquisitor's first conversation with Blackwall at Haven has him admitting that he expected them to be one. The Grey Wardens place no emphasis on race, being famous for conscripting anyone capable.
- If the Inquisitor asks him directly about the more secretive stuff about the Grey Wardens, he's extremely vague and tends to sum it up as "It's a Grey Warden thing." He doesn't actually know, for example, how someone kills an Archdemon for good, thinking it's just a matter of stabbing it enough times until it's dead; if questioned further, he says the secret is in how they get it to the point where you can do that. It's not. Albeit, getting to the point where you can fight an Archdemon is a task in and of itself. This is something an experienced Warden would definitely know. Of course, the real Wardens are very secretive about their methods; he might just be imitating behavior he's seen before.
- During the Warden plotline, he never actually confirms he can hear Corypheus' false Calling, claiming only that Corypheus "has no hold" over him.
- If brought along during the Winter Palace ball in Orlais, a noble party guest will observe that there is something familiar about Blackwall's face, and thinks they have met before but can't quite place him, with Blackwall trying to play it down and dismiss it.
- In one party banter, he asks Sera (who was a child in Denerim at the time of the first game) if she saw many Grey Wardens during the final battle. A real Warden (especially one as high ranking as the real Blackwall was at that time) would probably know that there were three Wardens present in Denerim during that battle (the Hero of Ferelden, Riordan, and Alistair/Loghain).^note
- In the Fade, the Nightmare says, "Ah, there's nothing like a Grey Warden. And you are nothing like a Grey Warden." Also, the gravestone in the Fade which describes his worst fear simply says "Himself."
- After the Siege of Adamant, when he starts describing what does and does not make one a Warden, he hesitates before saying that the Joining doesn't. This is likely either because of his claim to be a Warden despite not performing it, or possibly because his Joining was the traumatic experience that led to the death of Blackwall and the birth of "Blackwall". The next sentence he says is the quote at the top.
- One of his banters with Cole has the latter remark: "So many masks..." Blackwall assumes he means the masks worn at the ball, only for Cole to reply: "Not at the ball. Here." The "masks" Cole's referring to are the ways Blackwall is hiding his true identity.
- A charred letter is found on one of the bandits encountered during Blackwall's introduction, claiming that the person to whom it's addressed has no chance of ever reclaiming his honor, and that he'd be better off joining the bandits to make use of what "that bastard taught you." After his personal quest, it's clear that the letter was addressed to one of Blackwall's men, which explains why Blackwall seems oddly regretful after putting the bandits down.
- If Alistair is still a Grey Warden, he will mention to Blackwall (if he is brought along) that Duncan knew Blackwall. Blackwall's reaction makes it obvious he doesn't know who Duncan is, shrugging it off with a "Duncan? Of course."
- Bull is quick to note that for all Blackwall talks about honour and sacrifice, he's not totally convinced of it. Bull is also the first to note how the Wardens and the Qun have similar attitudes to duty. "Little surprised I got there before you did."
- When fighting Darkspawn on the Storm Coast, Blackwall says that the most heavily armored one must be the leader, seemingly guessing based on what he saw in the fight. If he were really a high-ranking Warden, he would be familiar with Darkspawn hierarchy and have no trouble recognizing an Alpha on sight.
- During a trip into the Deep Roads, the Inquisitor can ask Blackwall how many darkspawn he senses. He vaugely responds: "Hard to say. Keep your guard up." He doesn't have a Warden's darkspawn sense due to never undertaking the Joining, and thus doesn't actually know how many there are.
- If brought along to the finale of "Here Lies The Abyss", a special dialogue option can be chosen to have Blackwall try and convince the Wardens to side with them. Despite the Inquisitor naming him right before, he outright says "You don't know me, but you may have heard my name" (a strange thing to say given he's the Warden-Constable of a city in Orlais). With the reveal he isn't Blackwall, it makes why he would say so; they wouldn't know who he is, but would know the name Blackwall. Furthermore, he comments on how wearing "this armor" made him feel like he belonged with them, which turns out to be a subtle point about how pretending to be Blackwall made him safe, and sets up him revealing the truth later.
Fantastic Racism: Admits to a non-human Herald that he expected them to be one when they first meet. The Herald can say they appreciate his honesty or express annoyance, but either way Blackwall is ashamed of himself and tries to be better from then on out.
- Part of the reason of his blatant distrust towards Dorian is because of the latter being a Tevinter, like the Corypheus, never mind that the latter opposes said Big Bad and is ashamed of his countrymen's less than favorable practices, most especially its moral and cultural deterioration. He gets over with this when his secret is out and he and Dorian finally bury the hatchet.
Friend to All Children: He's a toymaker. He'll be seen in the barn with rocking horses and other toys he's making for the children in Skyhold, saying that children deserve the right to be able to be children even during war, and one epilogue has him making toys for children while he's Walking the Earth.
Gameplay and Story Integration: The Trespasser DLC has his character card and selection screen as "Thom Rainier", indicating he's fully divested himself of the name "Blackwall", which he views as a title instead.
Girl on Girl Is Hot: He asks Sera for details about her sexual conquests. When questioned about it, he replies that he "can't stop thinking about it".
Good Is Not Nice: During the Blight, Loghain wouldn't allow for more Warden reinforcements because they would come from Orlais. When Blackwall learned of this, despite being a committed Grey Warden, he was entirely willing to allow Ferelden to fall to the Blight as punishment for Loghain's decision. This isn't that Blackwall. Ironically, despite being a criminal, this guy is much nicer, at least these days.
Gray Rain of Depression: When the Inquisitor arrives at Val Royaeux to attend Mornay's execution during Blackwall's personal quest, the capital's sunny environment turn into 180 degree turn to reflect the seriousness of his personal quest.
Have We Met?: A nobleman in the Winter Palace will insist that he's seen Blackwall somewhere before, but can't quite place him. He suggests maybe if the beard didn't hide his face...
Hearing Voices: A major plot point of Inquisition is that all of the Grey Wardens are hearing the Calling, including Blackwall - although he isn't too concerned about it. Subverted, in that this doesn't actually include him- he isn't a Grey Warden.
Heel Realization: He's in the eternal aftermath of one.
Heh Heh, You Said "X": His party banter humor can occasionally veer into this territory.
Cole: Your knife is big.
Blackwall: [snickers] It's a sword.
Cole: It's bigger than mine.
Blackwall: And now you've made it awkward.
Hero of Another Story: He tells the Inquisitor that he was in Ferelden during the Fifth Blight, killing his "fair share" of darkspawn. Turns out that he wasn't - see above. The player almost certainly knows this, but the Inquisitor has no reason not to believe him.
Hero Worship: If asked for his opinion about the advisers, he displays a minor case of this for Cullen, commenting about how much he admires the commander. After The Reveal, he laments that he has "all the respect in the world" for Cullen, but he's sure the other man will never trust him again. However, in Trespasser, he's pleased to report that he believes Cullen has finally forgiven him.
Heroic Resolve: His marketing title was even "The Resolve;" he believes in protecting people no matter what, and that a Warden's first duty is really about that. He will keep this mindset even when officially becoming a Grey Warden.
Heroic Self-Deprecation: His greatest fear is himself - he's full of self-loathing, and never sees himself as a hero, no matter how much good he does.
Heroic Vow: Takes the perceived and inherent notion that a Warden exists to protect to extremes: he believes that this is what they must be for, above anything else.
Honor Before Reason: Blackwall could have just used the Right of Conscription to save Mornay from being executed. It is common knowledge that the Wardens are allowed to conscript criminals to the Wardens regardless of their crime. However, he instead chose to reveal who he was, which got himself arrested and forces the Inquisitor to commit unscrupulous acts to get him back (either replacing Blackwall with a similar looking criminal to be executed, having Cullen storm the prison with soldiers to take Blackwall forcefully, or use connections to force Orlais to hand him over) which Blackwall is unhappy about. Somewhat justified in that, at least from Blackwall's point of view, conscripting Mornay would be living the lie even further, and that it would not absolve Mornay of the crime he was accused of; by admitting himself to be Mornay's former commander and taking responsibility for the murder of the noble family, he shoulders Mornay's guilt instead of making it a case where the accused escaped justice by the timely arrival of a Warden, which also explains why he is unhappy with the Inquisitor for rescuing him from what he sees as a deserved punishment.
Hypocrite: Blackwall is disgusted by the revelation of the Mayor of Crestwood's extreme actions in the face of the Blight and his attempt at fleeing from justice before he could get found out and caught, which ends up ringing a bit hollow in light of his own past being revealed. Downplayed however, considering that he finally ends owning it during his companion quest.
I Am One of Those, Too: If taken to meet the Warden contact (and the Warden contact happens to be Alistair), Alistair will comment that Duncan knew Blackwall after Blackwall introduces himself. Blackwall did not know this, and so sputters out a vague reply to prevent his lie from being revealed. Fortunately for him, Alistair doesn't catch on.
I Can't Believe a Guy Like You Would Notice Me: Gender-flipped. If you begin flirting with Blackwall, he will quickly become flustered and state that he's not used to female praise or attention. However, he admits that he very much enjoys your company. If the flirting continues, he'll later try to dissuade you by saying that you're at too high a status and much too respected to settle for a guy like him.
