Dragon Age’s Solas Actor Spins a Tale of Self-Love in Inquisition

Dragon Age: Inquisition has been a playground for RPG fans since its 2014 debut, a sprawling epic where every choice—from slaying demons to wooing companions—shapes your legend. But for Gareth David-Lloyd, the voice behind the enigmatic elven mage Solas, the game’s real magic lies in a playstyle so delightfully odd it’s turned heads: playing as a female elf to romance himself. Speaking at York Comic Con in early March 2025—captured on video by streamer LadyCrazyDragon and spotlighted by PC Gamer—David-Lloyd dropped this gem with a grin, declaring it “the best” way to experience BioWare’s masterpiece. With 500 hours sunk into Inquisition and a career-defining role across the series, his revelation’s a quirky footnote that’s got fans buzzing, laughing, and maybe even rolling their eyes. Is this narcissism, genius, or just a voice actor having a blast? Let’s dive in.

(Image credit: BioWare/EA)

David-Lloyd’s journey with Inquisition started innocently enough. “The first time I romanced Josephine [Montilyet],” he told the crowd, praising her “lovely performance” but dismissing the romance as “rubbish.” Fair—Josephine’s fairy-tale arc, complete with a duel for her hand, is sweet but lacks the fireworks some crave. Next up was Cassandra Pentaghast, the no-nonsense warrior with a hidden soft side. “Yes, that was a good one,” he nodded, likely charmed by her mix of steel and vulnerability—a fan-favorite for male Inquisitors since launch. But then came the twist: “The last time I played a female character and romanced myself, which is the best—the best.” Cue the chuckles. Solas, the brooding apostate who’ll only lock lips with a female elf, became David-Lloyd’s ultimate conquest—not as a bystander, but as the puppet master of his own seduction.

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It’s a wild flex, and he’s not alone in the self-love club. Baldur’s Gate 3’s voice actors—Jennifer English (Shadowheart), Devora Wilde (Lae’zel), Neil Newbon (Astarion)—all copped to romancing their own characters, a trend that’s half-joke, half-ego trip. But David-Lloyd’s 500-hour Inquisition odyssey, racked up since its 2014 release, adds weight to his claim. “I got really, really addicted,” he admitted, a confession that paints him as less a casual player and more a devotee who’s lived every inch of Thedas. By the time he voiced Solas again in 2024’s Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the character felt like “an old friend.” That bond, forged through hundreds of hours, makes his self-romance less a gag and more a celebration of a role he’s poured himself into—literally and figuratively.

Why Solas, though? The guy’s a tough nut to crack. In Inquisition, he’s an elven mage with a chip on his shoulder, obsessed with the Fade and harboring secrets that explode in the Trespasser DLC. Romancing him is exclusive—female elves only—and a slow burn of trust that ends in heartbreak when he bails to pursue his world-altering plans. It’s a tragic, lore-rich arc, dripping with Shakespearean vibes, and fans adore it: posts on X call it “peak storytelling,” even if it stings. David-Lloyd playing a female elf to woo himself suggests he’s not just in it for laughs—he’s savoring the depth he helped create. “You have to respect the honesty,” one X user quipped after the Comic Con clip spread, and he’s right. There’s a cheeky authenticity to picking the romance he knows inside out.

Behind the mic, David-Lloyd’s Solas gig was a leap of faith. “All I knew was that he was an elf and he was magic,” he said, recalling BioWare’s spoiler-shy process. No scripts upfront—just a TV screen flashing lines with sparse context, a “nerve-wracking” setup that demanded instinct over prep. It paid off: Solas’s dry wit and gravitas made him a standout, a linchpin in Inquisition’s 80,000-line script and a cornerstone of Veilguard’s fallout. Clocking 500 hours as a player gave him a front-row seat to his own legacy—every sarcastic quip, every veiled hint at his true identity. Romancing himself might’ve started as a lark, but it’s also a victory lap for a role he’s owned for a decade.

Fans are eating it up—or at least giggling. X lit up post-Comic Con: “Gareth romancing Solas as a female elf is the energy we need,” one post cheered, while another jabbed, “Bro spent 500 hours to date himself—iconic.” It’s not his first rodeo with fandom—his Torchwood stint as Ianto Jones cemented his geek cred—but this Dragon Age tidbit’s a fresh meme fuel. Some tie it to Veilguard’s rocky reception (1.5 million sales against EA’s 3 million goal, per posts on X), joking he’s “keeping the spirit alive.” Others see it as a voice actor’s rite: if English and Wilde can smooch their BG3 avatars, why not David-Lloyd? “You’ll go blind doing that,” PC Gamer’s Harvey Randall smirked, but the jest only amplifies the charm.

Does it hold up as “the best”? Inquisition’s romance roster is stacked—Cassandra’s grit, Dorian’s sass, Iron Bull’s wild ride—and Solas isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. His aloofness and elf-only restriction narrow the field, and the bittersweet end leaves some cold. “Solas broke my heart, but I’d do it again,” one X user sighed, summing up the polarized love. David-Lloyd’s take might lean on bias—who wouldn’t hype their own work?—but 500 hours lends cred. He’s sampled the buffet and picked his dish, quirks and all. Compared to Josephine’s tame arc or Cullen’s lyrium drama, Solas’s slow unraveling offers a narrative heft that’s tough to beat, especially if you’re steering the seduction yourself.

Could BioWare have seen this coming? Inquisition’s romance system thrives on choice—eight options, from Sera’s chaos to Blackwall’s angst—and Solas’s exclusivity was a deliberate curveball. David-Lloyd’s self-romance fits the game’s ethos: play your way, even if it’s weird. Veilguard doubled down with pansexual companions, but Inquisition’s specificity still resonates—500 hours of it, in his case. It’s a flex Capcom or Bethesda might envy; Monster Hunter Wilds sparked a cheese naan craze, but Dragon Age has actors dating themselves. As of March 9, 2025, with Veilguard six months old and Inquisition a decade deep, David-Lloyd’s tale keeps the flame flickering.

So, is he onto something? Maybe. Romancing Solas as a female elf—himself or not—delivers a lore-soaked gut punch few RPGs match. It’s not the coziest (Cullen fans might scoff) or the spiciest (Iron Bull says hi), but it’s a slow-burn saga with a personal twist for the man behind the voice. At York Comic Con, Gareth David-Lloyd didn’t just spill tea—he brewed a pot, proving Inquisition’s still got legs, quirks, and a dash of self-aware hilarity. Whether you’re Team Solas or not, you’ve got to tip your hat: 500 hours, one elf, and a romance with himself? That’s a Dragon Age story worth telling.