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[[Characters/DragonAgeIIHawkeEstate Hawke Estate]] | '''Companions''' | [[Characters/DragonAgeIINonPlayableCharacters Non-Playable Characters]] | [[Characters/DragonAgeIIPostReleaseCharacters Post-Release Characters]]]]-]]]

[[folder:Fenris]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/da2_fenris.png]]
->'''Voiced by''': Creator/GideonEmery

->''"Am I supposed to forgive, no matter how many times they hunt me down? Am I supposed to forget all the things they've done to me?"''

An elven slave turned living weapon. He used his power to escape his master Danarius, a Tevinter Magister who is trying to reclaim his "property." Even now that he's free and out of the Imperium, Fenris nurses a bitter streak against all mages. He is a romance option for a Hawke of either gender.

* AcheyScars: His lyrium markings are the reason he hates being touched.
* AmbiguouslyBrown: His skin is noticeably darker than that of the other companions, save Isabela.
* AmnesiacDissonance: Among other things, he resents the lyrium markings and the power that was inflicted upon him. In his final companion quest "Alone," he discovers [[spoiler: that he had actually competed for them, for the sake of using the boon offered to the winner to free his family. At least, Danarius and his sister lead him to believe he did. He actually only competed for the boon to free his family. He didn't know about the ritual or what it would entail.]]
* AmnesiacHero: He has very few pre-ritual memories, and even by the game's end he can only recall bits and pieces of his life before.
* AndTheAdventureContinues: According to Varric, as of ''Inquisition'', Fenris is still continuing his campaign against Tevinter magisters and slavers, leaving a trail of corpses in his wake.
** Fenris returns in ''ComicBook/BlueWraith'', earning said moniker by achieving such a level of infamy in Tevinter.
* AttackAnimal: Brainwashed by Danarius into this.
* BadassBaritone: Courtesy of Creator/GideonEmery.
* BareYourMidriff: This is apparent in his outfit as a slave in ''Heroes of Dragon Age'' and in an illustration in the ''World of Thedas'' book.
* BerserkButton:
** His EstablishingCharacterMoment is his violent reaction to being called a slave, and being taunted with it also comes up several times during his personal quests. He hates mages; particularly the magisters of Tevinter, and the blood magic connected to them.
** He doesn't take kindly to the suggestions that he should "just move on" or, worse, forget about revenge against Danarius.
** During his loyalty mission, if Hawke tells Orana to go to their home for help and refuge Fenris will immediately accuses Hawke of hypocrisy for condoning slavery and then wanting one themselves. But he will back down and apologise straightaway if Hawke states that it is a ''job''.
** [[spoiler: If Hawke romances Anders after Fenris leaves them, the following dialogue can be heard if the two are in the party together. Fenris is already pretty venomous towards Anders (and vice versa), but here he sounds downright ''murderous'' at Anders' suggestion that he never loved Hawke.]]
--->'''Anders''': You were an idiot to [[spoiler: leave Hawke.]]\\
'''Fenris''': And you were so quick to replace me.\\
'''Anders''': I love him/her. You have ''no'' idea what that's like.\\
'''Fenris''': Do not bare your heart to ''me'', mage. Not unless you want me to ''rip it out.''
* {{BFS}}: Uses two-handed weapons, several of which are as long as he is tall.
* BoomerangBigot: A much more subtle version than, say, [[MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch Sera]], but Fenris clearly doesn't care much for his fellow elves. He identifies more as a former slave than an elf, lives alone in a Hightown mansion, and refuses Merrill's invitations to so much as visit the alienage. Whenever Merrill [[WeAreStrugglingTogether tries to get him more involved with "our people,"]] Fenris disdains her, claiming the Dalish are too haughty and waste their freedom grubbing through dirt, and he doesn't care about the plight of city elves [[MiseryPoker since Tevinter slaves have it worse anyway]].
** The [[http://lvlt.bioware.cdn.ea.com/bioware/u/f/eagames/bioware/dragonage2/assets/content/world/short_stories/fenris.pdf Fenris short story]] written by David Gaider goes further, hinting that Fenris secretly thinks of city elves as nothing but "frightened cattle" and "drunk vagrants." (He also notably declines Sebastian's suggestion that he teach elves how to fight, despite looking down on them for not fighting.)
--->''How was he to know that so many of his people would squander their freedom living like frightened cattle? If his only choices were to either dress as meekly as the local humans expected their elves to be, run off to find the wandering clans that grubbed in the dirt for whatever scraps the human kingdoms threw them, or to fight… then his choice was clear.''
** That being said however, unlike Sera, he still gains rivalry points if you are needlessly cruel to elves and friendship if you help them but that's less of seeing them as his people and more of helping out a group of people who are clearly disadvantaged.
* BrutalHonesty: He's extremely blunt with his criticism of anything he dislikes, especially if it is related to magic or its users.
* BuxomIsBetter: It's subtle, but every woman Fenris shows any interest in are human women with noticeable racks. In [[http://lvlt.bioware.cdn.ea.com/bioware/u/f/eagames/bioware/dragonage2/assets/content/world/short_stories/fenris.pdf Fenris' short story]] he pauses while being chased by slave hunters to admire a scantily clad human woman with noticeable cleavage. In the [=DA2=] game proper, the only two women he can potentially get together with are female Hawke or (if neither are pursued for a romance) Isabela, both of whom are well-endowed in the chest department. (He also pointedly shows no interest in even talking to [[NothingButSkinAndBones elven women]], let alone dating one.)
* BystanderSyndrome: He is generally neutral in affairs not involving [[BerserkButton mages or slavers]]. In fact, it's implied that for most of the game, outside of adventures with Hawke and a few mercenary jobs he takes for money, he doesn't interact much with anyone. Varric complains that after years in Kirkwall he's still "practically a ghost."
-->'''Fenris''': You are too willing to involve yourself in the affairs of others, Hawke. Each time you put yourself at risk. One day you will not be so lucky.\\
'''Hawke''': You have a better idea?\\
'''Fenris''': [[HeroicNeutral Guard what you have]]. Keep your head low.
* CharacterDeath: [[spoiler:If Hawke sides with the mages during the final battle and is not a full friend or rival with Fenris and/or did not complete all of his personal quests, Fenris will turn against Hawke. He will then refuse again if Hawke does not choose the "Join me" option and/or is a 50-95% rival with Fenris and is later killed.]]
* CharacterDevelopment:
** Unlike everyone besides Carver, he actually undergoes more development as a friend. As a rival, [[spoiler: he simply admits that revenge has brought him nothing and decides it's time to let go of his hate. However, his hatred towards magic remains and he is initially against supporting the mages]]. If Hawke befriends him and completes all his personal quests, he learns to move on from his past and also becomes a bit more lenient towards magic and mages, all the more so if romanced by a mage Hawke.
** Another example would be his gradually opening up to a few of the other companions and eventually befriending them (evident in party banter), in contrast to his initial anti-social behavior. He even jokes with some of them, and by Act 3 he regularly plays cards with Varric and Donnic.
* TheComicallySerious: His generally dour demeanor gets him ribbed on by some of the more jokey companions, although if Hawke keeps him away from people who push his buttons, he makes his share of jokes, especially with Varric. In fact, Sarcastic Hawke's comments usually get at least a smile out of him. He even chuckles with regularity.
* CursedWithAwesome: The lyrium scars emblazoned on him by his master cause Fenris no small amount of pain, but give him extra strength and endurance, as well as the ability to go partially intangible.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: He was a slave in the Tevinter Imperium, and had his skin laced with lyrium in a process that was so torturously painful that it wiped away all his memories from before he underwent the ritual.
* DeadpanSnarker: Sometimes, and with emphasis on the deadpan.
* [[DefrostingIceQueen Defrosting Ice King]]:
** He's loosened up a little bit by Act 3, particularly around Aveline, Isabela, Varric, Donnic, and possibly Hawke. He even starts cracking a few jokes of his own.
** If Hawke manages to maintain a high friendship, it unlocks additional lines that sound [[SugarAndIcePersonality much warmer than his usual tone of voice]], including "Yes, my friend?" and "Always a pleasure." The friendship branch of his personal specialization tree also mentions that "Fenris is inspired by your unexpected support."
* DespairEventHorizon: If the player chooses to [[spoiler:betray Fenris and give him back to Danarius. [[EtTuBrute Hawke's betrayal so utterly breaks his spirit and his faith in freedom and friendship that he just gives up without a fight]]. He doesn't even have the strength to show anger at you about it. Later, Hawke gets a letter from Danarius, thanking them and telling them that Fenris has been memory-wiped again and is now perfectly obedient.]]
* DoesNotLikeMagic:
** The line he draws between "magic" and "mages" shifts a bit -- he's at his angriest directly after confronting one of his old tormentors (Hadriana). Having grown up in a society almost defined by mages abusing their power, he's very wary of any calls for mage freedom outside Tevinter.
--->'''Fenris''': There are problems enough in this world without putting such power in the hands of those too weak to resist its allure. ''Them'' I fear, as should you. As should anyone.
** He's not immune to his own recriminations, however. A late-game line all but spells out that he believes he's been corrupted and spoiled by magic and regards himself with loathing.
* DoesNotLikeShoes: His leggings leave his heels and toes bare, and one of his idle animations involve him looking at them. Later averted in ''ComicBook/BlueWraith'', where he wears a pair of armored boots.
* DoesNotLikeSpam: He can't stand the smell of "Fish, fish and more fish. Pfaugh!"
* DoNotCallMePaul: His response to [[spoiler: his sister calling him by his real name at the end of "Alone" after he finds out she betrayed him]] is an angry "Stop calling me that!"
* DontYouDarePityMe: Despite his frequent mentioning of his past, he despises people attempting to empathize with him about it.
* DrowningMySorrows: His most personal conversations with Hawke tend to be over a drink, especially when he's about to confess something about his past. It's even implied that part of the reason he's content with staying in the rundown mansion is because of the wine cellar.
* TheEeyore: Probably the most pessimistic of the group, [[OnceDoneNeverForgotten though not as much as they'd have Hawke believe]]. Even in his lighter moments, he's generally dry and rather bleak. By the end of the game, he's ''starting'' to grow out of it.
* {{Elfeminate}}: Lampshaded by Gamlen if a male Hawke romances him.
-->'''Gamlen''': So, you're into elves, huh? I guess I don't have to ask which one of you's the girl.
* EnemyMine:
** He takes this approach about working with any mage except for, potentially, Hawke. If asked about it when he's recruited, he says that he'll be watching the party's mages very closely. Much of his dialogue with Merrill is antagonistic over her blood magic and her naive attitudes regarding elves outside the Dalish, and Hawke can even gain rivalry with him for being nice to her. He tolerates her as a teammate -- if only because Hawke is around. He's much more hostile towards Anders (and in this case the feelings are mutual), though with Bethany he merely suggests that she should be in the Circle; he likes her perfectly well otherwise, probably because she's wary of her powers and acknowledges that they can be dangerous.
** Actually, of particular note of this trope is Anders. Unlike Merrill, the two rarely have a conversation that doesn't end verging on violence. [[spoiler: Even during his Act 3 quest, Anders is the only one to approve of selling him out to Danarius. Contrast that with Merrill being on the verge of tears.]] Even if the player doesn't decide to [[spoiler: give Fenris back to Danarius]], he'll call Fenris a hypocrite and say that he's just jealous when Fenris learns [[spoiler: his sister is a mage,]] even though he likely didn't have any idea.
** The name of his 100% rival ability is even "Enemy of my Enemy".
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: The surviving leader of a group of slave hunters grabs his shoulder and calls him a slave. Fenris turns and shoves his hand through the guy's chest, crushing his heart and killing him instantly (and messily).
* EveryoneHasStandards:
** Despite his hatred of most mages, and his intense and mutual dislike of Anders, when Sebastian brings up the idea of turning him or Merrill in, Fenris angrily refuses to betray Hawke's friends and, by extension, Hawke.
** In spite of his belief that mages should be kept under control, his reactions in the quest "Shepherding Wolves" hint that even ''he'' has reservations about the treatment that Qunari mages receive.
** In the immediate aftermath of "Dissent", he simply suggests it's time Anders recognizes his limitations, and outright says he's ''not'' condemning Anders' efforts in general. Given what he just saw Alrik doing, it's not surprising.
* ExpositoryHairstyleChange: ''ComicBook/BlueWraith'' has him change his hairstyle from an {{Animesque}} one to an undercut with his bangs slicked back, showing his more hardened personality.
* FantasticRacism:
** He suspects that all mages, no matter their intentions, will eventually become power-hungry maniacs unless constantly controlled. [[spoiler:If Hawke sides with the mages in "The Final Straw," Fenris will turn against them unless he has been permanently locked in as a friend or rival or if Hawke calls him on the hypocrisy of supporting the enslavement of mages]]. With a high Friendship, [[CharacterDevelopment Fenris can move a little past this in regards to mages]]. He admits in conversations with both Hawke (particularly a mage Hawke) and Anders in the third act that there are a few mages who are strong enough that they have proven that they do not require the Circle's supervision, pointing out Bethany or a mage Hawke as a specific example.
** Fenris is also not particularly fond of the Dalish. This is rooted in the Dalish viewing themselves as the [[SuperiorSpecies Superior Elves]]. Though with that said, [[MiseryPoker he doesn't think much better of city elves outside Tevinter.]]
* {{Foil}}:
** To Anders. The two are both former slaves (of a sort) that share an intense, unreasonable hatred of those similar to their oppressors who are ruled by their rage. Anders mocks him in ''Legacy'', and they both take pleasure in taking petty digs at each other. The few notable differences between Fenris and Anders (aside from their clashing opinions) is that Fenris [[spoiler: hasn't started a war yet]]; and unlike Anders, Fenris can see reason, admit if he's wrong or being hypocritical, and learn to move past his hatred, even if only a little.
** To Hadriana, though mostly [[AllThereInTheManual only apparent in the Codex]]. She was treated cruelly by the other magisters and their apprentices, which slowly tore down her own decency and led to her own acts of cruelty to the slaves around her.
** To Alarith the shopkeeper in the [[VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins City Elf Origin]]. Both are escaped Tevinter elven slaves, voiced by Creator/GideonEmery, who were chased by slave hunters when they decided to start a new life in Southern Thedas. However, while Alarith happily settled down in the Alienage as a shopkeeper, Fenris shuns the company of his fellow elves and prefers to live "like a ghost" in an abandoned mansion. Alarith was also rescued by the Dalish as he fled Tevinter and thus regards them pretty highly, while Fenris dislikes them.
* FreudianExcuse: His pretty horrifying life as a slave, as well as the fact that it was quite literally [[IdentityAmnesia all he knew]], explains quite a few of his antisocial tendencies.
* FriendsWithBenefits: With Isabela if the player isn't romancing either of them.
* GayOption: One of two for a male Hawke.
* GetOut: [[spoiler: If Hawke convinces him to spare his sister, he simply tells her to get out of his sight. She does, though not without dropping a bombshell about how he got his markings.]]
* GoneHorriblyRight: Denarius wanted a lyrium-empowered MagicKnight SuperSoldier. And, boy, did he get one...
* GoodIsNotNice: Fenris is definitely a JerkAss much of the time and has a very abrasive personality, not to mention a strong prejudice against mages. [[MurderIsTheBestSolution He also tends to answer things like betrayal by ripping out the offender's heart.]] However, Fenris is fiercely loyal and protective to the few people he cares about, is capable of seeing past his anti-mage prejudices and can even be swayed into protecting various mages if given sufficient reason.
* GoodScarsEvilScars: All over his body. They look more like tattoos, however, and they're ''pretty'', like the veins of leaves.
* GreenEyedMonster: He often snaps at Merrill because she's a (rather naive) blood mage, leading to some [[{{Jerkass}} nasty]] moments, especially after her personal quests. But if the player pays attention to some of their conversations, his reasons become clear:
-->''(during Act 1)'' You have all the freedom none of our kind enjoy, and you throw it away. On what?\\