Impersonation-Exclusive Character: The real Blackwall is years dead by the time you meet Rainier under his name, and is never encountered in-game save for a single note containing a transcript of a speech he gave during the Fifth Blight.
I Owe You My Life:
- If the Inquisitor frees him during judgment, despite learning what he's done, this is his reaction.
- It's also partly what inspired his decision to adopt the identity of the real Blackwall. When they were ambushed by darkspawn, the real Blackwall died saving Rainier from a fatal blow; Rainier didn't feel he was worthy of the sacrifice and felt he owed it to the late Warden to follow his example.
  "I didn't take Blackwall's life. I traded his death... I took his name to stop the world from losing a good man.
I Work Alone: He prefers solitary work due to his high moral standards. And because being alone in the wilderness reduces the chances of someone recognizing him.
Insecure Love Interest: He doesn't believe himself good enough for a female Inquisitor, and warns her he should not get too attached as he is just another soldier. This makes sense considering The Reveal that he is not really Blackwall. It's also why, if neither of them are romanced, he refuses to court Josephine, despite Cole's hints that she feels some attraction towards him as well.
Initiation Ceremony: His ceremony for induction into the Wardens was interrupted when his recruiter was killed by darkspawn. Blackwall doesn't understand why the real Blackwall insisted on stopping and sending him to kill darkspawn and bring back their blood, but anyone who's played the first game knows exactly why that happened.
Jumped at the Call:
- The Inquisitor just wants to know if he can explain why the other Wardens have vanished; it's Blackwall who decides to join them.
- He's also one of the increasingly few Grey Wardens that wasn't conscripted by force. As it turns out, the real Blackwall found him while he was on the run, but was ambushed and killed by darkspawn before the Joining ceremony.
Just Following Orders: Inverted. Blackwall considers himself more responsible than those who personally killed the Calliers, as they didn't have all the facts and were only doing what they'd been trained to do.
Knight Errant: Wanders Thedas alone protecting the innocent. It's both to atone for his past and to reduce the chances of being recognized.
Knight in Shining Armor: Brave, noble, and protective. He throws himself into the ideal to atone for his past.
- He also states that this is what the Grey Wardens aspire to be, protecting the innocents of the land. It's one of the many moments that foreshadows that he is not truly a Grey Warden. Grey Wardens are not heroic knights, they are often ruthless warriors who will do anything, no matter how potentially immoral, to stop Blights from destroying the world.
The Knights Who Say "Squee!": Towards the legendary Grey Wardens of old. And to the real Blackwall, whom he idolized.
Knightly Sword and Shield: Blackwall fights with a sword and shield and also has the Champion specialization, which focuses on protecting and defending allies over all else. He's also someone who has dedicated his life to helping others and protecting the weak because he's not the real Blackwall. He's someone whose life was saved by the real Blackwall and is trying to make up for his past crimes.
Lady and Knight: His romance has a lot of this; his nickname for the romanced Inquisitor is even "my lady."
Last-Name Basis: No one ever uses Blackwall's first name; it's not even revealed in-game until Trespasser, and even then only if his personal quest was not completed. The most likely explanation is that Thom Rainier never knew the real Blackwall's full name.
Legacy Character: After a fashion. If forgiven and welcomed back, the Inquisitor can suggest accepting "Blackwall" as the title to which he must aspire.
Liar Revealed: How straight this gets played during his personal quest varies. Specifically, it varies with the companion after he gets found out for a fraud.
- Sera is a lot of more forgiving and she is the other person aside for Blackwall himself who have significant approval changes in regards to his judgment.
- Cassandra, who held him in high regard, is disgusted, and their relationship never quite recovers; judging by Blackwall's own comments if asked about the Inquisition advisers, this is Cullen's reaction to him as well, although it improves by Trespasser. Cassandra will only talk to Blackwall in Trespasser if he ends up as a Grey Warden, probably going to the Joining as a punishment angle. Solas is equally grumpy, though his opinion softens later and apologizes to him, realizing that it would make him a Hypocrite considering that he has lots of skeletons in his closet and he also deceives everyone in the Inquisition.
- On the flipside, Varric, the Iron Bull, and Dorian, who are mostly dismissive and/or hostile towards Blackwall prior to the reveal, end up more forgiving and understanding. Varric admits that he might be a little and unnecessary harsh to him. Bull, who already picked up the signs that he was an imposter, makes an effort to raise his spirits by finding parallels with his own situation of his conflicting nature as a mercenary leader and as an agent of the Qun while also rightfully condemning him for killing children (something that Bull won't tolerate). Dorian, who previously shows most hostility to Blackwall (and vice versa) the most, ends up respecting his genuine desire to atone and he is the one who offers the olive branch to end their hostilities for good.
- And Cole, who always knew, tries to make him see how much he has changed. It helps that he also sees the similarities between them, it is just that it takes Blackwall longer to make peace with it.
- Surprisingly, with Vivienne it actually increases her opinion of him, if ever so slightly, as she expresses genuine admiration that Blackwall pulled off a deception even she was fooled by. Not that it makes Blackwall feel any better about it.
Little "No": If the Inquisitor banishes the Grey Wardens from Orlais. It breaks his heart to see that happen to the group he idolizes so much.
Locked Out of the Loop: Like all Grey Warden recruits, he was not told what the Joining involves or why he was supposed to kill a darkspawn and collect its blood. So when his recruiter was killed in an ambush, he didn't know that he did, in fact, have proof that his recruitment was legitimate, and he feared that the Wardens would think he murdered Blackwall.
Love Cannot Overcome: Can either be played straight or subverted by an Inquisitor romancing him. After his true identity is revealed, the Inquisitor can believe that his crimes (both legal and lying) are too great for her to forgive him and chooses to break up with him. For his part, Blackwall expects this trope to be played straight and is surprised if it isn't.
Maintain the Lie: One option when judging "Blackwall" is to have him continue to live under his false identity, with no one mentioning his true identity as Rainier. Eventually the Wardens catch on and demand he be given to them.
The Masquerade Will Kill Your Dating Life: Since he's not really Blackwall, but a criminal, he feels unworthy of the Inquisitor, and before The Reveal will often warn her to break things off with him under the pretense that his life as a Warden will be a hindrance to their relationship. After his identity is found out, the Inquisitor may choose to forgive him or punish him, and also to either break up with him or give him another chance. If he is not romanced, this is also the reason why he does not make his feelings for Josephine known.
Meaningful Rename: In Trespasser, he discards the Blackwall identity entirely and is known solely as Thom Rainier, including on the character select screen. In this case, the meaningful rename is that he is able to go back to his original identity.
Mighty Glacier: Vacillates between this and full Stone Wall, depending on how strong a weapon he's holding.
Multiple-Choice Past: In-universe. If you've gotten this far and are a bit confused by what happened to the original Blackwall and what Thom Rainier did while impersonating him, we're sorry.
Mushroom Samba: If Blackwall is taken to the Hissing Wastes, he shares a story about a disastrous assignment to the Silent Plains. At one point, he and his men lost all of their food to a flash flood, so they ate some berries a newbie had found. Blackwall spent two nights hallucinating a ring of nugs singing sea shanties at him.
My Greatest Failure: When he was a child, he stood by and watched as a group of boys abuse and eventually hang a stray mongrel. He still regrets it to the present day. He uses that incident as a metaphor for his true greatest failure: accepting a bribe to use his own men to murder Lord Callier, not calling off the attack when he realized the man's wife and children were present, and then running away from it and leaving his men to take the fallout.
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: While pardoning him is considered by many the right thing to do, it does end up making things difficult for the Inquisition as a whole. The fact that the Inquisitor allows a convicted murderer in their inner circle severely damages their, and by extent the Inquisition's reputation, and most, if not all your other companions are outraged by your decision, especially Solas and Cassandra (the former eventually relents, however).
Noodle Incident: After the Mushroom Samba incident, Blackwall and his men awoke to find themselves surrounded by a bunch of ghasts that had stolen their weapons and armor and were dragging them off to their ghast-hole.
Inquisitor: How did you escape?
Blackwall: You'd be surprised what a man armed with a rock and a headache can do.
Not So Above It All:
- Iron Bull asks him what's the maximum number of pieces he's chopped an enemy in with one swing.^noteApparently, it's sort of an obsession. Blackwall is not amused... at first.
  Blackwall: For the Wardens, battle is a sacred duty, a vigil kept to guard the world against destruction. It's not a game.
  Iron Bull: Right. Same here.
  [Beat]
  Blackwall: Do heads count?
- He takes great joy at the prospect of telling Cullen that Bull and the Inquisitor or Dorian have had sex on the war table.
- He is very curious to know if Solas has done anything sexual with spirits.
- In general, Blackwall's sense of humor is barely more mature than Sera's.
Not Staying for Breakfast: Following his romance path will have the Inquisitor waking up alone after their first night together.
Number Two: Was once the second-in-command to the Orlesian Warden-Commander. At least, his namesake was.
Odd Friendship:
- The quiet and dutiful Blackwall gets along very well with the loudmouthed, fun-loving Sera. Much of it stems from their mutual dislike of the aristocracy, and rather juvenile sense of humor. In the Trespasser DLC, Sera's journal can be found stating that he hugs harder as Rainier than he did as Blackwall.
