Best Mage Companions In Dragon Age

The Dragon Age series focuses on its setting, the continent of Thedas, more than focusing on a single central character. Despite this, it has many iconic characters who have helped solve multiple catastrophes. While the characters of the first game face the apocalyptic Fifth Blight — an invasion of wicked darkspawn from underground — Inquisition characters prevent an ancient priest from becoming an evil god.

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By  Amy Cowley

In each adventure, the player's character journeys with a party of different companions, which fit into the categories of warrior, rogue, or mage. While each character is unique and powerful in their own way, some of the mages have bigger impacts on the narrative, more powerful abilities, or more interesting stories.

14 Sketch

Apostate Who Accompanied Leliana In The Past

• Dragon Age: Origins - Leliana's Song DLC

Leliana's Song is a standalone DLC that explores the story of how Leliana ended up as a Chantry laysister in Lothering before the Fifth Blight began. Sketch is one of her companions in this story. He was helping Leliana steal back some forged Orlesian documents when their party was betrayed by Marjolaine.

Leliana was imprisoned by her former teacher, but Sketch came to her rescue. Together, they eventually exacted their revenge on the bard. After the adventure, Leliana moved to Lothering while Sketch ended up in Kirkwall. He was targeted by different groups due to his connection with Leliana but was saved each time by Hawke. Years later, he would go on to the Inquisition, assuming the Inquisitor sided with the rebel mages.

13 Finn

Mage Who Taught The Warden-Commander About Eluvians

• Dragon Age: Origins - Witch Hunt DLC

Finn was a Fereldan mage who lived in the Circle Tower on Lake Calenhad. He was an expert in Tevinter history and linguistics and spent most of his time in the library. When the Warden-Commander was at the Tower searching for clues related to Morrigan's disappearance, Finn ended up helping track her down.

Finn was able to speak with a Tevinter spirit to learn how to unlock the secrets of eluvians and use one to find out where Morrigan was. This led to the Warden-Commander's final confrontation with the powerful mage, which was only witnessed by Finn and an elf warrior named Ariane. After this adventure, the Warden-Commander returned to their duties while Finn traveled with Ariane rather than return to life in the Circle Tower.

12 Wynne

Spirit Healer From Ferelden's Circle Of Magi

Wynne was a powerful mage who was raised as a Circle Mage after her magic abilities manifested as a child. She has been loyal to the Chantry for her whole life and was so well respected by her fellow mages that she was asked to become the First Enchanter of Ferelden's tower, which she refused out of a desire to stay out of Circle politics.

She survived the harrowing Battle of Ostagar and later joined the Warden-Commander to help end the Blight. She was a great asset to the party with her great prowess as a Spirit Healer. After the Blight, Divine Justinia ordered her to investigate a friend of hers who had become an abomination. In the process, a templar knight-commander was killed. Wynne sacrificed her life to revive the templar, who would go on to help the Inquisition with Cole. Wynne lived a long life and did good for a great many people.

11 Velanna

A Dalish Elf Mage Who Joins The Grey Wardens

• Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening DLC

Velanna was a Dalish elf who served as First to her Keeper. When her sister disappeared, she began attacking traveling humans on the road through the Wending Wood, blaming them for her sister's death. The Warden-Commander has the option to slay her or ask her to join the Grey Wardens and hunt down the real culprits.

If she survives this encounter, she also survives her Joining and becomes a Grey Warden. She can help the Warden-Commander track down the unusual darkspawn in the area, led by The Architect, and defeat them. Unfortunately, there is no way to reunite Velanna with her sister but there are many ways that Velanna's story can end — she can fall in the final battle of the DLC, disappear during the battle's aftermath, remain with the Wardens until she eventually departs for the Deep Roads, or live in the wilds and protect human villages.

10 Bethany Hawke

The Champion's Sister Whose Life Can Take Many Paths

The Champion of Kirkwall, the player character in Dragon Age 2, had two younger twin siblings named Bethany and Carver. If the player chooses to be a mage, Bethany is killed by an ogre during the opening battles of the game. Otherwise, Carver dies and Bethany plays one of several different potential roles in the story. If she joins her sibling on a journey to the Deep Roads during Act One, she becomes infected with the taint and dies unless Anders makes her a Grey Warden. After that, she is rarely seen in the story because of her new role, except that she does show up to fight at the player's side during the climactic battle of the game.

