Dragon Age: Originsintroduced gamers to the world of Thedas through a plot centered on the Blight and the Grey Wardens that fight against it. The cast of companions met and recruited on the way were part of what made the game so special, with characters including flirty assassins like Zevran andcynical mysterious witches like Morrigan. They have their own motivations and opinions which sometimes force the player to make hard choices.
A lot of the companions can meet tragic and overall negative fates by the end ofDragon Age: Origins. Sometimes this is through too much disapproval of the Warden and other times it is because of a single choice the player can make, no matter what their approval rating was with the character. These tragic fates include a lot of death.
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Alistair And Morrigan
The Landsmeet is what ultimately determines what happens to Alistair, even as far as his fate inDragon Age: Inquisition. If the Warden agrees to make Loghain join the Wardens and Anora is Queen, Anora will call for Alistair’s execution. The player has a chance to talk Anora out of it, making Alistair’s fate an exile and a drunkard, but if they do not, then Alistair will be killed for being her political rival.
Morrigan is a character that is one of the biggest icons of the series, so she does not have a death in the game. However, she can have an awful time. Players can reject her ritual, making her abandon them and run away. Later, players can stab her and push her through an Eluvian inthe DLC, Witch Hunt. It is later revealed this does not kill her, but it is still a fate none would wish upon themselves.
Zevran And Leliana
Zevran’s most tragic fate can happen after the Landsmeet and while traveling through Denerim. His fellowAntivan Crow, Taliesen, will come to say he is taking Zevran back to Antiva. If Zevran does not have a high approval with the Warden, he will betray them and have to be killed permanently. A second way he can die is when first encountering him, as the player can choose to kill him immediately instead of letting him speak.
Leliana can be killed by the Warden if they attempt to defile theashes of Andrastewith dragon blood. Leliana will become hostile, and the player will have to permanently kill her. InDragon Age: Inquisition, she will still be around, but it is later revealed that she was actually a spirit and the real Leliana is still dead. This fits into the lore that some spirits take the form of dead people who felt they had duties left unfinished.
Sten And Wynne
Sten is a companion that meets a tragic fate if he is never taken as a companion at all. Players meet him in Lothering, and he is caged for killing people. If they do not complete the quest, The Qunari Prisoner, he will be left in the cage whileDarkspawn attack Lothering. The quest updates, detailing that Sten died when the Darkspawn took Lothering.
As for Wynne, her most tragic fate can be much like Leliana. She will also attack the Warden if they destroy the Urn of Sacred Ashes and the player will be forced to permanently kill her. Another way she can die is inthe Circle Tower, if Morrigan is in the party and the player chooses a certain dialogue path. If a particular path is chosen, Wynne and her fellow mages will attack the party and have to be killed.
Shale, Oghren, And The Dog
Shale is a DLC companion who is revealed to have been a dwarf woman turned into a golem. If Shale is present during the mission to find Paragon Branka, they meet the golem Caridin who knows Shale and tells her the truth of her identity and that of all golems. If the Warden decides to side with Branka to use Golems as controlled weapons, Shale will turn against the player along with Caridin and have to be permanently killed.
Oghren is one of the few companions that does not really have a tragic ending. His life is already turned upside down, especially if players choose to kill Branka; however, he never turns against the Warden for their decisions. He cannot die, and this is likely why he appeared as a companion inDragon Age: Awakening. Lastly, even the Dog (as long as the player is not a Cousland) can have a tragic fate. Instead of giving the Dog medical attention, the Warden can put the Dog down in Ostagar.