- Blackwall and Iron Bull are pretty similar in some ways. They find more common ground if Bull becomes a Tal-Vashoth and Blackwall is exposed as Thom Rainier.
- It doesn't really solidify til Trespasser, but he and Dorian eventually become this. At first they can't really stand each other, but after it comes out who Rainier is, Dorian respects that he is trying to make up for past sins and apologizes for his side of the relationship. By Trespasser they are bantering like old friends.
Old Soldier: He was a Warden-Constable, e.g. second-in-command of the Grey Wardens in Orlais, at the time of the Fifth Blight. That was more than ten years before Inquisition. We don't know how old he is, but he can't be young. Well, the real Blackwall wasn't young. From what is revealed about Rainier, he seems to be in his early to mid forties - not "old" but it is a dangerous line of work.
Optional Party Member: You can choose not to recruit him, or not do his recruitment quest at all.
The Paragon: He sometimes "conscripts" victims of bullies, bandits and thieves to fight back against their antagonists, so that the next time, they won't need him to teach them how. This is exactly what he's doing when the Inquisitor first finds him.
Permanently Missable Content: If you don't recruit him before the siege at Adamant Fortress, you can never get him.
Personal Horror: The Nightmare demon identifies Blackwall's greatest fear as "himself." Played painfully straight.
The Pig-Pen: Dorian, Vivienne, and Cole all comment on Blackwall's hygiene, or lack thereof.
Plot Hole: A rather glaring one if you're familiar with Grey Warden lore. As part of their Joining, all Grey Wardens become able to tap into the hive mind of the darkspawn via the Taint, which allows them to sense one another, as well as other Wardens in the vicinity. Despite this, none of the Grey Wardens you interact with will ever detect anything off with "Blackwall" while in his presence, despite him supposedly being a decorated veteran of the order.
Precision F-Strike:
- Notably, he drops the very first F-bomb in the games themselves.
  Inquisitor: The Inquisition needs all the help it can get, but what can one Grey Warden do?
  Blackwall: Save the fucking world if pressed.
- Also doubles as a neat little minor Call-Back/Shout-Out to Origins, since that's effectively what the Hero of Ferelden did.
- He drops another one in the lead-up to his personal quest.
  Blackwall: There's always some dog out there. Some fucking mongrel who doesn't know how to stay away.
Punch-Clock Villain: Openly states that he had no interest whatsoever in the political schemes and double-dealing that resulted in the massacre of Lord Callier and his family; he did it because there was good amounts of gold on offer for it and he needed the money.
Real Men Hate Sugar: He complains that the Orlesian marketplace sells too many "frilly little cakes" these days.
Reformed, but Rejected: Especially if you choose to condemn him for his past misdeeds.
Roll in the Hay: If romanced, this is the Inquisitor and Blackwall's intimate scene, given that Blackwall has taken up residence in Skyhold's barn.
Romance Sidequest: An option for any female Inquisitor.
Saved From Their Own Honor: Blackwall, as part of his personal questline, eventually reveals he isn't a true Grey Warden and is actually a former mercenary named Thomas Rainier, and is a wanted man in Orlais for leading a mercenary company responsible for killing the family of an Orlesian general. The real Blackwall was a Grey Warden who crossed paths with him, and saw the potential Thomas had for good, but was killed by Darkspawn before Thomas could become a true Grey Warden. Thomas took Blackwell's name and decided he would try to aspire to be the man Blackwall believed he could be. After joining the Inquistor's party, he leaves for Orlais to take responsibility for his past. The Inquisitor can later intervene and order Orlais to release Blackwall into their custody to be judge. If the Inquisitor pardons him or releases him to the Grey Wardens, he redoubles his decision to help and, in turn, inspire others.
Schmuck Bait: His Focus Ability, Counterstrike, draws all enemies to attack him, to which he will respond by counterattacking.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here:
- Once his approval drops below a certain point, he will leave no matter what you say.
- In his backstory, when Gaspard denied any involvement in the murder of Callier and his family, and the noble who had hired him committed suicide as a result, he ran and left his men to take the fall.
Sophisticated as Hell: Occasionally. In Trespasser, when Sera's freaking out about demons, Blackwall's reassurance goes: "Easy, Sera, we're old hands at this. Just stare them square and remember these sage words: Fuck 'em."
Stalker with a Crush: Vivienne accuses him of "shadowing" Josephine around Skyhold, though Cole will reveal in party banters that his feelings aren't entirely one-sided.
Stone Wall: Has the highest defense of the three Warrior companions, and it's only bolstered by his Champion abilities, altogether making him the hardest companion to take down even after breaking his guard. He can also periodically make himself invincible for a few seconds with Walking Fortress.
Straight Man: He tends to be this during party banter, depending on who else is in the conversation.
Strange Minds Think Alike: He and Sera both wonder if Solas has ever been intimate with a Fade spirit. Even if Sera is never recruited, he comes to wonder on his own and decides to risk a fireball to the face to ask.
Survivor Guilt: His main motivation is feeling guilty for the death of the Warden that recruited him. That man was the real Blackwall. This guilt is combined with guilt over the men who died taking the fall for him, as well as the criminal for whom you swap him (if you choose to do so).
Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Discussed in party banter, where Varric quickly pegs Blackwall as essentially an older version of Sebastian as the resident goody-two-shoes. Varric starts rethinking his assessment when Blackwall picks up subtext in Varric's statements that Sebastian would have been totally oblivious to. Subverted when it is made clear that Blackwall's backstory and motivations are very different.
Taking Up the Mantle: He's not actually the man named Blackwall. He's a former soldier named Thom Rainier, who got caught up in the power struggle between Celene and Gaspard. After he and his troops murdered the family of one of Celene's allies, Gaspard disavowed them and he went on the run. He met the real Blackwall and intended to join the Grey Wardens, but Blackwall died saving Rainer's life in a darkspawn ambush before it could happen. An inspired Rainier took his name and cause to atone for his past mistakes.
Team Dad: Has shades of this, but definitely acts fatherly towards the Inquisition's younger members Cole and Sera. He also is one to lead by example at least, before his secret comes out, likely because of his past transgressions and wanting others to not make the same mistakes he did. Most of the team find his attitude commendable and easy to work with; and when he's not fighting, he's making wooden toys for the youngsters at Skyhold.
Teeth-Clenched Teamwork:
- He and Dorian can't stand each other. On Blackwall's part, he hates Dorian for being a pampered and spoiled blue blood, and he shows signs of Fantastic Racism against him for being both from Tevinter and a mage. To their credit, they try to find some middle ground during late-game banter.
- He tries to be friends with Vivienne at first, but she keeps rejecting him to the point where they barely tolerate each other and snipe insults constantly. They do, however, have a very polite moment in party banter following her personal quest, suggesting that they respect each other despite the animosity.
That Man Is Dead: Played with. Cole feels that he "killed" his former self when he became Blackwall - but if he shows up in Trespasser it's under his original name once again, even on the party selection screen.
That's What She Said: His romance chain is a series of these, starting with him asking if the female Inquisitor "needs anything heavy lifted" and then commenting that "you have the world at your feet, myself included." She practically purrs with delight in her response to both.
Tired of Running: Even before becoming a Warden, Blackwall has been on the run a long time for leading the forces that killed a nobleman and his entire family. However, when he learns one of the men responsible is going to be executed, he up and leaves the Inquisition to turn himself in.
Trading Bars for Stripes: Downplayed. When he is recruited to the Wardens, Blackwall isn't in prison, he's on the run to avoid getting thrown in jail for murdering an entire noble family. He practically Jumped at the Call when he was offered to join.
Tragic Hero: With a definite mixture of Anti-Villain.
Unkempt Beauty: With his wooly black hair and deep voice. Exaggerated if romanced, of course.
Vitriolic Best Buds: On their good days, he and Dorian are this, occasionally finding common ground between their bouts of insult-slinging and mutual loathing. It becomes more concrete by the end of their character arcs, gaining respect for one another as they learn about each others' pasts and the trials they overcame.
Walking Spoiler: He's a walking spoiler due to the revelations about his past in his personal quest, which can change a lot of players' perception of him and his dialogue until that point.
Walking the Earth: When the Inquisition finds him, he's traveling alone to recruit for the Order. He can resume this in the epilogue for Trespasser, seeking out the condemned or vulnerable to give them hope. When he's not defending the innocent, he's making small toys for children to play with. The epilogue notes he truly does make people happy one way or another.
Weirdness Magnet: Not to the extent of the protagonist, but his banter includes several weird stories and narrow escapes. He attributes his continued survival to the Maker having a soft spot for fools.
What the Hell, Hero?: If the Inquisitor choses to rescue him using Cullen's suggestion, the violence that it causes results in him calling the Inquisitor out when judging him, since in his view normal people just died for him, which hits a bit close to him.
Worth Living For: He comes to see the Inquisitor as this if romanced.
Blackwall: There's always something to die for. But something worth living for? That doesn't come every day.
You Are Better Than You Think You Are: What he spends time doing on his own. Because it's something he desperately needs to believe for himself. Some characters, like Cole, believe he qualifies.
Blackwall: Grey Wardens can inspire. Make you better than you think you are.
You Should Have Died Instead: He thinks this about himself. The real Blackwall died protecting him from a fatal blow during a darkspawn ambush; Rainer believes he wasn't worthy of a good man sacrificing his life.

