It’s certainly a strange relationship I have with the Dragon Age franchise. I’ve had plenty of harsh words for it over the years, especially where the first game is concerned. But Inquisition’s DLCs seem to have converted me to a true fan, at least until the next disappointment, so I find myself eagerly anticipating Dragon Age IV.

We’re in an interesting spot because the next game hasn’t been announced yet, but Trespasser gave us a pretty good picture of what it will entail. The one big question mark is who we’ll be adventuring with in the next game.

I started to ponder who I would like to see, so I now present my Dragon Age dream team. This is very much a wishlist, but I tried to make some basic concessions to realism. Balanced classes, for instance — left to my own devices, it would basically be 80% mages.

Mages:

Morrigan:

I was pondering recently why I like Morrigan so much, despite the fact that she is, shall we say, not the most easily likable person around.

It occurred to me that Morrigan is sort of like the fantasy genre personified. Her family is full of mythic figures, and she’s all about history and uncovering ancient mysteries both wondrous and terrible.

It’s that sense of history and the wonder (and terror) of the unknown that really defines the fantasy genre, and it defines Morrigan, as well. So no wonder I like her so much.

It was nice to see Morrigan again in Inquisition, but I never stopped wishing that I could ask her to come adventuring with me.

Merrill:

Merrill is history’s most adorable necromancer and the centrepiece of my favourite in-game romance arc to date, so naturally I want to bring her along.

Of course, the odds of playing as Hawke in the next game are basically nil, so I wouldn’t be able to continue her romance arc, but that’s fine. It’d still be lovely to see her again. She’s a fiercely likable character, and considering the likely subject matter of Dragon Age IV, I think her expertise would be most welcome indeed.

Calpernia:

I really wanted to put Anders here, but then I remembered Calpernia and decided she was just too intriguing an option to pass up.

Otherwise known as “the only good reason to side with the Templars,” Calpernia is one of Inquisition’s many missed opportunities. Her role in the game is small, but in what little time she was on screen, she was established as, I think, one of the more complex and compelling characters in the franchise.

I tend to think of her as a dark mirror to Dorian, but even that might be overly harsh. Despite her role as a major antagonist — Hell, she’s the right hand of Corypheus — she comes across as a very admirable person.

Here’s someone who has lived through the absolute her country has to offer — which says a lot when your country is Tevinter — and yet she’s still a patriot. She still sees good in Tevinter wants to see it reach its full potential. It’s downright inspiring.

Considering Calpernia only appears to roughly half of Inquisition players and can potentially be killed, the odds of her appearing in later games at all, let alone as a party member, are incredibly slim. But I’d still love to see more of her.

Rogues:

Sera:

Yeah, you knew this was coming.

Sera may be crude, undisciplined, and kind or racist, but she’s also one of the most deep and layered characters Bioware has ever come up with, which says a lot, and for all her many flaws, I find it very hard not to like her.

I also have purely selfish and somewhat spoilery reasons for wanting Sera in the next game, which you will understand if you read my gushy post-Trespasser post.

…How long before I have to stop worrying about spoilers for Inquisition, anyway?

Also as I outlined in that post, Sera is one of the few characters on this list I believe to have a decent chance to show up in the next game.

Scout Lace Harding:

I personally think it’s all but guaranteed that Harding will be a party member in the next game. She seems to have been pretty popular, and I really don’t think that they snuck her into the final shot of Trespasser for nothing.

Not much to say about Harding other than that I like her. She’s tough, but still warm and friendly. Seems like a good person to have around when things go to pieces, and I’d enjoy getting to know her better.

Bianca Davri:

Yes, I want two fem Dwarf rogues. Why not?

Bianca’s appearance in Inquisition was brief, but memorable, and since I don’t expect we’ll have Varric joining us this time, she can fill the sarcastic Dwarf-shaped hole in our hearts. Good opportunity for a Varric cameo, too — perhaps we can learn more of their complicated history.

Warriors:

Fenris:

And again, you probably knew this was coming. It was not my intention to have an Elf of every class, but I certainly don’t mind the idea. I would love to be able to have a party made up entirely of Elves. Came close in Inquisition, with the ability to have a 75% Elven and 100% non-human party thanks to Bull.

But I digress.

Fenris is interesting because he’s anti-mage, which normally I loathe, but in his case at least he has understandable reasons for his feelings. He’s not just blindly bigoted. Also he’s badass as Hell, and I have a man crush on Gideon Emery.

The Iron Bull:

Bull is another sad entry in the “probably won’t show up because he might be dead” file, but I’ll hold out a little hope anyway.

I’m not as big a fan of Bull as some people I know, but he’s a very hard character not to like, and since I imagine the Qunari will have a big role in the next game, his unique perspective on the Qun would be very welcome.

Plus, I did feel Bull was yet another aspect of Inquisition that didn’t get as much development as he deserved. His story always felt a bit unfinished to me. Bringing him back could help address that.

Cremisius Aclassi:

Those who know me might expect I’m including Krem to support the inclusion of a transgender character, but honestly? I just like Krem. He’s a good guy.

The progressive angle doesn’t hurt any, but yeah, I just like Krem. Would like to see more of him.

Plus, the next game is likely to put a big spotlight on Tevinter, so another Tevinter character would be a good fit.

Honourable mentions:

For all their other flaws, Bioware games never lack for good characters, so there are lots more I could have included. As mentioned above, Anders is the best, and I’d love to see him again. Blackwall was a close second for the final warrior slot, narrowly beat by Krem.

Of course, I’d welcome Dorian back into the party. I mainly didn’t include him because of stiff competition in the mage category, and because of my belief his role in the next game will be comparable to, say, Leliana’s in Inquisition — important, but not a party member. Be nice to have Varric back, too, but I don’t see it happening.

I would be happy to see Bethany Hawke again, unlikely as that is. Shaper Valta would be a very interesting prospect — the first ever Dwarven mage, perhaps? And it’d be very hard to complain about venturing forth with Zevran once more.

Who you pick for the ultimate Dragon Age dream team?