By spoilers, I mean I'm assuming that you either are familiar with the full back stories of the characters, even some of the stuff you had to go out of your way to ask about, or you're alright with it being spoiled for you. Basically, just please don't post: "Aaaagh!I didn't know that Sten had a traumatizing romantically-charged experience with his third cousin at Space Camp, you jerk!" (or something that actually happened, but is just about as trivial that only a really nerdy fan (like me emo ) would remember).
You have been warned!
But anyway, I can't be the only one to notice that the typical companion back story is so sad that it would make the protagonist of any Disney movie jealous. I guess it makes sense. You'd have to have next to nothing to lose to leave it behind to follow the Hero of Ferelden/Warden Commander/Champion of Kirkwall to almost certain death. But who's is the most depressing? For me, I can't decide between a few characters, so I'll give my top pick from each game.
Fenris from DA II is my top choice for obvious reasons. He was a slave in Tevinter, and his earliest memories are of the torture of having the lyrium burned into his skin. On top of that, his identity was created by Danarius. He eventually escaped, or not so much escaped as was taken in by a rebel group. But Danarius found Fenris and ordered him to kill them- and he obeyed. By the time Hawke finds him, he has been running and fighting for three years. And even though he seems to be coping too well given the circumstances, it becomes pretty apparent that he's hanging on by a thread.
It seems that every time Fenris gets a taste of freedom, or safety, or any kind of future, the facade comes crashing down around him.
His past literally chases him, he has a sister that makes Goldanna look like a saint, and he's scarred irreversibly in more ways than one.
Okay, pretty sad, Fenris, but we might be able to do better.
From Origins, I picked Zevran. It might come as a surprise because I don't think I've ever seen him express, sadness or anger, but if you ask him, he'll tell you with that same cocky grin that he never knew is father. His mother was a Dalish who followed her lover to the city, but he died shortly after, and with no way to support herself, she was forced to a life of prostitution. Zevran was born shortly after, his mother unsure whether the father was her late husband or a random client. Then, guess what, his mother died soon after, when Zevran was very young, and he was raised in the brothel with the other girls' sons. Then he was sold to the Crows when he was still a boy.
It seems that he likes being an assassin, but he has no fantasies about what it means. He knows that trying to leave means that he will be hunted and probably killed. He only goes with the Hero of Ferelden as a last pathetic attempt at staying alive a little longer. It just happens to work out for him. XD
My pick for Awakening (which I treated like a seperate game because it basically is) is Sigrun. Sigrun has possibly the most depressing back story of all of them, but in my opinion she was annoying and completely forgettable, and I never talked to her outside of her quest, so I only know the bare bones of her story.
Sigrun is a casteless dwarf who was part of the Legion of the Dead, a group of casteless warriors who, in theory, place no value on their lives since their culture already considers them dead/nonexistent. But when you find her, she's just escaped the deep roads after her patrol was attacked by darkspawn. When they attacked, she fled, branding her a coward and a traitor in her own mind by the rules of the Legion. All of her allies are either dead, or worse. The darkspawn dragged off some of her companions to be turned into broodmothers. Her only wish from this point on is to die fighting the darkspawn.
Pretty sad, but like I said, Sigrun is borrrringgg. :3
Feel free to nominate other characters. They don't have to be companions, I just picked companions because you learn the most about them.
I'll add a poll later if you guys make more suggestions.
And congratz to anyone who put up with my ramblings long enough to get even halfway through my wall of text! :3
You have been warned!
But anyway, I can't be the only one to notice that the typical companion back story is so sad that it would make the protagonist of any Disney movie jealous. I guess it makes sense. You'd have to have next to nothing to lose to leave it behind to follow the Hero of Ferelden/Warden Commander/Champion of Kirkwall to almost certain death. But who's is the most depressing? For me, I can't decide between a few characters, so I'll give my top pick from each game.
Fenris from DA II is my top choice for obvious reasons. He was a slave in Tevinter, and his earliest memories are of the torture of having the lyrium burned into his skin. On top of that, his identity was created by Danarius. He eventually escaped, or not so much escaped as was taken in by a rebel group. But Danarius found Fenris and ordered him to kill them- and he obeyed. By the time Hawke finds him, he has been running and fighting for three years. And even though he seems to be coping too well given the circumstances, it becomes pretty apparent that he's hanging on by a thread.
It seems that every time Fenris gets a taste of freedom, or safety, or any kind of future, the facade comes crashing down around him.
His past literally chases him, he has a sister that makes Goldanna look like a saint, and he's scarred irreversibly in more ways than one.
Okay, pretty sad, Fenris, but we might be able to do better.
From Origins, I picked Zevran. It might come as a surprise because I don't think I've ever seen him express, sadness or anger, but if you ask him, he'll tell you with that same cocky grin that he never knew is father. His mother was a Dalish who followed her lover to the city, but he died shortly after, and with no way to support herself, she was forced to a life of prostitution. Zevran was born shortly after, his mother unsure whether the father was her late husband or a random client. Then, guess what, his mother died soon after, when Zevran was very young, and he was raised in the brothel with the other girls' sons. Then he was sold to the Crows when he was still a boy.
It seems that he likes being an assassin, but he has no fantasies about what it means. He knows that trying to leave means that he will be hunted and probably killed. He only goes with the Hero of Ferelden as a last pathetic attempt at staying alive a little longer. It just happens to work out for him. XD
My pick for Awakening (which I treated like a seperate game because it basically is) is Sigrun. Sigrun has possibly the most depressing back story of all of them, but in my opinion she was annoying and completely forgettable, and I never talked to her outside of her quest, so I only know the bare bones of her story.
Sigrun is a casteless dwarf who was part of the Legion of the Dead, a group of casteless warriors who, in theory, place no value on their lives since their culture already considers them dead/nonexistent. But when you find her, she's just escaped the deep roads after her patrol was attacked by darkspawn. When they attacked, she fled, branding her a coward and a traitor in her own mind by the rules of the Legion. All of her allies are either dead, or worse. The darkspawn dragged off some of her companions to be turned into broodmothers. Her only wish from this point on is to die fighting the darkspawn.
Pretty sad, but like I said, Sigrun is borrrringgg. :3
Feel free to nominate other characters. They don't have to be companions, I just picked companions because you learn the most about them.
I'll add a poll later if you guys make more suggestions.
And congratz to anyone who put up with my ramblings long enough to get even halfway through my wall of text! :3
