Though details on Dragon Age 4 remain a bit sparse, fans have been speculating about the possibilities for the franchise since before Dragon Age: Inquisition released in 2014. However, as a result of new concept art showcased by Bioware, fans have renewed fervor for tin-foil hat theories and parsing through in-game lore to find yet more possibilities.
After all, there are plenty of plot holes still to fill like how Leliana could die in Dragon Age: Origins but appears as a main character in Inquisition. Or what may happen with whoever the player character chose to leave in the Fade to fight the Fear Demon. But not all fan theories hold water compared to others. Which ones do fans like the most and which ones do fans hope the writers don't take part in?
10 Yes Please: Sera Is Actually Andruil, Goddess Of The Hunt
This theory popped up a few times amongst Dragon Age fans and it has decent evidence to back it up. Sera, the not-quite-there, trigger happy elf who hates elves could very well be Andruil, the Elven Goddess of the Hunt and part of the Evanuris along with Solas and Mythal.
YouTuber Ghil Dirthalen explains the theory in-depth, so here's a TL;DR.
Andruil hunted beasties in the Void, but was driven mad as a result. Mythal transformed into a beastie to lure Andruil and make it so she could never enter the Void again and endanger the Evanuris and Elven people again. Sera also has wildly different features than many other Elves players see across Thedas -- just like Solas who is part of the Evanuris.
Furthermore, Solas refers to "our people" when sharing banter with Sera, but never does this with other Elves (including a romanced Elven Inquisitor).
9 No Thanks: Sandal Is Actually June, The God Of Crafting
Along the same thought lines as Sera being Andruil, some fans in the community have suggested the Sandal, a gifted Dwarven enchantment savant originally from Origins, could be the reincarnation of the Elven God of Crafting: June.
It's true that there isn't much of an explanation for Sandal and his unnerving, mystical moments of prophecy. One such moment involved the phrase "When he rises, everyone will see." This must be about Solas given recent promotional material for DA4 tagged with "The Dread Wolf Rises."
But making Sandal a carrier of an Elven god seems like a bridge too far when it comes to a franchise that is very intentional about its lore. Ghil Dirthalen has a video on this, as well.
8 Yes Please: The First Warden Was A Tevinter Magister
Since the release of the first game, fans have wondered about the origins (pun intended) behind the mysterious Grey Wardens. It makes sense: why would a human just think to drink Darkspawn blood in order to better fight Darkspawn? But even ten years ago, fans suggested that the very first Warden might have been a corrupted Tevinter Magister.
Some fans go so far as to suggest that the "First Warden" title is literal; the Warden has some degree of immortality due to being one of the original Darkspawn and a Magister. Whether this relates to the type of "immortality" that Corypheus showcased in DA:I and DA: II, fans can only speculate.
7 No Thanks: Qunari Descended From Dragons
The origins of the Qunari is mentioned in DA:I by Ironbull regarding the Kossith, but fans expounded on the idea over the years. Fans know that Bull gets his special abilities as a Reaver from drinking dragon's blood and so do certain warriors in Nevarra. However, Cassandra also says that Reavers who ingest too much blood can begin to develop draconic features like scales.
Whether that's true or not, having the Kossith (and thus the Qunari) be directly descended from dragons makes their species much less interesting on the whole. It's been suggested that the Kossith mated with dragons or somehow introduced dragon DNA into theirs. But overall, many fans don't think this theory has legs.
6 Yes Please: Hawke (Or Whoever Gets Left In The Fade) Is Still Alive
Ghil Dirthalen brings this up in her "Common Theories" video series. It's a theory many fans cling to because of how beloved characters like Alistair and Hawke have become over the years. However, with regards to Hawke specifically, some fans believe she may have survived due to the something Mythal says at the very beginning of DA: II.
"We stand upon the precipice of change. The world fears the inevitable plummet into the abyss. Watch for that moment... and when it comes, do not hesitate to leap. It is only when you fall that you learn whether you can fly."
This quote has led fans to speculate that the DA writers intended for Hawke to get left behind in the Fade all along. After all, if Solas does succeed in repairing the Veil, players may find themselves back in the Fade and encounter none other than Hawke (or a Grey Warden).
