History Characters / DragonAgeInquisitionCompanionsAndAdvisors

[[center:[-[[Characters/DragonAge Main Character Index]] > Dragon Age: Inquisition > [[Characters/DragonAgeInquisitionTheInquisitor The Inquisitor]] | '''Companions And Advisors''' ([[Characters/DragonAgeCole Cole]] | [[Characters/DragonAgeTheIronBull The Iron Bull]] | [[Characters/DragonAgeSera Sera]] | [[Characters/DragonAgeSolas Solas]] | [[Characters/DragonAgeVivienne Vivienne]]) | [[Characters/DragonAgeInquisitionStaff Staff]] | [[Characters/DragonAgeInquisitionAgents Agents]] | [[Characters/DragonAgeInquisitionTrainers Trainers]] | [[Characters/DragonAgeInquisitionMultiplayer Multiplayer]] | [[Characters/DragonAgeInquisitionAntagonists Antagonists]] | [[Characters/DragonAgeInquisitionNonPlayableCharacters Non-Playable Characters]] | [[Characters/DragonAgeInquisitionDLC DLC Characters]] -]]]

!!Warrior Companions

[[folder:Blackwall]]
!!Blackwall
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/blackwall_1446.jpg]]
!!!'''Appears in:''' ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition Inquisition]]''
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Alastair Parker (English), Thomas Nero Wolff (German)

->''"All a Warden is, is a promise. To protect others, even at the cost of your own life."''

\\
Warden-Constable Blackwall is a Grey Warden who was once stationed in Val Chevin, and elects to join the Inquisition. He is a romance option for a female Inquisitor of any race.