''(after "A Bitter Pill")'' [[IJustWantToBeNormal You had a life]]. [[IJustWantToBeLoved You had a family]]. And you abandoned them to chase after ghosts.
* HappinessInSlavery:
** He tells Hawke that the reason most slaves don't simply run away or rebel is that they don't think of anything beyond satisfying their masters. The only reason he was able to subvert this trope and escape is because [[spoiler:he was accidentally separated from Danarius for a few months and in the care of the Fog Warriors, who treated him as a person instead of an object or a pet. After Danarius returned, the Fog Warriors were prepared to fight to protect him, but Danarius ordered Fenris to kill them [[MoreThanMindControl and he did so]]]]. The resulting WhatHaveIDone shocked him to his core and he ran.
** [[spoiler:If Hawke gives Fenris back to Danarius in Act 3, Danarius' letter states he has wiped Fenris' memories again and implies that he truly believes Fenris is happier as his perfectly obedient self.]]
* HatesBeingTouched:
** See above; between Fenris, Morrigan, and Ariane, this might be becoming a signature of the series. If romanced, he will obviously move out of this ([[IfItsYouItsOkay with Hawke at least]]). In one of their possible romance scenes, he'll nearly attack Hawke when they surprise him with a touch.
** Still has this in ''ComicBook/BlueWraith'', where he shoots Vaea a DeathGlare when she tries to put her hand on his shoulder.
* HeadbuttingHeroes: He hates the party mages who are careless about their abilities -- Anders for thinking he can take a spirit into him and remain in control and Merrill for believing herself justified in using blood magic. He is much more lenient toward Bethany, who is wary of her abilities and wishes she could be normal, and potentially a mage Hawke.
* HeroicNeutral: While he's tired of hiding, he doesn't encourage getting involved in other peoples' business.
* HiddenDepths:
** He is surprisingly fluent in Qunlat and Qunari customs (to the point he actually manages to impress the Arishok if he is in the party on their first meeting).
** Despite his disdain for the Dalish, Fenris does express interest in halla.
* HollywoodAtheist:
** Subversion. His banter with Sebastian reveals that while he's not entirely convinced that the Maker exists, he does feel compelled to believe in ''something''. It's even implied in Act 3 that Sebastian may be rubbing off on him.
--->'''Sebastian''': I saw you at the Chantry last week, Fenris, but I haven't seen you back since.\\
'''Fenris''': I was only delivering something... you needn't concern yourself.\\
'''Sebastian''': But you were praying. Or was that part of the delivery?\\
'''Fenris''': I was... [[BlatantLies trying to blend in]].\\
'''Sebastian''': ''[laughs]'' Oh, yes! You wouldn't want to ruin your reputation.\\
'''Fenris''': Don't you have a city to re-conquer?
** Some banter with Anders confirms this even if you don't have Sebastian's DLC.
--->'''Anders''': Did you ever think about killing yourself?\\
'''Fenris''': I could ask you the same thing.\\
'''Anders''': I'm serious. To get out of slavery, to escape Danarius... don't tell me you never thought about it.\\
'''Fenris''': I did not. To kill oneself is a sin in the eyes of the Maker.\\
'''Anders''': You... believe that?\\
'''Fenris''': I try to. Some things ''must'' be worse than slavery.\\
'''Anders''': Some things are worse than death.
* HomelessHero: Fenris squats in his former master's abandoned Hightown mansion, which has corpses lying around in places.
* {{Hypocrite}}:
** He believes mages are too powerful to be trusted and will inevitably abuse their power, so they should accept being enslaved and controlled by the Chantry. He himself is an escaped slave [[MagicKnight with magical powers]] who is being hunted by his former master and will mercilessly kill those who are no longer a threat to him if they piss him off enough. At least half of his arguments for corralling and controlling mages could also apply to him. Anders [[WhatTheHellHero even calls him out on it once or twice]].
--->'''Anders/Justice''': And he is so free to condemn others for the same sin.
** He's vehemently against slavery, yet supports locking up mages and denying them the freedoms and equal rights that others enjoy. Hawke can point out this hypocrisy at the final quest if [[spoiler:they side with the mages, prompting Fenris to turn against Meredith and support Hawke.]]
** He mocks Hawke for making a deal with the demon during "Night Terrors"... and then proceeds to make a deal with a demon himself shortly after.
*** If Anders is also in the party, Fenris will actually approve of making the deal purely because it angers his rival.
** Fenris has little sympathy for free elves (both city and Dalish) because he feels they squander their freedom, and that slaves [[MiseryPoker have it worse]] anyway. Yet he himself doesn't do much with ''his'' freedom besides squat in an abandoned mansion and [[TheAlcoholic hit the wine cellar]] whenever he's not trailing after Hawke (and still does so even if [[spoiler:he kills Danarius]]). Also, while not slaves, he overlooks how most city elves (at least) are so second-class there's practically little difference, and that they don't use their "freedom" to strive for more because they have also been [[FantasticRacism conditioned by their respective societies]] [[SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids not to expect or hope for more]], almost as surely as he claims [[MoreThanMindControl most]] [[HappinessInSlavery slaves]] have been.
** Fenris accuses Merrill of having a "smug sense of superiority" against other elves for being Dalish, despite the fact that Merrill helps other elves and he does not. During the story, she works tirelessly for years to revive an artifact she genuinely believes will help their people, then after the game Varric reveals (in ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition DAI]]'') that she dedicates her life to helping Kirkwall's elven refugees. Fenris, meanwhile, never lifts a finger to help elves. He rejects Merrill's repeated invitations to come down to the alienage where she lives, refuses Sebastian's suggestion that he teach other elves how to fight (despite secretly looking down on them for not fighting), and in the years after the game [[spoiler:he spends his time hunting slavers]]. See BoomerangBigot above.
** Fenris berates Merrill for giving up her home and family to "chase ghosts" uncovering lost elvhen artifacts, and Merrill counters that he's also risking his hard-won freedom and new life in Kirkwall on the off-chance that he ''might'' uncover memories of his past. While Fenris claims he at least has nothing to lose, he [[GreenEyedMonster overlooks how]] Merrill was kept separate from and made to feel like an outsider in her Clan too (meaning she also felt she had little to lose), and Fenris himself often pushes away people who try to get close to him (particularly other elves) so his [[GreenEyedMonster anger]] at Merrill doing the same is a touch ironic.
** On a less antagonistic note, in ''Mark of the Assassin'' Fenris tries to discourage Hawke from risking themself by getting involved in the affairs of others... even though the whole reason Fenris and Hawke started traveling together was because Hawke was willing to risk getting involved in Fenris' affairs, and continues to do so every time Fenris asks for further assistance against Danarius in his personal quests.
* ICantBelieveAGuyLikeYouWouldNoticeMe: He seems taken aback that Hawke would be romantically interested in him if they flirt with him. Especially true later on, where he believes that as a former slave he has nothing interesting to provide to Hawke.
* ICantDoThisByMyself: From the moment Hawke meets him, he'll ask for their help using pretty much these exact words. This comes up in his later personal quests as well.
* ILied: Immediately kills a Tevinter mage after she gives him information in exchange for being spared, mercilessly. His demeanor makes it plain he wishes he could have made it more painful and cruel.
* INeedAFreakingDrink[=/=]InVinoVeritas: He's a lot more talkative when he's drunk, and willing to bring up his past in a bit more detail. He also will happily toast a Hawke (even a mage Hawke) who pursued a Friendship with him, and even gets rather flirty at one point, a far call from his usual broody, slightly awkward self.
* IdentityAmnesia: The lyrium-infusion ritual wiped his memory.
* IfItsYouItsOkay: A possible example. Despite his general hatred and suspicion of anything magic related, getting romantically involved with a mage Hawke doesn't seem to bother him in the slightest. Well, not in the magic department, anyway.
** During party banter with Anders, Fenris will admit that he considers Hawke (or Bethany) a strong mage who doesn't need supervision.
*** This is even present if Hawke only pursues a Friendship with him as a mage. At the end of his "Questioning Beliefs" quest in Act 2, he will toast Hawke with a happy smile on his face, stating, "Here's to you, Hawke. A finer mage, I have never met." Considering that he seems to hate ''every other mage'' (sans Bethany), this says a lot.
** He also mentions this nearly by name if romanced during in the aforementioned quest. Due to the lyrium in his skin and his life in slavery, he HatesBeingTouched and has serious trust issues; he's never needed ''or wanted'' anyone before -- but Hawke is unlike anyone he's ever met and might be different.
* IfYouEverDoAnythingToHurtHer: He will warn Anders in this manner, if [[spoiler: Fenris dumped Hawke and Hawke eventually moves on with Anders]].
-->'''Fenris''': You... are living with Hawke now?\\
'''Anders''': What of it?\\
'''Fenris''': Be good to them. Break their heart, and I will kill you.
* InkSuitActor: Not quite, but he does bear more than a passing resemblance to his voice actor.
* InsistentTerminology: Fenris makes it clear there's a difference between a mage and a magister, but assumes all mages will eventually become magisters anyway.
* {{Intangibility}}: The lyrium-infusion gives him the power to make himself partially intangible.
* {{Irony}}: Fenris, who hates mages and magic, [[spoiler:has a sister training to be a magister.]] Just to rub it in, his {{Leitmotif}} sounds very similar to "Mage Pride."
* ItHasBeenAnHonor: Expresses this to Hawke [[spoiler: just before the final battle if he is a friend.]]
-->'''Fenris''': You're a good friend, the only one I've ever had. It will be an honor to fight at your side.
* ItsNotYouItsMe: He gives this apology to Hawke after their first night together, [[spoiler: having momentarily gained back and instantly lost his pre-ritual memories.]]
* JerkassHasAPoint: He's obviously prejudiced against mages because of his past experiences, so most of his opinions on them are pretty harsh. However, he ''does'' actually make a good point on occasion.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: While he does have a searing hatred of mages (although he has respect for ones he deem "stable," like Mage Hawke and Bethany), he's ultimately just a bit cranky and gradually becomes a pretty likeable guy, especially if in a friendship with Hawke. He even starts playing cards once a week with Varric and Donnic.
* KickTheDog:
** [[spoiler: Viciously insulting an already devastated Merrill at the end of both of her personal quests.]]
** Not quite as bad as the above, but after the party helps him clear out the mansion (possibly free of charge), if a mage is in the party he will refer to them as "a viper", and warning Hawke that "it" will only turn on them later. Considering they have done nothing but help him at this point (even ''Anders'' is sympathetic to him at first), this might come off as a bit much. He does apologize when called out on it, at least.
** He approves of [[DealWithTheDevil dealing with a demon]] during "Night Terrors," [[spoiler:dooming an innocent to possession in the process and risking the lives of everyone around him]], as long as Anders is in the party -- because Hawke will have to fight him when Justice/Vengeance (the dominant personality in the Fade) objects.
** In a minor quest, Hawke gives a letter to Thrask, whose daughter is a mage. He is the only one who disapproves if Hawke assures the Templar that his secret is safe, and even ''approves'' (while the rest disapprove in turn) if Hawke chooses to blackmail him instead for his silence.
* TheLadysFavour: Per WordOfGod, the red wristband he begins wearing after spending the night with Hawke is Hawke's favor to him. He also wears Hawke's sigil on his belt.
* {{Leitmotif}}: He's the only companion that has a named theme in the official soundtrack. "Fenris' Theme" is a slow and melancholy piece that combines PlayingTheHeartStrings with bits of a soft OneWomanWail.
* LightningBruiser: As a warrior specializing in two-handed weapons, Fenris can hack through low-level enemies almost as easily as he can stick a hand through someone's chest. His unique specialization combines the best passive skills from the Reaver and Berserker classes into one lethal package, allowing him to increase his attack speed and restore his stamina every time he kills an enemy, causing his battle effectiveness to snowball. Low survivability, the one weakness of two-handers, is partially mitigated by his "Lyrium Ghost" sustained mode.
* LockedIntoStrangeness: ''ComicBook/BlueWraith'' reveals that before he was given the lyrium markings, Fenris had blonde hair.
* LongLostRelative: [[spoiler:He has a sister named Varania. Like Alistair before him, the reunion doesn't go well. But in Fenris's case, the sister can wind up dead -- by his own hand.]]
* MarkedChange: He's already dangerous enough as is, but his lyrium tattoos [[PowerGlows light up]] when he draws power from them and make him even more dangerous.
* MeaningfulName: Shares his name with the monstrous wolf Fenrir of Norse mythology, who slays Odin during Ragnarök (an apocalypse of terrible winter and war) after breaking free of his magical bindings. In ''Dragon Age'' lore, it means "little wolf" in Elvish[[labelnote:ETYM]]Fen meaning "wolf" and -ris being a diminutive[[/labelnote]], and was chosen by his former master. [[spoiler: His birth name, Leto, directly translates as "summer" in some Slavic languages, and "he who is always happy" in Latin. Considering his current less than sunny disposition, this goes to show how much he's lost.]]
* MiseryPoker: Unless you're a Tevinter slave muggle, don't talk about your problems in front of Fenris unless you want to hear about how he's seen and experienced far worse. Particularly mages and elves; He has no sympathy for Southern Thedas mages because Tevinter slaves are treated worse by Tevinter mages, and he doesn't care about Southern Thedas city elves because Tevinter elves have it worse anyway.
* MoralityPet: Although he is eager to pounce on the faults of mages, his relationship with Bethany is generally quite cordial. Hawke can qualify as a second example, especially if they're a mage and ''especially'' if they're engaged in a romance with him.
* MoreThanMindControl: By his own words, a slave does not dream of freedom but thinks only of satisfying his master. Fenris's initial escape had been an accident, not deliberate, and even after months spent outside of his master's influence, upon his return it felt unthinkable for him to do anything but obey. Danarius also claims that Fenris had once felt affection for him. Of course, it bears remembering that Danarius is a [[AlwaysChaoticEvil Tevinter magister]].
* MrFanservice: That's pretty much runs the norm for elves anyway; especially if they have white hair, green eyes, a DarkAndTroubledPast, and happens to wear skin-tight black clothing. The cover for the first issue of ''ComicBook/BlueWraith'' even has him suffering from ClothingDamage, revealing a lot of his bare back.
* MundaneUtility: Isabela thinks his ability to phase through could help remove sharp objects from people, while Varric thinks it could make pickpocketing easier.
* MusclesAreMeaningless: Very wiry and slender, and uses double-handed weapons that are sometimes bigger than he is with ease. A few of the cutscenes also show off his physical strength as he can [[NeckSnap snap necks]] and toss around human adults with no trouble. Granted, the lyrium under his skin appears to also augment his strength and he mentions intense physical training.
* MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch: Before [[CulturalRebel Sera]] in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'', Fenris was very much the model "not like other elves" "human in elven skin" of the series.
** Somewhat [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] as he doesn't have any elven friends, family, or community that he knows of thanks to an agonizing magical ritual that [[AmnesiacHero wiped all his memories]], and Tevinter has both human and elven slaves. Nevertheless, he's very critical of the flaws of Southern Thedas elven cultures, pointedly refuses to bond with any elves (especially [[TeethClenchedTeamwork Merrill]]) due to their shared elven heritage, and while he often [[SingleIssueWonk harps about Tevinter Magisters all being mages]], he ''never once'' expresses frustration that elves in and out of Tevinter must ''all'' bow to human masters. (Since most, if not all magisters and definitely all Southern Andrastian nobles are humans.)
* MysticalWhiteHair: Fenris has snow-white hair to go with his lyrium markings and the magical abilities they give him. Given the contrast with his dark eyebrows, it's speculated that having the markings infused into his skin also [[PowerDyesYourHair turned his hair white]].
** This is confirmed in the comic ''ComicBook/BlueWraith'', where a flashback to the time just before Leto received his markings shows that he used to have blonde hair.
* NeverLearnedToRead: Comes with the territory as a former slave. Hawke can teach him, though, and will occasionally remark upon his reading in ambient dialogue at the estate.
* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: [[spoiler:Fenris competed for a boon to free his family. He then got the previously-unknown "honor" of being subjected to an agonizing ritual that reduced him to an [[AmnesiacHero amnesia-addled]], [[AcheyScars lyrium-scarred]] MagicKnight SuperSoldier RightHandAttackDog and SexSlave for a corrupt magister. After fleeing said master for years, he finds a brief HopeSpot in reuniting with his lost sister... only to learn she sold him out to said master, because the freedom he underwent so much agony to win for her and their mother turned out not to be a boon after all. Ouch]].
* NoSocialSkills: His intense bitterness and lack of life experience outside of Tevinter slavery left him bitter, largely tactless, and extremely poor at forming relationships with others. Depending on his relationship with Hawke, he does get better.
* NoodleImplements: During his recruitment quest, Hawke opens a chest in a house in the alienage, expecting to recover Anso's lost property, but it's empty. During their first conversation with Fenris, he inquires what was in the chest, and upon learning that it was empty, admits that he should have expected nothing less. Hawke asks what he thought would be there, but he doesn't actually answer the question, nor is it ever mentioned again.
* NotSoDifferent: In "Night Terrors," [[spoiler:if he is brought to the Fade, Hawke can say that if he takes the pride demon's offer of power, then he is no better than the magisters. [[MomentOfWeakness It doesn't work]]]].
** As Merrill points out in party banter, they both chase after a forgotten past: she the lost culture and magical technology of their people, Fenris his forgotten life and memories. It doesn't endear her to him any, but she's not wrong either. [[HypocriteHasAPoint However, Fenris does fire back that at least he has nothing to lose from the start, while she had everything that many would dream of having, such as a home and a family, but she didn't hesitate to give it all up.]] [[BothSidesHaveAPoint However, Merrill does point out that Fenris is risking his hard-won freedom and new home in Kirkwall on the off-chance that he might learn something about his past,]] playing the trope straight.
** For how much Fenris and Anders hate each other, they're both "angry homeless men" who were subject to institutionalized injustice due to their birth (Anders for being a mage born outisde Tevinter, Fenris for being a Tevinter elven slave), both had to fight for their freedom, both carry a bitter hatred of people like those who oppressed them (Anders for non-mages, Fenris for mages), and both have some strong MiseryPoker tendencies; both dismissing the plight of people not like themselves (mages for Anders, Tevinter slaves for Fenris) because they both believe ''they'' suffered worse. Their {{Leitmotif}}s are even very similar to each other. That being said, Fenris can be pushed in the right direction and improve his stances on mages even if just by a small margin, but it's impossible to talk Anders out of his mindset until it's far too late.
* OddCouple: With a mage-supporting (or just mage) Hawke. Both he and a mage Hawke can note the irony of it at one point.
* OddFriendship: He has a few.
** With Sebastian. Their world views are extremely different, but they like each other a lot.
** With Bethany or a mage Hawke, despite his dislike of mages; he gets along very well with either of them, even noting to Anders in party banter that he considers them strong enough to live outside the Circle without supervision.
** With Aveline, and by extension Donnic, who stops by his mansion to play a hand of cards every week, but tells Aveline they ''[[BlatantLies never]]'' gamble.
--->'''Fenris''': He's a good man, Aveline. I enjoy his company.
* {{Omniglot}}: He speaks Tevene, the common tongue (the language of the Dwarves and the Free Marches), and picked up Qunlat by listening to the Qunari (though Tallis thinks his accent needs work). It's impressive for an amnesiac who can't read when Hawke first meets him.
* OnlyFriend: He admits more than once that he's not certain what having a friend means. While he's opened up a fair bit by the third act, Hawke is one of the few people he feels comfortable outright ''calling'' friend.
* OptionalPartyMember: Hawke can only meet him by doing a side quest in Act 1; fail to complete it and he's {{Permanently Missable|Content}}.
* PardonMyKlingon: He uses Tevinter swear words when he is upset.
* PeekABangs: Camera angles and his tendency to duck his head or look away during some emotionally-charged moments mean his hair sometimes covers his eyes, which emphasizes his vulnerability.
* PermanentlyMissableContent: Unlike the other companions, his personal questline and romance can be completely derailed if the player doesn't use him in the right area at the right time.
* PetTheDog:
** [[spoiler:After making very cruel remarks towards Merrill after the latter's final personal quest, he will (grudgingly) admit that the Keeper must have truly cared for her if she was willing to sacrifice herself for her, and (in his own [[JerkAss way]]) encourages her to live up to her memory.]]
** He gets several other moments, like during the quest "A Bitter Pill," when he [[spoiler:shows genuine concern and sympathy for the elven slave Orana and gets angry if Hawke decide to take her as their slave]]. There are also many moments between him and [[spoiler:Hawke, especially if Hawke is in a friendly romance with him, or are at least friends, even if Hawke is a mage. Most of them are sweet enough to qualify as extremely heartwarming.]]
** If he and Bethany are brought to the Chateau in ''Mark of the Assassin'', he will comment that she should get herself one of the Orlesian gowns. Her response varies depending on what faction she has joined in the course of the game, but if the DLC is done during Act 1, she just warily asks him why. His answer borders on ShipTease.
---> '''Fenris''': Because you would look pretty in one.
** In the quest "All That Remains," if Hawke resorts to using blood magic to find Leandra, despite being normally against it Fenris doesn't protest and no rivalry points are gained from him, showing that he knows how dire the situation is for Hawke.
** He shows sympathy towards ''Anders'' if the latter kills Ella, telling him that he should try to learn his limits (as a suggestion, not an insult).
** He hates mages, but never once does he deride Hawke's father in ''Legacy'', and even calls Malcolm a good man after Hawke encounters the remnants of his ghost. And when they learn that [[spoiler: Malcolm used blood magic to seal Corypheus]], Fenris merely comments about [[spoiler: the danger a magister-turned-darkspawn may bring; likely because he understands ''why'' Malcolm used blood magic in the first place]].
* PhlebotinumRebel: The same markings that made him a valuable bodyguard also help him repel any attempts to recapture him.
* PowerDyesYourHair: Since his eyebrows don't match the hair on his head [[spoiler:and his sister is a redhead]], many fans believe that his hair was once brown/black but turned white during the lyrium branding process.
* PowerGlows: His lyrium scars glow when he is [[IntangibleMan phasing]]. Some PartyBanter suggests they have a slight glow, visible through clothing, even when he isn't using his powers. Varric thinks this is "kind of cool."
* PowerTattoo: The lyrium tattoos, obviously.
* PrecisionFStrike: He outright calls Hadriana a "bitch" after killing her, showing just how much he hates her to the point that he can't bring himself to spare her despite promising to do so.
* PrettyBoy: He's most likely older than twenty, but considering the new, leaner body model for elves, he certainly fits the aesthetic.
* PrimalStance: Compare his posture with, say, Merrill's.
* ProperlyParanoid: He suspects slavers around every corner and a trap behind every stroke of luck. He's usually right.
* PuppyDogEyes: During his romance scenes -- and every time Hawke's back is turned, if Merrill is to be believed, though he denies it.
-->'''Fenris''': There are no puppy eyes!
* RapeAsBackstory: Heavily implied in dialogue, and WordOfGod confirms it. This puts Isabela's "glistening" joke in Act 2 in a rather unfortunate light. He seems to take it rather well though, all things considered.
* {{Reconstruction}}: Of the stereotypical roleplayer's "first D&D character," being a brooding, sexy lone wolf, too-hardcore magical elf ninja with a dark past, a bad attitude, and special rage powers who might as well be wielding a katana and seems inspired by an overindulgence in juvenile shonen manga and cheap fantasy literature. Not only does the story go to great lengths to show just how "uncool" this type of character really is (yes, you can go on an awesome, bloody revenge spree against the people who ruined your life... [[AndThenWhat but then what?]] "Broody, violent and aloof" also isn't much fun to be around, so good luck making friends when you need them), it constantly and deliberately pokes fun at it and the more it develops, the more does Fenris' character grow beyond its roots into a more well-rounded and sympathetic one. Bonus points for showing that as he does that, he naturally becomes more comfortable around others, eventually coming to genuinely like spending time with his friends and even fooling around a bit rather than spending all of his time looking "dark and aloof".
* RevengeBeforeReason:
** In his personal quest in Act 2, he kills a hired sword after [[JackBauerInterrogationTechnique interrogating him]], and then kills Hadriana despite promising not to kill the latter in return for information about his past. Neither of these people were exactly innocent (Hadriana may have even [[KickTheSonOfABitch deserved it]]), but he still killed them after it was obvious they were no longer a threat to him. He also yells at Hawke if they try to call him out on it. To his credit, he does clearly regret his behavior, and he goes to Hawke to apologize later. He even claims he genuinely intended to let Hadriana go, and is ashamed that he gave into his hatred when he thought he'd moved past it.
** Even in Act 3, [[spoiler:he will kill his sister who, while she did sell him out to Danarius, did so out of desperation, did not participate in the ensuing fight, and is completely unarmed and cowering in the corner at the time]]. His CharacterDevelopment is showcased in how Hawke and the others ''can'' talk him out of it.
* SavedToEnslave: Fenris' personal quest "A Bitter Pill" ends with Hawke rescuing an elf named Orana. Should Hawke offer her work at the Hawke Manor, Fenris reacts with derision. The player can then choose to make her a slave and play this trope straight or avert it and offer her a paid position.
* ScarsAreForever: Due to being infused with lyrium when he was transformed. They cause him some amount of pain, more so when touched.
* SeenItAll: He gives off this impression with his generally stoic reactions, especially concerning the darker side of magic, though he is not in all likelihood older than his mid-twenties.
* SexSlave: Although his primary purpose was to be Danarius' bodyguard/living weapon, WordOfGod confirms that he also served in such a capacity.
* ShutUpHannibal: He gives a rather spectacular one to [[spoiler:Danarius]] when he starts in on an evil rant in his final personal quest.
-->'''Fenris''': ''(scars glowing)'' Shut your mouth, [[spoiler:Danarius]]!\\
[[spoiler:'''Danarius''']]: ''(frustrated sigh)'' The word is "master."
* SlaveCollar: Used to have one. Danarius apparently used to like to keep him ''leashed'' as a parody of a Saarebas.
-->'''Anders''': Ouch.
* SoWhatDoWeDoNow: The gist of his final "Questioning Beliefs" conversation. He decides that even if neither he nor Hawke has a clear answer, it's entirely ''his'' decision for once.
-->'''Fenris''': The future of a slave is never uncertain, but I am no longer a slave. Perhaps it is time I remembered that.
* SpikesOfVillainy: The implications of the spikes all over his armor is discussed by the party once or twice, though he's an AntiHero.
-->'''Varric''': You do know the elf is covered in spikes, like an angsty porcupine? He might have some... [[BrokenBird issues]].
* TheStoic: It's highlighted most in combat. Every other character shouts in the heat of battle, but Fenris, tending toward TranquilFury as he does, with the exception of a few battle cries, delivers his combat lines in the same dry tone he uses in casual conversation.
** NotSoStoic: ...[[BigNo Unless and until Hawke is knocked unconscious.]]
* StraightManAndWiseGuy: Straight man to Snarky! Hawke / Varric / Isabela.
* SugarAndIcePersonality: ''Very'' icy by default, but if accompanying the right people or if Hawke is nice to him (or even romances him), he can show his softer side.
* SuperSoldier: He mentions that there are other soldiers with markings like his, but they're very rare. [[spoiler: He had to compete against other warriors to earn the "honor", not that he was told about it going in.]]
* TemptingFate: In his first Act 2 conversation, he reflects that it's been three years since Danarius sent anyone after him, and dares to hope that he's finally given up. Naturally, his personal quest for that act proves him wrong.
* TiredOfRunning: He's already been on the run for around three years when Hawke first meets him. He chooses to stay in Kirkwall because it's a "fortified position" and Hawke is his first ally of any substance.
* TranquilFury: ''Constantly'', to the point that he has an actual class ability (Veneer of Calm) that gives him a bonus to damage as his health drops.
* TroubledButCute: He claims he doesn't brood. Varric isn't buying it for a second, and describes him as broody every now and then.
** BrokenBird: Has a few shades of this as well.
* UndyingLoyalty: While it's a given with every companion [[spoiler: (except Sebastian and Anders)]], so as long as he's a full friend or rival and all his personal quests are completed, Fenris will pledge his loyalty to Hawke. His loyalty is steadfast to the point that even if [[spoiler: Hawke sides with the mages at the endgame]], he states that while he thinks it's a mistake he refuses to turn on them.
* UnstoppableRage: He usually doesn't emote much, but once any of his [[BerserkButton buttons]] is pushed, he's quick to reveal just how much fury he keeps bottled up.
* VengeanceFeelsEmpty: The aftermath of both his personal quests. In spite of years of abuse, he feels only disquiet after killing Hadriana -- and finally killing Danarius leaves him wondering what he's going to do next.
* VillainsNeverLie: Averted for Hadriana, played straight for Danarius. While Fenris is understandably skeptical of Hadriana's information on his "sister" [[spoiler:which he spends years cautiously researching to make sure it's true]], he and the party take Danarius's [[spoiler:and Varania's]] claim that [[spoiler:Fenris had ''competed'' for his lyrium markings]] at face value.
* WarriorVersusSorcerer: He's an elven warrior and former slave who's been spending the past few years hunting down Tevinter slavers, all of whom are magisters. More specifically, his personal questline deals with hunting down the magister named Danarius, who has been keeping Fenris' mother and sister as slaves.
* WhatHaveIDone: The incident that prompted him to run away from Danarius [[spoiler:when he killed the Fog Warriors, who had rescued and cared for him, on Danarius' orders]]. He says at first it wasn't Danarius he was running from.
* WhatTheHellHero:
** Hawke can give him one of these for breaking his word about leaving Hadriana alive. While he lashes out at Hawke for it, he does apologize later and states that Hawke did not deserve that response.
** [[spoiler: Hawke can also call him out on his hypocrisy concerning keeping mages captive during the final quest and get him to turn his back on supporting Meredith. It says something about how much he respects Hawke, considering how Anders has been browbeating him about that particular issue since Act 1 (or possibly about how much he dislikes Anders).]]
** He himself will be furious at Hawke if they choose [[spoiler: to take Orana as a slave]]. Be particularly blasé about it and he'll [[PardonMyKlingon curse at Hawke in Tevene]] and [[SpitefulSpit spit at the ground]] before storming off. [[note]]He's quickly mollified and even a little ashamed of his outburst if you tell him you intend to pay her.[[/note]]
** After the final events of Merrill's second personal quest, Fenris will be particularly hostile towards her, calling her a "witch".
** He also calls out Isabela on her actions near the end of the second act, since when [[spoiler: the Arishok declares that he'll bring both the tome of Koslun and Isabela back to Par Vollen]], he tells Isabela that she can't expect to get off scot-free for what she did.
* WithUsOrAgainstUs: Played with and very much downplayed, especially when compared to Anders. Fenris naturally disapproves whenever Hawke expresses support of mage freedom or even simply sympathy of the mages' plight, and in party banter he can needle others for their opinions on mages and Templars. To his credit, with the exceptions of [[TeethClenchedTeamwork Anders and Merrill]] he doesn't immediately regard the other companions as enemies if their opinion slightly differs from his, and in case he and Hawke are rivals (which is easy to achieve with a pro-mage Hawke) the "worst" part of their relationship is that they mutually AgreeToDisagree.
* YouAreACreditToYourRace: His opinion of Bethany or a mage Hawke. He gains a great deal of respect for them for their ability to control their power and temptation, and believes that they have proven themselves strong enough that they do not need the supervision of the Circle.
* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: When Sebastian suggests he train other elves as they'd admire his accomplishments, Fenris sounds genuinely confused and says he hasn't accomplished anything. Sebastian doesn't think he's giving himself enough credit.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sebastian Vael]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sebastian_2.png]]
->'''Voiced by''': Alec Newman
\\

