What is Dragon Age?
Dragon Age is a long-running fantasy RPG (Role-Playing Game) that began with Dragon Age: Origins in 2009. Known for its deep lore and player-driven choices, the series allows decisions to carry over from game to game, shaping the world and the characters within it. Over the years, despite changes in gameplay and setting from game to game, Dragon Age has maintained an almost cult following fanbase—myself included.
One constant across all Dragon Age games is their focus on fascinating, well-developed characters for the player to explore. And from the very beginning, some of those characters have been queer.
The Legacy of LGBTQIA+ Representation
From the start, Dragon Age has been the flagship for LGBTQIA+ representation in the world of big-budget AAA gaming—standing out even among the already progressive games of its developer BioWare. Each installment in the series introduced trailblazing queer characters, bringing LGBTQIA+ stories to the gaming mainstream in ways that had never been seen before.
In Dragon Age: Origins (2009), players could romance Zevran, a suave elven assassin, regardless of their character’s gender—a rare feature of optional gay men romance in a major game at the time. Dragon Age 2 (2011) went even further by allowing every romanceable companion to be available to both male and female protagonists, removing gender restrictions entirely. Then, in Dragon Age: Inquisition (2014), the series introduced Krem, a prominent trans man NPC who spoke openly about his experiences; and Dorian, a romanceable dashing mage whose storyline involved confronting the fantasy equivalent of conversion therapy through blood magic.
These weren’t just token inclusions and afterthoughts. Dragon Age didn’t follow trends—it set them. The series deliberately and consistently pushed boundaries to pave the way for better LGBTQIA+ representation in gaming long before it became an industry talking point.
Krem, Dragon Age: Inquisition, 2014
The Decade Divide
The first three Dragon Age games were released within just five years, but The Veilguard took an excruciating decade to arrive. A lot has changed between 2014 and 2024—not just in gaming, but in the broader cultural landscape. The way society engages with LGBTQIA+ representation in the media has shifted dramatically, for better and for worse.
On one hand, lesbian, gay, and bisexual characters have become more common across various media; some are thoughtfully written with meaningful arcs, while others feel more like obligatory diversity checkmarks. On the other hand, the inclusion of transgender and non-binary characters has sparked a different kind of backlash—one that feels louder and more widespread than before.
LGBTQIA+ representation in gaming has always faced pushback, but a decade ago, those complaints were largely confined to the fringes of the conversation. Now, those voices aren’t just louder—they’re more mainstream. So when The Veilguard introduced Taash, a blunt, battle-hardened non-binary dragon hunter who can be romanced by the player, the backlash wasn’t just predictable; it was unprecedented. No other LGBTQIA+ character in Dragon Age history has faced this level of vitriol.
Taash, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, 2024
Impact of Inclusivity
The LGBTQIA+ representation in Dragon Age isn’t just a marketing strategy (though, in a sense, everything in media has marketing considerations). This series wasn’t created solely to cater to queer players, yet that’s precisely why it resonates so deeply with so many of them.
For LGBTQIA+ folks, seeing themselves reflected in the media isn’t just about visibility—it’s about validation. Everyone finds meaning in stories that reflect their unique experiences, and for queer gamers, Dragon Age has been one of the rare AAA franchises that offers that space long before it became the norm. I know firsthand how powerful that can be. In 2014, when The Last of Us: Left Behind DLC was released and Ellie’s queerness was revealed, it played a pivotal role in my own journey of coming out.
In Dragon Age, that experience feels even more personal. The depth of its richly written characters and the interactive nature of its storytelling make it more than just passive representation. Unlike watching a queer character in a movie, players in Dragon Age actively shape their own story. Just as they can choose to wield a sword as a mighty warrior, or command magic as a skillful mage, they can also choose to play as straight, gay, or otherwise—experiencing a world that acknowledges and respects those choices.
Pride month post by Dragon Age's developer, BioWare, showcasing LGBTQIA+ characters from the game and their sci-fi series, Mass Effect
Consistency Over Controversy
Dragon Age: The Veilguard is not beyond legitimate critique, but the pre-release calumny firestorm it faced began with a single spark: The inclusion of a non-binary major character. At another time, the discourse might have taken a different shape. But after a decade of waiting, this was the battlefield it landed on.
The reactionary backlash—escalating from critique to outright slander—didn’t shock me because of its intensity, but because it came from people who claimed to have played every previous Dragon Age game. Even if a player only pursued heterosexual romances, they still would have met Dorian, Sera, Krem, Isabela, Zevran, Leliana, and many other major queer characters along the way. How could the inclusion of Taash be so surprising—so offensive—to players familiar with Dragon Age’s well-established inclusivity? That part remains beyond me.
Do I have my own criticisms of The Veilguard? Absolutely. But stepping back into the world of Thedas after a decade still felt like coming home. And despite the resistance, Taash—who I worried I might dislike due to all the noise surrounding them—ended up becoming one of my favorite characters in the game. That’s the power of Dragon Age: Its ability to surprise, to immerse, and to tell compelling stories that reach players on a personal level. And just like the people whose lives it has touched, its commitment to LGBTQIA+ representation isn’t going anywhere.
Via ArtistGNDphotography
