Solas

Development

Solas was written by Trick Weekes, with heavy input from lead writer David Gaider, although the character was originally conceived and named prior to Weekes joining the project. In an interview, Weekes said that aspects of Solas' characterization was based on David Tennant's Doctor Who performance, who successfully conveyed the character's humanity as well as ancient nature in their view. Weekes noted that writing a character with hidden depths like Solas provided a great deal of both difficulty and opportunity. In a video uploaded on BioWare's official YouTube channel titled "What Makes a Good Character?", Weekes used Harry Potter as a metaphor to explain how Solas perceives himself as the hero of the story; he feels he is "this luckless, unfortunate person who by an unpleasant destiny and the simple fact that no one else has the ability to do it, that it has to be him and that someone else would get it wrong".

Originally, Solas was not available as a romance option in Dragon Age: Inquisition; according to Mike Laidlaw, BioWare redesigned him as a potential love interest for a female elven Inquisitor when they extended the game's development for a year. Weekes noted that this was an opportunity to increase the basic sadness of the character. Solas will initiate the breakup of his relationship with the Inquisitor at the conclusion of the romance subplot, regardless of the player's choices. Jessica Barnes of GameRant noted that Solas is "only romanceable by female elves" which is "due to the revelation of his role as an antagonist in the final moments of Dragon Age: Inquisition" – BioWare limited "his romantic interests" in order "to avoid the harmful tropes of the villainous bisexual character".

During a Q&A session at the Phoenix Fan Fest 2015, Gareth David-Lloyd revealed that he recorded voice work for Solas over a period of two and a half years. He was provided with a simple outline and some lines on a screen to work with in lieu of a comprehensive backstory for Solas; he eventually developed a stronger idea of who the character is about three or four months after he started. In Inquisition, Solas sometimes speaks in poetic meter, and the player character will gain approval when replying in kind. This is a deliberate design choice, given his characterization and personality.

John Epler, creative director for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, commented that "there was never a version of the story of Dragon Age 4 where Solas was not at the center" as they felt that when ending Trespasser that they "were making a promise, a commitment to our fans of, 'This is the story we're going to tell. This is where we want to go with it'". Epler highlighted that Veilguard's protagonist Rook creates a connection with Solas after getting in his way and becomes "almost a mirror of Solas" which leads to "interesting interactions and reactions between the two of them". During Veilguard, players will be able "to see some of Solas' memories" – Epler explained that through Rook they could "explore some aspects of Solas' personality". Elper and Game Director Corinne Busche stated that the ending options in Veilguard's were primarily focused on the different "fantasies of dealing with Solas". They wanted a redemption path for players who like the character along with an additional variant for romance fans "who wanted their Inquisitor to have that tragic embrace in eternity with Solas". The fight option was for players who wanted to "beat the crap out of" Solas and saw him as just "the bad guy"; the outsmart option was to give players the "opportunity to pull one over on him" after Solas spent the game "needling" Rook in a "condescending" manner. They highlighted the differences in tone where the fight ending leaves Solas "angry" and "frothing" while the outsmart ending has Solas acknowledge he has met his match and retain a "bit of smugness" for his mentorship of Rook. The fourth ending, where all of Rook's companions die, is "more of a pyrrhic victory than the other ones" as luck runs out if the player doesn't also have "preparedness".

Visual design

Solas is envisioned by Weekes to be a middle-aged man in his early to mid-forties. His appearance is reflective of a wandering nomad's lifestyle, who journeys from place to place without a set destination. BioWare's designers intended Solas to appear as if he is wearing all that he owns, and that his items of clothing are meant to look like homemade improvisations born from necessity. Then in Veilguard, the designers wanted the character to have "cast off his hermit disguise" and instead don "the ancient elven god equivalent of a business suit". This version of Solas wasn't designed to be "flashy" but instead "calculating and intentional".

