The Dread Wolf reveal was one of the most shocking and unexpected twists in the Dragon Age franchise. The existence of the elven pantheon and that the Dread Wolf was none other than the Inquisitor’s companion, Solas, changed everything about how Thedas is understood.
This reveal didn’t drop out of nowhere. Clues that foreshadowed this reveal were scattered throughout the franchise, even as early as Dragon Age: Origins. Solas spends Inquisition hiding in plain sight, and much of what he says and does can be seen in a new light once his identity has been revealed. Some of the clues don’t involve Solas at all, and are rather drawn from prophesy and legend.
10 The Temple of Mythal
The Temple of Mythal is filled with writings describing the Evanuris. Morrigan offers insight into some of the mosaic depictions of the elven pantheon, and a Dalish Inquisitor can offer their own insight. More telling, however, are Solas’s own comments if he is brought along.
Solas brings deeper insight into the depictions of the gods, and claims his knowledge comes from the Fade. A statue honoring Fen’Harel lies within the Temple. Morrigan comments that honoring Fen’Harel in a temple to Mythal would have been blasphemy, which Solas immediately takes offense and tells her she cannot tell the difference between myth and history. Finally, Solas interacts with the guardians of the Temple with a familiarity not seen in modern elves.
9 The Rebel God
The statue to Fen’Harel in Mythal’s Temple comes with a codex entry describing the mistranslation of Fen’Harel. While the Dalish use the word harellan to describe a traitor, the term does not appear before the Towers Age. The root word, hellathen, translates to “noble struggle”. The historian then goes on to propose that Fen’Harel, rather than originally being a god of deception, was instead a god of rebellion.
This indicates that the Dalish legends of Fen’Harel are not entirely true. Additionally, it begs questions to be answered about Fen’Harel. Fen’Harel’s appearance in the Temple of Mythal makes him relevant to the lore of Dragon Age right before the reveal.
8 Solas Guides the Wisdom Spirit to the Afterlife
Solas’s personal quest has several elements that foreshadow his true nature. It involves freeing his friend, a spirit of wisdom, from a group of mages. If the Inquisitor frees the spirit instead of killing it, Solas guides the spirit to the afterlife.
While no one in the party marks this as notable, guiding spirits in their death is not a normal thing mages or elves are capable of in Dragon Age. The party may think of this as another Solas quirk, but this foreshadows Solas’s true nature. Additionally, Solas’s personal quest is named “All New, Faded For Her”, an anagram for Fen’Harel, Dread Wolf.
7 The Masked Empire
The Masked Empire deals with Orlesian politics, but it also introduces ancient elves still living. Felassan, an ancient elf, is a key character. He tells several stories about Fen’Harel. Later, it becomes clear that Felassan works for Fen’Harel, or an entity claiming to be the Dread Wolf.
Felassan forms relationships with modern elves throughout the story, and eventually chooses to go against his master. In retaliation, Fen’Harel appears at the end of the book and kills Felassan in the Fade. Solas later refers to this event in Trespasser.
6 The Nightmare Demon
It’s clear throughout Inquisition that all the demons and spirits that are encountered are aware of Solas’s true identity. As Solas has a reputation for befriending spirits, as well as having created the Veil, it makes sense that the spirits of the Fade know who he is.
If Solas is in the party during Here Lies the Abyss, the Nightmare demon mocks Solas in Elvhen. “Dirth ma, harellan. Ma banal enasalin. Mar solas ena mar din,” which roughly translates to, “You have learned nothing, trickster. Your victory is nothing. Your pride will be your death.” The Nightmare calls Solas “harellan”, another name the Dalish use for the Dread Wolf.
5 Sandal’s Prophesy
Sandal is an unusual dwarf who is a recurring character in Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age: 2. He’s the only dwarf in the series shown able to do magic, and he often says things that don’t entirely make sense.
If clicked on often enough in the Hawke estate in Dragon Age II, Sandal makes a rather grim speech. “One day the magic will come back. All of it. Everyone will be just as they were. The shadows will part, and the skies will open wide. When he rises, everyone will see.” At first, the prophecy was assumed to be about Corypheus, but now it’s obvious it’s about the Dread Wolf and his plans.
4 Everything Cole Says
As with the other spirits, Cole knows Solas’s true identity from the very beginning. Several of their banter conversations are about Solas’s identity and role. Cole expresses distress when he realizes he cannot help with Solas’s inner turmoil and pain, and Solas reassures him that the pain is old and buried deep.
Cole has other ambient dialogue that hints at Solas’s past, especially in Trespasser. He speaks of Solas’s origins, “He did not want a body. But she asked him to come. He left a scar when he burned her off his face.”
3 Solas Being Dodgy
Solas knows a little bit too much about ancient elves, magic, spirits, and the Fade. His go-to explanation is that he witnessed these events in the Fade. This doesn’t explain his fluency in the elven language, or that he speaks of the past in great detail, as if he were there. He isn’t a Dalish elf, nor a city elf, nor has he ever lived in the Circle. Leliana discovers his home village is an ancient ruin.
Most telling is after Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts. Solas speaks of missing his days at court. If the Inquisitor asks when Solas had ever been at court, he verbally trips over himself to explain. This is also the only time in the game where asking Solas a question results in a loss of approval from him.
2 Dalish Legends
The very first legend about the Dread Wolf is found in Dragon Age: Origins. The codex tells the story of how Fen’Harel tricked the gods and sealed them away. It goes on to describe how Fen’Harel is the only free elven god, and walks the Fade.
Many parts of this story are revealed to be true. Solas did seal away the gods, and his love of the Fade and millennia of sleep allowed him to walk the Fade. The Dread Wolf is said to have spent millennia laughing at his trickery, as well as having no love for the People. Varric’s nickname for Solas is Chuckles, and Solas doesn’t show a kinship with the Dalish or city elves, and takes care to separate himself from them.
1 The Solas Romance
A romance with Solas reveals much about him. He repeatedly states that a relationship would be a bad idea, even while continuing it. He is at his most vulnerable with a romanced Lavellan, and even considered abandoning his original plans to pursue a life with her. Instead, he tells her the truth about the original meaning of the vallaslin, and offers to remove them. Nothing Solas says explains why the relationship is a bad idea, and hints at something larger that he isn’t telling the Inquisitor.
After Solas breaks up with her, Cole says the following, “He hurts, an old pain from before, when everything sang the same. You’re real, and it means everyone could be real. It changes everything, but it can’t.”
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