Morrigan, my favourite Dragon Age companion isn't only the best fantasy RPG character of all time.

Morrigan, the Witch Of The Wilds was the best fantasy RPG companion character of all time. Because 15 years after the series' debut with the peerless Dragon Age: Origins was released, BioWare has not only forgotten (if it knew it at all), but it has never even come close to replicating her.

The fantasy RPG genre would never be the same after the voiced Morrigan in Dragon Age: Origins sarcastically and cleverly teased and probed the player's Warden, while expressing her own distinct beliefs and motivations. This character was able to elevate fantasy RPG characters to a new, complex, and real level. Here was a character that was a revelation, both physically and mentally. He challenged the Wardens, tested them, philosophised with them, and yes, even possibly loved and betrayed them.

Morrigan was an incredibly real and morally gray character who didn't fall into tired stereotypes or two-dimensional motivations. There was no 'I've got a tragic past where I was wronged and now I'm out for revenge' nonsense (instead we get a messier story involving her mother Flemeth which is told in fragments) or a blatant lie that she may appear to be bad but has a good heart and will help you do the right thing when it's most needed. Morrigan, on the other hand, is upfront about her worldviews, and also pursues her goals, both openly as well as covertly.

Anyone who has played Origins, including the Witch Hunt DLC and Dragon Age: Inquisition, to its dramatic ending, can attest that she never compromised on her integrity. Ray Muzyka (co-founder of BioWare) once described Morrigan as 'challenging.' I think he was right, and it is one of the reasons why she is so engaging. I want to be pushed. I want to bring my party's characters to life by bringing them into conflict. I want them to stand up for something, and Morrigan is the best at that.

Adversity is a first step to truth

Morrigan is not a character that is afraid to stand up for what she believes in and question decisions made by others, including the players. It was best demonstrated in Dragon Age: Origins where BioWare pulled no punches when Morrigan fought with characters such as Alistair, Wynne, and Leliana who held ideologies that were contrary to hers. It was only natural that Morrigan would have to deal with characters like Wynne, Alistair, and Leliana, who held different ideologies.

Morrigan is an enigmatic character who reminds you of the famous phrase "adversity leads to truth". It is through the adversity that she experiences that the player's Warden character is made more complete, and their own views are crystallised as a result of their reaction to Morrigan's. Maybe, just maybe, your decisions aren't right? You're not the chosen character who is perfect and everyone else wants to lick your boots like a sanitized, lobotomized superhero squad puppet. As soon as the trauma of their past is resolved, they revert to faultless and frictionless supervillain killer. Morrigan is a character with depth and complexity, even with all her flaws. She is not perfect, makes mistakes and even has limits to her knowledge and understanding in the game world. But the way she is portrayed is so consistent, believable, and challenging that it makes her feel more real.

A forgotten heritage

If you pay close attention to the storyline of Dragon Age Origins, which continues into Dragon Age Inquisition and beyond, you will find that Morrigan is at the heart of the story--but hidden in the background. Morrigan is the "she who waits for the next age", inheritor of Flemeth’s gift, mother of a Warden’s son, Kieran. She is also a traveller of Crossroads and Fade. She is an adviser to the empress of Orlais. The Veilguard has not revealed anything about Morrigan, out of respect for the gamers and to avoid spoilers. However, the overarching story of Dragon Age revolves around the return of the old gods. Morrigan was the constant conduit for this up until The Veilguard.

The Veilguard's portrayal of Morrigan, however much or little she may appear in it (I believe it is fair to say that she does play a role but is by no means a consistent presence), is indicative of the larger shift in Dragon Age identity and priorities. Her challenging original personality is not apparent and is overshadowed by the generic, Marvel-lite dialog coming from the Thedas Avengers who are unable to match the greatness of former companions such as Morrigan.

All of this confirms my belief that BioWare never appreciated the fantasy RPG gold that the original Dragon Age dev team (and specifically Morrigan’s primary writer David Gaider) had left for them. This character is not only a great, but also a milestone in the way fantasy RPG companion characters were written, designed, and presented.

Baldur's Gate 3 would not exist without Dragon Age: Origins, and Shadowheart and Astarion would not exist without Morrigan. Larian, on the other hand, was well aware of the rich heritage of fantasy RPGs when they created their masterpiece. They lovingly weaved that heritage into the smash hit RPG. BioWare, however, appears to have forgotten its own. They have reduced one of the genre’s most celebrated characters to an exposition bot, when at one point she embodied Dragon Age’s dark, mature, and wonderfully complex spirit.