->''"It's odd... when I wanted to rule, I would have been terrible at it. Now that I might be decent, I don't know if it's the right thing to do."''

\\
An archer of noble birth and brother of the Chantry, Sebastian is recruited via ''The Exiled Prince'' DLC. He joins Hawke in Act 2 after Hawke helps him avenge the death of his family (the rulers of Starkhaven) in Act 1. He becomes torn between his loyalty to the Chantry and his desire to retake Starkhaven. He is a romance option for a female Hawke.
----

!!The Mages

[[folder:Anders]]

''See [[Characters/DragonAgeRecurringPartyMembersPartTwo this page]].''

[[/folder]]


!!The Warriors

!!The Rogues

[[folder:Isabela]]

''See [[Characters/DragonAgeRecurringPartyMembersPartOne this page]].''

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Varric Tethras]]
''See [[Characters/DragonAgeRecurringPartyMembersPartTwo this page]].''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Merrill]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/da2_merrill_3.jpg]]
->'''Voiced by''': Creator/EveMyles

->''"It's a Keeper's job to remember. Even the dangerous things."''

A Dalish Elf who was Keeper Marethari's First in the Dalish Elf Origin. She returns in ''Dragon Age II'' as a companion after leaving her clan for mysterious reasons. She is a romance option for a Hawke of either gender.