* AffectionateNickname: If romanced, he'll call the Inquisitor "my lady".
* AllThereInTheManual: Blackwall's first name, Gordon, is only given in ''World of Thedas Vol. 2''. [[spoiler: The real Blackwall, that is. It's unknown if Thom Rainier even knew Gordon's first name.]]
* ArtifactAlias: Blackwall [[spoiler:will continue to go by the dead Warden's name instead of his own, even if the Inquisitor tells him to live under his real name - Thom Rainier]]. Averted in Trespasser, when both he and the UI [[spoiler: use Thom Rainier to refer to him]].
* AtLeastIAdmitIt: Inverted. When the Inquisitor first speak to him at Haven, Blackwall will tell them, if they are non-human, that he expected them to be one. The Inquisitor can say that they appreciate the honesty, but Blackwall will admonish himself for thinking something so foolish.
* TheAtoner: [[spoiler: He pretends to be Warden Blackwall to atone for accepting a bribe, ordering his troops to slaughter an Orlesian general and his family, and deserting his post, allowing his subordinates to be punished in his stead. He also feels unworthy over the fact the real Blackwall died saving him from a darkspawn ambush.]]
* BashBrothers: He best fits this with Iron Bull. Cassandra might have also fit [[spoiler:before TheReveal.]]
* BeardnessProtectionProgram: [[spoiler: He grew the beard to keep others from realizing that he wasn't really Blackwall, as well as to help distance himself from his old identity of Thom Rainier.]] If you're curious, he looks [[https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/728/images/687-2-1438838031.jpg like this]] when the beard's removed with mods.
* BecomingTheMask: [[spoiler:If taken to the Grey Wardens after the battle against Corypheus, he will survive the Joining and become a true Grey Warden. In the ''Trespasser'' epilogue, it is stated that between his duties as a Grey Warden, he will continue to do what he did while disguised as Blackwall despite having no reason to continue acting this way. Furthermore, if the Inquisitor romances him, they will have proof that he became Warden-Constable (second most important Warden in a whole country), which is the same title as the real Blackwall.]]
* BirdsOfAFeather: If a female Dwarven Inquisitor romances him, since both of them are [[spoiler:ex-criminals trying to make a new life. Blackwall will acknowledge the similarity himself.]]
* BrokenPedestal: He's on both ends of this trope.
** Giving on: During the Warden questline, he's shocked to see the actions his fellow Grey Wardens would do when hearing the Fake Calling and ultimately is nearly shattered completely by the end. [[spoiler:Given that he respects them because he isn't actually one, it makes sense why he does.]]
** Receiving: The party, for the most part, all respect Blackwall and see him as a good man and a fine example of a Warden. [[spoiler:When it turns out he's not the real Blackwall, most of the party vehemently dislike him. The biggest example is Cassandra, who goes from seeing Blackwall as an ally and friend to practically regarding him as an enemy, and only working with him because he may still be in the Inquisition. The only people to respect and like him still are Varric, Sera and Cole (who always knew Blackwall's secret and therefore wasn't surprised or bothered). Iron Bull, Dorian and Solas ease up a little; Cullen will eventually forgive him in the ''Trespasser'' DLC; and Cassandra eventually seems to warm up a ''little'' through some banter, or at least becomes less hostile to him. The only person who doesn't seem affected by the revelation is Vivienne, as she never held Blackwall in very high regard to begin with, though she does admit she is impressed by how well Blackwall maintained the masquerade, to the point that even ''she'' was fooled.]]
* BystanderSyndrome: Blackwall tells a story about when he was a boy and failed to intervene to save a dog that was being hung and tortured by the other kids. He laments that he could've done something about it, and warns that the Inquisition should not be a bystander, in any conflict, because they have the power to help people.
* CatharticExhalation: Tends to hold his breath in tense situations, and comments on it once the danger is passed. He also sighs a lot in banter with other companions, usually as a way to express his exasperation.
-->'''Blackwall:''' ''[sighs]'' And you live. I can breathe again.
* ChairmanOfTheBrawl: On the giving and receiving end of this trope. Shortly before his recruitment to the Wardens, Blackwall gets into a barfight defending a waitress. A chair is broken over his back, but he's unaffected and instead takes the remains of the chair and uses it to beat his attackers until they're begging for mercy.
* CharacterDevelopment: Both off-screen and during the game. He goes from [[spoiler:an amoral mercenary captain and murderer to a champion of the weak.]] Then, just after he's earned a position in the Inquisition and the respect that goes with it, he gives it all up and [[spoiler: surrenders himself to save one of his men facing execution for following his orders.]] If he doesn't go to the Wardens, then two years later the player finds [[spoiler: he's started using his old name again and has been tracking down and speaking to his men. And getting punched a lot, but he can take it.]]. If he does go to the Wardens, [[spoiler:he will continue to help others after officially becoming a Warden, fully embracing his vision]].
* ChronicHeroSyndrome:
** He feels that the Grey Wardens' role should not be restricted to fighting darkspawn, but also protecting the defenseless whenever possible. Not a sentiment shared by most Grey Wardens. Of course, [[spoiler:given that the main threat in ''Inquisition'' turns out to be ''the'' darkspawn, he still has an excuse.]]
** Interestingly, this also serves as a sort of {{foreshadowing}}, depending on the Inquisitor's choices. [[spoiler:If the Wardens are recruited to the Inquisition after the siege of Adamant instead of being exiled from Orlais, the epilogue states that they eventually break away from the motherhouse at Weisshaupt and dedicate themselves to not only fighting darkspawn, but also to helping people in a variety of other ways - just as Blackwall wanted.]]
* ColorCodedEyes: His gray eyes hits several archetypes associated with the attribute: a lone-wolf mentor figure, a resolute, iron-willed idealist, [[spoiler: and a history as a calculating, amoral killer]].
* CompensatingForSomething: When Sera asks why Dwarven architecture is so large when dwarves are so short, this is Blackwall's explanation. When Sera turns that back at him by pointing out that he swings around a big sword, he replies, "That's not compensation. [[GagPenis That's a counterweight]]."
* CourtlyLove: If not romanced, he engages in this with Josephine, sending her anonymous gifts of flowers and receiving scented handkerchiefs and other tokens in return. [[spoiler:It starts after TheReveal.]] If asked about it later in ''Trespasser'', he says that he knew it was never going to go anywhere.
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: How he was recruited into the Wardens. His recruiter saw him entering the inn and took him for some random drunkard. When a customer tried to force himself upon a waitress, however, that same drunkard was off his seat and on that customer in an instant. He then proceeded to [[BarBrawl beat him and his four friends]] with the broken leg of a chair (which one of the attackers [[ChairmanOfTheBrawl broke on his back]], [[MadeOfIron not fazing him in the slightest]]) so hard that they were crying for the Maker when he was done. It was then that the Warden decided to recruit him, no questions asked.
* CulturedWarrior: Among other things, he surprises Vivienne with his detailed knowledge of the trappings of Orlesian nobility.
* DeadPersonImpersonation: [[spoiler: Of the original Blackwall.]]
* DeathFakedForYou: During his sidequest, one option is to have [[spoiler:Leliana's agents swap him with a double]] so that his death is faked a second time.
* DeathSeeker:
** Downplayed, but Blackwall takes the "in death, sacrifice" part of the Warden creed very seriously.
** If you bring him along on "In Hushed Whispers", he's moved to hear of his future self's sacrifice, somberly noting that he was "worth something in the end."
** His first conversation after reaching Skyhold, he vows to take [[spoiler: Corypheus]] down even if it kills him. Trying to discourage that line of thinking yields disapproval.
* {{Determinator}}: Described as "The Resolve" of the team.
* DirtyCoward: [[spoiler:As Thom Rainier, he was bribed to kill a member of the Orlesian court and sent his men in to do the dirty work instead, which ended in them killing the man ''and'' his wife and children. Then he fled justice and let his men take the fall for him. He grows out of this during his companion quest, arriving to tell the truth in time to stop his second-in-command from being hanged in his stead.]]
* DistressedWoodchopping: After "Here Lies the Abyss", Blackwall can be found chopping wood out of frustration over the revelations in the quest regarding the Grey Wardens.
* DramaticIrony: [[spoiler: After the real Blackwall was killed, Rainier wanted to continue to Val Chevin to complete his Joining but thought that he had no proof of his recruitment and feared the other Wardens would accuse him of killing Blackwall. Players who at least completed the Ostagar sequence in the first game will know what the vial of blood Rainier collected was for and that it would have made excellent proof of conscription, but the Wardens' secrecy meant that Rainier himself had no idea.]]
* EarlyBirdCameo: A transcript of one of his speeches during the events of ''Origins'' appears in ''The World of Thedas Vol. 1''. [[spoiler:Except he isn't the Blackwall that wrote that speech, he's just pretending.]]
* EmpoweredBadassNormal: A part of being a Warden is enhanced strength and stamina. The surgeon even asks if she can study him. [[spoiler:Ultimately, of course, it doesn't apply to him. However, he does become one if he takes his Joining and survives sometime two years later.]]
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: When the Inquisitor finds Blackwall, he's using his status to teach victims how to stand up for themselves, and when a bandit shoots an arrow at the Inquisitor's back, he blocks it without even knowing who he's protecting.
* ExactWords: In the Warden plotline, if asked if [[spoiler:Corypheus's fake Calling]] is affecting him and if he's a threat, Blackwall says bluntly that [[spoiler:Corypheus]] has no hold on him, but note that he declines to say ''why''. [[spoiler:It's because Blackwall can't ''hear'' the Calling; he's not a Grey Warden. He's a wanted criminal named Thom Rainier.]]
* ExpectingSomeoneTaller: If the Inquisitor is not human, when they first speak to Blackwall at Skyhold, he reluctantly admits that he was expecting them to be one. The Inquisitor will actually praise him for being honest. A Dwarf Inquisitor will, in fact, ''literally'' say, "At least it's not '[[ExpectingSomeoneTaller I was expecting you to be taller]].'"
* FakingTheDead: In his backstory, [[spoiler:he used the real Blackwall's death]] to fake his own.
* {{Foreshadowing}}:
** When the Inquisitor first sees him, he's teaching some locals how to fight, calls them "conscripts" and then sends them home after the fight's won. [[spoiler: Wardens conscript are trained to permanently join, suggesting he isn't really a Grey Warden]].
** When first met, the Inquisitor asks if he's Warden Blackwall, to which Blackwall responds aggressively and even draws a sword, as if worried that him being found or identified as Blackwall is a problem. [[spoiler:Most likely the reaction is fear that an organized group has likely suspected something is off about his name, which is supported by the letter found on a slain enemy after, which pretty heavily confirms some people know he isn't actually Blackwall]].
** When the Inquisitor first recruits him, he makes a very solemn and saddened face while stating that Grey Wardens can inspire someone to be better than they think they are.
** And his quote? The promise is all wrong. [[spoiler: The priority of the Grey Wardens is and always has been to end the Blight through whatever means necessary, moral qualms be damned. However, one thing his quote ''does'' sound like is a romanticization of the Wardens' duties--like that of someone who was ''inspired'' by the Wardens but never actually joined the organization.]]
** When you first speak to him at Haven, Blackwall reluctantly admits to a non-human that he expected them to be one. The Grey Wardens are famous for conscripting ''anyone'' regardless of their race, so this is an early sign that [[spoiler:Blackwall is not really a Grey Warden]].
** On another level, if the Inquisitor asks him directly about the more secretive stuff about the Grey Wardens, he's extremely vague and tends to sum it up as "It's a Grey Warden thing." [[spoiler: He doesn't actually know, for example, how someone kills an Archdemon for good, thinking it's just a matter of stabbing it enough times until it's dead (if questioned further he says the secret is in how they get it to the point where you can do that). [[Videogame/DragonAgeOrigins It's not]]- albeit that getting to the point where you can fight an Archdemon ''is'' a task in and of itself. This is something an experienced Warden would definitely know. Of course, the real Wardens ''are'' very secretive about their methods; he might just be imitating behavior he's seen before.]]
** During the Warden plotline, [[spoiler: he never actually confirms he can hear Corypheus' false Calling, claiming only that Corypheus "has no hold" over him.]]
** During the Winter Palace ball in Orlais, if brought along a noble party guest will observe that there is something familiar about Blackwall's face, and thinks they have met before, but can't quite place him, with Blackwall trying to play it down and dismiss it.
** In one party banter, he asks Sera, who was a child in Denerim at the time of the first game, if she saw many Grey Wardens during the final battle. [[spoiler: A real Warden, especially one as high ranking as the real Blackwall was at that time, would probably know that there were only three or four Wardens in Denerim during that battle (the Hero of Ferelden, Riordan, and Alistair/Loghain - or possibly both if the player made a specific set of choices, though both wouldn't be in the party at the same time).]]
** In the Fade, the Nightmare says, [[spoiler:"Ah, there's nothing like a Grey Warden. And you are ''nothing'' like a Grey Warden."]] Also, the gravestone [[spoiler:in the Fade]] which describes his worst fear simply says "Himself."
** After the Siege of Adamant, when he starts describing what does and does not make one a Warden, he hesitates before saying that the Joining doesn't, [[spoiler:likely because of his claim to be a Warden despite not performing it. Or possibly because ''his'' Joining was the traumatic experience that led to the death of Blackwall and the birth of "Blackwall".]] The next sentence he says is the quote at the top.
** During his banter with Cole, at one point Cole will remark "So many masks...", and Blackwall assumes he means the masks worn at the ball. Cole replies "Not at the ball. ''Here''." [[spoiler:The "masks" Cole's referring to are the ways Blackwall is hiding his true identity.]]
** A charred letter is found on one of the bandits encountered during Blackwall's introduction. The letter claims that the person to whom it's addressed has no chance of ever reclaiming his honor, and that he'd be better off joining the bandits to make use of what "that bastard taught you". [[spoiler:After his personal quest, it's clear that the letter was addressed to one of Blackwall's men, which explains why Blackwall seems oddly regretful after putting the bandits down.]]
** If Alistair is still a Grey Warden, [[spoiler:he will mention to Blackwall (if he is brought along) that Duncan knew Blackwall. Blackwall's reaction makes it obvious he doesn't know who Duncan is, shrugging it off with a "Duncan? Of course."]]
** Bull is quick to note that for all Blackwall talks about honour and sacrifice, he's not totally convinced of it. Bull is also the first to note how the Wardens and the Qun have similar attitudes to duty. "Little surprised I got there before you did."
** When fighting Darkspawn on the Storm Coast, Blackwall says that the most heavily armored one must be the leader, as if he was just guessing based on what he saw in the fight. [[spoiler: If he were really a high-ranking Warden he would be familiar with Darkspawn hierarchy and have no trouble recognizing an Alpha on sight.]]
** During a trip into the Deep Roads, the Inquisitor may ask Blackwall how many darkspawn he senses [[spoiler:and he responds vaguely with "Hard to say. Keep your guard up." because he doesn't have a Warden's darkspawn sense and so doesn't actually know how many there are.]]
** If brought along to the finale of "Here Lies The Abyss", a special dialogue option can be done to have Blackwall step up to try and convince the Wardens to side with them. Despite the Inquisitor naming him right before, he outright says "You don't know me, but you may have heard my name", a strange thing to say given he's the Warden-Constable of a city in Orlais. [[spoiler: With the reveal he isn't Blackwall, it makes why he would say so; they wouldn't know who ''he'' is, but would know the name Blackwall. Furthermore, he comments on how wearing "this armor" made him feel like he belonged with them, which turns out to be a subtle point about how pretending to be Blackwall made him safe, and sets up him revealing the truth later]].
* FantasticRacism: Admits to a non-human Herald that he expected them to be one when they first meet. The Herald can say they appreciate his honesty or express annoyance, but either way Blackwall is ashamed of himself and tries to be better from then on out.
