As such, we’ve broken down character tiers based on the character’s impact of the story, the character’s personal development, and their effectiveness as a companion in combat. So, S Tier represents characters who’ve done this to a high degree throughout their time in the franchise, whereas D Tier falls completely short of all this. B Tier is the biggest as the most “average” of the bunch. The entirety of the Dragon Age timeline is also being considered but characters are (noted) by which game they appeared as a companion in and in no particular order.
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Dragon Age S Tier
Morrigan (DA: Origins) - Morrigan has been through it all. Not only is she the daughter of Flemeth, an abomination of Mythal, but she’s a potential LI of the Warden. She may or may not give birth to Kieran who may or may not bear the soul of an Old God, just depending on player decisions. The influences there are far-reaching, ranging from the Witch Hunt DLC to Inquisition itself, and as a Mage, Morrigan was highly useful in combat. In short, she’s definitive of S Tier and perhaps the best companion in the Dragon Age franchise.
Leliana (DA: Origins) - From Orlesian Bard to Chantry Laysister, from the Warden’s companion to the Inquisition’s Spymaster, and perhaps even settling into the role of the Divine, Leliana is the embodiment of character development, combat tactfulness, and influence on the story.
Alistair (DA: Origins) - Alistair was a solid fighter and tank in the classic Dragon Age: Origins, but it’s what follows that makes him worthy of an S Rank. He could become the King of Ferelden, remain a Grey Warden, or a bum wasting away in the Free Marches. He’ll play a role in Inquisition depending on this choice and the choice of who he romances, and funnily enough, could even be Kieran’s father in the right circumstances.
Varric (DA Inquisition) - Varric’s personal involvement in DA2, his dedication to Hawke and the Inquisitor, his role as a ranged rogue with Bianca, his personal story with Bianca, and all the stories he has yet to tell in the franchise make Varric a classic S Tier character.
Cullen (Inquisition) - Cullen fans were ecstatic when the character appeared as the military advisor, but more than that, he’s appeared in every title to date, albeit in a different role. Cullen was a Templar who can be spoken to in the Mage Origins (he had a crush on the female version), scarred by the Blood Mages who besieged his circle, served as Knight-Captain in Kirkwall during the events there, and finally found his way into the Inquisition. Yes, he wasn’t a companion and he didn’t play a combat role, but his overwhelming story involvement and development to the Inquisitor’s Advisor make him worthy of S Tier.
Dragon Age A Tier
Anders (DA: Awakening, 2) - Anders make A Tier, which is likely a controversial choice admittedly but done so for a couple of reasons. First, he is absolutely vital to the story of Dragon Age 2 and becomes a sort of conduit for player thought and belief on the Mage-Templar Conflict. His decisions here kick off one of the major plotlines in Inquisition, and his growth from an ally of Justice in Awakening to an abomination, accepting and perhaps unrepentant of his actions is an astounding amount of development, even if he’s Hawke’s LI. It helps he’s a healer, too.
Solas (DA Inquisition) - Continuing the motif that it is the “Mage all players should watch for betrayal,” Solas is perhaps mid-to-high tier in each department. However, the Trespasser DLC makes it clear that fans are going to have hearts broken breaking eggs when Dragon Age 4 rolls around, so this ephemeral antagonist idea works. It strings together so many conflicts based on the Elves and the Fade that Solas is a shoe-in for A Tier, but whether or not Solas can be redeemed or just killed remains to be seen.
Shaper Valta (Inquisition’s The Descent DLC) - A temporary companion on A Tier may seem strange, but Shaper Valta has a ton of room for growth. Valta and the players uncover new details about the Titans, a massive piece of Dwarven Lore in the Dragon Age universe, and is seen using some sort of Magic, yet another piece of groundbreaking new lore. The Descent gives plenty of Avenues to explore with Valta in future games, and these new lore reveals were massive for a temporary companion. Truly, Dragon Age 4 adding Shaper Valta as a permanent companion would be a literal game changer.