The Iron Bull

The Iron Bull / Hissrad

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dai_ironbull.jpg

Appears in: Inquisition

Voiced by: Freddie Prinze Jr. (English), Ingo Albrecht (German)

"What's the most pieces you've ever cut someone into in a single swing? I'm up to three. But I have some ideas."

The Iron Bull is a captain of a mercenary company, and a Ben-Hassrath Qunari who doubts his allegiance to the Qun. Officially, he joins the Inquisition to report back to the Qunari, but unofficially, he's there to protect the innocent and kill demons for pay.

Acquired Poison Immunity: At one point he gets stabbed by poisoned knives if he decides to leave the Qun, but since he's been drinking the antidote to that particular poison, all he feels is a sting. It's especially impressive, since said poison is saar-qamek, a nerve agent that induces insanity and death. (Players of Dragon Age II might remember it being unleashed in Kirkwall, during the "Blackpowder Courtesy" quest.)
All There in the Manual: World of Thedas Vol. II details the incident that led Iron Bull, then known as Hissrad, to turn himself into the re-educators. Hissrad's sanity had already been hanging by a thread for several years when one of his oldest friends turned Tal-Vashoth and poisoned a bunch of schoolchildren. The bloodbath that resulted once Hissrad hunted him down was too much even for him.
Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: When listing the Warden-y things that Blackwall repeatedly talks about, he lists "Grey Wardens and honor and sacrifice and griffons".
Atrocious Alias: Played with. The Iron Bull is a pretty badass title. But Bull himself isn't into it. Mostly because all the other metals he wanted to name himself after were taken by a pit fighter, a pair of exotic dancers, and a tavern. It gets worse when Cole points out his horns look more like dragon horns. Meaning he missed out on being The Iron Dragon.
Iron Bull: Oh! ...Shit. That would have been better.
Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: If he hooks up with Dorian, it's at first difficult to discern whether either of them have feelings of the outside-the-pants variety for each other. But when the Inquisitor asks him point blank the nature of their relationship, he replies:
Iron Bull: Dorian's a sweet guy. He's gentle, and he cares under all that bluster. I'm hoping we're good for each other.
- Three years later, as of the Trespasser DLC, it would seem that they are.
Badass Back: Most promotional shots of him were from behind.
Badass Boast: He once cut someone into three pieces with a single swing, but has some ideas on how to best that number.
Bash Brothers:
- He and the Chargers, sure enough. Especially Krem.
- In the party, he and Blackwall are the Warriors who best fit. Their banter involves their combat history and what their ideal weapons would be made from.
Battle Couple: With the Inquisitor if romanced. Can also form one with Dorian if neither are romanced but are brought together often enough.
Becoming the Mask: While he still sends reports to the Ben-Hassrath, he doesn't know if he is still a Qunari agent masquerading as a mercenary or a mercenary deluding himself into believing that he's still Qunari. His personal quest forces him to choose.
Belligerent Sexual Tension: His potential relationship with Dorian in a nutshell, which makes sense as their people have been at war for centuries. Your first indication that they're about ready to get it on is this exchange:
Iron Bull: Quite the stink-eye you've got going, Dorian.
Dorian: You stand there, flexing your muscles, huffing like some beast of burden with no thought save conquest.
Iron Bull: That's right. These big muscled hands could tear those robes off while you struggled, helpless in my grip. I'd pin you down, and as you gripped my horns, I. Would. Conquer. You.
Dorian: Uh. What?
Iron Bull: Oh. Is that not where we're going?
Big Brother Mentor: He plays this role to Cole during party banter.
Big Eater: Most noticable at the Winter Palace, where Bull can be found by the food table. If in a romance, then when he comes to check on the Inquisitor on the balcony, he casually mentions they're out of cheese dip... and most food, because he ate most of it.
Bigger Is Better in Bed: There are multiple references to people, possibly including the Inquisitor or Dorian, walking funny after spending the night with Bull. Josephine is also impressed when she accidentally sees him naked during his romance arc, while Cullen needs Brain Bleach.
The Big Guy: He quite easily outsizes the rest of the Inquisitor's teammates and is even larger than a Qunari Inquisitor. He's also referred to in promos as "The Muscle".
Blatant Lies: You can ask him if he ever thinks about what it would be like if the Inquisition was conquered by the Qun. He muses that while Cassandra and Cullen could be assimilated rather quickly if they didn't die fighting, Solas would never be able to get away with Fade-walking as a mage, Vivienne's political posturing would come to a quick halt, and Varric and Sera would mouth off until the re-educators completely broke their minds. Then he tells you, no... he doesn't think about this much at all.
Blemished Beauty: He is Covered in Scars and missing an eye, but still attracts a great deal of attention from both male and female members of the Inquisition.
Blood Knight:
- Really gives off this vibe. Just check out his character quote. Interestingly, this is also his greatest fear, since his gravestone in the Fade says what frightens him most is madness. As long as he can see himself as "just a weapon" in the service of the Qun, he doesn't need to feel guilty about enjoying fights and killing. If he breaks off during his personal quest, he becomes terrified of turning into a murderous Tal-Vashoth like the rebels he put down as a Ben-Hassrath.
- Gets giddy on seeing a dragon, and if he is in the party when a dragon is killed, later he'll be celebrating happily in the tavern.
Boisterous Bruiser: In stark contrast to the more dour, deadpan Qunari we've met before, he leads men into battle and taverns with equal enthusiasm.
Boring, but Practical: His approach to spywork is to simply be a regular mercenary while occasionally writing to his superiors about anything interesting he hears, noting that the Cloak and Dagger stuff just makes you an obvious target.
Brains and Bondage: It's all but stated that he practices S&M with his sexual partners, and he's also a Genius Bruiser.
Brainwashing: Underwent this voluntarily once to deal with the PTSD from being stuck in a brutal guerilla war. If he stays loyal to the Qun, he does it again (possibly to ease the pain of losing the Chargers), leading to his Face–Heel Turn in Trespasser.
Break the Haughty: His life as a Ben-Hassrath had an effect on his psyche.
But Not Too Bi: He's pan, but apart from a Male Inquisitor or Dorian, if neither are romanced Bull only ever shows interest in and is only ever mentioned having sex with lots of women. However, he does hit on Blackwall and he mentions that the former Arishok "had an impressive rack".
Cannot Keep a Secret: His Back Story and his actions during the game basically show he's not a very secretive spy. This is entirely by personal choice, as Trespasser shows how capable he really is of keeping secrets if he remained with the Qun.
Cast from Hit Points: His Dragon Rage ability, common for Reaver specializations.
Comically Missing the Point: Of the Entendre Failure flavor. Bull goes on a profanity-laden rant about Orlesian politics if he was brought along to the Winter Palace. An Inquisitor who's romancing him can suggest they put his silver tongue to better use, which Bull (probably intentionally) interprets as an invitation to grab some food.
Conflicting Loyalty: He's torn between his allegiance to the Qun and his new life as a mercenary captain. During his personal quest, he'll eventually have to choose one over the other.
Consummate Liar: It's literally his name: Hissrad is the Qunlat word for "liar". If Bull is encouraged to leave the Qun, he leaves this part of himself behind and becomes more honest with both himself and others. If he stays with the Qun, then he lives up to his name. It becomes particularly apparent in Trespasser with how easily he slips into acting like he is still friends (possibly even lovers) with the Inquisitor, even as he is already planning to kill them.
Covered with Scars: Looks like someone's used his back (and front, and face) as a whipping post.
Dark and Troubled Past: Before he became a mercenary, he was assigned to hunt down rebels and other dissidents in Qunari territory. For unspecified reasons, this eventually caused him to "break" and suffer from post-traumatic stress, forcing his superiors to kick him upstairs and reassign him as a spy in Orlais.
Dating Catwoman: If he is romanced and remains loyal to the Qun, as the belief system expressly forbids romance and having sex for love. Notably:
- If neither are romanced, he and Dorian can begin a relationship, despite the fact that their people are at war with each other.
- A relationship with the Inquisitor, while he's loyal to the Qun, is this. Especially true with a "Qunari" (more accurately, Vashoth) Inquisitor, as Bull has spent most of his life hunting down Tal-Vashoth, which are deserters. ^note
Deliberate Values Dissonance: Due to living under the Qun most of his life. One of the stranger ones is that he can easily accept transgender individuals (to the point that he considers them to be the gender they identify as and only that), but not violations of gender roles. As a result, he automatically mentally files female warriors like Cassandra as men while they're wearing armor. In general, though, he doesn't find other races' cultures as baffling as Sten did, having spent a great deal more time with them.
- More extremely, he's also fine with Qunari "re-education", and willingly underwent it after he burned out from working in Saheron. If the Inquisitor expresses horror at it, Iron Bull shrugs that his mind was "broken" and they "fixed" him, like fixing a broken tool. Which might explain why he turns on the Inquisitor in Trespasser if he was made loyal to the Qun in the first game.
- Overall, while he vehemently defends Solas attacking the Qun in party banter, he is still very aware that Thedas falling under the Qun would mean a lot of suffering, and a lot of people dying or worse. And yet, he still believes that the "South" would be overall healthier under it.
Dented Iron: Bull's life as a warrior has clearly taken its toll. He's missing an eye and parts of some of his fingers, he's covered in scars, and he wears a brace on one leg. And that's just the physical scars.
Does Not Like Magic: Bull tends to get extremely uncomfortable anytime magic and the Fade come up. He doesn't extend this to mages themselves though, which he even admits is not encouraged by the Qun, and expresses sympathy for Qunari mages. He also has no trouble being in a relationship with a Mage Inquisitor or Dorian, even sounding proud about a time the latter set the curtains on fire during sex.
Do Not Call Me "Paul": He dislikes his Qunari title and much prefers that you call him The Iron Bull. Plus the Inquisitor can't pronounce it right.