** Part of the reason of his blatant distrust towards Dorian is because of the latter being a Tevinter, like the Corypheus, never mind that the latter opposes said BigBad and is ashamed of his countrymen's less than favorable practices, most especially its moral and cultural deterioration. [[spoiler: He gets over with this when his secret is out and he and Dorian finally bury the hatchet.]]
* FriendToAllChildren: He's a toymaker. He'll be seen in the barn with rocking horses and other toys he's making for the children in Skyhold, saying that children deserve the right to be able to ''be'' children even during war, and one epilogue has him making toys for children while he's WalkingTheEarth.
* GameplayAndStoryIntegration: The Trespasser DLC has his character card and selection screen as [[spoiler: "Thom Rainier", indicating he's ''fully'' divested himself of the name "Blackwall", which he views as a title instead.]]
* GirlOnGirlIsHot: He asks Sera for details about her sexual conquests. When questioned about it, he replies that he "can't stop thinking about it".
* GoodIsNotNice: During the Blight, Loghain wouldn't allow for more Warden reinforcements because they would come from Orlais. When Blackwall learned of this, despite being a committed Grey Warden, he was entirely willing to allow Ferelden to fall to the Blight as punishment for Loghain's decision. [[spoiler:This isn't that Blackwall. Ironically, despite being a criminal, this guy is ''much'' nicer, at least [[CharacterDevelopment these days]].]]
* GrayRainOfDepression: [[spoiler: When the Inquisitor arrives at Val Royaeux to attend Mornay's execution during Blackwall's personal quest, the capital's sunny environment turn into 180 degree turn to reflect the [[PersonalHorror seriousness]] of his personal quest.]]
* HaveWeMet: A nobleman in the Winter Palace will insist that he's seen Blackwall somewhere before, but can't quite place him. He suggests [[{{Foreshadowing}} maybe if the beard didn't hide his face...]]
* HearingVoices: A major plot point of Inquisition is that [[spoiler:all of the Grey Wardens are hearing the Calling,]] including Blackwall - although he isn't too concerned about it. [[spoiler: Subverted, in that this doesn't actually include him- he isn't a Grey Warden.]]
* HeelRealization: [[spoiler:He's in the eternal aftermath of one.]]
* HehHehYouSaidX: His party banter humor can occasionally veer into this territory.
-->'''Cole:''' Your knife is big.\\
'''Blackwall:''' ''[snickers]'' It's a sword.\\
'''Cole:''' [[InnocentlyInsensitive It's bigger than mine]].\\
'''Blackwall:''' And now you've made it awkward.
* HeroOfAnotherStory: He tells the Inquisitor that he was in Ferelden during the Fifth Blight, killing his "fair share" of darkspawn. [[spoiler:Turns out that he wasn't - see above. The ''player'' almost certainly knows this, but the Inquisitor has no reason not to believe him.]]
* HeroWorship: If asked for his opinion about the advisers, he displays a minor case of this for Cullen, commenting about how much he admires the commander. [[spoiler:After TheReveal, he laments that he has "all the respect in the world" for Cullen, but he's sure the other man will never trust him again. However, in ''Trespasser,'' he's pleased to report that he believes Cullen has finally forgiven him.]]
* HeroicResolve: His marketing title was even "The Resolve;" he believes in protecting people no matter what, and that a Warden's first duty is really about that. [[spoiler:He will keep this mindset even when officially becoming a Grey Warden.]]
* HeroicSelfDeprecation: His greatest fear is himself - he's full of self-loathing, and never sees himself as a hero, no matter how much good he does.
* HeroicVow: Takes the perceived and inherent notion that a Warden exists to protect to extremes: he believes that this is what they must be for, above anything else.
* HonorBeforeReason: [[spoiler:Blackwall could have just used the Right of Conscription to save Mornay from being executed. It is common knowledge that the Wardens are allowed to conscript criminals to the Wardens regardless of their crime. However, he instead chose to reveal who he was, which got himself arrested and forces the Inquisitor to commit unscrupulous acts to get him back (either replacing Blackwall with a similar looking criminal to be executed, having Cullen storm the prison with soldiers to take Blackwall forcefully, or use connections to force Orlais to hand him over) which Blackwall is unhappy about. Somewhat justified in that, at least from Blackwall's point of view, conscripting Mornay would be living the lie even further, and that it would not absolve Mornay of the crime he was accused of; by admitting himself to be Mornay's former commander and taking responsibility for the murder of the noble family, he shoulders Mornay's guilt instead of making it a case where the accused escaped justice by the timely arrival of a Warden, which also explains why he is unhappy with the Inquisitor for rescuing him from what he sees as a deserved punishment.]]
* {{Hypocrite}}: Blackwall is disgusted by the revelation of the Mayor of Crestwood's extreme actions in the face of the Blight and his attempt at fleeing from justice before he could get found out and caught, which ends up ringing a bit hollow in light of his own past being revealed.
* IAmOneOfThoseToo: If taken to meet the Warden contact (and the Warden contact happens to be Alistair), Alistair will comment that Duncan knew Blackwall after Blackwall introduces himself. [[spoiler: Blackwall did not know this, and so sputters out a vague reply to prevent his lie from being revealed. Fortunately for him,]] Alistair doesn't catch on.
* ICantBelieveAGuyLikeYouWouldNoticeMe: Gender-flipped. If you begin flirting with Blackwall, he will quickly become flustered and state that he's not used to female praise or attention. However, he admits that he very much enjoys your company. If the flirting continues, he'll later try to dissuade you by saying that you're at too high a status and much too respected to settle for a guy like him.
* ImpersonationExclusiveCharacter: [[spoiler:The real Blackwall is years dead by the time you meet Rainier under his name, and is never encountered in-game save for a single note containing a transcript of a speech he gave during the Fifth Blight.]]
* IOweYouMyLife:
** If the Inquisitor [[spoiler:frees him during judgment]], despite learning what he's done, this is his reaction.
** It's also partly [[spoiler: what inspired his decision to adopt the identity of the real Blackwall. When they were ambushed by darkspawn, the real Blackwall died saving Rainier from a fatal blow; Rainier didn't feel he was worthy of the sacrifice and felt he owed it to the late Warden to follow his example]].
--->''"I didn't [[spoiler: take Blackwall's life. I traded his death... I took his name to stop the world from losing a good man]].''
* IWorkAlone: He prefers solitary work due to his high moral standards. [[spoiler: And because being alone in the wilderness reduces the chances of someone recognizing him.]]
* InsecureLoveInterest: He doesn't believe himself good enough for a female Inquisitor, and warns her he should not get too attached as he is just another soldier. [[spoiler: This makes sense considering TheReveal that he is not really Blackwall.]] It's also why, if neither of them are romanced, he refuses to court Josephine, despite Cole's hints that [[TwiceShy she feels some attraction towards him as well]].
* InitiationCeremony: His ceremony for induction into the Wardens was [[spoiler:interrupted when his recruiter was killed by darkspawn.]] Blackwall doesn't understand why [[spoiler:the real Blackwall insisted on stopping and sending him to kill darkspawn and bring back their blood,]] but anyone who's played the first game knows ''exactly'' why that happened.
* JumpedAtTheCall:
** The Inquisitor just wants to know if he can explain why the other Wardens have vanished; it's Blackwall who decides to join them.
** He's also one of the increasingly few Grey Wardens that wasn't conscripted by force. [[spoiler: As it turns out, the real Blackwall found him while he was on the run, but was ambushed and killed by darkspawn before the Joining ceremony.]]
* JustFollowingOrders: Inverted. [[spoiler: Blackwall considers himself more responsible than those who personally killed the Calliers, as they didn't have all the facts and were only doing what they'd been trained to do.]]
* KnightErrant: Wanders Thedas alone protecting the innocent. [[spoiler:It's both to atone for his past and to reduce the chances of being recognized.]]
* KnightInShiningArmor: Brave, noble, and protective. [[spoiler: He throws himself into the ideal to atone for his past.]]
** He also states that this is what the Grey Wardens aspire to be, protecting the innocents of the land. [[spoiler:It's one of the many moments that foreshadows that he is ''not'' truly a Grey Warden. Grey Wardens are not heroic knights, they are often ruthless warriors who will do anything, no matter how potentially immoral, to stop Blights from destroying the world.]]
* TheKnightsWhoSaySquee: Towards the legendary Grey Wardens of old. [[spoiler: And to the real Blackwall, whom he idolized.]]
* KnightlySwordAndShield: Blackwall fights with a sword and shield and also has the Champion specialization, which focuses on protecting and defending allies over all else. He's also someone who has dedicated his life to helping others and protecting the weak because [[spoiler: he's not the real Blackwall. He's someone whose life was saved by the real Blackwall and is trying to make up for his past crimes]].
* LadyAndKnight: His romance has a lot of this; his nickname for the romanced Inquisitor is even "my lady."
* LastNameBasis: No one ever uses Blackwall's first name; it's not even revealed in-game until ''Trespasser'', and even then only if his personal quest was not completed. [[spoiler:The most likely explanation is that Thom Rainier never knew the real Blackwall's full name.]]
* LegacyCharacter: After a fashion. [[spoiler:If forgiven and welcomed back, the Inquisitor can suggest accepting "Blackwall" as the title to which he must aspire.]]
* LiarRevealed: How straight this gets played during his personal quest varies. [[spoiler: Specifically, it varies with the companion after he gets found out for a fraud.]]
** [[spoiler: Cassandra, who held him in high regard, is disgusted, and their relationship never quite recovers; judging by Blackwall's own comments if asked about the Inquisition advisers, this is Cullen's reaction to him as well, although it improves by ''Trespasser''. Cassandra will only talk to Blackwall in Trespasser if he ends up as a Grey Warden, probably going to the Joining as a punishment angle. Solas is equally grumpy, though his opinion softens later due of realizing that it would make him a {{Hypocrite}} considering that he has lots of skeletons in his closet and he also deceives everyone in the Inquisition. Sera is a lot of more forgiving and she is the other person aside for Blackwall himself who have significant approval changes in regards to his judgment. On the flipside, Varric, the Iron Bull, and Dorian, who are mostly dismissive and/or hostile towards Blackwall prior to the reveal, end up more forgiving and understanding. Varric admits that he might be a little and unnecessary harsh to him. Bull, who already picked up the signs that he was an imposter, makes an effort to raise his spirits by [[NotSoDifferentRemark finding parallels with his own situation]] of his conflicting nature as a mercenary leader and as an agent of the Qun while also rightfully condemning him for killing children (something that Bull won't tolerate). Dorian, who previously shows most hostility to Blackwall (and vice versa) the most, ends up respecting his genuine desire to atone and he is the one who offers the olive branch to end their hostilities for good. And Cole, who always knew, tries to make him see [[CharacterDevelopment how much he has changed]]. It helps that he also sees the similarities between them, it is just that it takes Blackwall longer to make peace with it. Surprisingly, with Vivienne it actually ''increases'' her opinion of him, if ever so slightly, as she expresses genuine admiration that Blackwall pulled off a deception even ''she'' was fooled by. [[YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame Not that it makes Blackwall feel any better about it.]]]]
-->'''Blackwall:''' [[spoiler:Cole, if you knew what I am, what I'd done, why didn't you tell the others]]?\\
'''Cole:''' Everyone hides dead things. Everyone pretends. [[spoiler:[[TheAtoner You wanted to fix it]]]].\\
'''Blackwall:''' [[spoiler:I'm a murderer]].\\
'''Cole:''' [[spoiler:You don't want to be. You made a new you. You are Blackwall. You killed Rainier]].\\
'''Blackwall:''' If only that were possible.\\
'''Cole:''' [[spoiler:You would stand between Rainier and the carriage. But you can't. It doesn't work like that. So you carry the bodies to remember]].\\
'''Blackwall:''' [[spoiler:I suppose I do]].
* LittleNo: If the Inquisitor [[spoiler:banishes the Grey Wardens from Orlais.]] It breaks his heart to see that happen to the group he idolizes so much.
* LockedOutOfTheLoop: [[spoiler:Like all Grey Warden recruits, he was not told what the Joining involves or why he was supposed to kill a darkspawn and collect its blood. So when his recruiter was killed in an ambush, he didn't know that he did, in fact, have proof that his recruitment was legitimate, and he feared that the Wardens would think he murdered Blackwall.]]
* LoveCannotOvercome: Can either be played straight or subverted by an Inquisitor romancing him. [[spoiler:After his true identity is revealed,]] the Inquisitor can believe that [[spoiler:his crimes (both legal and lying)]] are too great for her to forgive him and chooses to break up with him. For his part, Blackwall expects this trope to be played straight and is surprised if it isn't.