Cassandra Pentaghast (Inquisition) - Cassandra has appeared in a ton of Dragon Age material to date and is a driving force of mystery in DA2 before becoming a multi-faceted, full-blown companion in Dragon Age: Inquisition. From an endearing romance plot to a solid warrior companion, from an avid reader of Varric’s novels to a potential Divine in the Chantry, Cassandra is a well-rounded and highly designed character.
Dragon Age B Tier
Justice (Dragon Age Awakening) - Justice is a Spirit who comes to exist in a real body, a dead body. Alongside his combat effectiveness, this possession is an interesting one in Dragon Age, especially after the events at the Circle of Magi in Origins. It’s his relationship with Anders that spurs the next game as well, fitting the character and idea itself comfortably in B tier.
Nathaniel Howe (Dragon Age Awakening) - Nathaniel Howe is an excellent rogue companion, and what’s more, it’s a unique twist that he is the son of someone killed by the Warden in Origins. His limited time span prevents him from greatness, but his role in the overarching story is a surprising take.
Oghren (Dragon Age Origins, Awakening) - Oghren is great in combat, has a vital role in the Deep Roads plotline in the first game, and returns as a companion in Awakening, becoming a full-fledged Grey Warden. It would be great to see more of the dwarf, but this was his last appearance.
Loghain Mac Tir (Dragon Age Origins) - Everyone hates Loghain, but his character development has a multitude of paths, one of which ends up being as a Grey Warden who returns in Inquisition. He can give his life in Origins against the Archdemon or in Inquisition against the Nightmare Demon. His short stent as a companion does hamper things a bit, but he is a character designed to be hated and redeemed, and he does that well.
Barkspawn (DA Origins) - Barkspawn, or the Mabari War hound in DA: Origins, doesn’t obviously have much in the way of character or story development, but he’s incredibly popular for good reason. He’s unique in combat with unique abilities and equipment and was the catalyst for a Mabari to eventually appear with Hawke in DA2.
Wynne (DA Origins) - Wynne’s story becomes cookie cutter for mages, and while Asunder develops her further quite nicely, it’s all rather bland. Her redeeming quality is her healing abilities in Origins.
Sten (DA Origins) - Sten is the first Qunari players ever meet and quickly becomes an all-arounder of the party. His personal story is an interesting one, his choice as a companion is a solid one, and his relationship to the Qun in the Dragon Age universe solidifies his B-Tier ranking.
Vivienne (Inquisition) - Big picture, Vivienne is almost easily relegated to the background, outside the possibility of her becoming Divine. Her personal character development is not that deep either, but what separates her from C Tier is her role as a Knight Enchanter. While that particular specialization was eventually nerfed, its combat effectiveness still cannot be understated.
Josephine (Inquisition) - Josephine is an advisor to the Inquisitor, and one without as much history as Cullen or Leliana. She plays a vital enough in Inquisition to find herself in B Tier.
Iron Bull (Inquisition) - Iron Bull, much like Sten, is a good all-the-way around character. His combat prowess is fantastic, his personal storyline is emotional and can really determine his role in the game and Trespasser DLC, but he falls short of having a huge impact on the game or franchise itself. At least, for now. It wouldn’t be impossible for him to return in the future, but to what degree can only be speculated.
Dorian (Inquisition) - Dorian has a lot of promise by the end of Inquisition. He can be outshone by other Mages in terms of specialization, but his personal story is heart-breaking and his impact on the story means he’s likely to return in Dragon Age 4’s setting. As a Tevinter Mage, it makes sense that his story isn’t over just yet.
Fenris (DA2) - At times, it feels like Fenris exists to be all things not Anders. His character development feels limited, but he’s a unique fan-favorite that will always be someones S Tier but fills the mid-level performances of a B tier character.
Isabela (DA2) - Isabela is a loveable scamp, to say the least. She plays a major role in Dragon Age 2, has enough character development to warrant her mid-tier positioning, and is a solid rogue choice.
