The Dragon Age series is built upon the pillars of its memorable and deep characters and the varied consequences of the player's actions. This helps the series' world feel more alive and reactive to the player's actions while also allowing them to get more invested in the characters and events they play through. However, this does put the newest Dragon Age title, the upcoming Dragon Age 4, in a difficult position. Fans will expect its story and world to react to their many decisions across three previous games, meaning that BioWare will need to acknowledge several possibilities.
Just how many decisions the story of Dragon Age 4 will take into account will likely come in a variety of forms and scales, with smaller decisions either being omitted or just receiving a small nod or mention. However, the game will very likely want to update fans on the activities and situations of each of their favorite characters, such as Dragon Age's iconic dwarf Varric. However, the game will likely also have to answer some questions regarding the current whereabouts and activities of the player character from Dragon Age 2, Hawke. This is especially true after Hawke appeared in Dragon Age: Inquisition as an NPC, setting a precedence that fans may expect to be continued.
Hawke's Story
Dragon Age 2's Hawke is the player character and can be set to be either a man or a woman. Hawke's story began in a small village near the city of Amaranthine where they were born. Hawke's father died before the start of the game but was an Apostate mage, while their mother, Leandra Amell, was a noble from the city-state Kirkwall. Hawke also has two younger twin siblings, a mage named Bethany and a warrior named Carver. The family moved to Lothering after Bethany's magical abilities began to become apparent, but fled to the Free Marches after one of Dragon Age's blights.
Hawke eventually fled with other Fereldan refugees to the city-state of Kirkwall, where they rose to fame and fortune after a business venture into the Deep Roads. From there, players help Hawke navigate a number of societal issues like the growing tensions with the Qunari people and the oppression of mages by the Chantry. Hawke continues to rise through the aristocracy in Kirkwall. They have to make a number of decisions, some of which are the most difficult decisions in all of Dragon Age, to shape the city. Eventually, all of the game's events lead to the troubles of Kirkwall bubbling over and eventually exploding.
Hawke's Possibilities in Dragon Age 2
The events of Dragon Age 2 lead to Hawke having to decide between the Chantry and the mages. This decision is the crescendo of the game's narrative while also having the most sprawling impact on Hawke and the world in Dragon Age: Inquisition. With the newest entry in the series being set in Tevinter, where mages are upraised and applauded, this plotline is likely the part of Dragon Age 2 that will play the biggest role in Dragon Age 4 and Hawke's possible involvement. Defending the mages after the Chantry announces that all mages in Kirkwall had to be killed leads to Hawke escorting them out of the city before disappearing. It also associates Hawke's name with the freedom of oppressed mages everywhere.
Hawke's other option, siding with the Chantry, sees them assisting the Templars in slaughtering all of the mages throughout Kirkwall. This associates Hawke's name with templar oppression, after which they are also appointed as the new Viscount of Kirkwall. However, at the time that Dragon Age 2 takes place, as the game is told through Varric's flashbacks, Hawke is still missing. This choice leaves Hawke in a very different position, and would likely make them very unwelcome in Tevinter if they do make an appearance in Dragon Age 4. However, it may be that Hawke is let into Tevinter or is collaborated with despite their transgressions against mages thanks to their knowledge of one of Dragon Age's biggest mysteries: Red Lyrium.
Hawke's Possible roles in Dragon Age: Inquisition
Hawke then appears in Dragon Age: Inquisition, with two possible motivations depending on the player's decision in Dragon Age 2. If Hawke sided with the Chantry, they have been chased out of Kirkwall by the templars after they started abusing Red Lyrium. If Hawke sided with the mages, they went into hiding to protect the people of Kirkwall. Either path leads Hawke to help the Inquisitor, where Hawke is contacted by Varric for their knowledge of the Red Lyrium that is infecting the world of Dragon Age. Hawke then assists the Inquisition with a variety of tasks until the player is presented with another decision that decides Hawke's fate.
The decision comes as the Inquisitor's party, Hawke, and a Grey Warden are all fleeing a Nightmare Demon's rift while being pursued by the Nightmare. In order for the player and party members to escape, either Hawke or the Grey Warden must stay behind, and the player gets to choose which one does. Leaving Hawke behind leads to their ultimate demise, which could allow Hawke's spirit to appear in Dragon Age 4, but makes their actual presence in the game very unlikely. If the player doesn't kill Hawke, they travel to the Grey Wardens to inform them of what happened. Hawke and Varric then return to Kirkwall to begin rebuilding it after its destruction in the main story. Dragon Age 4 has teased numerous companions appearing in the game already, which provides an opportunity for Hawke to join the player's group in the game or to have some political interactions with the player.
It will be very interesting to see whether or not Hawke makes an appearance in Dragon Age 4. The developers at BioWare will have to walk a tight line, making sure that Dragon Age 4 doesn't rely too much on pre-established characters while still ensuring that fans still get updates on their favorite figures from the series. The newest Dragon Age game is highly anticipated, so hopefully players will get some news on what to expect in the near future.
Dragon Age 4 is currently in development.