Dragon Age 4 is proceeding along in development, and many excited fans are filled with questions about the mysterious new title. Knowing what we already do about Dragon Age 4‘s probable setting and story leads to further speculation about which fan-favorite characters will make a return appearance over the course of the game.
But what about the former protagonists of the Dragon Age franchise? DA4 may star a new protagonist and cast of characters, but if BioWare wants to take its game to the next level, there’s one huge leap the company can take with the current and previous protagonists oft he Dragon Age games.
In Dragon Age: Inquisition, BioWare did something new: it brought a former Dragon Age protagonist, Hawke (of DA2), back into the game as an NPC. And Hawke didn’t just have a 5-minute cameo; rather, they took part in one of the main quests, “Here Lies the Abyss,” and helped the Inquisition conquer Adamant fortress and stop the Grey Wardens from summoning an army of demons.
For many players, it was great to just see Hawke again, not to mention watch their interactions with Varric. Given Hawke’s experience with Corypheus, in retrospect, their appearance in Inquisition was a no-brainer, but still very much appreciated. So now, with Dragon Age 4 confirmed to be in development, another question has presented itself: what will BioWare do with its protagonists come DA4?
Now, the developer doesn’t necessarily have to do anything, but there’s a world in which BioWare does something truly momentous: what if every protagonist, from each of the games, had a part in Dragon Age 4? Presumably, players will take control of a brand new player character, as has been the case with every Dragon Age game. So, players won’t control their old characters, per se. But, as we’ve seen with Hawke in DA:I, that doesn’t mean the old protagonists can’t appear as NPCs.
Some might argue that only one of the old protagonists would appear, since all three of them (or less, if either the Warden or Hawke is dead in a playthrough) would be a lot to include given all the different possible variations. But nevertheless, there’s a case for every single one of the old protagonists to appear in DA4. And if they all appeared together? That’d be truly epic.
The Warden probably seems like the least-likely candidate for a DA4 appearance. There are so many variations of the Warden,and so many choices they could’ve made. Nonetheless, the Warden, if alive, has been canonically searching for a cure to the Calling in lands far to the west. That may remove them from the equation, but if the Grey Wardens as a whole appear in DA4, as seems probable, then the Warden may very well return too.
The fact is, Solas’ quest involves a lot of components that have ties to the Blight. The Old Gods’ power, the red lyrium idol, and more; all of it is related to the Blight, and therefore, the Grey Wardens. Some have already speculated that we’ll learn more about the Grey Wardens’ fate in Dragon Age 4, and it would only make sense if the Warden (one of the only senior Grey Wardens left after the events of Adamant) was part of that. If nothing else, then then the OG Warden could be replaced with a new Warden-Commander, as seen in Awakening.
Then, there’s Hawke. If Hawke got stuck in the Fade during Inquisition, then they’ll probably be dead. If not, however, then they’ve also got a pretty good reason to show up. Hawke already went out of their way to help the Inquisition once and could very well do it again if the Inquisition moves to stop Solas during DA4. This seems even more likely when factoring in the possibility of characters such as Fenris, Isabela, or Varric having a role in DA4.
And while Corypheus is truly dead and gone, there’s another callback to DA2 still in play: the red lyrium idol that Solas is now confirmed to have stolen. Hawke and Varric originally found the idol and brought it back from the Deep Roads, so that might add some extra motivation for Hawke to try and stop Solas from using it, especially in the company of the Inquisition and (possibly) the Warden.
Of all the former protagonists, it’s by far the easiest to make a case for the Inquisitor’s return. In fact, it’ll be more confusing if the Inquisitor doesn’t have a role to play in the next game. After all, Inquisition‘s final DLC, Trespasser, quite literally ends with the Inquisitor and their inner circle vowing to stop Solas, regardless of whether the Inquisition is officially disbanded or not. Add to that the fact that Dragon Age 4 is almost definitely going to center around Solas’ quest to tear down the veil, and it would really make no sense if the Inquisitor just ignored everything happening in the next game.
Not only does the Inquisitor have a standing vow to stop Solas, but they also simply know him better than probably anyone left alive and on this side of the Fade. Insider knowledge of the enemy and his plans would certainly come in handy. Even without their mark, the Inquisitor is still a powerful fighter, rogue, or mage, meaning they’d certainly be a good ally for the new protagonist to have.
So it seems like there’s a good chance we’ll see our old Inquisitors in some capacity come DA4, not to mention a few members of the old Inquisition still committed to stopping Solas. Even if it’s just a cameo to warn the new protagonist about Solas and help them find or exploit some of his weaknesses – although truthfully, it’d be more cool (and believable) if the Inquisitor actually fought Solas with the new main character.
So, will all of the former protagonists return? Maybe not. There’s no denying it would be difficult to achieve. But implementing all the different possibilities of Dragon Age 4′s world is already going to be difficult; that’s just how it is in a series defined by its many choices and consequences. For many players, all three protagonists from the previous games are still out there, roaming Thedas, and their stories don’t have to be over.
Just picture it: the Warden, Hawke, the Inquisitor, and DA4‘s main character fighting side by side. Now that’s some truly epic gameplay. Fingers crossed we’ll see some version of it when Dragon Age 4 releases.
Dragon Age 4 is in development now.
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