* MaintainTheLie: [[spoiler: One option when judging "Blackwall" is to have him continue to live under his false identity, with no one mentioning his true identity as Rainier. Eventually the Wardens catch on and demand he be given to them]].
* TheMasqueradeWillKillYourDatingLife: [[spoiler:Since he's not really Blackwall, but a criminal, he feels unworthy of the Inquisitor, and before TheReveal will often warn her to break things off with him under the pretense that his life as a Warden will be a hindrance to their relationship. After his identity is found out, the Inquisitor may choose to forgive him or punish him, and also to either break up with him or give him another chance. If he is not romanced, this is also the reason why he does not make his feelings for Josephine known.]]
* MeaningfulRename: In ''Trespasser'', [[spoiler: he discards the Blackwall identity entirely and is known solely as Thom Rainier, including on the character select screen. In this case, the meaningful rename is that he is able to go back to his original identity.]]
* MightyGlacier: Vacillates between this and full StoneWall, depending on how strong a weapon he's holding.
* MultipleChoicePast:[[spoiler: In-universe.]] If you've gotten this far and are a bit confused [[spoiler: by what happened to the original Blackwall and what Thom Rainier did while impersonating him]], we're sorry.
* MushroomSamba: If Blackwall is taken to the Hissing Wastes, he shares a story about a disastrous assignment to the Silent Plains. At one point, he and his men lost all of their food to a flash flood, so they ate some berries a newbie had found. Blackwall spent two nights hallucinating a ring of nugs singing sea shanties at him.
* MyGreatestFailure: When he was a child, he stood by and watched as a group of boys abuse and eventually hang a stray mongrel. He still regrets it to the present day. [[spoiler:He uses that incident as a metaphor for his true greatest failure: accepting a bribe to use his own men to murder Lord Callier, not calling off the attack when he realized the man's wife and children were present, and then running away from it and leaving his men to take the fallout.]]
* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: [[spoiler:While pardoning him is considered by many the right thing to do, it ''does'' end up making things difficult for the Inquisition as a whole. The fact that the Inquisitor allows a convicted murderer in their inner circle severely damages their, and by extent the Inquisition's reputation, and most, if not all your other companions are outraged by your decision, ''especially'' Solas and Cassandra (the former eventually relents, however).]]
* NoodleIncident: After the MushroomSamba incident, Blackwall and his men awoke to find themselves surrounded by a bunch of ghasts that had stolen their weapons and armor and were dragging them off to their [[RunningGag ghast-hole]].
-->'''Inquisitor:''' How did you escape?\\
'''Blackwall:''' You'd be surprised what a man armed with a rock and a headache can do.
* NotSoAboveItAll:
** Iron Bull asks him what's the maximum number of pieces he's chopped an enemy in with one swing.[[note]]Apparently, it's sort of an [[BloodKnight obsession]].[[/note]] Blackwall is not amused... at first.
--->'''Blackwall:''' For the Wardens, battle is a sacred duty, a vigil kept to guard the world against destruction. It's not a game.\\
'''Iron Bull:''' Right. [[BlatantLies Same here]].\\
''[{{beat}}]''\\
'''Blackwall:''' Do heads count?
** He takes great joy at the prospect of telling Cullen that Bull and the Inquisitor [[spoiler:or Dorian]] have had sex on the war table.
** He is very curious to know if Solas has done anything sexual with spirits.
** In general, Blackwall's sense of humor is barely more mature than Sera's.
* NotStayingForBreakfast: Following his romance path will have the Inquisitor waking up alone after their first night together.
* NumberTwo: Was once the second-in-command to the Orlesian Warden-Commander. [[spoiler:At least, his namesake was.]]
* OddFriendship:
** The quiet and dutiful Blackwall gets along very well with the loudmouthed, fun-loving Sera. Much of it stems from their mutual dislike of the aristocracy, and [[StrangeMindsThinkAlike rather juvenile sense of humor]]. In the ''Trespasser'' DLC, Sera's journal can be found stating that he hugs harder [[spoiler: as Rainier than he did as Blackwall]].
** Blackwall and Iron Bull are pretty similar in some ways. They find more common ground if [[spoiler:Bull becomes a Tal-Vashoth and Blackwall is exposed as Thom Rainier.]]
** It doesn't really solidify til ''Trespasser'', but he and Dorian eventually become this. At first they can't really stand each other, [[spoiler:but after it comes out who Rainier is, Dorian respects that he is trying to make up for past sins and apologizes for his side of the relationship.]] By ''Trespasser'' they are bantering like old friends.
* OldSoldier: He was a Warden-Constable, e.g. second-in-command of the Grey Wardens in Orlais, at the time of the Fifth Blight. That was more than ten years before ''Inquisition''. We don't know how old he is, but he can't be young. [[spoiler: Well, the real Blackwall wasn't young. From what is revealed about Rainier, he seems to be in his early to mid forties - not "old" but it is a dangerous line of work.]]
* OptionalPartyMember: You can choose not to recruit him, or not do his recruitment quest at all.
* TheParagon: He sometimes "conscripts" victims of bullies, bandits and thieves to fight back against their antagonists, so that the next time, they won't need him to teach them how. This is exactly what he's doing when the Inquisitor first finds him.
* PermanentlyMissableContent: If you don't recruit him before the siege at Adamant Fortress, you can never get him.
* PersonalHorror: The Nightmare demon identifies Blackwall's greatest fear as "himself." [[spoiler:Played painfully straight.]]
* ThePigPen: Dorian, Vivienne, and Cole all comment on Blackwall's hygiene, or lack thereof.
* PlotHole: A rather glaring one if you're familiar with Grey Warden lore. [[spoiler:As part of their Joining, all Grey Wardens become able to tap into the hive mind of the darkspawn via the Taint, which allows them to sense one another, as well as other Wardens in the vicinity. Despite this, none of the Grey Wardens you interact with will ever detect anything off with "Blackwall" while in his presence, despite him supposedly being a decorated veteran of the order.]]
* PrecisionFStrike:
** Notably, he drops the very first F-bomb in the games themselves.
--->'''Inquisitor:''' The Inquisition needs all the help it can get, but what can one Grey Warden do?\\
'''Blackwall:''' Save the fucking world if pressed.
** Also doubles as a neat little minor CallBack[=/=]ShoutOut to ''Origins'', since that's effectively what the Hero of Ferelden did.
** He drops another one in the lead-up to his personal quest.
--->'''Blackwall:''' There's always some dog out there. Some fucking mongrel who doesn't know how to stay away.
* PunchClockVillain: Openly states that he had [[spoiler: no interest whatsoever in the political schemes and double-dealing that resulted in the massacre of Lord Callier and his family; he did it because there was good amounts of gold on offer for it and he needed the money]].
* RealMenHateSugar: He complains that the Orlesian marketplace sells too many "frilly little cakes" these days.
* ReformedButRejected: [[spoiler:Especially if you choose to condemn him]] for his past misdeeds.
* RollInTheHay: If romanced, this is the Inquisitor and Blackwall's intimate scene, given that Blackwall has taken up residence in Skyhold's barn.
* RomanceSidequest: An option for any female Inquisitor.
* SavedFromTheirOwnHonor: Blackwall, as part of his personal questline, eventually reveals [[spoiler:he isn't a true Grey Warden and is actually a former mercenary named Thomas Rainier, and is a wanted man in Orlais for leading a mercenary company responsible for killing the family of an Orlesian general. The real Blackwall was a Grey Warden who crossed paths with him, and saw the potential Thomas had for good, but was killed by Darkspawn before Thomas could become a true Grey Warden. Thomas took Blackwell's name and decided he would try to aspire to be the man Blackwall believed he could be.]] After joining the Inquistor's party, he leaves for Orlais to take responsibility for his past. The Inquisitor can later intervene and order Orlais to release Blackwall into their custody to be judge. If the Inquisitor pardons him or releases him to the Grey Wardens, he redoubles his decision to help and, in turn, inspire others.
* SchmuckBait: His [[LimitBreak Focus Ability]], Counterstrike, draws all enemies to attack him, to which he will respond by counterattacking.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere:
** Once his approval drops below a certain point, he will leave no matter what you say.
** In his backstory, [[spoiler: when Gaspard denied any involvement in the murder of Callier and his family, and the noble who had hired him committed suicide as a result, he ran and left his men to take the fall.]]
* SophisticatedAsHell: Occasionally. In ''Trespasser'', when Sera's freaking out about demons, Blackwall's reassurance goes: "Easy, Sera, we're old hands at this. Just stare them square and remember these sage words: ''Fuck 'em''."
* StalkerWithACrush: Vivienne accuses him of "shadowing" Josephine around Skyhold, though Cole will reveal in party banters that his feelings aren't ''entirely'' one-sided.
* StoneWall: Has the highest defense of the three Warrior companions, and it's only bolstered by his Champion abilities, altogether making him the hardest companion to take down even after breaking his guard. He can also periodically make himself invincible for a few seconds with Walking Fortress.
* StraightMan: He tends to be this during party banter, depending on who else is in the conversation.
* StrangeMindsThinkAlike: He and Sera both wonder if Solas has ever been intimate with a Fade spirit. Even if Sera is never recruited, he comes to wonder on his own and decides to risk a fireball to the face to ask.
* SurvivorGuilt: His main motivation is feeling guilty for the death of the Warden that recruited him. [[spoiler:That man was the real Blackwall. This guilt is combined with guilt over the men who died taking the fall for him, as well as the criminal for whom you swap him (if you choose to do so).]]
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]] in party banter, where Varric quickly pegs Blackwall as essentially an older version of Sebastian as the resident goody-two-shoes. Varric starts rethinking his assessment when Blackwall picks up subtext in Varric's statements that Sebastian would have been totally oblivious to. [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] when it is made clear that Blackwall's backstory and motivations are ''very'' different.
* TakingUpTheMantle: He's not actually [[spoiler:the man named Blackwall. He's a former soldier named Thom Rainier, who got caught up in the power struggle between Celene and Gaspard. After he and his troops murdered the family of one of Celene's allies, Gaspard disavowed them and he went on the run. He met the real Blackwall and intended to join the Grey Wardens, but Blackwall died saving Rainer's life in a darkspawn ambush before it could happen. An inspired Rainier took his name and cause to atone for his past mistakes.]]
* TeamDad: Has shades of this, but definitely acts fatherly towards the Inquisition's younger members Cole and Sera. He also is one to lead by example [[spoiler: at least, before his secret comes out]], likely because of his past transgressions and wanting others to not make the same mistakes he did. Most of the team find his attitude commendable and easy to work with; and when he's not fighting, he's making wooden toys for the youngsters at Skyhold.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork:
** He and Dorian can't ''stand'' each other. On Blackwall's part, he hates Dorian for being a pampered and spoiled blue blood, and he shows signs of FantasticRacism against him for being both from Tevinter and a mage. To their credit, they try to find some middle ground during late-game banter.
** He tries to be friends with Vivienne at first, but she keeps rejecting him to the point where they barely tolerate each other and snipe insults ''constantly''. They do, however, have a very polite moment in party banter following her personal quest, suggesting that they respect each other despite the animosity.
* ThatManIsDead: Played with. [[spoiler: Cole feels that he "killed" his former self when he became Blackwall - but if he shows up in ''Trespasser'' it's under his original name once again, even on the party selection screen.]]
* ThatsWhatSheSaid: His romance chain is a series of these, starting with him asking if the female Inquisitor "needs anything heavy lifted" and then commenting that "you have the world at your feet, myself included." She practically purrs with delight in her response to both.
* TiredOfRunning: Even before becoming a Warden, Blackwall has been on the run a long time [[spoiler:for leading the forces that killed a nobleman and his entire family]]. However, when he learns one of the men responsible is going to be executed, he [[spoiler:up and leaves the Inquisition to turn himself in]].
* TradingBarsForStripes: Downplayed. When he is recruited to the Wardens, Blackwall isn't in prison, he's on the run to avoid getting thrown in jail [[spoiler:for murdering an entire noble family]]. He practically JumpedAtTheCall when he was offered to join.
* TragicHero: With a definite mixture of [[spoiler:AntiVillain.]]
* UnkemptBeauty: With his wooly black hair and ''deep'' voice. Exaggerated if romanced, of course.
* VitriolicBestBuds: On their good days, he and Dorian are this, occasionally finding common ground between their bouts of insult-slinging and mutual loathing. It becomes more concrete by the end of their character arcs, gaining respect for one another as they learn about each others' pasts and the trials they overcame.
* WalkingSpoiler: He's a walking spoiler due to the revelations about his past in his personal quest, which can change a lot of players' perception of him and his dialogue until that point.
* WalkingTheEarth: When the Inquisition finds him, he's traveling alone to recruit for the Order. He can resume this in the epilogue for ''Trespasser'', seeking out the condemned or vulnerable to give them hope. When he's not defending the innocent, ''he's making small toys for children to play with''. The epilogue notes he truly does make people happy one way or another.
* WeirdnessMagnet: Not to the extent of the protagonist, but his banter includes several weird stories and narrow escapes. He attributes his continued survival to the Maker having a soft spot for fools.
* WhatTheHellHero: [[spoiler:If the Inquisitor choses to rescue him using Cullen's suggestion, the violence that it causes results in him calling the Inquisitor out when judging him, since in his view normal people just died for him, which hits a bit close to him.]]
* WorthLivingFor: He comes to see the Inquisitor as this if romanced.
-->'''Blackwall:''' There's always something to die for. But something worth living for? That doesn't come every day.
* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: What he spends time doing on his own. [[spoiler:Because it's something he desperately needs to believe for himself. Some characters, like Cole, believe he qualifies.]]
-->'''Blackwall:''' Grey Wardens can inspire. Make you better than you think you are.
* YouShouldHaveDiedInstead: [[spoiler: He thinks this about himself. The real Blackwall died protecting him from a fatal blow during a darkspawn ambush; Rainer believes he wasn't worthy of a good man sacrificing his life]].

