5. Shale
As Origins’ DLC character, not enough people have gotten to experience Shale in all her glory. The golem is quietly one of BioWare’s best-written and funniest companions, while also bringing some monumental context to parts of the Dragon Age universe that go otherwise obscured. Shale’s initial nihilism is somehow never exhausting because of the pitch-perfect writing of each line she utters, and watching her reluctantly grow into someone who cares about the party when she has spent hours roasting them is a delight. I’m watching videos of her banter and it is such a shame that not everyone who played Origins got to meet Shale. She’s truly an underrated companion in the BioWare canon.
