The question of who represents the face of the Dragon Age series is complex due to its ever-changing protagonists across each installment. From the Grey Warden in Dragon Age: Origins to Hawke in Dragon Age 2, and the Inquisitor in Dragon Age: Inquisition, each game introduces a new central character. However, amidst these varied protagonists, one character stands out as a consistent presence: Varric.
Varric, a charismatic and witty dwarf armed with his crossbow Bianca, first appeared in Dragon Age 2 as both a narrator and a companion. He continued to play significant roles in Dragon Age: Inquisition and is prominently featured in the early promotional material for Dragon Age: Veilguard.
Despite being a companion character rather than a protagonist, Varric’s enduring presence throughout the series has made him a recognizable figure, perhaps even the face of Dragon Age in some respects.
David Gaider, the creator of Dragon Age, had originally planned for Varric to meet a dramatic end. In Dragon Age 2’s canceled expansion, Exalted March, Varric intended to confront the villain Corypheus and ultimately sacrifice himself, bringing closure to his storyline as the game’s viewpoint character.
However, due to changes in BioWare’s development plans, particularly focusing on Dragon Age: Inquisition, Varric’s death was averted, and he continued to survive against the odds.
Gaider’s attempts to kill off Varric persisted even into Dragon Age: Inquisition’s development, but logistical and narrative considerations ultimately spared the dwarf once more. Despite Gaider’s departure from BioWare before the development of Dragon Age: Veilguard, Varric remains a central figure in the ongoing narrative, facing new challenges alongside the player characters.
In the reveal trailer for Dragon Age: Veilguard, Varric is depicted in a climactic confrontation with Solas, now the series’ central antagonist. The trailer suggests a potentially fatal outcome for Varric as he confronts Solas in a desperate attempt to reason with his former friend.
The destruction of Varric’s beloved crossbow, Bianca, symbolizes the stakes of this encounter, hinting at a possible tragic end for the character who has defied death multiple times before.
The trailer ends with Varric mysteriously absent, leaving his fate uncertain. Speculation arises as to whether this could finally be the moment when Varric meets his end, fulfilling Gaider’s original narrative intention for the character. If this turns out to be true, it would mark a poignant conclusion to Varric’s journey, echoing the heroic sacrifice Gaider had envisioned years earlier.
Thus, while Dragon Age lacks a single, continuous protagonist like Commander Shepard from Mass Effect, Varric emerges as a unifying figure across the series, embodying the wit, resilience, and enduring spirit that define the Dragon Age experience. His potential fate in Dragon Age: Veilguard may finally determine whether Varric remains a central figure in the franchise’s legacy or concludes his journey with a heroic farewell.