Double Agent: A very... open, and fairly light, example. If you allow him to send reports to the Ben-Hassrath about the Inquisition's activities, he will cheerfully give you information that their other spies send to him in turn. Played dangerously straight if kept with the Qun by Trespasser, where he coldly turns on you for the Qun no matter what.
Ethical Slut: Iron Bull makes no secret of the fact he really enjoys sex (and has plenty of it with those bold enough to handle him), but is very respectful and understanding of people who turn him down. If Iron Bull is in a relationship with the Inquisitor, he's very caring, passionate, and loyal, refusing to talk about their sex life to Varric, since what happens in that room is for Bull and the Inquisitor only. He even takes the time to set up boundaries and rules for the Inquisitor before their first (of many) BDSM sessions, out of safety, concern, and love for his partner.
Even the Guys Want Him: If Bull is romanced and left the Qun, a magazine excerpt found in Trespasser mentions that quite a few nobles of both sexes are very disappointed that he is off the market.
Eyepatch of Power: He sports a fancy eyepatch where his left eye used to be.
Exposed to the Elements: If you recruit him before gaining Skyhold, he'll gladly stand around shirtless in the snow outside the stable at Haven, and he's recruited in the pouring rain. Somewhat odd, considering past Qunari have complained that Ferelden is much too cold, and even had a weakness to cold spells. It might be a combination of macho posturing and simple adaptation, though party banter reveals that Qunari apparently as a race have an issue with top coverings, due to their horns making putting them on a rather clumsy and arduous endeavour. Apparently, there's even a specific saying in Qunlat for being caught by surprise which roughly translates to "running around with clothing stuck in your horns".
Extreme Omnisexual: He's pansexual and he will sleep with anyone interested whom he's reasonably sure he won't break. Doesn't matter if they're a man, woman, human, elf, dwarf, or qunari.
Face–Heel Turn: Depending on the outcome of his "Demands of the Qun" quest, he may side with the Qunari against you in the Trespasser DLC, forcing you to kill him.
Face of a Thug: Bull is large and intimidating, but is also generally friendly and gets along well with all of the rest of the party.
Fake Defector: His cover story while spying is that he left the Qun. However, during his personal quest you can choose to have him leave the Qun for real.
Fashionable Asymmetry: Especially noticeable when he's wearing his eyepatch.
Fastball Special: Wants to try this with Sera; she's less than receptive to the idea.
A Father to His Men: Bull is very proud and protective of his mercenary company and the Inquisitor can persuade him to pick them over serving the Qun.
Fetish: He prefers the approach that non-Qunari cultures have toward sex, partly because among the Qunari it's a more formal and ritualized business, but also because other races have redheads.
Iron Bull: Mmmm... redheads.
Foil:
- To Leliana, oddly enough. They're both rather stale beer spies; but Leliana is stoic while Iron Bull has bravado, Leliana is a precise archer while Iron Bull wields sweeping two-handed weapons, and Leliana is exhausted by her job while Bull has found ways to enjoy his. To put it simply, Leliana is a John le Carré spy, while Iron Bull is a shirtless version of Ian Fleming's "blunt instrument".
- To Zevran. He's a representative of a group who aren't allies of the protagonist, have their own agenda, and are ultimately proven to be enemies. Depending on the player's choices, circumstances can have them rejoining that enemy to face off with the protagonist, or turn on their old group to fight with the protagonist. His romance with the player also involves a physical relationship that later becomes more loving.
Gag Penis: If Cullen, Josephine, and Cassandra's reactions are an implication, The Iron Bull is indeed a man of large weaponry...
Gay Option: Pansexual and can be romanced by any Inquisitor, regardless of race or gender.
Genius Bruiser: He's huge and a talented warrior, but he's still smart enough to play chess with Solas (himself probably the most intelligent character in the party) in his head. Being a spy, he's also very good at concealing his own emotions while reading other people's faces and body language. He guesses Cullen's an ex-Templar without actually saying a word to him and lists an astounding number of tiny details that clued him in that a "baker" was actually a spy from the Venatori. He also proves to be highly knowledgeable about architecture and archaeology if taken to the Hissing Wastes, even lampshading how odd this seems to the other characters.
Glass Cannon: The Reaver class is all about taking damage and dealing it back. As a result, Iron Bull can deal the most raw damage of the three warriors, but also has the lowest defense, which is amplified by not being able to use normal helmets due to being a Qunari. If the Inquisitor takes the Champion spec, he notes that he's just too big a target to be a defensive fighter. This doesn't prevent the player from equipping him with a one-handed weapon and a shield, though. He's often remarked to be one of the most difficult-to-use companions in battle because so much of his success depends on the player being able to understand and properly utilize his Reaver abilities, from knowing when to heal with Devour to managing his stamina consumption from Ring of Pain. It doesn't help that his appearance tends to lead players to mistake him for a sturdy Mighty Glacier, and that most of his two-handed weapon skills focus on crowd control, so he makes for a better secondary warrior to bring along instead of your main tank.
Going Native: His years spent away from the Qun has led to him adjusting to the life of the locals.
Has a Type: By his own admission, he has a weakness for redheads and states that he did research on Leliana because she's a redhead. Sadly, the game's programming doesn't specify which of the hair colors counts as "red," so he won't acknowledge a ginger Inquisitor as particularly attractive.
The Hedonist: Has learned to enjoy the pleasures of life after several near-death experiences.
Hidden Depths: Not only is he a Ben-Hassrath spy, which requires a certain amount of skill and intelligence, but he's picked up some surprising interests over time. He can play mental chess, and if you have him around for the tomb hunting quests in the Hissing Wastes he'll have a fair bit to say about dwarven architecture and history.
Honesty Is the Best Policy: His approach to spying on the Inquisition is to immediately disclose who he is and what he's there for, because he's pretty sure that a group called 'The Inquisition' would find out anyway and his general approach to espionage is just to act as a mercenary and keep his ears open for gossip (and in the Inquisition's case, most of what the Qunari want to know about the Inquisition isn't actually secret; it's just that they have no other way of finding out). Instead of trying to lie, he proposes a deal where he tells the Inquisitor more about the Qunari and helps them fight in exchange for being allowed to report on their current goings-on.
Horned Humanoid: Has the most impressive set of horns we've seen on a Qunari to date. They're huge and shaped like bull's horns, hence his name. (As pointed out by Cole, they might actually be dragon horns, not bull horns, so he should be The Iron Dragon.)
Hot-Blooded: When comparing the companions to food, his writer said he would be a chili dog, because it's a delicious bad decision.
Hunk: Despite his Qunari roots, he's a masculine, ruggedly handsome beast subject to the affection and desires of many people (male and female alike) of Skyhold.
Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Or Huge Guy, Tiny Guy if the player is so inclined. Bull can be romanced by an Inquisitor of any race or sex and towers over everything but his fellow Qunari (and even then, he's bigger). The most extreme examples are if you romance him as an Elf or Dwarf, but even a male human, the largest non-qunari model, is only as tall as Bull's shoulder and far less wide. If Krem's testimony in World of Thedas Vol. II is taken literally, Bull is eight feet tall, likely nearly two feet taller than even the tallest non-qunari Inquisitor.
Hypocritical Heartwarming: Iron Bull and Cole may become friends, and Cole will mention that Iron Bull took an attack for him despite hating demons. Iron Bull will say, "You might be a weird, squirrelly kid but you're my weird squirrelly kid."
I Need a Freaking Drink: If Bull is Tal-Vashoth and joins the Inquisitor in the final push against the Qunari, after refusing to join the Viddasala, he comments that he needs a lot to drink after fighting a bunch of his former comrades. This, however, doesn't stop him from continuing, and he even tries to convince his former comrades to stop fighting the Inquisition.
Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: He claims to have once skewered a Vint on each horn during a fight. Unfortunately, they were stuck there for the rest of it.
In Love with Your Carnage: He gets really turned on watching Cassandra's battle prowess and hints that he is attracted to Blackwall for similar reasons. This also seems to be a large part of why he likes dragons so much, if his shouting "Taarsidath-an halsaam"^note during a fight with one is any indication. It is also notable that the player can not complete his Romance Sidequest without killing at least one High Dragon, although bringing him along is not required.
Ink-Suit Actor: If you add the missing eye, the horns, and several hundred pounds of muscle, he looks a lot like Freddie, especially in the lower face/mouth area.
In Vino Veritas: Bull normally only starts calling the Inquisitor "Kadan" after the Inquisitor has made it clear that they are serious about the relationship, but if the drinking scene after killing the first high dragon is triggered after sleeping with him the first time, he lets it slip before complimenting the Inquisitor on their "fantastic ass/tits".
Insult Backfire:
- When Varric asks him whether or not he knows Tallis since they're both Ben-Hassrath, Bull retorts if he happens to know some random grumpy dwarf he met on the road. Varric responds that as a member of the Merchants' Guild, chances are he not only knows said dwarf but that they owe him money, at which point Bull is simply forced to say that he doesn't actually know Tallis.
- During the encounter with Command in Old Crestwood, Iron Bull can suspiciously ask the spirit if she intends on taking their minds if they do what she wants. She tells him she has no interest in his mind. After a Beat, Bull says that works for him.
Ironic Nickname: Varric dubs him "Tiny".
Irony: The Iron Bull worries that he's become Tal-Vashoth, but by the standards of the Qun, he did nothing wrong. His role was as a leader of a mercenary band, and he is the consummate Father to His Men. He found his role, and it wasn't as Ben-Hassrath; he's no good at that role, as he Cannot Keep a Secret, for one. If anything, his skills would suit him the best as a Tamassran, which is sadly a female role.
Is That the Best You Can Do?: He yells this near the end of Trespasser if he's in the party and did not join the Qunari forces himself.