* ActionGirl: Merrill's every bit as [[BuffySpeak actiony]] as the other ladies; see BewareTheNiceOnes below.
* AdmiringTheAbomination: In ''Legacy'', she's fascinated by an altar to Dumat and decides she wants a pet Deepstalker.
* UsefulNotes/{{Agnosticism}}: A refreshingly realistic version. While she is a practitioner of the Elvhen religion, she isn't fully convinced of the existence of any known gods, believing that most religions are just stories that people use to explain the world, and would rather stick with her people's stories rather than the ones that humans try to push on them. However, she doesn't actively ''dis''believe in any gods either; she seems open to the existence of any gods, even if proof of their existence hasn't been made known yet.
-->'''Hawke''': She is with the [[{{God}} Maker]] now.\\
'''Merrill''': Or [[TheGrimReaper Falon'Din]]. You never know.
* AffectionateNickname: "Daisy" from Varric and "Kitten" from Isabela.
* AllLovingHero: Merrill is extremely kind and cordial to everyone she meets. Despite her people's animosity against humans she's kind to every human she meets [[spoiler:save one instance if Hawke refuses to give her an artifact that belongs to her people]], despite some unintentionally haughty comments about city elves to Fenris early on she's sweet to everyone in the alienage, [[spoiler:if she moves in with Hawke]] Varric claims she annoys the neighbors by cooing over their vicious attack dogs, she talks to Anders about kittens in her market, her personal quests involve her working tirelessly for years on end to revive an ancient elven artifact she believes will help her people, [[spoiler:and post-game she dedicates her life to helping Kirkwall's elven refugees]].
** Of all companions, she's also the most openly compassionate regarding the plight of mages, elves, and non-elves alike; not favoring or scorning any one group based on whether or not she's personally a part of it (read: [[SingleIssueWonk Anders to mages]] and [[MiseryPoker Fenris to slaves]]). She also never hesitates to offer a kind word or support for [[DrJerk Anders]] and [[SugarAndIcePersonality Fenris]], despite how consistently ''[[KickTheDog vicious]]'' they are to her.
* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: Shunned by her clan for being a blood mage. [[spoiler:Keeping the eluvian that tainted Tamlen and the Dalish Warden doesn't help things either.]]
** Even before that, Merrill hints that the only people in the clan to whom she was truly close were the Dalish Warden, Tamlen, and the Keeper. Being the First alienated her from her peers; additionally, she was born into a different clan (which is why she has a different accent) and was given to Keeper Marethari's clan because of her magic, so she didn't know the other clan members from birth the way they knew each other.
* AmbiguousDisorder: See LiteralMinded and NoSocialSkills.
* AmbiguousSituation: Given some revelations about the nature of demons and spirits in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'', was the "spirit" Merrill learned blood magic from [[spoiler:really a Pride Demon trying to possess her by manipulating her {{Pride}}? Or was it a Spirit of Wisdom offering knowledge (since she came to it seeking answers to help her people, and was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt), but the rest of her Clan (particularly Marethari) refusing to see it as anything but a demon out to possess Merrill was what corrupted it into being a demon in the first place? (Since spirits reflect the emotions and expectations of a mortal, and a mortal expecting to see a demon [[SelfFulfillingProphecy turns it into one]])]]? Since Hawke never sees the "spirit" before [[spoiler:Marethari is possessed]], we may never know.
* ApologizesALot: She gives an apology every three sentences.
* AscendedExtra: She was a temporary companion for half of the hour-long Dalish Origin, there to give the player a mage temporarily. By the developers' own admission, she did not appear long enough to have a personality. In ''Dragon Age II'', she returns as a full companion.
* BadassAdorable: You wouldn't think a klutzy, naive elf could also be a blood mage.
* BadassBookworm: While not so much in the traditional bookworm sense (the Dalish rely more on oral traditions), she is noted as an extremely talented mage and historian.
* BadPowersGoodPeople: She's sweet, optimistic, and means harm to no one. She's also a practicing blood mage and demon summoner. This is the cause of most of her problems with others in-game. This also [[DeconstructedTrope ties into]] Merrill's FatalFlaw. ''Merrill'' knows that she would never use her blood magic for nefarious purposes, so she automatically expects everyone else to know that too, and doesn't understand why they are not willing to ignore the art's long and ugly history to give her the benefit of the doubt.
* BarefootLoon: See CloudCuckoolander and DoesNotLikeShoes.
* BeneathNotice: After arriving in Kirkwall, she finds most Templars don't look twice at her - she's just another elf.
* BerserkButton: The easiest way to gain rivalry points from her is to vilify -- or even simply express (oftentimes justified) caution towards -- blood magic and demons in any way, whether or not she is involved.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: Merrill is extremely nice, kind, and adorable. She is also a practicing blood mage, a demon summoner, the only mage in the party who has ''[[BlackMage no]]'' [[BlackMage healing spells]], and access to at least half a dozen spell trees full of hideous death in flavors ranging from 'mass human flambe' to 'torn apart by Eldritch tentacles' to 'I will punch you in the soul!'
-->'''Merrill''': May the Creators have mercy on you, I certainly won't!
* BlackMage: Her repertoire is all killing or mezzing, no buffing or healing.
* BlackMagicianGirl: [[GenkiGirl Genki]], {{moe}}, [[ThePollyanna naive]], dabbles in BloodMagic and [[DealWithTheDevil deals with demons]]. Her magic repertoire is strictly damage-dealing, and her two main specialty powers are called "[[CastFromHitPoints Blood of the First]]" and "Wrath of the Elvhen." Unusually, however, she's an adult and a potential LoveInterest.
* BlatantLies: By the DLC she's telling them about Dalish culture purely to be snarky.
* BloodMagic: She's using it to fix the eluvian. In battle, her specialization is almost the same as mage Hawke's own Blood Magic tree.
* BluntMetaphorsTrauma: Frequently.
* BothSidesHaveAPoint: Merrill's conflict with Marethari. Marethari has a point that EvilIsNotAToy, Merrill cannot control the consequences of her research, and she's taking a ''big'' risk in messing with the eluvian, demons, and blood magic. Merrill counters that she uses due diligence in minimizing contact with the spirit, only used the blood magic to power a ritual the cleanse the shard, and the Eluvian was only dangerous due to the darkspawn taint that she cleansed it of. She calls Marethari out for treating her like a naive child and not trusting that she knows what she's doing. It's up to Hawke who to side with, which influences whether they pursue a Friendship or Rivalry path with Merrill.
* BreakTheCutie:
** The game (and [[EnemyMine certain]] [[HeadbuttingHeroes party members]]) seem very determined to punish her for her optimism and naivete in the face of a CrapsackWorld. Though she has a few moments where she breaks down, for the most part she always [[PluckyGirl bounces back]].
** [[spoiler:She's not so plucky in Act 3's "A New Path", especially if Hawke doesn't make [[GuideDangIt precisely the correct choice]]. In the worst-case scenario, her entire clan she worked to restore to their former glory will end up dead. Even in the best case scenario, she'll be slightly more brittle for the rest of the game.]]
* BuffySpeak: Sometimes. For example, she calls Carver's fighting style "swording" and Carver himself a "sworder" because she really doesn't know what style he uses.
* ByronicHero: Second only to Anders in her tragic character arc. She is clever, emotional and willing to use forbidden magic and be shunned by everyone in order to restore the mirror and help her people. Also like Anders, she is very proud and refuses to listen to warnings, feeling she is already taking enough precautions.
* CannotSpitItOut: If pursuing the friendly or flirty paths with her, it's implied Merrill develops a crush on Hawke seemingly from the moment they first meet. However, Hawke must literally spell it out for Merrill that they actually feel the same way before they can begin a relationship.
* CassandraTruth: Merrill spends most of the game believing that the Eluvian is an important relic from her people's past, and can help restore their former glory. Most characters (including potentially Hawke) dismiss her as a naive idiot messing with knowledge and powers too great for her to understand or control. [[spoiler:''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' reveals that Eluvians are indeed ''instrumental'' to the elves future, and when the [[PlayerCharacter Inquisitor]] and Morrigan enter the Crossroads filled with every eluvian ever made, Merrill's ramshackle restored eluvian is among them, though as yet unactivated.]]
** To a lesser extent, Merrill spends most of the game claiming that spirits aren't all demons out to possess people, and while all spirits should be treated with a degree of caution, they can also offer valuable knowledge and should be given the benefit of the doubt. She is almost ''universally'' derided as a naive, childlike idiot. However, ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' reveals that [[spoiler:most spirits indeed reflect the emotions and expectations of mortals around them. A mortal who expects to see a demon [[SelfFulfillingProut twists it into a demon since the spirit has no choice but to reflect those expectations]].]] So, in that sense, Merrill wasn't far off the mark.
* ChandelierSwing: If she moves in with Hawke, she's suspect number one when Hawke finds handprints on the chandelier.
* CharacterDeath: [[spoiler:If Hawke sides with the templars during the final battle, has a full rivalry with Anders (meaning he can be persuaded to turn against the mages), did not complete all of Merrill's personal quests, and does not choose the "Join me" option when confronting her, Merrill will turn against Hawke and will be killed.]]
* CharacterDevelopment:
** If a full rival and her final personal quest is complete, [[spoiler: she finally admits she was wrong to use blood magic and blames herself for not listening and thus causing Marethari to sacrifice herself for her]]. As a rival she also grows a bit more serious in conversations with Hawke and isn't as easily flustered as she was previously.
** She also gets character development if she's a full friend instead of rival, but the development is in the opposite direction: [[spoiler: she realizes that her people are just as flawed as they insist everyone else to be, and that there are better things for her to do with her time than endlessly worry about what her people thought of her. She spends the rest of the game slightly happier, not feeling that she is alone in the world and that she cannot make decisions by herself.]]
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: In the first game, she comes across as having a straight-to-the-point, no-nonsense demeanor as opposed to her CloudCuckoolander tendencies in this game.
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}:
** Merrill wonders how Qunari scratch their heads. She wonders if they rub their horns on trees like Halla[[note]][[CallARabbitASmeerp AKA Fantasy Deer]][[/note]] do. This is but one of many random thoughts that come out of her mouth.
** Merrill knows how deep the harbor waters are because ''she fell in them''.
** Should her romance path be completed, she will move in with Hawke in Hightown. Her codex states that she stuns the neighbors by [[DoesNotLikeShoes walking barefoot]], picking flowers out of people's gardens, and [[{{Squee}} cooing]] at the nobles' guard dogs, among other adorable antics.
** If she moves in, Hawke seems to have the sneaking suspicion she's the one who's been swinging on the chandelier in the Estate (which leads to a curious incident involving a broken wardrobe for which she apologizes in ''Legacy'').
** Likewise, if she moves in, Merrill names all of the falcon sculptures around the estate. Apparently, the one on the north side is called "Finnegan", while the one near the fireplace window has been dubbed "Messere Pointy-Face".
** Her greatest desire is to [[FluffyTamer own a baby Griffon]], despite the fact that they have been extinct in Thedas for over 200 years. She'd call it ''[[FluffyTheTerrible Feathers]]''.
** If importing a save with the Dalish Warden, she mentions that Duncan was the first human she'd ever seen with facial hair. She admits she initially thought his [[BadassBeard beard]] was a ''squirrel'' that had grabbed him by the chin.
* TheCuckoolanderWasRight: If it isn't destroyed, [[spoiler:when the Inquisitor visits the Crossroads in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'', her distinctly cracked ramshackle-looking eluvian is there among all the others, implying that at some point she got it working in at least some capacity. Although it's likely that she still lacks the key required to activate it, there's nothing to stop it from being activated in the future.]]
* {{Cuckoosnarker}}: See {{Cloudcuckoolander}} and DeadpanSnarker.
* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Also happens a lot.
** When Hawke is helping Aveline with Donnic.
---> '''Merrill''': Don't be silly. A dowry would only matter if you were courting him.\\
'''Aveline''': Merrill...\\
'''Merrill''': ''[gasps]'' You're courting him!
** Also when she ruins one of Hawke's attempts to distract some guards...
--->'''Hawke''': You've got to come help! There's a building on fire!\\
'''Guard''': Shit! A fire could destroy the loot, we have to check!\\
'''Merrill''': But there's not really a fire, is there?\\
'''Hawke''': It's a ''trick'', Merrill.\\
'''Merrill''': Oh! Well, it's very clever then!\\
''[guards attack]''
* CovertPervert:
** She reacts with glee at the possibility of finally hearing anything "dirty," especially Isabela's stories.
** In Act 3, she mentions that she misses having all the Qunari around; they didn't smile much, but they were [[WalkingShirtlessScene easy on the eyes.]]
** When speaking to party members in the final battle, and regardless of whether or not she was romanced, it's possible to get this exchange:
--->'''Merrill''': Does all this feel like a dream to you, too?\\
'''Hawke''': In a moment, I'll look down and see I have no pants on.\\
'''Merrill''': ''[giggles]'' The Champion of Kirkwall, going to battle naked. ''({{beat}}, then dreamily)'' Why can't I ever have that dream?
** ''Legacy'' also reveals that a romanced Merrill has been reading Anders's grimoire in the hope of finding "dirty spells" to "make things more exciting" between her and Hawke.
*** An Act 1 conversation between Anders and Isabela reveals that Anders does, in fact, use magic during sex. If Merrill overheard that or had it relayed to her by Isabela, she has a reason to be looking through his spellbook.
* CulturalRebel: Develops a crush on Hawke seemingly at their first meeting, much to her chagrin. During her romance, she laments that to give in to her attraction to Hawke would be seen as betraying her people, who are trying to safeguard the elven bloodline from extinction.
* CuriosityIsACrapshoot: Her desire to know more about her people's history and the exact circumstances behind Tamlen's death through fixing the eluvian is what causes most of her problems. While she takes caution, she's still tinkering with an ancient magical artifact that could attract trouble that she may not be able to keep under control. In her final personal quest, apparitions of various Dalish elves call her out on this trope, particularly Tamlen -- whose death he brought on himself due to ''his'' interest in the eluvian.
-->'''Tamlen''': Curiosity... is a dangerous thing, Merrill. It will never let you rest. Never.
* CuteClumsyGirl: According to the short stories about the love interests, Merrill has an issue with watching where she is going. She also gets lost frequently.
* DarkIsNotEvil: She believes this of blood magic, and of demons. Though she is quick to point out to Anders that just because she isn't adverse to using them doesn't mean she isn't ''fully'' aware of how dangerous they can be.
** Also applies to Merrill herself. She's initially clad in very dark clothing and in possession of a bevy of offensive spells, and of course there's the whole Blood Magic thing. But she's far and away the nicest person to join Hawke's party, and while her actions may be... questionable, she certainly isn't malicious in her intent.
* DeadpanSnarker: Even though she has trouble understanding sarcasm in others, Merrill is still surprisingly good at dishing out snark of her own at certain times.
-->'''Ilen''': How has your time been amongst the shemlen?\\
'''Merrill''': It's been nothing but roses and rainbows, Master Ilen. The Alienage is lovely in the spring. The collapsing shacks and the drunken brutes are offset nicely by the knee-deep mud.
* DeathSeeker: She's carrying around a lot of guilt about the Dalish origin, has questionable self-esteem at best, and her personal quests involve taking near-suicidal risks to try and salvage something good from the eluvian. If she isn't actively trying to sacrifice herself, she's not far from it.
* DeconstructedCharacterArchetype: Merrill's writer Mary Kirby admitted on [[LineToGod Twitter]] that the idea behind Merrill was to deconstruct the "selfless waif willing to sacrifice herself for those around her." Merrill's dabbling in dangerous magic and knowledge causes herself and others unnecessary danger and grief, her belief that she alone can control the outcome of her actions is shown to be an inherently proud and selfish mentality rather than giving and selfless, and that expecting others to stand back and allow her to endanger herself [[spoiler:can result in those close to her getting killed, like Marethari's, because most people wouldn't just stand back and watch someone they love dearly die.]]
* DeliberateValuesDissonance: Merrill is the one Dalish Mage in a party of mostly Andrastian humans (or CulturalRebel dwarf Varric and elf Fenris) who all share pretty uniform Andrastian human worldviews. In particular, Merrill's belief that most spirits should be given the benefit of the doubt (if treated with caution), that blood magic is no more evil than any other magic, and that ancient knowledge is worth pursing clash ''greatly'' with the rest of her party, if not most characters in the game.
* {{Demonization}}: In-universe, Marethari went out of her way to make the Clan hate and fear Merrill for researching the eluvian and learning blood magic from a spirit (in order to force her to stop), to the point that most of them openly despise or are outright terrified of her, treating her as little more than a demon wearing an elf's face. Their treatment saddens Merrill, but she's determined to help them anyway.
* DiggingYourselfDeeper: If asked why she's nervous during her initial introduction:
-->'''Merrill''': I've never met a human before. Dalish mothers frighten their children with stories about you, you know. ''({{beat}})'' Not you, personally, of course. I'm sure they don't have any tales about you. Or not scary ones, at least. ''({{beat}})'' Not that you're not notable enough to have a story... [[ShuttingUpNow I'll just shut up now]].
* DitzyGenius: Merrill's lack of understanding of the social world makes people around her think that she lacks understanding of what she's doing with her magic. But as proven above, it turns out that she knows very well what she's doing, even better than some of the mages in the party.
* DoesNotLikeShoes: Like most elves, despite making multiple comments that she should've worn proper shoes, even after romancing her where she changes her outfit entirely, she still never wears shoes.
* DoesNotUnderstandSarcasm: Leads to comedy gold considering several characters have a fondness for [[DeadpanSnarker dry, sarcastic humor]].
** Only really applies early on, when she's not used to humans - she can be quite sarcastic herself, in fact. But she's always pretty bad at catching innuendo.
* DoNotTauntCthulhu: Unlike the [[DeadpanSnarker rest]] of the Hawke's group, as a member of the Dalish, Merrill knows far better than to do or say anything that might offend Asha'bellanar. During their meeting, she alone remains bowed respectfully and stays that way for some time before Flemeth finally tells her that she ''is'' allowed to stand up properly.
* TheDreaded: To her own clan. So much so that a former friend runs away from her straight to a Varterral at the sight of her.
* DumbassHasAPoint: More like "GeniusDitz" has a point. Merrill often points out that Marethari treats her like a ''child'', and refuses to believe that Merrill might know what she's talking about regarding the eluvian or trust that Merrill is exercising due caution in restoring the eluvian with minimal risk to herself and others. For example, Marethari refused to believe the eluvian was safe to handle due to Tamlen and possibly Mahariel dying from it ''even after'' Merrill purged the darkspawn taint that made it dangerous. Also, while Merrill took precautions in case she was possessed, Marethari refused to believe that Merrill could possibly avoid possession [[spoiler:and lets the demon possess her instead.]]
* EnemyMine: A bit one-sided given her generally friendly nature, but she gets this from both Anders and Fenris for her insistence on using blood magic and demons. Even Sebastian, though he's much nicer to her, regards her as a potential threat and considers turning her and Anders over to the Templars in a conversation with Fenris.
* EntendreFailure: "I miss a lot of dirty things, and sometimes I wouldn't mind hearing them."
* TheExile: Subverted: Hawke's first assumption is that Merrill wants to join the party because she was exiled, but she left of her own volition. [[spoiler:Played straight if her Act 3 quest ends with her clan surviving.]]
* FacialMarkings: Like all adult Dalish elves, Merrill wears Vallaslin on her face. Though many of the designs were changed due to ''Inquisition's'' better graphics, Merril's markings in both of her appearances most closely resemble the design associated with Dirthamen, the Keeper of Secrets. [[CuriosityIsACrapShoot This describes Merril's character quite nicely]].
* FantasticRacism:
** Surprisingly averted, given most Dalish attitudes towards humans. Merrill is sweet to everyone regardless of whether they are humans, elves, or dwarves. She does seem to hold the view that the Dalish are superior (which, given the attitudes she grew up around, is nearly inevitable), which annoys Fenris especially, but even that is not explicit and seems to wane as she lives longer in Kirkwall.
** However, she will pull out racial insults if Hawke is in a rivalry with her, such as if they refuse to give her [[spoiler: the arulin'holm to help her repair the mirror]] in Act 2, [[spoiler:likely because Hawke just hammered home every stereotype she heard growing up]].
--->'''Merrill''': You're keeping a priceless heirloom of ''my'' clan? You have no right! You're not even Dalish! I can't believe you! Why did I trust you? You're just a ''shemlen'' like all the others!