Concept art displayed in The Art of Dragon Age: Inquisition book shows the creative process for Solas as the team develops his look after many renditions to match the ideas provided by other creative teams. After exploring many different hairstyles, the final decision was made to design Solas with a bold, bald head. This is intended to evoke a sense of ageless wisdom required by his character. A side quest in Veilguard allows Rook to see memories of Solas during the rebellion he led – this younger version of the character had hair. The Art of Dragon Age: The Veilguard noted "that hair loss would be the only outward indication of an ancient elf's age" so while both Solas and Elgar'nan are bald, the latter wears a wig.

Fictional appearances

Dragon Age: Inquisition

During the opening sequence of events in Inquisition, Solas is encountered fighting demons alongside Varric Tethras and a few Inquisition personnel. This follows the aftermath of a massive explosion at a peace conference which killed everyone present, except for the protagonist, who was discovered emerging from a Fade rift. Solas presents himself to the fledgling Inquisition's leadership as a self-taught hedge mage who spends much of his time dreaming in ancient ruins and learning about what lies beyond the Veil, a metaphysical barrier which normally prevents direct physical access between the physical world and the Fade. This enables him to wields powers developed outside of conventional teaching and who has no affiliation with the Chantry-sanctioned Circle of Magi or any Dalish clan. Claiming that he is able to help the sole survivor of the Divine Conclave's explosion and the suspiciously glowing mark on their hand with the use of healing magic and minor wards, he is granted permission to study the survivor and one of the smaller rifts in order to find a way to seal the Breach. He later helps the survivor seal a small rift shortly after their meeting, and then follows them to the Temple itself to close the first and largest rift, which he theorizes would stabilize the Breach.

After the survivor assumes the role of the Inquisitor and successfully enlists the help of either the mages or the templars, Solas provides assistance with closing the Breach itself. Following the destruction of the Inquisition's base in Haven by Corypheus, the perpetrator of the Breach, Solas explains that the orb that Corypheus wields is meant to channel ancient magics and of elven origin. He worries that if the orb's origin were to be revealed, it may have negative consequences for the reputation of the elven people. He then guides the Inquisitor to Skyhold, a disused fortress located in the Frostback Mountains that the Inquisition could claim as its new headquarters.

When the Inquisitor finally defeats Corypheus and stops him from opening another rift, with the orb being damaged permanently in the process, a distraught Solas laments the destruction of the orb as the loss of yet another elven artifact. He disappears shortly afterwards without a trace. In the post-credits scene it is revealed that Solas is Fen'Harel, an ancient being who is a member of the elven pantheon of gods, and a recurring trickster figure in Dragon Age lore.

In the midst of investigating a Qunari plot to invade Thedas, two years after the defeat of Corypheus, the Inquisitor encounters several elven ruins and learns that the elven pantheon of deities, the Evanuris, were in fact extremely powerful mages as opposed to being divine beings. The Inquisitor eventually encounters the Viddasala, the leader of the Qunari plot, and learns that agents supposedly working for Fen'Harel have been disrupting the Qunari plot; concurrently, the Inquisitor is losing control of the Anchor, threatening their life. The Inquisitor foils the plot and follows the Viddasala into the Eluvian network to confront Solas, despite the Anchor growing increasingly out of control.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

During the opening sequence of events, the player protagonist Rook along with Varric and Harding pursue Solas in the Tevinter capital city of Minrathous, attempting to stop Solas from destroying the Veil. They then locate Solas in the forest of Arlathan, capital of the ancient elven empire. Rook disrupts Solas' ritual to destroy the Veil, which releases two ancient elven gods tied to the Veil – Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain. Solas is imprisoned within the Fade and bound to Rook via a blood connection made during the ritual; Rook learns that Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain plan to harness the Blight out of revenge for Solas rebelling against their rise to power and subsequently imprisoning them within the Veil. The protagonist and their companions take up residence within the "Lighthouse", Solas' former base of operations within the Fade, and recover the lyrium dagger used by Solas during the ritual. Rook sets out to stop Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain. At various points, the protagonist is able to meditate in order to discuss the unfolding events with Solas as Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain wreak havoc across Thedas.

