One of the more exciting aspects of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, possibly receiving a ‘full reveal’ at Summer Game Fest, is that it’s more of a direct sequel than we’ve had in the series. Sure, Dragon Age: Origins, 2 and Inquisition all followed one another chronologically and shared characters, but the central conflict of these games differed dramatically as Thedas stumbled from one crisis to the next. Dreadwolf will pick up right after the events of the Trespasser expansion for Dragon Age: Inquisition, with the narrative centring on the eponymous character Solas, the Dread Wolf.

Solas is one of the most polarising characters in the Dragon Age fandom, courting a wide spectrum of opinions. To some, he is a tragic hero in an unenviable position, forced into drastic action to right the wrongs of his past. To others, he is a master manipulator who refuses to take accountability, selfish to his core. With how disparate the fandom’s opinions are on Solas, there is no possible way BioWare can satisfy everyone’s interpretation of the Elf.

Love Him Or Hate Him…

The Solas ‘situation’ reminds me of the community’s reaction to Anders’ actions in Dragon Age 2. Anders will always blow up the Chantry in Act 3, unleashing the simmering conflict between templars and mages in Kirkwall into the open. This narrative decision angered fans of Anders as they felt with high enough approval they should have been able to prevent this act of terror. Now, narratively speaking, Anders is/was possessed by a spirit of vengeance, so there’s only so much a friend/lover would have been able to do to convince him not to go down this path.

The lack of ‘control’ the player had over Anders’ actions came as a particular surprise to Dragon Age players because, up until that point, we’ve always been able to control most of the major plot developments in the series. With Solas, there needs to be an acceptance that the player isn’t going to have complete control over the narrative and the characters they’ve grown close to. Those who have romanced Solas may not experience a happy ending, and that’s completely okay if the story is well-told.

Let’s face it, Solas wants to tear down the Veil to complete his convoluted plan to uplift Elves. It’s a near-apocalyptic event and incompatible with the Dragon Age series having a future. Solas will be pitted against our new hero as an antagonist, and he may not be portrayed in as sympathetic a light as he has been (depending on your perspective). It’d be sort of like if the character you romanced in Origins wanted the Archdemon to win, you just can’t appease the people who root for the end of the world.

Now, if you play as a Lavellan (female elf) Inquisitor and romance Solas, the dialogue between the two in Trespasser teases some kind of rehabilitation for the Dread Wolf. However, we’re not playing as the Inquisitor in Dragon Age: Dreadwolf and the narrative probably isn’t going to warp drastically for one specific imported world state. There likely is a ‘happy ending’ of sorts for Solas, but I don’t see any real possibility that Solas and Lavellan could live happily ever after.

It’s Dragon Age, a well-written, ideological and often morally grey story. There will inevitably be discourse and people unhappy with elements of the storytelling. However, the most important thing is that we as fans of the series don’t overreact to certain narrative decisions and appreciate the story for what it is, not what each individual wanted it to be. It’s going to be a very difficult task for BioWare to navigate the complex character that is Solas, and we’ll all need to accept that how the writers view him may not align with our own views of him.

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