** She also calls Feynriel "[that] half-breed" in a surprisingly nasty manner upon starting the quest "Night Terrors," but that's most likely because she feels betrayed, as she thinks Keeper Marethari ''wouldn't'' be willing to go such lengths to save her, a member of the clan.
* FatalFlaw: Merrill's is that she doesn't understand that her actions have consequences that she cannot completely control, and that those consequences may not stop with her - she's aware that she runs the risk of becoming an abomination, and on some occasions she even makes sure to have someone on hand to [[ShootTheDog kill her]] if that should happen, but she rarely seems to consider the potential collateral damage if she were to become possessed or let a demon loose on the world, and can't remotely grasp that others such as Hawke and Marethari would rather put themselves at risk than let her die. Yet, because she believes she fully understands and accepts the risks of what she's doing, she refuses to listen to warnings or criticism. [[spoiler: Unsurprisingly, the Demon she summoned to help her fix the eluvian, as well as the Demon that causes her to temporarily [[OutOfCharacterMoment turn on Hawke]] whilst they are in the Fade, in both instances are revealed to be ''{{Pride}}'' Demons.]]
* FirstEpisodeTwist: Finding out that the seemingly-innocent elf was a blood mage who has dealt with demons is a bit of a surprise, even if the player is finding this out within fifteen minutes of when Hawke first meets her.
* FishOutOfWater: Not that she fit in that well with the Dalish, either.
* FluffyTamer:
** She really wants a pet griffon, and regards the fact that they're extinct as a minor inconvenience.
** When she first sees Deepstalkers - which look like ''[[http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Deepstalker this]]'' - she calls them ''sweethearts'' and decides she wants one on the spot.
* {{Foil}}: To Velanna from ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening''. Both were the Firsts of their clans, and were eventually exiled due to their altercations with the Keeper. What differs is that in said altercations, Velanna was driven by her temper and Merrill by her pride. Velanna is unpleasant to both humans and non-humans alike but doesn't refute any valid criticisms of her behavior, and Merrill is kind to everyone she meets but gets defensive whenever she's called out on her actions. Velanna believes that it's better to carve a new future for the Dalish than reclaim the past; whereas Merrill believes that recovering the elves' history is the only way to save her clan, and only grows out of it when her plans [[spoiler: cost her the life of others]].
* {{Foreshadowing}}: While she has very little screentime in the first game, she does appear to be extremely interested in using [[spoiler: the eluvian mirror to find information.]] This plays a big part in her companion quests in this game.
** Even back in ''Origins'' Merrill was too quick to ignore warnings about how dangerous Mahariel and Tamlen's illness was despite knowing nothing about it. In ''II'', her refusal to acknowledge warnings about her blood magic and dealings with demons causes her a lot of problems.
** If Hawke brings her along on the "Night Terrors" quest, then she ''will'' fall to Wryme's temptation due to having the highest priority out of any of the tempted party members. [[spoiler: This foreshadows Merrill's FatalFlaw, and the fact that she's more out of her depth when it comes to demons than she thinks she is.]]
* ForgetsToEat: The codex mentions that Varric has to leave food on her doorstep when she gets really fixated [[spoiler:on the eluvian.]]
* GayOption: Can be romanced by either gender.
* GirlNextDoor: According to the developers in the second Dev Diary.
** Evokes the BigBrotherInstinct to life-threatening extremes, even in those who should know better. Even Carver shows uncommon tenderness toward her. Fenris is the only one without a smidgen of pity for her.
* GirlWithPsychoWeapon: Borderline. She uses the same staves as any other mage character, but has access to Blood Magic and other spell trees that are brutal enough on their own.
* GoodBadGirl: Sort of. Shows no signs of actually being sexually active (aside from Hawke, potentially), but she's also clearly interested in sex. To that end, she tries to get Isabela to teach her how to do a SexyWalk and even looks through Anders's book of spells in hopes of finding some dirty spells to spice up her bed time with Hawke.
--> '''Isabela''': So... did you get ''naked?''\\
'''Merrill''': ''Isabela!''\\
'''Isabela''': Look at that blush! ''[[GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex That]]'' [[TheImmodestOrgasm good]], huh?!
** See above, how she calls the shirtless Qunari men "easy on the eyes."
* GreenThumb: She possesses a mix of Keeper magic and her own experimentation with blood magic.
* HappilyAdopted: By Keeper Marethari, as per the Dalish tradition of moving magically-gifted children between the clans to distribute them evenly amongst clans that need them, but by the start of the game their relationship has gotten strained due to the blood magic and demon summoning.
* HeroicBSOD:
** A small one happens if Hawke brings her along on the "Night Terrors" quest, where [[spoiler: she gives in to a Pride Demon's mind control and briefly turns on the party.]] She's pretty shaken up afterwards if Hawke visits her home.
** [[spoiler: A much, ''much'' bigger one comes after her Act 3 quest.]]
* HeroWorshipper: Has more than a little of this when it involves Hawke (unless they're in a rivalry with her), and is certainly the reason behind her implied immediate crush on them, at least at first.
* {{Hikikomori}}: Borderline; between Acts 2 and 3, she's gotten so obsessed with [[spoiler: finishing the Eluvian]] that she's forgetting to eat and often doesn't leave the house for days at a time. Varric comes by each week to convince her to take a break and come outside to make sure things don't get worse.
* ICantBelieveAGuyLikeYouWouldNoticeMe: Despite growing a crush on Hawke immediately, she evidently did not expect Hawke to reciprocate as Merrill consistently fails to notice Hawke's advances. This is especially evident for a female Hawke, whom Merrill seems surprised (but not worried) at falling for.
* ImpliedLoveInterest: If importing a save with a Dalish Warden (or using the preset "The Martyr"), Merrill frequently mentions Mahariel very fondly and appears to have [[TheLostLenore some hangups over them.]]
* TheIngenue:
** For all her cheerful innocence, she's also sometimes naive about the risks of blood magic and demons.
--->'''Merrill''': There's nothing inherently evil about blood magic. It's magic, like any other.\\
'''Anders''': ''(disgusted)'' Are you really that stupid?
** Though she later points out to Anders that he's screwed up worse on this account than she has.
--->'''Merrill''': Are you all right?\\
'''Anders''': [[spoiler: I nearly killed an innocent girl.]] How could I be all right?\\
'''Merrill''': I'm sorry.\\
'''Anders''': You're sorry? For me? This could be you! You could be the next monster [[spoiler: threatening helpless girls!]]\\
'''Merrill''': Anders... there's no such thing as a good spirit. There never was. ''All'' spirits are dangerous. I understood that. I'm sorry that you didn't.
* InnocentlyInsensitive: Her attempt to connect with Fenris in party banter by pointing out how the Dalish sometimes take in runaway elven slaves, though said slaves have probably never seen a ''Dalish'' before, has her come across as unintentionally haughty. Fenris doesn't cut her any slack for it, naturally.
* InsecureLoveInterest: Believes herself to be undeserving of Hawke's love in a romance. Especially true for a female Hawke, whom Merrill will call "beautiful and clever".
* {{Irony}}: Most characters believe Merrill is a naive, stupid child whose stint with demons and blood magic will ''inevtiably'' get herself possessed and others killed. However, Merrill takes every precaution to minimize contact with the spirit, only approaches it nine years later [[GodzillaThreshold as a last resort]], and brings Hawke for a MercyKill in case she gets possessed so she won't be a danger to herself or others. Meanwhile Marethari, upheld as the BigGood and TeamMom, endangers her Clan for ''years'' by keeping them on Sundermount to keep an eye on Merrill, where they face food shortages due to picking through most of the local forage and hunting grounds, gets several hunters killed by a vartarrel, gets them harrassed by Templars (one of whom ''kidnaps and tortures'' a Dalish child to try to provoke the Dalish into attacking), and finally [[spoiler:lets the demon possess her without telling her Clan, Hawke, or Merrill, which endangers everyone since they stumble into her possessed self unawares, and can potentially result in her Clan being killed since they refuse to believe that Marethari would do that but are all too hostile to Merrill due to Marethari encouraging them to hate and fear her for years.]] In other words, despite all the accusations of carelessness lobbed at her, Merrill does more to ensure the safety of those around her than Marethari ever did.
* InsistentTerminology: She never refers to demons as "demons," just "spirits," and insists the two are not so different. She's not wrong, as at least one codex from a Circle Mage says this is the proper means of identification.
* LaughOfLove: She will sometimes giggle if romanced by a male Hawke.
** A strange inversion can happen if Fenris is romanced by Hawke; she'll giggle, before pointing out that she can tell ''Fenris'' is in love.
* LightFeminineAndDarkFeminine: Very much the [[NiceGirl Light]] to Isabela's [[LovableSexManiac Dark]].
* LiteralMinded: Very much so.
-->'''Arishok''': They say we were careless with our trap, that this is our fault. But even without the ''saar-qamek'', there would have been death. This elf was determined to lay blame at our feet.\\
'''Merrill''': But your feet didn't do anything wrong! Did they?
* MediumAwareness: Most of her PartyBanter in the third and final act consists of her worrying about what she sees as an upcoming end to the party's adventures together.
* MoralityPet: To Isabela.
-->'''Merrill''': Why is it that you always win at cards?\\
'''Isabela''': ''[chuckles]'' Because I cheat, Kitten.\\
''[{{beat}}]''\\
'''Isabela''': This trinket... it's elven, isn't it? From your clan? Don't bet anything you're not prepared to lose. Here... ''[[PetTheDog [Isabela hands the trinket back]]]'' have it back.
* NeverMyFault: Merrill disapproves anytime Hawke implies that the situation with her clan is her fault instead of blaming them and the Keeper for not accepting her help. This blame extends to Hawke if they [[spoiler: withhold the arulin'holm from her.]] She will finally take responsibility however, [[spoiler: if Hawke has a full rivalry with her]].
** However, after certain revelations in ''Inquisition'' about the nature of [[spoiler:Eluvians]] and an offhanded comment from WordOfGod, it is very debatable just how much of what happened was really her fault. It's also worth noting that Marethari outright ''sabotaged'' Merrill's research at every turn and then blamed Merrill for her research going wrong, in which case Merrill [[BothSidesHaveAPoint has a point]]. It's up to the player to decide whether they agree or not.
* NightmareFetishist: Merrill daydreams about owning a pet griffon or deepstalker, thinks [[spoiler: Quentin's]] StalkerShrine is pretty (before meeting the man himself, obviously), and is genuinely fascinated by the Altar of Dumat.
* NoSenseOfDirection:
** Her codex reveals that she somehow found herself in the cupboards of the Chantry, a dog track in Darktown, and ''[[SerialEscalation the Viscount's bathroom]]'' in her attempts to walk home. Kirkwall is supposed to be more maze-like than the game represents, but no one else in Hawke's crew has this happen to them.
** While on Sundermount, she mentions that she gets lost a lot on the mountain. Yes, she got lost on a path that only goes ''one way''.
* NoodleIncident:
** In ''Legacy''.
--->'''Merrill''': I am ''so'' sorry about the wardrobe. Was it very badly smashed?\\
'''Hawke''': What did you do to it exactly?\\
'''Merrill''': I didn't expect it to fall over the railing like that. I thought it'd be more stable.\\
'''Hawke''': Fell over the railing? ...What?\\
'''Merrill''': I mean it held up just fine for me! Poor Sandal, it took hours for Bodahn to coax him down from the chandelier.\\
'''Hawke''': On second thought, I don't want to know.
** No one is quite able to explain how she keeps ending up in the Chantry cupboards or the Viscount's bathroom in her attempts to get home.
* NoSocialSkills: She has next to no understanding of life outside the Dalish.
* ObliviousToLove:
** Merrill develops a crush on Hawke seemingly at their first meeting, but seems to not notice if Hawke actually flirts and returns the affections, up until Hawke has to just directly tell her.
** She also has this in regard to Carver when he attempts to flirt with her, although her aforementioned crush on his older sibling may be what stops her noticing this. On the other hand, an exchange in ''Mark of the Assassin'' suggests that she might just put on an oblivious act, presumably to not hurt Carver's feelings:
--->'''Carver''': Okay, we're lost together. Both of us, not that we're "together" together.\\
'''Merrill''': If we have to be lost somewhere, at least it's a nice hallway! Very well built, not at all likely to collapse.\\
'''Carver''': Right, well, back to rescuing... wait. You're doing that on purpose!\\
'''Merrill''': ''[giggles]''
* ObfuscatingStupidity: There's room for interpretation on if she's doing this when talking to those outside the Dalish and how much.
* OfCorsetsSexy: Wears one in the romance scenes. CovertPervert indeed...
* {{Pride}}: Merrill's {{fatal flaw}} is that she's convinced that she had complete control over her deal with the demon, and understood fully the threat it posed because she'd studied them. [[spoiler: It turned out that Merrill would have eventually been tricked into being possessed if it were not for Marethari.]]
** In the quest where Hawke accompanies Merrill to the top of Sundermount to honor Flemeth's deal, Flemeth warns Merrill to be careful as "no path is darker than when one's eyes are shut", which refers to Merrill's SelectiveObliviousness.
** Additionally, [[spoiler: in the middle of fighting the possessed Keeper, the demon]] can potentially call Merrill out on her vanity, which was hinted at in the quest "Night Terrors" [[spoiler: where she was prompted to turn against Hawke after she was tempted with illusions of being ''praised'' by her clan as their savior]].
** She accuses her clanmates of being "ignorant" and "mired in fear", even though it can be seen in ''Origins'' that Marethari had also expressed interest in the mirror and the knowledge it could offer, but she stated that their history and lore is not worth the lives of anyone in the clan; and her clan does honor and practice the elven traditions, but they simply have good reason to resent the eluvian. This hints that while Merrill genuinely wants to repair the eluvian to gain closure on Tamlen and/or Mahariel's deaths, she also wants to prove to her clan that she was right and they were wrong about everything -- a motive commonly associated with pride.
* RagsToRoyalty: If romanced, Hawke asks her to move in with them to their estate in Hightown.
* RescueRomance: If the rivalry path is taken, she falls for Hawke as they try to save her from herself.
* TheRichHaveWhiteStuff: After Hawke has successfully romanced her, Merrill switches from her scarf and earth-tone clothes to a white robe with silvery chainmail and shoulder plates. The whole outfit makes it quite clear that being the significant other of a rich noble has its perks.
* ScarfOfAsskicking: [[http://i987.photobucket.com/albums/ae354/Saibh_photos/DevDiary%200110/ScreenHunter_76Jan101634.jpg?t=1294698013 A bit more hipster]] than the traditional flow with the person as they move variant.
* SelectiveObliviousness: Her attitude towards demons and blood magic crosses over into this frequently. She states, (and even demonstrates), that she understands the risks... yet is surprised when people ask/demand that she stop, and doesn't seem to understand why others might view ''her'' as dangerous. That said, she's vindicated in the next game since [[spoiler:her eluvian ''does'' get working, even if it hasn't been activated yet, and she's proven right that some spirits ''are'' safe to work with as long as they don't absorb the negative emotions or expectations of mortals.]]
* ShipperOnDeck: She ''fully'' supports Aveline/Donnic, as well as Hawke with any one of the other love interests (especially Isabela).
* ShuttingUpNow: Tends to talk her way into a hole, and ends her dialogue like this.
-->'''Merrill''': I'll try not to hit anyone. On our side, I mean. [[MotorMouth I'm babbling again. Let's go.]]
* SickeninglySweethearts: She and Hawke come close to this in Varric's opinion. "It's almost too adorable. Well, except for the evil blood magic thing."
* SkilledButNaive: She's the most powerful offensive mage outside of possibly Hawke, but she's got so little life experience that half the party has to watch out for her.
* SmallNameBigEgo: On a much smaller scale than most examples. She thinks that because she's studied the risks when it comes to making pacts with demons, she can work with the demon she learned blood magic from without any negative effects. [[spoiler:She couldn't be any more wrong.]] With that said, [[spoiler:Merrill does indeed take every precaution to avoid being possessed, and brings Hawke along for a MercyKill in case she fails. It's ''Marethari'' who refuses to believe that Merrill could possibly avoid being possessed and ''chooses'' to let the demon possess her behind Merrill's back, which causes all of Merrill's efforts to go belly-up.]]
* {{Squee}}: On occasion, usually when concerning other party members' love lives.
* StopBeingStereotypical:
** Anders hates blood mages for giving mages in general a bad name, which is one of the reasons he's constantly berating Merrill.
** Fenris is less vicious about it, but often admonishes Merrill for acting too smug and superior, or like a tree-hugging hippie like how most people see the Dalish.
* SurvivorGuilt: There's no way she could have saved Tamlen or Mahariel, but that doesn't stop her seeing their faces in crowds years later. In Act 3, [[spoiler: she admits to Sebastian that she thinks she should have died instead of Marethari. Throughout the last third of the game, she's much more likely to get snippy and sometimes sounds like she's on the verge of tears. It's nine times worse if her whole clan ended up dead as well.]]
* ToughLove: [[spoiler: The only way to get Merrill to understand how her actions affect others and break the eluvian is to have a full rivalry with her.]]
%%* TragicHero
* WeAreStrugglingTogether: In party banter she often tries to invoke this to get Fenris to come visit the alienage, or help their people. [[BoomerangBigot Fenris]] [[MiseryPoker is not amused]].
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Initially, her venture into [[spoiler: cleansing the shard]] had her approach the Keeper so they could pool their healing magic together, as in the first game the Keeper's unamplified magic was enough to [[spoiler: weaken Mahariel's taint]]. When the Keeper refused, and seeing that she had no lyrium to work with, Merrill turned to [[spoiler:a spirit trapped inside a statue and sundered from the Fade, asking it to teach her the basics of blood magic, in order to have the means to cleanse the shard]] and reclaim some of her people's history. She does not come into contact with [[spoiler: the spirit]] again and builds her own eluvian from scratch, but is still using blood magic which many consider a dangerous road. She is aware that these actions might harm herself, but her inability to comprehend that most other people will try to sabotage her at every turn as well sometimes crosses over into denial.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: If she is not romanced, her ultimate fate after the ''Inquisition'' DLC ''Trespasser'' is a question mark. [[spoiler:The epilogue notes that elves across Thedas begin to disappear, but it's not yet known if she is one of them.]]
* WhatHaveIDone: If the rivalry path is pursued, after her Act 3 quest, [[spoiler: Merrill will destroy the mirror, believing that her obsession with it is what caused the death of Marethari/her clan. However, on the friendship path she will instead lament their lack of understanding.]]
** Whether Hawke is her rival or not, this is her reaction [[spoiler:after the Keeper reveals how the Pride Demon tricked her and she is forced to kill her]]. That said, given that the information on what was planned was [[spoiler: coming from a trapped Demon sundered from the Fade and now in full possession of a host]], it's really questionable how reliable it is. When the player understands that [[spoiler: demons tend to seek out powerful hosts in positions of authority]], both of which the Keeper had, it seems more likely that [[spoiler: Audacity]] was just using the different views between the two of them to further drive a wedge so he could get to his real target, [[spoiler: Marethari]].
* WhatTheHellHero:
** Anders and Fenris both give her these for her blood magic and demon dealing.
---> '''Fenris''': So a demon called out to you, and you answered. Brilliant.
** She herself will have a nice long yell at Hawke if they refuse to give her [[spoiler: the arulin'holm to help her repair the mirror]] in Act 2.
** If Hawke takes Merrill and Fenris around in their party, then Fenris will rip into Merrill every chance he can get about how she's wasting her freedom and taking unnecessary risks to "chase ghosts." By Act 2, Merrill eventually has enough and calls Fenris out on also taking unnecessary risks to chase ghosts from his own past [[spoiler:his long-lost sister]].
** After witnessing the Keeper sacrifice her life to save Merrill from being possessed by a demon, Anders will proclaim that to be the most selfless, heroic thing he'd ever seen - then angrily snort it's a pity it was wasted on Merrill. This will be one time Fenris states that he completely agrees with Anders.
* WhatTheHellIsThatAccent: Merrill speaks with a distinctly Welsh accent, while the rest of the Sabrae clan have Irish accents. It's later mentioned that she was born to a different clan in Nevarra and, after it was discovered she was a mage, sent to Marethari for training.
* YouCantGoHomeAgain: Gets essentially kicked out of her clan for practicing blood magic. Also, unless the player make exactly the right choice during her Act 3 companion quest, [[spoiler:they'll attack, and she'll have to help Hawke kill them]].
* ZombieAdvocate: For spirits and blood mages in general. An easy way to gain rivalry points from her involves either refusing offers from demons, telling her not to trust demons, or decrying blood magic. Her largest rivalry gain, and in fact ''the largest potential gain in the game'', comes from destroying all the evil tomes and the Fell Grimoire in the quest "Forbidden Knowledge" for a grand total of ''60 rivalry points''.
[[/folder]]

