4. Fenris

Fenris, the lyrium-infused elven ex-slave from the land of the Tevinter Imperium, approaches Dragon Age 2’s mage problem as someone who has been the victim of the worst crimes magic can cause in this world. He’s been made into a living weapon at the behest of his mage master, and lost his family, memory, and almost all of his sense of self before escaping to Kirkwall. It’s only natural he’s dismissive and untrusting of mages. If you press him on this, he comes to see the issues with lumping every mage into the same pile as the slavers he knew in Tevinter. Fenris is one of the best examples of how Dragon Age 2’s friendships and rivalries can diverge in life-altering ways, and the delicious angst that comes with romancing him as rival mage Hawke is unmatched. He operates on an extreme in a game that sometimes has trouble dealing with the nuances of the conflict it centers on, but his relationship is most rewarding when you try to help him see the gray in between the black and white.