TheDragon Ageseries has become known for its mages; notably, its apostate companion mages that tend to betray the player in the third act of the game. One such character was Anders ofDragon Age 2, who set off a mage versus templar war by exploding Kirkwall’s chantry without telling Hawke. Anders is similar to Morrigan ofDragon Age:Originsand Solas ofDragon Age: Inquisition: He was a starting mage companion inDragon Age, who was keeping a secret of great consequence at the end of the game.
However, unlike Morrigan and Solas, Anders' story has been shelved since he was last seen inDragon Age 2. Of all theDragon Age 2companions, Anders' location and what he is doing (if he is alive) is utterly unknown. Some fans are wondering if his story will reemerge in the events ofDragon Age 4.There is already a lot of narrative opportunity set up for the nextDragon Agegame, from a Qunari war to Solas tearing down the veil, but there are certainly chances for Anders to be mentioned or even show up.
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What Happened To Anders After Dragon Age 2
There are three fates Anders can get at the end ofDragon Age 2that will influence his future story. Firstly, he can already be dead as players did get the choice to kill him after the Chantry exploded. Secondly, he could have survived and beenromanced by Hawke. Thirdly, he could survive and not be romanced. These three factors did change what is said about him inDragon Age: Inquisitionby both Hawke and Varric.
If Anders is not killed in the second game, then Varric shares some details with the Inquisitor about what happened to him. If Hawke sided with the mages, then Andersfled with the Circle of Magi from Kirkwall. However, they eventually kicked him out of their group because they blamed him for their situation as fugitives. On the other hand, if Hawke chose to side with the Templars, then Anders simply left the city all alone. According to Varric, this is all he knows and does not care to learn more (evidently having bitter feelings about the betrayal).
Any other information on Anders comes from Hawke, and only if they have romanced him. What they say is that they adventure alone because Corypheus' effect on the minds of Wardens also affected Anders. Later,if Hawke survives the Fade, Varric later shares that Hawke will reunite with Anders if Justice has not already driven him mad, or if he hasn’t already been killed.
Cut Content From Dragon Age: Inquisition
Concept artist for theDragon Ageseries, Matt Rhodes, gave fans some insight into what could have been through concept art that shows Anders as a frail hermit inDragon Age: Inquisition. On his websites, Rhodes wrote “This did not make it into the game. It was just one of those things that got painted betweenDragon Age 2andDragon Age: Inquisition.” However, this concept art did shock many fans, as Anders does not appear to be well off and is missing an arm.
Based on both this concept art and what Varric and Hawke have shared about Anders, whatever happened to him sinceDragon Age 2does not seem to be good. However, this is all just conjecture and no one really knows what has happened to Anders. After all, his concept art is not canon and likely will not be used inDragon Age 4, since Rhodes put it out on the internet.
How Anders Can Appear In Dragon Age 4
Between Morrigan, Solas, and Anders, the latter is the least-popular apostate companion in the series. BioWare seems to be aware of this, which is why Morrigan andSolas have been given much more relevancein the series as of late. This is also because Anders can be dead in a lot of people’s games. Solas and Morrigan have not canonically died in any way, while Anders has, depending on player choice.
However, killing Anders did not necessarily kill what made him blow up the Chantry in the first place. Anders became extreme due to a spirit of Justice that got corrupted into Vengence while possessing his mind. That spirit was released back into the Fade, not dead like Anders if players killed him inDragon Age 2. This means that players, one way or the other, can possibly meet Justice again inDragon Age 4. This is especially possible considering thatthe veil between the Fade and Thedas will be torn down by Solasand let spirits run amok. In this sense, the death or meeting of Justice can put a second end to Anders' story.
If Anders was not killed, there is an easy guess as to where he ran off to in order to stay safe from Templars and the Chantry. This is a place that loves magic and its power, to the point where they think mages should rule over non-mages. This place is Tevinter, andBioWare has already revealed thatDragon Age 4will explore that area of Thedas.
Anders already had some inspiration about Tevinter, loving that it has free mages and gives them resources and respect. He sometimes even voiced this warm curiosity aboutTevinter culturethroughout certain scenes inDragon Age 2. Throughout his years in Kirkwall and with Hawke, he became more zealous to the point where it is not hard to imagine him running to a controversial land such as Tevinter for asylum.
With such logic to Anders and Justice’s characters, it would be a great disappointment to not see either of them play out some role, however minor, inDragon Age 4.Plenty of other characters that can canonically die in previous games have still had major roles in the series from the games, such as Loghain, Alistair, Leliana, Fenris, Zevran, Shale, and Wynne. So Anders making an appearance inDragon Age 4really would not be a stretch of the imagination.
