Female protagonists in video games have improved dramatically in the last few years. Examples like Ellie from The Last of Us and Kassandra from Assassin's Creed Odyssey show have far we've come from the early PlayStation days. But something like the Dragon Age Series gives us a very mixed bag.
The games do contain an inordinate amount of sexist jokes! With many women being portrayed in a stereotypical or overly sexual way.
However, the game's wide diversity of characters does give us some very relatable and realistic women. All have different strengths and weaknesses, showings that there is more than one way to be a strong female character.
10 Anora
At first glance, Anora appears to do more harm than good. With her prim, perfectly pretty appearance and having married into her position as a ruler.
But at the same time, Anora's intelligence and independence come through in her actions. She is a more responsible and committed ruler than her husband King Cailan. With her own goals for her Kingdom and standards for those who work for her. Their marriage may have been one of convenience, but it's clear Anora gets more out of it than Cailan.
9 Justinia V
Women in video games are often put into a mysterious spirit guide in Fantasy video games. Justinia certainly isn't worthy of a high spot on this list, due to her role being unoriginal and her "damsel in distress" role in the player's story.
However, her role plays a key part in the Dragon Age: Inquisition story. Her power and intelligence are clear throughout the game, with her trying to assist the hero in any way a spirit can. Even if her voice can get annoying at times!
8 Flemeth
A decent female villain can go a long way in a game!
No matter which backstory you choose to follow with Flemeth, she always fails the Bechdel test! With one story involving her jealous husband killing her lover and trapping her in a tower, the other involving her husband betraying her.
Despite this, she is a powerful figure in the backstories of several characters, living up to her legend of "The Witch of the Wilds." She's an incredibly powerful mage with a key role in the history of Thedas.
7 Sera
Sera from Dragon Age: Inquisition is a very playful and fun character to have around! She had a "tomboy-esque" style, preferring to wear male clothes and cutting her hair short as it "got in her eyes."
Sera looks down on nobility and you can team up with her to pull pranks on advisors. This makes her unique as a lower-class female, satisfied with where she is and her way of life. She is also an openly lesbian character, and can only be romanced if the player character is female. This doesn't happen enough in games!
6 Isabela
Isabela is a pirate captain featured in Dragon Age II, Dragon Age Origins, and Dragon Age Inquisition. She is a playable rouge class character in inquisition and a very useful fighter. She is incredibly witty as one would expect from a pirate captain.
Isabella has a tragic backstory leading up to her life of piracy, including her mother selling her to her husband for gold and a goat! While she is overly sexualized by the developers, always wearing very suggestive outfits, as a romanceable character she maintains independence and shows no shame.
5 Morrigan
One of Flemeth's daughters, Morrigan is a powerful, shapeshifting sorceress that appears throughout the Dragon Age series. While at first, she maintains a distrust of others given to her by Flemeth, she later turns against her mother to save herself. Morrigan is a complex character, not falling on the sides of "good" or "evil." She looks out for herself even when romanced- as you would if you lived in the wild!
While her revealing outfits can prompt eye-rolling, they could be justified from her growing up and living among animals for a long period of her life. (But that still feels like making excuses!)
4 Josephine
Josephine is introduced early on in Dragon Age Inquisition, as an ambassador and the chief diplomat for the Inquisition.
After a few conversations with Josephine, it's made clear how she knows her stuff and what an important figure she is for the Inquisition. Josephine is one of those diplomacies over violence types, with the known-how to back this view up. She doesn't let others tell her what's best as she already knows what to do, no matter what the challenge is. Her strength comes through in these interactions.
3 Vivienne
An advisor being a stronger character that the empress she serves may seem like a long shot. But Vivienne outshines Celene in many circumstances. Celene is a strong character, taking up her throne at a young age and ruling independently. But Vivienne worked hard to get where she is, without the advantages Celene had.
Vivienne became one of the youngest mages to enter the Ostwick Circle. That's not something that should be overlooked! Her natural talent in magic and the effort she went through show her strength. She's a powerful mage and a powerful companion to have in the game.
2 Aveline
It's more than Aveline's tough persona that earns her a high spot on this list!
Aveline is a tough as nails human warrior introduced early as a companion in Dragon Age II. Aveline's story comes with lots of twists and turns depending on Hawke's choices. She is undoubtedly tough physically which is made clear straight away. But Aveline has her own values, which she will defend without question. Despite her violent streak, Aveline speaks her mind and with her stubborn nature, she has no problem standing up for herself.
1 Cassandra
While Dragon Age shows a wide diversity of female characters, all strong in different ways, Cassandra shines as a very strong female character in every way. She is an excellent warrior, never backing down from a fight. But she is also diplomatic, standing up for what she believes to be right. Her goals are to save as many lives as she can and keep those she leads safe.
Cassandra is strong both physically and emotionally. Her gender is also not portrayed as part of her being a strong leader- she just is a strong leader plain and simple.