Though it can be controversial among hardcore fans, in many ways Dragon Age: Inquisition represents a high point for the developers at Bioware. The game is one of their best-selling titles ever, and it even managed to win Game of the Year in 2014. In the years since, BioWare has had trouble attaining those same heights, with both Mass Effect: Andromeda and Anthem disappointing many of their longtime fans.
Dragon Age 4 is confirmed to be on the way, but it's also likely still quite a ways off given the retooling that it's had to undergo. For now, this list looks back at Dragon Age: Inquisition, and some of the fantastic characters that won our hearts when it was released.
Updated August 16, 2021, by Ritwik Mitra: Dragon Age: Inquisition is one of the better games in the Dragon Age series, featuring a natural evolution for the series that is way easier to digest. A big part of what makes this title great are the characters, with most party members being quite exciting to interact with. That being said, it's a given that some companions are bound to be better than others, and the following ranking of Dragon Age: Inquisition's companions should shed more light in this regard.
14 Shaper Valta (The Descent Companion)
- Class: Warrior
- Specialization: None
- Romance Option: None
The Descent DLC is a decent enough content pack for Dragon Age: Inquisition. It also adds two temporary party members who are fairly decent in their own right but don't really get a ton of time to shine. Valta is one such character who suffers a great deal as a companion due to this problem.
She is a decent enough warrior, but the fact that she's only a party member for a few missions severely impedes her impact as a character. But she adds to the lore in that she is a Dwarven Shaper or someone who maintains the memories of the Stone (Dwarven History). However, she disagrees with the Shaperate or commanding body over historical facts vs. their sanitized version of events.
That makes her more interesting and where The Descent leaves her character is curious at best and impendingly ominous at worst.
13 Legion Of The Dead Soldier Renn (The Descent Companion)
- Class: Warrior
- Specialization: None
- Romance Option: None
Renn is another additional party member from The Descent DLC who doesn't really make a massive impact in the game. As is the case with Valta, his time at the party is pretty brief, but memorable. He and Valta clearly have a cheeky, "will they won't they" dynamic that brings levity to the otherwise darkened realm.
His inclusion makes for a fresh change of pace for a brief period of time. However, his influence wanes quickly after his exit. Such is the nature of being a member of the Legion of the Dead.
12 Solas, The Dread Wolf Fen'Harel
- Class: Mage
- Specialization: Rift Mage
- Romance Option: Female elven Inquisitors only
Solas is an elven mage who joins up with your Inquisitor in the hopes of using his expertise with the Fade to stop the rift. He’s definitely a favorite of some players as he is an alluring character, but he can end up really hurting your Inquisitor's heart.
Eventually, you realize he’s actually an elven god and he wants to destroy the Fade to restore ancient elven society. No matter how much you tick him off, he’ll never actually leave your party; you’re playing into his plan too much. But even before that, he’s a persnickety stick in the mud who only responds to romantic advances from other elves. It also appears that he's going to be at least one of the antagonists of Dragon Age 4.
As a mage, Solas is well-equipped to fulfill the role of the healer within your party and will be useful for dispelling magical barriers and using Veilfire torches. As a Rift Mage, Solas can use the Fade to attack enemies to surprising efficacy. If you should go into this specialty yourself, it's never quite explained how it works by Your Trainer.
11 Cullen Rutherford (Advisor)
- Class: Warrior (not applicable in gameplay)
- Specialization: Templar (not applicable in gameplay)
- Romance Option: Female human or elf Inquisitors only
After making several sporadic appearances throughout the Dragon Age titles, it's great to see Cullen get his time in the spotlight in Dragon Age: Inquisition. He's the perfect military advisor for the Inquisition and ends up being invaluable when it comes to planning out some of the Inquisition's most important battles.
The fact that he's a pretty entertaining romance for female characters should not be scoffed at, either. All in all, Cullen's journey from an unassuming Fereldan Templar into a military advisor for one of Dragon Age's most powerful armies is brilliant to witness and makes for an entertaining character. His addiction to lyrium and the struggle he goes through to avoid it also makes for an interesting character arc.
