[Warning: This article contains spoilers for Dragon Age: The Veilguard.]
Dragon Age: The Veilguard has plenty of cameos with a plethora of characters returning from previous games, books, and comics. From previous companions such as Morrigan and Dorian to minor characters who have been expanded on, such as Harding, Evka, and Antoine, The Veilguard has lots of pre-established characters from throughout the series to make the world feel more connected. However, there are a few great characters that would have tied in well with the setting and plot that are unfortunately missing.
Velanna – Dalish Elven Mage
Appears In Dragon Age: Origins – Awakenings
Velanna is an often-forgotten companion, which is such a shame as she’s a fantastically written character. Making her one and only appearance in the Dragon Age: Origins DLC, Awakenings, Velanna can join the Grey Wardens after agreeing to work together with the Warden-Commander to find her missing sister. When first met, Velanna is at the lowest point of her life after leaving her clan, losing her sister, and committing several murders to avenge her fallen friends.
Velanna would have tied in wonderfully with The Veilguard’s plot as she has links to both the Grey Wardens and the Dalish, giving multiple ways she could have appeared. Her inclusion would have provided a fascinating perspective on the Evanuris, particularly Ghilan’nain’s attack on Weisshaupt. It would have been nice to have Velanna as a temporary companion during the siege to hear her opinions and complaints about the situation.
Sigrun – Dwarven Rogue
Appears In Dragon Age: Origins – Awakenings
Another companion introduced in Awakenings was Sigrun, a casteless dwarf, who was the opposite of Velanna in personality. While Velanna was grumpy and abrasive, Sigrun was upbeat and friendly with lots of funny banter. Sigrun was a member of the Legion of the Dead and after her battalion is killed by Darkspawn, agrees to join the Grey Wardens to continue to kill Darkspawn and find the Architect.
The Legion of the Dead is a brand of Orzammar’s army whose sole purpose is to fight Darkspawn. Members are considered already dead and hold funerals before they leave for the Deep Roads.
Just like Velanna, Sigrun could have worked perfectly at Weisshaupt as a cameo or temporary companion to guide Rook through the fortress. Sigrun could have also had links to Harding’s personal quest which explores dwarven lore, or even Davrin’s, which involves Wardens who had left for their Calling. As the only female dwarf companion until Harding in The Veilguard, it would have been nice to have seen or even have Sigrun acknowledged again in a Dragon Age game.
Shale – Golem Warrior
Appears In Dragon Age: Origins, The Stolen Throne, & Asunder
Another former companion who could have provided interesting insight into dwarven lore would have been Shale. Shale could be recruited in Origins with The Stone Prisoner DLC and was a huge stone golem with an intense hatred of birds. Through her personal quest, it will eventually be revealed that Shale was once a dwarf who volunteered to become a golem to defend the dwarven thaigs during the First Blight.
It would have been brilliant to meet Shale again and have her interact with Harding. Shale was last seen in the novel Asunder, so there are plenty of ways the golem could have been introduced to Rook, either through the Inquisition or through the dwarves of Kal-Sharok. Never one to mince her words, it would have been intriguing to hear Shale’s thoughts on the fate of the Titans.
Dagna – Dwarven Smith
Appears In Dragon Age: Origins, Inquisition, & Tevinter Nights
Dagna is a delightful character who was first met in Origins when the party traveled to Orzammar, who wanted to be allowed to study magic on the surface. Despite dwarves having no magic, Dagna wanted to learn more about it and how it connects to lyrium. Dagna would later join the Inquisition as an enchantment expert and went on to study parts of Adamant Fortress that had entered the Fade.
There is a moment in Inquisition where Dagna will mention working on a rune and then suddenly feeling tall, mountain tall. She will also say she “thought all the thoughts,” hinting at the links to the Titans.
Dagna seems an obvious choice for Harding to reach out to when she gains new, strange magic from the lyrium dagger. As the Inquisition has been disbanded by the time of The Veilguard, there are a few ways Dagna could have made an appearance other than simply being Harding’s friend. Her studies into the Fade naturally link her well with Mourn Watch, while her mixture of dwarven crafting and magic knowledge would also have made her a great fit for a Veil Jumper contact.
Iron Bull – Qunari Warrior
Appears In Dragon Age: Inquisition
One of the best companions in Dragon Age: Inquisition was Iron Bull, the Qunari leader of the Chargers mercenary group. Beyond acting as an impressive tank for the Inquisitor, Iron Bull was also the Qunari contact for the Inquisition, acting as a liaison between the Ben-Hassrath and Leliana’s network. Depending on choices made during Inquisition, Iron Bull could either still be a member of the Qun or Tal-Vashoth during the events of the Trespasser DLC, with a Ben-Hassrath Iron Bull being killed during a confrontation with the Qunari.
