Who is Solas in Dragon Age? Learn More!

Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the fourth game in Bioware's franchise, was initially called The Dreadwolf. This is one of the names of the ancient elven god of lies and deceit, also known as Fen'Harel, or to those more familiar with him, Solas.

Those who played the third game, Inquisition, know that by the end of the game, we discover that the elven mage companion is actually the ancient god, and that all the trouble we faced was caused by his plan to tear down the Veil. The Veil is a magical barrier that separates the world of the living from the world of spirits,

With the release of this game, fans who have played it or those who won’t get a chance to play it soon might be curious to learn about the true identity of our mysterious “egghead” friend and the complex role he may play in the future.

For this reason, we’ve prepared this article, where we’ll explain who Solas is, his role in Thedas’ history, and if you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments.

Solas grew up in a small village north of Ferelden. Although his pointed ears mark him as an elf, he doesn’t consider himself either a Dalish elf or a city elf. In fact, he voices a certain disdain for the Dalish, claiming they reject attempts to share knowledge and cling only to superstitions.

He also views city elves as people who hold onto what little they have, too beaten down to fight for a better existence. While some take this to mean he doesn’t care about other elves, in reality, he believes he cannot help them in their current state and is tired of being ignored.

He never attended a Circle and instead claims to have mastered his magical abilities through self-teaching. This categorizes him as an Apostate in the eyes of Chantry. Solas possesses unique magical talents, such as the ability to control his dreams consciously and manipulate rifts in the Veil thanks to his deep understanding of the Fade.

In the third game of the franchise, he is an elven mage specializing in everything related to the Fade and the spirits within it. He is also well-versed in the nature of the Breaches that appeared in the sky and helps close the first one, explaining the mark on the Inquisitor’s hand holds such power.

Usually, this would raise suspicions. After all, how does someone know so much about a phenomenon that just occurred? But considering that demons are raining down and we managed to close a Breach, we decide to hold off on questions for now.

Solas’s knowledge and wisdom make him an invaluable ally, but his actions also set the world down a grim path. Throughout the adventure, we get to know him while closing breaches, fighting Venatori mages, defeating demons from the Fade, helping him confront a corrupted spirit from his past, and, if you’re playing as a female elf Inquisitor, even developing a romance with him.

By the end of the game, we discover that an artifact called the Anchor was responsible for opening the Breach and that Solas was behind all the chaos. Corypheus, one of the supposed Magisters who invaded the Golden City and was turned into a Darkspawn (read our article on Dragon Age to learn more), was nothing more than a pawn manipulated by Solas to unknowingly use the Anchor in furthering his plan.

The Anchor grants its bearer extraordinary control over the Veil and the Fade. However, when wielded by anyone other than Fen’Harel, the Anchor is fatal to its bearer. Because the Inquisitor wields all the Anchor’s power, Solas is ultimately forced to sever the bearer's arm to stop it from consuming them.

With his departure, Solas takes our arm and leaves us with a choice. Do we promise to make him pay for what he has done to the world, or do we seek to redeem him? The answer lies in the final moments of the Trespasser DLC.

Solas’s true nature is finally revealed during a credit sequence, where he meets Flemeth, the mysterious Witch of the Wilds who has played an integral role in the Dragon Age series since Origins.

Although known as the god of betrayal, Fen’Harel’s real goal focuses on freeing the elves from their bonds and restoring their culture and heritage. Fen’Harel freed many elves from their enslavers, who had marked them with Vallaslin symbols. However, the Dalish elves continue to use these as sacred tattoos, unaware of their origin as slave marks.

In the Trespasser DLC, the Inquisitor and their party hunt Solas. Their search uncovers detailed notes about Fen’Harel’s history. Originally named Solas, he led a rebellion against the Evanuris, a group of powerful elves who sought divinity and were engaged in endless power struggles.

He fought for the elven people, earning the name “Fen’Harel,” meaning the “Dreadwolf,” given to him by his enemies. When the Evanuris murdered Mythal, whom Solas believed to be the greatest of them and his lover, he raised the Veil to imprison them and banish them from the mortal world.

When confronted, Solas explains that if he hadn’t severed the Evanuris from the world, their greed for power would have eventually destroyed it. He confides in the Inquisitor that his goal is to restore his people’s greatness, whatever the cost, which has drawn many to support his cause.

He also seizes control of the network of Eluvians, the magical mirrors that once allowed elves to travel across vast distances. (As a side note, restoring one of these mirrors is a major goal for Merrill in Dragon Age 2). Mysteriously, the elves who previously served the Inquisition begin vanishing, joining Fen’Harel as agents of chaos.

Solas’s plans to destroy the Veil are ominous at best, making it clear that the central goal in Dragon Age: The Veilguard will be to thwart him. However, the true extent of his rise to power and its consequences for Thedas remains uncertain.

Removing the Veil would erase the separation between the world of spirits and the living, where not all spirits are gentle or benevolent. One can only imagine the devastation that would follow.

Extras such as comics and the audio drama Dragon Age: Vows and Vengeance reveal that Solas went to great lengths to gather magical artifacts, including the Red Lyrium idol (formerly Templar Meredith), to achieve his plan to tear down the Veil. This leads into the opening events of the game, where Rook, Varric, Neve, and Harding interrupt Solas’s ritual and release two of the cruelest ancient elven gods.

Is it possible that in restoring his people’s glory, Solas might unleash the very dangers he claimed the Evanuris posed? Will his actions destroy all of Thedas? It is up to you to stop his plans in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Without spoiling the ending, we can only say that if there is a Dragon Age 5, we will undoubtedly face the fallout of his actions, and it will not be an easy journey.

Now, tell us in the comments: what did you think of Dragon Age: The Veilguard? Did you romance Solas in Inquisition? Let’s discuss and build theories on what’s next for Thedas after Veilguard concludes.