10 Sera, The Red Jenny
- Class: Rogue
- Specialization: Tempest
- Romance Option: Female Inquisitors only
Sera’s “Friends of Red Jenny” group is pretty useful to the Inquisition as it is a massive spy network made up of the serving class that targets the world of aristocrats and nobles. Knowing that about her, it’s difficult to place her at the back of the line on this list, however… she’s also a royal pain in the backside at times.
Her attitude causes more problems than it solves, and some fans found her character unlikable due to her brashness. Others, in contrast, found this facet of her personality endearing -- especially when you talk about cookies on the roof.
Her combat skills also don't quite stack up compared to other companions, so it's easier to leave her at Skyhold when it is time to take care of Inquisitor work. Like other Rogues, Sera can pick locks for you when she is in your party. As a Tempest, Sera utilizes grenades to cause damage and mayhem on the battlefield.
9 Cole - Human? Spirit? Something Else Entirely...
- Class: Rogue
- Specialization: Assassin
- Romance Option: None
Cole is like Sera in that they're both a bit opaque and spacy. He rarely ever makes any sense in conversation, and most of the time people don’t know what to make of him, but he’s a good kid.
For most of the game, his origin is shrouded in mystery, but what we do know about him is his ability to make people forget that he was ever there at all. He can also encourage people to feel certain emotions.
This makes him great for work as an assassin, and, in general, he fits in with the Inquisition: a group of misfits trying to make the world better. Plus, his actual origin story is pretty neat and makes the player feel like they left their mark on the world in a good way.
As Cole is a Rogue, he can pick various locks for you found in the environment. As an Assassin, he is quick and efficient on the battlefield and can inflict high damage when the conditions are right.
8 Blackwall, The Duplicitous Grey Warden
- Class: Warrior
- Specialization: Champion
- Romance Option: Female Inquisitors only
Blackwall is another companion with a story that players will have to work to learn about completely. For much of the game, he’s just a quiet dude who tags along to help the player defeat Corypheus. But eventually, the game reveals why he’s so distant as a character and spends so much time trying to be the perfect Grey Warden.
A former criminal who took the place of the real Blackwall, this character spends much of the game attempting to atone for his crimes. And while what he did before the Inquisition was heinous, during his time with them, he does his fair share in helping to save the world. The revelation of his true identity could make players romancing him change their minds though.
Blackwall can destroy breakable walls found in the environment as he is a warrior, and as a Champion, he makes a great choice for a tank as he is capable of taking a lot of damage.
7 Vivienne, Madame de Fer, The Imperial Enchanter (Etc)
- Class: Mage
- Specialization: Knight-Enchanter
- Romance Option: None
Vivienne isn’t always likable, but she always commands everyone’s respect. Vivienne joins the Inquisition as a representative of the Orlesian Circle of Mages…though she sometimes appears to be the only mage from their group that seems to care about the world breaking in half.
With Vivienne at the player’s side, they’re allowed a brief window into the life and mindset of Orlesian Court society. She’s surprisingly useful as a mage and is more than willing to get her hands dirty and do close combat if your team is lacking a bit in muscle. The only real unfortunate side to her for most players is that she isn’t romanceable.
Plus there's the whole subterfuge, climb-to-the-top-even-if-you-have-to-step-on-everyone, anti-mage mentality.
Vivienne can fulfill the role of the healer within your party and will be useful for dispelling magical barriers and using Veilfire torches. As a Knight Enchanter, Vivienne has a higher defense than other mages and can hold her own on the battlefield.
6 Leliana, The Spymaster
- Class: Rogue (not applicable in gameplay)
- Specialization: Bard (not applicable in gameplay)
- Romance Option: None
A fan-favorite in the series who has been a stalwart figure since the very first title, it's hard not to want Leliana to be an active member of the team. However, even in her role as an advisor, she shows just how much she's grown as a character since her humble beginnings as a naive Sister of the Chantry.