[[folder:Cassandra Pentaghast]]
''See more information about Cassandra Pentaghast in'' ''[[Characters/DragonAgeCassandraPentaghast this page]].''

[[folder:The Iron Bull]]
''See more information about The Iron Bull in'' ''[[Characters/DragonAgeTheIronBull this page]].''

!!Mage Companions

[[folder:Dorian Pavus]]
!!Dorian Pavus
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pavus_dorian_9188.jpg]]
!!!'''Appears in:''' ''[[VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition Inquisition]]'' | ''ComicBook/{{Magekiller}}'' | ''[[ComicBook/DragonAgeDeception Deception]]'' | ''Literature/TevinterNights''
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/RamonTikaram (English), Peter Flechtner (German)

->''"I'm here to set things right. Also? To look dashing. That part's less difficult."''

\\
Dorian is an extraordinarily talented Tevinter mage from the well-established and respected Altus-class House Pavus. He opposes everything that his homeland stands for and is on a crusade to reform the Imperium. He is a romance option for a male Inquisitor of any race.

* TheAce: He's a good-looking, clever, talented mage from a society that values magic above all, and was born into a prestigious family.
* AgentPeacock:
** He's openly gay, values aesthetics, wears eyeliner, is described as fashion-conscious by the writers, and is one of the most talented mages in all the Imperium. Fitting, as his last name is "Pavus" (Latin for Peacock).
** One of his party banters with Varric has him pestering the dwarf to declare who the best-dressed mage in the Inquisition is. Varric isn't dumb enough to answer.
* TheAlcoholic[=/=]DrowningMySorrows: He mentions drinking and being drunk more than any of the other companions, and the game heavily implies that drinking is a coping mechanism for him. It's hinted that he picked it up from his mother. He's never actually shown being inebriated, however.
-->'''Dorian:''' At any rate, time to drink myself into a stupor. It's been that sort of day.
* AlcoholicMom: He implies that his mother was a LadyDrunk.
* AllGaysArePromiscuous: Subverted. At first Dorian appears flippant and takes a casual approach to sex if you bed him as a male Inquisitor. However, the reality is that his snarky behavior is a coping mechanism which he uses to hide his insecurities, and in fact he desires nothing more than a committed, monogamous relationship with a man he loves. Of course, since he's of noble birth and was pressured to marry and continue the Pavus bloodline from an early age, Dorian had practically zero chance of finding such a relationship in his homeland. Consequently, if a male Inquisitor who has already begun another character's romance tries to initiate one with Dorian, Dorian refuses.
* {{Ambadassador}}: In ''Trespasser'', he is not only a full-on Magister, he's also a Tevinter ambassador.
* AngerBornOfWorry:
** Tends to snap at a romanced Inquisitor when he's frightened for them.
** He also does this for an Inquisitor with whom he has become close friends. After [[spoiler: the events in the Fade during the Adamant quest]] (especially if he wasn't in the active party at the time), he snaps and snarks his way through the conversation before getting to the point and asking if the Inquisitor is all right. If the Inquisitor brushes it off and insists they're fine, his approval takes a small hit.
** He gets another moment if the Inquisitor [[spoiler: drinks from the Well of Sorrows.]]
* TheArchmage: His parents were forced into an ArrangedMarriage because their union would correctly produce a very powerful mage and [[spoiler:after Halward is killed by assassins, Dorian takes his place on the Magisterium.]]
* ArrangedMarriage: He narrowly escaped one with a sharp-tongued woman named Livia Herathinos. Dorian suspects that she's as happy to have avoided it as he is.
* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: If he begins a relationship with Iron Bull, his {{Tsundere}} nature makes it difficult to discern at first whether he sees any possible long-term potential or if it's just a physical thing. But once the BigBad is defeated and the question of whether he intends to return to his home country arises:
-->'''Dorian:''' I'm thinking of sticking around...for a while.
-->'''Inquisitor:''' Would that have anything to do with Iron Bull?
-->'''Dorian:''' It might. You know how it is.
** Three years later (as of the Trespasser DLC), they're still going strong.
* BadPowersGoodPeople: He's a rather idealistic and noble soul underneath his self-absorbness and barbed defenses, but he has no problem with using necromancy.
* BadassBookworm: His preferred spot in Skyhold is the library, and he occasionally complains that the selection and organization aren't up to his standards.
* BattleCouple: With a male Inquisitor, or he can form one half of one [[spoiler:with Iron Bull]].
* BelligerentSexualTension: His potential relationship with Iron Bull in a nutshell, which makes sense as their people have been at war for centuries. Your first indication that they're about ready to get it on is this exchange:
-->'''Iron Bull:''' Quite the stink-eye you've got going, Dorian.
-->'''Dorian:''' You stand there, flexing your muscles, huffing like some beast of burden with no thought save conquest.
-->'''Iron Bull:''' That's right. These big muscled hands could tear those robes off while you struggled, helpless in my grip. I'd pin you down, and as you gripped my horns, I. Would. ''Conquer''. You.
-->'''Dorian:''' Uh. What?
-->'''Iron Bull:''' Oh. Is that not where we're going?
* BerserkButton: He hates the Venatori, seeing them as the embodiment of everything wrong with Tevinter. His personal sidequest consists of tracking down several Venatori agents and killing them all. Each time you kill one, Dorian greatly approves.
* BettyAndVeronica: The overtly romantic Betty to Iron Bull's more exotic Veronica.
* BloodKnight: Not as overt as the Iron Bull, but most of his combat quotes show that he's enjoying himself immensely once battle is joined. Also, one of his farewell lines when the Inquisitor exits conversation with him is "don't kill anyone without me".
* BlueBlood: House Pavus is an "Altus" house, which can trace its lineage back to the ancient dreamer priests of the Old Gods of Tevinter.
* {{Brainwashed}}: Narrowly avoided it. His father [[spoiler:was planning to forcibly change his sexuality through a blood magic ritual,]] which was a large part of the reason why Dorian left Tevinter.
* BreakoutCharacter: Although he is one of the last playable companions to join the ranks of the Inquisition alongside Cole, Dorian has over time become one of the most iconic and highly regarded characters in the entire franchise by virtue of being both one of the most noblest and appreciated characters by the fanbase, as well as one of the few examples of an openly homosexual character in the video game world (that many consider lacking adequate LGBT representations). His enormous popularity has led him to make several cameos in Dragon Age's comics and books in recent years after the release of ''Inquisition'' (also aided by the fact that most of them are set in the Tevinter).
* BrokenAce: Dorian was a ChildProdigy as a mage and it is implied that this was the cause of his many shifts from Circle to Circle as this every time caused deep envy in his peers, who often provoked and attacked him forcing him to accidentally hurt them to defend himself. It was only when Magister Gereon Alexius decided to become his tutor and private instructor that Dorian became an accomplished sorcerer and a full-fledged Enchanter of the Circle of Minrathous. During his time in Gereon's service, Dorian also befriended his son, Felix. However, after Felix's mother was murdered by the darkspawn and Felix himself became infected with the Blight, Dorian spent the last two years trying in vain to help Gereon find a cure for his son and ultimately left his estate for good after a bad quarrel. He then took refuge in his hedonistic and self-destructive habits and when he was found in bed with a lord's son, his family kidnapped him to avoid further scandals and kept him imprisoned on the family estate for months, even planning to resort to BloodMagic to change and "fix" his sexual orientation.
* BrokenPedestal:
** Alexius, after finding out [[spoiler:he threw his lot in with the Elder One after the death of his wife.]]
** He also lost any admiration he had for his father when [[spoiler:he tried to use blood magic (something his father taught him was a crutch for the weak) to make him straight. Even if the Inquisitor convinces him to at least let his father back into his life, it's implied that Dorian still holds resentment for his father breaking his trust.]]
** Overall, [[ZigZaggedTrope Zig-zagged]] with his home country. He suffers disappointment after disappointment as he sees Tevinter's atrocities from the point of view of the rest of Thedas, starting with the Venatori and only getting worse from there. Arguably, the harshest blow comes from him finding out about the [[spoiler:Elder One's identity, since it proves that ancient Tevinter magisters really ''were'' responsible for the darkspawn appearing in Thedas. People are taught differently in Tevinter, and while Dorian didn't quite believe everything, he still hoped there was a grain of truth in what he was taught. At the same time, however, he by no means ''hates'' Tevinter outright and can still see the passion and deep history of the country even [[WartsAndAll after everything he's witnessed]], striving to be a voice of genuine change. Overall, he still believes that his country can do great things, and he is fully aware that it has moved the wrong way for that to happen, but intends to change that.]]
* BulletTime: Dorian's [[LimitBreak Focus Ability]] is Haste, which substantially slows the rest of the world while the party continues to act normally.
* CallingTheOldManOut: [[spoiler:His personal quest is all about confronting his father for trying to make him straight through Blood Magic. You can convince him to either reconcile with his father or to completely cut him out of his life.]]
* CampGay: A relatively realistic take on this trope. He's ''very'' flamboyant with the sassy attitude and flashy wardrobe to boot. That being said, he still has considerable HiddenDepths and can be serious when the situation calls for it.
* CasualKink: Though it would appear to be a part of his sex life he considers optional, he is no stranger to bondage, a tidbit he will casually drop when trying to convince the Inquisitor he can be trusted.
-->'''Dorian:''' How about this: let me help and you can hang me later, if you wish. I look good in rope.
** This might also be seen in his relationship with the Iron Bull:
--->'''Iron Bull:''' ''[helping Varric "write" their relationship]'' Love is all starlight and gentle blushes. Passion leaves your fingers sore from clawing the sheets.
--->'''Dorian:''' You could at least have had the courtesy to use the bedposts.
--->'''Iron Bull:''' [[Literature/FiftyShadesOfGrey Hey, don't top from the bottom.]]
* TheCharmer: His confidence comes at least partly from the high stature of his bloodline.
* ChildProdigy: He describes himself as the envy of all the children of the various Circles he attended due to his impressive magical abilities when talking about his childhood.
* CommonalityConnection:
** He and Solas discover that they share a passion for obscure, half-forgotten magic and ancient artifacts.
** He and Cassandra both come from privileged backgrounds and could have lived out their lives without any obligations beyond getting married. They both rebelled at the IdleRich lifestyle and waves of uninteresting suitors. They're also both {{Badass Bookworm}}s, although Cassandra's choice of reading material isn't quite to his tastes.
* CulturalCringe: Painfully aware of the problems with the Tevinter Imperium, though he still thinks it has enough redeeming qualities to be worth saving. At one point he will attempt to apologize to Solas for what Tevinter did to Arlathan. Solas rejects this, pointing out that Arlathan was an empire no better or worse than Tevinter. He also claims that if Dorian really feels bad about what Tevinter did or didn't do, he should be trying to solve the present-day problems in the Imperium like slavery. Otherwise, any apologies he gave would be hollow. [[spoiler:At the end of the game, Dorian may make plans to do just that.]]
* CureYourGays: Thankfully Dorian managed to avoid going through this, since it's a very dark example of the trope; [[spoiler:his father was planning to ''rewire his brain'' using blood magic so that he would be straight, even though there was a high chance that such a ritual would have lobotomised him. When Dorian discovered the plan, he was so enraged and hurt he turned his back on his family more or less for good. In a subversion, his father doesn't view his son's homosexuality as morally wrong or shameful, just an obstacle to ensuring the success of the family, and felt like he needed to do it when it was clear Dorian would not change his mind. It's implied that, had Dorian had a brother who could have continued the bloodline, his being gay would be no issue.]]
* DarkIsNotEvil[=/=]LightIsGood: As an extremely nice and idealistic {{Necromancer}} who dresses primarily in white, he fits both tropes.
* DatingCatwoman: If neither are romanced, he and [[spoiler:Iron Bull]] can begin a relationship, despite the fact that their people are at war with each other.
* DeadPersonConversation: Not in the game. [[spoiler:David Gaider, after his departure from Bioware, wrote a [[https://medium.com/@davidgaider/the-final-conversation-d6258fa6cbdb short story]] in which Dorian has a final confrontation with the ghost of his dead father. Gaider describes it as "purely fanfiction," but many Dorian fans consider it canon given the source.]]
* DeadpanSnarker: His wit is described as being sharper than any blade.
* DeclarationOfProtection: During "In Hushed Whispers," he'll make one to reassure the Herald if they express unease [[spoiler:in the BadFuture]].
-->'''Dorian:''' I'm here. I'll protect you.
* DefectorFromDecadence: He caught wind of something nasty the magisters were planning and promptly defected from Tevinter.
* DeliberateValuesDissonance: Growing up in Tevinter as a member of the nobility meant growing up with slaves. For most of his life he didn't really see anything wrong with it as a result, though that's starting to change.
* DoubleEdgedAnswer: His response if asked whether mages really rule the Imperium. "Yes... and no." He then goes on to clarify that while the aristocracy does consist entirely of mages, simply being a mage doesn't guarantee you status; there are even plenty of mage slaves.
* EatingTheEyeCandy:
** If the Inquisitor is male, his approval is very high and you've flirted at least once, Dorian will offhandedly comment that he could watch you walk around Skyhold all day.
** During a game of Wicked Grace, Dorian is perfectly happy to watch Cullen's walk of shame back to the barracks, as he [[HumiliatingWager bet all of his clothes]] against a hand with Josephine.
** A romanced [[spoiler: Iron Bull]] will constantly offer to flex for him.
* EmbarrassingNickname: He doesn't like that Varric gives him the nickname Sparkler... until he comes to the conclusion that [[ActuallyPrettyFunny it's actually clever.]]
* EvilIsNotAToy: Invokes it perfectly in Redcliffe when noting the typical attitude of his more villainously inclined countrymen.
-->'''Dorian:''' It's the same old story: "Let's play with magic we don't understand, it'll make us incredibly powerful!"
* EvilLaugh: When Sera asks why he doesn't do this, he explains that you're not allowed until you get your Magister License.