Merrill (DA2) - Merrill first appears as an Origins character in the first game, becoming a full-fledged companion in the second. Her story is strange and her character is sometimes stranger, but it’s one worth pursuing even if it’s not the pinnacle of Dragon Age.
Shale (Dragon Age Origins) - Shale adds even more depth to the Golem construction and Deep Roads storyline and is an excellent tank. It’s unfortunate that she doesn’t really make a comeback, but she adds enough to be a B-Tier companion.
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Dragon Age C Tier
Sigrun (Dragon Age Awakening) - Conceptually, Sigrun is a really cool Legion of the Dead character, but everything effective about the character remains in the concept stage. She was vital to Awakening’s defense of Amaranthine and Siege of Vigil’s Keep, but the constant hope of death was a strange one.
Velanna (Dragon Age Awakening) - Velanna loses out to Anders for his ability to heal better (disregarding respecs) and feels like a generic pre-Solas Solas.
Sebastian (DA2’s The Exiled Prince) - Like Fenris foils Anders, Sebastian just seems to be the “Chantry” figure head in the Templar vs. Mage conflict. It seems he could return at some point, which makes up for his more lackluster qualities.
Aveline (Dragon Age 2) - Aveline is a solid companion in combat, but other than that, Aveline is incredibly generic, doing nothing more than letting Hawke and party get away with their antics.
Zevran (Dragon Age Origins) - Zevran’s character development is interesting depending on player choice, and the fact that he can betray the Warden is a highlight of that. His role as a rogue cannot be understated either, but he falls behind Leliana easily, and doesn’t really have a place in the overarching narrative.
Lieutenant Renn (DA Inquisition’s The Descent DLC) - Renn’s fate in The Descent is basically his only quality, adding a little more juice to Valta’s character. It works, pushing Valta up there in the grand scheme of things, but sadly putting Renn below.
Blackwall (Dragon Age Inquisition) - The idea of a Grey Warden companion was great until players came to realize that Blackwall, well, wasn’t a Warden. He was a fake, an outcast in a fantasy setting. This rather frivolous questline has a solid ending for what it’s worth, but it’s not really compelling, and there’s little reason to choose Blackwall over Cassandra or Iron Bull.
Cole (Inquisition) - As a Spirit of Compassion, Cole eventually returns to the Fade, but if he’s humanized, he continues a human relationship. Cole has a lot of character development, but his story involvement is limited by his fate and his actions in Asunder. As such, while he could have been more easily, he’s more a mid-to-low tier character than anything else and likely to never be seen again.
Sera (Dragon Age 2) - Sera is outshone by Cole and Iron Bull, and while she has her moments, Sera’s mostly juvenile actions are not definitive of either story involvement or character development. As such, she’s unlikely to return in future Dragon Age games.
Bethany And/Or Carver Hawke (Dragon Age 2) - Personal character development here is interesting when it comes to the various outcomes, but they are not genuinely companions for long, relegating the second Hawke to a lesser tier.
The Golems of Amgarrak Companions (Brogan, Jerrik, Golem) - These characters were temporarily and isolate in the role of the story, but facing the the Harvester on the highest difficulty required a technical fight that these Golems of Amgarrak characters were altogether designed for.
Tallis (DA2 Mark of the Assassin) - Although temporary and limited, Tallis is a popular character due to her connections to Felicia Day, as well as her lore and relationship with the Qun.
Dragon Age D Tier
D Tier characters, as listed below, are all temporary in Dragon Age and serve a singular purpose in a limited stretch.
A Tale of Orzammar Companion (Orson Haver)
Witch Hunt Companions (Ariane, Finn, Dog)
Leliana’s Song Companions (Sketch, Tug, Silas Corthwraite)
The Origins Companions (The characters that appeared in various Origin stories, with exceptions of characters who returned later like Merrill)
The Darkspawn Chronicles
Dragon Age 4 is in development.
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