13 Dragon Age NPCs We Wish We Could Romance

Summary

• Dragon Age fans always want more romance options with NPCs beyond the main characters.
• Some non-romanceable characters like Irelin, Varric, and Valta still capture players' hearts.
• The desire for more romance extends to intriguing characters like The Viper, Sten, and Krem, adding depth to the game.

What would the Dragon Age series be without romance? Probably a bunch of satisfying RPGs with a fandom full of players lamenting their lack of romance. Yes, the stories and lore of Dragon Age are very much worth the price of admission alone, but without the possibility of smooches, what are we even doing here?

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Of course, even with romance playing a big part in each game, BioWare's reputation for excellent characters has ensured that the players won't be fully satisfied until they can snuggle with every last one of them. You probably know one or two party members or NPCs you wish you could invite out for a night on the town. But which ones remain the most tantalizing of unreachable passion?

Updated on May 5, 2025 by Dan Conlin: Seeing how Dragon Age: The Veilguard has had a good long while to percolate and sufficiently torment the emotions of its players, many have realized that some of its non-romanceable characters really scratch that itch for them. The game loves its romance, but there can always be more love. We've added a few more Dragon Age NPCs we wish we could romance.

13 Irelin

• A magically gifted Veil Jumper leader
• Her voice is as enchanting as her magic

First appearing in a Dragon Age comic, the Veil Jumper Irelin has been in the action from her first appearance. But most fans didn't get to see her until she finally showed up in full HD glory in Dragon Age: The Veilguard alongside Strife and her other comrades. She's an asset to her faction, but many players hope she could have been more than that.

Maybe it's her elegant design or Haruka Kuroda's enchanting voice performance. But if you find yourself enjoying her company on more than just the level of a fellow soldier in the fight against some way too dramatic gods, just know you're not the only one.

12 Vivienne

• Confidence through the roof
• Stunning in every possible sense

Let's get this out of the way. Vivienne is arguably one of the most divisive characters in all of Dragon Age. Many fans find her views on the Circle of Magi to be a bit too "well, I didn't suffer, so why are they all complaining?" for their tastes, and understandably so.

But on the other hand, Vivienne is stunning, and not just in terms of her looks. From the moment you meet her in Dragon Age: Inquisition, she has command of the room, using her ultra-smooth and self-assured mannerisms to get her way. Confidence is indeed sexy, and this enchanting enchanter has it in spades.

11 Renn

• Noble and no-nonsense
• The voice of Solid Snake is perfect for a cool dwarf

For most of its history, Dragon Age seems to have had an aversion to allowing players to romance dwarf characters. Given the unfortunate arm proportions of the race in Dragon Age: Origins, maybe BioWare just didn't want to traumatize anyone with those animations until they figured it out.

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But they quickly solved the issue, with several dwarven characters in Dragon Age 2 and Inquisition that had players eager to praise the Stone. One such instance is Lieutenant Renn from Inquisition's DLC The Descent. As a member of the honorable Legion of the Dead voiced by Solid Snake himself, David Hayter, very little else needs to be said.

10 Dagna

• Just the most precious little nerd
• Makes her own way, often with fire involved

You meet sweet young Dagna in the dwarven city of Orzammar in Dragon Age: Origins. During that time, she wants nothing more than to study magic on the surface, despite (or perhaps due to) dwarves' inability to channel those powers themselves.

Whether you help her or not, Dagna finds her way out of the city and eventually ends up as a legitimate expert in the field of magic. You can recruit her to your cause in Dragon Age: Inquisition where she expresses a delightfully chaotic love of the arcane, but unfortunately that love doesn't extend to your character. Luckily for Dagna, though, she can potentially end up with Sera.

9 The Viper

• Super cool and smooth vigilante
• Might be the pope, no big deal

Matt Mercer. That's enough information for you to understand why The Viper is one of the most sought after NPCs in Dragon Age: The Veilguard. To help things along, he also weirs a mysterious mask and dresses like a cowboy gentleman thief.

One of the Shadow Dragons' leaders and a dashing vigilante who frees slaves to boot, The Viper (aka Ashur) brings a touch of romance to the underworld of Minrathous. If his smooth mannerisms and noble cause weren't enough, he's also heavily rumored to be the Divine, leader of the Imperial Chantry in Tevinter. This love would be forbidden in all the best ways.

8 Sten

• A qunari of few words and fewer scruples
• Committed the odd massacre but nobody's perfect

Few people utter the phrase 'I can fix him' more than Dragon Age fans. When some people come upon an intimidating warrior held in a cage for the confessed crime of massacring an entire family, they might be a bit apprehensive. Others start looking up wedding outfits.

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That's Sten's story in Dragon Age: Origins. As the first Qunari you meet in the series, his stoic and blunt first impression does a lot of heavy lifting, and if you want that heavy lifting to include yourself, you're clearly in good company in the Dragon Age fandom.

7 Shaper Valta

• Calm, witty, and possibly one of the most important figures to the dwarven people
• Maybe she's born with it, maybe it's The Stone

Lots of people love a partner with purpose, and it's hard to find a dwarf with a higher purpose than Valta. As a shaper, she works to chronicle and maintain the history of the dwarven people. But by the end of The Descent DLC in Dragon Age: Inquisition, she's got a whole new path.

Unfortunately for some fans, that path doesn't lead into their arms. She's got a calm, endearing personality, and flawless hair and makeup for someone who's been living in the Deep Roads for a long time.

6 Ser Delrin Barris

• Pretty much the main reason to help the Templars
• Valiant and true, and a nice face too

Ser Barris is one character that many players may not even remember. You initially meet him in Val Royeaux when that one Templar leader punches a nun. But if you choose to recruit the mages instead of the Templars, that's the last you'll see of him in your playthrough.

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Recruiting the Templars brings you to Therinfal Redoubt, where the noble Barris will help you defeat the evil corrupting the order. If he survives and you send him out on missions, you can even promote him to Knight-Commander of the remaining Templars. But sadly, you can't promote him to your true love.

5 Aveline Vallen

• Has been through more than most, and treats most of it like a mild annoyance (including Hawke)
• She finds love, but why can't it be you?

You meet Aveline as Hawke and their family are escaping their darkspawn-overrun home of Lothering in the Dragon Age 2 prologue. During this time, she joins you in your escape and has to watch her husband die to the darkspawn taint, possibly mercy-killing him herself.

So yeah, the lack of a romance option for her was probably the right call, and many players agreed. At least, they agreed until this stalwart and passionate warrior ended up getting together with one of her fellow city guards later in the game. Look, good for her, but it's hard not to think you missed the boat at that point.

4 Krem

• He's loyal and snarky, an ideal combo
• An example of how Tevinter occasionally isn't terrible

Cremisius Aclassi (Krem) is just a joy to have around. In Dragon Age: Inquisition, he's your first point of contact in eventually recruiting bulky Qunari The Iron Bull, but it's impossible to not grow to love the guy as you get to know him. He's super cool for someone from Tevinter, probably helped by how his home country kind of hated him for not living as a woman like he was assigned at birth (a subject the game admittedly handled a bit sloppily).

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The loyal member of the Bull's Chargers merc group knows his duty but always makes room for some snark here and there, quickly charming almost any player who comes across him. Depending on how things go, that charm also potentially works on the minstrel Maryden in the Trespasser DLC, leading many to wonder, why not them?