* EvilMentor: He was trained by Gereon Alexius, Magister of the Tevinter Imperium and an agent of the Venatori. [[spoiler:Subverted, however, in that Alexius isn't really ''evil'' - just maddened by grief. He lost his wife to a darkspawn attack, and his only child was infected with the Blight in the same event. His [[WellIntentionedExtremist entire motivation]] in joining Corypheus is to save his son, and Corypheus lured him with false promises of assistance.]]
* {{Foil}}: To Vivienne. Both are mages who come from very high society in two very haughty nations, both are very fashion-conscious and [[InsufferableGenius unapologetically confident in their talent]]. However, Vivienne ''seems'' to only be in it for her own advancement, while Dorian honestly wants to make a better world simply because it's the right thing to do, even if it puts him at odds with the society that bore him. Dorian was also born in a society where mages are the [[TheMagocracy de facto power]] (and even is the son of one such elite mage), while Vivienne had to claw her way to the upper echelons of a society that distrusts mages.
** To Sera. Both display the most CulturalCringe of all companions (besides Varric), rebel against their culture's expectations, and want to help the oppressed. However, while elves are oppressed and Sera completely disavows them, Dorian was sitting pretty as a Tevinter Altus and feels his country has enough redeeming qualities to be worth saving. Being gay, neither are interested in making [[BabyFactory elven babies]] or [[LieBackAndThinkOfEngland noble heirs]] to keep their bloodlines going like their people want, respectively.
* ForbiddenFruit: His potential relationship with Iron Bull is made of this, as Bull himself calls out, which apparently instigates their first hook-up soon after:
-->'''Iron Bull:''' I'm just saying, Dorian. You have this picture of the Qunari in your mind. Like you see us as this forbidden, terrible thing, and you're inclined to do the forbidden...
-->'''Dorian:''' [[{{Tsundere}} I have no idea what you're talking about]].
-->'''Iron Bull:''' All I'm saying is, you ever want to explore that, my door's always open.
* {{Foreshadowing}}:
** At one point in party banter, Solas claims that if Dorian isn't willing to return to Tevinter and try to free all the slaves of every race, his WhiteGuilt over Tevinter enslaving the elves is pretty meaningless. By ''Trespasser'', [[spoiler:Dorian has decided to do just that.]]
** If the Inquisitor asks if there's "bad blood" between him and his father, Dorian mirthlessly chuckles at the Inquisitor's using that specific phrase. [[spoiler: As the meeting in the Redcliffe tavern reveals, "blood" has a very significant impact on the rift between Dorian and his father, in more ways than one.]]
* FriendlessBackground: Dorian describes himself as [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer a social outcast]] in Tevinter and a un-romanced Dorian with high approval will on more than one occasion refer to the inquisitor as his "best and only friend." Downplayed, as he and Felix clearly cared for each other, and he seems to be on good terms with Maevaris, and many of the Inquisition party members.
* GayBestFriend: To a friendly Inquisitor, male or female.
* GayOption: For male Inquisitors of any race. [[spoiler:Also potentially for Iron Bull, if neither is romanced.]]
* {{Gayngst}}: He's gotten over it, but the Tevinter Imperium is all about perfection, with a focus on the strongest magical bloodline, and being gay meant he refused to sire an heir or partake in an ArrangedMarriage to the opposite sex, which led to a rift between him and his family, not to mention Tevinter culture in general. This is part of the reason why he's so cynical about his homeland.
* GuiltyPleasures: PlayedForDrama in that [[spoiler:if the two get together, this his how Dorian sees his relationship with the Iron Bull. Bull doesn't put up with it, which causes some problems early in the relationship. Dorian eventually gets over it.]]
** In a lighter vein, Fereldan beer.
* HasAType: Burly men. Though romanceable by men of any race and capable of being perfectly happy with them, you may notice a...pattern with the traits he remarks on in other men, [[spoiler:never mind his whole potential relationship with Iron Bull]]:
-->'''Dorian:''' ''[speaking to a Qunari Inquisitor]'' I also have an appreciation for an entire people who are so...muscular.
-->'''Dorian:''' ''[If the Inquisitor has romanced Blackwall.]'' Blackwall? Hmm, he does seem...quite the man... There's just a whole lot of him. Burly. Must be warm by the fire. Good on you.
-->'''Dorian:''' ''[discussing upcoming travel arrangements]'' Maybe a sea voyage? I could get captured by burly Qunari pirates! That would be fun.
* ICantBelieveAGuyLikeYouWouldNoticeMe: Variant. He's not surprised that the Inquisitor wants to sleep with him, but he ''is'' surprised if they want to risk their political and social standing to ''stay'' with him.
* INeedAFreakingDrink: After his personal quest.
* IllTakeThatAsACompliment: When Sera asks if there are more non-scary Tevinters who keep their magic to themselves.
* IncompatibleOrientation: Dorian to his former [[ArrangedMarriage betrothed]], much to his parents' frustration. Also to a female Inquisitor, particularly one who flirts with him but doesn't realize he's gay till he spells it out for her (to which she can respond he led her on even though [[GameplayAndStorySegregation there's a dialogue option where they can say they pretty much already knew]]). If they have high relationship values when she finds out, he may describe her as being the one woman he considers "amazing above all others," and can even sympathetically observe that "In another life" he would have been glad to pursue a romance with her.
* InnocentlyInsensitive:
** Downplayed. There are moments when he, as a very high-status Altus in a {{Magocracy}}, is shown to be somewhat blind to how racism affects elves and slaves. He's not ''too'' blind, though; he wouldn't be a companion if he was truly insulated from how corrupt Tevinter is.
** One of the reasons why he and Alexius have a fallout before the events of the third game. Sure Alexius went too far from his grief enough that he becomes an opposition to the Inquisition, but it is quite uncalled for Dorian to tell Alexius to get over with losing his wife and lament at his son's illness.
** In party banter, Dorian boasts to Solas of all the marvelous things spirits "can be made to do" when they're summoned and bound in Tevinter, including being forced to serve drinks and perform tricks at parties. Dorian is then taken aback when Solas (the Fade-walking apostate who befriends spirits) is disgusted instead of impressed, and compares it to slavery. One may think that Dorian should be at least be aware of Solas' interests and expertise on surface level.
* {{Irony}}:
** If the Inquisitor is an elf, then Dorian (the Tevinter magister's human mage son) is the ''only'' companion who openly sympathizes with their plight and approves of them trying to help their people (without slipping in backhanded comments against the Dalish like [[BoomerangBigot Solas]] and [[InternalizedCategorism Sera]])... because [[WhiteGuilt he feels guilty about how much his countrymen contributed to their people's downfall]]. It is still clumsy, but at least it is the thought that counts.
** Dorian desires nothing more than a loving monogamous relationship, Iron Bull's romance emphasizes BrainsAndBondage, and during the base game Dorian's fling with the Iron Bull involves a lot of BelligerentSexualTension. Yet, by ''Trespasser'' Dorian grouses that it's the ''Iron Bull'' who often wants to talk about their ''feelings'', which grosses him out.
** In general, Dorian wishes for acceptance and being free from expectations to what the society and others expected for him. However, his well-meant but sometimes insensitivity and prickly attitude that are grown from his unaddressed issues bars him from getting him the very things that he wants.
* InsecureLoveInterest: Though he practically oozes self-confidence in regards to his looks and intelligence, he's surprisingly insecure when it comes to relationships. He mentions his lack of suitability as a partner several times, and offers the Inquisitor many opportunities to break off the relationship. His society's contempt for homosexuality has left its mark.
* InsistentTerminology: One thing that annoys him is how the Southerners use the term "Magister" for any mage from Tevinter. As he clarifies, while he is a mage from Tevinter, this does not make him a Magister, which is a rank all on its own rather than just being any Tevinter mage as commonly thought by "Southern barbarians". In fact, he is an Altus, though he does become a Magister by the ''Trespasser'' DLC [[spoiler:after inheriting it from his father, who was assassinated.]]
* InsufferableGenius: Has a massive ego regarding his skills and appearance.
* InternalReformist: [[spoiler:In the epilogue of ''Trespasser'', Dorian makes good on his plans to return home and fix Tevinter, forming the new Lucerni faction alongside Maevaris Tilani.]]
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Downplayed. Dorian isn't a jerk so much as very flippant, snarky, and at times exasperbating due to his [[InsufferableGenius confidence]] and [[InnocentlyInsensitive unintentional insensitivity]]. Yet, he's a very well-meaning and noble soul trying to make the world a better place. And he will not hesitate to admit his shortcomings if he sees that he is clearly in the wrong.
* KissingCousins: After checking through some family records, it turns out that the Human Inquisitor is a very distant cousin of his (so distant that it's pretty much a formality at this point). House Trevelyan was once a branch family of House Pavus that settled in Ostwick. If you like, the Inquisitor can respond by asking if this means they can still flirt. He assures you that you're good to go by about three ''Ages''.
* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: Dorian occasionally comments on the Inquisitor's tendency to go around killing random strangers, as well as how they have to run around talking to other people in Skyhold rather than having others come to them.
* LieBackAndThinkOfEngland: How his parents wanted him to overcome his IncompatibleOrientation regarding his ArrangedMarriage (so he could sire an heir for them), but something that Dorian refuses to do.
* LikeBrotherAndSister: His relationship with a female Inquisitor who maxes out their friendship is basically this. There is a great deal of affection in their interactions, and when she returns from [[spoiler:the Fade]], he's one of the only companions to ask if ''she'' is all right, rather than needing to be comforted in some way.
* LikeFatherLikeSon: Aside from the CureYourGays issue, after his father dies, Dorian discovers that he and his father were very much alike, to his shock when reading a posthumous letter.
* LikeParentLikeSpouse: Even without the IncompatibleOrientation issue, what little Dorian says about his mother and his betrothed implies he was heading in this direction.
* LoveCannotOvercome: A familial version of the trope gets discussed with Cole, in which "love isn't enough" to stop him from being angry at [[spoiler:his fathers attempts to change him with blood magic]] - it's up to the player if this continues to be the case, but its made clear that Dorian is still hurt by the incident.
* LoveInterestTraitor: If he's romancing The Iron Bull and Bull betrays the party during ''Trespasser'', he will be angry and upset that he ever had feelings for the Qunari.
* MalignedMixedMarriage:
** Comes up if he's romanced by the Inquisitor. Regardless of race or even personal beliefs, the Inquisitor comes to embody the ideals of the ''Southern'' Chantry, and is essentially its ''de facto'' leader in the absence of a Divine. The Southern Chantry historically has a ''very'' negative view of Tevinter, whom they blame for the death of their prophet Andraste, and is also a land where mages rule; it was their slaves that Andraste freed, and the Second Sin that blackened the Golden City and caused the First Blight was theirs. Therefore, Mother Giselle cautions the Inquisitor about the public perception of the Inquisition should it be revealed that a Tevinter mage is romantically involved with the Inquisitor. Notably, the stigma the Inquisitor and Dorian face as a couple has almost nothing to do with their same-sex relationship, but is solely because of Dorian's nationality and magical abilities, since Thedas generally has a very tolerant attitude towards homosexuality (it's usually considered a curiosity but not immoral).
** And if he's not romanced by the Inquisitor and the Inquisitor isn't in a romance with [[spoiler: Iron Bull]], they might end up together, even though Tevinter and [[spoiler: the Qunari]] have been at war for ''centuries''. Although they don't face any stigma from the Inquisition (unless you're playing a {{Jerkass}} Inquisitor), they are both obviously aware of how taboo their relationship is in the eyes of their respective peoples.
** Averted if romanced by Inquisitor Lavellan. Like [[Franchise/MassEffect Garrus and Shepard]] before them, despite their people's animosity against each other (specifically, Tevinter's [[FantasticRacism systemic enslavement of elves]] and most Dalish avoiding Tevinter due to said enslavement), if Dorian is romanced by Inquisitor Lavellan then there is not a ''single'' line of dialogue acknowledging their people's animosity. Dorian being a DefectorFromDecadence and Lavellan being separated from their people most of the game is probably a contributing factor, but still.
* MeaningfulName: "Pavus" is Latin for peacock. There appears to be a vanity theme, which is fitting given his cocky behaviour and pride in his magic.
* MrFanservice: Dorian is one of the first men in the series to have a shot of his backside on display if romanced.
* MurderIsTheBestSolution: Has this opinion when dealing with any Magisters (or ''any'' of his countrymen for that matter) allied with the Venatori.
* MyBelovedSmother: He alludes to this if he's brought to the Winter Palace. It's [[DecadentCourt so much like the parties back in Tevinter]] that he expects his mother to materialize and drag him off by his ear. He expresses the belief that she doesn't quite grasp that he grew past the age of five.
* MyCountryRightOrWrong: His general outlook on Tevinter at the beginning; he knows Tevinter has done a lot of nasty things, but it is still his ''home,'' and he hopes one day to see more "Right" than "Wrong" in it. You can encourage him to hold onto this as he witnesses firsthand Tevinter's atrocities, which will make him resolve to form a movement within Tevinter government to root out corruption and change Tevinter for the better, even if he has to do it alone. And against all odds, with the Inquisitor's moral support and advice, ''he finds himself becoming more and more successful.''
* MyCountryTisOfTheeThatISting: Dorian had always despised the falseness of the magocracy, but the conspiracy he discovered among the magisters was essentially the tipping point. Instead of completely disowning his country, however he is only resolved more to weeding out its corruption and changing Tevinter for the better...even if that means making a lot of enemies in the Imperium.
* MySignificanceSenseIsTingling: When you approach the apostate stronghold in the Hinterlands.
-->'''Dorian:''' Do you feel that? My magic sensing nose is tingling.\\
'''Sera:''' Bullshit.\\
'''Dorian:''' It can also sense gullible morons.
* MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch: Stands out as the first Tevinter mage in the franchise to not participate in the Tevinter system. He even calls Alexius out for "acting just like the cliche villains any outsider expects us to be".
* {{Necromancer}}: His specialization.
* NiceGuy: Alongside Krem and Felix, Dorian is one of the very first Tevinter characters who can honestly be described as this. Despite being a Tevinter and a necromancer (not to mention being an InsufferableGenius about his skills and more than a little vain at times), he's a noble soul who honestly wants to help the Inquisition. He refuses to participate in the Tevinter system; he wants to reform it, to save his homeland from itself. While he gets exasperated that others think him nefarious due to his background, in private conversations, he patiently tries to overcome misconceptions about the Imperium.
* NiceMeanAndInBetween: Out of the three mage companions interacting with Cole, the In-Between Dorian curiously approaches him like Solas but not into the point of needlessly antagonizing him like Vivienne. While Cole fumbles in his attempts to help Dorian which lead the latter to snap, he calms down, apologizes, and conveys his thoughts and feelings to the spirit in a way that he can understand.
** [[spoiler: As of ''Trespasser'', he is Nice one between Solas' Mean and Vivienne's In-Between. Like Vivienne, Dorian wants to save Thedas as always but unlike her, his rise to power is less about opportunism and more about genuinely trying to save his country from itself, clearly inspired by the Inquisitor's actions and learning a lot from their journeys back from the main campaign. And since both want to save the world, this also puts them into odds with Solas, who now wants to destroy the world just to recreate the world that fits in his ideals regardless of what the people of current Thedas wants.]]
* NightmareFetishist: Dorian has apparently been fascinated by necromancy since a very early age. He tells Cassandra of a trip he once took to Nevarra with his parents, and how badly he wanted to visit a necropolis. He is disappointed when Cassandra describes what they're really like.
* OddCouple: With [[spoiler: The Iron Bull]], if neither of them are romanced and they are brought together in the party often enough. [[spoiler: Dorian expects Bull to put him in chains or sew his mouth shut, as [[AntiMagicalFaction that's what Qunari do to their mages]]. The Bull replies that [[SafeSaneAndConsensual he buys a person dinner before tying them up]].]]
* OddFriendship:
** With Cullen, who is an ex-Templar. They play chess together.
** With Cole, who is a Spirit of Compassion and possible demon.
** With Sera, who dislikes mages ''and'' nobles, while he is both.
* TheOneThatGotAway: Cole implies that Dorian has one of these in his past.
-->'''Cole:''' Rilenius, skin tan like fine whiskey, cheekbones shaded, lips curl when he smiles. He would have said yes.\\
'''Dorian:''' I'll... thank you not to do that again, please.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness:
** The normally flippant and sarcastic Dorian completely flips his shit at his dad for what the man tried to do to him.
** If a Male Inquisitor pursuing a romance asks to [[LetsWaitAWhile wait a while]] when Dorian first proposes sex, the normally flippant Dorian is visibly gobsmacked and turns around speechless. The Inquisitor immediately lampshades it.
* OpenMouthInsertFoot: There's more than a few moments where his tendency to snark at everything results in him not shutting up when he really should.
* OptionalPartyMember: You can refuse to recruit him at Haven (if you pick the mages) or Skyhold (if you pick the Templars).
* PairTheSpares: If you do not romance him or [[spoiler: The Iron Bull]], and take them together often enough, they get together.
* TheParagon: Ridiculously talented and of an esteemed bloodline, he uses the admiration he is afforded to make himself an example as he rebels against the Imperium.
* TheParagonAlwaysRebels: From the Tevinters' point of view. From the perspective of ''everyone else,'' though, it's more akin to a HeelFaceTurn.
* PardonMyKlingon: He occasionally makes a Tevene (Tevinter language) cuss of ''Vishante kaffas'' - it means "You shit on my tongue."
* PersonalityPowers: His specialization is Necromancer, which is a mix of Entropy and Spirit schools of magic and has a fearsome reputation across southern Thedas. While Dorian is undeniably a good person, he is also known to be insensitive, self-absorbed, and prone to put his foot in his mouth while also being misunderstood by his peers.
* PetTheDog: With Blackwall; though they spend the first half of the game sniping at each other, that changes after [[spoiler:the truth about Thom Rainier is revealed]]. He and Dorian have party banter in which he urges Blackwall to [[spoiler:"let yourself off the hook. I know bad men, and you aren't one."]] Blackwall is legitimately astonished by the kindness, and when Dorian offers a truce, he gratefully accepts. It might be due of realizing that Blackwall's rhetorics, that Dorian once dismissed as self-rightheous and fake, are something that Blackwall learned in hardest way possible and might be real after all and admits that he went too far with his insults.
* PlatonicLifePartners:
** If you gain "Friend" status and don't romance him, he swears his loyalty to you and says he will fight for you against anything, so long as you'll have him.
** This leads to a sweet moment during the celebration after the final battle, if you did not have Dorian and [[spoiler:Iron Bull]] in the party together often enough to begin a relationship, [[spoiler:or romanced Bull yourself]]. The Inquisitor with whom he is friends can ask if he still plans to return to Tevinter, to which he replies that he intends to remain in Skyhold for the time being since Tevinter "lacks the presence of my best and only friend."
** He apparently had this relationship with Felix during his studies with Alexius. He denies he ever had any romantic involvement with Felix since that would have meant taking advantage of his mentor's hospitality.
* PlayingWithFire: He starts out with a fire staff, and it's mentioned in various bits of banter.
* PrecisionFStrike: When confronting his father.
-->'''Dorian:''' You wanted the best for ''you!'' For your ''fucking'' legacy! Anything for that!
* PrettyBoy:
-->'''Iron Bull:''' Watch yourself. The pretty ones are always the worst.\\
'''Harding:''' Dorian's awfully pretty, isn't he?
* RebelPrince: He's of high rank in the Imperium, yet throws it all away for his ideals.
* RedemptionQuest: Specifically, he wants to redeem his country. Near the end of the game, he may discuss plans to return home and improve things (as opposed to leaving because you just don't get along - see below). He may decide to postpone this if you're in a romance or on good terms.
* ReligiousBruiser: Dorian doesn't mention religion often, but if questioned he'll admit that he believes in Andraste and the Maker. He simply views the ''Chantry'' as an outdated relic, in both Orlais and Tevinter.
* TheQueensLatin: He speaks in a posh British accent, even though Tevinter is more analogous to Italy or the Byzantine Empire.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere If you lose enough approval with him and make enough decisions of which he disapproves, you will find out he has booked a ship back to go back to Tevinter after stopping [[spoiler: Corypheus.]] Depending on what you say/do, he may choose to leave right there.
* SelfDeprecation: He engages in a lot of this, regarding both his Tevinter origin and his privileged upbringing.
-->'''Dorian:''' You can't call me "pampered"! No one's peeled a grape for me in ''weeks.''
* SeriousBusiness: He takes misfiled library books very personally - there are punishments for that in some places!
* ShipperOnDeck: Finds a female Inquisitor's romance with Cullen "adorable", and also approves of the Inquisitor romancing Cassandra or Josephine due to [[TheGadfly how flustered it makes the latter two.]]
* ShockAndAwe:
** Promotional materials show him using lightning to [[FireIceLightning match]] Solas' fire and Vivienne's ice.
** Despite this, all the comments he or others make about his magical abilities are about fire spells rather than lightning ones. His starting staff is also a fire one.
* SideBet: Has ''many'' of these going on with Varric, including one about the Inquisitor's chances of success - and he's betting ''against'' them, which seems to actually scandalize the dwarf a bit. The Inquisitor can choose to be insulted, tell them to stop, or ask to get in on the action.
* SmartPeoplePlayChess: Subverted; he's a learned man and plays chess with Cullen, but he cheats. [[CheatersNeverProsper Cullen still beats him.]]
* StepfordSnarker: His wit is driven by his jaded attitude towards his country.
* StopBeingStereotypical: One of his reasons for being against the Venatori. The Tevinters have a reputation for being megalomaniacal magic abusers that Dorian laments... and here the Venatori are, indulging all those stereotypes.
* StrongFamilyResemblance: To his father.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: With Blackwall. The two hate each other mutually. On Dorian's part, he thinks Blackwall is DumbMuscle and [[spoiler:(correctly)]] guesses that, like many Wardens, Blackwall was a criminal or some other kind of social undesirable before being conscripted. He also finds Blackwall's rhetoric about honor, sacrifice and heroics to be self-righteous. He mellows considerably after [[spoiler: Blackwall's true identity is revealed]] (see PetTheDog, above). Eventually, they call a truce and try to find some common ground.
* TheseAreThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow: After [[spoiler:your trip into the Fade]], Dorian suggests keeping quiet about it. He believes that people aren't ready to know that it ''is'' possible to [[spoiler:physically enter the Fade]], given all of the problems that happened the last time someone tried it.
* ThisCannotBe:
** If recruited by siding with the mages, Dorian becomes devastated after the Elder One is revealed to be [[spoiler:Corypheus, one of the Seven Magisters who created the Blight. Dorian is devastated to learn the story really is true and Tevinter really ''did'' destroy the world.]]
** If taken to the Temple of Mythal, Dorian reacts this way when [[spoiler: Abelas reveals that Tevinter ''didn't'' conquer Arlathan; the Imperium merely scavenged the scraps that were left after the ancient elven empire destroyed itself in a bloody civil war. Afterwards, Dorian reflects that it wouldn't go down well in Tevinter if it were revealed that their ancestors who established the Imperium acquired their power as little more than vultures picking a corpse clean]].
* TokenGoodTeammate: Not for the player's team, but for the notoriously evil Tevinter Imperium.
* TooCleverByHalf: He's a genius and he knows it. Sometimes this causes problems.
* TooMuchAlike:
** Regardless of his sexuality, Dorian implies that [[ArrangedMarriage he and Livia]] dislike each other for this reason.
** After his personal quest, should the Inquisitor encourage him to make peace with his father, he notes that his father made this exact observation about himself and Dorian.
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Grapes. Especially ones that have been hand-peeled and fed to him.
* TryNotToDie: One of his possible parting remarks to a friendly Inquisitor after finishing a conversation thread in Skyhold.
-->'''Dorian:''' Try not to die; I would notice you were gone.
* {{Tsundere}}: He has shades of this during his party banter with the Iron Bull, who gets a major kick out of teasing him. [[spoiler:If neither of them are romanced and they hook up, it becomes even more apparent.]]
** This is somewhat [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] in the ''Trespasser'' DLC where the Inquisitor will comment on how Dorian [[spoiler:makes a fuss about the Iron Bull's affectionate gestures when he quite enjoys the attention.]]
-->'''Inquisitor:''' ''[laughs]'' You ''do'' like it!
-->'''Dorian:''' Quiet, you! He'll overhear, and then where will I be?
* UnequalPairing: Averted. In Tevinter, homosexuality is looked down on except in cases of slave-owners taking advantage of their [[SexSlave slaves]] behind closed doors. Dorian doesn't want this, but a loving, consensual, monogamous relationship between social equals.
* VitriolicBestBuds:
** He and Vivienne enjoy tearing into one another, but it's all good fun to them. She even defends his relationship with a male Inquisitor to an outsider, according to party banter.
** He also develops this relationship with Blackwall once each of them come to understand and respect the other's past and motivations.
* WartsAndAll: His general stance on his home country Tevinter. He is [[BrokenPedestal painfully aware]] of Tevinter's negative aspects, but also knows that there is a deep, passionate good in the Imperium that not a lot of outsiders see, and intends to be a force to change Tevinter for the better.
* WellDoneSonGuy: According to what Cole picks up from Dorian's memories (and some dialogue from Dorian himself), he used to revere his father.
-->'''Cole:''' "Anything to make him happy. ''Anything.''" Why isn't that true anymore?\\
'''Dorian:''' ''[choked]'' Cole, this... is not the sort of discussion for walking around.
* WhatDoesSheSeeInHim: His initial reaction to the female Inquisitor romancing Blackwall, since he has a less than positive opinion of the Warden - especially his hygiene.
* WhiteGuilt: As a high-ranking Altus human mage, Dorian is aware of how much he's benefited from Tevinter's EnslavedElves, and expresses guilt about it a few times -- particularly to an Elven Inquisitor and Solas.
** The first time an Elven PC talks to him after being recruited, Dorian expresses awkward guilt over Tevinter's history with elves, and sheepishly asks if it will be a problem.
** If brought to [[spoiler:The Temple of Mythal]], Dorian often laments how many Elvhen wonders Tevinter plundered and destroyed. If offered [[spoiler:to drink from the Well]], Dorian declines on these grounds.
-->'''Dorian:''' A human from Tevinter scoops up the last bits of elven knowledge? I know why you ask, I know why it's important, but... I can't be that man.
** Some of his party banter with Solas involves trying to apologize for how Tevinter destroyed Elvhenan. Discussed in one party banter, where Solas points out that apologizing for something he had no control over without trying to fix the things he can can make the apology more about clearing his own conscience than trying to actually make amends.
-->'''Dorian:''' Solas, for what it's worth, I'm sorry. The elven city of Arlathan sounds like a magical place, and for my ancestors to have destroyed it...\\
'''Solas:''' Dorian... hush. Empires rise and fall. Arlathan was no more "innocent" than your own Tevinter in its time. Your nostalgia for the ancient elves, however romanticized, is pointless. If you wish to make amends for past transgressions, free the slaves of all races who live in Tevinter today.\\
'''Dorian:''' I... don't know that I can do that.\\
'''Solas:''' Then how sorry are you?
* WhiteSheep: Varric calls him a ''black'' sheep in party banter; however, given his DefectorFromDecadence status and the fact that he truly is a NiceGuy, he's really more this trope.
* YouAreACreditToYourRace: Is seen as such by plenty of folks who hate Tevinter.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Solas]]
''See more information about Solas in'' ''[[Characters/DragonAgeSolas this page]].''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Vivienne]]
''See more information about Vivienne in'' ''[[Characters/DragonAgeVivienne this page]].''
[[/folder]]