5 No Thanks: The Executors Are Northern/Qunari Rebels
There are many antagonist options in Dragon Age 4 next to Solas. From Tevinter Magisters to the other Evanuris to the Qunari, there is simply no shortage of baddies. However, a mysterious group known only as The Executors may finally show their faces thanks to events in the book Tevinter Nights and Inquisition.
Fans suggest that they could specifically be Northern Qunari due to the note received with the Light-Torn Steed. The note says "...not all in the North bear ill will." The Executors pop up in a few other War Table mission notes where they refer to themselves as "the powers across the sea." Hence why fans believe them to be Qunari.
But this group is portrayed as nearly omniscient, very powerful, and very secretive. To make them Qunari Rebels strips them of that enigmatic intrigue and, realistically, the influence and power to intimidate and infiltrate that they seem to wield effortlessly.
4 Yes Please: Sandal Is An Avatar Of The Titan
Sandal remains an unexplained part of the series, so there are many theories about his origins and purpose in the lore. But this one placing him as an avatar for a Titan lines up better with the information about Dwarves, Titans, and Elven history revealed in the Inquisiton DLC The Descent.
The DLC showed creatures known as Sha-Brytol or Titan servants defending the heart of the Titan against Inquisition and Dwarven Legion of the Dead forces. There's also an Easter Egg in the Trespasser DLC that has a small crafting station and journal from Sandal, but makes no mention of his father Bodahn.
Being connected to the Titan could explain Sandal's extreme gifts regarding enchantments, as well as his simple nature and clairvoyant moments that also echo past events. The Titans would have that knowledge of both past and current events to then predict the future or simply reveal events already set in motion.
3 No Thanks: "Leliana is Fake" (She Is A Lyrium Creation/Fade Spirit)
This has been a plot hole bugging many fans to no end. The player character can choose to spoil a fancy urn with important blood and then kill Leliana when she attacks the player for it in Origins. That's why the reveal that Leliana was still alive in DA: II and then the Spymaster in Inquisition made many fans scratch their heads.
But these kinds of retcons aren't that uncommon; DA: II also retconned Cullen's mage massacre after Origins, so why not this, too? In an effort to explain it in a way that makes lore sense, some fans suggested that Leliana is a Fade spirit with unfinished business.
More interestingly, others called her a "Lyrium Ghost," but not the kind that Fenris is. But this truly just seems like a case of writers going with a "canon choice" (i.e. not spoiling the urn and not killing Leliana) vs. making her some kind of ghost or spirit abomination.
Ghil Dirthalen has a video on this, too, for fans who want a more in-depth explanation.
2 Yes Please: The Architect Is One Of The Tevinter Magisters That Spoiled The Golden City
This is another extremely popular and old theory in the Dragon Age fan community. It came about after the events of the Origins DLC Awakening that featured an intelligent Darkspawn known as "The Architect". After the events of Inquisition, many fans noticed his and Corypheus' similar appearances.
This led to the resurgence and bolstering of an older theory: The Architect is one of the original Tevinter Magisters that spoiled the Golden City. The arguments against this theory are very well-reasoned (the developers just retconned The Architect and used the appearance for Corypheus, The Architect could just be a job title, etc).
But wouldn't it be fun if The Architect and Corypheus were both Tevinter Magisters? Seven Magisters entered the Golden City, after all, so Corypheus can't be the only one who somehow found a way to come back.
1 No Thanks: Mythal Is The "True Antagonist" Of Dragon Age
Mythal, as portrayed beautifully by voice actor Kate Mulgrew, appears in all three Dragon Age games (first as Flemeth then as Mythal...and Flemeth). At the end of Inquisition, players watch Solas seemingly kill Mythal/Flemeth to absorb her power. But he also says later on that "the first of my people do not die so easily." Many fans also point out that Mythal likes to manipulate people as seen with the start of Dragon Age II and Hawke.
But making her the Big Bad of the series just doesn't make much sense. Popular YouTuber Jackdaw laid out their theory with lots of evidence as to why Mythal would seek vengeance for the Evanuris and to restore the Veil to bring back her people.
While this is one way the writers could take the story, it doesn't seem like a very interesting or satisfying end to Mythal/Flemeth's and, by proxy, Morrigan's, story.