Iron Bull: Is that all you've got!? I lived through Seheron, you pieces of shit!
The Knights Who Say "Squee!": Though he knows that dragons are dangerous, he also thinks they're really badass. According to him, dragons are admired for their power by all Qunari, there are Qunari legends that they are related to dragons (it's the horns), and their name for them in Qunlat even translates to "the glorious ones". After Cole brings it up, Bull really regrets not naming himself "The Iron Dragon" instead.
Large and in Charge: He's an absolutely enormous Qunari who leads a mercenary company.
Leeroy Jenkins: As implied by the "bad decisions" comment from his writer.
Life Drain: As a Reaver, Bull has access to the Devour ability. It goes a long way toward improving his durability.
Made of Iron: Gets stabbed by assassins with poisoned blades if you convince him to leave the Qun, but brushes it off since he had already taken the antitoxin. If they really wanted him dead, they would have known to do better; it isn't an attack, it's a formality. He also recalls an incident where he was stabbed so deeply that he felt the sword hit the back of his ribs, and a piece chipped off.
Making Love in All the Wrong Places: Whether Bull ends up with the Inquisitor or Dorian, the party can learn, courtesy of Cole, that they haven't only been having sex in bed... but also against the wall, and on the War Table.
Blackwall: [if he's in the party] I look forward to informing Cullen.
Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex: He's very conscientious about avoiding this. He'll only have sex with people he's sure he won't break in half, and even then he still establishes a safeword just in case.
Masculine–Feminine Gay Couple: He'll fall for Camp Gay Dorian if neither of them are romanced by the Inquisitor; or (depending on how the player customizes him) the Inquisitor can also be this with him.
Meaningful Name: His role in the Qun, Hissrad, most closely translates to "the liar". Bull is not happy about it. The person he lies to most of all is himself.
Morality Chain: The Trespasser DLC implies and Word of God confirms it's Krem and the Chargers. Without them, "Hissrad" willingly underwent Qunari "re-education" in the two years between Corypheus' defeat and the Exalted Council, and betrays the party no matter what in Trespasser. Even Cole didn't feel any pain or remorse.
Morton's Fork: If pressed, Bull can admit that this is how he sees the consequences of going Tal-Vashoth. Either he'll go mad and kill innocents and people he cares about, or he won't go mad and will have to face the possibility that many of the Tal-Vashoth he killed in the past for no greater crime than being Tal-Vashoth didn't do any of that either.
My God, What Have I Done?:
- If he defects from the Qun, he is terrified about going mad like the Tal-Vashoth he fought in the past, but he's just as terrified of not going mad because that would mean that many of the Tal-Vashoth he has killed were actually fully sane and just wanted to leave the Qun behind.
- If he doesn't, he is still sent into a Despair Event Horizon due to sacrificing his Band of Brothers, and as a result submits himself for re-education after Corypheus' defeat.
My Species Doth Protest Too Much:
- For a Qunari, a race which is known for being rather stoic, Iron Bull is quite boisterous.
- Also in Party Banter with Varric about the Arishok(s), Varric comments about how everything was on fire. Bull comments that the Antaam does that a lot, suggesting their behavior irks him.
Mr. Exposition: He's one of the few Qunari who are actually willing to talk about the Qun to outsiders, since it's part of his role as a Ben-Hassenrath. Of course, since his specific title directly translates as 'liar', it might be best to take his words with a grain of salt.
The Nicknamer: Not to Varric's extent, but he does like to give people nicknames. As it's explained to the Inquisitor when they are properly introduced to the Chargers, Bull was the one who shortened "Cremisius" to "Krem." He calls the Inquisitor "boss," instead of "Inquisitor" like the other companions do, and he also calls Leliana "Red", Blackwall "Big Guy" or "Furrows", and Cole "Kid". He tries to call Vivienne "Viv", but she promptly shuts that down and from that point on he addresses her more respectfully as "Ma'am". In Trespasser, if he ends up turning against the Inquisitor, "boss" becomes bas (literally, "thing", and what Qunari call people outside the Qun not worthy of their respect).
Noodle Incident: Bull once used every shield in the armory for some bizarre training exercise.
"Not So Different" Remark: This is his stock and trade for getting the other companions to open up to him, such as comparing the Ben-Hassrath to the Seekers for Cassandra, or comparing his and Dorian's complex relationship with their homelands. He also does this for the Qunari as a whole, pointing out that a baker wakes up and worries about if she has enough flour or whether the dough will rise properly, whether she lives in Val Royeaux or Par Vollen. The only person this doesn't seem to work on is Solas, who aggressively shuts down Bull's attempts to "equivocate", as he puts it.
Nothing Personal: He says this if he decides to betray you to the Qunari in the Trespasser DLC. It might be a lie given that, as he says it, he calls the Inquisitor "bas" instead of "boss," meaning a person outside the Qun not worthy of respect, though it might be he couldn't resist the pun.
Obfuscating Stupidity
- If the player flirts with him, he appears totally oblivious to it, save for one moment after the Fade. During the first romance scene with him, he admits that he actually did catch the Inquisitor's hints, but he's played dumb since he isn't sure if the Inquisitor knows what they're getting into by romancing him - and considering how big he is and how rough he likes to get, his concerns aren't unwarranted. He still does this from time to time after they get together just to mess with the Inquisitor.
- This also works into how he does spy work: his status as a high-profile mercenary often puts him in contact with nobles and others of high class while also being Beneath Suspicion due to being seen as just hired muscle, letting him pick up any worthwhile tidbits of information to send back home.
- The whole Overt Agent bit is itself an example; unless his personal quest is done and he defects for real there's a fanatic Qunari loyalist under all that boisterous good humor and when the order comes down he'll turn on the Inquisition without hesitation.
Odd Couple: If neither of them are romanced, he can end up with Dorian. Doesn't get much odder than a Qunari with a Tevinter magister. It becomes tragic if The Iron Bull turns around and rejoins the hostile Qunari, potentially forcing Dorian to kill him.
Odd Friendship:
- With Vivienne, who, despite being both a mage and very uptight, keeps him on a rather short leash. He eventually begins to suspect that between her normal demeanor and that horned hat, she's activating the part of his brain that instinctively defers to Tamassrans.
- Despite hating demons, the Bull sees Cole as an odd kid who would probably be normal if he could just get some booze and sex.
- Cassandra and Iron Bull often talk about how similar their roles are in their field, and they playfully flirt every now and then; both acknowledge that they're Just Friends and respect one another deeply. Iron Bull makes it clear that he respects Cassandra a great deal as a warrior and compliments her choice of armor instead of using something impractical. He's also very respectful of her unwillingness to discuss her past exploits, which she sincerely appreciates.
- Blackwall and Iron Bull are quite similar in some ways, and they understand one another pretty well if Bull becomes a Tal-Vashoth and Blackwall is exposed as Thom Rainier.
Oh, Crap!
- Very little besides demons and magic can faze Bull, but he has a pretty spectacular moment when he realizes Solas' suicidal strategy in mental chess has set him up for a Surprise Checkmate.
- If taken to the Still Ruins, he lets out a loud "Craaaaaaaap!" when he sees that the Fade Rift is no longer frozen.
One-Steve Limit: As discussed above with Varric, The Iron Bull named himself that because Steel Bull, Veridium Bull and Silverite Bull were already taken (by a pit fighter, two exotic dancers and a tavern, respectively).
Only Known by Their Nickname: A Qunari's true name is more similar to a pedigree or a Social Security number than a name as we think of one. Iron Bull's rank in the Qun is also unknown to his companions in the Inquisition and his fellow mercenaries, though the player learns it during his personal quest. Thus his current moniker, which is typically shortened to just "Bull". So he's known by nicknames on top of nicknames.
Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: Bull speaks with a pretty distinctive tone, but occasionally it vanishes and he just sounds like James Vega.
Open Secret: He's supposed to be undercover in the Inquisition, but to avoid trouble with the agents, he comes clean from the start. If questioned on this, he points out that if a group called "The Inquisition" didn't find out anyway, it would just be sad.
Optional Party Member: You can choose not to recruit him.
Overt Operative: Can't get much more overt in a person than a hulk of muscle topped with bull horns that tells you he's a spy within a minute of meeting you. When Varric points this out, Bull notes that practicing espionage and manipulation lets everyone know you're a spy while fighting, drinking and sending the occasional note back home gets the job done with little fuss. Meanwhile, when meeting the Herald for the first time, he explains that trying to conceal his identity and allegiance would be pointless — they're called the Inquisition after all — and that getting tipped off after the fact would have damaged their trust and possibly compromised his mission. Better to be up front about it.
Pair the Spares: If you do not romance him or Dorian, and bring them both along with often enough, they get together.
Permanently Missable Content: If Krem is not spoken to in Haven before it gets destroyed, it becomes impossible to recruit Bull.
Perma-Stubble: In contrast to other Qunari characters, who've all been clean-shaven. Except for Salit, a Tal-Vashoth.
The Power of Blood: He has the Reaver specialization. If a Reaver Inquisitor asks about it, he claims he hasn't actually trained as one and "stumbled" on something similar.
Power Tattoo: Like a Qunari Inquisitor, Bull uses toxic face-paint in lieu of helmets (although you can find an actual helm for him during his personal quest). Most of his higher level armor also has him wear Vitaar on his chest and arms instead of metal plating, but that is purely a cosmetic difference.
Precision F-Strike:
- Delivers one if you help him work out his frustration after fighting the Nightmare.
  Bull: And who killed you!? That's right! Iron fucking Bull!
- If he is encouraged to leave the Qun.
  Bull: Tal-Va-fucking-shoth.
- Also, during his romance quest, after Cassandra walks in (though this may be because it was after Cullen and Josephine as well)
  Bull: [upon Cassandra walking in] Oh, for fuck's sake.