!!Rogue Companions

[[folder:Cole]]
''See more information about Cole in'' ''[[Characters/DragonAgeCole this page]].''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sera]]
''See more information about Sera in'' ''[[Characters/DragonAgeSera this page]].''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Varric Tethras]]
''See more information about Varric Tethras in'' ''[[Characters/DragonAgeVarricTethras this page]].''
[[/folder]]

!!Advisors

[[folder:Cullen Rutherford]]
''See more information about Cullen Rutherford in'' ''[[Characters/DragonAgeCullenRutherford this page]].''
[[/folder]]

!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/AllegraClark (English), Ranja Bonalana (German)

\\

''See more information about Leliana in'' ''[[Characters/DragonAgeLeliana this page]].''

* GoodIsNotNice: During the Blight, Loghain wouldn't allow for more Warden reinforcements because they would come from Orlais. When Blackwall learned of this, despite being a committed Grey Warden, he was entirely willing to allow Ferelden to fall to the Blight as punishment for Loghain's decision. [[spoiler:This isn't that Blackwall. Ironically, despite being a criminal, this guy is ''much'' nicer.]]

* BadPowersGoodPeople: He's a rather idealistic and noble soul, but he has no problem with using necromancy.

* PetTheDog: With Blackwall; though they spend the first half of the game sniping at each other, that changes after [[spoiler:the truth about Thom Rainier is revealed]]. He and Dorian have party banter in which he urges Blackwall to [[spoiler:"let yourself off the hook. I know bad men, and you aren't one."]] Blackwall is legitimately astonished by the kindness, and when Dorian offers a truce, he gratefully accepts. It might be due of realizing that Blackwall's rhetorics, that Dorian once dismissed as self-rightheous and fake, are something that Blackwall learned in hardest way possible and might be real after all.

* GayOpotion: Like the Iron Bull, she can be romanced by Inquisitors of any gender and species.

** [[spoiler: Cassandra, who held him in high regard, is disgusted, and their relationship never quite recovers; judging by Blackwall's own comments if asked about the Inquisition advisers, this is Cullen's reaction to him as well, although it improves by ''Trespasser'' (although Cassandra will talk to Blackwall if he becomes a Grey Warden, which can be a punishment from a certain point of view). Solas is equally grumpy, though his opinion softens later due of realizing that it would make him a {{Hypocrite}} considering that he has lots of skeletons in his closet and he also deceives everyone in the Inquisition. Sera is a lot of more forgiving and she is the other person aside for Blackwall himself who have significant approval changes in regards to his judgment. On the flipside, Varric, the Iron Bull, and Dorian, who are mostly dismissive and/or hostile towards Blackwall prior to the reveal, end up more forgiving and understanding. Varric admits that he might be a little and unnecessary harsh to him. Bull, who already picked up the signs that he was an imposter, makes an effort to raise his spirits by [[NotSoDifferentRemark finding parallels with his own situation]] of his conflicting nature as a mercenary leader and as an agent of the Qun while also rightfully condemning him for killing children (something that Bull won't tolerate). Dorian, who previously shows most hostility to Blackwall (and vice versa) the most, ends up respecting his genuine desire to atone and he is the one who offers the olive branch to end their hostilities for good. And Cole, who always knew, tries to make him see [[CharacterDevelopment how much he has changed]]. It helps that he also sees the similarities between them, it is just that it takes Blackwall longer to make peace with it. Surprisingly, with Vivienne it actually ''increases'' her opinion of him, if ever so slightly, as she expresses genuine admiration that Blackwall pulled off a deception even ''she'' was fooled by. [[YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame Not that it makes Blackwall feel any better about it.]]]]

** [[spoiler: Cassandra, who held him in high regard, is disgusted, and their relationship never quite recovers; judging by Blackwall's own comments if asked about the Inquisition advisers, this is Cullen's reaction to him as well, although it improves by ''Trespasser''. Solas is equally grumpy, though his opinion softens later due of realizing that it would make him a {{Hypocrite}} considering that he has lots of skeletons in his closet and he also deceives everyone in the Inquisition. Sera is a lot of more forgiving and she is the other person aside for Blackwall himself who have significant approval changes in regards to his judgment. On the flipside, Varric, the Iron Bull, and Dorian, who are mostly dismissive and/or hostile towards Blackwall prior to the reveal, end up more forgiving and understanding. Varric admits that he might be a little and unnecessary harsh to him. Bull, who already picked up the signs that he was an imposter, makes an effort to raise his spirits by [[NotSoDifferentRemark finding parallels with his own situation]] of his conflicting nature as a mercenary leader and as an agent of the Qun while also rightfully condemning him for killing children (something that Bull won't tolerate). Dorian, who previously shows most hostility to Blackwall (and vice versa) the most, ends up respecting his genuine desire to atone and he is the one who offers the olive branch to end their hostilities for good. And Cole, who always knew, tries to make him see [[CharacterDevelopment how much he has changed]]. It helps that he also sees the similarities between them, it is just that it takes Blackwall longer to make peace with it. Surprisingly, with Vivienne it actually ''increases'' her opinion of him, if ever so slightly, as she expresses genuine admiration that Blackwall pulled off a deception even ''she'' was fooled by. [[YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame Not that it makes Blackwall feel any better about it.]]]]

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Downplayed. Dorian isn't a jerk so much as very flippant, snarky, and at times exasperbating due to his [[InsufferableGenius confidence]] and [[InnocentlyInsensitive unintentional insensitivity]]. Yet, he's a very well-meaning and noble soul trying to make the world a better place.

!!!'''Voiced by:''' Ramon Tikaram (English), Peter Flechtner (German)

** In party banter, Dorian boasts to Solas of all the marvelous things spirits "can be made to do" when they're summoned and bound in Tevinter, including being forced to serve drinks and perform tricks at parties. Dorian is then taken aback when Solas (the Fade-walking apostate who befriends spirits) is disgusted instead of impressed, and compares it to slavery.

** If the Inquisitor is an Elf, then Dorian (the Tevinter magister's human mage son) is the ''only'' companion who openly sympathizes with their plight and approves of them trying to help their people (without slipping in backhanded comments against the Dalish like [[BoomerangBigot Solas]] and [[InternalizedCategorism Sera]])... because [[WhiteGuilt he feels guilty about how much his countrymen contributed to their people's downfall]].

** [[spoiler: Cassandra, who held him in high regard, is disgusted, and their relationship never quite recovers; judging by Blackwall's own comments if asked about the Inquisition advisers, this is Cullen's reaction to him as well, although it improves by ''Trespasser''. Solas is equally grumpy, though his opinion softens later due of realizing that it would make him a {{Hypocrite}} considering that he has lots of skeletons in his closet and he also deceives everyone in the Inquisition. Sera is a lot of more forgiving and she is the other person aside for Blackwall himself who have significant approval changes in regards to his judgment. On the flipside, Varric, the Iron Bull, and Dorian, who are mostly dismissive and/or hostile towards Blackwall prior to the reveal, end up more forgiving and understanding. Varric admits that he might be a little and unnecessary harsh to him. Bull, who already picked up the signs that he was an imposter, makes an effort to raise his spirits by [[NotSoDifferentRemark finding parallels with his own situation]] of his conflicting nature as a mercenary leader and as an agent of the Qun. Dorian, who previously shows most hostility to Blackwall (and vice versa) the most, ends up respecting his genuine desire to atone and he is the one who offers the olive branch to end their hostilities for good. And Cole, who always knew, tries to make him see [[CharacterDevelopment how much he has changed]]. It helps that he also sees the similarities between them, it is just that it takes Blackwall longer to make peace with it. Surprisingly, with Vivienne it actually ''increases'' her opinion of him, if ever so slightly, as she expresses genuine admiration that Blackwall pulled off a deception even ''she'' was fooled by. [[YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame Not that it makes Blackwall feel any better about it.]]]]

* NiceMeanAndInBetween: Out of the three mages when interacting with Cole, the in-between Dorian curiously approaches him like Solas but not into the point of antagonizing him like Vivienne. While Cole fumbles in his attempts to help Dorian which lead him to snap many times, after he calms down, he apologizes and conveys his thoughts and feelings to the spirit in a way that he can understand.
** [[spoiler: As of ''Trespasser'', he is nice one between Solas' mean and Vivienne's in-between. Like Vivienne, Dorian wants to save Thedas as always but unlike her, his rise to power is less about opportunism and more about genuinely trying to save his country from itself, clearly inspired by the Inquisitor's actions and learning a lot from their journeys back from the main campaign. And since both want to save the world, this also puts them into odds with Solas, who now wants to destroy the world just to recreate the world that fits in his ideals regardless of what the people of current Thedas wants.]]

** During the Winter Palace ball in Orlais, if brought along a noble party guest will observe that there is something familiar about Blackwall's face, and thinks they have met before, but can't quite him, with Blackwall trying to play it down and dismiss it.