Throughout the game, the protagonist has the opportunity to recover wolf statuettes which are tied to Solas' memories. Rook and their companions relive various military actions undertaken by Fen'Harel during the rebellion. After being given a statuette by the Inquisitor, Rook can place what they've collected around the Lighthouse in front of murals which depict Solas' regrets. Each statuette triggers a memory which Rook and their companions observe. These regrets reveal that the first elves were originally spirits who harvested lyrium from the Titans to manifest their physical forms; Mythal convinced Solas, who was once a spirit of Wisdom, to transition despite his concerns. Solas then supported Mythal in the war against the Titans leading to the creation of a lyrium dagger which they used to cut the Titans off from their dreams; this severing led to the creation of the Blight which they seal away. At the end of the war, Solas breaks from Mythal when she decides to join the other Evanuris in elevating themselves as gods over the elven people leading to Fen'Harel's rebellion. During the rebellion, Solas informs Mythal that the Evanuris unsealed the Blight in an attempt to empower themselves further. Following Mythal's murder, Solas imprisons both the Evanuris and the Blight in what Rook and their companions recognize as the Black City described in the Andrastian faith; something went wrong during his ritual leading to the creation of the Veil. His last regret shows Solas taking what was left of Mythal's power from Flemeth. Rook and the companions realize that all of his regrets revolve around Mythal. Following this, Morrigan puts Rook on the path to another fragment of Mythal to gain her aid.

Promotion

Solas has been the focus for much of the media coverage pertaining to information released by BioWare about the fourth instalment of the Dragon Age video game series. His "Dread Wolf" sobriquet, and associated imagery is the focus of a sixty-second promotional trailer released by BioWare during the 5th annual The Game Awards show in December 2018. On social media, this teaser was paired with the hashtag "#TheDreadWolfRises". On June 2, 2022, the upcoming Dragon Age 4 title was announced as Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, after his sobriquet, with Solas being advertised as the game's antagonist. The press release stated that "using Solas's namesake no doubt suggests a spectrum of endless possibilities on where things may go. [...] If you're new to Dragon Age, you have no need to worry about not having met our antagonist just yet. He'll properly introduce himself when the time is right".

In June 2024, the game was retitled Dragon Age: The Veilguard. BioWare explained that the titular Dread Wolf remains part of the game, however, the updated title is a stronger reflection of the game's focus. Game Informer highlighted that, in the Veilguard demo, the protagonist interrupts Solas while he is in the midst of a ritual which traps Solas in the Fade while freeing two other blighted Elven gods; the protagonist and their companions then take over Solas' realm in the Fade known as the Lighthouse and turn it into their base for the game.

Reception

Inquisition

Solas' bald visage become associated with that of an egg or egghead by Dragon Age fandom. Patricia Hernandez of Kotaku was fascinated by the plot twist in the post-credit scene of Inquisition which reveals his true identity. She observed that the reveal was a subject of intense discussion by Dragon Age fandom on social media at the time. She concludes that "the ending is a cliffhanger, and a damn good one at that". Kat Brewster from IGN called Solas "the dear elven pal we love to hate and hate to love", and his reveal "true BioWare trickery". Hayes Madsen, for Inverse, thought the Fen'Harel reveal was an "emotionally crushing twist" and that "suddenly, so many details from across the game start to make sense" since there were "many signs that something wasn't quite right with Solas". Madsen commented that what makes Solas' plan to destroy the Veil "especially harrowing" is that the character "doesn't reveal his plan with glee, but rather solemn despair". Madsen also opined that the character has "some of the biggest character development" in the game as Solas fails "to hold everyone at arm's length" and instead builds "an attachment to the Inquisitor and other party members".

Academic René Reinhold Schallegger wrote that Solas "acquires aspects of Milton's Lucifer in Paradise Lost" as players uncover the details "behind the religious legends: Solas locked away mages who had claimed godhood". He noted that by removing "those who would use their knowledge to rule", Solas has "condemned his people to slavery and near extinction". Vanessa Villarreal, in the book Critical Hits: Writers Playing Video Games, highlighted how the themes around Elvhenan and memory in Inquisition "hit different" as "a descendant of indigenous Mexican farm workers" whose indigeneity and family history "have been totally obliterated" – "Solas's anxiety over restoring elven memory is recognizable to me as a kind of postcolonial haunting", noting that she understands Solas, who has witnessed "human mages study the elven history their kind obliterated", and "his rage". Villarreal wrote that "Solas can be read as a tragic antihero who only sabotages and betrays those he loves because he is always opposed to the abuse of power, willing to sacrifice the world for the elves in order to restore Elvhenan and give the land back to its original people".