!!The Warriors

[[folder:Aveline Vallen]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/da2_aveline.png]]
->'''Voiced by''': Joanna Roth
\\

->''"I’d rather kill a bandit and save a merchant’s family than know the correct dance steps and which rouge is in fashion."''

\\
The daughter of an exiled Orlesian Chevalier, Aveline was a soldier in King Cailan's army at Ostagar. When things turned sour, she and her Templar husband Wesley headed north to escape the darkspawn. She met the escaping Hawke family on the way out of Lothering, and even though she lost her dear husband, she carried on with the Hawkes all the way to Kirkwall and beyond. While an honorable warrior, she is nevertheless pragmatic in her guard duties.
----

** She chastises Carver for not think of others before himself, yet she actively told the other guards to turn down his application, knowing full well, he's looking for purpose and more importantly money to provide for his family to get them all out of poverty. This is after she rely on Hawke's family to enter the city, and she have place with better condition to stay, while Hawke's family living in the slum at that time.

* MissingWhiteWomanSyndrome: When a group of elven brothers tried to report that one of her guards raped their sister over and over again and got turned away each time she did nothing, dismissing their claim as "rumors" that she'll "look into" eventually. However, when those same brothers got tired of waiting [[RapeAndRevenge and took matters into their own hands]], she dropped everything to arrest them first thing. If only she were half as prompt in acting on violence committed against elves as violence committed by elves...

* NeverMyFault: Tells Hawke to their face that she's not responsible for [[spoiler:Leandra being kidnapped and murderered by a crazed blood mage]], even though Hawke could have potentially asked her to investigate the disappearance of Hightown women and she refused.