If she does not travel to the Deep Roads, Bethany is instead arrested for being an apostate and is taken to live in the Circle. Throughout the story, she is not seen often but reports that she has ascended in the Circle's ranks to where she now teaches young apprentices. She is seen at times throughout the game, but in the final battle will only stand with the player if they support the mages over the templars.

9 Merrill

Dalish Mage Who Researches Ancient Eluvians

• Dragon Age: Origins & Dragon Age 2

Merrill was a Dalish elf who briefly accompanied the Warden-Commander during Dragon Age: Origins before fleeing Ferelden with her clan. She went on to be a permanent fixture of Hawke's party in Dragon Age 2. During her years in Kirkwall, Merrill sought to reconstruct an Eluvian, a magical mirror made by the mysterious ancient elves. She dedicated her life to this, even resorting to blood magic, because she believed she could help restore her people to their former glory and save them from the Alienages that city elves were trapped in.

Her efforts with the Eluvian were ultimately unsuccessful, and she was drawn into the events that started the mage rebellion. She urges Hawke to defend the mages and ends up dying with them if the player sides with the Templars and does not convince her to switch as well. Her role in the story may not be done, since her goals largely align with Solas' plans.

8 Vivienne

First Enchanter Of Montsimmard

Vivienne is a mage who sided against the mage rebellion that broke out between Dragon Age 2 and Dragon Age: Inquisition. She believed that the rebels were selfish and short-sighted, focusing only on the downsides of the Circle of Magi system instead of looking at the benefits that come to mages that live within them.

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She decided that the Inquisition was the only force willing and able to withstand the turmoil in the world at the time, and joined as a party member who traveled with the Inquisitor. During these adventures, it is possible that Vivienne can become elected as the next Divine. She can also become the Grand Enchanter of the Circle of Magi or found the College of Enchanters, which is a secular group for mages. In any case, Vivienne ends up as one of the most influential figures in the world in the wake of Dragon Age: Inquisition.

7 Bellara Lutare

Veil Jumper And Elven Artifact Expert

Bellara was one of the first companions to join Rook after Solas' ritual in Minrathous was thwarted at the start of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. She was a mage who had joined up with a new faction called Veil Jumpers. Together, this group explored elven ruins in search of answers about the ancient elven empire.

Bellara had a knack for fixing elven technology and was able to repair the Lighthouse Eluvian, allowing Rook's party to travel instantly to any eluvian spread across Thedas. She spent much time repairing the archive spirit known as the Nadas Dirthalen so she could unravel the secret past of her ancestors. Without her work, Rook would not have much hope in the fight against Solas and the corrupt elven gods.

6 Neve Gallus

Informant For The Shadow Dragons

• Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Neve Gallus grew up in Dock Town, a large neighborhood of Tevinter's capital city of Minrathous. She was an informant who worked with the Shadow Dragons and other groups who strived against corrupt magisters, slavers, and blood mages. Neve had a working relationship with many different people around Dock Town and had a history with many nefarious villains and criminals from the city's underbelly.

Because of this experience, Varric sought her out to help find Solas and stop him from destroying the Veil between the physical realm and the Fade. He and Rook found her just minutes after the ritual started, making her the very first companion that Rook recruited into their party. Neve's information and magical talents were invaluable parts of the campaign against Ghilan'nain and Elgar'nan, especially when it came to defeating Venatori mages like Aelia.

5 Emmrich Volkarin

Mourn Watcher And Corpse Whisperer

• Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Emmrich Volkarin was orphaned at a young age and brought into the Grand Necropolis of Nevarra. He eventually became a sworn member of the Mourn Watch, a faction that tends to the buried dead to maintain their knowledge and keep nefarious undead in check. Emmrich also had a unique ability called "corpse whispering" which allowed him to speak to the deceased.

When the Veilguard needed an expert on the Fade, Bellara reached out to Emmrich for help. The older death mage agreed and joined the team working to stop Solas. Later, he would also unravel the mystery of an old friend-turned-enemy of his — a necromancer named Johanna Hezenkoss. Emmrich was a pillar of the team thanks to his work with spirits, the Fade, and even just his cheerful manner.