Private Military Contractor: On paper, he's an ex-Qunari who runs a mercenary company for rich clients. In reality, he works as a mercenary to spy on said clients for the Ben-Hassrath.
Pungeon Master: Bull occasionally shows a fondness for bad puns. Krem is a frequent victim.
Real Men Wear Pink: At one point during his and Blackwall's Party Banter, they talk about what kind of stone is best for forging swords, and Iron Bull says he'd pick Dawnstone. Blackwall points out that not only is Dawnstone brittle, it's pink. How does Bull respond? "It's pretty." Dawnstone equipment actually is pretty good since Dawnstone is a third tier crafting material.
Reassigned to Antarctica: He was once the best Ben-Hassrath of all, but then one day, he "broke". His commanders reacted by sending him off to Orlais to spy on the humans.
Reassignment Backfire: The Ben-Hassrath sent him to spy in Orlais because his mind was "broken" and the job was fairly unimportant and simple. However, it's entirely possible that his time away from other Qunari has rendered him more likely to leave, rather than showing him what a mess life outside the Qun is. And given just a little prodding, he'll gladly leave the Qun in favor of his mercenaries.
Roaring Rampage of Rescue: After Trespasser, if Bull is Tal-Vashoth and in a relationship with Dorian, assassins are sent after Dorian to prevent his new faction of progressives in the Magisterium from gaining traction. Bull and the Chargers put a stop to it. The slide includes a rather sweet drawing of Bull carrying an injured Dorian, bridal-style, away from danger.
Romance Sidequest: An option for all Inquisitors, provided you get along.
Sadist: High functioning version. Safe, Sane, and Consensual BDSM with him firmly as the Dominant/Sadist aside, Bull is very aware that he enjoys fighting a little too much, with a lot of party banter having him freak out other companions by describing how much he loves torturing and dismembering people before killing them. Despite claiming to be aware of his tendencies and explaining that he prefers being open about it so not to bottle his feelings up inside until he "snaps and hurts someone [he] cares about", it still troubles him. Part of his fear of leaving the Qun is due to his belief that without a greater moral directive to guide his blade, he's just another warmongering psychopath: If convinced to turn Tal-Vashoth, his fears are somewhat assuaged, as his care for the Chargers and support from companions keeps him grounded.
Safe, Sane, and Consensual: If romanced, it's all but stated that sex between him and the Inquisitor has at least some elements of BDSM. However, Bull treats the whole thing pretty respectfully; he establishes a safe word early on, makes it clear that he'd never hurt the Inquisitor without their permission, and isn't upset if the Inquisitor decides not to pursue this kind of relationship with him. If he hooks up with Dorian, this is made a bit more explicit, and Cole can go into detail in party banter.
Safe Word: He establishes one when the Inquisitor gets in a relationship with him. He uses the word "Katoh". Later, he speculates on what he thinks the other characters might use as their own safe word. Can become a Tear Jerker if he stays with the Qunari, as the Inquisitor will repeat it over and over when he betrays them.
Shameless Fanservice Guy: He isn't bothered in the slightest when Cullen and Josephine walk in on him naked during his romance path (though he does get annoyed when Cassandra also walks in), and he claims to be a firm believer in "No Pants Fridays".
Shell-Shocked Veteran: He suffers from PTSD, which is part of the reason he was Kicked Upstairs to Orlais as a spy. Somewhat understandable, since apparently the shit that went down in Seheron would put Yugoslavia or Vietnam to shame.
Bull: One morning I woke up and couldn't think of a damned reason to keep doing my job. Turned myself in to the reeducators.
Smart People Play Chess: He can go toe-to-toe with Solas, although there's some cultural confusion over the names of pieces. It should be noted that this game is in their minds.
Spell My Name with a "The": He insists that it's "The Iron Bull". It sounds more authoritative that way. Cole is the only character that addresses him fully as The Iron Bull.
Iron Bull: I like having an article at the front. It makes it sound like I'm not even a person, just a mindless weapon, an implement of destruction... That really works for me.
Squee: He comes very close to this if brought along to kill dragons. He gets especially giddy in the Western Approach, when the Inquisitor lays out bait to lure the Abyssal High Dragon.
Iron Bull: Boss? I just want to say... you're the best.
Sweet Tooth: Downplayed, but he goes out of his way to arrange a cocoa supply, wishes for some guimauves^*(marshmallows) to put in it, and laments that he doesn't know how people can live without it. Varric assumes it's a Noodle Implement for some unspeakable purpose.
Taking the Bullet: Or the flail, in this case. It's how he lost the eye. And it was for some random guy he didn't even know.
Tall, Dark, and Snarky: Though his height has yet to be revealed, he's significantly taller than most of the cast and has some levels of snark of his own.
Iron Bull: "Nothing creepy about a bunch of old abandoned caves. Nothing creepy at all."
Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Most of the party becomes hostile to him if he stays with the Qun and sacrifices the Chargers.
That Man Is Dead: Bull's personal quest ends with him feeling this way about one of his identities. If he remains with the Qun, he accepts his role as Hissrad, saying that the Iron Bull never really existed in the first place. If he becomes Tal-Vashoth, he settles fully into the Iron Bull persona, leaving Hissrad behind.
The One Who Made It Out: If convinced to abandon the Qun, Cole might mention in banter that he can hear his Tamassran's thoughts. While being inquired by the Ben-Hassrath agents about the incident of Bull's desertion, she's secretly relieved Bull became this trope.
True Companions: He's very loyal to people on his team. And as much as he hates demons, the Bull has no real problem with Cole, who may(?) be one.
Undying Loyalty:
- The Bull's Chargers uniformly adore their leader, and are willing to die for him without a second thought.
- Bull also has this towards the Inquisitor if he decides to leave the Qun:
  Bull: Boss, just so you know... whatever I miss, whatever I regret, this is were I want to be. If you ever need an ass kicked, the Iron Bull is with you.
Unreliable Expositor: He freely admits that much of what he tells you about life under the Qun is simplified for ease of explanation and in some cases includes his own speculations.
Bull: It's not a secret. It's just too big for a quick chat. "Tell me about the Qun," is like saying "Tell me about economics." Most Qunari know just enough to get by. It's like blind dwarves trying to figure out a dragon by touch. Only the priests really have the whole picture, and they spend their whole lives figuring that crap out.
Unstoppable Rage: Bull's Focus Ability is Rampage, which increases his damage and attack speed while letting him drain the health from anything he hits. The health drain effect overrides the cost of his Dragon Rage ability, producing an extremely powerful combination when used together.
Use Your Head:
- Blackwall asks him if he's ever tried using headbutts as part of his fighting style, but Bull replies that since he's so big, he has to lean down to make it work, and most people would see him coming.
- Further deconstructed by the claim he makes of the one time he got it to *work* on a charge. He wound up with two Vints stuck on his horns, screaming, for the rest of the fight.
Vitriolic Best Buds:
- With Solas and some extra vitriol. Most of the time he and Solas speak, Solas lashes out against the Qun. But if Bull winds up being declared Tal-Vashoth, Solas will support him when he worries about going mad. And a rather long chain of party conversations between them later is essentially Solas distracting Iron Bull from his worries by deliberately provoking him into playing a mental game of chess.
- Iron Bull and Krem. They snark at one another all the time, but their loyalty and strong friendship is easily visible and Iron Bull has absolutely no problems with Krem being transgender.
Walking Shirtless Scene: According to him, because of their horns and the warm climate of their homeland, male Qunari rarely ever wear shirts or breastplates. Naturally this is mocked by his second in command Krem, who asks if he needs tips for binding his "pillowy man-bosoms". This leads to plenty of Eating the Eye Candy from female characters, however, including a freaking nun from Haven's chantry (if he's recruited before the end of Act 1).
Wall Bang Her: Cole announces to the rest of the party that Bull likes doing this.
War Is Hell: He considers his time on Seheron to have been this, noting if asked that between the indigenous rebel groups like the Fog Warriors, marauding bands of Tal-Vashoth and forces from the Tevinter Imperium all fighting over Seheron as well as the Qunari, it was rare to go a single day without bloodshed.
Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Demons. He almost quotes this trope word for word in his trailer. From what Cole picks up from his memories, he's feared and hated demons since he was very young.
Cole: Lying awake, sheets soaked in sweat, afraid to call the Tamassrans. Shadows make shapes in the dark. If it gets in my head, how do I cut it out? Itching, shaking, tears slide cold down my cheeks. "Tama, I'm scared..."
Worthy Opponent: Considers the Fog Warriors (the most dangerous of the indigenous rebel groups on Seheron) to be this.
Bull: They didn't use poison, they didn't target civilians and they were damn good fighters; you have to respect that. Plus they hit the 'Vints as hard as they did us. Hearing some terrified magister scream "My slaves! Where are my slaves?!" in the fog always put a smile on my face.
You Are What You Hate: His worst fear is "Madness". Since he was a child, he displayed a gleeful affinity for hitting and lying. He is afraid that the Qun is the only thing that keeps him in check, and he hates Ax-Crazy Tal-Vashoth bandits because they reflect what he could become. And that's what he does become if he chooses the Chargers over the Qun. If asked, he'll admit that one of the reasons being Tal-Vashoth hurts him so much is because he isn't sure if he's become insane like those he hunted, or if those he hunted were actually sane.
You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: A lot of his party banter with Solas involves being exasperated that Solas never cuts him any slack when it comes to the Qun, or Solas chewing him out over things he thought Solas would give him credit for. It only ceases if Bull is declared Tal-Vashoth.
Iron Bull: Alright, Solas, been thinking. You wanna know how this place would be if the Qunari took charge? Orlais, Ferelden, all of it would be healthier under the Qun. But the war to make that happen? That'd be ugly. A lot of good people would die. So I'm not hoping it happens. There! You happy?
Solas: Happy? No! Quite the opposite.
Iron Bull: Oh, come on. I said I didn't want us to invade you!
You Need to Get Laid: Much of his advice is this, especially for Blackwall and Cole.