Her cunning and quick-wittedness make her the perfect spymaster for the Inquisition. Her information proves to be an immense help for the Inquisitor as they deal with a multitude of powerful threats.
5 Varric Tethras (You've Probably Heard Of Him)
- Class: Rogue
- Specialization: Artificer
- Romance Option: None
Another holdover from Dragon Age 2 alongside Cassandra, Varric is probably the most likable character in the games. He spends most of his time spinning entertaining stories based on his adventures, and generally is more down to earth than some of the more extreme personalities traveling with the Inquisition.
In combat, he relies on making traps and his crossbow to give enemies trouble -- useful, but not as dangerous as other companions can be. The only thing keeping him from being the best is his that he serves so much more as a story-teller and not someone the player can directly engage with.
Having a Rogue like Varric in your party will help you to pick various locks. As an Artificer, he is an expert at setting traps and so is useful for battles where you can prepare the arena first, such as fighting High Dragons.
4 Josephine Montilyet, The Diplomat With A Past
- Class: Rogue (not applicable in gameplay)
- Specialization: Bard (not applicable in gameplay)
- Romance Option: any Inquisitor
It was expected that the ambassador for the Inquisition would be a pleasant and likable person. However, it's the manner in which Josephine manages to carve her way into the hearts of fans with her enjoyable personality that makes her the best advisor in Dragon Age: Inquisition.
The romance that characters can enjoy with her is also a blast, filled to the brim with family drama and death-defying acts of love. It's no wonder why most fans absolutely adore this soft-hearted yet stern character.
3 Iron Bull, The Ben-Hassrath Mercenary Leader
- Class: Warrior
- Specialization: Reaver
- Romance Option: Any Inquisitor
This is actually pretty tough as, towards the top of the list, all the characters are great. Iron Bull is supposed to be a double agent for the Qunari… but he’s so honest that he doesn’t even bother with the pretense and tells everyone immediately. This turns the “a member of your group is a traitor” trope on its head and sets the tone for much of life in the Inquisition.
Most of his dialogue is great, but he’s especially a treat whenever he’s taken into battle against one of the game’s optional dragon bosses. It’s almost worth starting another playthrough for those who have yet to see his reactions to those epic encounters. Not to mentionthe fact that he is voiced by Freddie Prinze Jr.
As a warrior, Iron Bull can help you to destroy breakable walls that you come across. As a Reaver, he excels in damage dealing, and the bloodier the battle gets, the more damage he will dish out.
2 Cassandra Allegra Portia Calogera Filomena Pentaghast
- Class: Warrior
- Specialization: Templar
- Romance Option: Any male Inquisitor
The hard-edged Cassandra is the first character that players meet in the game with her taking on a role as a member of the Chantry who is questioning the Inquisitor for their role in the chaos at the game’s outset. However, Cassandra quickly shows herself as someone that’s interested in doing the right thing, both by the people around her and for the world in general.
A deeper look into her background reveals much about her: a love of poetry and weary exhaustion at being the last line of defense between the world and its destruction. Ultimately, Cassandra displays too much character and growth not to absolutely fall in love with her.
Cassandra is a warrior, so she'll be useful for destroying breakable walls in the environment. As a Templar, she also makes a great choice for your tank, especially as she has a resistance to magic.
1 Dorian Pavus - Sassy, Loyal, & Clever
- Class: Mage
- Specialization: Necromancer
- Romance Option: Any male Inquisitor
The Tevinter Imperium is the subject of much of the background talk happening in the game, due to its questionable relationship both with the Qunari and with the world at large. Dorian stands as the Tevinter representative for the Inquisition but he quickly becomes so much more than that.
He stands against the injustice and corruption of Tevinter society and refuses to bow to the rules of the upper class and his family, abandoning both so he can remain true to himself. He’s quick-witted, willing to risk his life for others, and is a great mage to have on the battlefield: what’s not to like?
Dorian is a mage, making him suitable to take on the role of the healer within your party and he will be useful for dispelling magical barriers and using Veilfire torches. As a Necromancer, Dorian is especially potent against spirit enemies from the Fade.