** You think being saved by Hawke's family during the escape from Lothering, and relied on them for a chance to enter Kirkwall would give her a second thought about Carver's application to the City Guard. That she would help grease the wheel and put in a good word for him. Especially since they serve in the army and fought together in Ostagar. She did the opposite and actively oppose his attempt. Knowing full well he need money to get his family out of poverty.

* WhatTheHellIsThatAccent: Merrill speaks with a distinctly Welsh accent, while the rest of the Sabrae clan have Irish accents. It's later mentioned that she was born to a different clan in Nevarra and, after it was discovered she was a Mage, sent to Marethari for training.
* YouCantGoHomeAgain: Gets essentially kicked out of her clan for the whole blood magic thing. Also, unless the player make exactly the right choice during her Act 3 companion quest, [[spoiler:they'll attack, and she'll have to help Hawke kill them]].

** As Merrill points out in party banter, they both chase after a forgotten past: she the lost culture and magical technology of their people, Fenris his forgotten life and memories. It doesn't endear her to him any, but she's not wrong either. [[HypocriteHasAPoint However, Fenris does fire back that at least he has nothing to lose from the start, while she had everything that many would dream of having, such as a home and a family, but she didn't hesitate to give it all up.]] [[BothSidesHaveAPoint However, Merrill does point out that Fenris is risking his hard-won freedom and new home in Kirkwall on the off-chance that he MIGHT learn something about his past,]] playing the trope straight. (Also, if Fenris ever tried to get to know Merrill, he'd know Clan Sabrae never felt like her home or her family because she was always kept her separate from her Clan, and made to feel like an outsider... like Fenris always feels in Kirkwall.)

** This is confirmed in the comic ''[[ComicBook/BlueWraith]]'', where a flashback to the time just before Leto received his markings shows that he used to have blonde hair.

[[/folder]]

** She chastises Carver for not think of others before himself, yet she actively told the other guards to turn down his application, knowing full well, he's looking for purpose and more importantly money to provide for his family to get them all out of poverty. This is after she rely on Hawk's family to enter the city, and she have place with better condition to stay, while Hawk's family living in the slum at that time.

** You think being saved by Hawk's family during the escape from Lothering, and relied on them for a chance to enter Kirkwall would give her a second thought about Carver's application to the City Guard. That she would help grease the wheel and put in a good word for him. Especially since they serve in the army and fought together in Ostagar. She did the opposite and actively oppose his attempt. Knowing full well he need money to get his family out of poverty.

** You think being saved by Hawk's family during the escape from Lothering, and relied on them for a chance to enter Kirkwall would give her a second thought about Carver's application to the City Guard. That she would help grease the wheel and put in a good word for him (Especially since they serve in the army and fought together in Ostagar. She actually did the opposite and actively oppose his attempt. Knowing full well he need money to get his family out of poverty.

* BadPowersGoodPeople: She's sweet, optimistic, and means harm to no one. She's also a practicing blood mage and demon summoner. This is the cause of most of her problems with others in-game.

* MeaningfulName: Shares his name with the monstrous wolf Fenrir of Norse mythology, who slays Odin during Ragnarök (an apocalypse of terrible winter and war) after breaking free of his magical bindings. In ''Dragon Age'' lore, it means "little wolf" in Tevene, the language of Tevinter, and was chosen by his former master. [[spoiler: His birth name, Leto, directly translates as "summer" in some Slavic languages, and "he who is always happy" in Latin. Considering his current less than sunny disposition, this goes to show how much he's lost.]]

* BothSidesHaveAPoint: Merrill's conflict with Marethari, when all's said and done. Marethari has a point in that EvilIsNotAToy, and argues that Merrill cannot control the consequences of her research and is taking a big risk in messing with the eluvian, demons, and blood magic. Merrill counters that she uses due diligence and caution in restoring the mirror due to minimizing contact with the spirit, and the Eluvian was only dangerous due to the darkspawn taint that she cleansed it of. She claims the blood magic was just a means to an end, and blames Marethari and her Clan for treating her like a naive child and not trusting that she knows what she's doing. It's up to Hawke who to side with, which influences whether they pursue a Friendship or Rivalry path with Merrill.

* NeverMyFault: Merrill disapproves anytime Hawke implies that the situation with her clan is her fault instead of blaming them and the Keeper for not accepting her help. This blame extends to Hawke if they [[spoiler: withhold the arulin'holm from her.]] She will finally take responsibility however, [[spoiler: if Hawke has a full rivalry with her]]. [[spoiler:However, after certain revelations in Inquisition about the nature of Eluvians and an offhanded comment from WordOfGod, it is very debatable just how much of what happened was really her fault.]]

** To Alarith the shopkeeper in the [[VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins City Elf Origin]]. Both are escaped Tevinter elven slaves, voiced by Creator/GideonEmery, who decided to start a new life in Southern Thedas. However, while Alarith happily settled down in the Alienage as a shopkeeper, Fenris shuns the company of his fellow elves and prefers to live "like a ghost" in an abandoned mansion.

** As Merrill points out in party banter, they both chase after a forgotten past: she the lost culture and magical technology of their people, Fenris his forgotten life and memories. It doesn't endear her to him any, but she's not wrong either. [[HypocriteHasAPoint However, Fenris does fire back that at least he has nothing to lose from the start, while she had everything that many would dream of having, such as a home and a family, but she didn't hesitate to give it all up.]]

** Fenris is also not particularly fond of the Dalish. This is rooted in the Dalish viewing themselves as the [[SuperiorSpecies Superior Elves]]. That said, [[MiseryPoker he doesn't think much better of city elves outside Tevinter.]]

* FantasticRacism: She has been taught that elves belong in Alienages and that mages that haven't gone through the Harrowing are dangerous to society, and as Guard Captain she helps to maintain the status quo. Aveline doesn't see any issue with elves being forced to sleep in stables and out-buildings in towns too small to fit an alienage, and [[InnocentBigot is surprised when Merrill is upset by it.]] The Arishok accuses her of being just as corrupt as the nobles she serves by [[MissingWhiteWomanSyndrome turning a blind eye to violence committed against elves]] [[AFatherToHisMen (even by her own guards)]] but cracking down on violence committed '''by''' elves.

----

[[/folder]]

----

* DefectorFromDecadence: Aveline's mysterious father. "Orlais has [[DeadlyDecadentCourt a game.]] He wouldn't play it. I never cared to ask further."

* FirstEpisodeTwist: Finding out that the seemingly-innocent {{Adorkable}} elf was a blood mage who has dealt with demons is a bit of a surprise, even if the player is finding this out within fifteen minutes of when Hawke first meets her.

* LackOfEmpathy: Although Sebastian is [[NiceGuy nice]], [[LawfulGood virtuous]], and has no personal bad feelings against mages, he completely fails to see any problems with the Circle system or any cause for mages to rebel, even considering how bad things get during the course of the game.
** However, if Sebastian was fully befriended and [[spoiler: Anders is executed]], he will acknowledge that not every mage is like [[spoiler: him]] and that they should fight for the mages who were treated unjustly at the hands of the Templars. DoubleSubverted in that he ''still'' doesn't get why [[spoiler: [[DespairEventHorizon Anders was pushed to destroy the Chantry.]]]]

* NotSoDifferent: Admits that before he found the Chantry, he used to be just like Isabela.

-->'''Sebastian''': I've never had so many opportunities to help people!
-->'''Varric''': ... All right. I thought I was getting tired of [[TroubledButCute moody.]] I take it back. [[TastesLikeDiabetes You're making my teeth ache.]]

* DoesNotLikeShoes: His leggings leave his heels and toes bare, and one of his idle animations involve him looking at them.

* HatesBeingTouched: See above; between Fenris, Morrigan, and Ariane, this might be becoming a signature of the series. If romanced, he will obviously move out of this ([[IfItsYouItsOkay with Hawke at least]]). In one of their possible romance scenes, he'll nearly attack Hawke when they surprise him with a touch.

* MrFanservice: That's pretty much runs the norm for elves anyway; especially if they have white hair, green eyes, a DarkAndTroubledPast, and happens to wear skin-tight black clothing. The cover for the first issue of [[ComicBook/BlueWraith Blue Wraith]] even has him having ClothingDamage, revealing a lot of his bare back.

** To a lesser extent, Merrill spends most of the game claiming that spirits aren't all demons out to possess people, and while all spirits should be treated with a degree of caution, they can also offer vuluable knowledge and should be given the benefit of the doubt. She is almost ''universally'' derided as a naive, childlike idiot. However, ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' reveals that [[spoiler:most spirits indeed reflect the emotions and expectations of mortals around them. A mortal who expects to see a demon [[SelfFulfillingProut twists it into a demon since the spirit has no choice but to reflect those expectations]].]] So, in that sense, Merrill wasn't far off the mark.

* DumbassHasAPoint: More like "GeniusDitz" has a point. Merrill often points out the Marethari treats her like a ''child'' and refuses to believe that Merrill might know what she's talking about regarding the eluvian, or trust that Merill is exercising due caution in restoring the eluvian with minimal risk to herself and others. (For example, Marethari refused to believe the eluvian was safe to handle due to Tamlen and possibly Mahariel dying from it ''even after'' Merrill purged the darkspawn taint that made it dangerous. Also, while Merrill took precautions in case she was possessed, Marethari refused to believe that Merrill could possibly avoid possession [[spoiler:and lets the demon possess her instead.]])

* FacialMarkings: Like all adult Dalish elves, Merril wears Vallaslin on her face. Though many of the designs were changed due to ''Inquisition's'' better graphics, Merril's markings in both of her appearances most closely resemble the design associated with Dirthamen, the Keeper of Secrets. [[CuriosityIsACrapShoot This describes Merril's character quite nicely]].

** Even back in ''Origins'' Merril was too quick to ignore warnings about how dangerous Mahariel and Tamlen's illness was despite knowing nothing about it. In ''II'', her refusal to acknowledge warnings about her blood magic and dealings with demons causes her a lot of problems.

* FantasticRacism: She has been taught that elves belong in Alienages and that mages that haven't gone through the Harrowing are dangerous to society, and as Guard Captain she helps to maintain the status quo. Aveline doesn't see any issue with elves being forced to sleep in stables and out-buildings in towns too small to fit an alienage, and [[InnocentBigot is surprised when Merril is upset by it.]] The Arishok accuses her of being just as corrupt as the nobles she serves by [[MissingWhiteWomanSyndrome turning a blind eye to violence commited against elves]] [[AFatherToHisMen (even by her own guards)]] but cracking down on violence committed BY elves.

** PlayedForDrama when [[spoiler: her failure to sucessfully solve the Hightown dissapearances results in the death of Hawkes mother]].

* AmbiguouslyBrown: His skin is noticably darker than that of the other companions, save Isabela.

* BothSidesHaveAPoint: Merrill's conflict with Marethari, when all's said and done. Marethari has a point that EvilIsNotAToy and Merrill is taking a big risk messing with the eluvian, demons, and blood magic and that she can't control all the consequences of her research. Merrill counters that the Eluvian was only dangerous due to the darkspawn taint that she cleansed it of, the blood magic was just a means to an end, and she minimized contact with the spirit to avoid being manipulated or corrupted by it. Merrill argues that she uses due diligence and caution in restoring the mirror, that Marethari and her Clan treat her like a naive child and doesn't trust that she knows what she's doing. Whether the player sides with Marethari or Merrill depends largely on whether they pursue a Friendship or Rivalry path with her.

* {{Adorkable}}: In ''spades''. Think [[Franchise/MassEffect Tali]] if her face was visible and she was even more adorkable.

** HilariousInHindsight: If the player has Sebastian and Merrill in the party, it is possible to hear Merrill call Sebastian out on his impractically "shiny armor".

* {{Adorkable}}: Easily overlooked when compared to his other traits, but he definitely has his moments- he giggles when Hawke flirts with him for the first time, and tries to cover it with a cough.

** [[WordOfGod David Gaider]] [[https://twitter.com/davidgaider/status/1075148863286042625 recently revealed]] in a twitter post that [[spoiler:Fenris would probably be susceptible to following Fen'Harel like countless elves post-Trespasser]]. This came as a surprise to a number of players, who felt Fenris was defined by being "[[MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch not like other elves]]," or [[MiseryPoker indifferent to the elves' plight]], and suggests that deep down Fenris is more troubled by elves being ruled by humans and/or losing their heritage than he's willing to admit to in-game. (Perhaps Justified since [[ButThouMust Hawke can only be human]], but still.)

* {{Adorkable}}: Has his moments, especially when Isabela or a female Hawke is teasing him.
-->'''Isabela''': Oh cute! You're blushing.

** Fenris returns in ''ComicBook/BlueWraith'', where he has achieved such a level of infamy in Tevinter that he is now known by the title of the comic.

* DarkAndTroubledPast: He was a slave in the Tevinter Imperium, and had his skin laced with lyrium in a process that was so torturously painful, it wiped away all his memories from before he underwent the ritual.

* DespairEventHorizon: If the player chooses to [[spoiler:betray Fenris and give him back to Danarius. [[EtTuBrute Hawke's betrayal so utterly breaks his spirit and his faith in freedom and friendship that he just gives up without a fight]]. He doesn't even have the strength to show anger at you about it. Later, Hawke gets a letter from Danarius thanking them, telling them that Fenris has been memory-wiped again and is now perfectly obedient.]]