Dragon Age: The Veilguardhas an excellent cast of characters, and while justseven companions is the smallest selectionaDragon Agegame has ever had, that means each one can get a lot more spotlight to take us on deeper, more personal journeys, as well as more time in the field.
All seven deliver on that promise, even if some stories have more meaningful twists, exciting battles, and stronger characterisation than others. Here, we balance their role in The Veilguard’s main plot, the quality of their various side stories, their character writing, and their effectiveness in battle to give you our ranking of the seven companions in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
7Neve
In battle, Neve is the most situational character here - though her Cold damage comes in very handy as few non-Mage Abilities or weapons offer it, she also has the lowest damage output of everyone. But this list is not just about usefulness in battle - Neve’s story and character development leave a little to be desired too.
No companion in The Veilguard is bad, especially with a tighter group, but it’s hard to know what Neve is. Written in part as a mysterious femme fatale, part as a streetwise urchin come good, and part as a hardboiled noir detective, it never finds a balance, and isn’t helped by the most uneven performance of the main cast.
Her story mostly takes place in Minrathous, but disappointingly the map is limited to Dock Town, which feels too restrictive, and her central mystery to solve barely involves the Rook and features very little detective work. Points for disability representation, but not enough to pull Neve up the list.
6Lucanis
Lucanis is a little hard done to being in sixth, but someone has to be, and he’s let down by a couple of elements. Firstly, he’s one of two characters in the game with Necrotic damage, so in terms of party building, he’s not the go-to guy for the one thing he’s best at. There’s also his story to consider.
Split between a narrative about coming to terms with literal inner demons and family melodrama, the former is far more interesting but is overshadowed by the latter. Which, in turn, has an easily telegraphed twist that feels a little deflating. However, Lucanis is still highly entertaining, witty, and strong in combat.
The Veilguard has an excellent cast, and everyone will end as someone’s favourite. Lucanis certainly has that potential. But much like his demon storyline, he’s left a little underdeveloped.
5Harding
Harding is the only returning character, but at times that works against her - while we get to meet a range of new and interesting characters with exotic backstories, Harding is trapped in a fairly simple origin for being Near To But Not Part Of The Inquisition. She has to carry a decent amount of exposition near the start of the game too, and thus takes longer to get going.
Once she does though, her story is fascinating - especially for those who have wanted Dragon Age to focus more on dwarves. Following her narrative quests leads to into the history of the dwarves, lyrium, and their strange relationship with magic, as well as being the best way to explore the Deep Roads in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
So why so low? Again, someone has to be, and Harding’s strengths again work against her. She does Physical damage, meaning she doesn’t have any advantage over anyone. It also means she doesn’t suffer any disadvantage when you’re going in blind, but the ideal team will rarely have Harding because other characters can exploit weaknesses far more effectively.
4Davrin
Steady eddie Davrin is in the middle of the road. Despite being introduced as a minor rebel in the Grey Warden’s ranks against the fool-hardy First Warden, he’s your classic ‘good soldier’ archetype. Your Alistair, your Aveline, your Blackwall. Your Kaidan, your Jacob, your Kaidan again, your Liam. He does what needs to be done. He does what’s right.
Your mileage may vary on these characters, but Davrin is more interesting than most by virtue of his pet griffon, Assan. Most of his general quests revolve around Assan, leading to one of the darkest and most compelling arcs in Dragon Age: The Veilguard - the extremely creepy Gloom Howler.
Heavily involved in the Grey Warden elements of the main narrative and effective in the field, Davrin is the best at utilising the Detonation mechanic to spectacular effect. He also calls his griffon into battle with him, and you get to pet it back at the Lighthouse, which is just cool.
3Taash
Taash picks up the first medal, and despite being the most stoic character of the team, they also have the most emotional story arc. It blends familial relationships, legacy, identity, culture, cameo backstories, and the fine art of hitting big things really hard in the face, and for many will be the peak of the game. But it does crumble under its own weight at times with so many arcs to support that Taash’s climactic battles don’t always land the way they should.
Taash also shares Fire damage with Davrin, so it seems harsh to punish Lucanis and not them - especially as Davrin and Taash are also both Warriors. But the way they use their powers, with Davrin going for showy explosions and Taash dealing consistent damage over time means they can both be used in very different ways. Also, get over the whole Lucanis thing, we still like him.
Their quests also take you to a volcanic lair, like something an even scarier Bowser would live in, and its through them that you hunt a good chunk of the game’s dragons. Since the latter is a big reason people play Dragon Age at all, it’s a significant boost for them.
2Bellara
Bellara is the first companion you actually go out and recruit, with Harding being with you from the start and Neve arriving in the prologue. But Bellara’s first impression will not land for everyone. Cutesy, excitable, and naive, she is charming but can feel a little ‘too BioWare’ at first.
However, as the game goes on this melts away to reveal a more contemplative, worried Bellara. It’s a difficult thing to pull off in a game - that subtle character development that doesn’t hinge on a plot point or a decision by the player, but just getting to know them over time. Bellara feels far more mature the more you talk to her, but never loses that sparkle of charm.
Mainly though, Bellara is so high because she is a cheat code in battle. Not only is she the only one with access to Electricity and somehow a Mage and a Rogue (technically a Mage, but uses a bow), her Galvanized Tear Ability creates a black hole effect that draws everyone in combat together, dealing massive damage, destroying enemy power, and leaving them open to a whole array of other Ability attacks.
1Emmrich
Emmrich has the advantage of being completely unique not only to the rest of the cast, but to pretty much anyone in previous Dragon Age games. The only comparable character in age is Wynne, but Emmrich has a much more classic, gentlemanly charm that could feel completely out of place - thankfully, his quirkiness is right at home and makes him the game’s stand-out.
Though the fact he’s, you know, an old man means he might not get his flowers, he’s also the most romantic companion in the game and his closeness with death makes him a compelling conversationalist. His story arc takes us to the fascinating Necropolis, lets us get to know the helpful skeleton Manfred, and adds new depth to the lore that will change Dragon Age fairly significantly in the future.
Finally, in battle he controls the entire field under deathly spells, with unique status afflictions and the help of his humble skeletons. Yes, he shares Necrotic damage with Lucanis (look, someone had to be at the lower end), but it feels far more fitting for Emmrich and can be used with more variety.
