First impressions I've had after seeing the new information about the companions.
Does anyone else feel there's a unifying theme of unapologetic convictions across this round of companions?
I have a hard time putting it in good words, but many games will have common or unifying points or narrative devices common to major characters. Sometimes this is deliberate, and sometimes not so much. In ME2 the deliberate side was the idea of 'the best of the best', along with the common form of development in which the loyalty mission was used to develop a completely different side of the character you wouldn't know before just from the recruitment or banter phase. The (probably) non-deliberate side would have been the common 'fixations with father figures', ie 'daddy issues.'
DA2 had characters who tended to be fixated or focused on a particular issue, often to an unhealthy degree. Rivalry typically went hand-in-hand with directly confronting the issue to overcome it, while friendship was sympathetic and arguably even indulged it. 'Confrontation and indulgement' might be the common character theme. In DAO... well, I'm not sure. Secret pasts, perhaps? Many of the companions had pasts and key aspects they would keep secret.
My point is, most of the characters we seem to be getting in DAI are characters who have ethical/principled positions and stances that, while controversial or disagreeable to various degrees, they seem openly unapologetic about. Varric has never apologized for his life style or attitude. Cullen has never exactly wavered in his commitment, even if his severity has. Leliana is unapologetic about her faith and religion, even when it could bring mockery.
And the newer companions? Vivienne is a courtly First Enchanter who stayed even when her peers rebelled. The Iron Bull is apologetically Qunari, even if he doesn't live like what we think of it. Sera is supposed to be pro-commoner and openly skeptical of authority figures and appeals to the greater good. Blackwall appears to be an idealist veteran in the Grey Wardens, not an organization known to cultivate or nurture idealists.
I don't know enough about Dorian or Solas, but I've seen nothing to suggest they're wavering or anything but strong in their beliefs either. Dorian seems to be a decent guy who walked away from a Magister master- an implicit vouching of character all things considered of the 'typical' magister. Solas... well, he doesn't seem to lack conviction.
It's easy to say that plenty or even most companions are confident people, but something just strikes me as... developed? More confident? In plenty of the games, the companions are apolitical or don't really define themselves by their convictions, or are identified by their token status as representative of X. But here, almost everyone we see seems to have developed and pronounced attitudes that conflict with others norms, and they don't seem to mind. These are people who have their views, and are confident in them to agree to disagree. Not as the Hawke crew's 'hate eachother but have a mutual friend', but as in 'we're all adults who can reasonably disagree and yet still work together.' Less conversionary attitudes, of 'you should believe this and if you don't you are a bad person,' and more 'I prefer this, but if you disagree oh well.'
I've little doubt that at least some of them will be able to have their views challenged and changed over the course of the game as a result of their experiences, but I don't really foresee any of them renouncing their views altogether. Tempering? Sure. Abandoning?
Anyone feel the same, or am I just grasping at too much from too little?
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