With each game/comic/book/etc, the number of characters in this series expands---and that inevitable leads to both excellent and horrible characters.
What characters in the Dragon Age Universe do you absolutely despise, and which ones do you think are well written?
For me:
The Worst:
Dorian-
-Just as Anders was possessed by the spirit of Vengeance, who by the end of DA2 was arguably using Anders as a skin suit, so was Dorian possessed by the spirit of David Gaider. However, as Anders' character was arguably given more depth and personality with Vengeance in DA2, the evil Gaider spirit turned Dorian into a dreaded Mary Sue long before his character even met The Inquisitor.
--Bioware has a problem with writing characters who happen to be gay in a very 2D way-----in that, after their sexuality is known, that's all they can talk about for like 60% of their dialogue. Dorian only ever acknowledges slavery, blood magic, or systemic abuses in Tevinter as an afterthought.
---It doesn't have to be this way----at all. Take Arcade Gannon from Obsidian's Fallout New Vegas. He's a gay character who, like Dorian, comes from a very shady past, and most of his dialogue is used to reenforce his concern about bettering people of The Mojave(the setting of the game), establish his personality, and come to terms with his past. The fact that he's gay's still part of his personality, but it's not the his defining trait----not by a long shot. (There's also Veronica, a lesbian----whose, like Arcade, has an actual backstory, personality, goals and aspirations, and her being a lesbian is just part of her personality. It's not shoved in your face, nor is it the main focus on her character.)
Tallis-
She's Felicia Day's Mary Sue. That pretty much sums it up. Still a better written character than Dorian.
The Dragon Age Origins/Awakening/Inquisition protagonists-
In RPGs it's almost inevitable the protagonist character's are going to be really inconsistent and most likely overpowered, but that doesn't mean that every other MC besides based Hawke is a walking power fantasy.
Best Characters:
Aveline-----well written character with consistent/understandable motivations throughout the story. The fact that the player is forced to relate to her on a strictly platonic level was a smart move.
Fenris and Anders-----Two characters that play off each other brilliantly, and are well written on their own. Fenris's angst is completely understandable and justified, and him struggling with true freedom after killing Denarius was a very well written scene. Anders is a tragic deuteragonist-turned-antagonist, and it was so sorrowful to see his (originally) noble plight turn to fanaticism, and ultimately terrorism.
Loghain-----A nationalist at heart who always did what he believed was in the best interest of his country. Assuming he survives both Origins and Inquisition, he'll be reforming the surviving Wardens in his image, a fitting closure to a character who has always strived to control the forces around him.
Meredith/Vivienne----
-How humorous is it that the two best written Templar/Pro-Circle Mage characters would be the villain and a hatedump for fanboys. Pro Circle Mages(that actually have a point, and aren't using some self-fulfilling prophecies) were nonexistent in Origins/Awakening. Vivienne is the first pro-Circle character who's biases and convictions I can respect, because they're founded on actual logic, mixed with her own need to control and manipulate everything to her whim. She is a a character that needs to be in a position of power, whether that power be in her own head or real. She's a flawed character, yes, but that only makes her more relatable.
-Meredith's descent into madness was extremely well done, and her convictions in neutralizing mages was more than MAGIC IS EVUL. She's ruled by guilt of what happened to her own sister, and she more than most knows how dangerous magic truly is, and how it must be controlled at all costs. Seeing that unwavering vigilance descend into paranoia and tyranny was amazing.
What about you? Which characters did you hate/think were the worst written, and which ones did you love?
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