BioWare has a long history of giving companion mages a much larger role than the other companions in the Dragon Age franchise. In Origins, Morrigan had the potential to save the Grey Wardens by conceiving an old god baby with one of them. In Dragon Age 2, Anders' actions inevitably launched a full-scale war between mages and templars.
With that in mind, players should have known upon meeting Solas in Inquisition that there was far more to him than a simple love for spending time in the Fade. BioWare has finally confirmed that the long-awaited fourth entry in the series will be called Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, which means fans will want to take a look back at who this mysterious character is and what role he might play moving forward.
Who Is Solas in Dragon Age: Inquisition?
Posing as an apostate from a small village, Solas does not identify with either the Dalish or the City elves, claiming that he spent his days wandering the wilderness and exploring the Fade. He does not talk much about himself, though he is more than willing to discuss his journeys through the Fade with anyone willing to prod him about it.
Solas approached the Inquisition in its early days, after the explosion at the Temple of Sacred Ashes, and offered his services. He willingly surrendered his staff to the wary templar, and spent his time studying and healing the prisoner who escaped from the Fade with a mysterious mark on their hand. He stabilized the mark and saved the future Inquisitor's life, becoming a steadfast companion as the Inquisition grew in power.
When Corypheus revealed himself at Haven, it was Solas who nudged the Inquisitor toward Skyhold, explaining in a private conversation that the orb the darkspawn magister coveted was an elven artifact of great power called a foci. He fought side by side with the Inquisition right up until Corypheus' defeat, where he lamented the destruction of the foci and left without even saying goodbye. Though Leliana and her spy network searched for the mage, they found no trace of him.
Who Is the Dread Wolf?
Solas' true nature is finally revealed during an end credits cutscene. Flemeth, who was discovered to have housed the essence of the Evanuris Mythal, chided him for giving his orb to Corypheus and called him Dread Wolf. Solas explained he was too weak to unlock the foci after waking from his long slumber. He knew he should pay the price for his actions, but The People still needed him. Mythal then gave her essence to him, collapsed in his arms and turned to stone. With Mythal's power combined with his own, the next step in Solas' master plan began.
The Dread Wolf, also known as Fen'Harel, is known commonly among the Dalish elves as their pantheon's god of betrayal and rebellion. According to Dalish lore, Fen'Harel was kin to the Evanuris and their foes, the Forgotten Ones, and he moved between them freely until one day he tricked them both into a false truce locked them away by raising the Veil between the Fade and the mortal world.
It was revealed in the Temple of Mythal that their beliefs about Fen'Harel were overstated, and that he was more focused on rebellion than betrayal. He freed many elves from their masters, those who had been controlled by the Vallaslin markings on their faces. The Dalish still don these, not knowing understanding their true origins.
In the Trespasser DLC, the Inquisitor and party hunted Solas down, and in their search they discovered several notes detailing Fen'Harel's history. His original name was Solas, and he worked in rebellion against the other Evanuris, who were constantly fighting among themselves and striving to obtain godhood and power. He fought for the Elven People, but when the Evanuris murdered Mythal, whom Solas believed to be the best of them, he punished them by raising the Veil and locking them away from the mortal world.
When confronted, Solas confessed that had he not raised the Veil and cut the Evanuris off from the world, they would have eventually destroyed it in their lust for power. He declared to the Inquisitor that he would walk the solitary path known as the Din'Ansharal and restore The People no matter the cost.
It was later discovered that his willingness to raise the elves back into their rightful place of power garnered many followers to his cause. Taking control over the Eluvian network, which the elves once used to travel, the elves who once served the Inquisition began mysteriously disappearing, joining forces with Fen'Harel as his agents.
What Solas' Identity Could Mean for Dragon Age 4
Solas' plans to tear down the veil sound disastrous at best, and with the next game's title referencing the Dread Wolf, it's clear he will be the game's primary antagonist. What's less obvious is what his plot to rise to power might mean for Thedas. Is it possible that in restoring The People to glory, he will achieve what he claimed the Evanuris would have done had they been left to their own devices and destroy all of Thedas?
One might ask if an Inquisitor who became Solas' lover might hold any sway over stopping him from destroying the world, but it seems unlikely. As a potential romance option for an elven female Inquisitor, Solas was slow to warm to the idea of falling in love, but curiosity, peaceful negotiations, kindness and a stolen kiss in the Fade eventually won him over, though only to an extent.
Before the endgame commenced, Solas broke it off with his lover, confessing that he couldn't continue the relationship without offering any real reason to placate her. In Trespasser, even a romanced Inquisitor who offered to help him on the solitary path was shut down, so it seems unlikely that his heart could be drawn away from his self-proclaimed duty to restore his people. Regardless of one's relationship with Solas during Inquisition, it seems likely that he will be a difficult foe for the next hero to face in Dragon Age: Dreadwolf.