With the situation regarding the Antaam in The Veilguard, bringing in Iron Bull to consult with either the Antivan Crows or the Lords of Fortune would have made a lot of sense. In some ways, Iron Bull makes more sense as a faction contact than Isabela, although seeing the two of them working together would have been brilliant. Iron Bull, and his right-hand man Krem, could have also impacted Taash’s character arc and also provided someone for them who gets equally excited about dragons.
Anders – Human Mage
Appears In Dragon Age: Origins – Awakenings & Dragon Age 2
A more controversial Dragon Age companion to include in The Veilguard would have been Anders, last seen in Dragon Age 2. First appearing in Awakenings as a runaway mage, Anders was conscripted into the Grey Wardens before fleeing once he’d allowed his spirit friend Justice to share his body. In Dragon Age 2, Anders becomes obsessed with freedom for mages, corrupting Justice into Vengeance, and eventually blowing up Kirkwall’s Chantry.
Varric and Hawke can mention several fates for Anders in Inquisition, but all seem to hint at him being alive, unless directly killed at the end of Dragon Age 2. It would have been interesting to see Anders interact with Lucanis, or Spite with Justice, and to hear his views of Solas’ goals. Another way for Anders to appear could have been through the Grey Wardens, either officially or unofficially, to help Rook in the Wetlands and offer Anders some form of redemption arc.
Cole – Human/Spirit Rogue
Appears In Dragon Age: Asunder & Inquisition
Another companion that would have been fascinating to see speak with Lucanis or Emmrich is Cole. Cole is a very peculiar character who straddles the line between human and spirit, as there was once a human mage named Cole whom a spirit of Compassion eventually became after the original Cole’s death. Throughout Inquisition, Cole learns more about being a person rather than a spirit, with the Inquisitor, Solas, and Varric able to help him choose between embracing his spirit nature or becoming fully human.
Even though there are two different paths for Cole in Inquisition, there would have been an easy way to introduce him to The Veilguard‘s story, given his strange nature. With Cole’s links to the Fade, having him appear in the Crossroads makes the most sense, with him acting as a guide for Solas’ memories or opening up new areas in place of the Caretaker. Also, having Cole meet Manfred and Spite and join in on their banter would have been worth putting him in the game alone.
Merrill – Dalish Elven Mage
Appears In Dragon Age: Origins & Dragon Age 2
While some might not fondly remember Velanna, there was another Dalish mage companion who is beloved by much of the fanbase: Dragon Age 2’s Merrill. Merrill was the naive blood mage desperate to repair an eluvian and reclaim her people’s heritage throughout DA2’s three acts. Given the important role eluvians play in The Veilguard, it is a little odd that Merrill doesn’t appear as an expert, although the obvious answer is that Bellara fulfills that role.
This feels like such a missed opportunity to have a mentor/apprentice relationship, and Bellara could have introduced Merrill as her teacher or at least a friend. Merrill’s eluvian was also corrupted by Blight, so having her involved with the corruption seen in the Crossroads also would have made a lot of sense. However, it would not have been unreasonable to see Merrill acting as an ally to Solas, perhaps misguidedly, given her prior resolve to restore her people.
Fenris – Elven Warrior
Appears In Dragon Age 2, Blue Wraith & Dark Fortress
First appearing in Dragon Age 2, Fenris was an escaped Tevinter slave, covered in glowing lyrium tattoos, with extremely strong opinions about mages and magic. Often butting heads with Anders, Fenris’ journey was learning about his life before his markings and healing from past trauma. In the comics Dragon Age: Blue Wraith and Dark Fortress, Fenris is seen hunting slavers and learning to work as part of a team again as he helps free slaves and infiltrates Qunari strongholds.
In The Veilguard, it would have made a lot of sense to have Fenris be connected to the Shadow Dragons, although perhaps begrudgingly. Perhaps he could have been a contact for them for one quest or their agent in Arlathan Forest to allow Fenris to make his thoughts on the Veil Jumpers known. However, former Dragon Age lead writer, David Gaider, explained on BlueSky that Fenris requires a custom body model, which makes his return to any future games unlikely.
Zevran Arainai – Elvan Rogue
Appears In Dragon Age: Origins & Dragon Age 2
Finally, if there was one former companion people were sure was going to appear in The Veilguard, it was Zevran Arainai. First appearing in Origins, Zevran was an Antivan Crow sent to assassinate the Warden and any remaining Grey Wardens in Fereldan but ended up fighting alongside them. This angered the Crows as Zevran had broken his contract and for years they sent assassins after him while he in turn attempted to dismantle the Crows from the inside.
Given his ongoing conflict with the Crows, it is doubtful Zevran could have joined Rook’s team in Dragon Age: The Veilguard without sacrificing Lucanis as a companion. However, Zevran could have provided an interesting perspective on the more sanitized version of the Crows seen in the game, opening up some dialogue about working with such a cutthroat organization. Alas, fans of the charismatic elf will have to wait to see if he reappears in any future Dragon Age content, along with all the others on this list.