Gita Jackson from Kotaku dislikes the character on a personal level, but acknowledges him as a complex, well-written character who felt real which she thought contributed to his popularity. Jackson opined, "Solas is one of the best-written characters in video games. It's hard for me to think of a character whose loathsome worldview is so well developed, who, even when he's on your side, manages to be a complete piece of shit about everything. He is a such a great character that I want to strangle that dude with my bare hands". She commented that "in some twisted way, my hatred of Solas makes me a fan, inasmuch as I hope he comes back for later games and I can tell him how I really feel. I empathize with Solas. I truly understand why he is so condescending, thinks he knows the solution to everything, is dismissive of other points of view, and is a massive racist". She enjoyed that an Inquisition scene gave the option of punching "Solas in the face". In an opinion rebuttal piece to Jackson's article about Solas, Angela D. Mitchell of Fandomentals found the character "too complex, too trapped, and too tragic" for her to despise. Mitchell opined that Jackson "praises his complexity, yet the entire essay ignores that complexity and paints him as an egotistical, two-dimensional tool, disregarding the moments in which he actually demonstrates humility, compassion, or self-awareness". Mitchell commented, "I like that Solas begins in arrogance—it's appropriate and ironic, especially as his journey—by the time of his final, crucial meeting with Flemeth—ends in penitence, guilt and grief" and that "Solas knows his path can only end in death and lonely darkness".

Veilguard

In her analysis of a promotional trailer for the upcoming game released in December 2018, Brewster remarked that "The Dread Wolf had been hiding in tapestries and lore all since Origins". Parrish, for The Verge in June 2022, wrote that, "Solas, for a lot of players, was an ally, a trusted friend, and even a romantic partner. Then, he betrayed them, helping them save the world only to turn around and promise its destruction for anybody who doesn't look like him. [...] And while we probably won't be able to play as our Inquisitor characters again, I take great, gleeful pleasure in the knowledge that I'll be able to get some revenge on her behalf". Parrish highlighted that the title reveal for the fourth game – Dragon Age: Dreadwolf – was "exciting for a lot of fans" because it not only makes Solas the antagonist of the next game but also makes the game a direct sequel unlike previous instalments in the franchise. Madsen, for Inverse in November 2022, called it "unprecedented" to have "a vitally important party member" become suddenly "the franchise's main villain" and thought it would "be fascinating to see how BioWare continues to develop a character that players have so much history with, and how the studio convinces them to still fight against him".

Madsen, now for Rolling Stone in October 2024, opined that Solas is "arguably a second protagonist" of Veilguard, with the game focusing on "the choices he made, how he's altered the world, and how your journey as Rook mirrors that". Madsen explained that Solas' "influence and spirit can be felt in every part of Veilguard's narrative, and it's a fascinating way to approach a character, especially in how the player's interpretation of his choices color interactions with Solas". Matt Purslow of IGN agreed that Solas takes "up considerable space" in the game but felt Solas was oddly "relegated to the position of fantasy Hannibal Lecter" where he offers advice in Rook's dreams instead of becoming the main villain as promised in Trespasser. Purslow commented that "despite his shift from villain to condescending informant, the story is still dedicated to him in a manner that never feels like a true fit for a game that elsewhere is so clearly attempting to be a fresh start rather than a direct sequel" and felt that Veilguard would have been "better for cutting Solas loose entirely" as his "fate feels divorced from the story that established him". Malindy Hetfeld, for The Guardian, commented that the "comically evil" new villainous gods "are a disappointment compared with the compelling character of Solas, who is, after all, right there". Stacey Henley of TheGamer similarly argued that Veilguard, to its detriment, focuses on "two evil gods who like being evil because they're so evil" instead of focusing on Solas, "a character we know and respect, with clear motivations and nuance who leaves room to be redeemed".