Characters / Dragon Age: Inquisition – Warriors

Cassandra Allegra Portia Calogera Filomena Pentaghast

Appears in: Dawn of the Seeker | Dragon Age II | Inquisition | Tevinter Nights | Absolution

Voiced by: Miranda Raison (Games), Colleen Clinkenbeard (Anime) (English)^{Foreign VAs}Kerstin Draeger (German)

Blackwall

Appears in: Inquisition

Voiced by: Alastair Parker (English), Thomas Nero Wolff (German)

The Iron Bull / Hissrad

Appears in: Inquisition

Voiced by: Freddie Prinze Jr. (English), Ingo Albrecht (German)

Alternative Title(s): Dragon Age Cassandra Pentaghast, Dragon Age The Iron Bull

Previous

Index

Next

Characters / Dragon Age: Inquisition – Warriors

Edit Locked

Cassandra Allegra Portia Calogera Filomena Pentaghast

Appears in: Dawn of the Seeker | Dragon Age II | Inquisition | Tevinter Nights | Absolution

Voiced by: Miranda Raison (Games), Colleen Clinkenbeard (Anime) (English)Foreign VAsKerstin Draeger (German)

Blackwall

Appears in: Inquisition

Voiced by: Alastair Parker (English), Thomas Nero Wolff (German)

The Iron Bull / Hissrad

Appears in: Inquisition

Voiced by: Freddie Prinze Jr. (English), Ingo Albrecht (German)

Alternative Title(s): Dragon Age Cassandra Pentaghast, Dragon Age The Iron Bull

Previous

Index

Next

Voiced by: Miranda Raison (Games), Colleen Clinkenbeard (Anime) (English)^{Foreign VAs}Kerstin Draeger (German)